Of everyone inside the dome, only Eva seemed to realize what was happening. She looked at Chizuru with newfound respect.
"Axel, Boya (Negi)… can either of you tell what this orange 'field'—or 'Domain'—is doing?"
I shook my head. Beside me, Negi did the same, looking stumped.
"I expected as much from Axel, but I'd hoped you would sense it, Boy," Eva sighed. She turned back to the group. "This orange domain provides a constant regenerative effect. On its own, the healing isn't incredibly potent, but when you consider it applies to every ally within the field simultaneously? That is high-tier support."
Constant regeneration… like a 'Regen' spell from a game.
"Next."
Chizuru activated the yellow stone. The yellow domain expanded as expected. But then—
"Urgh…"
"Whoa!"
"What is this?"
Eva, Negi, Ayaka, and I all groaned simultaneously. It felt like the air had turned to lead.
"It's forcing our mana out of our bodies," Eva gritted out. "Chizuru, deactivate it!"
Chizuru, who looked perfectly fine and confused, quickly shut it down. Everyone took a ragged breath of relief.
"The yellow domain forces subjects to vent their magic… no, looking at how Chizuru's own reserves just ticked up, it's a drain. It absorbs mana. It might not be a 'mage-killer' outright, but it's a massive nuisance for any spellcaster."
"I can't even imagine what the other colors do," I muttered. "Chizuru, go for the next one."
"Okay… huh?"
Chizuru tried to cycle through green, blue, indigo, and violet, but nothing happened. She fiddled with the bracelet, tilting her head. "Nothing's coming out."
Eva crossed her arms. "Likely a matter of capacity. The 'higher' colors probably won't unlock until Chizuru herself grows stronger. It's a built-in limiter."
"Even so…" Asuna cut in, staring at the bracelet.
"What is it, Asuna?" I asked.
"I was just wondering why it's called the 'Iris (Rainbow) Domain.' Wouldn't 'Seven-Color Domain' be easier?"
"…Asuna-san, are you being serious?" Ayaka asked, exasperated.
"What, Class Rep?"
"Think about it. What are the seven colors of the rainbow? Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. 'Iris' is the rainbow."
(I didn't have the heart to tell them that in some cultures, rainbows only have five or six colors.)
"…Oh! I get it now!" Asuna laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "Man, why do magic items have to have such complicated names?"
"Honestly," Eva whispered under her breath, "this is why you're 'Baka Red.'"
Unfortunately, Asuna heard her.
"Hey! Listen here, Eva-chan! Your test scores aren't exactly stellar either!"
"Hmph. I've been a 'student' for fifteen years. Those grades are a deliberate choice to avoid attention. I am nothing like you."
"Why you—!!"
Fuming, Asuna raised her giant paper fan and swung it down at Eva's head. Eva smirked and casually threw up a magical barrier. She knew Asuna could negate magic with her right hand, but she figured a physical weapon like a fan wouldn't bypass a structural shield.
SPAAANN!
The harisen didn't just hit the barrier—it erased it from existence like it was never there, before connecting squarely with the back of Eva's head.
"Ow! Impossible!"
Eva clutched her head, her eyes wide with genuine shock. I was just as stunned.
A magic-canceling paper fan? Well, Kamo did say that Artifacts are influenced by the contractor's nature. Given Asuna's innate ability to nullify magic, an Artifact with the same property actually made sense. As for why it was a fan and not the sword on the card? It was probably the same as Chizuru's bracelet—Asuna just wasn't "leveled up" enough to wield the true form yet.
Eva looked at Asuna with a new, dangerous glint of interest in her eyes. It looked like training was about to get a lot more intense.
[Status Screen]
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Stats:
Melee: 262
Ranged: 282
Skill: 272
Defense: 272
Evade: 302
Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Increases Slime performance by consuming SP)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain Ratings:
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: S
Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Zeal (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regen, Concentration)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
Infight Lv.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Grey)
Magic (Fire)
Magic (Shadow)
Magic (Summoning)
Dark Magic
???
Kills: 376
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"