A bloodthirsty grin spread across Eva's face, and I couldn't help but give a wry smile in return. She claimed this was for my benefit, but it was obvious she just wanted an excuse to fight another Dark Magic user.
Still, she wasn't wrong. If I could learn to treat this state as my default, I might be able to push my power through several more ceilings—much like Goku did with the Super Saiyan state back in Dragon Ball.
"Do you need blood?" I asked.
"No. I've taken some of the blood you gave me previously and modified it with magic. This is a good chance to test the results."
She pulled a tiny vial from her coat containing a dark, reddish-black liquid. The vial was barely three centimeters tall. The liquid inside looked incredibly ominous, but Eva downed it in a single gulp without a second thought.
"...Are you okay? I heard that even for you, just a few drops of my blood contains enough mana to hit your limit. Is it safe to drink that much?"
"Don't worry. There's only about one drop of your actual blood in this concoction. The volume was increased primarily to stabilize the flavor and dilute the overwhelming potency."
Even as she spoke, her mana was surging. I could visibly see the magical pressure radiating from her small frame as her reserves replenished.
"Now... here I come."
Without a single word of incantation, Eva manifested fifty ice daggers and launched them at me. Watching the frozen rain close in, I used Shundo to tear across the grass.
"Hah!"
I swiped at the ice daggers as I passed them, catching several in my hands. An instant later, the black flames erupting from my skin hissed, melting the ice into nothingness.
"Oh? Catching my Ice Arrows? Then try this: Hammer of the Ice God!"
She used the spell silently again—one I had seen before. I glanced upward to see a massive block of ice hurtling toward me from the sky.
"Kh—!"
I activated Telekinesis instinctively. I froze the falling monolith in mid-air, then redirected the force to hurl it right back at Eva.
She took to the sky, dodging the projectile with ease. The massive ice block shattered against the stone pavement of the courtyard, sending shards flying everywhere.
"Heh... it seems your Telekinesis gets a boost in that state as well. So, you can handle solid projectiles. What's next?"
She was observing me, testing my limits, but I wasn't about to let her dictate the pace forever!
"Accel!"
Combining the Spirit Command with Shundo, I closed the gap instantly, wreathed in black flames.
"Take this!"
Capitalizing on the mana-drain effect of the Infernal Lotus, I drove a palm strike toward her face. She blocked it with an iron fan that appeared out of nowhere—a smart move, as she knew touching me directly would sap her strength. But the palm strike was a feint.
I dropped my weight, letting gravity pull me down as I went into a low sweep to take her legs. However...
"Too naive, you fool."
With those words, I felt my body suddenly launched into the air.
What? Did she throw me?!
I twisted in mid-air, using Air Shundo to kick the very atmosphere and lunge back at her.
"Hmph!"
I aimed for her face again, throwing a right palm strike with the exact same timing and power as before.
The exchange repeated—she blocked with the iron fan just as expected. But this time, I followed through differently. I thrust my left hand toward her slender neck.
In that split second, I saw it. Eva tilted her head slightly to let my hand whistle past her ear, and her fingers lightly nipped at my wrist. ...Or rather, that was the last thing I could consciously track. I don't know what she did or how she applied the force, but in the next heartbeat, I was airborne again.
"Was that... Aikido?"
"In a sense. More accurately, it's Aiki-tessanjutsu—the Art of the Aiki Iron Fan. An old man taught me the basics a long time ago. I've been stuck in this school for fifteen years; practicing it was a decent way to kill the boredom."
So... I couldn't win in a pure melee exchange.
No matter how high my physical stats were or how many "In-fight" skills I had, she had spent centuries refining her combat prowess as a vampire. The sheer gap in experience was a wall I couldn't climb with raw power alone. My physical output might be higher now that she was suppressed, but her technique was absolute.
Fine. If I can't out-skill her, I'll just have to overwhelm that technique with sheer speed!
"Accel!"
I pushed the Spirit Command once more and threw myself back into the fray.
Character Profile: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evasion: 302 | Accuracy: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain Ratings: Air: S | Ground: S | Water: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Strike (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regen, Concentration)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
In-fight Lv.9
Spirit Limit Break
Geass (Grey)
Fire Magic
Shadow Magic
Summoning Magic
Dark Magic (Magia Erebea)
???
Kills: 376
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