"Summoning, Crimson Marked Tree Monster!"
Another tree monster appeared, two tree monsters approached the newly summoned Ice and Snow Monster from the opponent.
Rhode's expression was somewhat unpleasant; even with the Crown of Insight, the huge consumption of two reds and a blue made him quite pressured.
The good news was that the Ice and Snow Monster seemed somewhat fragile against the tree monsters and wouldn't need long to be eliminated.
However, he wasn't sure if the opponent could continue summoning such monsters.
"I say, what you used wouldn't happen to be Shaping Magic, would it?" Rhode saw some clues, feeling it had some connections with the magic of Gray and Laki.
Shaping Magic is a magic of freedom, but most require a kind of 'raw material', Gray's is ice, Laki's is wood.
As for this person in front... though abstract and unbelievable to say, magic itself is something incredible.
Rhode boldly guessed: "Your raw material for shaping is probably the 'imagination' you mentioned earlier!"
"Heh heh heh... What an unimaginative guess, my magic is far from being as superficial as Shaping Magic."
Speaking of this, Rastillos seemed quite proud, "My magic is closer to the Magic Root Source's Lost Magic, named 'Arc of Manifestation'!
Everything I imagine can be manifested! Even these things devoid of beauty!"
Rastillos waved his hand gently, and the things he called 'devoid of beauty' appeared before him one after another.
They were cannons of various shapes and calibers, the dark muzzle made Rhode's scalp tingle.
"Although Arc of Manifestation has certain limitations, and personally I dislike this crude usage, however..."
A smile appeared on his face, "Using celebratory fireworks occasionally for some interesting foes is not bad either!"
Boom boom boom...
Dozens of cannons fired simultaneously, shells of various sizes flew out of the barrel towards several battling monsters.
The several 'Guardian Holy Beasts', nearly on their last leg, gradually faded into illusion and disappeared as the shells struck the golems and tree monsters.
The exploding flames were indeed as Rastillos said, vibrant and multicolored like fireworks.
Rhode sent back the wild creatures before they suffered fatal injuries.
Before sending them off, he had the golem replenish the Crown of Insight for him and the tree monster add a Crown of Embers.
However, as a result, the constantly fired cannon shells turned their target to Rhode.
"Vanish amidst the roaring salutes, pitiful fairies!"
Rastillos's poetic voice was drowned in the explosion.
Rhode had already received the Ancient Stone Beetle, hiding underground.
With a mindset of preparedness, he summoned another group of Stone Beetles to ambush first.
Despite being hit by one shell due to the insufficient sinking speed, it wasn't any serious injury, not much of a problem.
Physical common sense: sound can travel through solid matter.
So Rhode could hear the booming of cannons above while underground, unable to help feeling a bit envious.
If he had magic that could manifest imagination, wouldn't he in no time play out an Infinite Sword System or Mechanical Legion?
If it landed in the hands of old perverts like Macao Wakaba... that scene Rhode didn't even dare imagine!
"Calm down, as this magic resembles what Rastillos himself indicated, there should be some kind of limitation. And although he disparaged Shaping Magic, it certainly seems interconnected.
Without more information, let's start by addressing it with the mindset of handling Shaping Magic."
Rhode tried recalling the characteristics of Shaping Magic, blessed by Togre and Laki, he indeed understood quite a bit.
The magic power limit goes without saying, the most important aspect of Shaping Magic is having enough knowledge of what one wants to shape, otherwise it ends up as something merely superficial.
Due to this, shaping requires a certain amount of time, unless it's something practiced countless times, something utterly familiar.
Like those four 'Guardian Holy Beasts', Rastillos must have practiced many times or imagined them repeatedly, allowing instant manifestation.
With this, Rhode wouldn't need to worry about them battling himself, nor would he worry about them replicating his creatures.
Due to insufficient knowledge.
If only it could...
The cannon fire suddenly ceased, Rhode quickly stopped his thoughts and swiftly 'swam' sideways.
With a thud, a huge iron cone about three or four meters high pierced the spot he just occupied, splitting the ground with a crack.
"I meant for you to fall into the darkness, not hide in the shadows underground!"
Rastillos raised his right hand and sliced downward, his arm extended rapidly, turning into a black claw that stabbed directly into Rhode's chest.
"Waaau!" The attack came too quickly; Rhode tried to withstand this move but hadn't expected the hard shell of Stone Beetle mode to shatter like paper before these claws.
Not only was his arm scratched, but his left shoulder was pierced with a bloody hole.
Rastillos's chant belatedly arrived: "I am the King of the Netherworld, my right hand is the ink-black sword that can sever all!"
What a chaotic imagination...
Rhode endured the pain, holding onto the pitch-black arm tightly, analyzing it thoroughly, realizing none was better than the opponent himself delivering it.
A flash of light swept over him, his skin turned purplish-brown, lower limbs became extraordinarily sturdy, bumps the size of infant fists grew on his arms, cheeks puffed slightly, and his jaw inflated like a balloon.
Moreover, Rhode's eyes swelled up, purple shadow appeared, his hair transformed into dreadlocks adorned with colorful poisonous mushrooms.
"Receiving Magic Swamp Frog."
Disliking its ugliness, Rhode secretly practiced this shape, never showcasing it to others, nor using it in actual combat.
Yet today, after being hurt by Rastillos's reckless hand, Rhode made up his mind to utilize it.
May the poison finish you off, you bastard!
This version of Rhode, if not deliberately restrained, was covered in poison from head to toe.
The pitch-black arm in his embrace had already through skin contact picked up the poison, blood-covered claws fizzed as poison corroded them.
"Quack~" His jaw bulged then retracted, cheeks followed suit, issuing dark purple venom like water jets.
"Exists in my left hand, the Shield of Gold that can repulse all!"
The shield blocked the venom but quickly billowed white smoke with sizzling sounds.
Not only venom, a layer of peculiar flame unexpectedly adhered to the purple venom, causing the shield to corrode faster.
"Argh..." Rastillos cried in pain, Ink-Black Sword and Shield of Gold disappeared simultaneously, reverting to normal arm form.
Yet his sleeve was shredded, his arm scorched by the purple venom.
"Oh? So it's truly not Shaping Magic... when your arm turned into claws and shields, did they actually possess entities?"
Rastillos didn't bother replying, as two streams of clear water emerged, washing away the venom on his arm.
Yet waves of stinging and paralysis reminded him, this poison wasn't easily dispelled.
Rastillos shook as he lifted his hand to adjust his glasses: "What... an ugly form, you such a monstrosity, your best fate should be the abyss of hell!"
This guy really, keeps on pretending even after getting a setback.
"Flying Feathers!" The Beaked Bird who'd been resting for a while shot its Feathered Flying Knife once more.
White wings emerged on Rastillos's feet, just as he was about to leap, he felt his feet caught by something.
"When did this happen?!"