That explanation made the corner of Rayleigh's eye twitch several times.
'She learned it? Just like that?'
Although Alfia had already given him this kind of shock several times, this was still only the second person he had met who could use Shunpo in actual combat immediately after seeing it just once.
Shunpo was not an ordinary footwork technique.
It required precise Reiatsu control to succeed.
Alfia herself was already a powerful mage, and on top of that, she had a cheat-like skill such as [Gif Blessings], along with her own extraordinary talent.
But Artemis could not use her Arcanum.
Was she relying purely on physical ability?
If she were a high-level adventurer, it might be possible... but the speed would still be greatly reduced.
"Don't get distracted."
Artemis's figure became hazy once more.
Rayleigh only felt his vision blur, and Artemis had already closed the distance until she was less than two meters in front of him.
'So fast?'
No.
Was this really speed?
It felt a little different.
Rayleigh focused his attention and began observing Artemis's movements.
Then he discovered, to his astonishment, that she had actually modified Shunpo so she could use it successfully.
In such a short time!
Artemis threw a punch, but instead of retreating, Rayleigh stepped forward with no intention of dodging at all.
The goddess showed a trace of surprise.
The reason was simple.
With Artemis's physical ability, this kind of attack could not hurt him.
From the very beginning, he had analyzed the possibilities she had for defeating him.
First was attack power.
Aside from weapons, if the two of them entered close-quarters combat, the only things Artemis could use to gain an effect on him would be throws and joint locks.
The difference in their physical ability was too large.
Whether it was Artemis's fists or her whip-like kicks, hitting him would not have any real effect.
Because Rayleigh understood that, he immediately saw through her intention.
This attack was a feint.
Seeing Rayleigh refuse to dodge, Artemis was surprised, but she did not panic.
Her steps changed again as her entire body quickly retreated.
This time, Rayleigh understood.
What Artemis was using was not truly Shunpo.
Those so-called supporting techniques were changes in footwork, creating afterimages during movement to interfere with judgment.
She was not fast.
She had increased the number of actions that disturbed perception.
How clever.
This was something only a long-lived being whose experience surpassed mortals could do.
With humanity's short lifespan, it would be impossible to accumulate such vast experience and then apply it so naturally.
For gods who had existed for over hundreds of millions of years, this was the kind of ability they should possess.
But afterimages meant nothing to him.
Rayleigh adjusted his visual perception so it approached Reiraku.
The afterimages in his eyes immediately dimmed, leaving only the goddess's true body radiating golden Reiatsu.
Seeing through that, Rayleigh's eyes held no hesitation.
He slashed down!
Artemis hurriedly swung her longbow, striking the side of Ruri'iro Kujaku's blade and knocking the attack away.
It was an extremely precise blow.
That was what Rayleigh found strange.
His strength and speed completely surpassed Artemis's, yet not only could she react to his speed, she could precisely intercept and evade his attacks.
She could even counterattack.
"You saw through it. Impressive! I only used it twice," Artemis said, sounding genuinely amazed by Rayleigh's sharpness in battle.
Then...
'The probing ended here.'
Rayleigh and Artemis thought the same thing at the same time.
And they both moved in the same direction.
Whoosh!
Artemis nocked an arrow and fired.
It was clearly such a primitive launching weapon, yet through her technique, she made the bow and arrow perform like a rifle.
The power of each arrow exceeded that of a 7.62 round. (a bullet)
When they landed on the ground, they did not simply stick into it; they produced explosion-like impacts, leaving Rayleigh slightly alarmed.
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku!"
Golden chains extended from Rayleigh's hand.
He gripped them, swung them around, and knocked the flying arrows out of the air.
Although her arrows failed to accomplish anything, Artemis did not stop. It was as if she were repeating a meaningless action.
However, Rayleigh suddenly felt the chain in his hand sink.
He looked over and immediately discovered that the gaps in the chain had been pinned by arrows.
Rayleigh released his hand at once.
The golden chains scattered, dissolving into Reishi and fading into golden particles of light.
It seemed he had lost in precision.
"Then how about firepower?"
More than a dozen fireballs suddenly appeared behind Rayleigh.
Shakkahō, seventeenfold volley!
Under Rayleigh's control, all the Shakkahō fired at once, each assigned a different route.
Like homing missiles, they looked chaotic, yet in the end, they would relentlessly lock onto their target.
"Magic!"
"And without chanting!"
"That golden chain earlier too. Are you only noticing now? That guy is using quick-cast magic." Letsa, who had seen more than the others, explained to the younger members of the Familia.
Artemis's expression changed.
She fired an arrow and struck one of the Shakkahō, wanting to test the power of this spell.
Then... Boom!
The fireball instantly expanded into a miniature sun!
It released astonishing light and heat.
The damp fallen leaves on the ground had their moisture evaporated, quickly drying before crumbling into fragments.
Seeing that power, Artemis was stunned.
She shouted, "Are you trying to kill me?!"
Even if she was not hit directly by something like that, she would still be sent straight to Heaven!
Rayleigh did not respond.
Instead, he began chanting on his own.
"..."
"Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan!"
Blue Reishi rods condensed in Rayleigh's hand.
He aimed at Artemis, who was busy dodging the fireballs, then hurled the light rods with force.
Their initial velocity was around two hundred and fifty meters per second.
"Wait—"
A trace of panic appeared on Artemis's face.
She hurriedly set an arrow to her bow, then fired in a rush.
What happened next left even Rayleigh somewhat dumbfounded.
The arrow Artemis released collided with Hyapporankan at an angle, then rebounded and pierced through one of the Shakkahō in the air, triggering an explosion.
The blast blew away the remaining Shakkahō and swallowed the blue light rods as well, destroying more than half of them.
Although that exposed a weakness in the moon goddess's defenses, with one Reishi rod flying straight toward her face.
Even the girls of Artemis Familia felt that it was dangerous.
But Artemis leaned backward and drew her bow at the same time, bracing one foot against the bow itself.
In an unbelievable posture, she actually pulled the bowstring fully taut.
"Pierce through!"
The goddess declared victory!
Whoosh!
The arrow transformed into a shooting star.
In Rayleigh's eyes, the speed of this arrow was not so fast that he could not react. But his instincts told him that this arrow could not be dodged.
An arrow that would definitely hit, and would definitely win?
Then he would crush it head-on!
Rayleigh grinned, took one large step forward, gripped his sword with both hands, and poured a great amount of Reiatsu into the blade.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
Reiatsu erupted from the tip of the blade.
A massive lapis-colored slash split the earth, split the moon goddess's arrow, and continued forward in a straight line.
Until it vanished beyond the horizon.
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