Chapter 666: What Has Been Accumulated Upon That Blade
The non-material spear generated by Areadbhair has a performance that practically feels like a joke—despite being a spear, it's an AoE attack with weak piercing power. However, flipped on its head, it means that with just a single Areadbhair, I can unleash an incredibly flashy area attack.
Being flashy means standing out, and standing out means drawing attention! In other words, aggro control!! Though it relies purely on brute force.
"Burn, scorching heat! Who cares if I only have one arm? The number of limbs you have has nothing to do with your right to sink your teeth into an opponent!!"
I've lost count of how many times I've accelerated, charging forward while bearing the blazing flames illuminating the night sky. Hey, Imperial Majesty, I'm glad you're finally paying attention to me after so long... It's not too late, we can still become best friends. So, how about we get fancy and have a weapon show-off contest?
Areadbhair's ultimate attack, "Brionac," is an AoE attack, but it hinges on the spearhead actually landing. Regardless of the details, to draw out 100% of its power, it needs to be slammed into the optimal target area.
A suffocating heat, like my right arm had been wrapped in a blanket or something, was spreading from Areadbhair all throughout my right arm. Glancing over, I saw that my right arm was physically on fire... Uh, is this okay?
When I used it before, I didn't have the luxury to worry about it, but was it actually generating DoT back then too? No, it's fine; it's just burning, but I'm not taking damage. Areadbhair will mercilessly burn even its user if they touch the blade, after all... If you get cocky and lick the blade, you'll turn into yakiniku. But as long as it's not a problem,
"Alright!!"
Burn, my fighting spirit! If my arm gets charred in the process, so be it!!
The preparations to fire are already complete. As I sprinted forward wielding what used to be a sword, now harboring a massive spearhead, the "Golden Age"'s consciousness was completely glued to me. It seems it firmly intends to preserve the "Holy Sword," instead setting out to eliminate the threat using its sword-claws. Idiot! After fighting for two or three hours, I've gotten used to them and seen right through them!!
The movements of the sword-claws are actually closer to those of a robotic arm. Exactly because they can be rotated nearly 200 degrees, its movements rely heavily on the range of motion of its joints. In other words, it rarely uses the kind of movements a normal creature does—moving the arm while simultaneously shifting the joints.
If that's the case, I can pull off something like this!!
The Maxell Dodge Arts, suddenly radiating the aura of an absolute ace! Multiple Circular Motion!! Intentionally turning my back to the enemy for a vertical 90-degree shift, drawing a vertical circle that might as well be called a somersault, and landing right on the "Golden Age"'s back!!
I know what's coming. Out of the entire Crystal Scorpion family, there is only one action a duel-focused variant takes when someone jumps onto its back!!
"Sorry, Saina! Steel your resolve and grit your teeth!!"
"There is no problem... Surely, this too, is courage?"
"No matter how you look at it, it's just reckless bravadooo!!"
"......................Plasmaite Thrasher, initiating."
A massive spin not meant for sweeping the surroundings, but to shake off the rider. No matter how high-performance its AI is, it's a completely reactive motion it absolutely cannot resist. And having fought them time and time again, I know... there is a difference in the amount of damage dealt upon contact with the tail between a spin meant for attacking and a spin meant for shaking someone off.
In other words, it's far more worth the gamble than just exposing ourselves to an attack.
"Execution: Severing of the tail section."
To explain it super roughly, the Class VIII Armament "Plasmaite Thrasher" is a ridiculously massive greatsword that generates an electrical blade from a rod. Perhaps due to a mechanism using multiple gadgets to forcefully swing it, Saina's physical strength can operate it, but in exchange, it can only execute incredibly simple vertical or horizontal swings.
I double-checked just to be sure, but structurally, thrusts apparently can't deal much damage at all... Well, the physical part is just a normal rod, after all.
The Plasmaite Thrasher, swung with maximum output, clashed with the "Holy Sword," which had executed a horizontal sweep with very little killing intent. The power really is weak—the fact that Saina could even slightly match it in a contest of strength is the greatest proof of that.
The magical light cloaking the "Holy Sword" and the electrical discharge of the Plasmaite Thrasher collided, releasing a violent flash. Saina, you missed slightly, didn't you? I told you to aim for the base, yet it clashed against the blade of the "Holy Sword". Still, it's not far from the wound on it. Can we do this...?
"...Kuh, propulsion power, matched... Disadvantageous... Reaching the limit."
A nasty bagin sound echoed out. It was the sound of the "Holy Sword" tearing through the plasma edge of the Plasmaite Thrasher and shattering the core unit itself. However, after clashing multiple times, both Saina and I had already anticipated that.
Having sheared straight through the Class VIII Armament, the "Holy Sword" swung all the way through, yet it did not cleave Saina. The "Holy Sword" passed directly over Saina's head—who had thrown herself forward the moment the sword swung through—and its movement gently decelerated at the same time the main body's great spin lost its momentum. Finally, with just a slight bit of inertia and centrifugal force, the tail merely wobbled before stopping—
"Did you forget, Imperial Majesty!? This is the true star of the show!!"
No matter how much of a "Golden Age" it is, it seems it still can't crush the brief opening of a few seconds right as its action concludes! Naturally. When this thing initiated its great spin in the first place, I had already evacuated using a mid-air jump, so the "shake off" mechanic was completely irrelevant. And the slight opening created precisely because it sealed away the "trump card" that was Saina... is more than enough of a window to thrust a spear in.
"Burn, Areadbhair! Fourth Radiant Spear Hypothesis: ...!!"
The effect of the mid-air jump expired. Landing back on the "Golden Age"'s back, before I even took the time to feel proud of it, I readied the tip of the flame spear and aimed. So what if I only have one arm? I can at least align the sights on a target a few meters away.
The "Holy Sword" is mine!!
"Incineration!!!"
The massive flame born of fire, the spear of a Giant, was released. It wasn't a great distance, but the scorching heat, hungrily devouring the air toward the target and burning intensely, struck dead-on at the connection joint between the stinger and the tail supporting the "Holy Sword"—which already had an undeniable crack running through it from repeated damage.
The enemy isn't a dragon, nor is it a drake; frankly, it's just a monster made of rocks. But! There is no reason why a radiant spear that pierces dragon scales cannot shatter crystal!!
"This is a Champion's Weapon over here! The history stacked within it is completely different!!"
A massive explosion completely covered my vision, and as my body was blown away, I heard a remarkably clear pakin sound. After recovering my posture with a five-point landing (also known as violently slamming five different body parts against the ground), taking roughly 60% of my HP in the process, I saw it: bursting through the rapidly dissipating explosive flames, dancing through the air, and plunging into the ground... the "Holy Sword"...... Hyahohoi!!!
"Look at this rare item just lying around heeeere!!"
Who's gonna turn this into the police, you idiots! ShanFro has self-righteous player cops and guard stations, but actual policemen don't exiiiist!!!
Thank you, Imperial Majesty! And while I'm at it, I'll be stripping you down to your bare skin!!
Author's Afterword
Aggressive mugging style.
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