Chapter 80: Noble Pedigree
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“Protective Shield + Young Dragon Scales!”
“Dragon Scale Barrier!”
A shimmering barrier made of interlocking dragon scales manifested in front of Elizabeth. The monster’s explosive spells struck the barrier hard and were immediately reflected back through the natural reflective properties of the dragon scale ability, which could bounce most low-level magic directly at its source.
BOOOM!
BOOOM!
BOOOM!
BOOOM!
The explosive spells rained down on the monster instead, slamming into its body with brutal force. The impacts damaged it severely and sent the massive creature tumbling backward into the ground in a cloud of dust and debris.
“GRRRR...!”
Yet the Chimera quickly forced itself back onto its feet once more. Blood poured from dozens of wounds across its body as it suddenly summoned a Multi Elemental Spirit Aura. The aura surged around it like a raging storm, enhancing all of its physical and magical stats at once and transforming the already dangerous beast into an even greater threat.
Everyone watching from behind could only stare in awe at the intense struggle unfolding before them.
“S-She almost…! She almost finished it!” Borfus coughed, eyes wide with a mix of hope and dread.
“Damn it, that thing just got even bigger!” Reinhardt cried out in frustration.
“It’s over…!” Archivald lamented, his shoulders sagging under the weight of despair.
“Elizabeth, we have to run!” Hikari urged, her voice rising with urgency. “Use your magic to open a way out instead of fighting a hopeless battle like this!”
“Uuhh… Um…! Please don’t die…!” the ghostly girl cried, her translucent form flickering with fear.
Elizabeth’s aura surged outward with renewed intensity, pure magical energy pouring from her body like an unstoppable fountain. Everyone present felt the difference immediately. It was an incredibly refined level of Fantasium, something they had never experienced before in their lives.
Usually most people could only wield ordinary Mana. The more gifted ones among them could also channel Spirit Energy. Pure, raw, and unfiltered Fantasium, however, was said to be extremely difficult to control and highly toxic to the human body. Because it was so powerful and completely unpurified, Fantasium could easily destroy a person’s body from within or even twist it into a monstrous aberration. Although the worst effects had lessened compared to ancient times when mere exposure could mutate people into twisted horrors, a weak body would still reject pure Fantasium entirely.
Elizabeth, however, was a powerful divine dragon who had possessed Fantasium since the moment of her birth and could wield it freely. That natural affinity granted her a massive advantage in both magical power and long-term growth.
Thus their auras clashed with tremendous force.
RUMBLE!
The Chimera roared and swung its massive claws in a wide arc. Elizabeth swiftly avoided the strike, rolling to the side with practiced agility before conjuring several large dragon-scale shields. The shields reflected the incoming magic once more and bombarded the monster with a series of explosions created from its own redirected spells.
The Chimera grew furious. It leaped high into the air and then descended at lightning speed, its large mane transforming into pure golden lightning as it plummeted downward.
CRAAASH!
Elizabeth swung both hands forward and conjured dozens of knives formed from pure Harmony and Chaos energy. The opposing elements forced themselves together upon contact and generated massive, unstable explosions.
BOOOMMM!!!
The Chimera swallowed dozens of those massive explosions as it fell. Most of its upper body was torn to shreds. Pieces of flesh, bone, and elemental residue scattered in every direction across the battlefield.
However, this was far from over.
Chimeras were famous for their incredible resilience and regenerative abilities. And how strong would a Chimera composed entirely of powerful Spirit Beasts prove to be?
Clearly, it was immensely strong!
“ROOOAAARRR!”
The Chimera’s aura exploded outward with immense, raging, beastly fury. The ground beneath its feet shook and shattered into deep cracks while the ceiling high above trembled under the force of its roar.
Its blazing elemental claws rushed toward Elizabeth in a fit of pure rage and berserk-like anger, likely triggered by some kind of last-stand ability. Above all else, its elemental aura continued to intensify.
FLUOSH!
The aura gave birth to dozens of Elemental Spirit Beasts that surged forward endlessly, attacking Elizabeth from every possible angle. Blazing Lions, Thunder Wolves, Ice Ravens, Windstorm Dragonflies, and many more poured out in relentless waves, surrounding her completely.
“Tsk.”
Elizabeth reinforced her body with layers of protective magic, keeping her true dragon scales carefully hidden beneath her clothes, and then charged forward once more.
Her hands became reinforced with hardened black metal and brilliant golden light as she pushed her Harmony and Chaos Energies to their absolute limits. With those empowered fists she crushed the approaching Spirit Beasts one after another as they lunged at her.
Yet some of the spirits also rushed past her toward the group behind her. Her eyes widened in alarm.
Without hesitation she summoned a radiant sword using her Knife Rain Skill, forging the weapon from pure blinding light. She then unleashed Grass Cutting against all the spirits that had slipped past her, summoning as many Swords of Harmony as she could in rapid succession.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
The Spirit Beasts exploded into bursts of elemental energy after being struck down one by one. Elizabeth quickly called out to the others, urging them to stand and fight.
“Defend yourselves!”
She cast supportive spells over the group and poured healing energy into their wounds. Forced into action against their better judgment, they clenched their teeth and fought with everything they had left.
“Damn it!” Borfus growled, gripping his axe tightly. “Let’s do this!”
“Fine!” Hikari sighed, feeling the steady flow of Elizabeth’s power supporting her. “You’re perhaps the greatest young magician I’ve ever seen, Elizabeth! I will trust your magic!”
“M-Me too!” the ghostly girl declared, sensing her own ghostly companions growing stronger through the Chaos Energy Elizabeth fed into them. “G-Go! Go now!”
“It’s do or die!” Archivald roared as he swung his massive polearm with renewed determination.
“Damn it!” Reinhardt charged forward and swung his sword, unleashing a rapid series of Grass Cutter slashes one after another.
At the same time the rest of the adventurers joined forces to battle the remaining Spirit Beasts. Together they began pushing the swarm back, surprising both Alfrion and Camilla with their sudden surge of coordinated strength.
Meanwhile Elizabeth was—
CLASH!
CLASH!
CLASH!
Wrestling against the Spirit Beast Chimera itself. The massive creature’s lifeforce was rapidly draining and leaking away with every second. Weakened and unsteady, the Chimera stumbled over its own feet and collapsed after failing to land a solid strike on her.
Elizabeth seized the perfect opportunity. She leaped higher into the air, kicked off an invisible platform of compressed air, and then descended at lightning speed.
“Skill Weaver!”
Using her Skill Weaver ability she combined dozens of Knives of Harmony into one massive, gleaming sword.
“Daylight Sword!”
She baptized the new and devastating spell as it shone with the brilliant light of a new day.
Then, in one smooth and decisive motion—
“Eternal Blade Arts – First Form: Horizon Cut!”
By channeling and combining Grass Cutting with her refined technique, she created a much more concentrated, stronger, and yet far more precise attack. That was all she needed.
SHIIIIIING!
A deep, clean slash bisected the entire Chimera in a split second. Its guts and innards splattered across the ground as the monster let out one final agonizing cry before succumbing to its painful demise.
The Elemental Beast Spirits that everyone else had been fighting exploded out of existence as if they had never been there at all, leaving the entire group completely flabbergasted.
“I-It’s over…!” Reinhardt almost passed out from exhaustion, collapsing onto the floor. “Ugh…”
“T-That was amazing…!” Hikari said, staring at Elizabeth as she stood over the monster’s corpse. The bright residual light of her sword still lingered even after the weapon itself had faded, making her truly resemble the rising sun. “She’s the one…! She’s the Sword Sister I’ve been looking for!”
“So she’s both a sorceress who wields Light and Darkness, and a fine swordswoman as well?!” Borfus asked in open admiration. “Bwahahaha! That’s some noble family pedigree for you! Where did she even come from?”
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