Chapter 739: The Power of a King ⑤ (1/2)

As Isis floated up and Iris, who had taken some distance away, faced each other, they heard the start signal from Alice.

[Well then, Isis-san, please start with Elementary Magic.]

[……Unnn…… Well then…… Ice Ball.]

Nodding to Alice's words, Isis summoned a small magic circle on her fingertip and brandished it. Thereupon, a fist-sized block of ice came towards Iris, but it was easily blocked by her barrier.

(This power is unthinkable for an elementary-level magic…… but it's not powerful enough to make me feel threatened. But even though it's elementary-level magic, that activation speed is something I need to keep in mind.)

The impact of Elementary Magic wasn't that astoundingly powerful, as Iris was composed enough to think about things.

[Well then, Isis-san…… ”Please increase the number”.]

[……Unnn…… is ”around 10,000″…… alright?]

[……What?]

Before Iris could be surprised by the words she heard, a huge number of magic circles appeared around Isis. And when Isis waved her finger, a rain of fist-sized ice blocks fell on Iris.

(Good grief, I've always been surprised with everything today huh. Even though it's just Elementary Magic, for her to easily fire 10,000 shots…… Perhaps, Parallel Activation by split-thinking with a brain enhanced by magic power…… The current me is limited to only about a hundred simultaneous activations. I could clearly feel our difference even in parts like this.)

The sheer number of them is a threat, but it doesn't make them more powerful. Iris' protective barrier, deployed as a sphere around her, prevented all the ice blocks from hitting her.

Even so, Isis was only using Elementary Magic…… This is just the opening.

[Well then, next, please use Intermediate Magic.]

[……Unnn…… Freeze Lance.]

After raising the strength of her magic by a level, a 1m long ice spear was released from Isis' hand.

(As I thought, her activation speed remains the same, and the power of her magic is definitely higher than what it should be…… However, it isn't strong enough for me to evade it.)

If she just poured a little more magic power into her barrier and strengthened it, she could block the ice spear without any problem. However, Iris's expression was serious…… as if she had a bad feeling about something.

A feeling she had experienced many times when she was an adventurer…… as if she was having a bad premonition……

[Well then…… Please increase the number.]

[……Unnn…… I guess I'll do the same this time too…… to ten thousand.]

[I knew it……]

There is a clear level difference between the difficulty of Elementary Magic Parallel Activation and Intermediate Magic Parallel Activation. Normally, one would think that a person wouldn't be able to cast the same amount of Intermediate Magic as the Elementary Magic…… but yes, that's only if ten thousand simultaneous shots were Isis' limit……

Ten thousand is a tremendous number. But even after firing such a number, Iris felt that Isis was going easy on her. And it was exactly as she thought.

The ice spears raining down on her were blocked by the barrier into which a  considerable amount of her magic power was poured into. There was a big difference in the pressure Iris felt from receiving elementary and Intermediate Magic, as there was some sweat on her forehead.

[Well then, next…… please use Advanced Magic.]

[……Cocytus Lance.]

The situation wouldn't wait for her to ponder. A large magic circle floated in Isis' hand, and a huge ice spear, several times larger than the previous one, appeared.

It isn't an AOE spell that was made sure that Iris could easily receive, but a single-target spell…… However, the pressure she felt is incomparable to what she had felt before.

The huge spear was released at a speed that was incredibly faster than Isis' Intermediate Magic, struck Iris' barrier.

[Kuhh…… Gununu……]

Even though her barrier was pushed down a bit by the spear's power, Iris splendidly blocked it…… that single spear.

[……Please increase the number.]

[……Well then…… Another…… ten thousand.]

[ ! ? ]

Thereupon, Iris' field of vision was filled with ice. As the spears rained down with a thunderous roar as loud as a bombardment, Iris desperately poured her magic power into her barrier to withstand the barrage of cold spears.

The pressure was so strong that if she relaxed even a bit, she would be blown away…… but still, Iris was able to endure it.

[……Next, please…… use High Ancient Magic.]

[……Is that alright?]

[……Please use it.]

[……Alright…… Blue Star.]

Isis hesitated, looking at the wounds all over Iris' body…… but hearing Alice's strong response, she nodded before raising one hand to the sky.

And from the air…… a blue star made of ice descended. Seeing the magic as wondrous as shooting stars…… a scenery that induces despair unto the onlookers, Iris held up her ἀποκάλυψις.

Iris had been an adventurer for a long time before her death, and she wasn't lacking in combat experience at all. Standing before such a spell, her intuition she gained from that experience told her…… that this spell ”is impossible to block”.

[In that case! I'll just crush it to pieces!!! Swallow! Tyrannical Beast! ἀποκάλυψις!]

It's impossible to block, and even if she tries to evade it, she doesn't know how far the effect of this magic reaches. Then, her only option is to intercept it…… A if in response to Iris' cry, a black flash of light ascended to the skies and shot through the star.

Thereupon, a chilling voice sounded in Iris' ears.

[……Please increase the number.]

[……Unnn…… Alright.]

A rain of stars falling from the sky…… If one just looks at it, it may have been a beautiful scene straight out of fantasy. However, for the person who would be at the receiving end of such stars, it would be a downpour of cruel violence.

Her tired knees feel like they're going to collapse. Her heart felt like it's going to break faster than she realized. As she grew increasingly dispirited before the sight in front of her…… a ferocious smile appeared on Iris' lips.

[Ahh, this is impossible. ἀποκάλυψις can't be fired continuously in a short time…… so ”the me right now” has no way to resist this.]

As she muttered this, she glanced at Alice in the distance, and she was just happily smiling at her.

[In that case, now! I could just grow up to be able to do that at this moment! Don't you think so, Tyrannical Beast within my heart!? This wouldn't be our end!!!]

As if in response to ther voice, ἀποκάλυψις unleashed a tremendous flash of light. The Heart Tool, as its name suggest, is a weapon from one's heart, and ἀποκάλυψις is Iris' heart itself…… If Iris' heart breaks, her Heart Tool would be as useless as a wooden stick, but with explosive emotions, her Heart Tool will respond to her will to the fullest.

Responding to Iris' beseech filled with her determination to absolutely crush the rain of stars, ἀποκάλυψις amplified Iris' magic power far beyond her previous limit.

[Swallow it all! Beast of Tyranny———— γίγας ἀποκάλυψις!!!]

(T/N: Giga Apocalypse)

The black light…… The roar of the Tyrannical Beast swallowed up the skies.

After a round of exchanges, it was decided that Iris-san would take a short break before the actual mock battle. After glancing at the tired Iris-san sitting on the ground, Alice spoke to Isis-san.