Chapter 182 Lumiere Vs Imperial Sapphire Dragon? (III)
Imperial Dragons Arc
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(POV: Akashic Records)
Magic wasn't the only form of power...
Indeed, magic was the art of using mana
But mana was simply one of the many dominant forms of energy in the Cosmic Sea and beyond.
Chi, Ki, Chakra, Destruction energy, there were so much more.
Lumiere processed Eunaria's words, slight confusion poked at him.
He tilted his head slightly, his vibrant amethyst eyes darting back and forth between Eunaria and the distant horizon.
"Jinzui? I've never heard of it before," he admitted.
Feeling exasperated, Eunaria sighed and massaged her temples.
"I can't believe I have to explain this now," she muttered. "Jinzui is one of the five types of Chi. It's an ancient form of energy manipulation."
Lumiere furrowed his brows even deeper. "Chi? What's that?" he asked.
Despite the tension of their battle, a flicker of understanding passed between them.
Eunaria took a deep breath.
"Well, Chi is the spiritual energy that flows within all living beings. It's the essence of life. And, as I mentioned, Jinzui is just one of the five types of Chi— there's Jinseki, Kamikaze, Seika and Raijin..."
Lumiere scratched his chin thoughtfully, musing aloud, "I always thought dragons used chakra."
Eunaria adjusted her blue hair, a serene smile playing on her lips.
"Dragons harness all forms of energy, Lumiere. We're not limited to a specific type. Dragons possess extraordinary freedom in choosing their sources of power."
...
Meanwhile, high up in the Dragon's Summit within the formidable Galadiatrix Fortress, Klaus, the Imperial Red Dragon, observed the scene through a clairvoyant orb.
He brushed a strand of his fiery red hair out of his piercing crimson dragon-like eyes, deep in thought.
"Interesting.." his silky smooth voice uttered.
On the other hand, Cenis, the Imperial Topaz Dragon, pinched the bridge of her snout in frustration.
"I knew we shouldn't have entrusted Eunaria with this task," she grumbled. "She's still too much of a child to take things seriously."
Eunaria was 10,000+ years of age, but compared to Cenis who was several millions of years old as well as Klaus who was even older, she was simply a child.
Klaus raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her remark.
"Why do you say that?" he asked.
Cenis sighed heavily.
"She's divulging details about her own abilities to her opponents! It's reckless. How can she expect to win if they know her every move?"
A glint of pride flickered in Klaus' eyes as he refocused on the clairvoyant orb.
"Dragons are the ultimate creatures, Cenis," he declared firmly. "We possess unmatched power and wisdom. A imperial dragon can never face defeat, have some faith."
The stage was set.
...
Eunaria gracefully dispelled the droplets of water around her.
"Now... back to business."
Her movements resembled that of a masterful Tai Chi practitioner.
The stream transformed into a mesmerizing orb of bubbling water, held within her control.
With a calm yet determined expression, Eunaria established the fundamental difference between magic and Jizui.
"Unlike mana, which has its limits depending on the wielder, one's potential for Chi is boundless as long as their willpower remains strong."
Eunaria assumed a crane-like stance, her voice booming with power.
"Tenohira!"
She shouted, thrusting her palm forward.
In an instant, the water orb erupted into an astonishing sight - nine serpentine dragons materialized, their entire forms composed of spiraling columns of water.
Each dragon possessed fiery red eyes, their movements fluid and swift beyond comprehension.
The devastating force of the water dragons eclipsed the boundaries of sound, and the sheer destructive power they held could easily level an entire city-state, leaving behind a deep chasm of destruction.
It seemed as though there was no time for him to react.
This was an attack made purely of Chi, hence [Magic Detect] would barely give Lumiere an accelerated thought on what to do.
[Magic Detect] only worked on mana phenomenons.
Had he possessed something like [World Acuity] then without a doubt he would easily comprehend this.
The speed and attack potency of this action was one that would exceed S+ rank [Water Magic].
However, this was simply Jinzui— the conjuring of "divine water".
Just as the water dragons surged towards him, threatening to consume him in their watery embrace, a surge of black energy surged forth.
The nine dragons were extinguished as if they were mere wisps of steam, their existence erased instantaneously.
Lumiere stood there, a black orb of fire flickering in one hand, his tsurugi blazing with a black-hot flame in the other.
Judging from his current equipments, a quick summoning of <<Demon Blade, Benimaru>> and infusing it with [Curse Fire Magic] reinforced the magic sword.
This was what he used to completely evaporate all nine dragons made purely from Chi.
In a sense, Lumiere's battle against this Imperial Dragon, felt like child's play.
"There wasn't any time for me to use my absorption skill, and I could barely comprehend the intensity of your attack. But then thought... instead of trying to absorb it, why don't I just snuff it out all at once?"
The smug look of ignorance on Lumiere's face was arrogance on another level entirely.
Eunaria's face twisted, caused disbelief and anger as Lumiere's words continued to eat at her.
Her fingers clenched into a tight fist, her nails biting into her palm.
She could no longer bear the weight of his incessant taunting.
Lumiere pressed on, his voice more confident.
"Honestly, using the [Curse Fire Magic] on impulse was the right choice. It completely obliterated your water dragons. You say Imperial Dragons are unmatched, but honestly I'm not seeing the power gap?"
"Shut up!" Eunaria snapped, her voice trembling with suppressed rage.
Lumiere's words had hit a nerve - it wasn't the first, second, or even third time he had made her appear foolish.
As an Imperial Dragon, she couldn't tolerate such insults any longer.
She had her pride.
Lumiere's eyes widened in surprise at Eunaria's outburst.
He took hovered back a bit.
Eunaria's body vibrated with an intense energy, her aura simmering with unrestrained power.
It was as if she was channeling the very essence of a raging dragon within her.
"Do you understand now, Eunaria? How does it feel to be at a disadvantage? You may be an Imperial Dragon, whatever that means," he shrugged, "but in the end, you're all bark and no bite."
In Lumiere's opinion it was easy.
From his perspective, even with all the power Eunaria had, she was a child and in a sense Lumiere had an "absolute" counter for all her advances.
If he could get her to go over the edge, then maybe, just maybe he'd completely throw her off her game.
His main obstacle against her was her [Boundless Regeneration].
However, there was a chance if he used 『Spirit King Avelnarogius』.
The smoky aura surrounding Eunaria grew more pronounced, a brilliant blue energy radiating from her body. As her power surged, the ground beneath them trembled, the vibration spreading through the entirety of Vito Heights. This infinite plane felt the staggering force of Eunaria's dragon aura.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Lumiere dispelled the black flame in his palm and firmly gripped his tsurugi.
"She'll lose her cool any moment from now... and that'll give me the chance I need to attack with 『Spirit King Avelnarogius』."
Eunaria progressively panted.
"( This isn't the height of perfection I sought for so long... )" (Eunaria)
Just as Lumiere was about to make his move, Eunaria spread her majestic body out, her eyes blazing with fury.
"ENOUGH OF THIS!!"
With a voice that shattered the silence, she unleashed a primal scream that pierced the very fabric of reality.
In that moment, a magnificent surge of blue energy erupted from her, shooting upwards and tearing a colossal hole in the sky.
The sheer magnitude of her power caused the surrounding space to warp and twist, as if it were made of pliable gum being stretched beyond its limits.
Lumiere forcefully flew back twenty meters.
His mind raced to catch up with what he had just witnessed.
The raw force of the energy emanating from Eunaria was beyond comprehension, and it seemed to swallow everything in its path.
If Lumiere had remained within that vicinity for even a moment longer, his very existence could have been erased.
The violent warping and tugging of space caused by Eunaria's energy would have reduced his body to nothingness, leaving no trace of his existence behind.
Instant deletion.
Hovering in mid-air with his bat-like wings, Lumiere surveyed the chaotic scene before him.
"What in the world is going on?" he muttered to himself.
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