"This is truly amazing, Daisuke."
Fleur exclaimed as she excitedly jumped around and spun around to avoid the incoming barrage of Energy Explosions.
Right. She's easily dodging my attacks as if she's just playing around. It's already 5 minutes and all I've managed to do was to make her move out of the place she was standing on earlier.
"How many times will you repeat that?"
"I'm sorry. I feel so free here. There's no Forest to think about. No responsibilities to attend to... If I could, I would like to live inside a space like this. Devoid of any real problems."
Fleur giggled and stopped in place to apologize politely before continuing to state her reason.
Her thoughts sounded dangerous. This woman was probably too fed up from the world's situation that she's freely expressing this kind of emotion in here where nothing is real and she's free to do what she wants to do.
"You might feel free here but everything you see isn't real."
I stopped in place and just watched her reaction. When she felt that my attacks weren't arriving, she also stopped in place and flew near me before answering.
"Even so... It's much better than living outside while in a constant state of necessary vigilance. Daisuke, is there any way to be free from any constraints? I admit. When I was young I aimed to become strong enough and be someone most people will revere. Now that I've experienced that for more than half a century. I now wanted to settle down. It's not about getting stronger anymore. However, to continue surviving in the world, I need to grow stronger."
Fleur conjured a frozen seat made from a geyser using a Water Elemental Spell and sat on it. She probably expected that our talk this time would take longer than we intended. Her lips that only showed a calm and silly smile outside were now portraying an extremely bitter smile.
"I'm afraid there's none but it's possible to make something that will give you a sense of peace. And I'm sure it's not living inside an artificial space like this. That's escapism."
Like her, I conjured a seat out of the artificial energy generated by this space and sat next to her. I know, we were supposed to spar in here and she also had that intention earlier, however, she suddenly entered this kind of state.
The time was sped up anyway, what's wasting a few minutes clearing up her mind?
"Let's say you're right about that. This world will be continually attacked, right? And as someone strong enough to defend my people. I'm the type of person who will not shy away from responsibility. What will happen to me? Will I spend the rest of my life fighting and eventually die while fighting?"
I see. Fleur is already thinking that far. In my case, it's the same. I might have to spend the rest of my life fighting. To open up the path wherein I can live together with Yuko and the others.
"Maybe. If we fail at defending this world, that's what will happen to all of us. Only if we win will we be able to be at peace. You can retire by then and live your life the way you want it to be."
"Win. If only that can be easily accomplished. According to you, you have already been to at least 5 worlds. What's driving you to continue treading on this path?"
"There's nothing at first, really. But you see, I met people who became important to me in the worlds I've been through. Right now, they're my drive why even though I have to be away from them, I still chose to come here. We're being put to the forefront of this battle against a higher world but if we don't fight, there's no place we can run off to."
"Important people. I see. Can I also find myself someone important enough that will drive me forward?"
Her eyes stared deeply into mine as if she's trying to find the answer from it.
I returned her gaze and smiled followed by a sincere answer.
"Of course, you can."
"… Thank you, Daisuke. My mind is clearer now. Let's continue."
After a few seconds, Fleur smiled back and nodded. The doubt in her face vanished along with it.
"Don't hold back with me, Fleur. I wanna see everything about you."
"If that's the case, please prepare yourself."
The seat made from geyser vanished at the same time as Fleur conjured a tide beneath her feet which lifted her into the sky.
I chose the place of our spar to be a forest. Specifically, the forest that is in her memory. The home of the Elementals, Amelltene. Currently, it's now reduced to half of how it was before.
This way she would subconsciously think of how to protect their home while fighting me. It's to see how she fights when being on the defensive.
Fleur's staff that looked like a cut off branch of a thick tree glowed in blue blinding light. She raised it above her head and a Spell Nucleus was formed.
First. A 6-nodes Water Elemental Spell was unleashed towards my location. It's a jet spray of frozen ice which transforms into a shark-like creature. It's purely made of Water Element variation of the Elemental Energy
I jumped and faced it head-on by opening the ability imparted by the World's Will.
Nullification Zone!
[Nullification Zone has been opened.]
[Your Energy Control has been reduced to 70%]
The spherical barrier immediately surrounded me and blocked the shark-like creature conjured from her spell. When it's head dipped inside the Nullification Zone, it started to scream as if it's a real living creature before it disintegrated, its energy depleted.
Since I don't have a staff which could amplify my spells, it's time to put the Totem and the Powergen into use.
I took out the compressed sphere and released the pure white Powergen. It instantly opened from its back and like those high-tech suits that can often be seen in movies and tv shows it covered my whole body in an instant. For the first time, I felt like I'm one of those transforming Masked R*ders or those Super Sentai Heroes or.
The regenium-made Powergen adjusted itself and fitted my body perfectly and when it finished, the system recognized it.
[Equipped a Powergen - White Knight]
[Due to sufficiently Higher Stats. The Powergen Stats Improvement has been drastically reduced to 5%]
[Energy Output has increased to 50%]
[Note: Powergen is a type of Output Enhancing Equipment.]
White Knight...
Did Nysia name it as such? She's the only one I can think of who has the same bad naming sense as me.
The notifications were all self-explanatory. Since I've already exceeded a Mortal Rank, the bonus stats from wearing a Powergen was almost nonexistent now. What's important was the increase in Energy Output. 50% is more than enough. It's like riding a Standard Metagen but my Strength and Endurance was now counted. This could drain more energy than when using a Metagen but it's not only dependent on one's Brain Capacity.
As soon as I wore the Powergen, two more Elemental Spells were sent flying to my direction by Fleur and behind those spells was Fleur herself.
Wielding her branch staff, she aimed to enter into close combat with me. She was covered in an oceanic blue Aura and beneath were feet, her Domain has started to expand, engulfing me within.
[You have entered Fleur's Aquatic Domain.]
[Your movement speed was greatly reduced.]
[Your Energy Control was reduced by 10%]
[Nullification Zone has started negating the effects of the Domain.]
Due to the density of her Energy, even the Nullification Zone was having a hard time negating her Domain.
When her staff was about to hit me, the Totem met it and when they hit, an Energy Explosion occurred pushing Fleur away.
Using 3-nodes Aether Elemental Spell: Aether Step, it instantly brought me in front of her. Along with the enhancement from the Totem, it easily bypassed the restriction she put up.
It's a slightly higher version of Flash Step. Among the new Flash Step variations I created, only this one reached Master Proficiency due to the constraints in time. Along with an instant dash, I brought a ripple of Aether to open a path inside her Aquatic Domain.
Aether is higher than just a Water Element however being a pure Water Elemental with Secondary Cores, her Aquatic Domain persists against it.
"Aether?!"
Fleur expressed her shock upon experiencing that ripple. It didn't hurt her in any way but the Element was something incomprehensible for her.
"Yes."
I answered before using the Totem to hit her with one blunt attack which she tried to block by putting up an Ice Barrier. Due to the increased Energy Output, the force behind it was multiplied breaking the ice separating us. However, the Fleur behind it also turned to an ice sculpture as she reappeared from far away.
[Acquired Level 1 Basic Blunt Mastery]
Err... Due to that, it became recognized as me taking up another type of weapon. It's not that I never thought of picking up another weapon type but I determined that there's no point doing that. It's a waste of time.
"Your Main Elemental Core is Aether. That's something this world hasn't seen for long."
Fleur who reappeared a distance away from me raised her branch staff above her head. The tip of it then shined in azure light which illuminated the whole place.
"Can you please use that against this, Daisuke?"
She politely asked at the same time as a Spell Nucleus started to form at the space above her staff.
I counted the nodes that she was trying to inscribe in it and that made me gulp down.
Thirteen.
An Elemental Spell only a Transcendent can cast.
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