When Irja called out to me to step up and fight her, the other girls around us showed an excited expression.
Well, ever since I reunited with them, I seldom stretch my muscles to fight so no one, not even me, knew the extent of my combat prowess at the moment.
Perhaps I could be the same as before or I've already improved to a certain extent after the stats increase from the Heroes' average stats rising as well as the number of Passive Skills I got from my Companions.
"Are you sure you want to fight me?"
"Of course, I'll have you all to myself later if I win."
Irja raised the volume of her voice for all the girls to hear.
Naturally, it gained various reactions from them.
"That's not fair Sister Irja," Avelin complained and pouted. The other girls around mirrored her.
"It's all fair dear Avelin, beat me if you can then I will drop this condition."
"Ugh…"
"Don't worry. Even if Dai-kun wanted to spend time with her, he certainly wants to show off in front of us."
"Yes, darling will make Irja obedient."
Yuko and Sofiel seemed to have reached an agreement as they both put on a playful attitude while trying to calm down the others.
"You know I can hear all of you."
These girls. Although it appeared that they're trying to calm them down, their real intention was also to see my current prowess.
Ever since getting back from the Dark World, I never had a serious fight where I needed to go all out.
Everything was wrapped up by my Companions while I provided support from the back.
It's the ideal scenario. My Companions at the front while I provide the best support.
However, being someone who also passed the 300 UPL threshold, they're probably curious about my current combat capability.
Either way, they're right. I should stop being laid back at the rear and stretch my muscles from time to time. Moreover, we're gonna be separated again for a while.
Perhaps this sparring session was also their way to gauge who would be in what group.
Just me and my Companions are already composed of 18 Transcendents with 7 Rank 2 Transcendents.
Then there's the two Heroes, Arland, Old Man Reol, Ezyn, Yse, the Human and Elemental Elites, and the three Luxian Transcendents.
That's another 13 Transcendents. Although some of them might choose to stay behind in this world, that's still more than 20.
It's a lineup that could conquer a Mortal World in a day.
As soon as I stepped out and opened my Transcendent Aura, Irja let out a succinct laugh before overshadowing it with hers.
Not just that, her Domain also opened subjecting me to debuffs while she was enhanced in it.
[You entered the Vibrant Field]
[Your Adaptability reduced the Domain's effectiveness on you to 40%]
[Your Energy Molding ability has been reduced by 8%]
[Every 14 seconds, you will be under the assault of Vibrant Spears which contain different types of debuff. Each Spear is as strong as a Rank 1 Transcendent's attack]
Upon reading those notifications, I smirked and instead of retreating, I charged towards Irja's position.
Seeing her still too confident after her consecutive wins against Yuko and the others, I somehow wanted to pull her down from her seat.
I always preached about the importance of not being too complacent. Naturally, I wanted them to remember it.
Never underestimate even a Mortal Rank, if they're a threat, never show mercy or it would bite us back in the end.
Irja waved her staff to the side and five colorful energy attacks shot towards me.
Judging from its Energy Intensity, each one was enough to take down a normal Rank 1 Transcendent.
For Irja and her current UPL, a Rank 1 Transcendent could now be likened to a Mortal Rank.
Nonetheless, as if remembering my words, Irja waved it twice more, filling up my path ahead with her colorful energy attacks.
Before they hit me, I opened the Nullification Zone, tanking at least five of those energy attacks.
With my current Energy Control, her attacks quickly lost their power as it was ground by my Flux Energy existing inside the Zone.
Nonetheless, because of my forward movement, I still got hit by the weakened attacks of Irja. It punched at least three holes in my clothes and a slight pain immediately traveled to my mind as those attacks bruised the parts they hit.
"Why are you not stopping?"
Since it's just the first exchange, Irja was still confident with her strength to push me back head-on.
So instead of dodging out of my way, Irja spun her staff, conjuring a bigger than normal colorful energy sphere.
It's a dazzling attack that even those spectating at the side squinted their eyes to properly see it.
I was the one nearest to it so instantly detected how she utilized the Elemental-type properties on it.
Perhaps it could burn, freeze, or flung me if I got hit by it.
Due to that, I instantly dodged to the side letting it pass by me before charging in with the Willful Sword in hand.
"There. I dodged."
When my voice registered in her mind, Irja instantly jumped back and made a face at me, her tongue cutely peeking out of her mouth.
"Daisuke. Why are you not using your buffs, clones and Pillars? Are you looking down on me?" Putting on an angry expression after that cute display, Irja's surroundings became filled with her numerous colorful spheres the size of a ball.
Compared to what she showed earlier, the spheres had lower energy contents but they're probably faster than before.
Once she shoots all of that, it would be really hard to dodge everything.
"No. Not looking down on you. I'm trying to see if you're going to hold back against me. Is this your best, Irja? From what I see, you're the one looking down at me."
"Huh?! No idiot! I would never--"
Before she could finish her sentence, my figure flashed past her.
Activating a Sword Skill while she's distracted, Irja's purple witch outfit exploded at her side where the trail of blue-colored Swordforce could be seen.
"Never let down your guard."
"You shameless! Take this!" Irja gulped down her anger as she turned around, ejecting the numerous colorful energy spheres to rain down on me.
Being hit by me, Irja's confidence took a hit as she stopped staying in one place. Moreover, she also stopped holding back.
Even if those spheres hadn't reached me yet. She transformed to a Vibrant Spirit and summoned her four Lesser Elementals.
Upon seeing that, I couldn't help but smile. She's finally going all out after all.
In the span of around 2 minutes, I continued dodging most of her energy spheres as well as the Vibrant Spears that would be conjured randomly.
In time, the Nullification Zone was proven not enough to impede the countless energy sphere and the Elemental attacks that were trying to drill into it.
Due to that, I gave her what she wanted.
Energy Amplification!
Energy Incarnate Transformation!
Domain of Valor!
Bulwark of Invulnerability!
Phantasmic Doppelganger!
Pillar Guardians!
Crown Skill: King's Majesty!
Sanctuary of Protection!
Holy Armament!
Guardian Angel!
Activating every Skill and Blessing I currently possess, I felt a huge amount of Flux Energy leaving my body.
Following the blinding light from when I transformed to Energy Incarnate, a storm of Flux Energy silently ensued, pushing away every attack coming from Irja.
My UPL raised to more than 400 in an instant followed by the five sturdy Energy Shields reinforcing the Nullification Zone. Following that, the Sanctuary of Protection became something like a mini-Domain negating the effect of her Domain.
And before her eyes, five Clones, four Guardian Pillars and my Avatar flashily appeared.
While she was still in awe at what's happening, the Clones, Guardian Pillars and the Avatar moved out to gang up on her.
Naturally, she could still hold herself against all of those but because of the stealth brought by Phantasmic Doppelganger that was enhanced by the Passive Skill I received from Lunaria, Irja lost sight of me.
At this point, our role was reversed, she became the defender while I rain down attacks on her, all with the intention to take her down.
With her current UPL, Irja was now as strong as Rowena or even stronger. This was like the reenactment of that time.
If before, two of us were on the verge of dying against that woman, now, I could firmly hold myself to even launch a counterattack.
However, I know that at the moment. Even with all my tricks, I will not be able to take down Irja.
-
-
Around ten minutes later, the battlefield quietened down and apart from the disheveled appearance of Irja in front of me, I became the center of attention. I was already filled with wounds and my arms were raised up high as the sign of me surrendering to her.
"Sorry girls. I lost." I shook my head as my eyes scanned through the spectators before lowering my head in front of Irja whose staff rested on my throat.
However, before I could do that, I heard Irja clicking her tongue and stopped me from doing that.
"This idiot. You lost or you chose to lose? If you put your mind into retreating, I wouldn't be able to catch you!"
"Don't overthink about it. I treated this spar as a fight with no option to retreat just like that time."
A fight like with Rowena might happen again in the future, that's why knowing my current prowess at the moment would help me gauge whether to engage in that battle or retreat before it even started.
Besides, I would also be able to gauge when was the right time to sneak an attack after acting as weak support behind them.
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