The calm before the storm.
No words could be truer than those.
The border between the forest and the valley that leads to the capital would become a bloody battlefield once again.
The screams of battle would fill the air and magic would sear the skin of everyone who dared cross paths with their opponent.
Growling, roaring, hissing and whispering, all could be heard coming from the teleported armies as they kept their advance towards Capital.
They were the armies whose full might was feared by the allied nations of the world.
They were the armies thought to be unstoppable if said might was truly unleashed upon the world.
They were the monstrous armies of the one known as Violet Death and they stopped their advance with just a movement of her hand.
She whose four great horns had natural runes brimming with power was who led them.
She who had dark violet hair and fair skin was the point of the formation...no...no one dared to walk in front of her.
For they knew that their place was behind the one they knew to be the oldest and wisest among those Dragon Lords known as the ‘Chosen’.
One whose might was only truly matched by one other.
And even then, the battlefields where she appeared became mass graves at her mere glance.
Meanwhile, her armor seemed more revealing than practical with its deep cut open front, which showed a fair bit of her skin.
But armor was nothing more than fashion for Dragon Lords, for their scales were harder than any armor could hope to be. Yes, even if those scales looked like simple skin.
And in her case, it had a deeper message.
No, not just a message, but a statement for her enemy.
She was taking her seriously enough for her to not appear in her usual clothing, but in such battle-ready outfit.
In any case, even if she had ordered her armies to stop, she kept walking towards the center of the soon to be battlefield.
Her pace was confident.
Her irises glowed with many runes within them.
And her mana slowly covered her, making itself more and more visible by the moment.
Then, a grimoire appeared before her.
It was old, ancient even, with its cover depicting the skull of a horse and its back depicting a humanoid one.
It was surrounded by an aura made up of black clouds and lightning that constantly lashed out at its surroundings.
"Grimoire that brings forth the primordial storms of a forgotten age and their destruction, [Wilmarion]."
She said as the object in question floated into position and opened itself, waiting to be used.
That was one of the grimoires that she had prepared for her fight against her opponent.
The same opponent that had managed to ruin her entertaining play.
An opponent that was already there, for mere moments ago she and her servants had appeared in the grassy plain that was between her armies and the Capital.
She was an unparalleled beauty with pale skin, almost like wax, golden hair, and equally aurous colored eyes.
And while her servants were not at all far behind in terms of beauty, there was something else that grabbed the attention of Violet Death, and that was their incredible amount of power despite being humans.
‘Interesting…could they really be…?’
Not only that, they were wielding blessed weapons, and none were wearing armor but customized maid dresses.
Yet even those gave her the feeling of not being simple clothing.
‘The power imbued in them…I want to know more…’
Indeed, such thoughts appeared on Scath's knowledge hungry mind after simply glancing at such humans.
‘But not now. Now…’
Of course, it was easy for her to control those desires since her main objective was in front of her.
The woman who had come to a battlefield...in nothing more than a formal but daring dress.
No armor.
No battle clothes.
Worst of all, she still had the appearance of a human.
As if Violet Death and her armies were not enough to warrant that woman to abandon such form.
Something that instead of vexing Scath, only deepened her interest, one that was already piqued by the one thing that showed that woman’s readiness for battle, a black and red lance.
One that gave off an ominous feeling to all who looked at it.
A fitting weapon for the likes of her.
Someone who had enough power to harm her.
But the path to victory was uncertain.
Many unexpected things could happen, and someone might even need to swallow their words.
Those were the firm beliefs in the heart of such ancient being as she and her opponent reached the middle of the plain, both stopping their advancement.
"I am the Dragon Lord of the Violet Death, Scath. You may name yourself the King Storms as you set ablaze my play and create unexpected obstacles, but you are still a mystery to me, one that I seek to unravel today. For not only shall I see if such title holds any truth against those who bring the storm of the beginning and the end, but I shall also make you abandon that form and reveal yourself to me!"
So exclaimed Violet Death as she put one hand on her grimoire while using the other to point at her opponent with her barbed spear.
All as the light of her violet mana illuminated the moonless night.
A night full of black clouds that grew bigger and bigger as they circled around her, filling the ears of everyone with an orchestra of wind, thunder, and lightning.
Almost as if signaling the start of the battle and yet…both armies still waited for their Master’s orders.
Indeed, not even the most savage among Violet Death’s forces dared to attack the seemingly outnumbered 'humans'.
Because they knew that first blood was to be taken by her or risk death.
And so, their opponent finally…spoke.
____________________________________________________
"Hoooh~~, that is quite the confident declaration, but I shall only assume my true form when I so desire, for a King is not a being who proves themselves to others. A King…is. Still, I permit you to try and force me. Unleash that which you seek to unleash. Huhu…you shall only be adding to my strength.”
So I beckoned to Violet Death, for I shall prevaaaail!!!
Pfft...hahahaha...man, I don't know why Mr. Undead Majesty hates roleplaying like this?! It’s fun!
I mean, I’m trying my hardest to sound like my waifu and not make a fool of myself in front of the Maid-Knights.
I am indeed nervous.
And yes, I am taking this seriously, but in my own way.
What’s that? Why I’m not in ‘serious mode’ then?
Because 'serious mode' is for more personal things.
Lastly, no. I am not underestimating her and her villainous hotness...
"Dear, Dragon Lords like her are not valid heroine candidates, even if they look physically attractive...and are wearing such fanservicy armor, understood?"
I know! They are evil and have done lots of horrible things! I am not going to fight in a way that I can turn her into the next heroine! I promise!
"Good."
Although, you can waifu her if you want, my weebs. I am not going to judge your tastes.
EXCEPT IF YOU ARE INTO NTR!! THEN I WILL JUDGE YOU!! HARD!! AND NOT IN THE DOUJIN WAY!
Anyways, why am I not in my armor?
Well…cool factor, of course!
Just keep watching!!
Also, her mana is getting massive!!
"If that happens, I shall recognize your title and fight you accordingly."
Heh, look at her smile as she says that. She has high expectations for the fight.
So, let’s move on and get there.
"Hmph, do as you must."
With that, I turn around and return to my side of the battlefield.
Meanwhile, she stays there, waiting for me to reach my destination.
Yes, I am showing her my back, and she could use this chance to attack me with everything she has, but I know that she will not do it.
One, because she is not that stupid to take the obvious bait.
But most importantly, she will not do it until she obtains the answers she wants in a satisfying and entertaining manner.
That is what her eyes told me as I spoke with her.
She wants to know.
She wants to know so badly that she will not let her army move until she does her thing.
And that’s good.
Let Luca and the rest scout the whole area where your army is while you do.
In any case, I have arrived to where everyone is and have turned around once more.
Now I have my Maid-Knights close behind me.
All of them, except Erevain.
On my right I have Erica, who is finally wielding her blessed and gorgeous rapier. The Lyrium, she called it. For its handle resembles the beautiful and elegant flower it derives its name from. One that is only found in lakes rich with mana.
On my left I have Gabrielle, who is now wearing her blessed gauntlets, the Abristmavs. Going by what she told me, that word represents the two paths a healer must walk on to be recognized as one. The path that involves the protection of others and the path that involves the protection of one's self. At first glance, rather than looking like the bulky gauntlets she had, they look like the elbow length embroidered silk gloves of an ojou-sama. But if someone were to look closely at them, they would notice that they are indeed armored and shock absorbent, sharing the same principle as my skin, which looks and feels like human skin, but it is made of strong scales.
Beside her you can find a smiling and hyped-up Kris, who, as always, is carrying her blessed anime-sword over her shoulder. This one’s easy to describe. Remember her former sword? Just add a bit more shine to it, some runes on its fuller, and that's it. Ah, and its name is Cleaver. Yep. Kris really goes for the simple things. I kind of missed her, you know?
Ah! Violet Death has started her chant!
"Heed me oh bringers of primordial ruin! Accursed from a time long forgotten!! You who dared!! Wake from your slumber and ride once again! Let those who hear your march fear your thunderous coming!"
Ooooh! Even more black clouds are coming from all around!!
SPECIALLY FROM THE SKY BEHIND HER!!
OOOOH!! THEY REALLY ARE STORM CLOUDS!! JUST LIKE THE CATASTROPHIC HURRICANES THAT RAZE MY FORMER WORLD EVERY SIX MONTHS!!! GIVE OR TAKE!!
THE WIND IS PICKING UP TOO!! BUT...IT IS NOT AFFECTING ME!! NOR MY MAID-KNIGHTS!!
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? WINK, WINK.
Magical barriers, duh.
Wait...there is something...something inside the coming storm...
THERE IS SOMETHING INSIDE THE STORM!!
*KRA-KA-THOOOOOM*
"Make the winds scream in agony as you bend them to your will!! Make the thunder roar in pain as your arrival grows near!! Make the lightning lash out in anger, in hate for being used by you the lowest of the unworthy and take down any who dare cross you!!"
This is Edgy Mc Sharp, and I approve this chant.
"You who filled this world with your ravaging floods at the beginning of time, I summon you to give a start to its end!!"
*KRA-KA-THOOOOOM*
*EDGY NEIGHING*
ARE THOSE HORSES??!!
OH, MY GODDESS!!
IS SHE SUMMONING THE WILD H—?!
"[GRAND SUMMON: PRIMORDIAL STORM-RIDERS]!!!"
...
Seriously?
The book has a cooler name than the summon—!
*THOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM*
DAMN! THAT WAS ONE HECK OF A MAGIC PULSE!!
AND A FRIGGING LIGHTNING CAME OUT OF THE GRIMOIRE AND REACHED THE CLOUDS!!
WAIT! THE CLOUDS!! THEY ARE TAKING THE FORM OF A CAVALRY!!!
THEY ARE LITERALLY TURNING INTO COOL, EDGY LOOKING ARMORED KNIGHTS AND EVEN EDGIER HORSES!! ALL WITH RED EYES!!! SOME EVEN HAVE LANCES!!! THE KNIGHTS NOT THE HORSES!!
JUST LIKE MY WAIFU!!!
AND THEY ARE ALL COMING AT ME!!
TEN OUT OF TEN I WOULD...TAKE. THEM. FOR. MYSELF!!
"..."
Hmm…I can feel she is looking at me.
"Has their power left you speechless, oh King of Storms? Is your title only a lie to hide your true nature? There is no shame in admitting that one is just playing a character. After all, life is but a play."
Ohhh…such confidence. Heh, she might be saying that with the confidence of someone who thinks is going to win, but she is still keeping her full guard as someone who might die at any moment.
She might be the first person in this world to be this cautious while confronting me.
Well, I did make one heck of an impression on her servant so there is that.
But no, I am not speechless you grape flavored lizard.
I am concentrating while looking at those Primordial Storm-Riders of yours.
Letting them know of my presence.
The presence of the King of Storms.
It is not just a nickname, you know.
It is a title that was given to me ever since we were making this body.
So it must be obvious by now, but it does hold power.
"Hmph."
With that, I move my lance and plant it right in front of me, all while making the de facto kingly pose of my waifu.
Then...I really let them know of my presence by releasing some pressure and mana.
"Kh...! This pressure...! How was she holding this back…?"
So gasps the Grape Lizard-chan, but I can hear her clearly even with all this thundering.
*KRA-KA-THOOOM* *KRA-KA-THOOOOOM*
*EDGY NEIGHING*
A thundering that grows in intensity as the riders speed up and charge towards me.
Their effects and design should totally use the cgi+handrawn mastery of uf**able!!
“What are you doing, Master?! Blow them away!!"
Mmmm…if I respond to Sophie, I will lose cool points. That is a no-no.
So, lets press ignore on that call.
"Master?! You are ignoring me, aren't you?!! FINE!!"
Sumanai.
"The time for unveiling your truth has come! Go my Riders!! Show me her true form!!"
Aaand she does the classical 'pointing at my enemy dramatically' as the rider's go past her.
Nice!
Oh! The gallop of their horses truly sounds like thunder!
Not only that, but they sear the ground as they make their advance.
And the winds they bring really feel like they could rip the Capital from the ground.
They are truly part of a primordial storm…
One that is capable of shaping the world's landscape.
But even then, both my Maid-Knights and I keep ourselves completely still.
Not even Kris is lifting a single finger.
They are all just looking at them approach without saying anything.
They trust me.
And I will show them that they are right in doing that.
“…”
How? Well, I’ll show them by doing nothing but look at the one who seems to be their leader.
The one who has the edgiest looking armor, so much so that it would make a chuuni blush and let out a tear from their evil eye.
Their helmets…heads? They have a black skull made of the same metal as the rest of their whole armor.
And in that skull, there are a couple of red lights acting as eyes, lights that burn with intensity. Maybe they are cousins of the Undead Majesty?
They are closer now.
Close enough for me to do what I want.
So…I stand firm, breath in, and I let out just one word.
"Kneel."
One word with both the edge alter tone and glare at full power, all while I rest my hands on the now upwards bottom of my lance’s shaft and unleash some of my stormy mana.
Mana that manifests in…
Red lightning that overtakes theirs.
Deafening thunder that silences theirs.
And winds that blow away theirs.
"What...? They stopped?!"
Yes, Grape-chan.
They stopped.
Their lightning stopped.
Their thunder stopped.
Their wind stopped.
Their primordial storm…was completely stopped.
*SUBMISSIVE NEIGH*
The horses are the first to obey my will, kneeling before me in a synchronized manner.
Following that, their respective riders get off them in unison, planting their feet on the ground and standing so straight that every drill instructor in both worlds would do a proud slow clap while shedding a tear.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Although, they are not actually touching the ground.
Their ‘ground’ is the stormy clouds that come out of their feet.
But I digress, for the leader of the Riders has gotten off their horse, and instead of planting their feet like the others, they have taken two steps forward towards me before kneeling.
And all the riders follow suit.
""""""""""""...!!!!!!!!!!!!""""""""""""
I can feel the flabbergasted stares of everyone...
"HA!"
...and that’s Kris' laugh.
But yeah, everyone besides her is staring in disbelief or surprise.
From the lizardmen and Dragon Lords with little horns, to some of my maids like Sophie, who has resigned herself to laugh awkwardly at the situation while muttering…
“'Why was I even worried? Hahaha...she makes no sense...”
Oi. I can hear you; you know?
But you do get points for being worried about me, good Sophie.
Now…
"..."
"..."
I look down to the riders' leader without saying a word and said leader doesn’t say a thing either, but they are doing something else instead.
They are taking off their helmet, revealing a…drumroll please! A metal skull!!!
Turns out their helmets are open from the front and the skull is their actual face!!
Come on! They look just like the Wild Hunt of so many games!!
Oh, the leader is turning their head slightly and…they are looking at my Maid-Knights…
"M-Master...! Why is that armored skull l-looking at me?!"
So asks a nervous Sophie as the leader’s shifting gaze falls on her.
Sorry, but I can't say a thing now, Sophie. So, just endure it.
Maybe they think you are cute, you know?
"They are looking at all of us, greenie! Stop bothering Master!"
Thank you, Kris.
"..."
*glow*
Also, it seems the riders’ leader is done with whatever it was doing, because they just lowered their head again, but only after their eyes shined brightly for a moment. Wait, no, something else is happening…
*fwooosh*
Huh, the stormy clouds coming out of their feet are now also coming out of their mouth and they have started to cover their head completely.
Eh? Chotto a minute...is that...hair? WHITE HAIR IS COMING OUT...OI! SKIN TOO! ICY BLUE SKIN!! IS THAT A...?!! OOOOOOOOH!!! POINTED EARS!!! THEY HAVE POINTED EARS!!!
THE CLOUD COVERING THEIR FACE IS DISSAPEARING!!
NO WAY!!
NO FREAKING WAY!!
THEY ARE A 'SHE'!!! THE RIDERS' LEADER TURNED INTO A WOMAN!!!
A BEAUTIFUL ONE AT THAT!!
"My...King..."
HHHHNNNNG AND SHE HAS A VERY COOL SOUNDING FEMININE VOICE!!!!
"I...Bellary...Point of the Storm-Riders, swear eternal fealty to you."
The moment she says that, all of the still skull faced riders start changing too...
YEEEEESH!!!!!
THEY ARE ALL WOMEN!!!
Wait...did they look at my Maid-Knights and thought that I only took in women as my servants and comrades? Is that why they are doing this?
""""""My King..."""""""
AAAH WHO THE HECK CARES?!! THEY ALL LOOK BEAUTIFUL!!
I SHALL CALL THEM STORM ELVES!!
THEY ALL LOOK SO FIERCE YET AT THE SAME TIME SO REFINED...! NO! THEY ARE SUBLIME!! JUST LIKE A STORM IS NOT BEAUTIFUL BUT SUBLIME!!!
""""""We swear eternal fealty to you..."""""""
It…kind of feels like déjà vu now, doesn't it?
"What is this…? Bryn had mentioned about taking control of a spell...but this...this is preposterous...to give them back their…"
As Violet Death says that in utter disbelief, Bellary turns and extends her hand at her, which causes the grimoire that Violet Death was using to float away from her rudely and into Bellary’s hand.
"...! What?!"
"This no longer belongs to you."
Daaaamn!!
Now I feel like the bully who takes other people's toys....and destroys them, apparently.
Because seemingly not satisfied with her cold declaration, Bellary has now covered the entire grimoire in lightning, reducing it to…a ring?
"My King...please…accept the Ring of Primordial Storms as binding proof of our loyalty."
Oh my.
Darling, it seems you will not be the first one to put a ring on me!
"Fufufu~~, how funny, dear. But that is not a Joining ring, so it does not count!"
Hahahaha! I know, just wanted to tease you.
"Hmph, very well. I shall accept it."
I extend my right hand to her and she treats it with the utmost respect, slowly sliding the ring on my index finger until it rests perfectly on it.
Hmm…now that I look at it, it’s really cool!! It looks like a metal horse skull!!
Ooooh! It's glowing!!
"With this, we are bound to you, My King. Give this one the order and we shall bring ruin to your enemies."
And that is the prompt I was waiting for!
So, I turn towards Violet Death and smile.
"What part of King of Storms you did not understand, oh eldest one?"
Take that!!
"...! Ha...haha…hahaha...! Hahahahaha!"
She is...taking it better than I thought...I guess...
"This has never happened to me before in my long life! Yes! You certainly are who you claim to be!!!"
So she exclaims as she makes motions with her hand and another grimoire appears before her.
This one is enwrapped in flames that have the same color as her, violet.
"But are those ‘humans’ strong enough to survive this?"
The way she said ‘humans’, that knowing expression of hers, and the amount of mana she is building up…there’s no need to doubt, she knows what my maids are, and she is about to unleash an attack powerful enough to wipe them all out.
Which means that she is an ‘eldest’ that is not only powerful but knowledgeable.
Yet…
Does this lizard really think that I will just stand here?
I already gave you a free pull at the gacha, you are not having another one.
"Grimoire which condemns souls to a fiery nothingness, [Falmma]! The feast is served..."
I apologize but I will break the rules of anime fighting and attack while she is chanting.
Is that alright with you?
Hm? Mister animator says it is alright because that means he can take a break with the effects? Is that right?
Oh, my sweet summer child.
Taking my lance off the ground, I walk past the Riders, and point it at Violet Death and her armies.
But there is no holy light for her, just my ominous black and red mana flowing through it and spinning, creating a powerful whirlwind of mana that soon envelops my lance.
It is then that the primordial storm in the sky resumes its movement, putting its eye above me as its clouds start to spin too.
"...burn the land, burn the magic, burn it all..."
And she keeps chanting despite all of this.
You think you are going to finish before I do?
Sorry but no.
"This is the roar of a world that rejects you! [NERN]!!!"
_________________________________________________
At that moment none who watched could believe what they were seeing…or listening.
The one known as the King of Storms by those in the battlefield and Auros Argento by those watching from the Kingdom, released a massive black and red whirlwind of pure mana through her lance.
*FFSSHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAARRGH!!!!*
A whirlwind whose roar sounded as if it truly had come out from the deepest depths of the world itself.
But that was not all, not at all.
For the ground groaned, trembled, and evaporated as such power passed through it.
“…!!”
And Scath's eyes widened as such monstrous power came closer and closer towards her while she was in the middle of chanting.
All as one single thought appeared in her mind.
‘There is no time.’
Yet, all seemed to slow down before her.
Yes...that was the adrenaline rush that appeared to those who were about to be killed.
Something that made her smile grow bigger, for that was what she wanted.
She wanted a fight where her life was threatened to that point.
But she was not going to just stand there and die.
No.
She was going to fight that opponent of hers until her true end was achieved.
Thus, if she were to survive, she had to abandon any thought of attacking and try to take defensive actions…survival actions.
‘Teleport? No, there is no time for me to call on the power of [Spatiophagos] once more.’
Indeed, there was not.
‘Can I evade it? No, the whirlwind is massive enough to be unavoidable...and it will surely wipe away one third of my army when it connects, if not more.’
Indeed, that seemed to be nothing but a sealed fate as such catastrophic power grew ever closer.
'There is only one choice...I shall salvage this chant and invoke another of [Falmma]’s spells!’
Certainly, she had greater spells, let alone skills and equipment.
But she had no more time to invoke them.
So yes, she was better off using what was already there.
"...burn it all to defend me! [FLAME SHIELD OF DEVOURING]]!!"
With that, violet flames came out of the grimoire and created a sphere around her.
Such fiery sphere would not only protect her by consuming all the mana that clashed with it, but it would also grow stronger the more mana it consumed.
As such, her safety was nothing but ensured.
But then why?
Why did she feel that it would not be enough?
A feeling that only took a mere instant…to be proven right.
"Ah..."
That was the only thing she was able to say before her shield broke.
A shield that was able to turn any spell into more energy and grow stronger.
A shield that had endured attacks of even the strongest of foes back in the ancient age.
That same shield had popped like a mere bubble leaving her to receive the full brunt of the attack.
Thus, she was sent flying, and as she felt like her everything was being torn apart, it dawned on her.
'It was simply too much mana...'
Her shield was unable to endure because it had gone past its limit.
In other words…it had burned itself out.
Which meant one thing and one thing alone.
She had made a grave mistake, one that could indeed take her life.
"GAAAA—!"
"RETRE—!"
"SPACE BRI—!"
The screams of those unlucky were immediately silenced as they were evaporated…no…consumed by Auros' attack, leaving no trace behind.
And as the whirlwind teared through Violet Death's army, even the unfeeling undead felt fear.
Not only that, but just as she had predicted, a third of her army was lost in that instant.
From above it looked as if a titan had scooped up the middle part of it and created a gigantic crevice that separated not only the rest of Violet Death's army, but also the forest behind it.
Those who were being protected by such absurd being, took refuge in the fact that they were not her enemies.
Then, silence came.
All as the one who had brought on that massacre lowered her lance as its ominous black and red light began to dim.
Meanwhile, her Knights and Riders all had a newfound respect for her.
She was truly a being above them.
But that could also be said of the being their Master was glaring at.
Indeed, there, in the lonely crevice, one would think there would be only nothingness, but they would be wrong.
Someone remained.
Someone who stood up with the help of a barbed spear.
Her violet armor was torn in various places.
Her white skin was riddled with spiral bruises.
Her horns were cracked and almost breaking apart.
Her blood rushed down from her forehead and painted the ground beneath her.
Her hand trembled as she motioned with it and made another grimoire appear before her, one that gave off a green light.
She was Violet Death.
She had survived.
And she did so not through magic, nor through skill, but through the strength of her whole being.
"I am not...the eldest one...for nothing...ha...King of Storms..."
So she said in what could not be more than a whisper, knowing full well that her opponent would be able to hear her, and she smiled as someone who was not giving up.
And before such words…the King of Storms smiled.
"...ha...grimoire which grants salvation to those dying...with the stolen essence…hrnn…of the undying…[Vitarix]. Restore me...turn back the…hnn…time in these wounds...[Phoenix Heal]…"
With that, the green light of healing came out of the grimoire and proceeded to do its job. Still, even after kickstarting its Master’s regeneration its progress was slow, which showed the extent of the damage she had suffered...
That is when the King of Storms started walking forward.
She called upon those in control of her forces. The same short haired blonde woman Scath had seen before and the leader of the riders she had just obtained.
"Erica, I leave those on the right to you and the Knights. Bellary, you and your riders shall prove themselves with those on the left."
"Understood, Master."
"Your will is our will, oh King of Storms"
Thus, they both took their forces and with a war cry they advanced in the direction ordered by their Master.
"KNIGHTS OF THE EVER-BURNING WILL!! HEED ME!! THIS IS THE TIME WE EARN THE NAME!! THIS IS THE TIME WHERE WE SHALL CARVE A NEW PATH FOR EVERYONE!! A BETTER FUTURE!! FOR OUR FAMILIES!! FOR THE INNOCENT!! FOR OUR MASTER!! FOR THE GODDESS!! FOR THE WORLD!!!"
"UUUUUOOOOO!!!!"
So exclaimed the one named Erica with the might of a true leader and those very Knights answered with a scream that shook the ground.
As for the Riders…
*KRAKA-THOOOOOM*
…they let their thundering gallop do the talking.
But Violet Death would not be left behind.
For her army had come with the same purpose as her.
And so, she breathed in and let out a roar of her own.
"HAVE YOU ALL LOST YOUR WILL TO FIGHT?! THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! THE TRUEST BATTLE WE HAVE EVER HAD!! THIS IS NOT A ONE-SIDED MASSACRE!! THIS IS THE BATTLE TO END ALL BATTLES!!! ATTACK!!"
A roar that resonated through the battlefield and shook the minds of her army back to their collective senses.
“““““““RRRROOOOOOAAAAARRRGH!!”””””””
And they answered with the same intensity.
After all, their Master had survived the attack of the King of Storms.
She had survived the absurd, so why were they just standing there?
And so, they advanced too.
The monsters tapped into their dark and evil origins, breaking through their limits and changing their forms into truly abhorrent ones, for the time to reap pain and suffering had come.
The wyverns took flight and prepared their most destructive breaths, eager to lay waste to the battlefield.
The lizardmen charged as they awakened their [Draconic Origin]s and became greater than before, their scales taking a violet hue.
Lastly, the Lesser Dragon Lords assumed their most powerful forms and immediately became more draconic in appearance. Their bodies swelled and they covered themselves in armors of ice, violet flames, or a combination of both.
Scath then looked again towards the leisurely advancing King of Storms but...she was gone.
"You have done well to endure my opening attack, Violet Death."
"...!!"
Yet, she was close.
Closer than she could have ever thought.
She was…right in front of her.
Not only that, but her fist was already moving towards her stomach.
And the only thing Violet Death was able to do was look at her, baffled.
One thing she did notice, however, was that the King of Storms was now clad in a pitch-black armor, ominous in its design and with glowing golden eyes that looked as those of a living nightmare.
"As a reward, I have donned my armor."
"Gaaaah!!"
The strike connected fully, breaking her focus, snuffing out the light of healing covering her body, and sent her flying upwards, so much so that she went past the clouds from the sheer strength of the attack.
But that was not all.
Not at all.
Her attacker was close by.
Close enough to grab her by the head midflight.
"You...!"
The King of Storms ignored her growl and started weaving her mana in preparation for a spell.
Of course, Violet Death tried to free herself from the Absurd’s grip, but no matter how much strength she put in her free hand and struck the Absurd’s, she did not budge.
All as they reached their maximum height and started their fall towards the ground.
"Space, heed me, obey me, take who is in front of me to a space like this! A reflection! [Mirror Space Transport]!"
“…?!”
She had never heard of a spell like that, let alone seen what was happening in front of her eyes.
It was baffling.
It was absurd.
Space itself was turning into mirrors reflecting reality to infinity.
While the sound that passed through her ears was like countless pieces of glass turning on top of each other.
No matter where she looked, everything had turned into infinitely reflecting mirrors.
The entirety of the sky, the horizon, the mountains, the Capital, all was swallowed by the absurdity she was witnessing.
And then...the voice of war was nowhere to be found.
There was only pure and deafening silence.
She tried and tried to expand her senses, to listen to anything, but not even the wind caressing the leaves of a tree made a sound.
It was unnatural.
"Nngh—!"
It was then that Auros' grip on Scath's head grew stronger, causing her to clench her teeth as she tried once more to free herself.
"Fire, obey me, give me a descent worthy of that which comes from the beyond! [Meteoric Fall]!!"
With that, both the King of Storms and Violet Death were shrouded in a ball of fire that accelerated their descent.
Not only that, but the fire was searing Scath's skin.
"To be able...gah! To burn me! A Dragon Lord! I was already cautious of...nngh...you, but to think I was still underestimating you!!"
Yet, there was no fear in those words, there was only eagerness, the same eagerness that adorned her smile.
Thus, they descended in a trail of flames, just like a falling star.
Then, they reached the ground and caused a blinding explosion that took out the whole mirrored forest.
And when the dust settled, two could be seen standing right at the center of the crater.
One was the King of Storms clad in her nightmarish armor.
The other was of Violet Death, whose torn armor was now replaced by a new one, a true one. It had burning runes all along her extremities and in the middle of her breast plate, and while it was not of the light variety, it let her utilize her mobility as if she were still wearing the other one.
Of course, it was of a deep violet color.
"Hoooh~~, impressive of you to free yourself at the last second."
Said the King of Storms, her voice distorted by the helmet...or perhaps that was her true voice.
And indeed, she had done as the Absurd said.
In the last moments of their fall, she had retracted her legs as if to assume fetal position and then she used the Absurd’s breastplate as a platform, pushing with all her strength as she invoked two skills.
It was simple yet effective given the speed they were going at.
"[True Draconic Force] and [True Draconic Armor]. You are the only one that has made me invoke both of these skills at the same time...just to free myself from your grip. And what you did to my army is more than enough proof that you have brought me here to this…desolate world, just so that you could fight without reservation. You truly are destruction incarnate, are you not, Auros?"
She had heard such name from the ears of the servant that had infiltrated the palace, Bryn.
Still, Auros did not show any surprise at hearing her name being said by her enemy and instead, she simply changed the form of her Holy Weapon from a lance to a red and black sword.
"Hmph. You knowing my name is meaningless. Your query too, for I am destruction incarnate only to your kin and those who follow you."
With that, she pointed her sword at Scath and in response, she readied her barbed spear and summoned another one from her personal space.
"Yes, I can feel it not only in those eyes of yours, but also from the aura that blessed weapon emanates. It has clearly been made with the purpose of slaying me and my brethren. Truly a weapon to be feared."
So said Scath, almost hearing the voice that belonged to the killing intent that came off from the sword. A voice that had a strangely familiar and feminine tone.
"This? A blessed weapon? Oh, eldest one, it seems the years have taken a toll on your sight, for this is not a blessed weapon...HA!"
In that moment, Auros made an upwards slash with her sword, breaking through Violet Death’s the sudden double attack and forcing her to jump back at the last moment to avoid the Absurd’s blade. Her talking to Auros had obviously been a distraction.
*crack*
“…!”
And as she landed back where she had been before attacking, her armor started to crack right where it was grazed by Auros' blade, making her eyes widen in surprise.
Not only that, but a drop of blood fell on the ground as she looked at her now cracked armor, followed by tinge of pain.
She immediately touched her right cheek and felt the warmth of blood coming out of a small vertical cut.
"It seems I am mistaken...that is not a mere blessed weapon."
"Indeed, this is a Holy Weapon. The first and only of its kind. All to end the threat of your kin."
"I am honored then. Since that tells me that we are finally worthy of the Goddess' attention."
"Hmph. Not for long."
The King of Storms then made her mana run through her sword, covering it completely and making it seem like it was made entirely of that said mana.
"Haha…do not get so conceited, Auros. These spears...they are not so ordinary either."
And just in the same way, Violet Death's mana started to flow through her spears, covering them completely and making them seem as if they were made of an overflowing violet mana.
"I shall show you the power of the one who slayed all the Dragon Lords of the ancient times! [Dracanathos Spears]!"
Thus, with her spears releasing an ominous pulse, Violet Death jumped at her opponent once again.
__________________________________________
I have never been so grateful to my past self for adding [Eternal Arms Mastery] to the list of skills I wanted when I reincarnated.
And of course, [Thunderous Instinct].
Because I have lost count of how many times I would have died here if not for those.
Well, and my other powers too.
Seriously.
But that’s normal.
After all, I was just your normal weeb with a job just a few weeks ago.
Well, almost a month but seriously...what? If I did not die from overworking, then I am not a true 'worker weeb isekaid'? The heck?!
I am literally fighting against a humanized dragon while wielding a holy sword! I am a worker weeb isekaid!
Anyways.
Her mastery over her spears is flawless.
There are no superfluous moves in the way she attacks, which means there’s neither dramatic nor aesthetic ones.
Why do I specify?
Because that puts the weight of making this fight flashy and cool for an anime on my shoulders!
"Haah!"
With an upwards slash, I let out a mana shockwave that cuts beyond my reach.
"Too slow!"
She evades it and tries to thrust her spears at me but...!
"Hmph!"
I free my right hand and shoot a mana blast from it!
"...nngh!"
With her being too close, she has no other option than to block and take damage from it, which she does.
Still, that doesn’t stop her.
On the contrary she pushes through while wearing that smile of hers and we start exchanging blows once more, all as we start moving at higher speeds, trying to one up each other.
Going faster, faster, and faster!
And before we notice it, we are on one of the mirrored mountains, far from the mirrored version of the battlefield.
But that doesn’t stop us from fighting and we start unleashing skills at each other.
"[Unavoidable Spear Strike]!"
"[Mana Wave]!!"
Heck, my instinct is even guiding me through the usage of skills I did not know I had!
After all, I haven't checked my own profile...I have been occupied with those of the maids...
Violet Death just jumped back after evading my skill and now she has jumped upwards.
She is about to do something…wait…she is actually doing a flashy move!!
And look at that! The mana on both of her spears is getting stronger!
"Perish! [Rain of a Thousand Deaths]!!"
Yes! This is what I was talking about!!
Not only has she thrown both her spears at me, but those spears are dividing into copies identical to the originals and those are dividing even more, and more, and more!!
Until it is truly a rain of death coming at me!
Which is my prompt to make a passive skill active!!
"[Thunderous Instinct]!"
With that, I can feel the surge of full combat awareness course through my mind as I swat away at some of the spears while carefully evading, blocking, and parrying others with my sword.
Flashier.
Then, I grab one of the spears before it touches the ground and drown it in my mana before throwing it back at her.
It explodes but doesn’t get her as she intercepted it with another spear before it could reach her.
" Haha! To try and harm me with my own weapon! [IMPALING GARDEN]!!"
In that moment, the spears that have already fallen start burrowing into the ground and come out from under my feet.
Flashier!
"HAAAH! [RUINOUS SLASH]!"
The mana covering Nern becomes bigger as I unleash such skill at Violet Death and the spears between us, creating a flying mana blade that looks straight out of a manga named after a cleaning product.
Mana blade that she evades gracefully before we start sliding down the mountain, making a trail of snow as we exchange different projectiles from blades of my mana, to fireballs of our distinct colors and her spears.
FLASHIER!!
LET'S MAKE THE ANIMATORS CRY!!
I strike the ground and run at her, leaving behind an explosion of snow and rock.
But that is not all, for I increase my speed and go even faster than I thought I could before jumping at her.
"I will not let you get closer than this, King of Storms! And it seems that you have forgotten about something! Legion of Blades from the forgotten dimension that rests within my eyes, bring death to those that I gaze upon, [Reaper's Legionnaire Gaze]!"
Her eyes let out a strong shine and immediately after, hundreds of invisible blades come down at me as I get closer to Violet Death.
But there is nothing to worry about for I have my…BLESSING!
Which immediately cause hundreds of otherworldly and divine arms to appear from my back and stop each and every one of the incoming blades, holding them in place and…breaking them!
"GAAAAGH!!"
She recoils as her right eye starts bleeding, something that makes clear just how painful it must be for her, but I’m not planning to give her time to regain her bearings.
"Haaa!"
"Ngh!"
So, I charge and unleash a downwards slash at her, which she defends against by doing a cross guard with her spears, but of course, my strength is overpowering her.
And that is not all.
"Darkness, heed me, obey me..."
"You...! Untraceable Blade from the forgotten dimension..."
“…burst forth from that which is bound to all…”
“…you who know naught of boundaries pierce it all…”
"…[Shadow Spikes]!!"
"…[Ghost Blade]!!"
We both shout at the same time and...!
"Nnngh!!"
"Dear!!"
What is this…searing pain in my…chest?!
"Creating spikes...from my own shadow to impale me...I only know another one who would use the same tactic..."
It hurts!!
"Dear!! Endure it!!"
It hurts but...!
"You truly are stronger than them, though...”
*cough*
“Ah...you have damaged me to the point that I am even spitting blood. Not to mention that…hnn…you were able to destroy one of my…runic eyes. Yes…this what I seek…and with you being unable to…stop my blade from piercing your…heart…the path of victory is truly obscured for both of us now. I wonder who will be the one to end the other..."
This is part of what I've signed up for...!
I am not someone afraid of pain!!
Besides, for my waifu...for me…this much...is nothing, Nerinne!!
'Tis but a scratch!!
One which is already healing with my OP regeneration!! So let’s do this!
"I congratulate you for finally wounding me, oh eldest one! For that I shall grant your wish!"
Thus, I start taking off my helmet…and let go of my human form...revealing my true nature.
"...! You are...!”
Revealing the crown of black horns that adorns my head.
“The crown of the one above us...!”
My draconic red eyes.
“The High Dragon Lord?!!"
My pointy ears too…but that doesn’t sound as dramatic so forget about that.
"But that is supposed to be...a legend! A summit to climb for…! No...it cannot be you...! If so then...!!"
And finally, for the first time in all her fight with me, I can see fear in her eyes.
So, let’s make her go deeper than that!
"For a moment I thought that I would not find an excuse to use this skill, but I shall reward your efforts with it, oh eldest one!"
Everything starts trembling as I stop holding back ALL my mana and pressure.
"...!"
Which are so overwhelming that even the silent mirror space has started to make a crunching sound as my mana fills this whole place.
"[MANA BURST]"
[https://imgur.com/roPJ8o9.jpg]
Then…all my mana becomes ignited, covering my body and my surroundings in its ‘flames’.
It not only strengthens me beyond my absurd limits, but it also causes the rocky ground around me to break, float up, and disintegrate with every step I take.
I have become what she had said.
Destruction incarnate just for her.
And she knows it.
To be continued...(Cue illustration of Auros activating Mana Burst)