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The four-armed beast zombie lunged at Mirai, hurling her across the arena. Ice and flames coated her arms, which she had raised to shield herself. Of course, it was not enough. She halted in midair, then slowly descended to the floor, glaring from a distance. With a wave of her arms, the elemental magic scattered.
"That was surprising..." Mirai sighed. "Did you have to hit me like that out of nowhere? It's very rude, but it reminds me a little of how Louis acts..."
"Shut up! Go on, my first creation! I shall bless you with a name in front of my Master!" Zorba roared. His long purple hair whipped wildly in the surging aura from his body, a pitch-black shroud of shadows and ghostly energy. "Your name is... the multi-limbed titan, Hecatoncheires!"
"Titan?" Mirai wondered, tilting her head. "It is big, don't get me wrong, but it's... not that big."
"Tsk! Silence!" Zorba screamed in fury. "Go on, my magnum opus! Show our Master that we don't need her around! That just the two of us can conquer this world together!"
"ROOOAAARRR!"
Hecatoncheires advanced. Using the legs of the Blazing Lion, it took a single step forward, leaving an explosion of flames across the ground. Ice and fire gathered around its body, merging their elemental power and channeling it into its four arms.
"Coming again for a full-on assault..."
Mirai watched the four fists approach. She swiftly dodged to the left, then struck the creature's stomach with her palm, unleashing an explosion of Demonic Flames from her body. The blast sent the zombie flying toward Zorba.
"Ahh! What?! S-Stop!"
Zorba halted its fall before it crashed into him. Hecatoncheires spun in midair, using its own flames to propel itself toward Mirai at lightning speed. It reached her and unleashed a barrage of potent blazing kicks while summoning icicles and hurling them her way.
"Hmph!"
Mirai was not someone who could be defeated so easily. She stepped forward decisively and channeled her Demonic Fire. Dark red and black flames condensed into dozens of demon-like specters—roaring, laughing, crying—forming a protective wave of demonic spirits.
"Demons?! What sort of wicked power is that?! Don't you have any shame!"
"Shame...? Says the one using corpses..."
"Silence! These are no mere corpses; they're works of art! ART!"
As Zorba screamed, he touched the ground. Black miasma poured from his hands, surging toward his zombie and transforming its blue skin and red fur into pitch black.
"Miasma Armor!"
"That's a Spell?"
"Kill her, Hecatoncheires!"
"WRAAAAHHHH!"
Hecatoncheires roared, sprouting a pair of black wings and reaching Mirai in an instant. She prepared herself, rapidly circulating energy through her body and gathering explosive power in her fists and legs. She met the zombie's blazing and icy fists with her own flurry of combat strikes, martial arts she had been sharpening since she began training with Louis a week ago.
She was by no means a master, but she had improved far beyond the days when she moved without knowing how to properly fight with her own body and the powers granted to her at birth.
Hecatoncheires' punches carried immense force.
BOOOM!
"Ngh?!"
Mirai was pushed back despite intercepting the zombie with her blazing fists. Her small body crashed into the ground and rolled across the dirt. Hecatoncheires gave chase, reaching her in moments. Its four claws rushed downward, striking with everything it had.
"HAAAH!"
Mirai refused to yield. She released even more of her explosive power—this time in the form of a concentrated beam, another technique she had developed through her all-out battles against Louis, where she had been allowed to unleash everything.
Another explosion erupted, striking the zombie's chest. Its Miasma Armor flickered briefly before regenerating, surprising her.
A second later, four punches slammed into her with enormous force—at least ten times stronger than before—driving her downward into the floor. Her body dug deeper with each blow as a spiderweb-shaped crater formed beneath her.
"Nngh!"
Mirai crossed her arms in defense, protecting her chest and head while her legs charged energy. Then she released it all at once, kicking the zombie's chin and sending it soaring into the skies.
"D-Damn it!"
Zorba grew frustrated. He rushed toward Mirai himself and conjured a giant mass of Ghostly Flames, shaping it into dozens of debilitating fireballs and bombarding her relentlessly. Mirai immediately knew she could not take those head-on. She had learned just how vicious Ghost Fire could be after fighting Louis for an entire week.
She conjured Demonic Flames and Black Shadows, fusing them into a trident. Charging it with even more power, she launched it at Zorba with all her strength—aiming to disrupt his conjuration and, if he fell unconscious, halt the rampaging zombie descending from above.
"Ngh?! P-Protect me, Hecatoncheires!"
Zorba screamed as the Undead dropped in front of him. Fire and frost combined with black miasma to form a giant shield, blocking the incoming trident. The projectile—a materialized form of Demonic Flames and Shadows—exploded on impact, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground.
BOOOM!
"A-Ah...!"
Zorba slowly opened his eyes. His zombie had shielded him from Mirai's attack. Its Miasma Armor had vanished completely, and the giant four-armed lion-ice hybrid groaned. A large hole gaped in its chest.
"I-Impossible...! How strong is that woman?!"
Zorba glared back at Louis. His Lord smiled, arms crossed, as though proud of Mirai for some reason, even though Louis himself hated her for the very same reasons he admired her.
Because she was powerful.
"It only took me a week to shape her into a far better fighter than my father ever could," Louis explained. "I plan to do the same with you, Zorba."
"...?!" Zorba was stunned by his master's words. Mirai suddenly appeared in front of his zombie. "Ah! G-Get away! Kill her, Hecatoncheires!"
"ROOOAAARRR!"
Hecatoncheires roared, releasing all its power at once. It manifested lion-shaped elemental spirits from its magic as it reached its peak. Dozens of these lions attacked Mirai from every side, showcasing the incredible "art" Zorba had crafted through his Undead, granting it a multitude of extraordinary abilities.
"Not bad. Your zombie has a lot of great abilities, Zorba!"
Mirai smiled for the first time. Though she always insisted she hated fighting, a part of her deep down thrilled at facing someone strong. Right now, she smiled more brightly than she ever did normally, all because of the challenge before her.
"But it's not enough."
She grew serious. Her eyes glowed bright red. Her hands turned deep crimson as tattoos spread across her body. A pair of wings made of demonic flames and shadows sprouted from her back, and her nails lengthened into sharp claws.
Her fists moved at lightning speed. The elemental spells shaped like beasts shattered one after another, scattering into mana particles. Their attacks, even when they landed, barely scratched her.
"Demon Kick."
By guiding her internal energies through a precise sequence of movements, breathing, and condensation, Mirai executed a Martial Art Technique. Her kick struck Hecatoncheires' stomach and blew it apart, cleaving the zombie in two.
"M-My magnum opus..." Zorba muttered in disbelief, his face filled with despair as he crawled toward his creation. "Y-You're a monster...! How could you carelessly destroy such fine art?!"
"Um, and what else did you want me to do with it?" Mirai asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't know, but did you have to mistreat him like this?! You're so cruel!" Zorba shouted angrily.
"Zorba, let it go already," Louis said, walking toward him. "Do you understand now?"
"I... I do... she's strong, she's necessary," Zorba groaned. "I understand she's... your bodyguard? I guess there can be more than one... it's fine..."
"She's not my bodyguard exactly, but that's a good way to put it. I like that," Louis laughed. "How about becoming my bodyguard, Mirai?"
"H-Huh? I would rather just be friends, your majesty..." Mirai replied.
"Tsk, you should accept whatever I tell you instead!" Louis complained. "But whatever, have your way. Zorba, that Undead, can you repair it?"
"With some more materials, I should be able to not just repair it but... improve it! I've learned a lot from this battle and seen the many flaws of Hecatoncheires!" Zorba said. "As long as I have enough time and resources... I can continue evolving my Undead virtually infinitely."
"Hah, I suppose due to the lack of souls you can only dedicate time to one," Louis said. "In a couple of days, we can go hunt a criminal gang. You'll have plenty of souls to take."
"And materials?!" Zorba asked eagerly. "T-Thank you!"
Zorba nearly kissed Louis' boots, but the prince stopped him and stepped back. He had endured enough contact with people for one day and had no intention of letting this idiot soil his pristine white boots.
"That's enough, Zorba. Don't do that ever again," Louis said sternly. "Anyway, I suppose we haven't had our daily battle, Mirai. Although I might not be able to go completely all-out without Handy to help."
"Ah, what happened to her? Did you forget to feed her again, your majesty?" Mirai asked with a disappointed expression.
"No, I've already used her. I fought someone really strong called Dorfus..." Louis recounted his battle against the dwarf and how far he had pushed to convince him.
"Isn't this wonderful news, Master Louis?" Zorba asked. "With this, you can obtain a powerful new weapon!"
"I agree," Mirai nodded. "Though I wonder if you could ever go a little easier on people..."
"Well, it worked and that's what matters," Louis said, shrugging. "For now, you two should practice the Mana Breathing Method and the Mana Body Reinforcing Methods, and don't forget the Mana Consciousness Expansion Method! All three are necessary if you ever want to become good fighters. The latter is especially useful; it can help you see through ambushes or surprise blows."
"Okay, I'm getting fairly far into these three already," Mirai said. "I wonder what happens once I master them?"
"The gate for you to gain your own personal set of abilities will open, techniques, powers, the transformation you saw me using. That wasn't something I had from the beginning but something I developed through the combination of Spiral Abilities, Magic, and these Methods," Louis explained. "And well, my Incarnations as well..."
Louis checked his status after Zorba and Mirai's battle.
♢♢♢♢
Name: Louis Drakeheart Yggdrasil
Classification: Sinner (Dragon–Human–Anomaly)
Spiral: Hollow Spiral of the Ashen Wyrm, Desecrated Soul Spiral Fragment, Self-Flagellation Spiral Fragment
Tier: 8 – Graveborn
Fantasy Heart: Level 20/50
Vitality: 239
Strength: 203
Intelligence: 176
Dexterity: 226
Fantasium: 2200
Fantasium Affinity: 7%
Madness Index: 22%
Bonds:
Dragon Family Bond – Mother Benladra (Level 10/10)
Friendship Bond – Mirai (Level 3/10)
Subordination Bond – Cardoon Zorba (Level 5/10)
Bonded Entities:
Abyssal Mother's Caressing Hand – Handy (Level 2/10)
Elemental Affinities:
Ash Element: A++ Rank
Ice Element: A++ Rank
Void Element: S Rank
Dragon Element: D Rank
Incarnation:
Gravewalker – Tier 8 (Growth: 42%)
Necromancer Fragment – Tier 9
Pugilist Fragment – Tier 9
Known Abilities:
Ashen Frost – Tier 8 (Growth: 37%)
Death-Sense – Tier 8 (Growth: 21%)
Soul Enslavement Fragment – Tier 9
Iron Body Fragment – Tier 9
Bonded Abilities:
Healing Prayer Fragment – Tier 7 (Handy)
♢♢♢♢
There, he saw his progress so far. From the previous week of training with Mirai, he had gained +7 to all stats, and today's fight added another +1, though his Vitality had risen by +2 this time. He had also gained +250 Fantasium from drinking the three Spiral Potions his father helped him create, along with another +2 bonus to all stats. Not bad at all.
Additionally, his Elemental Affinities had improved. Ash Element rose from A+ to A++, Ice Element remained A++, Void Element stayed S Rank, but Dragon Element advanced from E Rank to D Rank, finally strong enough for Louis to begin learning some Dragon Element Spells.
"My own techniques, huh?" Mirai wondered. "What do you think, Zorba?"
"Unlike you, who seems so clueless about your own powers, I have learned many Spells and Techniques while preparing for my ascension into a Spiralwalker," Zorba said. "Despite what some might have said, murdering my brother was a calculated move, and I only did it when I felt I was ready."
"..." Mirai made a disgusted face. "I won't ask you anything anymore..."
"I would appreciate if you never spoke to me as well, but Master Louis desires our cooperation, so I am forced to work with you. As horrible as it might be, I might end up learning a thing or two. Eventually, I shall create an Undead that will defeat you, Mirai," Zorba declared.
"Huh... I'm looking forward to it," Mirai replied with a teasing smile, only making the necromancer more irritated.
"Hah? Do you want to test me again?" Zorba suddenly became mad, it seemed like both were about to clash again.
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