Poison Claw—Seto’s highest-level skill.
Combined with his physical strength as a Gryphon and the effect of the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, it was a strike that boasted staggering power. Even for a warrior clad in the Overlord’s Armor like Noise, he would suffer massive damage if struck, likely followed by the debilitating effects of ongoing poison damage.
However, no matter how powerful an attack might be, it was meaningless if it failed to land. For Noise, whose Overlord’s Armor allowed him to move at speeds that could only be described as super high speed, evading the attack should have been simple—provided his feet were not pinned down by wind tentacles.
Rei used the Death Scythe’s skill, Wind Hand, to extend tentacles made of wind. Only the tip of the tentacle could physically interfere with the world, and even then, they were not strong enough to crush an opponent’s limbs. However, because they were composed of wind, they were nearly impossible to see. It was asking the impossible for someone to notice them while their attention was focused entirely on another threat.
"What?!" Noise gasped.
Seto dove from the sky, swinging a front leg infused with Poison Claw. Noise had intended to evade the attack at the last possible moment and deliver a counter. In this case, however, his intent to wait for the perfect timing proved to be his undoing. The moment he tried to move, his foot was seized by the Wind Hand for a split second, delaying his escape.
The Wind Hand wasn't strong enough to truly halt Noise; in the next instant, the tentacle dispersed into mist. Nevertheless, that fleeting moment of interference was all Seto needed.
"Guruuuuuuuuuuu!"
Seto’s Poison Claw strike descended upon Noise. Noise realized he could no longer evade and that a counter was out of the question. He abandoned his offensive and concentrated entirely on defense.
Seto’s strike clashed with the Overlord’s Armor, momentarily straining against it before shattering the concentrated magic power. If the attack had been a thin appendage like the Wind Hand, Noise might have found a gap in the armor to exploit, but he could not overlook a direct blow from a Gryphon’s front leg. Driven by Seto's weight and the velocity of his descent, the blow pierced the Overlord’s Armor and closed in.
Noise braced his magic sword, catching the blow from Seto’s front leg with the blade. Thanks to the physical ability granted by the Overlord’s Armor, he wasn't overwhelmed; instead, he parried the attack along the edge of his blade. With a thunderous boom, the ground collapsed beneath the weight of the impact.
The Subjugation Army soldiers watching from the periphery began to cheer, thinking their champion had won, but their joy was short-lived.
"Guruuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
A roar echoed through the dust clouds as Seto unleashed his Fire Breath. Noise had seen the skill used before, but he was clearly surprised by an attack launched from within the screen of dust. Even so, he leaped away and succeeded in evading the flames.
The soldiers behind him, however, were not so fortunate.
"Gyaaaaaaaah!"
"It’s hot! Help me, it’s hot!"
"Damn it, no time for water! Get some dirt! Smother the flames!"
Screams filled the air. Noise cast a brief glance back at his men but made no move to help them. Instead, his gaze returned to Rei and Seto, the latter having moved back to Rei’s side after the breath attack.
"Even for a rare species, aren't you a bit too versatile?" Noise muttered, checking the magic sword blade to ensure it hadn't been chipped.
"I’m well aware of that," Rei replied, leveling the Death Scythe. "That’s exactly why I hated the idea of getting dragged into trouble and kept it hidden until now."
Seto let out a low rumble from his throat, taking a few steps back to stay out of Rei’s way while remaining ready to strike.
"I see. I’ll praise you for keeping your secrets this long. But if you think a handful of tricks will be enough to stop me, then you’re being incredibly naive."
"Probably so," Rei admitted.
He understood Noise’s point. Seto and the Death Scythe had a wide variety of attacks, but they lacked a single skill capable of delivering a decisive, fatal blow against an opponent of this caliber. Ordinarily, a strike from the Death Scythe or Seto’s front leg would be a sure-kill strike, but Noise was an exception.
In that case, the key is still the Overlord’s Armor, Rei thought.
Noise’s Overlord’s Armor transformed even his basic movements into deadly strikes. It was obvious that the best way to counter it was to use the same armor, but Rei knew he couldn't win by simply imitating Noise’s technique.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
High-pitched metallic rings filled the air. The Death Scythe and the magic sword clashed in rapid succession. The interval between strikes was so short—with more than a dozen hits per second—that the sounds merged into a single, continuous drone.
Even while fighting in this inhuman realm, Rei felt a mounting sense of anxiety. Despite the combined efforts of man and beast, Noise remained perfectly composed. Furthermore, because Rei was forcibly fueling the Overlord’s Armor with his own immense magic power, his consumption was far greater than Noise’s. He wore the Bracelet of Magic Absorption, but he couldn't drain any mana if he couldn't land a scratch on his opponent.
What should I do? How can I beat this monster?
Rei used the butt end of his scythe to deflect a thrust aimed at his solar plexus, then tried to use the momentum to sweep the blade through Noise’s left arm. Noise effortlessly shifted his weight and evaded. Until now, Rei had always been the one called a monster by his enemies, but at this moment, it was Rei who viewed Noise as the creature.
As Noise turned, Seto unleashed a Bubble Breath from the side. Countless sticky bubbles several centimeters wide filled the air. Sensing the danger, Noise lightly kicked the ground and leaped over Seto to avoid the bubbles, delivering a reflexive kick toward the Gryphon as he passed. Seto, who had been about to strike with his tail, realized he couldn't afford to take a blow from the armor-enhanced kick and crouched low to evade.
Noise landed behind Seto and immediately turned to deliver a horizontal strike.
"I won't let you!" Rei shouted.
Rei circled behind Seto and blocked the magic sword with the Death Scythe. Seto turned around, watching the sticky bubbles burst on the ground as he rejoined the fight. He saw Rei and Noise locked in a fierce exchange and took to the sky, flapping his wings to gain altitude. From his vantage point above, he rained down a barrage of attacks.
Water Ball, Wind Arrow, Ice Arrow, Magic Eye of Shock.
Each individual attack was relatively weak, but the sheer variety forced Noise to divide his concentration. The Wind Arrows were particularly troublesome because they were transparent and fast, but the Magic Eye of Shock was the most irritating—it conveyed an impact instantly despite doing almost no damage.
Noise swung his magic sword, certain his blow would land, but a pinpoint hit from the Magic Eye of Shock struck his limb. There was no damage, but the impact disrupted his balance just enough to shift his attack trajectory. He could intercept the Water Balls and Ice Arrows easily enough, but the presence of the Wind Arrows meant he had to gauge his interception timing perfectly, as each projectile moved at a different speed.
No matter how powerful Noise was, every hit against his Overlord’s Armor produced a slight jolt. Against an inferior opponent, this wouldn't have mattered, but while Rei was technically outmatched, he was close enough that a single moment of negligence could prove disastrous.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Rei unleashed a flurry of blows, his physical ability pushed to the limit by the Overlord’s Armor. He followed a horizontal flash with a sudden grip change, using his inhuman strength to swing the Death Scythe’s shaft straight up toward Noise’s right shoulder.
Noise parried the strike with a one-handed grip on his magic sword and reached out with his left hand to seize Rei’s torso. It wasn't a punch, but a crushing grasp designed to keep him from escaping.
"What!?"
Surprised that his two-handed strike had been parried so easily, Rei was too slow to react as Noise’s hand clenched around his Dragon Robe. Trapped, Rei watched as Noise raised his magic sword.
Tch! Rei braced himself. Even with the dragon scales worked into the robe, he didn't expect to survive a full-powered hit from Noise's magic sword while held immobile. Rei tried to tear himself free, but Noise’s grip was like iron. As the magic sword began its descent—
"Guruuuuuuuuu!"
Seto used his Magic Eye of Shock again, striking the hand Noise used to grip his sword. The blow momentarily froze his movement. Rei seized the opening and swung the Death Scythe—not at the sword, but at Noise’s body.
"I won't let you!" Noise roared.
Realizing the tip of the scythe was about to slice into his torso, Noise released his grip on the robe and punched Rei in the chest. With a sickening thud—a sound far removed from anything produced by flesh striking flesh—Rei was sent flying.
If not for the high defensive power of the Dragon Robe and the Overlord’s Armor, the blow would have been fatal. Rei had also rolled with the punch by jumping backward at the moment of impact, which saved his life.
Feeling a dull ache in his ribs, Rei twisted in mid-air and landed, though the force was still enough to plow his feet through the ground as he skidded to a halt. He had been blown far from his original position, ending up near the wall of soldiers surrounding the duel.
Suddenly, he sensed a soldier behind him swinging a longsword. The man clearly thought Rei was too injured to defend himself and saw a chance for glory or revenge.
"Fool," Rei muttered.
Without even looking back, Rei swung the Death Scythe. The soldier was bifurcated at the waist and collapsed instantly. A trickle of magic power flowed into Rei through the Bracelet of Magic Absorption, but it was minuscule—barely enough to maintain his armor for a few more seconds.
As things stand, I can't win, Rei realized. I need something unexpected. Something Noise won't see coming.
Noise stood silently, watching Rei struggle. It was as if he were waiting for Rei to finally unleash his hidden potential. Seto also closed the distance, tensing his muscles to leap back into the fray.
What should I do? If I use the same Overlord’s Armor, I can keep up, but I’ll lose in the end. Wait... the same?
The thought struck him with the force of a revelation.
Right. This current Overlord’s Armor is just an imitation of what Noise created. It's only natural I can't win with a borrowed weapon. I shouldn't just be copying him...
It was as if the final piece of a puzzle had clicked into place.
"I won't use a borrowed weapon. I'll use my own power!"
Once he understood the concept, the execution followed naturally. He began pouring his magic power into the Overlord’s Armor, but instead of pure mana, he infused it with his own elemental attribute: fire.
In the next instant, the white light of the armor transformed into a deep, burning red—the very Crimson of his name.