"Ho... I see. I wondered what form it would take, but it turned out like this? This is a bit unexpected."
Noise muttered with interest as he looked at the figure before him—at Reiji Saiki, who was clad in the same... no, what had been the same Overlord's Armor.
Until moments ago, the technique Reiji Saiki wore had certainly been the same Overlord's Armor as his own. It was a state where magic power, concentrated enough to be visualized, enveloped the body in a shroud of white light.
However, the Overlord's Armor Reiji Saiki wore now was clearly different.
The most striking difference was the color. In contrast to Noise's white light, Reiji Saiki’s was a shade of deep crimson, matching his alias.
Even more overwhelming was the pressure now radiating from the boy. Naturally, Reiji Saiki had exerted pressure until now as well. He had been using the Overlord's Armor in a manner similar to Noise, so that was only natural. Yet, the pressure Reiji Saiki exerted now was even more potent than before.
Watching Reiji Saiki—the boy who could be called the successor to his own technique—Noise laughed. He didn't flinch or look surprised or saddened; instead, a predatory smile spread across his face.
(He transforms when backed into a corner. I suspected he might... but I didn't think he would change this much. It doesn't look like he just adjusted my Overlord's Armor for his own use. Now then, how much power does he truly possess?)
Gripping his magic sword, Noise imagined the battle about to begin—a clash the likes of which he had never seen—and let out a shout as if surrendering himself to the rising excitement.
"Oooooooooooooooooooooooooh!"
Seto possessed a skill called King's Intimidation. It allowed it to halt the movements of weaker opponents with a roar, or at the very least, dull their reactions. Coincidentally, Noise's current roar brought about an effect similar to... or perhaps even more powerful than King's Intimidation.
The Subjugation Army soldiers, who served as the walls of this localized battlefield, nearly all froze in their tracks. Despite the fact that tens of thousands of combatants were clashing only a short distance away, silence descended upon this spot.
The only things that could be heard were the distant echoes of the Subjugation Army and Mercurio Army clashing.
The only one capable of moving within that silence was, predictably, Reiji Saiki in his crimson Overlord's Armor. He walked forward as if he didn't feel the silence or the intense pressure radiating from Noise at all.
(I can feel it... I understand. This is the Overlord's Armor I was meant to use.)
It was likely because he was channeling his magic power in a form perfectly suited to his affinity. He no longer felt the rapid magic power consumption he had experienced when imitating the standard version. Of course, he was still consuming an amount of magic power that would force an ordinary mage to stake their life just to use it, but the drain was significantly lower than before.
It was exactly as Reiji Saiki had felt: the sensation of the final puzzle piece clicking perfectly into place. Even though he had yet to truly test it, he instinctively understood the fundamentals of its use.
Clad in the crimson-dyed armor, he gave a large sweep of his hand in silence. In that instant, magic power compressed enough to be visualized was released from Reiji Saiki's palm. The fist-sized orb of magic power flew straight ahead, striking the soldiers surrounding the two combatants.
With a thunderous roar, a massive pillar of fire erupted. It reached five meters in height and measured nearly two meters in diameter.
"Ugh, aaaaaah!"
"Dammit, you Crimson bastard! What the hell are you doing!?"
"Put it out! Extinguish the flames!"
Amidst the screams and angry shouts, Reiji Saiki focused on the sensation of releasing that compressed magic power.
(I only put a little magic power into that. Does that mean the size of the fire pillar is determined by the magic power quantity? Or does it always manifest as a pillar?)
Following a sudden inspiration, he fired the magic power of the Overlord's Armor in a different direction. This time, instead of a pillar, he visualized the flames spreading outward. As soon as the magic power struck the wall of Subjugation Army soldiers, it instantly flared across the line.
The fact that this fire was clearly different from the fire pillar meant that the phenomena manifesting from the Overlord's Armor could be altered according to Reiji Saiki's mental image. At the same time...
(Magic power that has been activated as the Overlord's Armor cannot be recovered once it's fired and consumed. To do the same thing again, I have to channel even more magic power into the armor.)
Satisfied with this realization, he next manipulated the armor itself. The crimson light covering his body moved according to Reiji Saiki's will, causing flowers of flame to bloom in the air around him.
After confirming he could move the crimson Overlord's Armor as he pleased, he turned his gaze toward Noise, who wore a grin of pure, unrestrained joy. Noise was no longer radiating the intimidating pressure from before; he simply beamed at Reiji Saiki.
"Fufu... Hahaha, hahahahaha! Incredible! I wondered what you would do with my Overlord's Armor... but to think you'd change its very nature to this extent. A happy miscalculation. Yes, that is exactly what this is."
Unable to contain his delight, Noise gave a large swing of his magic sword.
The Overlord's Armor was a technique that only he—even among the three S-Rank adventurers in this world—had been able to use. Reiji Saiki had stolen... no, from Noise's perspective, perhaps "inherited" was more accurate... and had then proceeded to evolve that Overlord's Armor even further.
Noise had already witnessed Reiji Saiki's combat sense during the Fighting Tournament. Even so, he hadn't expected him to reach this height in such a short time.
Or rather, it would be a lie to say he hadn't expected it at all. That was precisely why he had accepted Cabajid’s request and participated in this civil strife, which he would normally find tiresome and avoid at all costs. He had hoped that his contact with Reiji Saiki would become the catalyst for a step beyond the Overlord's Armor.
...Though his desire for a thrilling battle was also quite real.
(I never imagined! Never imagined!)
Noise was filled with nothing but pure jubilation. Realizing his own state, he took a deep breath to steady himself.
(Calm down. Reiji Saiki's Overlord's Armor changed because it absorbed magic power of his specialized attribute. Does that mean my Overlord's Armor would gain an attribute if it did the same? No, if that were the case, mine should have already changed. The fact that this hasn't happened to me means there must be something unique to the boy. But, before that...)
He focused on what he needed to do and what he wanted to do.
"Reiji, what you have there can no longer be called the Overlord's Armor."
"...I suppose so."
Reiji understood that the aura enveloping his body was no longer the same technique. Since its characteristics were entirely different, calling it the Overlord's Armor would be incorrect.
"Then I'll give it a name. Since it's a skill born from my Overlord's Armor, I should at least be allowed that much, right?"
"...Do as you like."
Reiji Saiki understood that without Noise, he would never have reached this point—in fact, he wouldn't have even been able to learn the Overlord's Armor. Therefore, if Noise wanted to name the skill, Reiji was willing to accept it, provided it wasn't something utterly ridiculous.
"Hmm, let's see. How about Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor? And as for that magic power you fired earlier... let’s call it Deep Flame."
"Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor... and Deep Flame?"
Noise nodded at Reiji's repetition.
"Yeah. Your specialty is flame magic, and this evolution of the Overlord's Armor belongs to the flame-system. Thus, Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor. For a flame-specialized magic warrior like you, is there any better name? Also, the long-range attack isn't 'abyss.' It's Deep Flame. It's true it carries that sense of depth, but given your abilities, the name Deep Flame fits better."
Reiji Saiki thought it over for a moment, but he found no reason to object. He nodded simply.
"All right. Then from today, from this very moment, I'll call this skill the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor."
"I'm glad to hear it. Now then, now that the skill has a name, are you ready?"
"Yeah. Of course."
The men, who had been speaking and smiling just seconds ago, now faced off with weapons in hand. It was only natural; they had met on this battlefield as enemies. In truth, the fact that they had been speaking so amicably was the true anomaly.
On one side was gratitude toward the opponent who had shown him the potential of his own skill. On the other was gratitude for providing the catalyst to become even stronger. While both felt a mutual sense of thanks... that peaceful interlude came to an end.
As they returned to the reality of the battlefield, screams continued to rise from the Subjugation Army soldiers who were still reeling from the effects of the Deep Flame Reiji Saiki had tested earlier.
With those screams and angry roars as their backdrop, Reiji Saiki, Noise, and Seto—who waited at Reiji Saiki's side—stared fixedly at their opponent. In the next instant, Reiji Saiki and Noise kicked off the ground and swung their weapons.
Seto took a short head start, flapped its wings, and ascended into the air, intending to target Noise with a long-range attack skill once more...
"Guruuu."
It let out a mournful cry. Noise's movements, which it had been able to track without issue until now, had suddenly become far faster. It meant that Noise had been holding back until this moment.
"Guruuu, gurururuuu!"
Regardless, Seto couldn't just watch from the sidelines. It focused its senses even more intensely, trying to track the movements of Reiji Saiki and Noise as they continued their duel on the ground.
"Haaaaaaah!"
"What's the matter? I'm the one who gave it a grand name like Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor, but is this all you've got?"
In response to Noise's provocation, Reiji Saiki manipulated the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor, shaping it into tentacle-like whips as he swung them in a wide arc.
From the tips of these tentacles, Deep Flame projectiles the size of a fingertip were fired. Seeing this, Noise forcefully aborted his attempt to parry with his magic sword and leaped to the side. The Deep Flame touched the ground and instantly erupted. The spot where Noise had been standing only seconds ago was now a literal fiery hell.
Reiji Saiki continued to fire Deep Flame projectiles in rapid succession. Noise avoided the barrage by leaping backward.
(I see. While the Overlord's Armor is specialized entirely for physical ability enhancement, the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor increases those physical capabilities even further while extending its reach into magic. In other words, if the Overlord's Armor is a warrior, then the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor is its superior version—a magic warrior. Is that the right way to think of it?)
Reiji organized his thoughts while continuing his assault. Even if he instinctively knew how to use the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor, it was ultimately just a matter of intuition. There were many things he would only discover by actually putting it into practice.
"Hyuu!"
With a sharp exhale, Noise kicked off the ground. His speed while clad in the Overlord's Armor was so great that it would appear as a mere blur to an ordinary soldier. However, for Reiji Saiki, perceiving that movement was not an impossible task.
Noise utilized his movement speed to deliver a diagonal slash with his magic sword. Reiji Saiki used the Death Scythe to block the strike.
A violent metallic screech echoed through the air, and even the Subjugation Army soldiers who were struggling to deal with Reiji Saiki's flames found their attention drawn to the clash. Ignoring their gazes, the Death Scythe and magic sword traded a series of rapid-fire blows.
As the weapons collided, Reiji Saiki extended the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor into tentacles to strike at Noise and fired Deep Flame projectiles whenever he found an opening. If Noise were not protected by his own Overlord's Armor, he likely would have suffered massive damage from the heat radiating from the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor.
Noise understood how dangerous those Deep Flame projectiles were even without being hit, so he dodged them every time they flew toward him. Even with the defensive power of the Overlord's Armor, being struck by the flames produced by Deep Flame would undoubtedly result in significant damage, even if it wasn't fatal.
Based on the intensity of the fire the Deep Flame produced, it wasn't something he could simply cut down with a magic sword. If he tried, the resulting explosion would likely surge toward him the moment he made contact.
The fact that he could parry the tentacles of the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor with his magic sword was a stroke of unexpected good luck for Noise.
(How troublesome.)
Noise muttered in his mind, his thoughts a mixture of admiration and annoyance. He caught a glimpse of the Deep Flame attacks he had dodged causing massive casualties among the Subjugation Army soldiers behind him.
To be honest, Noise didn't particularly care what happened to the soldiers. The only reason he had joined this civil strife was to fight Reiji Saiki.
(Though Cabajid likely understood that when he summoned me.)
Muttering to himself, Noise closed the distance to Reiji Saiki while dodging yet another Deep Flame projectile. He swung his magic sword, only for the attack to be naturally blocked by the Death Scythe.
At the beginning of the fight, he had still held the advantage as one who had mastered the Overlord's Armor, but that advantage was now slipping away. Yet, even in this situation... or perhaps because of it, a smile remained fixed on Noise's face.
【Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor】
A skill created when Reiji Saiki infused the Overlord's Armor used by Noise with a flame attribute, sublimating it into a higher-tier skill. While the Overlord's Armor manifests as white light, the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor is a deep red, matching Reiji Saiki's alias. It offers even greater physical ability enhancement than the Overlord's Armor and, when including the Deep Flame technique, serves as a superior version of the original skill. Additionally, the user can freely manipulate the flame magic power covering their body, allowing them to form it into tentacles (whips) to attack enemies. The Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor itself generates heat, which Reiji can alter to some degree through his will, though his current lack of proficiency prevents him from lowering the temperature below a certain point.
Furthermore, there is a method of attack called Deep Flame, which involves firing a portion of the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor. Upon impact, Deep Flame manifests as fire according to the user's mental image, such as massive fire pillars, rapidly spreading flames, or highly viscous fire. While its magic power consumption is lower than the standard Overlord’s Armor, it still requires a level of magic power that an ordinary mage could only hope to produce by staking their very life.