Ten minutes had passed since the clash between Iris—acting as Kaito’s proxy—and Agni, the Head of the Five War Generals, began. Despite the intensity of the exchange, the battle had reached a stalemate.
In terms of raw capability, Iris was vastly superior. Possessing power on par with the Phantasm King herself, she normally would have ended the fight in short order. Had the main body, Alice, been the one on the field, Agni’s consciousness would likely have been plunged into darkness within seconds.
However, the reality of the duel remained deadlocked. The primary reason was Iris’s lack of complete control over her vessel.
Before her death in her original world, Iris had been a top-tier warrior, but her strength had remained within the limits of humanity. She was fundamentally different from Alice, who had spent tens of thousands of years perfecting her monstrous physical abilities. From Iris’s perspective, she had suddenly woken up to find her body strengthened beyond anything she had ever known. Coupled with a millenia-long hiatus from combat, it was as if a novice had suddenly been placed behind the wheel of a high-performance monster machine.
Consequently, Iris was unable to move freely. Incapable of managing her body's full output, the best she could do was revert to the stationary turret style she had excelled at during her life.
Against an average opponent, that would still have been enough for an instant victory. However, while Agni did not reach the level of the Six Kings, she was one of the world's premier powerhouses. Possessing vast combat experience, she knew exactly how to handle an adversary who outclassed her in power.
Agni’s fist slammed into the barrier Iris had deployed with a resounding crack. Before Iris could even turn her gaze to track the movement, Agni had already retreated a great distance.
It was a classic hit-and-run strategy. Maintaining a powerful barrier consumed significant magic power, and Agni’s plan was to keep the pressure on until Iris’s reserves were drained. It was a textbook tactic, and Agni had the strength to see it through.
Iris, naturally, was not content to simply weather the storm. She retaliated by unleashing a Grand Magic that spanned the entire arena, leaving her opponent no room to hide. A jet-black sphere of magic power descended from the heavens as if to crush the field, but Agni concentrated her mana into her fist to the absolute limit, punching through a section of the sphere to create an opening and escape.
Because Iris was unable to utilize chantless magic, Agni had more than enough time to sense the buildup of mana. This foresight allowed her to continue parrying Iris’s overwhelming attacks.
(…Splendid. What a refined warrior. Had I been as I was in my past life, I would have been slain in the blink of an eye.)
Watching Agni’s efficient, waste-free movements, Iris offered silent praise for her skill. At the same time, a faint smile began to play across her lips.
"Agni, was it? Your tempered body and the skill to fully utilize its strengths… I offer you my unreserved praise."
"…You have my thanks. Yet, despite possessing such incredible power, you seem unaccustomed to the flow of battle?"
"Ah, my apologies… My hiatus was absurdly long, you see. I cannot quite move this body as I wish."
"To challenge me in such a state… I have been underestimated, it seems."
Agni was not an opponent who could be overwhelmed by a simple gap in physical stats. Iris acknowledged Agni’s words with a slight tuck of her chin and a small bow.
"…I have no words to refute that. I did indeed look down on you, thinking I could win without even being serious. For that, I apologize."
"Did I mishear you? It sounded as though you were claiming to have held back until now."
"…Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. And now, I shall go all out!"
"——!?"
A ferocious smile spread across Iris’s face, and a vortex of black magic power began to swirl violently around her.
"Awaken, Beast of Tyranny sleeping in my heart—Black claws rend the earth, black fangs devour the heavens—Thou art the predator, the Beast of the End that destroys heaven and earth—"
"A chant? No, what is this…"
Iris’s voice resonated through the very space of the arena. In response to her call, her magic power raged like a hurricane before suddenly converging into a single point.
"—My heart’s fang is manifest here! Come forth! Magic Staff—Apocalypse!!"
With those final, forceful words, the black magic power solidified into a tangible form. It was a massive staff, more than twice Iris’s height. Its ominous, jagged shape looked less like a weapon and more like a predatory fang.
"Magic to manifest a weapon? But this magic power density is insane…"
Agni murmured in shock as she gazed at the staff, which was wreathed in mana so dense it seemed to bleed into the air. Her body, conditioned by countless battles, screamed a single warning—that weapon was lethal.
"Now then, since I have brought this out, I can no longer restrain myself… You had best struggle for your life!"
"Guh!?"
"The twilight bell tolls; hearing the song of ruin, the Beast of the End roars."
The ability of Iris’s Heart Tool, Apocalypse, was terrifyingly simple: it took the magic power poured into it and increased it exponentially. It could amplify mana by hundreds or even thousands of times. The maximum-output attack unleashed through this staff—the Great Magic Power Bombardment that shared its name—was a tyrannical strike designed to swallow and erase everything in its path.
"Devour them, Violent Beast! Apocalypse!"
A black flash erupted from the giant staff, wide enough to fill Agni’s entire field of vision. Seeing the approaching annihilation, Agni froze, her eyes wide with the realization of her own mortality.
(What… is this… This magic power density is beyond common sense. Block it? Impossible. I’ll be erased before I can even offer a moment’s resistance. Evade? No… this pressure… I can’t move. This is… death…)
Faced with the approaching Great Magic Power Bombardment, Agni accepted her end. But the end did not come.
Alice suddenly manifested in front of Agni, catching the oncoming bombardment and deflecting it toward the sky. Once the strike—which had completely gouged away the arena's floor—subsided, Alice turned and shouted at Iris.
"What are you doing, you idiot Iris?! If you fire that much magic power here, you'll erase everything all the way to the horizon!!"
"…M-My apologies. Even I did not expect it to possess such devastating power…"
Iris lowered her head in an honest apology. She truly hadn't grasped the potential of her output, and the moment she had fired, she feared she had accidentally killed Agni. She had no defense for her lack of restraint. Of course, part of the blame lay with Alice for providing a vessel with such unconventional magic capacity in the first place.
"Sigh… well, anyway… Agni-san, are you alright?"
"Phantasm King-sama… Yes, thank you."
"I’m really sorry about this. This Flat-chested Fortress has always been like this—once she starts enjoying a fight, she loses all sense of holding back."
Alice offered her apologies to the dazed Agni, and Iris approached as well, bowing her head.
"I am sorry. I nearly took your life… I apologize from the bottom of my heart."
"…No, an apology is unnecessary. Had I died from that strike, it would only have been proof of my own inadequacy. It is not your fault. If anything, I thank you for facing me with your full strength."
"…You thank me?"
"Yes. I have been reminded of how much further I have to go. I did not think I was conceited, but perhaps I had grown arrogant. To think there were such powerful beings in the world besides the Six Kings-sama… Heh, hehehe… my blood is boiling. Once the Six Kings Festival is over, I’m going back to basics and training from scratch."
"I-I see…"
Agni was a subordinate of the War King; like Megiddo, she lived for the joy of facing the strong. With flames of determination burning in her eyes, she offered her hand.
"Iris, my sincere thanks for a magnificent battle. This time, it is your victory. However, I will temper myself and challenge you again one day. When that time comes, I hope you will face me with everything you have!"
"Umu… I understand."
"You have my gratitude! Today is a glorious day! To encounter such a foe is a blessing beyond measure!!"
Iris nodded and shook her hand, looking a bit overwhelmed by the "heat" radiating from the general.
(Hey, Alici—Alice! Are all of the War King’s subordinates like this?!)
[…Honestly, most of them are. They’re battle junkies. That’s why my Pandora hates them so much. She can’t stand people who are this "sweaty" and hot-blooded…]
Thus, the duel between Iris and Agni concluded with Iris’s victory. However, having set Agni’s fighting spirit ablaze, Iris would find herself being challenged with exhausting frequency in the future… but that is a story for another time.