In the cardinal world, numbers meant nothing before absolute power.
Tens of thousands versus a hundred thousand... even a single point of difference was a chasm.
And yet…
The strongest of the Harpies, Luchia, was merely a top-tier Majin with 90,000 magicules.
A top-tier Majin was impressive, no doubt.
But it depended on who they faced.
"Leave the leader to me."
Shion drew the long katana from her back and leaped forward, charging toward Luchia, who was guarded by tens of thousands of Harpies. "Shuna, cover me!"
"Honestly, Shion, you're too reckless!"
Though Shuna complained, her movements were swift.
Endless cherry-blossom flames erupted from her hands, transforming into blazing dragons that surged toward the Harpies.
These flames weren't physical fire but the materialized product of her illusion techniques.
Once touched by them, any creature would fall into the illusions Shuna wove, unable to break free.
It perfectly met Damien's order to neutralize the enemy without lethal force.
"Well, well."
Benimaru didn't advance, instead guarding the entrance to the spatial barrier.
"This place is one-way only."
Before him stood 257 elite beast-winged Harpies sent by Luchia, surrounding him completely.
These beast-winged Harpies carried the bloodlines of legendary creatures.
Phoenix, Garuda, Yatagarasu…
Numbering 800, each member possessed A-rank strength or higher.
A-rank... capable of single-handedly destroying a human town.
Yet now, this elite force of 800 was held at bay by one man.
"Is this the might of a Demon Lord?"
Benimaru felt a pang of envy. After all, 800 A-rank warriors weren't even Frey's full strength... she surely commanded even more terrifying forces.
"Well then."
Benimaru slowly drew his katana. "If I don't perform well, I won't have the gut to ask Lord Damien for a reward."
Suppressed by his in-laws and fiancée, Benimaru was desperate.
He urgently needed merits to elevate his standing in the family, with Damien's help.
Boom!
Ignoring the battle tremors outside, in the skies above the Tengu village, two figures clashed over ten thousand times in less than a minute.
"Get… away!!"
Finally, Frey could no longer endure Artoria's relentless swordsmanship.
Zzzzt!!
As the next strike came, it met Frey's transformed, razor-sharp claws.
No sparks flew.
Only the screeching friction of the spatial barrier colliding with the Invisible Air.
"Interesting…"
Artoria eyed the blade blocked by Frey.
Crack… crack!
No matter how much power she poured into her holy sword, it wouldn't budge an inch.
Frey's palm held nothing, yet the sword couldn't advance.
"A spatial compression technique?"
"Not bad."
Artoria exerted more force.
Clang!
A deafening clash echoed as the epicenter of their struggle reverberated.
Frey seized the chance to pull back, creating distance.
"Who are you?"
Frey's gaze fixed heavily on Artoria.
The blonde girl clad in blue armor gave Frey an intensely dangerous feeling.
Like… a natural enemy?
Yes, a natural enemy!
The bane of all majins!
'A Hero?!'
Almost instinctively, the word flashed in Frey's mind. "You're… a human Hero?!"
"Human?"
"No."
Artoria adjusted her stance. "I am now merely a Majin under Lord Damien, his guardian knight."
"A Majin?"
Frey noticed the dense magicules radiating from Artoria.
This wasn't power a human could possess.
It had nothing to do with technique... just the sheer influence of skills.
"Damien?"
"She's one of his?"
This realization shocked Frey even more.
Though their clash was brief, Frey had been entirely suppressed by Artoria.
If this was a sneak attack due to lack of honor, she could excuse it.
But Artoria's strikes had been open and direct, slashing straight from the front.
At most, Artoria's speed was so blinding that Frey couldn't react.
'But was it really that I didn't react?'
Only Frey knew the truth... she had seen Artoria's attack.
She simply didn't care, dismissing it entirely.
And that nearly cost her dearly.
Even so, Frey's momentum didn't falter, and her words remained sharp.
"Hiding behind tricks... are you really a swordsman?"
Frey stared at Artoria's sword, invisible and wrapped in an unseen wind.
"Who knows?"
Artoria felt an odd sense of déjà vu, like a scene with Diarmuid replayed. "Maybe it's a sword, maybe a spear, or perhaps even a mace."
"Nonsense!"
Frey felt mocked by her opponent.
At the same time, she assessed the newly erected barrier around them.
'An extremely sturdy barrier, crafted with high magical expertise.'
Though majins could create barriers with skills, this one clearly bore the mark of personal ingenuity.
In other words, the barrier's creator had mastered their skill and built the magical formula from scratch.
"How does it feel?"
A cool, clear voice came from behind Artoria.
Crunch… crunch…
Bare feet stepped through the air, each step leaving a blooming ice-blue snowflake.
"Somewhat tricky. Not easy to handle."
Artoria turned to see the Snow Empress, who resembled an ice-snow sprite.
"She's still holding back considerable power."
The Snow Empress stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Artoria, their combined presence locking onto Queen Frey.
'Another one!'
Frey's expression darkened. "You're the one who set up this barrier?"
"Don't tell me you're also one of his?"
Frey glanced at Damien below, casually watching the spectacle.
"Heh…"
Damien gave her a relaxed smile, signaling she shouldn't mind him.
'Damn it!'
Damien's attitude sent Frey's blood pressure soaring.
"I can't compare to Artoria."
The Snow Empress said, "At best, I'm just Lord Damien's pet."
***
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