The next instant, Mereoleona's Mana surged violently. She slammed her foot onto the ground and shot forward—appearing in front of Gabriel in the blink of an eye.
Her fist aimed straight at the teenager's chest, her wild grin like a predator savoring a new game.
"Fire Magic: Calidus Brachium."
Through Gigan's vision, every movement of Mereoleona appeared as slowed-down frame segments. Gabriel increased Gigan's output.
He responded instantly, unleashing all Compression Energy Units stored within his body.
Pale white Mana enveloped him, enhancing both his speed and physicality. Gabriel leapt to the side, narrowly evading.
BOOOOM!!
A deafening explosion echoed. Mereoleona's fist slammed into a large rock behind Gabriel's previous position—shattering it into burning fragments. Hot dust rose, carried by a small firestorm.
Meanwhile, Gabriel landed atop another rocky outcrop.
"This lioness punch is definitely trying to kill me," Gabriel thought. "Even my beloved Shovel got destroyed…!?"
"Heh, doesn't matter…" he thought, still in his mind. "Now that I have a Grimoire, some of these Spell names sound even cooler—I can't wait to try them!"
The pale white Grimoire hovered beside him, wrapped in a soft glow. Two of its pages flipped open.
[- Dark Matter Creation Magic: Jophiel Formgebung des Leerenlichts -]
A pale white mist appeared, weaving and materializing with precise speed. Within half a second, a white shovel formed and landed firmly in Gabriel's hand.
From within the dust and the small firestorm, Mereoleona leapt forward. Her wild grin bloomed, her fists wreathed in deep crimson flames.
Through Gigan's vision, her movements shattered into distinct frame-by-frame segments. At the same time, Gabriel's pale white Grimoire opened another page.
[- Dark Matter Magic: Michael Endschneide des Leerenlichts -]
The white shovel swung instantly in a clean, vertical arc, precise and controlled.
Seeing the swing, Mereoleona didn't dodge—she struck the magical slash head-on, as she normally faced anything with sheer audacity.
But instead of breaking it, she was thrown backward, pushed by the strange force of the magic that seemed to follow her.
Her body slammed into a massive rock behind her, shattering it into fragments.
Thick dust scattered everywhere, mingling with the scorching air of Ultima-Volcano Mountain, instantly turning the area into a chaotic battlefield.
From behind the clouds of dust, Gabriel's voice sounded calm, almost flat. "Is that enough for you to judge my magic, O lioness?"
"Not nearly!" Mereoleona shouted, her voice ringing across the battlefield. "Do you think I'm satisfied with that, boy?
"You're still hiding something far deeper… I can feel it! Reveal it now—or I'll force it out myself!"
"A stubborn lioness, as always," Gabriel muttered inwardly.
He let out a slow breath, then raised Misteltine high into the sky. The shovel trembled slightly—not from command, but as if responding to something more ancient, darker, and more real within him.
To his left, the pale white Grimoire vibrated in sync. A faint glow crept along its edges—and three pages flipped open at once, as if summoned by the owner's will.
[- Dark Matter Creation Magic: Zadkiel Urteilsspeer des Leerenlichts -]
Silence hung in the air for a moment.
In the span of half a second, dozens of pale white spears materialized: sleek, beautiful, yet exuding a deadly aura that seemed to freeze the very air around them.
Then, Gabriel aimed Shovel directly at the lioness.
WHOOOOSH—!!
All of the spears shot forward simultaneously, like a downpour of pale white light.
Time seemed to slow, and seeing the incoming pale spears, Mereoleona grinned widely—feral, wild, and intoxicated by the thrill of battle.
The joints in her fingers cracked audibly, a crisp sound slicing through the air like snapping twigs. Her red Grimoire spewed page after page.
Mereoleona's body thrummed with untamed mana as she spread both hands wide.
"Mana Zone: Release."
Instantly, the space bent to her will.
The surrounding mana grew hotter, wilder, and obedient. Dust, wind, even the heat of the air seemed to move with her breath.
She drew one fist back, preparing to strike.
"Calidus Brachium…"
Flames erupted from her arm.
Gabriel observed it all in fractured frames through Gigan and then—
"…BARRAGE!!"
DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!!
Each strike shattered Gabriel's Dark Matter spear, ripping it apart into fragments under a force that was almost impossible for a human body to unleash.
In his current research, Gabriel had come to realize that his Dark Matter was a "manifested concept," not a "reality-enforcing concept" like Kakine's Dark Matter, despite their similar appearance.
Because of this, Gabriel's Dark Matter constructs still possessed limits to their structural integrity.
When subjected to output exceeding those limits, they could be restrained, broken, and ultimately annihilated.
Nevertheless, Gabriel holds absolute authority over his own Dark Matter. He is free to define—and even alter—its internal laws: from its properties and functions to the way it interacts with the external world.
However, in order to render a Dark Matter construct truly solid and capable of sustaining specific laws, a proportional supply of Mana is required.
It is due to this limitation that Gabriel's Dark Matter constructs can still be restrained—or even destroyed—by Mareoleona.
Amid the thunderous impacts, Mareoleona let out a small laugh—not in mockery, but in pure enjoyment.
The battle had only just begun.
***
The sun slowly sank behind the mountains, leaving an orange glow that faded into night.
The temperature around Ultima-Volcano Mountain dropped drastically as the volcano ceased spewing lava—almost as if even the mountain had grown weary from witnessing their battle.
Three hours.
Three hours without pause.
Yet the result was clear—Gabriel had finally mastered the Mana Zone within the first two minutes of the fight, something impossible for an ordinary human.
But Gabriel was no ordinary human, no noble, no natural genius… just someone whose mana control had reached 320% through skills, training, and equipment.
Now he lay sprawled atop Ultima-Volcano Mountain, staring at the night sky filled with stars.
His body bruised and tattered, clothes torn, arms and legs coated in dust, breathing ragged like someone who had just run around the kingdom three times in a row.
The pale white Grimoire lay across his chest, its pages flickering occasionally—as if sharing in his exhaustion.
Mereoleona stood not far from him. Almost unscathed, with only a few small tears in her robe. Her breathing remained steady, her expression ablaze with fire as always.
Gabriel glanced at the robe and squinted slightly, a small half-smile forming—part amusement, part resignation.
"Your robe… a little damaged," he said in a hoarse voice. "I'd say that's your greatest achievement."
Mereoleona raised an eyebrow, then her wild, feral smile spread across her face. "Yes. Now that's interesting. It's been a long time since a kid managed to do this to my clothes."
Gabriel murmured softly, letting some of Persona Ash fade, too tired to dramatize anything:
"…you monster."
A soft step approached.
"Who did you call a monster, kid?" Mereoleona replied, half-laughing.
Gabriel turned slightly, looking up at her with a tired, blank expression.
"You," he answered honestly. "But… a good monster. At least I learned a lot today."
Mereoleona grinned with satisfaction. "And you're still alive. That's a plus."
Gabriel let out a long sigh.
"Up?" Mereoleona asked. "Or should I let you sleep on the ground?"
Gabriel closed his eyes.
"Give me five minutes… or five years. The pale mist wants to enter hibernation."
Mereoleona looked at Gabriel, still sprawled like a casualty of a massive battle, then huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hmph. If you want to sleep on the ground, suit yourself. But… you'll be missing something quite interesting here."
Gabriel remained silent, his breathing uneven.
Mereoleona added casually, as if mentioning a trivial detail:
"The natural hot springs of Ultima-Volcan. The water is mixed with rare minerals… excellent for restoring Mana. Even the knights fight over it if they get the chance."
Gabriel didn't react. At least, not until one particular word reached his ears.
"…hot springs?"
From behind his long black bangs, Gabriel slowly opened one eye. Just one, like a cat pretending to sleep but already aware of its prey.
He paused for a fraction of a second. Then, slowly but surely, he stood up, holding his Grimoire while steadying himself with the cracked white shovel.
"…Alright. I'm up," he muttered flatly, though the intent behind his words was clear.
In his mind, he quietly cursed: 'I almost forgot… Ultima-Volcan has natural hot springs. Missing this would be such a waste.'
Mereoleona smirked, pleased to see the boy finally moving.
"Ha! So that's what gets you moving. Good. Come on, kid."
Gabriel patted down his tattered clothes, his expression still calm.
"…Hot springs first. Death can wait."
Mereoleona laughed loudly, her voice echoing across the cliffs.
"Finally, you speak like a normal human being!"
___
Author's note:
Hey, do you guys think I should list the laws Gabriel applies to his Dark Matter attack spell?
Please answer in the comments.
If you're waiting for my decision, I'll choose not to list the laws Gabriel applies. No answer means you agree with me. Ehehe~
To help you understand, let me give you an example.
Spell [- Dark Matter Creation Magic: Zadkiel Urteilsspeer des Leerenlichts -]
{Law Set: Structural Stability Tier 1, Penetration Focus Tier 1, Non-Local Gravity Compliance Tier 1, Friction Nullification Tier 2, Fixed Acceleration Output: 500 kph, Atomic Structure Iron-Base, Isotopic Configuration: Fe-54 / Fe-56 / Fe-57 / Fe-58.}
Ah. Don't forget give me some power stone, Comment and review. 😉