If neither martial energy nor unique magic is involved, it boils down to a pure battle of bodies. And, unsurprisingly, I lost even in that. But I hadn’t lost in technique yet.
The Thunder Overseer’s body, extraordinary as it was, still followed the human structure. No matter how powerful a human is, without martial energy, they cannot attack an opponent directly behind them. Joints don’t bend backward, and a pinky finger cannot overpower the strength of an arm. That’s just the way the human body works.
If her pinky sohow defeated my arm’s strength? Well, then I’d just have to accept defeat. If soone can win the ga with a junk card against my ace, there’s no point in continuing. Sotis, you just have to fold.
“This… won’t hold !”
“Once I’ve got you pinned, it’s over. Without the power of thunder, you can’t win.”
No matter how much she tried to summon her thunder, it was futile. I was entangled with her now. Every ti she attempted to draw power, the lightning dispersed, absorbed into my Earth Mother cards. Tightening my grip on her twisted arm, I spoke coldly.
“If I keep twisting, you’ll never be able to use this arm again.”
“Go… ahead and try…!”
“Do you think I won’t? If necessary, I can snap your neck without a second thought….”
As I applied more force, I suddenly felt resistance.
Wait.
It’s not breaking? What is this? I’m using both my arms and legs, leveraging my full strength, even employing the principles of physics, and I still can’t twist it? This is so unfair.
“…For soone so cocky, your strength is pitiful.”
‘Now that all the power of thunder has left, I can finally feel my true strength. I should thank him… I’ve rediscovered the confidence to use my real power.’
What the—she’s tapped into her martial energy!
The Thunder Overseer began to exert force gradually, as if recalling a long-forgotten mory. She wasn’t using the power of thunder now but pure martial energy—an innate, untouchable force. Though harder to use, it was sothing that couldn’t be stolen.
Damn it! Stop growing mid-fight! It sses with my mind-reading and tactics! Ugh, I suppose it was strange that soone so adept with thunder hadn’t tapped into martial energy before. And just the raw energy I can sense from her already far exceeds mine. She’s going to break free. What do I do? Should I call for Tyr—
Suddenly.
A thunderous rumble shook the Lightning Tower. It wasn’t just a lightning strike—it felt like a massive force had collided with the tower, amplifying the impact.
The ceiling tilted visibly, and the sturdy walls and beams quaked. Even the subterranean foundation seed affected as fragnts of rock tumbled to the ground.
The Thunder Overseer shouted in alarm.
“What have you done?!”
“This isn’t my doing!”
“If not you, then who?!”
“How could soone who can’t even bend your joints possibly topple a lightning tower?!”
What on earth was happening? Could it be… did the Thunder God kick the tower in frustration or sothing?
Regardless, the building was collapsing. There was no point in continuing this futile submission hold. But letting go now would still leave in danger.
“Th-Thunder Overseer!”
Small footsteps approached, accompanied by a voice. It was the girl from earlier, the one looking after the child in the basent. Feeling the tremors, she had run up to find the Thunder Overseer.
“Thunder Overseer! There’s an earthquake! The tower is tilting—oh…?”
What the girl found was not the composed figure of the Thunder Overseer she admired but the two of us, tangled on the ground in an awkward wrestling match. Her expression froze in shock.
The Thunder Overseer’s face turned red as she stamred, “J-Jerry. This isn’t—”
Now’s my chance. This is the only opening I’ll get to escape!
“It’s a misunderstanding! The Overseer and I were just engaged in so, uh, physical wrestling! There’s nothing between us!”
“Shut up!”
The Thunder Overseer’s loud yell made her loosen her grip montarily. I seized the opportunity, releasing her arm and rolling away. I bolted for the wall I had transford into cards earlier.
One entire section of the wall had been dismantled into cards, leaving the exposed earth behind it damp with soil that had collapsed inward. Grabbing an Earth Mother card, I shoved at the heap of dirt with all my might, channeling earth magic to assist.
Thud.
The massive weight of the soil yielded to my touch, forming a tunnel leading to the surface. I stepped into the opening and turned back, calling out.
“Sorry, everyone. No answers here, just more mysteries. I’ll take my leave now!”
“Stop right there—!”
The Thunder Overseer made to pursue , but her gaze caught on the desperate face of the girl who had run to her side.
She hesitated.
No matter what she knew, no matter what she ignored, the truth remained that the Thunder Overseer had always protected this city. The girl, in this mont, looked up to her, expecting her to keep being the protector she had always been.
Caught in that sudden inner conflict, the Thunder Overseer froze.
That mont of hesitation was all I needed. Before anything else could go wrong, I disappeared underground with earth magic.
The outside world was chaos. Cheers and screams mingled as people panicked over the scene unfolding around them. Those who had been observing the Thunder God’s execution were now frantic, spinning in confusion.
Erging from the ground, I nearly got trampled by the crowd.
“What the—soone just ca out of the ground!”
“It’s a spy! Move if you don’t want trouble!”
At my shout, the bystanders jumped back in alarm, giving space to scramble to my feet.
Looking around, I realized sothing was amiss.
The Thunder God was gone. No trace of it remained, and even the swirling clouds no longer bore its shadow. Reading the thoughts of those nearby, I learned the Thunder God had been absorbed by the regressor. A pitifully simple end, yet I couldn’t help but wonder what had really happened.
…Then I looked up at the Lightning Tower, and the answer beca clear.
Darkness spread like ink, punctuated by flashes of lightning. The powers of Tyrkanzyaka, progenitor of vampires, clashed violently with the twin blades wielded by the regressor. The shockwaves of their battle radiated outward, shaking the very structure of the tower.
The people around whispered theories, but knowing both of their powers, I understood the situation far better—and let out a sigh.
“Hilde… you’ve finally gone and done it.”
It seed Hilde had decided to enact the script she had imagined so vividly.
It wasn’t surprising. The regressor had hoarded so many fortuitous encounters that Hilde, forrly of the Sacred Sword Order, naturally suspected him of being a Saint. Perhaps she had briefly tolerated his presence, thinking he might beco an ally.
Or maybe she had been waiting for the perfect mont to strike.
Still, for Tyrkanzyaka and the regressor to escalate into a full-blown battle like this? I’d expected a rough goodbye at worst. But with those two, anything could spiral into chaos.
How unfortunate. Now that they were fighting, who was going to help ?
As I let out a resigned sigh, the sound of shouting jolted .
“There he is! That’s the one!”
“Stop right there! Cooperate with us!”
The Thunder Overseer’s elite guards, stationed above ground on her orders, had spotted . Recognizing as soone likely tied to the chaos, they began closing in.
Hmm. They didn’t seem openly hostile, but considering I’d just fought the Thunder Overseer, running into her again wasn’t ideal. I needed to find a way to slip away—
Suddenly, soone grabbed my arm tightly and shouted.
“This guy’s a spy! He ca out of the ground!”
“Do you seriously believe that nonsense?!”
Damn it. What a naive person. No spy would openly declare themselves a spy! I didn’t have ti to explain, so I shoved him aside and bolted.
“Wait! Stop right there!”
The Thunder Overseer’s guards pushed through the crowd, chasing after . However, the sheer number of people made it difficult for them to close the distance. In contrast, I exploited mind reading to spot gaps in the crowd, shoving distracted people aside to slip through. My agility outpaced their cautious pursuit.
I was nearing the outskirts when soone else spotted and began chasing from the other direction.
“…Hold… up…”
A wheezing voice caught up with . I instinctively moved to shake off whoever it was, but I recognized the pursuer and changed my tone.
“Oh, Peru! You found !”
“…What… did you do… to the Lightning Tower…?”
So, he hadn’t gone up the tower. Likely due to his poor health, he’d stayed on the ground like the other guards.
But seriously, why is he blaming for the tower tilting? I don’t have even a fraction of the power needed to knock over a Lightning Tower! Of everyone here, I’m the least guilty in this situation!
“Listen, I swear I didn’t do anything to the tower. But right now, we need your help! Fix it before it collapses completely!”
“…I’m… on it.”
Peru took a deep breath, pulling out the chi of the Golden Mirror. Concentrating on the image of the grand and unyielding Lightning Tower in his mind, he rang the chi.
The Golden Mirror’s alchemical powers responded to his call. The faint but resonant sound spread outward, and the steel, as if listening, began to react. Cracks sealed, dents straightened, and the base of the tower—where the structural stress was greatest—was gradually repaired through reverse alchemy.
“Wow, that’s incredible! You did great! Now, uh, how about hiding too?”
“…From who?”
There was no need to answer. The guards, having forced their way through the crowd, were already sprinting toward us.
“There! Don’t let him get away!”
Tch. I’m terrible at fighting multiple opponents. Maybe I can talk my way out of this…
Just then, a thunderous crash echoed from the upper levels of the Lightning Tower. Lightning and shadows clashed violently, drawing screams from the crowd as they ducked for cover. A mass of darkness erupted from the tower’s peak.
It was Tyrkanzyaka, cloaked in darkness, exchanging relentless blows with the regressor as they both plumted through the air. Despite free-falling from tens of ters above ground, neither seed remotely concerned. Their focus was entirely on attacking each other.
Tyrkanzyaka swung her shadow-clad arm with an otherworldly force. Even from this distance, the sheer power emanating from her strikes was palpable, as if she were splitting the world apart in her fury.
The regressor countered with Jizan, intercepting the blow. His arm twisted unnaturally under the pressure before snapping back violently. The overwhelming force of the impact was too much for his body to bear, and it visibly began to break.
But Tyrkanzyaka was the progenitor of vampires. Broken bones and spilled blood were re trifles to her. Her body regenerated as if nothing had happened, the damage reversing in an instant.
anwhile, the regressor, though managing to block the attack, was blasted backward by the shockwave of the clash. Even Jizan, which absorbed recoil, couldn’t fully neutralize the impact, and the regressor was flung away like a ragdoll.
The montary collision sent both combatants flying in opposite directions. The regressor crashed far into the distance, the sound of sothing breaking accompanying his landing. Tyrkanzyaka, having lost her footing, fell headfirst to the ground.
The onlookers gasped and scread, but their shock quickly turned to disbelief as Tyrkanzyaka stood up without so much as a scratch.
“Co out. Surely, you didn’t die from just this?” she called out, her voice calm but commanding.
From the direction where the regressor had fallen, debris exploded outward. Clearing the wreckage with a sweep of Jizan, the regressor erged, baring his teeth as he stepped forward.
“You’re right. I’d almost forgotten—there’s no need to hold back out of fear of dying.”
It was then that the crowd began to understand. All of this destruction, the tilting of the tower, and the chaos… were the result of a fight between just these two.
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