Orika slashed forward.
Henry met her head-on.
After activating the Eighth Secret Art, 【Anti Evil】, Orika’s power had surged dramatically.
Her power.
Her speed.
Both had risen to a completely different level.
「Haaaaaa!!」
Now Orika could fight Henry on equal terms.
Her spear struck again and again with fierce intensity.
Henry blocked each blow with his mithril sword, but it was clear he was on the defensive.
「A-amazing…」
「She’s pushing King Bernada back!」
「As expected, Orika-sama is extraordinary.」
The Galastone soldiers around them murmured in awe.
Seeing Orika turning the tide filled them with hope.
However.
After landing nearly fifty strikes in rapid succession, Orika had already realized it.
(His defense is deep…!)
No matter how fiercely she attacked, Henry’s guard was unshakable.
(I can’t break through…!)
It was the same feeling Dione once had during the Grand Martial Tournament.
Even though she was the one attacking, she couldn’t see herself winning.
Her instincts told her that her blade would never reach Henry.
Slowly, the thought of defeat began to creep into her mind.
(I should have finished it at the start.)
When she first activated 【Anti Evil】, that initial strike right after the explosion of power.
That was probably her one and only chance to kill Henry.
Back then, Henry had never seen the technique before, so defending against it shouldn’t have been easy.
Orika regretted not killing him with that blow.
「Tch…!」
Then.
Once her attacks surpassed a hundred strikes, the recoil finally began to crush her.
Pain shot through her muscles as if they were tearing apart. Her skin split and bled in thin lines.
Her lungs and heart screamed, tightening painfully within her chest.
「I see it now. I understand how your secret art works」
Henry said.
「You’re causing controlled explosions of magic power inside your body, aren’t you? And you’re drawing power from that energy. Am I right?」
「……」
Orika stayed silent.
That silence was as good as an answer.
Detonating magic power inside one’s own body,
For example, when striking with her spear, she would ignite magic power explosions near the muscles and bones needed for the motion, creating bursts of acceleration and impact power.
(Like a rocket)
Henry compared.
A rocket burns propellant and uses the explosion’s energy for thrust.
But that same explosion puts immense strain on the rocket itself.
It’s no wonder that rocket malfunctions and catastrophic failures are common.
(A true double-edged sword)
Henry thought.
Detonating magic power within one’s body required incredible control and precision, but it was also extremely dangerous.
The only reason Orika could endure it was because she possessed the body and willpower befitting a Spear Saintess.
Even so, there was no denying that she was pushing herself past her limits.
「But it seems that’s as far as you go. It’s over, isn’t it?」
Henry smiled, seeing through her exhaustion.
Orika clenched her teeth.
He was right. She was already reaching her limit.
Her spear had lost its sharpness. Her strikes no longer carried the same weight.
She no longer had the explosive strength needed to bring Henry down.
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