He had completely replicated Mars's magic and his very source of mana.
Now, Yuuki no longer needed to fear Mars. Not only was Mars's grimoire under his control, but he had also mastered every single spell the man could cast.
If they were to fight again now…
With the same ore-based magic, Mars would be utterly helpless. And if Yuuki combined it with his other types of magic, Mars would immediately find himself at a disadvantage.
A thoughtful glint crossed Yuuki's eyes.
Among the Eight Shining Generals of the Diamond Kingdom, Mars's strength undoubtedly ranked in the top three.
With ore magic's incredible hardness, ordinary spells could barely pierce Mars's defenses, further elevating his combat prowess.
Yuuki's victory this time had been entirely due to the imbalance of information. His use of multiple magics had made it impossible for Mars to accurately predict his moves, which had cost him dearly.
This realization made Yuuki aware: he truly had the ability to fight above his rank.
At present, his strength had leapt to the level of an Eight Shining General. But against the nine captains of the Magic Knights, he would still be slightly weaker.
And that wasn't just Mars.
Compared to the nine captains of the Clover Kingdom, even the Eight Shining Generals of the Diamond Kingdom were generally a step below. Not that the Eight Shining Generals were weak—rather, the Clover Kingdom captains were simply exceptionally strong.
"Cough…"
Mars, who had been unconscious, suddenly coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.
Yuuki's eyes flickered with surprise. Despite such severe injuries, the man had recovered his consciousness in such a short time—his constitution was truly formidable.
Once he regained awareness, Mars's eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw was Yuuki standing nearby, wearing a slightly damaged mask.
Bang!
Without hesitation, Mars forcefully pushed off the ground, flipping his body despite the agony from his wounds, and quickly put distance between himself and Yuuki.
He only stopped when he was about ten meters away.
Dropping his arms, he panted violently, his body hunched slightly, sweat pouring down his forehead.
Even after that intense movement, which had surely aggravated all his injuries, Mars hadn't so much as groaned in pain. His gaze remained locked on Yuuki.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
Mars's voice was cold and low, tinged with confusion, though his eyes still burned with hostility.
"Why would I?" Yuuki replied with a light chuckle, his voice calm yet challenging.
Mars didn't respond immediately. Instead, he studied Yuuki intently. In the next instant, the air itself seemed to shudder.
Boom!
A massive ore greatsword floated into the air.
"Ore Creation Magic—Sword of Victory."
Mars summoned the last of his meager mana with a roar, swinging his arms toward Yuuki with all his strength.
"I won't hold back!"
Rumble!
The enormous ore sword descended from above with terrifying momentum, casting a shadow over Yuuki.
Yet—
When it was only seven or eight centimeters above Yuuki's head, it suddenly stopped.
A vein stood out on Mars's neck. No matter how he tried to force the sword downward, it wouldn't budge an inch. It was as if an invisible power barred his magic entirely.
"Damn it! Another new spell?!"
Mars's face darkened. Clearly, Yuuki had used another type of magic.
"This isn't a new spell," Yuuki said calmly, lifting a finger to touch the hovering greatsword. "Your magic simply can't harm me."
The next moment, Mars's eyes widened in disbelief.
At the point where Yuuki's finger touched the ore sword, cracks rapidly spread across its surface, like shattered glass.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
In the blink of an eye, the sword was riddled with fractures, then shattered into countless fragments.
Even more astonishing—
The pieces didn't fall to the ground. They hovered in the air, maintaining the form of the shattered greatsword.
Mars immediately realized that his connection to the sword had been severed—he had lost control entirely.
"Impossible!"
"Cough… how did you do that?!"
Shocked beyond words, Mars coughed up blood from the strain.
With just a touch of his finger, Yuuki had destroyed his Sword of Victory. How could this be?
Mars wasn't skeptical that someone could counter his magic. The problem was, during their previous battle, Yuuki had only been able to defend or evade the Sword of Victory. Had he been capable of this from the start, the fight would never have been so evenly matched!
What had happened while he was unconscious?
Yuuki smiled, waving at the floating fragments. Calmly, he said:
"Ore Creation Magic—Sword of Victory!"
Boom!
The fragments rapidly coalesced into a brand-new ore greatsword, floating in the air.
Mars's pupils constricted.
Yuuki bent his finger.
Swish!
The sword shot toward Mars.
Boom!
It landed just two meters from his side, sending a shockwave that blew dust and debris into the air. Mars instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes.
The violent wind whipped at his clothes, rustling them loudly, until it finally settled.
Tap—tap—
Soft footsteps approached.
Mars lifted his head, instinctively preparing to counterattack.
"One reminder," Yuuki said, his voice calm beneath the mask. "Once I defeat you, there will be no chance of victory left for you. Of course… you can choose not to believe me."
Thinking back to the events just now, Mars clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm.
"What exactly are you?"
Realizing that Yuuki had used his own ore magic, a spark of understanding lit in his eyes.
What kind of magic is this?!
"I almost forgot to introduce myself. Mars, my name is Yuuki."
"Now that we're acquainted, we can talk about cooperation."
"And as a condition of that cooperation, here's a bonus: Fana is not dead."
Yuuki removed his mask, revealing a young face that looked at Mars with a calm smile.
(End of chapter)
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