BXBX NOVEL Chapter 95: Ikaruga, New Idea!
Chapter 95: Chapter 95: Ikaruga, New Idea!
Ikaruga looked up at the falling cherry blossoms and then down at her unconscious comrade, Vidaldus. "Death is the destiny of love and life."
What the hell is she talking about?
Nate sat on the pipe, legs dangling, watching the scene unfold leisurely.
Ikaruga, who had two beauty marks beneath her eyes, stood with her feet slightly apart, her right hand gripping the hilt of her sword—a stance for a quick-draw slash.
"Nate, you may pass, but Erza must stay."
"Nate, go ahead. I\'ll catch up soon!" Erza shouted. Her Heaven\'s Wheel Armor had four iron wings attached, not actually moving but enchanted with flight magic. Erza almost skimmed the ground as she slashed, sending numerous magic swords flying toward Ikaruga.
Ikaruga didn\'t move. Her quick-draw slash was as fast as a flash of light.
"Mugetsu-Ryu: Yasha Senku!"
Erza\'s forward charge suddenly halted, and in the next moment, all the magic swords around her shattered, followed by the destruction of her Heaven\'s Wheel Armor.
With just one strike, Ikaruga had shattered Erza\'s most commonly used combat armor.
"My Mugetsu-Ryu: Yasha Senku can cut through the nerves of opponents without harming their bodies."
Ikaruga calmly sheathed her sword, as if she had never drawn it.
"Fairy Queen? Hardly worth the title."
With a thud, Erza dropped to one knee, her eyes shadowed.
She\'s mad. For the first time, Nate saw Erza with this expression. He quickly asked, "Need any help? Repairing broken armor must be expensive."
"I\'m fine..." Erza steadied herself and was about to change armor when—
"Garuda Flame!"
Ikaruga launched another attack, this time her magic transformed into flames, like a roaring fire serpent. Explosions erupted in its wake. The wooden bridge was set ablaze, and Erza was forced back by the impact of the flames and sword energy.
"Flame Empress Armor..."
Ikaruga noted Erza\'s rapid armor change, impressed by her speed but also mocking her. "A flame-resistant armor, huh? But..."
Shatter!
The Flame Empress Armor broke apart.
"My swordsmanship isn\'t that simple, Miss Erza."
Another piece of armor destroyed.
Nate thought to himself, *How much will that cost to repair? Erza must be rich to afford this.* But with his Six Eyes, he could see that Ikaruga\'s magic power was roughly three-star level, weaker than Erza\'s. This swordswoman\'s combat strength relied entirely on her sword skills.
"Are you sure you don\'t want help?" Nate asked again.
"Requip: Purgatory Armor!"
A flash of golden light, and Erza changed armor again. This time, it was a pitch-black suit with spikes, wielding a jagged greatsword that looked devastatingly powerful.
"Is this your strongest armor?" Ikaruga closed her left eye, preparing for another quick-draw slash.
"Wait and regret it! No one has ever stood against this armor!" Erza rarely talked tough, but even turned to Nate, shouting, "Stop talking, Nate, you\'re distracting me!"
With that, she charged at Ikaruga again.
This time, her Purgatory Armor withstood Ikaruga\'s first strike, and the fight became more intense. Erza\'s jagged greatsword was powerful, but Ikaruga\'s agility allowed her to dodge most of Erza\'s attacks. However, for the first time, Ikaruga was forced to leave her position and dodge.
But Erza\'s heavy, powerful armor made her attacks slow and cumbersome. Ikaruga dodged another massive swing, and the bridge was left with a deep gouge.
Ikaruga then leaped, flipping over Erza\'s head and slashing downward.
"Mugetsu-Ryu: Yasha Senku!"
Clatter.
The sound of falling wood chips echoed as Ikaruga sheathed her sword, not even looking back.
"It\'s over. Now you see, none of your armor can withstand my Mugetsu-Ryu..."
Shatter! Erza\'s Purgatory Armor broke apart.
Seeing this, Nate raised his right hand, conjuring a glowing card between his index and middle fingers.
"I\'m not strong at all," Erza murmured softly, stumbling slightly.
"Requip: Clear Heart Clothing!"
A flash of golden light, but this time, Erza wasn\'t in armor. Instead, she wore loose pants with fiery patterns and a simple wrap covering her chest. There was no steel to shield her body, just soft fabric.
"When I was young, on this very tower, I lost many comrades."
"When Grandpa Rob died before my eyes, I was weak and powerless."
"And even when I escaped, I had to flee alone."
Nate raised an eyebrow, thinking, *That outfit looks great.* This was Erza\'s true strongest form—not an armor, but the version of herself that faced her inner weakness.
Ikaruga frowned. *What\'s so special about this armor? It\'s just fabric.*
But Erza closed her eyes, still speaking softly.
"I always cried alone. I was used to being alone."
"To become stronger, I wore heavy armor."
"I closed myself off from the world, facing everything cautiously, afraid of getting hurt."
She then smiled brightly, facing Ikaruga with newfound calmness.
"Sorry, Nate, for telling you to shut up earlier."
"You must have been anxious, wanting to help me, right?"
"I\'m sorry. I\'ve been too weak, always relying on my armor to find peace of mind."
As she spoke, she summoned two long swords into her hands, pointing them at Ikaruga.
"I won\'t lose. Even if I do, Nate will step in to help at the most critical moment."
"I won\'t hesitate anymore!"
"The armor can\'t protect me, but my comrades can!"
With a loud bang, Erza\'s bare feet left imprints on the bridge, and her whole body moved like a crimson flash.
"Just fabric? What nonsense!" Ikaruga squinted, also charging toward Erza.
High above, Nate put the card away and silently watched the battle unfold.
The sword duel was swift and decisive.
The crimson light streaked across the bridge and stopped at the far end, while behind her, Ikaruga\'s sword cracked and shattered, and she collapsed.
"Congratulations, you\'ve won."
Nate leaped lightly from the pipe and landed beside Erza. "You don\'t seem very happy."
Erza smiled at Nate but then collapsed into his arms.
"My nerves were cut..."
Nate scooped her up in a princess carry and headed toward the top of the tower.
"Don\'t worry, Wendy can heal you. Hang in there."
"Thank you, Nate."
Erza wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes in exhaustion.
Even without armor, she no longer felt afraid.
Nate thought for a moment and said, "Maybe I\'ll teach you something useful..."
But what could he teach her?
Most of his magic came from the system, so even if he taught her, others wouldn\'t be able to learn it. *What if magic could be downloaded like an app through the Magic Net? You could learn it with just a tap...*
Hmm?
That idea seemed brilliant.
Nate\'s eyes lit up. *It might actually be possible!*
Excited, Nate couldn\'t resist giving Erza a kiss on the cheek.
"You just gave me a great idea!"
Erza\'s eyes flew open, touching the spot where she was kissed, her expression bewildered.
~~~
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