[GUARDIAN SUMMON: ABYSSAL JUDGE OF WEALTH]
In the sky, a massive and intricate magic circle materialized, enveloping the entire battlefield in its blinding, golden luminescence. Everyone on the battlefield came to a sudden halt, their attention drawn to the shocking sight above.
BLERGH!
Amber coughed up blood and weakly whispered.
[REVERSAL]
Reversal, one of her ultimate techniques, involves expending a portion of her life force to restore any wealth she's lost due to circumstances beyond her control. This could include instances of theft, extortion, or even destruction, provided she hasn't willingly spent the wealth. While this ability allows her to recover her losses, it can only be used once every three months. Using it more frequently would exact a greater toll on her life force than she can afford to lose.
Her complexion paled, and two lines of blood trickled from her mouth as the destroyed gold and treasures began to reassemble around her. Simultaneously, the layers of the magic circle continued to spin in opposing directions, akin to a combination lock, steadily intensifying the oppressive atmosphere around them.
The already deteriorating nanobots on Amber's body once again reassembled, forming a kind of armor more suited to a demonic knight. This starkly contrasted with her previous angelic-looking armor. The new design was slim and sleek, emphasizing and accentuating her curves. Her spear morphed into a glaive, while a helmet with twisted, demonic horns slowly encased her head. Instead of eye openings, the helmet featured a glass-like material that emitted an eerie red glow. Her once angelic wings gradually transformed into bat-like wings, and a tail emerged from the lower back area of the armor.
' I've got to get something like that.' Damien thought
Amber swiftly twirled her glaive and assumed a combat-ready stance. Initially, she had taken it easy on them, her plan being to bring Damien along. But the situation had shifted drastically. Damien and his companions had provoked her in the worst way possible – by laying waste to her hard-earned wealth. There was nothing that fueled her anger more.
Observing the slowly spinning magic circle above, she decided to keep them engaged until the old geezer on the other side decided to wake from his slumber. Her intention was evident: she would obliterate any opposition and seize control of the city with brute force. She had grown weary of lurking in the shadows, scheming behind the scenes. If the schemes didn't relate to business, she had no interest in them.
' Deploy prototype.... Nephilim.' Damian said looking up at Amber
[Are you certain? We haven't run comprehensive tests; all we've done is simulate.]
'I understand, but a persistent feeling tells me that this is the optimal moment for its deployment.'
[But...]
'Don't fret, I'm aware of the risks.'
[....]
[*Sigh* if you insist.... initiating deployment.]
All nanobots detached from Damien's body and converged to form a safeguarding cocoon, encompassing him.
"Alright, it's our turn now," Maria remarked, conjuring multiple vines to assail Amber. Given Amber's choice to employ her ability, Maria followed suit. She assembled a bow and crafted a set of arrows with nanobots. Maria fired the arrows, increasing their potency through wind manipulation, all the while applying pressure on Amber with the vine attacks.
The assassin girl disappeared from sight, leaving Amelia standing in the same location, offering herself words of encouragement.
"You've got this. Don't worry, you have everything under control now," she whispered to herself.
Amber swiftly twirled, her glaive slashing through the surrounding vines. She then turned back, her senses sharp to fend off an unseen assault from the stealthy assassin girl.
"Tch! So sensitive," echoed the assassin girl's voice from all directions. Amber remained vigilant, prepared to counter any further attacks.
CLANG!
Blocking another concealed strike, Amber's senses tingled once more. She attempted to dodge, but it was too late; an arrow pierced her neck armor, grazing her skin lightly. Were it not for the armor, the arrow might have been fatal. Her attempts to charge at Maria were thwarted repeatedly, whether by vines, arrows, or the elusive assassin girl.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Amelia was deep in thought.
'Since she can recover her treasures, and her nanobots are created and powered by her ability, which is linked to her treasures...'
Amelia went through numerous formulas and equations in her mind as she sought a solution. Her eyes scanned her abilities on the status screen when she discovered one she had yet to utilize.
[COLOR EMPOWERMENT (2 STAR) (PASSIVE/ACTIVE):
PASSIVE: PRESENCE OF COLORS ENHANCES STRENGTH.
ACTIVE: CONSTANTLY ABSORB ENERGY FROM SURROUNDING COLORS TO TEMPORARILY ELEVATE STRENGTH. COLOR DRAIN TARGETS CAN BE DESIGNATED. COLORS MAY ALSO BE DRAWN FROM COLOR STORAGE.]
Amelia's eyes gleamed with newfound hope at this skill, which seemed tailor-made for the current situation. She surveyed her surroundings, fixating on the array of treasures emitting an assortment of colors, much like a predator assessing its prey.
Treasure hoard = myriad colors
Myriad colors = more colors (via combinations)
More colors = more power
'Thank you for the feast,' Amelia silently acknowledged as she cast a grateful glance in Amber's direction.
[COLOR EMPOWERMENT]
Countless streams of colors began to converge upon Amelia, originating from both the treasure piles and the magic circle in the sky. The colors flowed directly into her, sending her power skyrocketing.
Early rank C
Mid rank C
High rank C
As her power continued to surge, just when it was on the cusp of reaching peak rank C, she sensed a foreign energy that was impeding the movement of the colors.
"It seems that no matter the aspect, manipulating light remains a challenge for me," a voice remarked.
"You... wasn't Lewis supposed to keep you occupied?" Amelia inquired.
"Quite impolite, I see. Lewis is a few ranks above you, isn't he?" Lisa responded.
"I couldn't care less about that individual. A weakling like him doesn't earn my respect. If he can't defeat you or at least restrain you, he's utterly worthless," Amelia scoffed.
"Well, you're not entirely mistaken," Lisa chuckled, nearly causing Lewis to lose his balance from his vantage point.
"Now, young lady, shall we get down to business?"
_________
A/N
Little Amelia's gearing up to take on that big boss. She needs some treasure (powerstones) and a bit more motivation (collections) to square off with a peak C-ranked baddie who's got one heck of a powerful ability. Let's all show her some support in this battle!.