As the light behind me began to flare up, signaling the impending consequences of my relentless onslaught with Sky Slash, I realized the true power of [Overload].
This is the second time I've tapped into it, but the first time didn't reveal its true strength to me.
It's easy to assume that breaking the physical constraints of the mind only boosts my physical prowess, but that's a misconception. The release of limits doesn't discriminate; it also amplifies the potency of my Perfect Mana Pathways.
In fact...
[Combat Prowess: Low ➔ Medium(Temporary)]
Although there might be additional benefits, I can't dwell on them now.
I only have five seconds. Each moment counts.
---
Her actions were utterly unbridled, devoid of any semblance of control. As I closed in on her, she spared no time for contemplation, her sword morphing into claws as she unleashed a ferocious, wild beast-like assault.
However, this time around, the dynamics had changed.
[Your Talent [Sword] has--]
[Your Talent [Mana]--]
[Your--]
.
.
.
With a decisive swing, my blade clashed with her razor-sharp claws.
The impact generated a powerful shockwave strong enough to repel our weapons and send us both hurtling in opposite directions.
In the heat of the chaos, she seized the opportunity to strike.
Her tail charged with Magical Power lashed out at me, aiming for a surprise attack.
It was a cunning move, but...
You're underestimating me.
Her tail closed the distance between us, but I acted without hesitation. With a surge of strength, I grasped her tail with a vice-like grip, fingers digging into the thick fur.
The impact reverberated through my arms, the force of her strike threatening to overwhelm me. But I held it in, refusing to yield an inch.
Gritting my teeth, I summoned every ounce of strength within me, halting the force opposing me and, in a sudden burst, lifted her off the ground.
Without pause, I began to spin on my axis.
Despite the absence of my hearing, causing disorientation and a constant barrage of screeches in my ears, my [Body Control] enabled me to execute precise movements flawlessly—even if it meant attempting something as audacious as this.
The world blurred into a dizzying whirl as I spun faster and faster.
She struggled to break free, but it was useless.
With a final burst of strength, I released her, sending her hurtling through the air with such force that she slammed into the wall within the blink of an eye.
But that wasn't all.
She flew a considerable distance, tearing anything crossing her apart before finally losing speed and crushing on the ground, though she was now out of the secret hideout itself.
I retrieved my sword, tracing the path she carved.
Glancing back, I realized this was the final straw for the building. In mere moments, it would crumble.
At least, it would serve to conceal the chaos that unfolded here, along with the aftermath of my [Sky Slash] technique.
The aftermath was nothing but a gruesome scene of shattered organs, broken bones, and a sea of blood. With his regeneration ceased and no residual Magical Power left, a quick scan using my [Absolute Awareness] skill easily confirmed his death.
However, that fleeting realization was swiftly replaced by a sense of urgency as I hastened to her location.
While she undoubtedly bore the brunt of the clash, the inflicted damage was insufficient.
I observed her, already on her feet, though her condition was far from favorable.
Blood cascaded down from her abdomen, back, arms...
Well, that's to be expected. I deliberately inflicted damage on both her and her slime bodysuit with my Magical Power before hurling her.
There's no way the latter would recover anytime soon, considering that each attempt triggers my Magical Power to continue cutting through it.
If I use my sword now, I may actually kill her.
That's no good.
Deprived of her ability to conjure weapons from slime and shield herself with the bodysuit, a swing of my sword might prove fatal.
If my blade strikes, there's no assurance her body can endure the blow.
She cannot regenerate like that failure Knight of Rounds, after all.
So, I stabbed my sword in the ground.
She caught on to my intent, shedding all excess, relying solely on her physical form as she charged towards me.
If the situation was different, by now, I'd be turning my gaze elsewhere as she was practically naked.
Instead, I assumed a combat stance.
A wounded beast is a dangerous one. Just because she was on the losing side didn't mean she couldn't turn the tables.
Well, if she had the patience to wait for two seconds, victory would be hers. But even if she knew that, she was too foolish to seize the opportunity.
Despite having the advantage of her still potent Magical Power infusing strength into her body, it didn't amount to much at the moment.
I parried the punch heading for my chest, countering with a punch of my own that intentionally missed.
It was all part of the plan—a feint.
My true objective was...
I wrapped my arms around her extended arm, locking her limb firmly in my grasp. Feeling the weight of her body against mine, I pivoted, shifting my weight to one side as I prepared.
In one fluid motion, I lifted her off the ground, using the momentum of our combined movement to propel her into the air.
With practiced precision, I rotated my body, turning my back to her as I maintained my grip on her arm.
With a powerful twist of my hips and a surge of strength from my core, I drove her downwards with all the force I could muster.
The moment of impact was like a thunderclap, the force reverberating through the ground beneath us. The surface buckled and cracked beneath her weight, forming a deep crater where she struck with bone-jarring force.
Cracks spiderwebbed outwards from the point of impact, as the devastation was evident.
Even without the ability to hear, I witnessed the agony etched on her face as blood sprayed forth.
Maintaining my grip, I sensed her arm twitching.
She was still conscious.
Damn, she's tough as nails.
But if she thinks she's getting up again, she's got another thing coming.
I unleashed a punch squarely at her abdomen, causing the ground to sink even deeper as she spewed forth more blood.
But that wasn't enough.
She desperately clutched and scraped at the wrist of the fist that firmly held her down, her fingers digging into the flesh as if trying to find any vulnerability.
Despite the visible toll on my limb, I maintained a resolute grip, refusing to yield to her attempts to break free.
As I contemplated dealing more damage, she suddenly fell silent, her body ceasing its convulsions.
After a moment, I grasped the reason.
It appeared that my Magical Power had devoured her bodysuit to the point where it was slicing through her flesh.
This, combined with the severe damage she had sustained moments ago, had evidently destabilized her, causing her to lose consciousness.
It's regrettable, but I've reached my limit.
Any more than this, and she'll die.
I halted my Magical Power, preventing it from wreaking further havoc, as I observed her limp form.
Currently, she was half-naked, covered in scars and bruises from the fight we had.
Leaving her here posed a problem; taking her along wasn't much better, considering she might cause trouble once awake.
That's when a thought struck me.
The Magic Restricting Chains.
If only I could recreate them...
Swiftly manipulating my slime, I stole a glance at my dwindling timer.
Less than half a second...
Can I pull this off in such a short time?
No, I have to.
Despite my limited experience with this spell and only running through some quick tests, now I must reconstruct the entire magic behind it in less than a second.
It's a hard challenge, but it's not impossible, given my [Overload]...
---
Author's Note:
That's it for the fight, I guess.
Thanks to everyone for reaching 1M views! That's a lot.
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