Boom. Boom. Boom.
The caped knight continuously launched assault after assault after assault at Luciana. Contrary to earlier, the silver-haired woman responded by simply dodging through teleportation. She had decided to observe her opponent more attentively in order to formulate her next course of action.
"My attacks only made it stronger." stated Luciana while recalling her memories. "While its own attack could destroy itself."
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The caped knight kept attacking Luciana and she kept dodging the assaults. The grand hall was rapidly being destroyed in the process.
"But even when I used the its own attack against it, the statue still revived itself." commented Luciana. "What should I do to keep it from reviving?"
The silver-haired woman then recalled the carving she read above the door before she entered the grand hall.
[Harmony is balance. Balance is harmony. Only when attaining perfect balance that one creates perfect harmony.]
As she analyzed the sentences, word for word, a thought formed inside Luciana's head.
"Could it be…?" said Luciana while gazing at the caped knight. She shrugged her shoulders. "Let's just try it!"
The silver-haired woman raised her hand and casted a spell.
[Lacrima Arts, Terra Barrage]
A storm of sharp earth projectiles rained down on the caped knight. That being said, just like before, none of them could harm the statue.
The caped knight proceeded to launch its attack.
[Lacrima Arts, Surya Ray] [Lacrima Arts, Terra Barrage]
The enchanted statue summoned the same two magic circles again. This time, however, both the golden and brown magic circle was almost similar in size. As if the brown magic color had grown larger. That being said, the brown one was still smaller than the golden one, albeit slightly.
The caped knight relaunched its assault. The scale of the golden ray and the flurry of the earth projectiles were similar this time. Luciana reacted as calm as before and performed her technique to counter the attacks.
[Deflect] [Redirect]
The golden ray and the storm of earth projectiles coming for Luciana suddenly changed course once again and made a turn toward the caped knight. They all came charging back at the statue and destroyed it to smithereens once more, leaving the mana whirlpool hanging in the air like before.
It took longer than the previous time, but the statue fragments flew up and reassembled into the caped knight once again. Despite her opponent reviving, a smile formed on Luciana's face.
"I was right!" stated Luciana after observing the phenomenon. "If I could make the strength of its magical and physical attacks equal with each other and redirected them to the statue, it would be destroyed for good."
Luciana raised her hand once more.
"Well then, time to truly prove my theory."
[Lacrima Arts, Terra Barrage]
A brown magic circle appeared in front of Luciana. This time however, it was smaller. The magic circle was almost the size of her head which before it was almost the size of her entire self.
"This amount should do the trick."
The silver-haired woman then sent several tiny earth projectiles toward the caped knight. Just like before, the statue accepted the incoming attack like it was nothing. Especially because it was truly nothing this time compared to before.
And just like the caped knight had done multiple times already, after receiving the attack it continued to raise its hand and casted two spells.
[Lacrima Arts, Surya Ray] [Lacrima Arts, Terra Barrage]
Two magic circles formed around the statue once more. This time, both of them were the exact same size.
"Go on! Lay them on me!" taunted Luciana with a smile as she saw the caped knight preparing to attack her.
As if obliging to her request, the caped knight sent out another set deadly golden ray and a storm of earth projectiles. The scale of the two was exactly the same this time.
With a huge grin on her face, Luciana raised her hand and performed her trick for one last time.
[Deflect] [Redirect]
The enormous golden laser and the large storm of earth projectiles shifted their direction, missed Luciana ever so slightly, and turned back toward the statue. The two deadly furies then smashed through the caped knight and destroyed it into a cloud of glowing dust.
There was no mana whirlpool this time. Just the shining dust. They all then clumped together at the center of the hall. But instead of reassembling into the caped knight like before, the particles formed into a beautiful stone-beaded necklace with a tiny-yet-brilliant blue crystal nestled on the central bead.
The necklace flew toward Luciana and landed gently on her palm.
"I suppose this is my prize for defeating the guardian of this temple." said the silver-haired woman. She then stared back at the door that was overflowing with mana. "Though I suppose it's time for me to claim my real prize."
Finally able to continue with her journey, Luciana wore the stone necklace on her neck and continued to the door ahead. She rested her hands on the door and pushed it open.
The silver-haired woman immediately found herself inside a vast catacomb with nothing but an ancient book shining with blue radiance floating at the center.
"There it is."
Luciana made her way toward the book. The mana emanating from it was so furious and overwhelming. A normal person would've died by the pressure alone from as far as the door. But Luciana wasn't bothered at all by the mana density.
She approached the book and gazed at it with charmed eyes.
"The Eirene Grimoire." said Luciana as she observed the ancient book. "Last time I laid gaze upon it, I proceeded to destroy it using Fortuna's power."
She then grabbed a small knife she had kept among her clothing and proceeded to slit her palm with it. The woman could not help but chuckle at what she was doing.
"It's funny, really." continued Luciana as she hovered her wounded hand over the floating book. "Since I'm now here to pledge my allegiance toward Eirene and become Her apostle."