Irreverent Spear Of Sigrun (II)

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Discord Link: KQAtTw9u7x

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Takauji started to pace around Raynare, observing the changes in her aura with calculating eyes. 

It's good, but it isn't enough. The emotional pressure is there, but I haven't pushed her far enough physically. 

He activated [Umbral Rope] in its close-quarters mode. 

In that case, I'll have to take this up a notch. 

Thanks to her now heightened [Mana Sense], Raynare was able to detect the presence of energy gathering up in his feet. Concluding that he was more likely than not about to use [Shadow Step]. 

As she had learned throughout their many duels, he normally aimed for her blind spots when using the technique. 

Meaning if she could cover them before he actually managed to land a hit, there was a chance she could create an opening for her to retaliate with.

Raynare allowed her wings to protrude from her back, covering her rear as she prepared to meet whatever he threw at her front head-on. 

"You're only thinking of that now?" He chuckled, shaking his head as if facing a helpless child. 

He planted his legs and bent his knees ever so slightly, signaling that he was about to make his move. 

"Even with my bare-bones amount of experience, I don't think I'll ever meet an opponent as slow in the head as you." 

And then he moved. 

Raynare hardened her feathers, the fact that he hadn't appeared in front of her clearly meant that his attack was about to come from behind. 

All she had to do was block and then counter. 

"Do you honestly believe I'd fall for something so simple-minded?" 

But no attack came, and his voice didn't just come from her rear. But rather all around her. 

A sense of panic started to seep in, seeing after-images of her master constantly darting all around her. 

That, combined with the fact that each movement he made was done with [Shadow Step], meant it was practically impossible for her to figure out his position. 

You have me beat in offense, defense, and support Raynare. But at this point, not even Yuuto-kun can take me on in a contest of speed. 

One after the other, she was hit with a barrage of shallow cuts all over her skin. 

Even if she allowed an opening to exist for a fraction of a second, he would find it, and attack. No matter how small or inconsequential, her master would continue until her skin had been dyed red. 

However, she still had [Twilight Healing] at her disposal. As long as he didn't land anything concrete, she could continue to heal the wounds she received. 

"Is there really nothing going on in that head of yours? You don't even possess half the amount of Mana I have, what makes you think you can keep this up for longer than I can?" 

He had a point, physical stamina was one thing, but their Mana reserves were another. 

Takauji had been born with so much Mana that his own humanity was the only thing holding him back for crying out loud. 

"Even though I said I didn't want this to be a one-sided execution, at this rate that might be what this ends up becoming." 

Raynare took a deep breath, remembering that there was still more she could do. 

She lowered the amount of effort she was putting into [Licht Vene], and diverted all her energy to both [Twilight Healing], and [Mana Sense]. 

Sorry, but that's not the answer either. 

The Fallen Angel clenched her teeth as she endured the pain of his wasp-like cuts head-on. 

Waiting until her moment came. 

Until you stop trying to prove yourself to me and start proving you to yourself. You will never reach me. 

And then she felt it, she had gotten a read on his position. 

Her chance to strike was now. 

"Are you even trying?" 

Even though her mind was fully confident that she had swung at him, all her spear ended up meeting was a puff of dark smoke. 

Takauji had not only increased his proficiency in [Shadow Step] but had found a way to combine his illusions into it to make the movement technique even more unreadable than it already was. 

In summary, he had evolved [Shadow Step]. 

Now it was more like [Vanishing Step]. 

But that didn't make sense, she had used [Mana Sense] which was supposed to pierce through his illusions. 

"Your affinity counters mine, that much is true. But when the gap between one's magical prowess reaches a certain level, not even a type-advantage can close it." 

It was like trying to hit Sirzechs Lucifer with a Holy Sword. 

Yes, Holy Swords were a Devil's weakness, but when faced with such an opponent even natural advantages had their limits. 

And comparing the magical ability between someone like Raynare, and someone as gifted with it as Takauji resulted in pretty much the same scenario. 

"Look on the bright side, you managed to survive for 1 minute and 47 seconds this time. A big difference from your grand total of 0 seconds in the church don't you think?" 

SPLURT! 

"Fuck…" 

His blade pierced right through her abdomen, weakness invading her body as she looked down in horror. 

"Yeah, I'd say that's a pretty accurate reaction." 

He pulled his weapon out of her in one swift motion, causing her to drop to her knees with blood leaking out of her stomach and mouth. 

"If you end up being reborn, do try to put a little more effort into your next life." 

The Mage flicked his blade to clean the blood off its alloy. He continued to yawn as he headed towards the exit, apparently no longer interested in the battle. 

And that was all she could hear at the moment. 

His footsteps. 

Leaving her. 

Abandoning her. 

As she deserved. 

First, she had failed Azazel. 

And now she had failed the only person who bothered to give her a second chance. Had she met anyone else at that time, she would be dead.

There was no doubt about that. 

"Takauji-sama… wait…" 

She tried to call out to him, but her voice was too weak to reach him. 

Just like she was. 

"Please…" 

The pain her body was experiencing at the moment was nothing in comparison to the pain in her heart. 

Every memory she had made in the brief amount of time she had spent with him raced through her mind. 

Was it really all for nothing? Had her resolve been half-assed after all? 

She didn't want that. She couldn't tolerate that. 

She wanted to be by his side, she was his Primera. Even Azazel had decided to support him, no one else was worthy. 

Raynare wanted to prove that to him. She wanted him to acknowledge her again, not to look at her with those eyes of sheer contempt. 

No, that wasn't it. 

Something was missing. 

It wasn't just Takauji that she wanted to acknowledge her. 

It was her as well, she wanted to hold her head high as she walked side by side with him. 

She wanted to go to sleep every night knowing she was right where she belonged. 

She didn't want to doubt herself anymore. 

"Wait…" 

The Mage finally stopped. Turned his head as he felt her aura start to surge again, the emerald shine her body emitted brighter than it had ever been before. 

"Is there even a point to that? Give up already, there's nothing more for you to do here." 

Raynare put her hand on her knee, supporting her weight as she started to stand up again. 

"This isn't an anime you know? The weak are weak, your flimsy emotions aren't going to change that. Oh, and if I hadn't made it clear already, you're weak." 

He rolled his eyes, resting his blade over the back of his shoulders. 

"There's nothing flimsy… about what I'm feeling right now…" 

I know. All that's left for you to do is show me.

"So you say, but right now all you're doing to prove it is cosplaying as a Christmas light. Is that supposed to make me feel something?" 

"I'm not doing this just for you…" 

The strength in her voice had started to return as the wound in her torso started to heal. 

"And? You can fight for Tom and Jerry for all I care. Even if you heal yourself, all I have to do is stab you again and again until you finally drop, cockroach." 

"You don't need to lie anymore Takauji-sama… I won't let you hurt yourself like this any further…" 

Seriously, you two have to be related or something. 

"Bold words coming from someone who looks like a used rag. But alright, I'll humor you. What is it you want to show me?" 

"I will show you my love…" 

He snickered. 

"And… I will show myself my resolve…" 

"I know I cut you up pretty badly, but I don't seem to recall hitting you on the head during our fight. Love? Resolve? Just go write a book or something, you're not cut out to be a fighter, and certainly not one that works for me." 

She ignored every last word he said, trusting her heart over her mind. 

Takauji sighed. 

"Looks like you've discarded the last of your common sense if there even was any, to begin with. Alright, go ahead and do whatever it is you're about to do. I'll crush you all the same." 

That's it Raynare, you've got it. Now all that's left for you to do is take that last step. 

Show me, show me the strength you have obtained. 

"You've always preferred actions over words Takauji-sama, so I'll do just that." 

He didn't respond, simply continuing to look at her with boredom in his eyes. 

The level of strength radiating off her aura exceeded that of even when she overclocked, surrounding the entirety of the training chamber in a pillar of pink and green light. 

That's my Primera. 

The Mage started to smile, feeling the pressure of her presence starting to crash down on him. Tremors being sent through the soil beneath his feet. 

[𝔹𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝔹𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕣: 𝕀𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕚𝕘𝕣𝕦𝕟]

The radiance cleared, revealing his servant in her newly acquired form. 

"So that's the form you've taken." 

She was covered from head to toe in a set of bright silvery armor, not a single part of her body exposed to the elements. 

Attached to the back of her waist was a long ethereal cape, composed of a black and dark purple smoke-like substance. Giving her form an almost mystic glow. 

"Can't say I was expecting a Sacred Gear designed for healing to take that form." 

It must be one of those "sub-species" Azazel talked about. 

She no longer held her [Light Spear] within the confines of her palm, instead wielding a fully materialized spear with a black base, and luminescent purple cracks running through it. 

"Takauji-sama." 

"Yeah?" She had already noticed the change in his demeanor. 

THUD! 

She flickered towards him, her fist plunging into his gut as a chunk of saliva jetted out of his mouth. 

"I know what you were doing. But you deserved that nonetheless." 

"Haha… fair enough Raynare… fair enough." 

He replied somewhat weakly, having felt the full force of the impact. 

"Anyhow, you've done well. So go ahead and get some rest now." 

"Rest? I don't need…" 

Her armor shattered, having given in to the exhaustion of sustaining her maximum power for the amount of time she had. 

The Fallen Angel's eyelids started to close, and her body was about to fall to the floor as she began to faint. 

"Yes you do," but her master made sure to catch her. Holding her gently as she received her well-earned rest. 

Now then, he should be arriving any minute now. 

Followed by the sound of the exit opening up again, Takauji turned around as he heard someone slowly clapping in his direction. 

"She's come a long way," the Governor-General commented. 

"That she has," he replied with a prideful smile. 

"Her [Balance Breaker] seems to have adopted a rather interesting form, I look forward to studying it." 

"Sure sure. But before that, isn't there something you need to give me?" 

"Hm? Ah, of course." 

Azazel summoned an encaged shadowy blob in his hand, causing the Mage's pupils to light up with greed. 

It's time, at last.

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I'm sure a lot of you were waiting for this moment, well, now it's finally here. 

10+ Advance Chapters: patreon.com/Accel14

Discord Link: KQAtTw9u7x

Word Count: 2086