Violet Ryūgū stood in the middle of the devastated battlefield, her whitish-purple hair swaying gently in the turbulent wind. Around her, the remnants of their earlier clashes painted a grim picture of the battle's intensity. Shattered buildings lined the ruined streets, enormous cracks stretched across the pavement, and fragments of ice glimmered beneath the sunlight. The lava that had once covered her body had gradually cooled, leaving dark, hardened patches scattered across the battlefield.
Despite the destruction surrounding them, Violet appeared remarkably composed. Her breathing remained steady, and there was no trace of panic in her expression. If anything, she looked as though she had been waiting for the battle to reach this very moment.
Across from her, Ryūsei Ryūgū maintained his fighting stance with his white sword gripped firmly in his left hand. Several blades formed from Meteor Dragon energy floated behind him, their brilliant edges reflecting the light as they hovered at his command. They were ready to launch themselves at Violet the instant he discovered an opening.
His breathing was steady, but his mind remained alert. Every exchange had taught him something new about Violet's abilities, and each revelation had made the situation more dangerous.
She could wield multiple Dragon Arts, switch between offensive and defensive techniques with astonishing precision, and even combine abilities that Ryūsei had always believed should be impossible to use together. Fire, Ash, Aurora, Lava, Shadow, Ice, and Void Dragon techniques were only some of the powers she had demonstrated so far.
Most importantly, she had yet to reveal the full extent of her strength.
Violet glanced at the floating swords behind Ryūsei before returning her attention to the young Elementalist. Rather than appearing frustrated by his persistence, she seemed genuinely delighted. Her lips curled into an excited smile, as though their battle had finally reached the point she had been waiting for.
"Well then, it's time I show you why they call me the Synthesis Sorceress!" Violet declared happily.
Ryūsei tightened his grip on his sword, carefully studying her expression.
I'd better not let my guard down. I can tell something big is going to happen.
His instincts warned him that the battle was about to change dramatically. Until now, Violet had treated their confrontation like an enjoyable test of strength, gradually revealing one Dragon Art after another to see how he would respond. Even when he managed to surprise her, she had remained composed enough to counterattack almost immediately.
But the atmosphere surrounding her had begun to shift.
The mana in the air grew heavier, and the energy gathering within her body became increasingly difficult to ignore. Ryūsei could feel the pressure even from several meters away, and the hairs on his arms stood on end as the unfamiliar power spread through the battlefield.
Then, without warning, Violet inhaled deeply.
"Fire Dragon: Hellfire Wave!"
The moment she released the spell, a tremendous torrent of fire and water erupted from her mouth. The two opposing elements surged forward together, twisting around each other in a violent, spiraling current. Flames roared through the rushing water, while powerful streams of water coiled around the blazing inferno, creating a devastating wave that threatened to consume everything in its path.
The resulting attack was unlike anything Ryūsei had encountered before. Instead of canceling each other out, the fire and water moved together as though they were parts of a single, perfectly coordinated spell. Their opposing properties only made the attack more chaotic and difficult to withstand, with the flames surging unpredictably through the rushing currents.
Ryūsei's eyes widened.
Fire and water?!
There was no time to dwell on the implications. The combined attack was already bearing down on him, and its sheer scale left him with little room to escape.
"Meteor Dragon: Photon Shield!"
Ryūsei thrust his free hand forward. A brilliant white radiance burst into existence before him, gathering into an enormous shield formed from concentrated Meteor Dragon energy. Its broad surface shone with a pale, almost celestial light, while intricate streams of energy flowed across it as the shield locked into place.
A heartbeat later, Violet's Hellfire Wave crashed against the barrier.
BOOOOOOM!
The impact shook the entire battlefield.
Fire surged around the edges of the shield, while enormous quantities of water slammed into its surface with enough force to make the ground beneath Ryūsei's feet crack. The resulting shock wave swept across the ruined streets, scattering loose stones and sending clouds of dust spiraling into the air.
Ryūsei braced himself, planting his feet firmly against the ground as he poured more mana into the barrier. The tremendous pressure forced him to lean forward, and the pavement beneath his boots continued to fracture as he struggled to hold his position.
Despite its size, the Photon Shield began to tremble beneath the relentless assault.
His eyes narrowed as he watched the two elements batter the defensive spell.
What's going on...? How can she combine two Dragon Arts?
He had already witnessed Violet use Fire, Ash, Aurora, Lava, Shadow, Ice, and Void Dragon abilities. Each one was powerful enough to challenge an ordinary Elementalist, yet she wielded them as naturally as though they were different techniques belonging to the same Elemental Art.
Now she was combining Fire and Water into a single attack.
The implications were staggering.
How many Dragon Arts can she actually use?
A sharp cracking sound interrupted his thoughts.
Ryūsei immediately looked toward the Photon Shield, and his stomach sank. Fine fractures had begun spreading across its luminous surface. One crack became two, then several more, branching outward as the tremendous pressure continued to crush the barrier.
The shield was beginning to fail.
"This is bad..." Ryūsei muttered, his expression tightening. "If the shield breaks, I'm done for!"
He poured more mana into the defensive spell, but the combined force of Violet's attack continued to overwhelm it. The water and flames showed no sign of weakening, and the Photon Shield was already approaching its breaking point. The white radiance covering its surface flickered beneath the strain, threatening to collapse at any moment.
For an instant, Ryūsei felt the familiar pressure of being pushed beyond his limits.
He had faced powerful opponents before. He had endured situations in which his rank, his lack of knowledge, and his own shortcomings had threatened to bring him down. There had been times when even the simplest spell seemed beyond his reach, and moments when he had wondered whether he would ever become strong enough to stand beside the people he wanted to protect.
Every time, he had found some way to keep moving forward.
But this battle was different.
Violet was not merely stronger than him. She possessed a versatility that made predicting her next move extraordinarily difficult. Even when he managed to find an opening, she could counter with a completely different Dragon Art, forcing him to reconsider his strategy before he could take advantage of his progress.
If he continued fighting the same way, he would eventually lose.
Ryūsei clenched his teeth as the cracks spread farther across his shield. He could feel the strain traveling through his arm, and he knew he could not maintain the barrier much longer.
Then, amid the roaring torrent, a memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.
It was something he had been told during a previous conversation, an explanation of his Elemental Art and the unusual ability that accompanied it.
"Your Elemental Art is the Meteor Dragon, and your ability is the White Meteor."
Ryūsei's eyes widened slightly as the words echoed through his thoughts.
"The ability to enhance your speed, strength, mana recovery, and even the intensity of your spells."
For a moment, everything else seemed to recede behind that recollection.
My ability...
His gaze shifted back toward the fractured Photon Shield.
Of course!
Until now, Ryūsei had primarily used White Meteor to improve his physical abilities. By surrounding his body with a white aura, he could increase his speed and strength, allowing him to move faster and strike harder than his opponents expected. He had relied on that enhancement throughout his battle with Violet, using it to compensate for the difference in their experience and push his physical capabilities beyond their normal limits.
But White Meteor was not limited to his body.
It could enhance the intensity of his spells as well.
Up until now, I've only used it to boost my physical abilities... Ryūsei realized, his eyes brightening as the pieces finally came together. But if I maximize the use of my ability, then I can improve the intensity of my spells, too!
The realization sent a surge of determination through him.
He had been treating his ability as though it were a tool designed primarily for close combat, when its true potential extended far beyond that. If he could channel White Meteor into his Photon Shield and reinforce the spell itself, he might be able to withstand Violet's attack long enough to turn the situation around.
There was no guarantee it would work.
But he had no intention of surrendering without trying.
Ryūsei drew a deep breath and focused his mana. The white aura that had surrounded his body during their earlier exchanges began to intensify, gathering around him in brilliant streams of light. Rather than allowing the energy to remain concentrated on his physical form, he carefully redirected it toward the Photon Shield.
The effect was immediate.
White light raced across the barrier, filling its fractures and reinforcing the spell from within. The shield's surface shone more brightly as White Meteor strengthened the concentrated mana holding it together. The thin cracks stopped spreading, and the trembling barrier gradually regained its stability.
For several seconds, the Photon Shield continued to shake beneath the immense pressure of the Hellfire Wave. Flames roared against its surface, and rushing water battered it from every direction, but the barrier refused to break.
Ryūsei had successfully reinforced the spell itself.
On the other side of the battlefield, Violet's cheerful expression changed to one of genuine surprise.
"What's going on?!" she exclaimed, staring at the barrier. "That shield should've been broken by now!"
Ryūsei glanced at her through the brilliant light, a confident smirk appearing on his face.
"You aren't the only one with tricks up your sleeve," he teased.
With White Meteor now reinforcing his spell, the balance of the exchange had changed. Violet's attack was still formidable, but Ryūsei had finally discovered a way to counter its overwhelming force.
He was no longer simply enduring her power.
He was adapting to it.
The Meteor Dragon energy coursing through his shield surged outward, pushing against the combined torrent of fire and water. The Hellfire Wave began to lose its forward momentum as the barrier held firm, and the tremendous pressure that had threatened to crush Ryūsei moments earlier finally started to ease.
Seizing the opportunity, Ryūsei shifted his stance and raised his free hand.
"Meteor Dragon Impact!"
The white radiance surrounding him surged into action.
A barrage of Meteor Dragon energy erupted from his position, each projectile brighter and more powerful than the attacks he had unleashed earlier. Enhanced by White Meteor, the blasts tore through the turbulent air and struck Violet before she could fully recover from her surprise.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Successive explosions illuminated the battlefield.
Violet crossed her arms in an attempt to brace herself, but the enhanced barrage drove her backward. The force of the impacts pushed her across the shattered ground until she was finally forced to retreat a considerable distance, her boots grinding against the broken stone as she struggled to regain her footing.
When the final explosion faded, a cloud of dust rose between the two combatants.
Ryūsei lowered his hand slightly and breathed out as he assessed the result. His arms were still trembling from the effort of maintaining the Photon Shield, but he had managed to break through Violet's offensive pressure and force her back.
It was not a decisive victory, but it was proof that he could still turn the tide of their battle.
High above the battlefield, in the spectators' area, Ryūshi Ryūgū watched the confrontation with an unmistakably pleased expression. His eyes followed the fading light of Meteor Dragon Impact, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Nice one, Ryūsei!" he exclaimed.
Beside him, Jikan observed the battlefield with a more thoughtful expression. His attention remained fixed on Ryūsei, particularly on the way the young Elementalist had adapted after his defensive spell nearly collapsed.
"Even though Violet managed to overpower him, he still found a way to overcome the odds," Jikan remarked. "And that was despite the fact that his ability was already activated. He recognized that he was using it incorrectly and adjusted his approach in the middle of the battle."
Ryūshi chuckled, folding his arms as he watched Ryūsei prepare for the next exchange.
"He reminds me of a certain someone, don't you think?"
Jikan turned toward him, a cheerful smile appearing on his face.
"Well, that's only natural. They're the same person, after all."
Ryūshi's smile deepened, but he offered no further explanation. Instead, he returned his attention to the battlefield, where Ryūsei and Violet were already preparing to clash again.
Back on the battlefield, Ryūsei knew better than to assume that his successful counterattack meant the fight was turning in his favor.
Violet had been pushed back, but she remained standing. Her posture was steady, and the gleam in her eyes suggested that she was enjoying the battle even more now that he had demonstrated his ability to adapt.
Ryūsei tightened his grip on his white sword.
I can't let up now.
The White Meteor aura spread around his body once again, flowing over his arms and legs as he reinforced his physical capabilities. He could feel the increased energy coursing through his muscles, ready to propel him forward the moment he found an opening.
"Meteor Dragon: Photon Assault!"
White light enveloped him, forming a radiant aura that enhanced his speed and strength. The energy moved in rhythm with his breathing, and he could feel his body responding to the increased flow of mana. Even the smallest movement seemed sharper and more precise, as though his body had become better attuned to the energy surrounding him.
He leaned forward, ready to close the distance.
Violet, however, had no intention of allowing him to approach without resistance.
"Earth Dragon: Seeking Torrent!"
The ground beneath them began to shake.
Cracks spread across the battlefield as the earth shifted violently. Several enormous hands burst from the ground around Ryūsei, their rough, stone-like fingers stretching toward him in an attempt to seize his arms and legs before he could advance.
Ryūsei reacted immediately.
"Meteor Dragon: Photon Blade!"
A white sword formed in his hand, its blade shining with concentrated Meteor Dragon energy. Without wasting a moment, he dashed forward, weaving between the grasping hands as they emerged from the ground.
One enormous hand swept toward his right side, but Ryūsei twisted his body and cut through its fingers with a swift slash. Another reached for his ankle, forcing him to leap over its grasp before landing on a narrow stretch of broken stone.
He continued advancing, cutting and dodging as the Earth Dragon spell tried to trap him from every direction.
The hands rose in succession, striking from unexpected angles and attempting to close off his path. Yet the combination of Photon Assault and White Meteor allowed Ryūsei to move with extraordinary speed. Each time the earth threatened to seize him, he slipped past its grasp by the narrowest margin, using quick changes of direction to keep the pursuing hands from catching him.
Violet's eyes widened as she followed his movements.
"He's fast—!"
The words had barely escaped her mouth when Ryūsei vanished from her field of vision.
A gust of wind swept past her.
Before Violet could turn around completely, Ryūsei appeared behind her, his white sword held at his side and his right fist already drawing back. For the first time in that exchange, she had been caught off guard by the speed of his approach.
"Meteor Dragon: Photon Fist!"
A tremendous amount of Meteor Dragon energy gathered around Ryūsei's right hand, forming a dense, brilliant mass of white light. The energy surged around his knuckles, intensifying until his fist resembled a concentrated star about to explode.
But this was no ordinary Photon Fist.
Photon Assault had enhanced his physical strength and speed, while White Meteor further increased the intensity of the spell itself. All three forces combined into a single attack, magnifying the destructive power behind his punch.
Ryūsei drove forward, unleashing a relentless assault.
Violet barely had time to react.
"Lava Dragon: Calamity Fist!"
She quickly gathered Lava Dragon energy around her right hand. Molten light surged over her arm, and the surrounding air shimmered beneath the intense heat as she prepared to meet Ryūsei's attack head-on.
The two Elementalists planted their feet and launched their fists toward each other.
Their attacks collided.
KRAAAAAAAAAAASH!
The impact unleashed a devastating shock wave that swept across the battlefield. The ground beneath their feet ruptured, and a violent earthquake spread outward from the point of collision.
Buildings shook throughout the replica Kingdom of Ryūgū. Stone walls cracked, windows shattered, and loose tiles fell from rooftops as the tremor rolled through the surrounding streets. Even the spectators watching from distant areas could feel the ground shaking beneath them.
The entire Kingdom trembled from the force of their clash.
At the center of the devastation, the two Elementalists remained locked in their exchange for a brief, astonishing moment. Their opposing energies surged against each other, filling the battlefield with blinding light and waves of heat. The pressure continued to build until the ground beneath them could no longer withstand the force.
Then Violet's Lava Dragon armor shattered.
The molten armor that had protected her body broke apart under the force of Ryūsei's enhanced Photon Fist. Fragments of glowing lava scattered through the air before cooling rapidly, and the resulting backlash forced Violet away from the point of impact.
She was knocked backward and hurled toward a nearby building.
BOOOOOOM!
The collision sent dust and broken masonry spilling across the street. Violet struck the structure hard enough to leave a deep crater in its exterior before dropping toward the ground.
For a moment, the battlefield fell quiet.
Ryūsei remained where he was, his right fist still extended. The white aura surrounding his body flickered as he watched the building where Violet had landed.
He had broken through her Lava Dragon armor.
Even so, he knew the battle wasn't over.
Violet was a legendary Gādian who had fought alongside Arashi Ryūgū. She had survived countless battles across a different era, and he doubted that an attack like that would be enough to defeat her.
Within the damaged building, Violet slowly lifted her head.
Her expression was no longer merely amused.
She was astonished.
Even with Yogan's spell...
Her gaze shifted toward the shattered remnants of her armor. She flexed her right hand as she tried to comprehend the force that had overwhelmed her defense.
What was that spell just now? Not only did he overpower Yogan's spell, but he destroyed the Lava armor in the process...
She had expected Ryūsei to be strong. After all, he had defeated Moyasu, a former comrade whose strength she knew better than most.
But witnessing Ryūsei's growth firsthand was something else entirely.
He had taken an ability he barely understood and discovered a new application for it in the middle of their battle. Then he had used that discovery to reinforce his spells, overcome her combined elemental attack, and strike with enough power to destroy her Lava Dragon armor.
For an F-Rank Elementalist, his adaptability was extraordinary.
Violet lowered her gaze, and the amusement in her expression gradually faded.
I never thought I'd be forced to use his Elemental Art...
She paused, looking at the damage surrounding her.
Just this once, I'll use it again.
Her fingers slowly curled into a fist.
"But I'll keep my feelings sealed away," she murmured, her voice growing quieter. "The sins of this world still haven't changed at all."
The words carried a weight that Ryūsei, standing outside the damaged building, could not yet understand.
Violet pushed herself upright and stepped out through the dust and broken masonry. Her expression had changed, and the atmosphere around her felt noticeably different. The cheerful woman who had praised Ryūsei's strength moments earlier now stood with an unsettling seriousness in her eyes.
She raised her hand.
"Dragon Sage Secret Art: Ash Apocalypse!"
The moment Violet announced the spell, a vast quantity of ash erupted across the battlefield.
It spread rapidly through the ruined streets, spilling over the damaged buildings and rising above their rooftops. Fine gray particles swirled in expanding currents, gradually obscuring the surrounding landscape until the entire battlefield began disappearing beneath a suffocating veil of ash.
The wind carried the particles in every direction, and the sky above the arena darkened as the spell continued to expand.
Ryūsei watched the growing cloud with a tense expression.
This spell...
He recognized the name.
His thoughts immediately returned to the battle he had fought against Moyasu, the former Gādian whose destructive power had left a lasting impression on him. The technique had been associated with the same dangerous power that had made Moyasu such a formidable opponent.
The same technique.
The same overwhelming presence.
Ryūsei's eyes narrowed as he slowly began walking toward Violet, his sword held firmly in his left hand.
So she can use that spell as well...
High above the battlefield, King Yogan stared at the scene in disbelief.
"That spell..." he muttered.
His expression had changed the moment Violet invoked the Dragon Sage Secret Art. Even from the spectators' area, the enormous cloud of ash was unmistakable, and the implications of her using it were impossible to ignore.
Yogan's gaze remained fixed on Violet.
He knew that this was no ordinary technique. It was a spell that carried the weight of a painful history, and seeing Violet invoke it brought that history rushing back to him.
On the battlefield, Violet stood beneath the spreading ash, her face partially obscured by the drifting particles. She looked toward Ryūsei, but her thoughts were somewhere far beyond the ruined streets surrounding them.
"After all the sins you've committed," she whispered, "this will be the only time I'll use your Elemental Art."
Her voice trembled almost imperceptibly.
Then she spoke a name.
"Moyasu..."
For a brief moment, the legendary Gādian's expression betrayed something deeper than anger or regret. There was pain in her eyes, the kind that came from remembering someone who had once stood beside her and seeing how far that person had fallen.
The ash continued to spread, swallowing more of the battlefield.
Violet drew a slow breath, and her expression hardened once again.
"Dragon Sage Secret Art: Ash Apocalypse!"
The repeated incantation sent another surge of energy through the surrounding ash. The cloud thickened, its swirling currents becoming denser and more turbulent as the spell's influence spread across the battlefield.
Ryūsei watched carefully as he continued approaching her.
He had already learned that Violet could use several Dragon Arts, but this spell carried a different significance. She had not used it casually. Her expression when she spoke Moyasu's name suggested that the technique was tied to memories she would rather not revisit.
What happened between Violet and Moyasu?
He wanted to ask her, but the battlefield was no place for questions. Violet had chosen to use this power, and Ryūsei could feel the danger increasing with every passing second.
He tightened his grip on his sword.
Whatever the answer was, he would have to survive this battle long enough to learn it.
Suddenly, Violet opened her mouth.
"Ash Dragon: Blizzard Gale!"
A tremendous torrent of ash burst from her mouth and rushed toward Ryūsei. Unlike the cloud that had gradually spread across the battlefield, this attack moved with terrifying speed, gathering into a concentrated gale that engulfed everything in its path.
Ryūsei's eyes widened as the ash swept toward him.
"Crap! I let my guard down—!"
He tried to react, but the attack had already reached him.
The ash swallowed his body, wrapping around him in a dense, swirling mass. For a brief moment, the battlefield disappeared behind the gray torrent, leaving only the violent sound of rushing air and the faint glow of Meteor Dragon energy within the cloud.
Then the ash exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A tremendous burst of energy erupted from within the swirling mass. The blast spread outward in every direction, and the temperature around the point of impact plunged almost instantly.
Frost raced across the ground.
The ruined streets, shattered walls, and broken stone structures were swallowed by a rapidly expanding layer of ice. Jagged formations rose from the earth as the explosion continued, freezing the surrounding area in a matter of seconds.
The blast repeated across the battlefield, each explosion sending another wave of freezing energy through the air. Ash and ice mingled in a violent storm, obscuring the entire area beneath a thick cloud of gray particles and glittering frost.
The ground that had moments earlier been scorched by lava and shattered by the clash of two powerful Elementalists was now buried beneath ice.
Violet stood at the center of the frozen landscape, her whitish-purple hair moving gently in the aftermath of the explosions. She lowered her head slightly, then looked toward the area where Ryūsei had been engulfed.
Her expression brightened with satisfaction.
"My name is Violet Ryūgū," she declared, her voice ringing clearly through the battlefield. "The Synthesis Sorceress!"
The final explosion echoed across the ruined streets, sending another wave of frost over the surrounding buildings.
When the rumbling finally began to subside, most of the battlefield lay frozen beneath a vast expanse of ice. The swirling ash gradually settled, revealing the devastation left behind by Violet's attack.
She stood motionless amid the frozen ruins, waiting to see what had become of her opponent.
The battle had reached an entirely new level, and the secret behind the legendary Synthesis Sorceress was becoming more mysterious with every spell she cast.
For the first time since their confrontation began, Ryūsei Ryūgū had been caught in an attack before he could properly respond.
Whether he could withstand Violet's Ash Apocalypse remained to be seen.