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*****
"Why is her flame magic so powerful? Could it be that she's also a Saint?"
The one known as Water at the Rear, who had just used Endless Waters to block the tri-colored flames, was inwardly shaken to his core.
Normally, the power of magic with the same attribute depends mostly on its quantity. It's like when two magicians both use fire-type magic—whoever can summon a larger and fiercer fire wins in the end.
If your fireball is only the size of a fist, how could it possibly compare to my fireball the size of a watermelon?
Only Saints are exceptions. Due to their unique blessings, the magic they wield is far stronger than ordinary magic.
Even if it's the same fire spell, with identical output of magical energy, a Saint's fire magic will always far exceed that of a normal magician.
Both might conjure fireballs the size of fists, yet the Saint's would still be vastly more devastating.
That was exactly the feeling he got from his opponent's flames just now.
In terms of sheer volume, his Endless Waters should have easily extinguished those flames. After all, he was also a Saint, and the waters within Endless Waters were far stronger than ordinary water.
But the reality was that, had he not reacted quickly enough, his Endless Waters would have been pierced straight through.
What did that mean?
It meant that, even with the same quantity, his opponent's magical power was overwhelmingly superior.
Thus, he suspected the other was also a Saint. The earlier display of extraordinary physical strength could very well have been one of the traits of sainthood.
Yet, even if his opponent truly was a Saint, their magic shouldn't have been stronger than his.
After all, he himself was a Saint—a hybrid of both Saint and Holy Mother. His magical power was supposed to be twice as strong as an ordinary Saint's.
"No matter what you are, today you'll disappear before me!"
Channeling the full force of both his angelic and saintly power, Water at the Rear caused the vast waters within a two-kilometer radius to surge and shift violently.
Twenty-meter-long spears of water, thirty-meter-long swords of ice, and forty-meter-long colossal hammers formed in an instant around him, crafted from water and ice, as if an arsenal had sprung into existence.
"What a grand display. Then let me show you something just as spectacular!"
Seeing the countless magical weapons appear, George stretched out a hand and pointed at the massive bridge below.
"Rise!"
With his power fully unleashed, the eight-hundred-meter-long bridge that spanned the Academy City river ripped free from the earth and soared up before him.
By now, his ability was no weaker than that of Magneto himself. At full strength, he could even lift a bridge over a thousand meters long—a true master of spectacle.
"Hahaha! Do you really think ordinary metal can stand against magical weapons forged by my power?"
Though Water at the Rear was startled that George could manipulate such a massive bridge, he remained unfazed.
His magical weapons, formed within the Endless Waters and enhanced by both angelic and saintly blessings, far surpassed the strength of mundane metal.
If George thought he could use that bridge as a shield, he was gravely mistaken. Those weapons would tear through it with ease.
"Defend? No, no, no. I much prefer offense."
George smirked, pressing his palm against the colossal bridge.
"Mimicry Transformation—Dragonization!"
In a flash, his Mimicry Magic activated, and the eight-hundred-meter metal bridge transformed into a five-clawed metallic dragon over a kilometer long.
"Divine Forge Refinement!"
Immediately after, he cast his forging art upon it, imbuing the metallic dragon with the properties of a magical treasure.
Its eyes could now fire energy beams, its maw could unleash tri-colored flames, its claws carried the destructive force of adamantine, and its armored body gleamed with near-impenetrable defense.
"Such a magic exists?"
Watching George transform an entire bridge into a colossal metal dragon in mere seconds, Water at the Rear was truly shocked.
He had studied countless magical systems, yet this was one he had never encountered.
"Die!"
Knowing he could not afford to delay, Water at the Rear swept his arms forward, sending a vast storm of magical weapons cascading down upon George.
George simply waved his hand and commanded:
"Go get him!"
The thousand-meter-long five-clawed metal dragon roared thunderously, charging straight into the oncoming arsenal.
Below, countless students and staff of Academy City opened their windows, gawking in stunned silence at the battle raging overhead.
Fortunately, at that moment, loudspeakers across the city districts blared an announcement:
"Students, do not be alarmed. This is merely the latest virtual projection technology from the laboratories, currently under demonstration."
"This guy… can't he ever keep a low profile?"
Inside a windowless building, Aleister's lips twitched uncontrollably.
Water at the Rear was indeed powerful—among humans, he ranked in the very top tier, second only to Magic Gods themselves.
Yet Aleister knew that if George went all out, he could finish this in just a few moves. There was no need to make such a grand spectacle.
"How is this happening?!"
In the sky, the metallic dragon's eyes fired golden beams, its jaws spewed flames, its claws shredded weapons, and its massive body smashed aside entire waves of attacks.
Water at the Rear was forced to continuously create more magical weapons just to barely keep up.
Meanwhile, George watched leisurely, even analyzing the dragon's performance to refine the flaws in his forging technique, Divine Forge Refinement.
From what he understood, the most powerful beings in this world were the Magic Gods.
His current strength was already on par with them—or perhaps even greater, since Magic Gods suffered limitations when entering the real world.
Here, he no longer needed to hide his power or act cautiously.
As for whether revealing his magic would cause trouble for Aleister?
That was none of his concern.
Their relationship was purely cooperative. Back when he was weaker, he had been more considerate. But now, he didn't need to care about Aleister's opinion at all.
Besides, if Aleister couldn't handle the aftermath of this, then he wasn't worth much to begin with.
This was a rare opportunity to fight a powerful magician—a perfect chance to test the forging abilities his avatars had gained in other worlds.
He also wanted to see just how far the combined blessings of Saint and Holy Mother could take him.
"Are you running out of steam?"
Half an hour later, noticing that Water at the Rear's arsenal was dwindling, George realized his opponent's strength was nearing its limit.
After all, not everyone possessed his limitless reserves of magical energy.
"Endless Waters, detonate!"
Sensing the tide turning against him, Water at the Rear knew that if things continued this way, he would inevitably lose.
Thus, he poured all his remaining power into Endless Waters, engulfing George and the metal dragon entirely, and forced it to explode.
A cataclysmic blast tore through the skies above Academy City, like a miniature nuclear detonation. Blinding light flooded the city below, turning night into day.
"This is the first time anyone has ever pushed me this far."
When the explosion faded, Water at the Rear lay collapsed upon a small cloud of water vapor, gasping heavily.
That one attack had nearly drained him completely.
"I need to find a place to rest and report this to the Church. Once I've recovered, I'll return to claim that boy's right hand."
Right now, he was at his weakest. If he encountered any other espers of Academy City—even those far below George—he would still be in grave danger.
(End of Chapter)