37 – vs the Queen part 1

"If that's the case… then let's do this!" (Lina)

Lina swiftly charged at her from the front and was preparing her katana slash. Nier quickly circled behind her and was preparing a kick. Mommy and Rena both leaped from the left and right side respectively. A cross formation.

Their synchronization is perfect. But the Queen was calm. She strangely waved her hands around. A blue aura was wrapping her palms, yet I couldn't sense a drop of magic. But… I could only react one way.

"Girls, don't do it!"

But my warning came too late. It was like watching a ghost. All their attacks missed as if hitting an invisible wall, and in the next moment a shockwave was generated and sent all 4 of my girls flying and tumbling on the ground. What the hell was that? That goes… beyond speed. I… I couldn't follow her movements at all.

My girls weren't hurt that badly, but even that simple impact threw them off balance.

"Oi… miss Queen, you aren't an ordinary person are you? What was that just now?"

"Full Counter. From left to right, back and forth. Anywhere my hands can reach becomes my absolute defense field. Any physical attacks will feel like hitting a rock wall and will be easily avoided, and the force of the impact is easily returned towards my opponent."

"A perfect circle barrier against physical attacks? That feels like a cheat technique. You must be really confident. I wasn't actually expecting you to explain it to me."

"It makes no difference if you know the secret behind it. At the end of the day, there's nothing you can do about it."

She's scary. And I'm not talking about her personality. Her power. I am higher level than her, but her combat experience vastly outshines my own. In short, in terms of the experience, she is above me in every aspect.

"Lina, Shera, Rena, Nier… take cover and stay out of this one. I can see why she acts as the guardian of this place. She's super strong. Let me handle this. I want… to play with her."

"But, Ayaka…"

"No buts. She's clearly in a different league. Your coordination was perfect, yet even so, she managed to stop you easily. This isn't someone you girls can face right now. Leave it to me."

My girls obediently nodded and took a great distance between us. My heart is racing. This is the first time I felt like this. Is this the thrill of facing a proper opponent? I can't say. But this is the first time I can't predict how this is gonna be.

She took a step closer. Something is wrong with her movements. My ears are super sharp, yet… her feet aren't making a single sound. Before I realized it, my body moved on it's own. I took a step backwards and rolled to the left. The place I previously sat was assaulted by a chain. It completely cracked the ground. What the hell? She totally reminds me of Castlevania Lords of Shadow series now.

"Hou? I'm impressed you managed to avoid that. Most can't. You have sharp instincts."

Kuh. If physical attacks are a no, then I'll shoot from a distance. Let's see how she reacts. I'll try the same attack I used when I met Lina.

Rotating flaming circles that can shoot multiple spells of Barid. Constantly assaulting her might be the way to go.

"Full fire!!"

My flames rapidly approached her. Surprisingly enough, she made a Sailor Moon like pose and the chains wrapped in front of her like a fishnet. My flames… were being blocked. It doesn't make sense. They're not even going through the small gaps.

"Tsk. This is quite an annoying ability. But it's not something that can't be dealt with. Everflowing Snake Fangs!"

From behind her back, 5 jet streams of water with large snake heads quickly approached me and avoided the rapid fire shots. I leaped backwards, but I wasn't their aim. They collided with my spinning fire balls. And when water meets fire… well they cancelled each other out.

Because I was so mesmerized by that display, I got careless. The Queen managed to get behind me and prepared another strike with her whip chain. Fortunately I moved fast enough and managed to block it with Kaa and Laa. Sparks were generated and I was pushed back.

"Simple solutions won't work on someone like me."

"I guess you're right."

"Hmm? Why are you smiling?"

Smiling? I touched my face. She was right. I was smiling without realizing it. The more I think about it… the more it makes sense. This… is fun! Up until now I handled everything with breeze. But this woman is actually posing a challenge for me. Something that won't go down so easy.

I probably can overpower her if I use my Limit Break. But the truth is… I don't want to. I've never had this feeling before. My small heart, beating rapidly.

How long has it been since I felt like this? No. To begin with, did I ever feel like this? This feeling. This wild throbbing in my heart. This sensation… the exhilaration of a true fight. Where do I stand compared to her? Up till now I didn't give strategy much thought. I relied on my instincts. She on the other hand is a very calculated fighter. For the first time I am facing an opponent I can't be carefree around. I don't consider myself a battle freak. But I can't ignore this happy feeling.

Screw everything! Right now… I want this feeling to grow stronger. I'll be as serious as I can without breaking my limits.

"He… hahaha!!"

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. I just can't help it. Sorry miss Queen, but I wasn't completely fair. I tried treating this easy. But you deserve my utmost respect. I wasn't taking this fight seriously. But that's over. You have my attention now, so from here on, it's the real deal."

"Hmph. As it should be. I wouldn't be able to properly judge your character if you hold your punches. Come at me with all you got, and I will respond the same!"

A large amount of mana erupted from the Queen alongside violent electric sparks. Naturally, I had to respond the same, so I also unleashed my aura that resembled a raging fire. The real battle… starts here.