Pompeii (2)
Flutter—!
Pompeii flapped his wings and soared toward the center of the basin. We followed right behind him.
We had no desire to damage his temple—his nest—any more than he did. We exited the temple and faced off in the sylph flower field. Sia and Niagara watched our duel from the temple entrance. At some point, Niagara had clutched a mint-colored muffler preciously in his hand.
The sylphs who had been playfully flitting through the flowers and the salamanders who had been fretting over Pompeii read the tension in the air and hurriedly retreated to the basin's edge.
In the meantime, I closely examined Pompeii's appearance.
'So that's why he looks like that.'
Black scales and red eyes. Demonic wings and heterochromia. If you ignored his round, chubby face, he looked exactly like the evil dragon villain from some fantasy movie or game.
'Spirits take on forms influenced by their thoughts and beliefs.'
Having nurtured his hatred for humans while watching those black flame dragon comics, it wasn't surprising he'd ended up looking like this.
[By the mercy of the Spirit King, I shall yield the first move to you.]
Pompeii spoke in a leisurely tone.
[I am a Spirit King too!] Aqua shouted indignantly.
[Kukukuk...]
Aqua's cheeks puffed out at his dismissive attitude, as if she wasn't even worth responding to.
[You'll regret this!]
I turned to Niagara. He looked at Aqua with worried eyes before silently nodding. That was the signal to begin the duel.
Aqua drew the Spirit Realm's trident from thin air. I gripped it and immediately formed two Water Shields.
Pompeii watched with interest as Aqua drew water from the earth and filled the Water Shields.
"Thanks for the handicap on the first strike."
We fired off the completed Destruction Orb.
Piiiing—!
The sharp water jet tore through the air toward Pompeii.
[Hm?!]
Pompeii reacted late to the attack, but it was already too late.
Schwick—!
Both of Pompeii's wings were severed and fluttered through the air.
'Can't let him stay airborne.'
No need to explain how overpowered flight was in a ground-based fight. Sylphs were exceptions in the Spirit Realm's affinities partly due to wind's nature, but mostly because of flight's overwhelming advantage.
[You dare cut my wings...!]
Pompeii's eyes widened in surprise at the fiercer-than-expected attack. Truth be told, I was shocked too.
'This destructive power and speed are on another level from Niagara.'
I swallowed hard at the might of the Destruction Orb I'd just unleashed.
'This must be the synergy of B-grade Spirit Affinity and the Spirit Realm trident.'
The trident's effect was simple: it amplified the spirit's power if a spirit held it, or the contractor's Spirit Affinity if a spirit user did. Even now, a refreshing energy from the trident was boosting my strength several times over.
I glanced back at Aqua.
[Mm!]
Aqua nodded vigorously, clearly impressed. She pulled back on the Destruction Orb from moments ago with all her might, but I held firm to the Water Shield.
For the first time since we met, I'd reached a level where I could support Aqua at full power.
'A spirit user and spirit's power isn't addition—it's multiplication.'
Jeong Ri-on was treated as S-grade partly for his dual A-grade traits, but also because he was a spirit user. Spirit users always fought with their spirits. The power of numbers in battle went without saying.
Spirit users could overwhelm equals or even one rank higher if they went all out. And in my hand was the trident amplifying my Spirit Affinity.
'Spirit Kings are said to have about S-grade power.'
Even against an S-grade two ranks above me, if it was just one, we had a shot.
[No more yielding!]
Pompeii inhaled deeply as he glared at us. A breath attack.
Gurgle—!
My Water Shield and Aqua's water barrier unfurled in front of us. Then Pompeii's breath poured over them.
Kwaaaaa—!
This wasn't an ordinary breath. It was a thick, sticky flame like molten lava. Drip... The Water Shield was pushed back.
"Ngh...!"
It felt like blocking a massive water jet with an umbrella. Size didn't matter—a dragon was a dragon. The pressure and heat from the Spirit King's flames scattered the sylph flowers in the wind. Sizzle—! The Water Shield and Aqua's barrier evaporated in an instant.
Aqua endlessly drew water from the ground to reinforce the barrier. But in a place with no sea or lake nearby, a water spirit's power had limits.
"Terra!"
At my call, Terra nodded.
[Ready.]
Terra had been pressing her hand to the earth for a while, infusing spirit power to seize control of the soil beneath Pompeii's feet.
"Now!"
Rumble—!
The ground flipped under Terra's command. Pompeii lost balance, halting his breath to focus on regaining it.
But Terra's attack wasn't over.
Kwarung—!
The earth rose like a hand and engulfed Pompeii's body.
Thud—!
Pompeii was crushed under the dirt like a blanket tossed over him.
[Pompeii!]
Aqua leaped toward the only part of Pompeii's head protruding from the earth. In her hand was a massive water hammer.
[Snap out of it!]
Thud—!
Aqua's hammer smashed empty ground. Pompeii's head had turtle-shelled back into the dirt just before impact.
Flicker, flicker... The mound glowed red hot before exploding in an instant.
Boom—!
Red-hot earth fragments scattered everywhere. Pompeii rose from the dirt pile, abandoning his dragon form for his childlike one.
[Not bad!]
Using his regenerated wings, Pompeii shot into the sky. A thick smile—equal parts enjoyment and scorn—curved his lips.
'Spirits regenerate fast, as expected.'
We fired another Destruction Orb. This time, ten smaller orbs.
Piiiing—!
The ten water jets wove a net-like barrage toward Pompeii.
Flap—!
But Pompeii dodged them effortlessly. His evasion maneuvers were impressive enough to draw admiration.
'Learned flight from the Wind Spirit King, huh.'
The upside: his smaller child form likely meant reduced attack power compared to dragon mode. As long as Aqua and Terra could withstand his assaults from the sky, I had another option.
I extended my hand toward Pompeii.
Dehumidification
The new skill from the random box activated.
* * *
Spirit magic is generally divided into low, mid, and high grades. Even the same Water Shield varied in power by grade.
But there were skills like Dehumidification without such classifications—'utility skills,' called that because they weren't much use in combat and were basically 'life skills.' Hunters applying to guilds often didn't even list them on resumes.
'But in the end, grade is king.'
A high-grade spirit user's utility skill outpowered a low-grade one's combat skill. The tale of an S-grade spirit user contracted to Uluru using the farming awakener's Land Clearing and leveling an entire hill was still legendary.
'I'm B-grade now.'
Not S or A, but more than enough to be called a high-grade awakener. And I had Aqua, Terra, and Mandu. A spirit user's magic power depended not just on their Spirit Affinity and skill grade, but also their contracted spirits' strength. Plus, I held the Spirit King's trident.
'So it just might work.'
Not enough to cleave mountains or seas, but dropping Pompeii? Possible.
Shoooo—!
My prediction hit the mark. As I sustained Dehumidification, Pompeii's wings began to dry out—visible to the naked eye.
Aqua and Terra nodded at me. We needed time to bring him down again.
Whiiiistle—!
Aqua's water arrows flew at Pompeii.
Whooom—!
Terra launched stones and boulders like cannonballs.
[Shaaat!]
Mandu added his small fireballs.
[Pathetic!]
Pompeii inhaled deeply and unleashed his breath. Hot flames poured from his small mouth—smaller than in dragon form, but still threatening.
Fwoosh—!
The heat ray swept the sky, vaporizing the water arrows, rocks, and fireballs.
Pompeii raised his hand. A fireball larger than his body formed above it.
'A fireball that size in this short time...!'
Young or not, he was undeniably a Spirit King. The two-meter-diameter fireball hurtled toward us.
Rumble—!
Terra erected a massive earthen wall.
Kaboom—!
The fireball exploded on impact, shattering the wall and sending fragments flying.
Gurgle—!
Aqua's protective water barrier kept us safe.
'Earth is weak to fire in spirit affinities.'
Terra couldn't fully block Pompeii's attack—it was inevitable. But that fireball was a self-own for Pompeii. My Dehumidification had already drained his moisture; now it was gone entirely.
I shouted as I saw his wings cracking.
"Now! Target the wings!"
[Leave it to me.]
Terra cupped her hands wide. Countless stones tore from the earth and shot skyward.
Whiiiistle—!
Pompeii tried to dodge, but his dried wings couldn't evade the shotgun-like stone barrage.
Crack—!
His wings shattered under the onslaught.
[Hm?!]
Pompeii, who hadn't noticed his wings drying, panicked—but didn't fall.
Kwaaa—!
Flame jets propelled him from below. Wingless, he was brute-forcing flight.
'He can fly without wings?'
A Spirit King's overflowing power made temporary flight possible. He'd hold out until his wings regenerated.
'Damn, didn't think of that.'
Then—
Snap!
Terra flicked her fingers. A shattering sound rang out. The stones that had shredded his wings crumbled to powder in the sky.
'...Black powder?'
Simultaneously, an earthen wall enveloped us from above. Terra met my puzzled gaze calmly.
[That's coal.]
"...Ah."
The realization hit just as the massive explosion roared.