180. Duel (2)
Bahamut, locked in the midst of battle, could sense it too. His opponent was strong. Her personality might have plenty of issues, but that power was the real deal—and she was no one to take lightly.
Our strengths are evenly matched. Deciding a clear victor will be difficult.
Bahamut's own assessment pegged the Phoenix's power as equal to his own. There was no need to debate superiority, who was stronger or weaker. Their raw power and output were identical; if it came down purely to the forces they could wield, any clash between Bahamut and the Phoenix would always end in a deadlock.
But in a fight between us, what matters is the skill to deploy every ounce of that power.
In the end, this duel between the two divine beasts hinged not on the strength they displayed, but on their ability to allocate and apply it effectively. With equal power levels, victory would go to whoever maintained the composure, insight, and veteran savvy to wield their full arsenal while sustaining the battle.
In that regard, Bahamut was profoundly blessed.
"Haat!"
"Kyaaak!"
Unlike the Phoenix, whose debut battle this truly was, Bahamut had ample real-world experience answering the Dragon Priestess's summons to fight. He'd used magic daily to aid the Balhut Cult, making it second nature—like an extension of his own body. He'd even delved into magical research, granting him a depth of understanding that let him proudly claim the title of the apocalypse's foremost magical scholar.
In short, Bahamut possessed the insight to analyze his foe's spells, pinpoint their weaknesses, and exploit them. Seizing on the Phoenix's openings, he drove his fist home.
"Hmph."
But a single punch wouldn't fell the Phoenix. Her damaged flesh regenerated in an instant, unleashing a torrent of blazing flames that rivaled Bahamut's own might. The intense crimson inferno that knit her body whole began blotting out the sky, and before long, the heavens themselves shifted to match the Phoenix's hue.
As if declaring this her domain, the surrounding air grew scorching, the heat seeping into Bahamut's body and setting his insides ablaze.
"This is dangerous."
Bahamut countered by unfurling dozens, hundreds of magic circles, all aimed squarely at the Phoenix to brace against the escalating phenomenon...
Hold on a moment.
In that instant, Bahamut realized the eyes watching him had all vanished. The drones monitoring their clash had been obliterated in the fury, blinking out of existence.
Which meant...
"Let's call it quits. No need to keep fighting, right?"
"Eh? R-Really?"
The reason for this WWE spectacle had evaporated. With the drones gone, Bahamut dismissed his magic circles first, dropping his battle stance. He told the Phoenix there was no point continuing, and she, in turn, extinguished the flames encroaching on the surroundings, staring at him in disbelief.
Truth be told, the Phoenix still had plenty in reserve; she had grounds to press on, and she'd been gradually seizing air superiority—tilting the odds her way, perhaps.
Whoa, she's incredibly strong! Can I even beat someone like this!?
But battling Bahamut had shown her his might firsthand, and committing to a deathmatch felt daunting. She harbored no deep grudge warranting mutual destruction, especially since the Saintess had strong-armed her into this. So when Bahamut suggested stopping, relief washed over her.
"Indeed. We're no enemies worth killing each other over. And this demonstration for the humans? This should suffice."
"W-Wait a sec! Is that okay? Stopping at the highlight reel... They might complain over there..."
The Phoenix fretted about the Saintess throwing a fit, warning that ending it might draw backlash. But...
"That's their perspective. We're the ones in the driver's seat. We get compensated, and in return, we lend our power. Phoenix, did you receive fair payment from the Saintess?"
Bahamut brushed it off: that's their problem; we're the clients here. He spoke matter-of-factly. But the Phoenix's expression grew even stranger...
"Huh...? Weren't we helping out for free?"
"Eh."
She'd just openly admitted she was a total pushover. Which meant this foolish Phoenix...
Wait, they didn't even ask for compensation? My summoning draws on the Dragon Priestess's mana, and my spells tap hers too—but they pay nothing?
Weighed on the scales, Bahamut took some payment via contract from his Dragon Priestess, however modest. The Phoenix? Zero. Her naive demeanor left Bahamut dumbfounded, as if he'd never imagined stumbling on a bigger sucker than himself.
Isn't she dangerously exploitable?
Humans had a way of mistaking sustained favors for entitlement. To prevent that, Bahamut always insisted on compensation for his power, framing Balhut Cult summonings as transactions, not entitlements—a mindset that had stuck.
Bahamut clocked the Phoenix as easy prey but prioritized ending the fight first.
"Our powers are equal. Dragging this out would leave one of us battered. A show of strength needs restraint. All-out annihilation just wastes our might."
"Still, if those people complain..."
"That's a human society issue. Not ours—or the Phoenix's. Sure, the contractors are problematic, but isn't that their own karma? Even I don't fix every mess born of self-inflicted wounds."
He gave her a clear answer. Her face lit up.
"Th-Then... can I go home now?"
She looked ready to bolt. Bahamut nodded.
"Of course. But first, let's wrap this neatly: our powers match perfectly, no decisive end in sight, so we acknowledge each other and withdraw. Sound good?"
"Ah. Yes. I like that."
Officially, the Dragon God Bahamut and the Phoenix were equals, parting by mutual recognition. With that, their clash concluded, and both divine beasts returned to their bases.
"Looks like a draw this time."
"Yes. Such a shame."
The news soon reached the European Union. Alicia called it a draw, noting how it defied the Saintess's expectations. The Orleans Saintess feigned mild regret over no deathmatch between Phoenix and Dragon God Bahamut.
"But this proves it, right? That I'm on par with the Dragon Priestess."
"...Can't deny that."
Irrefutable: the Orleans Saintess matched a Dragon Priestess. It boosted her prestige immensely. But...
"At least the Orleans Saintess's solo run didn't pan out."
Her plan was half-success, half-failure. She'd aimed to dominate the EU alone, but Alicia's star rose too, forming a dual-power structure. From the Saintess's view, only half the scheme worked.
Alicia breathed relief that the EU hadn't fallen wholly to the Saintess, then returned to Paris.
[Quite the workout after so long.]
"Th-That was an incredible clash. People are stunned—terrified, even. I never dreamed anything could match the Dragon God in power."
Back in her Paris lodging, Alicia spoke to Bahamut via the far-seeing mirror. She mentioned how everyone was buzzing about the Bahamut-Phoenix duel.
[True enough. It was a natural disaster.]
"Yes. No different from one. Humans don't gripe at disasters—just endure. Your fight was exactly that. The Saintess demanding more from two standoffish divine beasts? That's the real oddity."
Some were starting to view Bahamut and Phoenix as natural calamities. Man-made woes could draw blame; true disasters? Unassailable. To humanity, these two were that—beyond grudge or grievance.
"Incredible! To think the Dragon God contracted to Her Majesty wields such might! Could modern tech even replicate those strikes?"
"Probably not? Maybe a nuke or something..."
Sir Arthur, awed by the Dragon God's feats, wondered if human tech could match it. Snapping fingers to unleash elemental barrages rivaling disasters? Majestic beyond words. The sheer power defied imagination—asymmetric warfare incarnate, and more.
"Hm. I'd say beyond nukes. Those attacks? Pure mana, no resources needed—she could spam them endlessly. The ultimate efficient war machine."
[Not wrong.]
Sir Arthur, aware nukes were overhyped in modern lore, rated Bahamut's output superior. Nukes wrecked static cities fine, but mobile armies? Less so.
Bahamut nodded agreement: not wrong at all.
"Neither of us went all-out. If we had... it might've been risky."
They'd held back but opened enough to gauge each other. The Phoenix could raze everything just flying, scattering flames wide. Bahamut could've leveled a city with on-site spells. And neither had unleashed true finishers...
"What if you'd fought for real?"
[Who knows. The expedition nearby—minus contractors—might've gotten caught in it and died.]
Bahamut admitted a full clash could've ensnared the surrounding forces.
"That's basically a one-person war."
[A war. Fights between us are wars.]
"A war..."
Alicia echoed it, and Bahamut affirmed. Their duel was war.
"All we can do is pray that power isn't misused against humanity."