After I felt power surging through me, I heard one last flurry of Gamer Notifications come through.
[Ding! Due to increasing Favorability with Roselia to its max, some changes have occurred.]
[Ding! It will be harder for Gamer Naoto to develop Favorability with the Kin of Earth. The Kin of Fire and Kin of Earth are presently enemies.]
[Ding! Due to Gamer Naoto passing the 10,000 EP threshold, Gamer Naoto now has access to a new S-Craft: Crimson Hearts.]
'That makes sense. The two clans have fought on numerous occasions in the past. They had a lot more forces back then, and the Hexen Clan only has a handful of people now. The Gnomes, even less. The Gnomes are the Kin of Earth. There's a certain someone out there that plays everyone a fool later on in Cold Steel that I should probably avoid. George Nome...', I thought to myself. I am not sure if I should become friendly with such a person, knowing the lore and all. But if I do something out of place, that may make me suspicious, and I'd want to avoid that even more. Knowing that I have True Friend active, perhaps the two will cancel each other out, making the Gnomes more neutral?
I'm not sure, but after having a look at my latest Stat Preview and everything new I obtained, I was grinning from ear to ear. I'm only Lv40 still, but I'm almost halfway to the cap for Stats. On top of that, I now have an abundance of HP, and even more so in EP!
And now, I even have my first S-Craft. They're a person's special ability that you can use as a finisher move. Their most powerful move. I've been thinking of putting a twist on the S-craft Teacher currently knows, Esmelas Hearts. Looks like the Gamer System decided the rest for me, and it became Crimson Hearts!
That isn't all. Limit Break...
If I use that, I might be able to exceed a Stat's limit. Kind of ironic, knowing the Skill name and all. Will it really push my stats beyond 9,999? And knowing how much EP I have now, I can use it for roughly half a minute.
More than enough to decide the winner and loser on the battlefield. In most cases, all you need are a few seconds!
I couldn't help but grin at this newfound power. The energetic feeling began to die down. The blood-red aura receded back into my body. Seeing my appearance more or less normal apart from how I look with my Occupation, which upgraded into Child of the Progenitor, Roselia looked at me with a satisfied look in her eyes.
"How do you feel now, Naoto?", Roselia asked, wanting to make sure.
"Haha. I feel like a new me. This power will definitely take some time getting used to, but like I said to Emma, it's never been better.", I replied, smiling back at Roselia. In response to that, the blood-red aura that went back into me began to escape my body again. But I was in control of it. I let it shift toward my feet, and a tiny layer of it started swirling around them, keeping steady.
"Are you really alright?", Emma asked, still worried. She checked over me and saw I was fine, but she really is being too worried about this. I couldn't help but feel happy seeing Emma this worried. I did a fist pump, and formed my hand into a fist.
"Of course. I'm sorry to have worried you, Emma. There is no cause for concern.", I answered.
As we exchanged some words, Sherryl did another silent comparison between Emma and herself. Tio was nearby, and took notice of this. It wasn't hard to tell what Sherryl was thinking.
"You have a long road ahead.", Tio said to Sherryl.
"Shut. It.", Sherryl retorted back at her. A mark of anger appeared on her forehead. Still, Lechter smiled seeing this result.
"Haha, looks like nothing bad happened to Young Master. On the contrary. My sensors are flaring up like no tomorrow. You'd hardly think it's coming from him. Perhaps he really does have a chance of going up against the Jaeger King.", Lechter said, placing his hands behind his head.
"You really think so?", Van asked, wondering if that really was the case.
"Heh. Only one way to find out. This new you...Ya ready, Your Highness?", Rutger said, grinning back at me.
"A thousand percent ready. I'd watch your back if I were you, Jaeger King.", I said, smirking at him.
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has used Limit Break.]
Current Limit: 37 seconds.
Wooosh!
Gripping onto my Glistening Moonlight which was still near me, all it took was one moment.
Emma blinked her eyes once.
She saw I was no longer in front of her. Emma opened her mouth into a large 'O'.
Even Rutger's eyes turned serious seeing me instantly vanish like that. It was as if time had slowed down before everyone. Some couldn't react in time.
I reappeared behind Rutger's back, and rushed forward with my rapier in hand.
"Piercing Light!", I exclaimed, thrusting my Glistening Moonlight out. My rapier became clad in light itself, blinding it from view. I struck out rapidly.
"Hey now.", Rutger said. His eyes now had a serious look in them. All of this happened very quickly, but he jumped back, holding onto his glaive. Letting its inner mechanisms do their thing, several rounds suddenly shot out. Pew. Pew. Pew!
"Tch.", I replied, seeing bullets get launched my way. Perhaps it was with the combined efforts of Perception and Limit Break, but I could see the pathing of these bullets. My hand moved on its own, and managed to deflect each one shot at me.
[Ding! Piercing Light has failed to land a blow.]
[Ding! Current Limit: 30 seconds.]
Everyone sucked in a cold breath of air seeing me so easily deflect Rutger's bullets. As for Rutger, he cracked a smile.
"Ya certainly have improved alright, Your Highness. But That form of yours...Ya really don't look so hot.", Rutger said to me. "How long can ya last like that?"
Rutger saw that I was already starting to pant. I could feel strength rapidly deplete from my body with each passing moment. Whenever you see someone use Limit Break, it starts taking a toll on one's body, doesn't it?
"Another thirty seconds, give or take. More than enough time. I want to show you a move that I have recently developed.", I replied, remaining confident.
"Heh. Good. I like that confidence. Let me see what ya got.", Rutger said, and assumed a defensive stance. He switched from mid-range, allowing his sword to come out. It was raring to go.
I knew I was on a timer, so I reached for my spare hand, and bit into my thumb. Kushaa! Blood started to drip down.
"Blood Spheres.", I chanted, letting my Mana roam free and without constraint. The bloody aura around me grew fiercer. Wooosh! Wooosh!
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has made three Blood Spheres. -6000 EP.]
Current Limit: 20 seconds (20,000 EP).
Sherryl raised her eyes.
"Big Brother created three Blood Spheres this time?", Sherryl asked as the blood began to congeal into three decent sized spheres around me, and just floated. The blood rapidly spun inside them.
"The Young Master used this back inside those caves...Just what in Aidios's name is that?", Lechter uttered, seeing three floating crimson red spheres now around me. Waiting to strike. But I had a different purpose for them.
"Is this really a Skill of yours, Naoto? I can feel threatening pressure just by looking at them...", Van said, wondering what these spheres were. As for Roselia, she nodded in agreement.
"Umu. It holds certain conditions, but this is satisfactory. I know you don't have much time, Naoto. Let us see what you have.", Roselia said.
As for Rutger, even he felt the hairs stand on his skin, making his blood boil seeing me like this. He couldn't help but smile. By now, the sun was beginning to set, making the crimson tips of my hair even more wild. I say that, but I'm just joking. I was preparing myself to unleash my S-Craft.
As for Rutger, we were only separated by a few feet. I smiled.
[Ding! Current Limit: 15 seconds.]
Seeing me serious now, Rutger responded in kind. A black battle qi began to release from his body. It started knocking the sand around up. Fie's eyes raised upward seeing this.
"D-Daddy?", Fie asked, shocked to see this dense qi. Even I felt pressured. Rutger was being serious here.
"Oi. The Boss is really letting out his battle qi to some royal brat?", Killing Bear asked.
"I mean, would you want to go up against him right now?", Firebird asked, pointing at me. Hearing that, Killing Bear halted. He could feel the pressure I was releasing from Limit Break.
"Even I am feeling a little uneasy from this.", Behemoth said, also adding in.
"Hmm. The royal brat might be trying to end this in this next strike.", Killing Bear responded, keeping to himself.
As for me, I was happy Rutger was responding in kind, even if I had an appearance like this. I might be a child, but I've grown my Gamer Stats quite well since I departed from the villa. I don't know if this equates 1:1 to what I can display, but we'll find out, I guess!
"You are taking me seriously. I like that.", I said to Rutger.
"Ya gotta be ready for anythin' on the battlefield. It don't matter who you are. Ya got the strength, and your enemy will respond in kind. And if they don't, then ya become the victor. Show me what ya got, Your Highness.", Rutger said, smiling back at me. He had his gun glaive in full view, lifting it up with ease.
"Haha! I'd expect nothing else from you, Jaeger King. Very well.", I began to say.
After saying that, I widened my legs a little. Raising Glistening Moonlight high up into the air, Rutger's eyes were drawn to it. At the same time, the aura fluttered rapidly.
"Crimson Hearts.", I uttered.
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has used S-Craft Crimson Hearts (SSS). -10,000 EP.]
Current Limit: 5 seconds.
I knew I had no more time to waste.
"O to the one Wandering in the Skies Above...", I chanted. The aura, in response, began to sweep upward. Hearing this, Vita became surprised.
"A chant? Did you teach Naoto this, Grandmother?", Vita asked.
"I did not. The boy did this on his own. I am most curious.", Roselia said, musing at what I was going to do next.
"Kyuu?", Tamamo also asked, as she hadn't seen this either.
I ignored their responses, as I had to act quickly.
"I sing to thee, an ode. As a child of your Shadow, let this blade dance in your radiance. For it has been blessed by the Stars Above...", I continued chanting. I could feel the Mana thicken with the EP spent. It converged into a single direction. All the way above the tip of my rapier. It didn't end there. It began to cover the blade, and started to shine a bright, crimson red.
It then created a blood-like sphere three times as big as the three Blood Spheres around me. They also flew toward it. Wooosh!
All of a sudden, I switched my stance. My Glistening Moonlight swung down, making its position diagonal to the large bloody sphere. It was completely dyed red now. The previous Blood Spheres soon formed into ring-like shapes around the larger sphere. The Mana projecting was now complete!
"Here I come. Crimson Hearts!", I exclaimed, pointing my rapier at the crystal crimson sphere with rings around it. My blade struck right into it. BANG!
A light metal sound struck our ears as if a mirror had shattered.
"So that's your aim...", Rutger uttered, and lifted his gun glaive upward. The sphere was sent flying at Rutger. With one simple swing, Rutger tried cleaving it into two. But that didn't happen. The sphere pushed onward, creating more strikes of metal against our ears. Shinggg!
"The Boss failed to cut that?", Firebird uttered, surprised.
"Of course. What you see is a complex construct of Mana. A normal weapon shouldn't pierce this sphere so easily.", Vita explained.
Before Rutger realized it, the sphere actually engulfed the Jaeger King. It formed a prison around him, becoming entirely trapped.
Once the Jaeger King was trapped, I used my last couple of seconds to hop around, and suddenly dashed right at him. I could now be seen covered in a bluish-red aura, like I had just become an arrow. I vanished from sight.
In the next moment, they heard one large shattering noise as the crystal sphere split into two. Several bloody needles swept all around Rutger, striking against different portions of his body. Rutger tried blocking them at first, but he became overwhelmed.
I had looked at Rutger's Level earlier, only to see it was ???. Detection can only detect up to Level 90 right now for me with my current Level being 40, and the Level being 50. Its limit is 90. So that meant Rutger was at 91 or higher. He really is a monster. But to my surprise, I still saw a huge damage number appear. I could at least see his health bar, even if the number wasn't visible.
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has inflicted 415,000 Damage onto the target!]
Kushaaa!
"Ugh...", Rutger said, feeling his body scream at him. All of a sudden, he saw around a tenth of his health depleted...
'Holy...', I thought to myself. Even if I couldn't see his stats because of the level difference, Rutger probably has around five million health points...
[Ding! Gamer Naoto's EP has been depleted. Limit Break has ended.]
'Shit.', I cursed, feeling energy start rapidly draining from me. I couldn't help but start panting heavily, using Glistening Moonlight to prop me up from collapsing even further.
But one thing was for certain. I successfully landed a blow on Rutger! I didn't think I would hear another Gamer Notification, but it looks like it spawned in a Quest for me!
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has accomplished Hidden Quest: Deliver A Blow Onto The Jaeger King.]
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has Leveled Up!]
[Ding! Rutger Claussell's Favorability has increased to 75%. He is now pleased with the result of the battle Gamer Naoto has given him.]