[Divine Dividing]—one of its abilities is to reflect energy-based attacks.
Zeroy's small snipers (machine cannons), big snipers (Vector Cannons of the Wind Blades), and ultra-snipers (H.A.M.P and Hercules Base's main and secondary cannons) all fired energy-based ammunition.
The futuristic tech installed in the Sky Striker Ace had nearly eliminated solid projectiles altogether.
After thinking for a moment, Zeroy chose to stick with the big snipers.
Today, she was going to play with recoil-free, fully automatic sniper cannons!
The White Dragon Emperor had reflection, but it wasn't without limits.
So Zeroy changed her fighting style, taking to the skies to play a full-on aerial kiting dogfight against him.
This wasn't just for fun. She knew that although swords felt great to wield and cutting down pests was satisfying, she had to master ranged combat too.
Because choosing the sword wasn't due to ranged weapons being weak.
The unique properties of the [Sky Striker Ace] skill meant its weapons were fully fused with her.
Put simply, these weapons, though mechanical in appearance, could be considered part of her body—extensions of herself.
As strong as she was, so too would they be. If she was strengthened, they were strengthened in turn.
And once Zeroy began using ranged combat, the destruction from their exchanges grew even more terrifying.
A recoil-free, fully automatic sniper cannon that could flatten a mountain in one shot, firing nearly a thousand rounds a minute—and she was dual-wielding them.
The night sky was lit up with every volley.
Green Vector blasts streaked everywhere, wildly scattering—an overwhelming spectacle.
The forest below was reduced to lunar craters by stray beams.
Kuroka and the others had already scrambled to hide, each throwing up defenses.
They dreaded the thought of those barrels sweeping toward them—even a brush of fire would mean more than just one or two stray shots.
At that rate of fire, even a momentary sweep would drop more than a dozen beams nearby.
The insane, destructive power was laid bare before their eyes, leaving them utterly dumbfounded.
"Why... why can she shoot so much? Just how much mana does she have?!"
Kuroka screamed in despair, clutching her ears, her cat ears nearly deafened by the battlefield of artillery created by one person.
She felt like a war correspondent in the middle of hell.
Even the White Dragon Emperor didn't dare keep his reflection up constantly, or he'd be blasted apart in moments.
Still, reflection remained effective, and since Zeroy rarely used this style, after a prolonged dogfight, Vali finally made contact.
The White Dragon Emperor's ability activated immediately—Divide!
Zeroy's power was halved at once.
The two broke apart.
Vali felt the torrent of power within him, his body on the verge of bursting. He quickly used the light wings to vent the excess.
The White Dragon Emperor's ability halved the opponent's strength every ten seconds, absorbing it as his own.
However, too much would burst the host.
Zeroy, feeling her power cut in half, only looked intrigued.
A true halving. In battles where the gap wasn't immense, just one activation could change everything.
At this pace, the outcome was almost clear.
"Then let's move to phase two."
Zeroy dropped her dual cannons. Crimson gauntlets formed on her arms.
—"Boost!"
The emerald jewel on the gauntlet blazed with light.
Zeroy entered Balance Breaker herself, crimson armor covering her whole body.
"—!"
Vali, who had been ready to press the attack, froze.
"You... you're this generation's Red Dragon Emperor?!"
So all this time she hadn't even used her Longinus? He had been forced into a desperate breakthrough, while she was only now moving to phase two?!
And not only that—
[Divine Dividing] and [Boosted Gear]. They weren't just similar. They were a pair.
Their origins were Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, and Albion the White Dragon Emperor.
Together, they were called the Heavenly Dragons, ancient dragons of the Biblical mythology. After death, their souls were sealed into the Longinus [Boosted Gear] and [Divine Dividing].
They were immensely powerful in life, eternal rivals locked in endless combat—even when Heaven, the Underworld, and the Fallen Angels clashed, they continued to fight.
Arrogant dragons, their battles ignored all else. Even when their struggle spilled into the battlefield of the Three Factions, they never stopped.
Their disruptive rampage eventually forced all three forces to unite and slay them, sealing them into Longinuses.
Their abilities were equally fascinating: the Red Dragon Emperor doubled power every ten seconds, the White Dragon Emperor halved the opponent's power every ten seconds.
Naturally, neither could stack infinitely.
Even in death, their feud continued. The inheritors of these Longinuses had always been destined enemies.
Vali cared deeply about this. As the strongest White Dragon Emperor, he sought to surpass everything, to one day defeat the True Red Dragon God Emperor and stand at the summit. To do so, he viewed the Red Dragon Emperor's heir as his destined rival, and had long searched for this generation's Red Dragon Emperor.
And it turned out to be the woman before him.
"Aaah... damn it! That red bastard drew such a good card this time!"
From within the Longinus, Albion's soul roared in frustration.
Vali was the strongest White Dragon Emperor in history, and his opponent was just as surely the strongest Red Dragon Emperor.
And clearly, she was even stronger.
For the first time, Vali felt troubled, and just like Albion, a bitter unwillingness.
But also excitement.
That was what rivals were meant to be!
If she were a pushover, such a rivalry would be disappointing.
She might be too strong right now, yet so what? That only made it thrilling!
"Wait... Red one, can you hear me?"
From the Longinus, Albion's voice suddenly grew serious.
"..."
However, from Boosted Gear—no reply.
"Kid... what did you do to Ddraig?"
"Emmm, nothing. I haven't felt any other presence inside this Longinus."
Zeroy had noticed this from the start, but thought the Red Dragon was merely dormant or hiding.
Now it seemed... maybe some reincarnator had done something before?
...
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