“What in the world?! Ugh, activate! Feather Sphere!”
“Too late.”
The Tidal Severance gale-force winds disappeared, as the feathers began to rise from Bahamut Dominion’s wings into the air. Without waiting for the rest of the attack, Lord Gryphon’s dual blades flashed. Their aim was Bahamut Dominion’s arm, holding one of the Mechsteel’s enormous broadswords. Lord Gryphon kicked Bahamut Dominion as it raced upward before leaping into a brilliant somersault. The severed arm went hurtling through the air as if following after Lord Gryphon.
A moment later, the enormous arm crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. With the Feather Sphere onslaught finally unleashed upon it, Lord Gryphon retreated outside the range of the attack with a string of backflips.
“Wha... What have you done?!” Lezamer cried. “You filthy bastard! My arm! What have you done to my aaaaaaarm?!”
“I cut it off, that’s what,” Watt replied. “Your Tidal Severance vanished when you used Feather Sphere. You’re awfully proud of those Hyper Magi-skills of yours, but it looks like you can’t use ’em at the same time, huh?”
Lezamer gulped down his retort. Despite his silence, his behavior revealed the answer more eloquently than anything.
“Hit the nail right on the head, huh?” Watt said. “That Bahamut Dominion of yours is every bit as strong as you’d expect from a Diviner. It’s unrivaled in terms of strength, no getting around that. But you made it stronger than you needed to—too strong. So strong you came up short on magic energy!”
Bahamut Dominion had unleashed a string of far too powerful Hyper Magi-skills. And yet, at the same time, those Hyper Magi-skills consumed a tremendous amount of magic energy befitting their power. Bahamut Dominion boasted an overwhelming, gargantuan build, but by Watt’s estimation, that was the result of the Mechsteel being further and further enlarged to supply the magic energy demanded by its attacks. The final nail in the coffin was the fact that Lezamer had alternated the Hyper Magi-skills he used during battle. In light of all that, there was only one conclusion.
“It’s astounding that you can tell all that just in the short time we’ve been fighting,” Anna said.
“He’s a shoddy pilot and he doesn’t know the first thing about strategizin’ in a fight. The stronger an attack you use, the quicker you have to finish off your opponent—that’s just how that works. If you go shootin’ off the same attack over and over like he did, you might as well be invitin’ your opponent to find your weak point.”
It was the years of experience that Watt had accumulated that had allowed him to discern such.
Had Lezamer been a more skillful pilot, he would’ve been able to move in a way that compensated for any weaknesses. Instead, he relied solely on the capabilities of his Mechsteel and failed to maximize its potential. Arguably, Bahamut Dominion’s true weakness lay in the Steelrider piloting it.
“You shoulda worked on getting better yourself way before you started boastin’ about how strong your Mechsteel is.”
“Si... Silence! Silence! Silence! Don’t tell me what to do, knave!”
Lezamer was unable to accept the facts. So just what would he do then? He had only one choice: to destroy everything. Following only his instincts, he unleashed Tidal Severance and the violent winds that surrounded the attack.
“Thought I told you that ain’t gonna work on me anymore! Just watch this!”
Lord Gryphon slipped past the gale-force winds, mere inches from their reach. Watt had already fully discerned the range of the attack, so Bahamut Dominion’s remaining massive arm fell victim to Lord Gryphon’s dual blades. The arm went hurtling through the air with so little effort it was almost disappointing. By the time Feather Sphere activated a moment later, Lord Gryphon had had more than enough time to escape outside the attack’s range. With no target to strike, the feathers merely floated around Bahamut Dominion.
“Ngh... Get back! Stay away from me!”
For the first time, Bahamut Dominion retreated—in that moment, it bore none of the dignity of a Diviner. Instead, Lezamer appeared as nothing more than a rat that had been chased into a corner.
He was at the very height of desperate confusion. Just how in the world could he defeat Watt? If he could just wipe him out with Dragon’s Roar, then—no, if he were to do that, then that’d mean he’d have to stop Feather Sphere. After all, he couldn’t activate multiple Hyper Magi-skills at once. But if he were to stop Feather Sphere, Watt’s blades were all but certain to reach him this time. If the sort of monster that could counterattack Tidal Severance head-on were to close in on him, he’d have no way to fight back. But now that he’d grown fearful, Lezamer found himself unable to give up Feather Sphere.
The sensation welling up from within him was nothing short of terror. But why? He was the one who was supposed to have the ultimate power, wasn’t he? Why in the world should a Diviner have to be scared of anything? No matter how many times Lezamer asked himself, he couldn’t find the answer.
I-Impossible... I have a Diviner and I still can’t win...? Something like that shouldn’t be allowed to exist!
Lezamer even found himself struck by the sensation that Bahamut Dominion’s massive frame had shrunk down a size. Two things were necessary to bounce back after being driven into a corner: courage and nerve. Unfortunately, Lezamer was lacking on both fronts. He’d only ever fought by merely relying on his power to crush his foes, but now he was paying the price for it.
B-But...I’m not done yet! Dragon’s Roar’s my only chance after all! If I can just land that attack, then I’ll be able to send that monster to the grave! And to do that...I have to do whatever it takes to create an opening!
Indeed, Lezamer possessed neither courage nor nerve. But when it came to luring someone into a trap, he possessed an unmatched talent. With his back against the wall, Lezamer’s brain set about thinking at a ferocious pace before working out a secret plan.
A crack-like smile ruptured across his face. “Hmph. And just why is it that you wield that sword of yours?”
“What? Where the hell did that come from?”
“You believe Anna to be your daughter. That’s why you’ve taken up your blade and played at being a knight...but what if you were mistaken right from the very beginning? Just what would you do?”
Watt paused. “What are you getting at?”
From within Lord Gryphon’s cockpit, Anna let out a gasp.