“HA HA-HA! It’s a mouthful to say my name, isn’t it? No need to strain yourself mid-battle. Just abbreviate it. Call me Jill or Duke or big brother Jill, or even Jill-bro. Whatever suits you!”
“Understood, Lord Jill,” Inglis replied, her face lighting up with a smile.
Despite his high-ranking position within the Highland, his jovial demeanor wasn’t what one would expect. He behaved more like a warrior or a martial artist rather than a high-ranking official.
In her past life as King Inglis, she had been too preoccupied with her duties to indulge in martial arts as she wished. Perhaps, if she had been more like Jeldegrīva, reincarnation wouldn’t have been necessary.
However, such a path would have its own dilemmas. If King Inglis had been content with his life, the current Inglis Eux wouldn’t exist.
She wouldn’t have had the chance to meet the charming and delightful Rafinha or experience the joy of adorning beautiful dresses and admiring her own reflection. While her rebirth as a woman initially left her bewildered, living as Inglis Eux has proven to be incredibly enjoyable.
Moreover, it appeared that Jeldegrīva struggled to find chances for actual combat. Although he had undergone rigorous training for unexpected situations, such events were uncommon.
To Midlanders, the world was in constant danger due to the threat of Magic Stone Beasts and the suppressive rule of the Highlanders. However, for the Highlanders, the world seemed peaceful, free from significant threats or disputes, with a steady influx of supplies from the Midland.
Given these circumstances, being a solitary foot soldier with minimal responsibilities was indeed best, as it provided ample opportunities for real combat.
Essentially, this was Inglis’ current position. Even her title as the Commander of the Imperial Guard Order, as temporary and part-time as it was, she would gladly relinquish if need be.
“Hold on tight! Don’t fall, okay?!”
With Inglis on his shoulder, Jeldegrīva strongly flapped his wings. The surroundings shifted rapidly, with the training grounds and the city of Ymir soon left behind. The landscape transformed into the soothing green of the grasslands on the outskirts of Ymir. Their speed was simply astounding.
It was as if Jeldegriva had covered the distance instantaneously using Divine Feat, but that wasn’t the case.
A delayed powerful gust of air roared from the training grounds, through the city, and past the outer walls of Ymir, creating a massive shockwave and leaving a trail of devastation in the now half-demolished city.
“…Oops, I got too fast. That’s not good! GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”
“…That’s on you, Lord Jill. I have no part in this, alright? Rani can be really fierce when she’s mad, so it’s you who’ll get an earful, not me. Ah, she’s the girl who stopped us before.”
“R, really…?! Is she that terrifying that you’re scared of her…?”
“She is. I can’t go against her at all.”
After all, Inglis adored her deeply. With cuteness being the ultimate form of justice, resistance was futile. In fact, Inglis wasn’t upset that Rafinha had effectively turned her into a five-year-old child. On the contrary, since Rafinha also took on the appearance of the same age, Inglis was overjoyed to see Rafinha as a child once more.
“Now, let’s engage in a heart-throbbing battle…!”
Inglis hopped down from the Duke of War’s back, and with her petite body, she got into position. Her Ether Armor was already activated, and she was prepping her Dragon Roar power for immediate use.
The question remained—how far could she go with this?
Jeldegrīva’s movements were faster than the sound they produced could reach her. Perhaps his speed was on par with Prisma’s.
On the other hand, Inglis no longer possessed her dragonscale sword, which meant her individual power was diminished compared to the Prisma encounter. The physical limitations of being in a five-year-old body could certainly impact a head-on battle.
Yet, this didn’t imply all was lost…!
“Dragon Roar…!”
The white, see-through energy of a dragon morphed into arms, small ones that matched Inglis’ diminutive stature. As Inglis swirled her arm, the ethereal limbs trailed her movements slightly. It was as if she possessed four arms. However, this wasn’t enough.
“Hmmph…!”
Concentrate. Quicken the Dragon Roar’s movement and manipulate it to perfectly sync with her arms. As a result, instead of having four arms, it seemed as if Inglis’ two arms were now coated in a white protective layer.
The Dragon Roar, passed down from the Dragon God Vufailbane, was a power that could mimic one’s body and weapons and follow their movements.
For instance, when she swung a sword while invoking this power, the Dragon Roar would mimic the sword slash, thereby substantially amplifying the number of attacks she could deliver.
However, Inglis intended not just to duplicate her movements, but to perfectly overlay them. By doing this, she could cut the number of attacks in half, but each strike’s power would increase. This was a testament to Inglis’ enhanced control over Dragon Roar.
Surprisingly, compared to Ether, Dragon Roar was easier to manipulate, and this level of power application was now within her reach.
But this technique wasn’t merely about switching between quantity and power.
Inglis clenched her fists tightly, bringing together her left and right index fingers in a gesture as if she was unsheathing a sword. While the Dragon Roar was superimposed on her movements, she activated the sorcery to forge a sword of ice.
“HYAHH…!”
The manifestation of the ice sword between Inglis’ small fists was distinctly different from usual. Instead of producing a clear, icy glow, it unleashed the roar of an enraged dragon. The sword’s appearance diverged from the typical icy blade, taking on a form more akin to the teeth and claws of a dragon.
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