<h4>Chapter 177 I''m fighting against my Goddess? (II)</h4>


    Imperial Dragons Arc


    ---


    (POV: Lumiere)


    My [Appraisal] skill was still active, I used this to get more information on what exactly had happened to Serena. This was a purely experimental fight, so we needed to see how Serena''s Destruction Core would react to certain situations. To be specific, her core?s name was— Core of Oblivion, but either name would suffice.


    However, this also implied that there were several other Destruction Cores in the world.


    Disturbing...


    The results of the [Appraisal] disyed.


    「 << Imperial ck Dragon''s Ascension Armor Gear I >>


    The Imperial ck Dragon Ascension Armor series is a set of powerful magical armor crafted specifically for the user of 『ck Dragon King of Destruction: Valtara』. Each piece of armor in the series grants enhanced protection, resistance to magical attacks, and increased mobility.


    They range from Gear I to III.


    - Gear I: The chest te provides enhanced defense and resilience against physical attacks, and it increases the wearer''s [Oblivion Magic] prowess. It also has the ability to store and release bursts of destruction energy, dealing damage via progressively expanding ranges.


    Gear I:


    - Chest te


    - Defense: +500


    - Elemental Resistance: +25%


    - Elemental Magic Amplification: +30%


    - Destruction Energy Burst Ability: Activate to release a burst of destruction energy, within a 15-meter range. 」


    With a confident smile, Serena charged towards me, the skies trembled.


    The floatingnds surrounding us temporarily lost their anti-gravitational force, almost as if they could feel the intensity of our sh.


    I instinctively activated my [Boost] ability, propelling myself out of harm''s way just as she made her move.


    "You can''t dodge forever," Serena taunted.


    I smirked. "Oh don''t worry, I don''t n on dodging anymore."


    I raised my hand, and the ck matter droplets spread across the ground soared into the air, converging at my palm to form a rapidly rotating circr saw de.


    "Alright! Let''s see you dodge this!"


    With a swift motion, I hurled it towards Serena.


    The de was unfazed by the waves of destruction energy she emitted.


    "Oh that honestly won''t be enough, my lord.."


    She formed a pulsating orb of purple destruction energy in her palm and unleashed it as a powerful beam towards me.


    Naturally, the beam failed to destroy my ck saw de formation.


    I quickly adapted, transforming the de into a swirling ck mirror-like object that absorbed the destructive energy.


    "Creative as always, my lord."


    Unperturbed, Serena manipted the beams, causing them to diverge at various angles, evading my ck mirror formation before converging towards me.


    "Ohe on!"


    Relying on a 「Magic Barrier」 would be ineffective, as the destruction energy would likely eat through the mana particles and harm me in the process.


    Instead, I chose to rely on my [Boost] enhanced agility, using precise movements to dodge the converging beams.


    As I soared to a higher altitude, I felt a certain joy inside me.


    Fighting Serena was fun.


    Serena charged towards me once again, her form blurring in a purple sh.


    The air crackled with waves of destruction energy emanating from her, a constant threat to my well-being.


    Instinctively, my wings carried me to the side, gliding smoothly out of harm''s way as I conjured a mass of swirling ckness from the depths of Eterna Noctis.


    "This is it!"


    With [Siphon], I absorbed the surrounding destruction energy, relieving myself from the imminent danger lurking within its range.


    Seizing this opportunity, I swiftly retreated, creating a safe distance of ten meters between us.


    Now free from the relentless assault of her destructive waves, I could unleash a wider range of omnidirectional attacks.


    "Take this seriously, my lord!" Serena pouted.


    "I AM!!" I retorted.


    Again, Serena charged at me like a cannon, her movements almost too fast to track, I called upon [Mana Pressure], increasing the density of mana around me.


    This intensified the pressure on objects within my reach, granting me heightened defense.


    [Mana Pressure] was normally used to impose the will of your mana on someone else, but I used it in a more versatile manner.


    It was one of my trump cards when up against people faster than me.


    Like the Beast Princess— Eris Fergonius.


    Combining this with the activated Rank S+ [Boost] and Rank B [Aura of Protection], I weaved effortlessly through her barrage of punches and kicks, gracefully rotating in the air.


    Capitalizing on my newfound advantage, I once again utilized [Siphon], drawing in the destruction energy from the core of Serena''s chest te.


    Simultaneously, I conjured a searing fireball in my other hand, allowing it to expand continuously until its explosive force sent Serena rolling backward through the air.


    "Wait! Was that too much?!" I asked myself.


    As the smoke cleared, concern filled me, "Are you alright?"


    Coughing slightly, Serena nodded. "I''m fine."


    ...


    (POV: Akashic Records)


    Somewhere in Vito Heights.


    A trio of individuals observed the intense showdown between Lumiere and Serena with great interest. Encased within an orb, their gazes fixated on the spectacle unfolding before them.


    Among the trio was us, a man of striking crimson hair and eyes that burned with an inner fire. His muscr frame was entuated by his sleeveless attire, which proudly disyed his chiseled chest and abdomen.


    As the Imperial Red Dragon, his presence exuded an aura of power and authority.


    Beside us stood a loli with enchanting blue hair and matching eyes, dressed in a form-fitting gown adorned with shades of blue and gold.


    This was Eunaria, the Imperial Sapphire Dragon.


    With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she uttered excited noises.


    "Oh, this is getting interesting! I''d love to go and investigate this new to— I mean individual... personally," she eximed, her childlike voice resonating with eager curiosity.


    us, everposed and level-headed, offered a gentle smile in response to Eunaria''s exuberance.


    "Patience... we can''t confirm if she''s truly Valtara just yet," he cautioned.


    Undeterred by us'' words of caution, Eunaria yfully retorted, her voice tinged with an edge of defiance.


    "That''s dumb! I can go and check for myself. Let''s see if she truly is Valtara!"


    Her smile widened.


    "Besides, it''d be so much fun to pummel Valtara again," she added.


    Maintaining his stoicposure, us tilted his head slightly, considering Eunaria''s suggestion.


    "An intriguing idea, I must admit," he mused, his crimson eyes gleaming with hidden intentions. "I don''t see why not," he conceded.


    At this moment, Cenis, a woman with cascades of vibrant orange hair and matching eyes, interjected.


    Garbed in a pitch-ck gown, with an elegant orange scarf adorning her neck, she exuded elegance.


    "us, are you sure about this?"


    He waved one hand dismissively. "If things go out of hand, then I''ll step in."


    With a pout, Eunaria then said, "Only if things get— really, really, really, really, reeeeaaaaaally bad! Okay?!"


    us chuckled and then told her, "I don''t see why not."


    "Great!" Eunaria jubted.


    His crimson gaze fell upon the blue haired loli. "Just don''t kill them, alright?"


    "That''ll be difficult, but I can try.."