Reborn as an Extra Chapter 583: Raika and The Lyre of Faith. Part-6.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
Before, as he wielded miasma, a dark aura radiated from his whole form, just like the one emitted by a demonized being or an actual demon...
Yet now, employing mana, his body emits the pure aura that only awakeners free from miasma contamination possess...
How could such a thing even occur?
Deep shock and utter confusion gripped Rio's heart, though his expression stayed utterly blank.
Rio, capable of handling both miasma and mana, couldn't possibly purge their lingering presence from his body so swiftly!
Each time Rio activates mana or miasma, traces of their fluctuations cling to him and his surroundings for quite some time.
Raika's case proved entirely otherwise.
He seemed like a true practitioner of both mana and miasma!!
With mana in play, only mana fluctuations appeared! Rio sensed no hint of miasmic traces, indicating he'd never touched any miasma-based abilities!
Could there be two of him?
The oddity of it all pushed Rio to wonder if twin Raikas, identical in appearance but wielding distinct powers, were assaulting him.
I must strike once to unravel what this strange figure truly is...
Rio's gaze sharpened as he unleashed a sword swing at blinding velocity.
Rio executed Lia's famed feint, pretending a slash only to deliver a ferocious thrust packed with overwhelming force!
"Ohhh~ Deep in my soul, I sense you're finally getting serious~"
Much to Rio's astonishment, Raika countered with Lia's lion claw strikes, parrying the thrust and deflecting Rio's blade aside via those fierce shockwaves that echoed her technique, causing him to miss entirely.
Rio's sword tip slammed into the earth after the failed strike, triggering a tremendous blast that carved out a vast crater, hurling rubble everywhere!
Without a moment's delay, Rio harnessed the nearby earth elements to forge enormous iron spears as tall as five-story structures, leaping airborne to put space between him and Raika.
Rio lifted his sword skyward before slashing downward at Raika, propelling scores of colossal iron spears toward him at velocities surpassing missiles!
Those massive metal lances served not as Rio's primary assault; instead, he extended his sword intent across the zone to scan for any mana or miasma ripples, aiming to spot if Raika had 'teleported' anew.
Next, Rio invoked the 'Golden Thunder' exclusive to dragons, which he'd mimicked during his dragon valley journey, unleashing torrents of it over a span of tens of kilometers.
Channeling the colossal metal spears as conduits, Rio directed those potent, dense golden lightning strikes in a full-scale barrage, leaving no spot untouched and obliterating all in view!
The entire enclosure lay in ruins, shattered irreparably.
A depression spanning dozens of kilometers scarred the terrain, while countless tons of wreckage scattered wildly, pulverized into mere powder!
Solely the enormous sealed gate and Ellie beside it remained untouched, shielded by the potent purification spell encircling that massive hill.
Beyond that hill, nothing within the vast enclosure survived intact.
That hill's mighty purification magic prevents teleporting nearby, and Raika lingered too distant to reach it on foot...
The sole path to safety would've demanded a frantic dash there... yet he stayed away...
Hovering above, Rio deployed his sword intent and realized Raika had vanished completely.
It's clear now... he's avoiding 'Teleportation' or any 'space-time' powers... this is another trick entirely...
Rio chose 'Golden Thunder' to test for space-time abilities in Raika's movements, as this force embodies the 'law' of 'thunder'.
Upon replicating it from the dragon princess, Rio discovered its rarity in summoning a 'world' 'law' directly!
Thanks to his 'Limitless (X)' talent and sword mastery, Rio bent the 'thunder' 'law' into his own technique.
Once a 'world' 'law' activates in an area, it disrupts teleportation and similar instant shifts by destabilizing local spatial waves.
Rio unleashed golden thunder to seal off all chances of teleportation or swift movement arts.
Though Rio possessed alternatives like miasma and space skills for spatial interference, they acted sluggishly with delayed impact.
Golden Thunder ranked among Rio's swiftest, most effective tools, capable of defying 'physics' and 'cosmos' 'laws' at times with its velocity.
"You've got far too many tricks hidden away, haven't you, Rio Flash?... I can't fathom how you replicate others' powers, even those tied to the 'world's' 'Laws'..."
As Rio anticipated, Raika emerged unharmed from the devastating strike and the golden thunder onslaught.
He materialized directly before Rio, as if taunting his failure to connect despite the spectacle.
It's no illusion, no teleportation, no hiding or stealth, and definitely not a movement technique...
Rio locked eyes with Raika, unfazed by the sneer twisting his features.
His visage stayed impassive as he resumed his battle posture.
A few more trials are needed... I believe I'm piecing it together...
Sensing the intensity in Rio's stare, Raika's grin faded, his grip tightening on the lyre.
"You're truly captivating, Rio Flash... The more I reveal your helplessness, the mightier and quicker you evolve..."
"I truly covet your freedom from this 'world's' 'laws'... ah~ Time for me to step up seriously, lest I offend you, eh?"
Solemnity etched across his striking face, Raika released the lyre he'd clutched so far.
The lyre ascended solo, radiating a gentle white glow.
Subtle echoes of prayers and incantations emanated from the luminous lyre, drawing a scowl from Rio.
He observed the lyre's pale aura flowing into Raika, setting off urgent warnings in his mind, so Rio charged without hesitation.
He surged at Raika, denying him a chance to empower further, and unleashed a formidable skill.
With every ounce of strength, Rio hurtled toward Raika at velocities mimicking teleportation.
In an instant's blink, he was at Raika's side, slashing his sword with ferocious speed and might.
The assault's raw velocity and force disrupted mana and miasma flows; such a blow could slay a top S-ranker outright or harm an initial SS-ranker unprepared!
Yet, to Rio's disbelief, Raika intercepted the sword in mid-arc using just two fingers!
A shockwave erupted outward, fracturing the heavens vastly, yet Rio's blade remained pinned between Raika's right-hand digits.
"Refrain from soul-type powers against me..."
Ere Rio could respond, Raika drove a fist into his gut, evading every defense!
Bypassing sword intent and shadow robe safeguards, he hurled Rio with explosive might straight into the enclosure's barrier!
The space-time weave tore asunder, spawning enormous fissures that raced everywhere!
The massive cage trapping Ellie crumbled instantly!
Miasma surged from every side as Rio hurtled outward, crashing tens of kilometers distant into a vast miasma-corrupted lake!
"Ugh!... cough! Cough!"
Briefly, Rio blacked out, struggling to regain awareness.
He hastily drew on the lake's miasma for healing while hacking up gouts of blood.
Glancing downward, a fist-wide puncture marred his abdomen, blood gushing like a spring.
Such raw might... an enhanced form of the power that Link employs!...