CH 161.1

Chapter 161.1. Blood Of The Royal Family

-Nagamasa’s POV-

Nagamasa was reveling in a sense of omnipotence. By achieving the further advanced state of [Awakening], which only members of the imperial family could utilize, and even performing [True Awakening], I felt a tremendous surge of mana coursing through my body, elevating my power by several levels.

Covering my body with a mighty golden aura with each step I took, the concrete floor melted away, and my surroundings became electrified, crackling with electricity.

“I don’t like the bastard Ymir, but he did possess the power he claimed.”

The mercenary captain who had guided Nagamasa to Nidhogg treated him politely, but Nagamasa sensed there was something behind the act, something he was plotting. However, since he didn’t know what it was, he regarded him as a suspicious person.

I remember when Ymir handed something to Nagamasa, who had finally returned to my true self after I broke my seal.

[Nagamasa-sama, this fruit will unlock the true power of the Emperor’s bloodline. It has a potent and lethal poison as a side effect. Normally, a recovery magician would apply healing magic while consuming it, but I believe you will be fine, Nagamasa-sama.]

What he handed over was a fruit shaped like a golden apple. It contained immense mana, and he recognized it as a magical fruit.

[True power? I’ve never heard of such a thing.]

Although Nagamasa had studied as a Royal Family member, he had never heard of anything that would conveniently allow for a power-up like this.

So, when I asked Ymir with a skeptical expression, he respectfully bowed his head and conveyed the information.

[It’s an exceedingly rare item that is rarely obtainable and even oral traditions have been lost. That’s a life fruit harvested from the Tree of Life that I happened to acquire in Tokyo. It only bears fruit once every 10 years. It seems to be a magic fruit that doesn’t rot, and I obtained three. I offer one to Nagamasa-sama, who will accomplish great deeds from now on.]

[Hmm… Well, I’ll accept it for now.]

It was extremely suspicious. However, even if it was poison, Nagamasa was unconcerned. If he gets ridiculed, he could make them regret it, but this person wasn’t the type to do such things.

The [God Armor] was invincible armor. It was the armor of a god. Its effect prevented the onset of any poison or illness, even if it was a slow-acting poison. It only absorbed the necessary amounts of nutrition and recovery magic. If it could prevent everything, I wouldn’t be able to eat anything. It could distinguish and absorbed what was needed. The armor of a god was no empty title.

In other words, even if it was a suspicious magical food, there would be no problem since it would be affected by any positive effects and protected from any negative effects.

So, I decided to eat it, but I never imagined that my power would increase to this extent.

If I enter [True Awakening Mode], I gain the ability to read the flow of air and fully control my body from my toes to my fingertips. I have become a being that exists on a completely different level from before.

Judging by the skill in manipulating the Shadow Mantis and the equipment housing national treasure-level mana, the girl in front of me possesses immense power, but she’s no longer my enemy.

“Die with the honor of witnessing my power for the first time!”

Stepping forward with my right foot, I unleash a fist covered in a golden aura. A gust of wind swirls around, and the floor caves in and cracks under the impact.

Closing the distance between Freya and me instantly, I strike her torso with my fist. The single blow of [God Fist] shatters the opponent’s magic barrier, splintering her body into pieces and scattering flesh around.

Or so I thought.

“What?!”

However, despite striking her torso, the girl doesn’t flinch. Not only does her body not shatter, but she remains motionless, standing upright without compromising her posture.

Confused about why, Nagamasa notices his punch gets blocked by a round shield with a surface as polished as a mirror.

“When did you get a shield?! But I’ll break through it!”

Using my left leg as the pivot, I retract my left arm and aim another strike at Freya’s head. It’s a blow with the speed and power of a cannonball, but she guarded the intended spot is already with the shield, deflecting it once again.

“Well done!”

Chuckling with delight, Nagamasa retracts his left hand while delivering a middle kick with his right leg, followed by a knee strike with his left leg. Then, I continue with a hook from my right arm and a palm strike from my left hand.

Yet, there is no expected recoil. Each strike of [God Fist] possesses lethal force. I’m confident even my skill could shatter a mithril-heavy armor like paper.

However, she positioned her shield where he aimed. My middle right kick slides off as it gets redirected by the shield. My knee strike is evaded by half-lowering her body. My hook gets altered in trajectory by an upward thrust from below. And my palm strike is once again caught by the shield.

It’s a high-speed combat between the two of us. At a speed that would leave ordinary people clueless about what is happening, Freya has managed to defend against all of my attacks.

“Not bad at all!”

“Is that so? Your attacks are as obvious as a child’s tantrum punch.”

With an indifferent expression, Freya calmly remarks my attacks are insignificant.

Attacks with [God Fist]. Moreover, Nagamasa, who had entered [True Awakening] mode, was not only surprised that his enemy blocked his powerful strike but also deeply unsettled.

Being able to intercept his attacks was still acceptable, but what bothered me, even more, was the complete absence of recoil. Despite my attacks getting blocked by the shield, there was no counterforce. It felt as if he were punching a cushion.

Nagamasa understood the implications in the back of his mind but dismissed the thought as mere coincidence. There was no way there could be such a vast disparity in skill.

“Take this! Taste the power of my [True Awakening] technique!”

With a confident smile, Nobumasa infused his fist with his immense mana.

[God Aura Fist]

His arm gets covered with golden gauntlets depicted in gold, and Nagamasa unleashes a barrage of high-speed punches. My attack leave after images and sparkling trails of light, countless fists closed in on Freya, seeking to crush her.

Faced with the onslaught of fists moving at such incredible speed, Freya remained calm and showed no signs of panic. She stored the shield in her item box and clenched her small hand, forming a fist.

“[Paladin] encompasses [Fighter] techniques as well.”

[Flashing Barrage]

In an instant, Freya’s fist flashed like a burst of light and collided with Nagamasa’s fist. Their fists clashed, and Nagamasa’s fist got repelled.

“A clash, huh? I’ll go along with it!”

“Whether it turns into a clash or not is up to you.”

Nagamasa unleashed a rapid series of golden fist strikes, filling the space around him.

On the other hand, Freya’s fist repelled Nobumasa’s fist the moment the flash streaked through.

“Uooo!”

Infusing mana into her body and letting out a spirited cry, Nagamasa continued his relentless barrage without stopping. As the afterimages of his fists were one by one deflected and disappeared, he maintained his confident smile.

“Your attacks won’t work. You won’t give a scratch on my [God Armor]! What you’re doing is futile, utterly futile!”

“You’re using cheat codes to play, aren’t you? However, simply mashing the punch button without executing proper techniques won’t lead to victory against me.”

“Don’t be so sure! How long can you endure?”

With a dispassionate tone, Freya provoked Nobumasa, who chuckled and continued his attacks.

Nagamasa’s fists get repelled, repelled, and repelled, one after another.