When Fantasy Glitches

Weapon Unity is a state where one's existence and their weapon meld together, blurring the line between them until they are nearly indistinguishable. Typically, it was a level of mastery only achieved by knights who had reached the Master-level. However, this wasn't solely due to strength. It was primarily because those below the Master-level couldn't manifest the necessary willpower and focus required to integrate their aura with their weapon, and their weapon with themselves.

It was just as much of a test of skill as it was of one's mental ability, which is why it was rare for someone as young as Seraline to not only comprehend it but achieve it.

"Hmmm. Who would've thought someone so young could achieve Weapon Unity? Though I suppose it's a specialty of the Sostenza Family," Zedem remarked, eyeing Seraline with intrigue. At this point, Magnus's match against Reimun was still ongoing and had caught the attention of practically the entire student body, leaving other matches largely unwatched or overlooked. For professors and those seated with the Headmistress, however, dividing their focus between matches was effortless; their minds operated on a different level.

"How fortunate... I've always wondered what it would feel like to merge with an inanimate object. It's disappointing I haven't been able to replicate the effect through magic; it must be an exhilarating experience..." Eveline confessed wistfully with a feverish look of jealousy on her face.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you. Even if you managed to replicate the concept, it wouldn't be the same. Assimilation is crucial to Weapon Unity, but the true transformation lies in the mindset shift. It's not something a simple spell can achieve," Zedem replied.

"Yes, yes, I've read about that. You knights have always been very philosophical about Weapon Unity, even across different eras. Not that it dampens my desire to experience it," Eveline retorted, her gaze fixed on Seraline through the sensory magic woven into Alternate Space.

Velis had already sensed a change in Seraline, though she couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. A strange unease crept over her, akin to staring down the barrel of a gun—the visceral warning that danger loomed and whatever she faced could end her life.

"What's happening?" Velis muttered to herself, her expression tense. Sweat trickled down her forehead, despite her lack of physical exertion.

Still being mauled by the two water elemental sharks, Seraline drew in another deep breath, closing her eyes. Her aura which had already become a soft blaze, seemed to have shifted into a solid flame, unaffected by the sharks' mana-infused as they tried to tear through its veil. But, when she reopened her eyes, something extraordinary happened. In an instant, without Seraline visibly moving, both sharks exploded.

Suddenly, they bore massive holes through their centers, as if struck by cannonballs. The sudden displacement of water prevented the sharks from regenerating as they disintegrating into the surrounding dome of water around Seraline, just like the sharks from before.

"What just— What just happened?" Velis exclaimed, watching Seraline's gaze fixate on the edge of the Abyssal Deluge before breaking into a dash. Each movement seemed unnatural, almost mechanical. Instead of her own motions propelling her forward, it was almost as though her spear was guiding her instead. Propelled by this strange momentum, Seraline moved faster than she ever had before, effortlessly moving without a hint of air resistance.

Witnessing this, Velis shook off her confusion.

I don't know what just happened or what in her changed, but I get the feeling I need to stop her now.

With that thought, Velis began to direct her influence over the muddied field, channeling a portion of her mana from the Abyssal Deluge into the ground itself. Despite Seraline's speed, Velis could sense each of her steps and seized a chance, beginning to form a spear of compacted mud that was aimed at Seraline's chest while also trying to encase her legs in rising mud to immobilize her.

Mid-stride, Seraline noticed both threats: the spiraling spear ahead and the encroaching mud at her feet, prepared to lock down her movements. A typical person takes two hundred milliseconds to react; a trained knight, even less utilizing their aura, could reduce that by more than a fourth. But Seraline's mind raced even faster than that, devoid of distractions, and practically through instinct, she dodged. In a single millisecond, she contorted her body, evading Velis's attempts before they even had a chance to fully materialize. To an observer, her reaction time appeared beyond just being superhuman and more like she had seen the future.

And even after dodging, her speed didn't drop at all.

Internally cursing, Velis intensified her manipulation of the muddy terrain. Walls surged, pits opened, and tendrils of mud lashed out to ensnare Seraline. But it all seemed futile. Without breaking stride, Seraline maneuvered effortlessly around every obstacle, her speed escalating rather than diminishing. Her aura made her appear like an unstoppable meteor until she reached the boundary of the Abyssal Deluge.

Dammit, she's too fast. But it's fine; even if she's gotten faster and more agile, she still can't break through the walls of the Abyssal Deluge.

Velis was confident in that fact. Even though she hadn't cast the Master-level spell at its full proficiency due to her lack of ability, she had still managed to push it to the boundary of the Pseudo-Master level, meaning even an Adept-level knight or mage would have a hard time breaking out of it. Yet Seraline showed no hesitation. As she raised her spear, it melded seamlessly with her movements. For a fleeting moment, it appeared as if Seraline herself had transformed into a spear, every ounce of momentum flawlessly channeled into her strike.

The culmination was a precise rupture. The area she had struck had no time to morph or even change its shape to absorb or negate the force. The normally turbulent water was simply pierced through with astonishing precision, with the force behind it being so intense that it even went on to pierce a tree on the far side of the wall of water. As for the resulting torso-sized hole, it was nearly perfectly round.

Even though the water that made up the Abyssal Deluge was constantly churning, the hole didn't repair itself right away, and Velis, witnessing the entire sequence, wore an expression of utter disbelief.

"She... broke through?" she muttered aloud. Lazitha, too from outside the Alternate Space, looked astonished by the scene unfolding before her.

"So this is the effect of Weapon Unity... Her movements almost appear unreal, even though I'm witnessing them myself," she remarked. Mulvin nodded knowingly beside her.

"That's the essence of it. Weapon Unity means merging with your weapon, which results in you becoming a living weapon yourself. Every action is executed flawlessly to the absolute best of their ability, even if they are normally incapable of it, and every decision is made without hesitation or mental restraint. A knight in this state has their full potential released, and truly embodies the peak of human capability," Mulvin explained.

"I see... But that doesn't quite explain what happened earlier with those water elemental sharks. I've read about Weapon Unity before, but nothing like that," Lazitha said.

"That's because the Weapon Unity of each person who achieves it is unique in one key aspect. Since it is a state that involves infusing one's aura with the concept of their weapon, it results in their aura reflecting its properties. However, which specific property their aura adopts depends on the knight," Mulvin elaborated, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"In Seraline's case, her aura takes on the piercing ability of her spear. With her current resolve and intent, as long as her will does not falter, her entire being has become akin to the unstoppable spear. Unless she's countered by another knight with significantly higher Aura Intensity than her own, there's almost nothing she can't pierce through." Mulvin's tone carried pride as he spoke, yet his expression turned more serious the next moment.

"Still, prolonged use of Weapon Unity is risky. She'll need to end this soon."

From her hiding spot, Velis could sense the formation she had crafted to cast the Abyssal Deluge beginning to tear, causing the mana she was pouring into it to destabilize. Left unchecked, the spell would unravel and collapse in on itself.

I can't believe she actually managed to pierce through the Abyssal Deluge... Not only that, but she didn't just damage the structure, but even the spell's formation, I didn't know that was even possible. I need to stop her now before she launches any more attacks!

Channeling even more mana into the spell formation, Velis set to work repairing it while simultaneously ramping up the power of the Abyssal Deluge. Inside the vortex, Seraline observed as the breach she had created started closing, while the Abyssal Deluge itself began to tremble as if stirred by something massive within its depths. The tremors subsided momentarily, and then without warning, a voice roared from the water wall Seraline had just attacked. Reacting swiftly, she evaded as tentacles of water, thick as trees and long enough to coil around them, surged from a massive watery vortex.

Some crashed heavily into the ground, splashing mud and leaving deep impressions, while others lashed out like whips toward Seraline. Her movements were fluid and precise, her body reacting with machine-like efficiency to her rapid thoughts. As two massive tentacles descended to crush her, her spear struck out like lightning, piercing them with pinpoint accuracy before they could touch her.

After dealing with those two tentacles, she leaped into the air, flipping to evade yet another tentacle sweeping across the ground in an attempt to ensnare her. As it swept beneath her, small, sharp blades of water suddenly protruded from its surface, before firing at her, resembling rain, but falling upward.

Looking down at the barrage heading her way, Seraline adjusted her grip on her spear.

"Aerial Arts: Tempest Blade..." Seraline's spear acted like a relentless vacuum, drawing all the air in the vicinity toward it in a cyclonic swirl. The wind concentrated from the entire shaft to just its head, growing fiercer and sharper with each passing moment. Just as the countless mana-infused water blades neared her, she arced her spear downward in a sweeping motion. The spearhead, akin to a brush, its tip a swirl of cutting winds, painted over every blade of water in an instant. The whirlwind shattered them into imperceptible droplets and even sliced through the originating water tentacle.

As the winds dispersed upon hitting the ground, they left behind only a gash from their immense pressure. Still, even after seeing this, and how much stronger Seraline had become, Velis remained calm.

It doesn't matter how many of the Abyssal Deluge's water constructs she destroys. There's plenty of water in this rainforest that will let me replenish any losses, and I have enough mana to sustain it for hours if necessary. As long as I prevent her from disrupting the spell's formation, like last time, I'm confident I can outlast her.

As Seraline landed back on the ground, Velis's intentions became clear: for every tentacle she had destroyed, four more took their place. Meanwhile, eight dorsal fins of water elemental sharks began to rise from the surface of Abyssal Deluge's watery dome, circling its boundary and waiting for a chance to strike. But that wasn't all. Other creatures emerged on the surface of Abyssal Deluge—monstrous-looking swordfish, massive swarms of piranha-like creatures with razor-sharp teeth, and even on the ground, mounds of mud that writhed and took the form of disfigured humanoids rose, wielding spears of hardened mud in hand.

Within seconds, an army of the deep had assembled before Seraline, poised to strike. Seeing this, Seraline's gaze slowly shifted from her left to her right as she glanced at all the enemies surrounding her, before exhaling deeply.

"Alright..." With a burst of speed nearing a third of the speed of sound, a ludicrous velocity for any human being to reach Seraline dashed forward, she left a trail of mud in her wake. In less than five seconds, her figure darted back and forth among ten of the mud figures, piercing or slicing through each one the instant she reached them. She then lept into the air and used the last figure as a platform to launch herself.

Velis, having not anticipated Seraline's sudden aggressive attack despite being surrounded, quickly realized her mistake as the forces of Abyssal Deluge coordinated to eliminate their enemy.

On the ground, the remaining mud warriors hurled their spears at her, while countless tentacles from the Abyssal Deluge's walls launched themselves her way. It was an unrelenting assault. Seraline swiftly sliced through four tentacles that attacked from all directions, landing on a fifth. The tentacle, strangely solid despite being water, became her path. She ran along its length, swinging her spear to deflect incoming mud spears. Monstrous swordfish water elementals shot from the Abyssal Deluge's boundaries like missiles, nearly matching Seralien's speed.

Dozens of swordfish cut through the air, aiming all around her. Each miss sent them splashing into the walls of water surrounding Seraline, giving them a chance to adjust their course before rushing out for another strike.

Reaching the end of the tentacle she had been running along, Seraline swiftly cut it down. Then with a powerful leap, she soared higher into the air, narrowly evading the piranha-like fish that had swarmed her previous position, their razor-sharp teeth poised to tear her apart. Though not as swift as the swordfish, these fish were agile and capable of moving through the air like the water elemental sharks which had now joined the fray. Nearly ten of them closed in on Seraline mid-jump. Amidst the chaos, she focused on the one directly below her, its jaws gaping wide as it swam through the air right at her.

The moment it made contact with her body, Seraline struck back. She launched a kick at the shark while her aura, which was imbued with spear-like properties, pierced through its body. Using its momentum, she propelled herself even higher, like a relentless leapfrog from shark to shark. Every time she landed, she struck, slicing through her foes, using their bodies to propel herself upwards while deftly dodging incoming mud spears and swordfish.

"What's her plan? Why does she keep ascending? She'll just hit the Abyssal Deluge's roof," Velis muttered to herself, watching Seraline carve through the obstacles in her way, her intentions unclear yet driven with a purpose behind them.

"Well, whatever it is, I'll make sure she doesn't succeed." Velis began to intensify her mana flow into the spell formation, amplifying the aggression of the Abyssal Deluge's creations. It would drain her reserves faster than planned, but it would be worth it to hasten Seraline's takedown.

The sudden change in pace caught Seraline off guard.

She had been riding atop one of the water elemental sharks when she was suddenly blindsided when a tentacle sprouted from a nearby wall. Even though her reaction time was incredible in this state, it meant nothing if her body couldn't keep up. And so, as the tentacle struck with enough to crush bone into dust, she was sent flying. Her body tumbled through the air, only to be met by another tentacle that struck her mid-air from a different direction, redirecting her flight path like a ball in a tennis match. Even in her Weapon Unity state, the unexpected strikes caused her to grimace from the whiplash and impacts.

As she soared through the air, another water elemental shark emerged in her flight path, jaws gaping wide in an attempt to seize her mid-flight. But before it could close its jaws around her, she recovered cleaving it in two with a precise strike from her spear. At the same time, a swordfish darted in, its needle-like snout piercing through her aura and leaving a lengthy, bloody gash across her back and cloth.

Still, using the momentum from her counterattack, she managed to land vertically on the wall of the Abyssal Deluge, poised in a crouching position. Without hesitation, she locked her gaze on the top of the domain and leaped like a rocket, muscles tensed and bulging as she soared through the air. Her speed was relentless, piercing through anything that dared obstruct her path with her spear and aura until she reached her destination, landing heavily on the roof of the Abyssal Deluge on all fours, and revealing the bloody wound where the swordfish had struck.

"Aerial Arts: Fallen Crest!" Holding her spear low, pointed directly at the ground beneath her, she leaped with all her might, acting in perfect harmony. In that instant, a silver radiance left its mark, carving through the air as it plummeted downward. Seraline had truly become one with her weapon, transforming into the silver spear itself.

"Dammit!" Velis shouted, attempting everything to intercept Seraline's descent, but to no avail. Whether it was layers of tentacles, the spears of mud warriors, or water elemental sharks rushing at her, nothing could hinder Seraline as she pierced through them all, finally reaching the ground. The brilliant silver radiance, mixed with the fiery nature of her aura, drilled into the earth on impact, unleashing a dazzling light show that momentarily blinded Velis and onlookers alike.

The ground heaved as shockwaves spread in every direction, momentarily liquefying the earth before it cracked and shattered like glass. Massive clouds of dust and mud billowed into the air, and a deafening explosion reverberated through the Abyssal Deluge and the surrounding forest, shaking everything in its wake. It was only after five intense seconds, that the chaos subsided, and Velis, who had temporarily disengaged her sensory spell to observe Seraline, reconnected with it.

What just happened? The spell formation is intact... so what did she do?

As the dust settled, Velis noticed that the Abyssal Deluge had ceased its assault, indicating one of two possibilities: either Seraline had been defeated or had escaped its range. The latter possibility sent a spike of anxiety through Velis as she frantically scanned for any sign of Seraline. But, only when the dust completely cleared did Velis see the immense hole—large enough for multiple carriages to pass through—bored through dirt and solid rock.

Confusion briefly clouded her mind before realization dawned.

No... she couldn't have... dug her way out!?

It all made sense to Velis now. Seraline had fought her way to the top of the Abyssal Deluge to gain the necessary height and momentum to tunnel her way through the earth and escape the Abyssal Deluge's range.

"Shit!" Velis cursed as she swiftly rose to her feet. She had been concealed within the trunk of a fairly large tree, a couple of hundred meters from where Seraline had been trapped. If Seraline had broken free, she would be searching for her. Velis knew she needed to relocate quickly and find a new hiding spot, at least until she could recast the Abyssal Deluge.

Climbing out of the tree trunk, Velis prepared to cast a spell to move herself, but as soon as her feet touched the ground, she felt the tip of a spear pressed against her throat.

"I told you I would drag you out to where I could see you," came a voice Velis knew all too well. She turned her head slowly and saw Seraline standing at the entrance of the tree. Her eyes were no longer glazed over like before, and that dangerous feeling had vanished, showing she had left the Weapon Unity state.

"You... But- how did you find me so quickly?" Velis asked, surprised. She knew Seraline was fast, especially after that strange boost she got, but there was no way she could have found her within just a few minutes.

"After you trapped me in your spell, you stopped concealing your presence. I've known your location since the beginning; I just needed an opportunity to get close," Seraline replied. Velis widened her eyes and lowered her head.

"I... I see..." Velis realized her mistake; after trapping Seraline in the Abyssal Deluge, she had become complacent, no longer masking her mana fluctuations or the origin of her voice like she had been doing before. In the end, her overconfidence in a singular spell she thought was invincible against those at her level had been her downfall.

Velis shook her head slightly, muttering, "I guess I still have a lot more to learn as a mage... Oh well. I surrender."

And thus, the duel between Seraline and Velis reached its conclusion.