'Divine powers, huh? That's a bit of a headache to deal with. Why the hell should I fight a battle of attrition with this amateur half-god? I'll just butcher him.'
Marina switched tactics, realizing Eren's divine powers were on par with her draconic might. At least to the extent that it could cause her some trouble.
Eren wasn't someone she could easily get rid of despite the obvious ranking difference between them.
She knew he couldn't sustain his God Spark usage for long with his mortal vessel. Instead of allowing him to wield his God Spark, she decided to rip him to pieces with her overwhelming physical might and weapon comprehension.
One could say that the dragoness hated being seen as a whetstone to sharpen a certain someone's divine abilities. With a powerful flap of her draconic wings, she appeared right in front of Eren in the blink of an eye.
"So you decided to get your hands dirty. Keke. You still have a head over your neck it seems. It would have been a good call if it was any other half-baked demigod.
Unfortunately, you are not that lucky.
Come. Let me see how a dragoness fights."
Eren wasn't surprised when his opponent chose close combat.
Swoosh. Zoom. Clang.
He had already summoned the Elder Seed Artifact made from his own hand using Demonmir's soul as an artifact spirit—Asura. It was an Elder Seed saber he could wield perfectly.
'Let me see your wrath.'
This was Eren's first time using Asura in a real death battle after he clashed with Eliza in Anfang. He channeled his Wrath Mana through it and tried to wake the artifact spirit completely.
Screeeeee!
'I can't believe this is merely an A-Ranked Ranker,' Marina thought to herself as she kept on attacking Eren and defending against his counters.
Eren grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "You're strong, but let's see how you handle this."
He spun Asura in a wide arc, channeling his mana into the blade. The saber glowed with a dark, ominous light, and Eren unleashed a powerful slash aimed at Marina's midsection. Marina twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the force of the attack created a deep gash in the ground behind her.
"You're not bad, but you're still just a mortal playing with powers beyond your grasp," Marina sneered. She thrust her spear forward with incredible speed, aiming for Eren's heart.
Eren sidestepped the attack, bringing Asura up to deflect the spear. The clash sent a jolt through his arms, but he held firm, using the momentum to spin around and deliver a counterattack. Asura's blade sliced through the air, aiming for Marina's neck.
Marina blocked the strike with her spear, but the force pushed her back, her feet digging trenches in the ground. She growled in frustration, her eyes blazing with fury.
"You're making this fun, dragoness," Eren said with a smirk. "But let's turn up the heat a bit."
Eren's emerald eyes glowed as he channeled more of his divine aura into Asura. The saber responded with a surge of power, its dark light intensifying. He launched himself at Marina with a flurry of strikes, each one faster and more powerful than the last.
Marina matched him blow for blow, her spear dancing in her hands as she parried and countered. The battlefield was a blur of motion, the two combatants moving with incredible speed and precision. Each clash of their weapons created shockwaves that echoed across the island, stirring the sea into a frenzy.
"Kekeke. This... This is good."
Despite the intensity of the battle, Eren's playful grin never wavered. He reveled in the challenge, pushing himself to his limits as he faced off against one of the strongest opponents he had ever encountered.
He used his divine powers as a protective shield against Marina's sheer physical power. It not only boosted his overall body stats but also bolstered his defenses.
Marina, for her part, found herself grudgingly impressed by Eren's skill and tenacity. He was no ordinary foe, and despite her initial disdain, she couldn't help but respect his strength and determination.
"You.... it seems you have done your homework well, Eren," Marina admitted. "But don't think for a second that I'm going to let you win."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Eren replied with a chuckle. "I am not here to score a win against you, my dear. I am here to dominate."