Is Loya truly incapable of long-range attacks in this form? The answer, of course, is no.
Loya had nad this transformation, filled with irony, his "Shikai." Over the past month, he had gradually mastered the thod to activate the "Dragon Force." The magical patterns he had used during his duel with Kuzan were rely the initial version of this state.
He nad it himself because this wasn't a skill inherent to the Dragon Slayer Magic system; it was sothing he had developed on his own. By using Ice-Make magic to force his body to consu massive amounts of ice-attribute magic power, he could trigger the Dragon Force, manifest dragon scales, and skyrocket his attack and defense stats.
In this regard, Loya's talent far surpassed the Dragon Slayers from the original legends. In just over two months, he had figured out how to actively trigger the Dragon Force. The thod, however, was crude, dangerous, and reminiscent of goblin engineering—it ca with severe side effects and a bloodthirsty impulse that threatened to cloud his judgnt.
But it was undeniably effective. Once the Dragon Force was activated, his Dragon Slayer Magic remained functional, though his Ice-Make magic would "shut down for maintenance" due to the overload of dragon power.
Beyond those issues, the form had a hidden benefit: it accelerated the growth of his passive Dragon Force ability. In just two uses, his permanent Dragon Force capacity had increased by 1%. Loya wouldn't use it unless it was a matter of life and death, but the results were undeniable—his Dragon Body had surged to 9%!
To put that in perspective: if the Loya of yesterday had to dodge and counter-attack against the Silverback Great Ape, the current Loya could trade blow-for-blow, head-on. He was a bona fide man-made monster.
Ice Dragon's Iron Fist!
Ice Dragon's Crushing Fang!
Ice Dragon's Hook Claw!
Ice Dragon's Grip!
Punches, kicks, tearing. Loya unleashed wave after wave of attacks, more ferocious than the rampaging ape itself. His cold, vertical pupils locked onto the beast. He radiated a chill mixed with genuine Dragon Majesty—even if only a sliver—that silenced every insect in the surrounding forest. Dragons stood above all worldly creatures.
The Silverback Great Ape felt that majesty, a weight hamring against its heart. But it only made the ape more excited. If a living thing didn't fear death, what was left to be afraid of?
The two fought with bloody, violent rhythm, their collisions echoing like thunder. As ti passed, the ape's movents slowed; each counter-attack grew weaker. No matter how strong its will, it couldn't defy reality—it had run out of blood to shed. The death knell had rung.
Loya sensed the shift in the air. He flipped back and stood a short distance away.
As they locked eyes, Loya suddenly cald. He let out a long sigh, t the ape's gaze—perhaps the only and last look of supplication in its life—and nodded solemnly: "You are a warrior worthy of respect. Rest in peace."
Fighting for two hours while mortally wounded, refusing to yield until the end—that was sothing that commanded respect anywhere.
The ape tugged at its torn lips, its blood-soaked face contorting into a faint, satisfied smile. Silently, it raised its fist and began a trembling, one-step-at-a-ti approach toward Loya.
Loya condensed his magic, the brilliant blue light making him look like an avatar of frost, radiating majesty.
Ice Dragon's... Iron Fist!
BOOM.
The massive body collapsed, kicking up dust. The Silverback Great Ape was finally, blissfully, dead.
Watching the ice-sculpture frozen in its final punching stance, Loya felt a strange, hollow sensation. He dispelled his "Shikai" and slumped to the ground, picking up clumps of frozen mud to stuff into his mouth.
"Whatever. I'll regain so strength and find new prey later."
"Christopher Loya... confird kill: one Silverback Great Ape. 1,000 points." The Marine responsible for the tally was trembling as he recorded the score.
Zephyr fell silent, staring blankly at the screen. After a long mont, he gave a bitter laugh. "Kuzan, tell ... once Loya joins the Elite Camp, what am I supposed to teach him?"
"Teacher Zephyr..." Kuzan understood. He had felt Loya's growth rate firsthand. He offered a soft, ineffective comfort: "At the very least, Loya's hand-to-hand combat is still diocre, and he doesn't know how to use Haki."
Zephyr had taught countless students, including the current Three Admirals. In his youth, he would have been overjoyed to have a student with such talent. But the Zephyr of today was old, and his heart was weary. He felt overwheld by such a monster.
Kuzan was never good at comforting people. His attempt only made Zephyr more pessimistic.
"Sigh... look at his performance under your tutelage for just one month. I doubt I'll have anything left to teach him by then! By the way, how old is Loya again?"
"Fifteen. Though he doesn't look it, that is the fact."
Zephyr breathed a massive sigh of relief. "Good, good. I rember you beca a Vice Admiral at fifteen, too."
"To be precise, I was sixteen. That was the year I participated in the Ohara Buster Call. It's on record, Teacher Zephyr."
Zephyr: "..."
This conversation is over.
After eating enough ice to finally feel his strength returning, Loya stood up. The battlefield was now a frozen plain, a graveyard of statues glinting in the sunlight. He stood before the ape's corpse for a long ti. It was his first ti facing this. The ape hadn't lost its will to fight until its last breath; it wasn't just an animal—it was a warrior.
He spread his arms, transforming them into ice wings spanning dozens of ters. After a brief pause, he dove.
Ice Dragon's Wing Slash!
He wasn't desecrating the body; he was giving it a burial. He plowed into the soft earth, creating a pit, and then used the wings to shovel the soil back over the corpse.
Ice-Make: Ice Coffin!
He struck the ground with his palms, sealing the area in a thick layer of ice to prevent scavengers from disturbing the remains.
He stood there for a long mont, clutching his wounds, before turning to leave. His stride was firr than ever before. He hadn't just buried a respectable opponent; he had buried his own forr weakness.
He knew he would face this again. The ape's end was a reminder: in this world, death was closer than it had ever been.
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