Chapter 2176: Gravelous Storm

Each sonic attack was instantly absorbed into the cocoon that surrounded her, protecting her from being exposed to him. In turn, the tornado that surrounded her only grew stronger, clearly fueled by his attacks.

She could absorb sound to empower her winds.

Rui narrowed his eyes as he realized that the only way to crack her shield was through close-quarters combat. On the other hand, she possessed a defense that powerfully redirected all incoming impacts. WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

Rui maneuvered around, withstanding and avoiding the attacks of sand and gravel that she continuously threw at him while he thought of the most optimal strategy to overcome her defenses.

The first thing that came to mind was, of course, his Yin-Yang Spear technique. Normally, he reserved its use in combat till after he completed a SOUL model on his opponents. However, in this case, she had come prepared for his analytical systems of thought, somehow impeding his mind sense.

Still, he used it after he had both the predictive model and the SOUL model because the technique required too much prep time—hitting a moving opponent required knowing how his opponent would move.

However, in this particular case, his opponent couldn't move.

She had cocooned herself in a powerful tornado that was undoubtedly an extremely powerful defensive technique.

However, despite the fact that she couldn't move, the Yin-Yang Spear technique was still ill-suited in its synergy against this particular technique. The Yin-Yang Spear technique required actual contact with the target to deploy its devastating power against it. In other words, a defensive technique that functioned by ensuring that the attack did not connect with the user was the perfect counter to such a technique.

'So, in other words, she absorbs long-range heaven-based techniques and redirects close-quarter offensive techniques with her powerful blows.' Rui tutted as he continued to avoid her attacks one after another. 'That defensive technique is a problem, I need to get rid of it.'

However, getting rid of it was just as problematic for the same reason. His long-range techniques would get absorbed while his close-quarters blows would get redirected.

The only technique that had proven to be effective so far was his Muspelheim domain.

However, his Muspelheim domain only worked on her regular winds. Her defensive technique was comprised of her super-dense winds that were not dispelled by the powerful fiery domain. He would need much greater temperatures to tear her defense apart.

Instantly, a germ of an idea formed in his mind.

Yet, Master Uma was not content with giving him much leeway to strategize.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!!! Powerful spikes of winds and molten esoteric gravel were flung at him as Rui's expression grew grave.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!!!

He evaded them, pirouetting through the air. The lethality of her attacks rose with each passing second, forcing him to rely more on maneuvering in that regard. Yet, he couldn't reduce his Nemean Blossom in favor of relying more on Neo Godspeed.

She was hoping he would. After all, she could deal with speed much easier than she could deal with a tough opponent. Speed could easily be dealt with by spreading her winds everywhere, getting rid of any space to dodge and avoid. Against a tough opponent, she needed to focus her power instead, which ironically made it easier to defend against.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

Rui blocked a barrage of attacks from the lava storm, leaping away with a displeased expression as his eyes flashed with anger.

She was using his domain as a heating unit to make her attacks more lethal. By heating up her projectiles with it, she made them more dangerous when she flung them at him. On top of that, he couldn't absorb heat with Flux Earther, only the kinetic energy, forcing Nemean Blossom to pick up the slack.

A strange cyclical flow of energy had come to take place in the battle, flowing back and forth between the two combatants.

Master Uma used his domain to heat up the gravel that she had churned up from the ground to make her gravel attacks more lethal due to the higher temperatures, while he used Flux Earther to absorb the kinetic energy that she imparted to the projectiles, using it to fuel the Muspelheim domain.

In other words, they each used each other's energies against each other. That was why Rui allowed the attacks to hit him, even though he could easily dodge them with his predictive model. He needed to absorb her energy over time through the Muspelheim domain in order to increase the temperature so that he could crack the extraordinary defense that protected her. Yet, of the two of them, only one had to use their systems of thought. Deep within her cocoon, Master Uma opened her eyes.

"Preparations complete," she remarked. "STORM System activated."

The STORM System, or the Strategic Topological Operational Resource Management System, was a system of thought that she had created after being inspired by Rui himself. She had come came to admire how his systematic and analytical manner of collecting and processing data to make inferences, predictions, and even decisions could create such a massive difference in combat.

It had taken took her nearly two decades to create and upgrade her Martial Mind with a system of thought that was as data-intensive as his.

Today, she would find out whether she had succeeded or not.

WHOOSH!

Rui's eyes widened as the winds deviated off of his prediction, behaving contrary to the predictive model.

BOOOM!!!

"Rgh...!" He grimaced as it successfully cornered him, swallowing him up as it buried him in molten lava, causing him to suffocate deep within it. For a moment, all one could see was a fiery storm circulating molten esoteric slag toward its epicenter, where its target sat, threatening to bury him with a cast that rapidly hardened under the cooling effect of her winds.

Several moments passed as the storm grew more silent, and the Muspelheim domain began crumbling due to a lack of sustenance.