Hiro blinked.
"Wait… Marian was a princess candidate?"
His mind struggled to process that.
Aren't princesses supposed to be noble elites? The absolute best among awakened females?
"Yes," Bailey replied calmly.
"And before you ask that her own story to tell".
Marian continued fighting in the distance, standing atop a mountain of disintegrating Abyssal corpses.
The air was thick with the smell of burnt flesh and corrupted Aether.
More Abyssals were still coming.
"Seriously… where's the gatekeeper?"
Marian muttered while sending another lizard Abyssal flying with a single explosive punch.
"Honestly, I want to go home already."
Bandages suddenly wrapped around Marian's minor wounds.
The white strips moved like living things, tightening gently before glowing faintly.
"Thanks, Eli," Marian said without turning.
"No problem," Elira replied.
The bandages covering half her face made her look strangely like a quiet ninja assassin.
Hiro nodded slowly.
"I think I can guess Elira's blessing."
"Oh?" Bailey tilted her head slightly.
"It has something to do with eyesight. Like… long distance perception?"
"Correct."
"Elira's blessing was called
It granted heightened sensory presence, tracking, and battlefield awareness similar to a predator".
"Thats such a vague description."
Bailey is terrible at explaining things.
Hiro scratched his head.
"So the bandages are her Imperial gear?"
"Yes."
Bailey continued.
"The binding bandages [Gleipnir] can stretch, transform into blades, and also accelerate healing."
"One of the most versatile Imperial gear in the arm—."
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
The ground trembled violently.
Something massive was approaching.
All of them felt it.
A deep, oppressive presence.
Roar!!!
A giant grey-scaled lizard emerged from the forest shadows. It was smaller than the Abyssal spider Hiro had fought before, but far more physically intimidating.
Spiked dorsal plates ran along its back.
Its aura radiated dominance. Even the surrounding Abyssals instinctively backed away.
"Finally, the gatekeeper," Daisy said from the sky.
"Haha! A Class Three as expected," Marian said casually while crushing another Abyssal under her boot.
"Had me worried for a second there."
"Everyone focus on your opponents," Bailey said calmly.
"This one is mine."
She walked forward slowly. Paintbrush sword resting casually in her hand.
Rainbow light flickered inside her eyes — shifting colors like living gemstones.
"I can't have you girls taking all the fun."
The lizard Abyssal immediately reacted. Its body tensed.
It recognized Bailey as the greatest threat.
Roar!!
Swish!!
It unleashed a massive fireball almost similar to a miniature sun. The blazing sphere expanded rapidly, raising surrounding temperature and burning vegetation in its path as it headed straight for Bailey.
Hiro panicked.
But he saw Bailey's back.
Straight posture.
Calm breathing.
Absolute confidence.
She's a Vice Captain.
Yurei wouldn't choose someone weak as her right hand.
"Fire, huh," Bailey whispered.
[Seven Colored Frame: Ao]
Aether exploded softly around her body.
Bright blue paint manifested in midair, floating like liquid light.
Bailey flicked her paintbrush sword.
The blue paint swirled. The composition changed.
The paint began resembling flowing water.
She swung.
The water-arc slash shot forward. The fireball was split cleanly into two.
Then—
BOOM!!
The separated fire fragments detonated behind the arc.
The blue water-like slash struck the lizard directly.
The impact sent the giant creature sliding several meters backward.
Hiro's eyes widened.
Wow… that's Bailey's blessing but what is it
The lizard stood up slowly. A deep gash ran across its chest.
Roar!!!
"So you're not dead?" Bailey said softly.
"What a shame. I was hoping to finish this in one hit."
A dangerous smile appeared on her face.
The gatekeeper released pressure aura, trying to intimidate her.
Then it charged. The ground shook under its weight. It arrived in front of her in mere seconds and raised its claw and attempted to crush her.
"So you want to get close," Bailey said.
Her rainbow eyes glowed faintly.
"Then let me indulge you."
[Seven Colored Frame: Giniro ]
Silver Aether paint manifested. Bailey flicked her brush. Chains formed instantly from the silver paint.
They wrapped around the lizard's arm.
Then its torso whilst anchored to the ground.
The Abyssal struggled violently.
It released fireballs at its own body trying to burn the chains away.
"You're already finished," Bailey said quietly.
"I was honestly expecting something after you survived that first hit".
"Oh well"
[Seven Colored Frame Combo: Giniro + Aka]
Two colors danced around her like playful children.
Bailey rotated her paintbrush sword slowly, swirling the Aether paint.
The colors merged.
A giant silver flaming sword formed in midair.
"Release."
The giant sword tore through space.
Like a comet of burning silver light. The Abyssal tried to counter with a fireball—
Too slow.
BOOOOM!!!
The battlefield shook briefly. Then silence followed.
Hiro's voice came out in shock.
"Bailey… what was that?"
Bailey slowly turned around putting her sword into her spatial ring whilst adjusting her gloves calmly.
"My blessing is the Seven Colored Frame
"As long as I use one of the seven frame colors, I can paint and create non-living constructs."
"And reinforce them using my Imperial gear, the Fluer ."
Marian suddenly hugged Hiro from behind.
"So basically," Marian said happily, "Bailey-chan is a walking artillery."
Hiro nodded slowly.
"…Yeah. That's terrifying."
"That's where she gets the title Sky Painter "