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“Eris, you always cry so easily. I understand, though. I feel like crying myself,” Ripple remarked, wiping her tears away before taking Inglis’ hand.

“Inglis! Well, how should I put it… I’ll leave everything to you…! Let’s do this, okay?!” Ripple exclaimed, her voice filled with determination.
“Yes, Miss Ripple. Leave it to me,” Inglis responded with equal resolve.

As their hands connected, a radiant golden light overflowed from the point of contact, enveloping Ripple like a majestic pillar reaching towards the sky. Within the radiant glow, Ripple’s form underwent a transformation.

“You too, Miss Eris,” Inglis called out.
“Yeah… I’ll leave it to you… Please, protect all of us,” Eris replied, a hint of shyness in her voice. Her head was slightly turned away, but she gripped Inglis’ hand tightly with both of hers.

Similar to Ripple, Eris’s body underwent a profound transformation as she became enveloped in the brilliant golden light.

“Wow, what a bright light! Glis, are you okay?” Rani asked with concern.
“I’m fine, Rani. Keep an eye on Rafa,” Inglis replied.
“Don’t worry about us, just go wild, Glis!” Rani encouraged her.
“Of course! I don’t get a chance like this every day,” Inglis replied with a smile.

As she spoke, a pair of swords with golden sheaths appeared at her hips. They were Eris’ weapon, the twin swords, decorated with intricate designs befitting the name of the Hyrule Menaces. At her lower back, she wore a double-barreled rifle that Ripple had transformed into, another impressive weapon worthy of the Hyrule Menaces.

Inglis drew the twin swords from their sheaths and tested their weight. As she swung them, they left a trail of light, like stars in the night sky. Even the slightest movement contained immense power, and the blades shone with a flash of dazzling brilliance.

“How amazing… So this is the true form of the Hyrule Menaces!” Inglis exclaimed, marveling at the power she felt coursing through the weapons.

As she held the swords, she could immediately sense the difference. Compared to ordinary Artifacts, even Vufailbane’s dragonscale sword was nothing more than decorative in comparison.

The dragonscale sword served as a vessel for storing Inglis’ Ether, but Eris and Ripple were on a whole different level. Not only could they receive and harness Inglis’ Ether, but they also amplified it and returned it to her. It was a sensation she had experienced before with Tiffany.

Inglis felt her power surge to such an extent that she could barely recognize herself. The transformation was incredible, and she was ready to unleash her newfound strength.

When Rochefort wielded Arles, the Hyrule Menace sublimated his mana, strengthening it to the point of Quasi Ether. And now, the same phenomenon was happening to Inglis.

The quality and quantity of her Ether far surpassed that of a Divine Knight. Inglis had transcended the realm of a mere half-god; she was now at least 70-80% closer to becoming a true god.

The Hyrule Menaces had the power to amplify Ether to such an astonishing degree. They were not mere Holy Swords bestowed by the Gods to mankind; they were weapons fit for the Gods themselves. They were the ultimate Artifacts.

‘Wh-whoa… Amazing!’ echoed Eris’ excited voice in Inglis’ mind. ‘I don’t sense your life force leaking out. Perhaps we can truly rely on you safely!’

Ripple’s voice chimed in with the same enthusiasm. ‘I feel the same! We can do this! Let’s go, Inglis! Unleash your full power!’

“Very well then… I will accept your offer!” Inglis declared as she sheathed Eris’ twin swords. Raising her finger, she pointed it directly at the approaching Prisma.

“Ether Pierce!”

A rapid succession of shots pierced the Prisma, initially causing small wounds that quickly became ineffective and eventually healed. However, Inglis knew this outcome was to be expected. It wasn’t the power of the Hyrule Menaces she was using, but rather her own Ether.

“It’s gaining tolerance! Its wounds are healing,” echoed the voices in her head.

“Be careful, Inglis!” they warned.

Undeterred, she pressed on.

“Yes! Ether Strike!”

But before the two could intervene, she unleashed her Ether Strike. The wavelength of the Ether Strike matched that of the Ether Pierces. In other words, as soon as the colossal light bullet struck the Prisma’s body, it would recover, leaving no trace of damage.

And true enough, in an instant, the Prisma was restored to a flawless condition, without a single scratch on its body.

“Good!”

Inglis nodded with satisfaction.

“Don’t ‘good’ me…! What were you thinking?!”
“I-I did say go crazy, but you know that’s not what I meant, right?!”
Eris and Ripple panicked.

“No, there is no other meaning. Our opponent is injured, so it is only fair to heal it. It wouldn’t be a proper fight if both sides weren’t at full strength. Besides, it’s three against one.”
“No, now is not the time for that! Aren’t you supposed to protect all of us?!”
“Listen, you know there’s a time, place, and occasion for everything? Maybe now is the time, place, and occasion to get serious…?”
“I am serious, of course! But that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun…!”
“Aaaahhh! I forgot you’re like this…! You even made me cry!”
“W-Well, what’s done is done. Let’s start from zero and get serious!”
“Ufufufu…”

Inglis, once again, drew Eris’ twin swords with a delighted smile on her face. She crouched down, ready to fully utilize the swords at any moment.

“Now, it’s time to revel in the intoxicating power! Embrace the ultimate strength!”

As Inglis proclaimed, voices echoed in her mind once again–

“Don’t get carried away by power! We’re not battle maniacs like you…”
“I fully support you, Inglis! Show me the ultimate power…”
“And you too, Ripple?!”¹

“Sometimes I just want to enjoy defeating a Prisma and clear my mind in the process! Don’t you feel the same, Eris?”
“W-Well… Yeah, there’s nothing quite like it…”
“Then trust me! Here we go!”

With a determined step forward, Inglis created a radiant circle beneath her feet, resembling ripples spreading across a calm lake.

1. Mab: Et tu, Ripple?