"......Thank you, Princess Zorsha." Brin exhaled deeply. Under the weight of countless stares, he seemed to realize how shameful it was to show fear before battle. He steadied himself slightly, his gaze hardening with resolve.
Felicia understood instantly—Brin had reclaimed his pride as a Divine Maiden.
Her expression turned icy in an instant. Her smile vanished.
*Divine Maiden Realm: Unleash.*
*Finally.*
Dilin closed his book, eyes locked on Felicia and Brin in the arena. His own match was in the afternoon, but he’d accompanied John specifically to observe how ordinary Divine Maidens fought. Most importantly—he wanted to see their Realms.
If Divine Right was the unbreakable "sword" of a Divine Maiden, then the Divine Maiden Realm was her impenetrable "shield." Its manifestation? Armor materializing upon the wielder.
Of course, it wasn’t always armor. Divine Maiden Realms were wildly unique—some appeared as full battleplate, others as barely-there casual wear. But regardless of appearance, their protective properties never wavered. Whether clad in plate or swimwear, the stats were what mattered. Sometimes, even a swimsuit Realm boasted higher physical resistance than plate armor.
Divine Maidens—truly miraculous.
Golden boulders erupted from the earth, forming a resplendent throne. The amber-haired knight sat gracefully upon it, as if crowned by boundless skies and glittering gems. Golden threads wove around her, forging dazzling armor.
It was a skirt-armor of silver and pale gold. Only a chestplate covered her upper body, leaving her smooth waist bare. Her flat, taut abdomen radiated an almost provocative allure. The thick chestplate seemed utterly incapable of containing the princess’s ample curves.
Her arms bore only vambraces, etched with the snarling head of a white beast—the sigil of the Whiteglass Kingdom. Below, triangular knight-skirt armor shielded her plump hips, leaving her rounded, milky thighs exposed above armored high-heeled boots. A golden circlet rested on her head, two flowing amber ponytails cascading down to her knees.
This lavish, gold-accented knightly skirt-armor was Felicia’s Divine Maiden Realm.
The moment Felicia’s Realm manifested, cheers from the stands surged. Countless heated gazes fixed on the slender figure in amber.
Dilin’s focus differed slightly. He’d expected something practical—full plate armor, perhaps. *This* was hardly proper armor. More like... risqué cosplay. Pure fan service? How could armor exposing arms, thighs, and midriff possibly block lethal blows?
Yet Divine Maiden Realms defied science. They simply *were*.
"The Zorsha family’s Divine Maiden Realm boasts the highest physical resistance among all Realms. Its other resistances aren’t low either," John remarked.
*Divine Maiden Realm... Could my Divine Analysis reveal Felicia’s exact stats?*
On impulse, Dilin activated Divine Analysis on Felicia.
In the arena, Felicia paused almost imperceptibly. Her delicate brows lifted a fraction.
Just now, she’d felt an unseen force probing her—a sensation utterly alien under the protection of her *Throne’s Sanctuary*. It was as if that gaze had pierced her armor, stripping her bare...
But the feeling vanished too quickly. Likely just a phantom.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Dilin stared blankly at the floating characters before him. It wasn’t that he couldn’t read the Elven script. It was the *content* that stunned him into doubting his own ability.
> **Name:** Felicia Zorsha
> **Divine Maiden Realm:** *Throne’s Sanctuary*
> **Current Level:** 17
> **Resistances:**
> Physical: ★★★★★★★★★ (9-star)
> Magic: ★★★★ (4-star)
> Alchemy: ★★★ (3-star)
> Divine Right: ★★☆ (2.5-star)
> **Realm Effect:** [...]
"This is basically cheating!" Dilin blurted out after reading the effect.
"Huh? What’d you say?" John blinked, confused.
On the field, Felicia charged. Dragging the massive Crown Greatsword, each step sank deep into the earth, shaking the ground.
Brin had summoned his own Realm—a gray cloak that matched his rapier. Its effect, however...
> **Name:** Brin
> **Divine Maiden Realm:** *Sanctuary of Shadows*
> **Current Level:** 3
> **Resistances:**
> Physical: ★★★★★ (5-star)
> Magic: ★★ (2-star)
> Alchemy: ★★ (2-star)
> Divine Right: ★ (1-star)
> **Realm Effect:** Greatly enhances jump height. Attacks from behind deal 5x damage.
Dilin reeled. His Divine Analysis revealed *exact* resistance values and effects. These "Four Resistances" functioned like game stats—physical armor meant nothing against magic.
Ignoring the resistance gap, the Realm effects alone weren’t even in the same dimension.
Seeing the charging knight, Brin suppressed his panic and relied on his greatest strength: exceptional agility.
As the terrifying greatsword nearly grazed his neck, he leaped—landing behind Felicia and thrusting his rapier.
This was Brin’s style: simple, brutally effective. Especially against slow opponents. Before they could turn, his Realm-boosted strike would deliver a lethal 5x blow!
Brin committed. Just as he’d calculated, Felicia didn’t turn.
The crowd gasped. Brin’s attack was about to land.
Perhaps only Dilin and Felicia herself knew—she *didn’t need* to turn. Turning would only make things worse.
Because...
***Throne’s Sanctuary Effect:***
***While stationary, completely immune to physical attacks.***
And below it:
***While moving, completely immune to all magic attacks.***
*Seriously, how is this not cheating?*
***CLANG! CLANG!***
Triumph turned to terror.
Brin’s eyes widened. His rapier had struck Felicia’s back—yet she stood unharmed. As his blade fell away, the greatsword finally swung back.
Cold sweat drenched Brin.
The blade—wider than his shoulders—halted a hair’s breadth from his throat.
"......I lose." Though he’d expected defeat, Brin couldn’t fathom why his 5x strike failed. The referee’s announcement, the roaring crowd—all faded into meaningless noise.
*People’s joys and sorrows never align. Their clamor only grates on my ears.*
Dilin watched Brin’s dejected exit. For nights to come, the boy’s mind would be haunted by one question: *Why didn’t my 5x Kamehameha work?*
Understandable. He wasn’t a Divine Child. He couldn’t see just how absurd Felicia’s Divine Maiden Realm truly was.
