Chapter 257.1. It’s Punishment Time!

The trail of azure ice rushes across Mega Queen’s body. Slowly, it begins to freeze from the cuts on its exoskeleton, gradually slowing down its swift movements.
“Guh, su-such foolishness! Freezing over in this scorching hell? It’s a trick, a trick!”
“It’s magic ice! It freezes things.”
Miu proudly explains that [Hades’ Waltz] has a [Freeze] effect in the game mechanics.
“Guh, I won’t lose to a little girl!”
As the surface starts freezing, and the ice slowly creeps up even to its wings, Mega Queen impales Miu with its flaming sword.
With a roar, flames swirl, stopping the encroachment of ice that had frozen its armor.
“Choice borne from regenerations powers, impressive. But this attack is far from over!”
The ice magic imbued within the shining sword still lives.
“Teiteitei.”
With a cute shout, Miu unleashes an attack of deceivingly adorable power.
Clad in ice, the serpentine blade of light undulates as it slashes at Mega Queen. Mega Queen swings its sword with its four forelegs, leaving afterimages as it swiftly counters.
Blades clash again, the shockwaves of impact blowing away the melted debris and heat in their vicinity.
However, it’s not the same pattern as before. A different sequence unfolds.
Trying to fend off Miu’s approaching radiant sword from the upper right, Mega Queen is cut across its torso before its sword can block.
The radiant beam flexes midway, the blade edges nearer to its left side. It shifts its sword sideways to guard, but the force is overwhelming, driving the blade into its left side.
Mega Queen staggers. Without wasting the opportunity, Miu springs forth, launching a rapid barrage of attacks with her serpentine blade.
The exoskeleton incurs wounds, the gashes gradually deepening. Regeneration struggles to keep up, and it becomes a matter of time before the armor shatters.
“Why, why is this happening? It’s losing in speed and strength! How, how can this be? This can’t be happening. It’s cheating, absurdity, a trick!”
Though Miu is much smaller than Mega Queen, Fen, unable to believe she’s losing in status, erupts in a scream.
Desperate to regain control, he releases a crimson aura from Mega Queen’s frame and employs his martial techniques.
“Gnuoooh!”
[Thunderfire Assault Sword]
[Icewind Assault Sword]
It unleashed a combination of swords with favorable elemental affinities.
A strike merging flames and lightning, an attack resembling a blizzard’s gust. Both of which are undoubtedly powerful strikes. Against humans, they would certainly be formidable.
“But I’m Mii-chan!”
I’m nobody else. I’m Takano Miu. Defeating me with just that level of attack is impossible.
[Soul Awakening]
[Heaven and Earth Thunderclap]
[Shining Sword]
-Linked-
[Shining Thunder Dragon Sword]
The seemingly thin radiant sword becomes infused with magical lightning, expanding its blade.
What was about ten centimeters in thickness transforms into a ten-meter-long thunder dragon.
In this scorching world, lightning races. The resounding thunder fills the space, and the radiant sword with infinite range becomes a dragon dominating the sky.
“Toya!”
Miu swung her sword toward Mega Queen, closing in on the colossal Thunder Dragon Sword.
“T-There’s no way such a dragon exists! T-There’s no way a human could use magic with such absurd power! Grraaah, it’s a triiick!”
Swinging its attribute sword, Mega Queen approaches the towering Thunder Dragon. 
The roles have reversed from earlier – Miu, wielding a slender thread-like sword, now faces off against Mega Queen’s massive log-sized blade.
Now, against Miu’s enormous sword, Mega Queen counters with a matchstick-like blade.
Miu manages to counteract, but Mega Queen, now in the opposite position, struggles…
A screeching metallic sound fills the air. Mega Queen’s sword warps and shatters. 
When they touch the Thunder Dragon Sword, its forelegs explode into a discharge and a blast.
“My, my Queen Ant!”
Its 4 forelegs shatter into pieces, its body loses strength as it’s cleaved by the searing Thunder Dragon, and its crimson aura fades away.
[Magic Break]

Magic released from Mega Queen, Ymir’s magic, passes through Miu’s body. The Thunder Dragon reverts to its original sword as the magic gets dispelled.
However, the attack did land on Mega Queen, and the satisfied Miu let out a triumphant exhale.
The armor is shattered, and the slashing strikes pierce through to the internal machinery. The frame sparks, its initial speed and power nowhere to be seen.
“Why? Why doesn’t that magic armor’s magic disappear? Not even your sword, nor your physical abilities, vanish after being hit by [Magic Break]?”
“It’s a maiden’s secret!”
Confusion colors Ymir’s voice from Mega Queen. Certainly, any inhabitant of this world would find it puzzling.
But in a game, even if hit by [Dispel Magic], the imbued magic merely fades away. 
The game’s design wasn’t like those crappy setups where enchanted armor or magic weapons lose power. Using [Magic Break] with the same effect would only have the same result.
It’s not the kind of game that goes by those rules. Weapon or armor destruction exists, but that’s a different effect altogether.
From Ymir’s perspective, it must be baffling. Miu is intrigued by the destructive sound that accompanies [Magic Break].
Not that Miu is concerned about that.
“Tei!”
“Gwah!”
Swinging the Shining Sword, Miu knocks Mega Queen down. 
A slap-like sound echoes, and the armor in the impacted area explodes, sending fragments flying. Fen’s scream resounds as Mega Queen crashes onto the magma-infused ground.