Ignoring Claire, who was struggling in his arms, Roa quickly dodged to the side. The dazzling white light streaked through the air, striking the spot where Roa had just been standing.
Even though it missed, the brilliant light showed no signs of stopping, hovering in mid-air and revealing its true form.
It was a sword, a steel sword with a silver sheen, its design quite extravagant, giving an impression of extraordinary quality at first glance. The surface of the steel sword was enveloped in a faint divine might, and its ornate sword radiated a formidable wave of divine energy.
"Indeed, it's a steel-type Sword Spirit."
Claire murmured, gazing at the floating sword that exuded powerful divine might with a look of longing. However, this expression quickly faded, replaced by disappointment.
There was no doubt that she had failed; this Sword Spirit was stronger than she had imagined.
Spirits also have different levels.
Generally, spirits in the Astral Zero can be classified into three tiers: low, mid, and high. However, there is also a fourth category known as the supreme spirits, which are extremely rare and difficult to become the master of. Just now, it was clear that Claire had not gained the spirit's recognition. If it weren't for Roa's timely intervention, Claire would have been lying on the ground by now.
"It seems your contract has failed. Not only did you fail to release the spirit sealed in the sword, but it also appears to have entered a state of chaos," Roa said, frowning slightly as he looked at the floating Sword Spirit and then at the girl in his arms.
Claire remained silent. The divine might she infused had provoked the previously dormant spirit, and now trying to contract it would be twice as difficult as before.
Roa gently patted Claire's forehead, set her down, and said, "Since you failed, it's my turn now."
Claire opened her mouth, trying to assert, "I didn't fail; it's just the beginning."
Then she stood in front of Roa and quickly began to chant: "——————Guardian of the red flames, eternal furnace keeper——————"
"——————Here, fulfill the blood contract and obey my command——————"
The spirit markings on the back of Claire's right hand glowed, and a scorching aura spread from around her. A bright red color emanated from her hand, and powerful divine energy surged within, quickly enveloping Claire in flames.
"Go, Scarlet!"
The flames transformed into a fireball that surged towards the Sword Spirit. The intense heat surprised even Roa.
As the fireball approached the Sword Spirit, it exploded, revealing its true form.
It was a spirit, a fire cat entirely engulfed in flames, radiating a bright red hue.
This was Roa's first time seeing the spirit Claire had contracted, and sensing the divine energy emanating from it, he felt a bit surprised.
Because this fire spirit was not of low rank; on the contrary, it was a high-tier spirit.
In an era where supreme spirits were scarce, high-tier spirits were basically the strongest spirits that spirit users could contract. Yet even with such a spirit, Claire still sought to contract an even more powerful one.
Roa sighed helplessly and continued to focus on the battle.
The fire cat named Scarlet lunged at the Sword Spirit, and the air around it distorted due to the intense heat it carried. The fire spirit let out a cry, extending its front paw, flames enveloping its body as it directly clawed at the opponent.
Although its movements were somewhat awkward, Roa had no intention of underestimating it.
The holy sword floating in mid-air was already prepared, releasing its divine energy once more. The silver long sword transformed into a brilliant white light, charging towards the fire spirit.
The speed of the steel sword was still incredibly swift; to an ordinary person, it would only appear as a blurred afterimage. Of course, this speed was not enough to overwhelm the fire spirit.
As the flames on the fire spirit diminished, the fireball in its paw expanded dramatically, and the flames wrapped around its front paw as it fiercely clawed at the rushing steel sword.
The terrifyingly high-temperature claws collided with the steel sword, and in an instant, sparks rained down like a shower.
As the two clashed, sparks flew, and the scorching heat wave wrapped around the sword's blade.
The holy sword, of course, wouldn't be foolish enough to let itself be engulfed in flames. It transformed into a silver light and retreated to its original position.
Seeing this, Claire's face lit up with joy, and she shouted to Roa, "I did it!"
However, Roa's brow remained furrowed. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he shouted to Claire, "That's not the full extent of that Sword Spirit's power. Be careful, Claire!"
As soon as Roa's words fell, Claire, still caught up in her excitement, saw the sharp steel sword suddenly come to a halt before erupting with a terrifying divine might, like lightning, directly stabbing towards the position of the fire cat.
This time, the speed increased several times, so fast that Claire didn't even have time to react.
Thud!
The silver steel sword effortlessly pierced through the body of the fire cat.
"Meow!"
The fire cat let out a mournful cry, struggling with its limbs as it fell from the air.
Claire's pupils suddenly constricted, and she ran recklessly toward the position of the fire spirit, crying out in despair, "Scarlet!"
Claire's actions were undoubtedly extremely foolish, but at that moment, she couldn't think too much. Although Scarlet was a spirit, she had accompanied Claire since childhood and could be considered half a family member. If there was anyone in this cold world who could make Claire feel a hint of warmth, it was undoubtedly Scarlet.
The steel sword that had pierced the fire spirit turned around, hovering in mid-air and changing direction, and its new target was—Claire!
In the next moment, the sharp steel sword transformed into an arrow, slicing through space as it descended rapidly, shooting toward Claire's back.
But just as the steel sword was about to strike, a figure silently appeared behind it. Roa directly grabbed the sword's hilt, activating both dragon blood and magic power. His golden eyes became incredibly brilliant in that instant. The silver steel sword sensed that it was caught by the spirit user and tried to struggle, but soon realized something was wrong.
It couldn't break free from the boy's wrist; his strength was astonishing.