>>279761001
>it's still a more noticeable state than when he fought Ruijerd.
We don’t actually know that. It’s entirely possible he used just enough strength to put Eris down without killing her, especially since he tends to underestimate people, as he did with Rudeus in Turning Point 2. There’s also the fact that Eris is a key piece in supporting Ariel’s rise to the throne, which ties directly into his long-term plan against Hitogami, so it’s not in his best interests to do her harm.
My take is this:
Orsted was caught off guard.
He underestimated Eris or was testing her.
Eris’s sword ignores Dragon Touki.
Eris had tools from both Sword and Water God styles that gave her a chance to land a hit, if everything aligned perfectly.
She also had prior intel on his fighting style.
Godblade is not even needed to defeat a King/Emperor opponent like Eris, so its inclusion is not proof that she’s stronger.
The rock, paper, scissors aspect played a crucial role in her success. Hadn’t she known Light Reversal and how to fight him, she would’ve been manhandled. A Ruijerd and Eris matchup isn’t the same because Ruijerd has his own fighting style, and in rugged terrain, it could go badly for her. That’s why I think a comparison between these two through fighting Orsted isn’t valid.
And look, Auber is stronger than Eris at that point, but even he’d be obliterated by Orsted. His fighting style just isn’t built to counter someone like him, and we all saw how he was a very tough opponent for Eris.
At the end of the day, it’s all about having the right tools for the right person. Ghislaine had trouble with disco ball guy, but Ruijerd would destroy him, given his third eye.
Mushoku Tensei fights hinge on many factors to determine who wins or loses, and it’s not just about raw strength. Claiming that X did better against Y than Z, so X is stronger than Z, oversimplifies the fighting dynamics between different characters. Hopefully, this makes sense.
