"HAHAHAHA!"
"What a kid!"
"Oh Gaia, you would have loved to see what is happening now! HAHAHAHA!"
Within Mane's mindscape, the trembling with joy figure of Cronos could be seen upon his dark throne. While it was strange to see him so excited, it was even weirder when one considered that the person happier to see Mane's changes wasn't Mane himself but Cronos. The exuberant laughter of the Selfish Titan King was quite infectious, and if there was anyone here to witness it, they would have found themselves swept up in joy as well.
Yes, Cronos was joyful. And from whence came his joy? His joy came from the Lease Mane had cast. For it reminded him a Titan who, just like him, had lost her life so many eons ago. Her name was Gaia, and for a time she was his wife. Although Titans were known mainly for their physical abilities, those weren't their only talents. Cronos for instance, was a talented Time Energy Wielder in addition to being a Body Wielder. And Gaia, although not as famous as her husband, wasn't a simple Body Wielder. She was a Spiritualist as well.
Gaia's impenetrable defense was famous, even at the time when Cronos's popularity overshadowed all the others. Her invincible armor was something that brought headaches to the minds of all who faced her. She could basically stand and allow herself to be attacked by an army of Ascenders and still be largely unharmed! That was just ridiculous. But it was true. And it was her ability. It was this strength that earned her the title of Earth Titan. For many believed that the earth elements defensive invulnerability had been stolen by Gaia. But was that really the case?
Many thought that Gaia's armor was part of her – an extension of her strong and tough skin. But it wasn't. It was a Lease. It was a Lease very similar to what Mane was using now. The major difference was in strength. Although Mane's armor was tough, it didn't have Gaia's unbreakable attribute. For Mane's was liable to let him down, but Gaia's knew not such a fate.
"But he is only a Heaven Realmer. He will achieve any things. I cannot wait to witness them for myself. I will see for myself what this thing called a Supreme is! HAHAHA!"
Outside Mane's mindscape, the young Supreme was unaware that his changes had brought so much joy to the Selfish Titan King, mainly because he was fully focused on the task at hand. Mane's body now looked very different from before. Before he was a 'naked' titan, with no defense in place. But now he was an armored titan.
Mane was clad fully in a sea blue armor that complemented his eyes well. The helmet of the armor covered his entire face, exposing only his deep blue eyes. The armor looked strong and powerful, and was complete with a sword. The sword was no simple blade. For it sparkled with lightning and rang out with thunder. It was large and heavy, and made entirely out of stone, just like the armor was.
This was Deus Armis – the Armor of the Gods. It was a powerful King Lease that allowed one to be clad in the forces of chaos. It was one of the ultimate sources of protection. This Lease manipulated the area around to produce a set of protective gear and an offensive weapon of your choosing. Today, Mane chose a sword. Maybe tomorrow he will choose a hammer. The platform here was the raw material manipulated by the Lease in this scenario. And even more amazing was that the Lease maintained the armor's connection to the platform, which meant that even if it was breached it would be repaired, just like the platform!
The eyes of the Ebony Panther King glowed slightly when he witnessed Mane's change. But his mission hadn't changed. It only looked tougher. He didn't slow down. Rather, he sped up. He was the blinding light of the sun and he whizzed past the hesitant White Battle Fox in no time. Like an overzealous comet he attacked Mane with full force. His claws glowed faintly as the flames that surrounded them were made even stronger. Emboldened by the Crystal Armor he now dawned, he could afford to be a tad bit careless.
Mane's eyes that weren't hidden by the helmet squinted slightly upon witnessing the speed of the Ebony Panther King. The forces of Edict that surrounded him were greedily swallowed as Mane Devoured as much as he could to replenish his rapidly diminishing energy. His grip around his sword tightened as the rumblings of thunder grew louder and clearer, and the lightning bolts that consumed the blade grew even more aggressive.
Without any hesitation Mane swung the blade. He chose a technique that sealed several paths to make it much harder for the Slender Cat. For against an opponent of such agility, a single blade light would definitely not do the trick.
"4 Way Cut: Perfect Square"
*Rumble*
Four lightning clad sword lights burst forth from the stone sword. Each sword light contained the power of several stars, and a hit from any was enough to severely wound a powerful being – even one such as strong as the Ebony Panther King – much less four. Accompanied by the thunderous roars of thunder they quickly assembled into a perfect square and headed towards the Ebony Panther King.
The eyes of the Slender Cat showed very little panic at the sight of the sword lights. Although they were powerful, they weren't above what he could cope with. His glowing claws started to vibrate at a high frequency. Soon they became blurry images that were difficult to discern. The Slender Cat had calculated his options. Avoiding these sword lights was going to be a massive challenge. And the fact that Mane's sword was still glowing tipped him off to the fact that there may be another sword light if he tried to dodge this one. So he was prepared to meet this head on.
*Roar*
Releasing a loud roar of encouragement, he swung both paws at the sword lights without any hesitation.
*Boom*
The Slender Cat was sent skidding back by the powerful impact. Although his claws shook greatly from the power of the sword lights and were chipped in a few areas, he was largely okay. And once he came to a stop, he dashed right back at Mane.
The hesitant White Fox was encouraged by this. And her stiff limbs found their strength once more. She pushed herself towards Mane as well. Her movements were erratic and her trajectory difficult to discern, making it difficult for Mane to find an opening to attack her.
"Gotcha," Mane smiled behind the helmet as he also proceeded to move. The White Fox may think that her movements were difficult to discern, but she was wrong. With True Eyes Mane could see her projected trajectory as clearly as the day was bright. And he was more than ready to meet her.
"Star Flicker"
The eyes of the White Fox opened widely in surprise when Mane's figure became blurry and disappeared, and the Slender Cat was just as shocked.
This speed was unlike anything Mane had displayed so far! The boy was slightly faster than him! In less than half a second, the blue armored titan the White Fox was so wary of appeared before her, and she instinctively threw a paw at it. However, Mane wasn't intending to be hit. Although this level of attack wouldn't be enough to harm him, the impact would surely send him flying back, making waste his efforts. And if this failed, it would be difficult to execute once again. After all, they hadn't seen him display this level of speed before and would become wary of it.
"Prideful Sword: Dance of the Half-Moon"
Like a graceful butterfly, well-seasoned in the art of flying and evasion, Mane coolly avoided the large paw of the White Fox, and found himself facing the abdomen of the creature. His eyes flashed brightly as he pushed all the Edict he could muster into the stone sword. The blue sword glowed deeply, like a man drunk on wine. Its drunkenness however, didn't affect its ability to hit its mark. For Mane had resorted to his most powerful attack. He needed to cut the White Fox in half in just one swing. For the Ebony Panther King was already on his way here.
"Wing Augmented Bloodied Blade: Crazed Cut of the Blade King"
Mane swung the sword with all his strength. The stone sword hummed strongly, glowing with a beautiful green light. The winds of change mingled happily with destructive lightning and created a greater output of power than either was capable of individually. For a second it looked like it was going to break. But it stood firm, handling the destructive energy of the Bloodied Blade technique before handing it over to something else – the crystal clad abdomen of the White Fox.
*Bang*
*Puchi*
*Roar*
Accompanied by a mournful roar, the large body of the White Fox was split into two equal halves. Her armor disappeared and her body was quickly consumed by Mane's flames. However, Mane swiftly undid his fire before it could do any further damage. He needed the body to be intact if he wanted to Devour it. He still had a few Sealing Stones on him. They will surely be of great use.
Mane moved out of the way without hesitation once his mission was accomplished. For he could feel the fiery paw of the Ebony Panther King descending upon his location.
*Boom*
The powerful paw broke apart the floor of the platform with little difficulty and consumed it in fire. The claws of the Slender Cat had dug into the floor of the platform deeply, showing its cruel intent. Its eyes were filled with rage and a bit of fear. The crystal armor around it swiftly disappeared, and Mane was hit with a sudden realization.
"So its Copy Skill can only replicate the abilities of the living. That's good then!"
Emboldened by his new discovery, Mane dashed towards the Ebony Panther King with his stone sword in hand. Summoning the forces of Chaos and Edict, Mane pushed his power to its peak. His eyes glowed brightly, filled with the power of the forces that began it all. Mane's True Eyes were like a beacon that locked on to the form of the Slender Cat. He couldn't afford to miss the movements of such an agile creature.
*Roar*
The Slender Cat released a panicked roar towards the Human Spiritualist. 'How long did it possibly take to prepare a simple spell?' he wondered
"I think you are mistaken here," Mane's voice boomed as his figure approached. The Slender Cat moved away from Mane, and tried to avoid meeting him head on. And so far, his plan was working.
"She isn't your teammate," Mane smiled cruelly behind the helmet, causing the gaze of the Slender Cat to be filled with confusion. Yet even in such a state, he still kept moving. But Mane's next words sent the Slender Cat into a frenzied panic.
"She is mine!"
"Done!" the lovely voice of the Human Spiritualist found its way to Mane's ears, and the Young Supreme immediately dove out of the way.
"Vires Creant Et Destruunt: Exaudi Vocem Meam; Et Quod Bene Facis"
"Destructio Ganntlet!"
A powerful wind immediately swept through the platform as both Mane and the Slender Cat were sent flying back several meters. Both turned to look at the Human Spiritualist, but each with different emotions. Mane looked on expressionlessly, although there was a faint smile that tugged at the corner of his lips; whereas the Slender Cat looked on with doubt and the tinniest hope that Mane spoke untruths. Alas, the Young Supreme hadn't.
For before the Spiritualist, formed a fist made entirely out of Chaos. The fist gave off an ominous air, and its power was not to be underestimated. And once it appeared, the Slender Cat could feel himself shackled, locked on to by the powerful energy that floated before the Human Spiritualist. In confusion he sought out the reason for her betrayal.
*Roar?*
"Why? You think I do not know that you planned to kill me after this?" the Human Spiritualist frowned and said. They were targeting a Supreme here. As long as they killed such a person, they would have to look over their shoulders for the rest of their lives. And the fewer that kept this secret, the better. That was why the Slender Cat was planning all along to kill any who survived along with him. He had enough power to do so after all.
"Besides, I am an Eternal – not a Human!" she added with a smile before letting go of the power she was struggling so hard holding on to.
*Roar*
The Slender Cat released a cry of defiance. Although he had been betrayed, he was still fast enough to avoid this fist. And he did. Twisting his body in a manner that was best described as cat-like, he was able to avoid the fist. Although its power burned and singed, even more than his own flames and caused his some discomfort, he was fine. He smirked in disdain. However, he didn't get to do so for long.
"Did you really think it was that simple?" the Eternal Spiritualist mocked. She wasn't a saint. She marked both the White Fox and the Slender Cat before this moment, preparing for any who was able to survive. Although she deduced that the Ebony Panther King would be the one to make it to the end because he was much more powerful, she wasn't one to be complacent. The barriers she used to 'save' them were nothing more than markers that had stuck to them when they struck them. And they served as beacons for the Chaos molded fist of hers that was flying around.
The fist quickly made a U-turn once it missed the Slender Cat and struck the beast from behind.
*Boom*
The resultant explosion was so great that Mane was forced to retreat several thousands of meters by the aftershock whilst rejoicing secretly that he wasn't the target of that attack. Once it was over, he returned to his human form.
"What a pity. There were no remains left." Mane sighed. For the body of the Slender Cat had been completely destroyed in the blast. And the White Fox was close to the Slender Cat, meaning that its body too had also been destroyed.
"I apologize, My Lord and Sky," the Eternal Spiritualist quickly rushed to Mane and bowed before him. Her bow was complete, for it was one of total subservience.
"Who are you?" Mane asked. It was because he had seen that she wasn't human that he hadn't bothered with her. He hadn't met Eternals before, but he reckoned that she had tweaked her Spirit to make it appear human. After all, she was a Spiritualist and such a feat fell under her range of capabilities. Mane felt a strong connection to her since the moment she appeared. And that had alarmed him. However, when she reached out to him with Telepathy to tell him of her race and allegiance, he had lessened his wariness of her.
"My name is Crystal, My Lord and Sky. I am the Chaos Eternal."