Jamal held tighter to Hops, as the fuming man was still clawing toward Alice. It took all of his energy not accidentally letting him slip and doing more damage than good.
"Jamal, let me kill her, please!" Jamal could see the fury in the man's eyes.
"Would you just shut up!" Both men saw Sera staring at them, "We're trying to have an actual match."
"I'll give you a match, after what you did to her!" Hops had lifted his feet up and planted them onto Jamal's chest. "Sorry, Jamal."
With a bit of surprise, Jamal had let go of the man, to which he took advantage. No hesitation was needed, as Hops pushed with all his might off of it, and straight towards the swordswoman. Sera barely turned her hand in his direction, as she laid a hand onto the hilt, ready to finish him off with one blow. That was until Hops managed to stop in midair and bounce off the invincible structure. Even Jamal was confused once he had recovered. Wasn't Alice out of this?
"You think you can make some shield like her, and stop me from getting inside to break your body." Hops started to laugh, preparing to kick at the space.
Just as he attempted the first one, several gasps were heard around him, to which the man stopped. What was the issue, the man turned back to look into the clearing and widened his eyes.
Alice wiped something off her mouth, as she slowly managed to get up. She had actually managed to survive an attack like that? It seemed so impossible, yet the woman made it become reality.
"Alice? H-How?" Hops collapsed on his knees. "Yo-you, you were supposed to be dead."
The man could only watch, as the woman turned to look at her man before starting to laugh as if nothing had happened. Jamal himself was a bit weirded out for someone to have just looked to have died. If it kept Hops at bay though, then there wasn't much he was willing to complain about then.
"Ryan, the reason I needed ten minutes was for this situation. Considering her swordsmanship, it would have been a risk not to cast one of my incantations." Alice grinned, as she wiped the line of blood on her stomach. "Although, it did actually sting a bit."
Sera just watched, as the line disappeared without a scratch before Alice strapped her book to her side. Wouldn't she need that in order to beat her? What a fool, Sera calmly stared at her opponent before pulling out her blade.
"You told me earlier that you were really going to make me pay with my blood, huh?" Sera cackled back, "You aren't a threat to anyone here."
"That's what you think. We Seronas have quite the legacy." Alice stretched her arms out. "Maybe do some research or learn some history next time."
"Seronas? Like the psychic family?" Sera stepped back, surprising Jamal. "This has to be a bluff?"
Jamal stared intensely at Alice, who had her eyes closed, before taking a deep breath. In a complete sense of concentration, everyone outside the forcefield watched as clear dots of energy appeared around the woman, before they completely disappeared. The only thing different about Alice when she opened her eyes was a light white dot in the middle of her pupil, making it seem like there was a shine to it.
"This is my Awakened Form." Alice wasn't even smiling anymore, as the dots began to reform and move around her. "Now, let's duel it out."
Even Leon was impressed with the energy he was witnessing, as he muttered something to Heskins. Jamal noted this, and stared back at Hops, who just had his mouth open the entire spectacle. Only a few hours ago was he busting inside her, before now seeing her true power as it seemed. What a change of events.
Sera didn't say a word, as she took one step, before Alice was in front her. The woman attempted to pull her blade up, except for Alice to hold it down with two fingers with relative ease. With nowhere to readjust her weapon, Sera could only watch as Alice's hands began to glow before she pressed it onto her. Everyone outside didn't see anything happen, until Sera suddenly appeared on the ground in front of Alice.
"It seems that the attack was so strong, that you reflected off the forcefield I managed to put up and landed right where you belong. The dirt tasting good today?" Alice crouched down, in a way no one has seen her in, so cocky and arrogant.
Sera didn't respond back, as she managed to land a cheap uppercut on the woman. Alice kept her head up, as she brought her hand up with her. Sera barely had time to turn around, before a rock jutted out of the ground, and crashed into her face.
"Since we're playing like this, why not fight like this?" Alice roared with joy, as rocks began to rip out of the ground and swirled around her.
Sera didn't answer back, as she grasped her sword, and broke apart a stone that was mere seconds away from colliding in her bleeding face. She continued doing that to hundreds of stone, staying focused on Alice, who seemed collected and calm. For someone that had almost died almost five minutes ago, this was quite a change of events.
Getting a good feel of the situation now though, everyone observing watched as Sera herself glowed a light white from the sword's energy, as she swept through the rest of her attacks. Alice was already finishing another incantation, her book glowing on her despite being closed, just as Sera nicked her neck.
The watchers were silent, as Sera managed to stop behind the psychic woman and turn around. There was growing blood leaking off of Alice, as she didn't even bother turning around. Not waiting for another moment to miss out on, Sera gripped her sword in a thrusting motion, as she did it in a swift act.
Hops was still shaken but observant until he watched the blade go into Alice's stomach again, this time completely through. Thankfully, Jamal was already on him, before the man started squirming towards Alice.
"That's what you get. You can't outsmart me, even with your powers. You're a joke compared to your family." Sera pushed the blade deeper, with Alice hissing in pain, although she seemed to be taking it well.
"You're going to be eating those words any minute now." Alice gripped the blade not letting her pull back.
"You fool, you wish to di-" Sera managed to say, before gasping.
Trembling, an immense pain shot through her stomach area, as Sera looked down. Blood was beginning to soak through her shirt, before dripping onto the ground. The woman didn't even hit her in that area, so what managed to happen here?
"You see, I can redirect any attack you do to me, onto you. Most weaker psychics can only make the physical pain be felt, but nonexistent. Except I'm not so weak after all, am I?" Alice decided she had enough, before pulling the blade out. "Of course, I was already healing from this with my own energy, but I doubt you can sustain doing the same to yourself."
Sera couldn't even speak, as a cough of blood landed in front of Alice. Without delay, Alice kicked the woman onto the ground, before leaving a foot on her stomach, causing more blood to gurgle into her throat.
"Just surrender, and I'll heal you with ease. I just love it when people underestimate you, only to be shown the truth." Alice breathed out, before staring back at Hops. "Hey baby, you want to go out after I finish taking out this trash?"
Hops himself was at a loss of words before managing to nod his head in agreement. Jamal and he hoped everyone here actually gained true respect for this woman. Not only was she hiding this the entire time from them, but he doubted that the woman was even going completely out.
"I-, I can't give up, so easily." Sera threw a weak punch towards Alice's leg, who stood her ground and applied more pressure. "Ugh!"
"Give up, and then you'll have respect from me, and everyone else here." Alice stopped smiling, "Do it or I'll kill you in a more painful way."
"Alice, I think-, I think that's enough. I'm pretty sure she learned her lesson. You're clearly better." Hops managed to assert himself after everything he witnessed.
"Ryan, she needs to say it." Alice looked to see the woman was already unconscious. "Oh, well looks like I win!"
The group didn't even say another word, as Alice flicked a downward motion toward them. Nothing happened, except Alice practically skipped across the space, as if a fight never happened here in the first place. Hops himself managed to straighten up just as Alice hugged him tightly.
"I told you I was stronger, and yet you didn't believe me." Alice laughed in his ear.
"I was really worried about you there for a second." Hops stared back at Sera's body and Alice's glowing pupils. "But it seems that you really finished the job here. I'm proud of you, I really am."
"I know you are." the woman let the man straighten her hair. "Oh, I got to make sure she's alive! Give me a minute and we'll be out of here in no time."
Before Hops could react, the woman kissed him passionately for a moment before making her way back toward the swordswoman. Jamal and everyone else had gotten up and went to his side just to watch the woman shift glowing energy through her palms and into the woman.
"Wow Hops, you found the one, didn't you? Seems like there was nothing to worry about. But you gotta prove yourself now." Jamal patted the man's shoulder, "You realize she was holding back right?"
"Yeah, I see. I love her too much to stay where I'm at. It's time to really take everything seriously now. If this is what I need to do, then so be it." Hops nodded in agreement, as he stared at the woman that no one else was to get, at least not on his watch.