In his head, Tarot's thoughts raced like a storm. Too many... They keep coming, spawning endlessly like cursed summoning magic. I'm barely keeping up, constantly pushed back, and my usual tricks just aren't cutting it. He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the frustration building inside. Deep down, he knew he needed a different approach, a new way to outsmart Viessa and her relentless forces. But the solution still evaded him, lingering just out of reach.
Viessa stood confidently, her boots planted firmly on the cracked earth. She crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips as she mockingly tilted her head. "What's the matter, little monkey? You were so lively earlier, jumping and swinging around like this was a circus. But now? Look at you. Floundering. Flabbergasted. Clueless." Her voice dripped with mockery, but her gaze was sharp and cold. "Face it. My luck outclasses your talent. Cloud Jumper or not, you can't win against the inevitable."
Tarot spun his staff in a tight arc, the familiar hum of its motion steadying his nerves. He slung it behind his back with a decisive motion, his other hand raised defensively in front of him. His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield, sweeping left and right, searching for even the smallest advantage.
He inhaled deeply, releasing a plume of dense, swirling clouds from his mouth. The mist coiled and expanded, materializing into several clones of himself. Each copy darted into action immediately, their motions synchronized like reflections in a shattered mirror.
Viessa's chains lashed out, shredding the clones in rapid succession. Each one dissolved into harmless puffs of smoke, bursting like fragile bubbles under her relentless attacks. "Is this all you've got?" she sneered, her chains retracting in a metallic whirl. "Cheap tricks that only slow me down for a second? You're not even worth the effort."
Unbeknownst to her, Tarot's real body had already vanished within the swirling mist. While his clones served as distractions, he maneuvered silently through the haze, calculating his next move. Two of his clones materialized on either side of Viessa's shoulders, their staffs raised high. With perfect synchronization, they swung at her head, their strikes aimed to catch her off guard.
Viessa reacted in a flash, her chains snapping out like venomous vipers. The metallic tendrils pierced through both clones, reducing them to mere wisps of smoke. But the split-second distraction gave Tarot the opening he needed. Hidden within the fog, he clenched his staff tighter, preparing to strike while her defenses were momentarily occupied.
Stay calm, stay sharp, Tarot told himself, crouching low as he moved closer to his target. One solid move is all I need to turn this around.
Hidden within the swirling mist, Tarot crouched low, his grip on the staff firm as he positioned himself for a decisive strike. His clones had served their purpose, occupying Viessa just long enough for him to close the gap unnoticed. His heart pounded with adrenaline as he approached her, every muscle in his body coiled and ready.
This is it. One solid move to end her smug attitude and all those damn chains.
With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, sweeping his staff in a wide arc aimed directly at Viessa's midsection. The staff cut through the mist like a blade, the force of his attack enough to knock anyone off their feet. But just as the staff was about to connect, her form flickered like a mirage—and then vanished into the thick fog.
"What the—?!" Tarot exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock as his strike sliced through nothing but empty air. The momentum of his swing carried him forward, leaving him momentarily off balance.
"Looking for me?" came Viessa's voice, echoing from somewhere in the mist. It was laced with venom and amusement, her tone mocking his failed attempt.
Before Tarot could react, a chain burst out of the ground beneath him, coiling around his ankle like a serpent. "Got you," Viessa hissed, her voice now sharp and close. The chain yanked hard, pulling Tarot off his feet and slamming him into the dirt with bone-rattling force.
"Gah!" he grunted, the air knocked out of his lungs as his back hit the unforgiving ground. The impact sent a sharp pain shooting through his spine, leaving him momentarily stunned.
The mist swirled, parting just enough to reveal Viessa standing a short distance away, her chains writhing around her like living creatures. Her smirk was wider now, her confidence unshaken. "Did you really think I'd just stand there and let you hit me? Pathetic," she sneered, flicking her wrist to send another chain crashing down toward him.
Tarot groaned as he was dragged across the dirt, his body battered but his grip on his staff unwavering. The echoes of the chains slithering and clinking through the dense mist around him sent chills down his spine. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, but he forced himself back to his feet, his eyes blazing with determination. The once-playful energy in his expression had been replaced by something sharper, deadlier.
"No more... games," Tarot muttered under his breath, spitting blood onto the cracked earth beneath him. "Time... to show you... what I can really do."
Viessa's grin widened, her chains swaying like cobras poised to strike. Her voice cut through the eerie silence. "You're amusing, I'll give you that. But stubbornness without strength only leads to suffering. Let me put you out of your misery."
She snapped her fingers, and two chains shot forward like lightning—one aiming for Tarot's chest and the other for his legs.
With practiced precision, Tarot spun his staff, deflecting the chain targeting his chest in a brilliant flash of sparks. But the second chain struck his ankle, yanking him off his feet. As his body hit the ground, the air was forced from his lungs in a painful grunt.
Viessa didn't let up. She flicked her wrist, sending another chain crashing toward him like a hammer. Tarot rolled to the side just in time, the chain smashing into the earth where he had lain, creating a crater that radiated outward with destructive force.
"Stay still, you little pest!" Viessa roared, her fury echoing through the mist as more chains erupted from the ground, each one lashing out like a living creature.
Tarot gritted his teeth, his body moving on instinct as he twisted and flipped to evade the relentless assault. His breaths came in sharp gasps, his movements slower than before. One chain nicked his arm, leaving a searing cut that dripped blood onto the ground. Another chain managed to snag his staff, trying to wrench it from his grasp.
"Oh no, you don't!" Tarot yelled, clapping his hands together. A burst of cloud magic exploded from his palms, shrouding him in a thick veil of mist. The chain lost its grip, flailing wildly as Viessa tried to pierce through the haze.
Emerging from the smoke like a phantom, Tarot somersaulted forward, driving his staff into the ground with force. The impact unleashed a fiery shockwave, orange flames rippling outward in a wave of destruction. The closest chains melted into molten slag, forcing Viessa to leap back with surprising agility.
"Impressive," she admitted with a venomous sneer, brushing dirt from her shoulders. "But tricks like that won't save you."
Tarot wiped the sweat and blood from his face, smirking despite his battered state. "That's what you think."
He struck the ground again, and three cloud clones materialized, each one darting toward Viessa in unpredictable, chaotic movements. Their footfalls were silent, their forms flickering like mirages in the mist.
Viessa's chains lashed out, striking the clones one by one. Each clone puffed into harmless clouds upon impact, obscuring her vision as they surrounded her. She lashed out again and again, her frustration mounting.
In that moment, Tarot saw his opening. He leaped high into the air, his staff spinning in his hands, its tip igniting with brilliant orange flames. The spinning motion transformed the flames into a blazing wheel, whirling like a miniature sun.
"Take this!" he shouted, descending toward Viessa like a meteor.
Viessa raised her chains defensively, forming a metallic cocoon around herself. The fiery strike hit with explosive force, sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. Sparks and embers scattered like fireflies, lighting up the mist.
Viessa's cocoon held strong, but Tarot wasn't finished. He flipped backward midair, landing with a fluid motion as he prepared for another assault. His fiery staff extinguished momentarily as he re-centered himself.
"You're... tough," he admitted, his voice steady despite the blood running down his face. "But let's see... how you handle this...."
Summoning the last reserves of his strength, Tarot spun his staff overhead, creating a vortex of fire and clouds. The vortex roared like a storm, the air around him crackling with energy.
Viessa watched with wide eyes, her chains trembling as if alive and fearful. "What are you doing?!"
Tarot didn't answer. He slammed the staff into the ground, releasing a tidal wave of flames and cloud magic. The attack surged forward, unstoppable and all-consuming, engulfing everything in its path.
Viessa's chains tried to block the wave, but they melted on contact, their metallic forms dissolving into nothingness. The force of the attack sent Viessa hurtling backward, her body crashing into the dirt with a bone-shaking thud.
Tarot collapsed to one knee, his staff supporting him as he gasped for air. The battlefield fell silent, the mist dissipating to reveal Viessa lying motionless, her chains limp and lifeless.
"Guess that's... how you end a fight," Tarot muttered with a weary grin, his vision swimming as exhaustion threatened to claim him.
Viessa lay sprawled on the ground, her chest heaving as she struggled to draw breath. The once-commanding air around her had dissipated, replaced by a frailty that betrayed her loss. Her chains, which had been an extension of her fury and strength, now lay inert around her like broken limbs, their metallic sheen dulled and lifeless.
Her body trembled with pain. The fiery shockwave Tarot had unleashed left scorch marks across her arms and legs, her skin blistered and raw in places where the heat had kissed her. Her muscles throbbed with exhaustion, her strength sapped by the relentless fight and the overwhelming power of Tarot's final strike.
Viessa coughed, a wet, guttural sound that sent a fresh wave of agony through her ribs. She tasted blood on her lips, thick and metallic, as it dripped from the corner of her mouth. Her vision blurred, but she could still make out Tarot's silhouette, standing tall despite his own injuries. The sight of him, resolute and undefeated, sent a fresh surge of bitterness through her.
"You... filthy little pest," she spat, her voice weak and trembling.
Her words trailed off as another wave of pain wracked her body, forcing her to grip the dirt beneath her fingers. She clawed at the ground as if trying to pull herself back to her feet, but her arms gave out beneath her. Her legs felt like dead weight, unresponsive to her desperate attempts to move.
Tarot, still leaning on his staff for support, looked down at her with a mixture of exhaustion and pity. His breathing was heavy, his body covered in bruises and cuts, but there was a spark of victory in his eyes.
Viessa growled, a low, guttural sound of frustration and humiliation. "Yipsiv... will... avenge me..." she whispered, her head lolling to the side as her strength gave out completely.
Her eyes fluttered shut, her body going still. The battlefield was silent except for the faint crackle of lingering embers and the soft sound of Tarot's labored breathing. The once-dominant chain wielder was defeated, her body and spirit broken by the force of Tarot's resolve.
For a moment, Tarot stood motionless, his grip on his staff tightening. "Sorry," he muttered under his breath, unsure if she could even hear him. "But I couldn't let you win."
He turned away, the weight of the battle still pressing down on him as he limped toward the horizon, leaving Viessa and her shattered chains behind.
To be continued...