Saya Kyouya stood before Ayato with a sword in her hand. Ayato shook his head and stayed poise to fight the mirage.
It was simply a mirage with his mother's face. That was it. His mother was dead. This woman was nothing more than a mirage. A facade.
That being said...
The mirage of Saya attacked Ayato. He was late in dodging. He gained a wound to his arm.
Ayato couldn't attack the mirage. He couldn't attack it because it was a mirage of Saya Kyouya. Hitting a mirage with his mother's face was something he could never do, powerful or not.
Ayato dodged the swift slashes. He turned and caught the arrow that was coming at him.
"Oh, you're quick."
Sora's voice echoed.
The boy ran down the foggy corridor.
'This fog would extend only until the end of the corridor. If I get out, then I should be fine.'
He thought but as he ran, it felt like he was running endlessly. He couldn't see where he was going even if the corridor was one-way.
"You won't ever reach the exit."
"The fog... Does it also mess with sense of direction?"
Ayato asked the non-existent Sora.
"Exactly."
It makes sense as to why he was able to become a World Magician with this Magic Seal.
Ayato had only single hope that would help him get out of this situation.
"...!"
That chance had just arrived.
He raised his hand.
"Asteria!"
A sword broke through the building and found itself in Ayato's hands. The Artificial Divine Tool, Asteria. It was a guardless katana with an ebony blade. A perfect weapon for the Magician of the Night.
"Hm... Judging from the ominous magic emanating from that weapon, it's a Divine Tool, isn't it?"
Ayato didn't answer.
A Divine Tool would bind itself to a single user, meaning that no one else could use it. It hadn't been tested yet, but it may not be true for an artificial Divine Tool such as Asteria. If Sora found that out and disarmed Ayato to use it for himself, Ayato would have no chance.
"Then I'll stop playing around."
Multiple mirages formed, charging toward Ayato. They were the same mirages of his mother. He closed his eyes and assumed a low stance.
Ayato exhaled gently before unsheathing the sword.
"Crescent Moon, First Blade: Starless Night."
He spun around and drew a crescent moon with his sword. It cut all of the mirages and thinned some of the fog.
Ayato activated his Blue Eyes.
'There!'
He rushed over to where the mana was the thickest. That would be where Sora was.
"Hah!"
He emerged from the smoke, seeing Sora staring at him with a mischievous smile.
Ayato raised his sword.
"Crescent Moon, Fifth Blade: Moon Sickles!"
His sword cut down, releasing a multitude of white sickles aimed at Sora. He jumped, avoiding most of them. One scraped his foot.
"Why don't you just keep quiet instead of saying your attack name?"
He asked, landing. Ayato was only a metre away from him. Sora hadn't noticed it.
'He's fast!'
Both of their arms flickered simultaneously at frightening speeds.
"Mirage Coating!"
"Starless Night!"
The fog formed a shield, blocking Ayato's blade. As the boy clicked his tongue, Sora jumped back.
"Your Crescent Moon Style, it must be like spells, right? If you don't say it, the activation won't happen."
He was correct. There was no merit in answering so Ayato kept quiet. Once again, the sable blade shone as Ayato unsheathed it. This time, he bent his knees slightly as if ready to quick draw.
Sora made a blade using his fog. As long as his mirages didn't take adequate damage or they were in the fog, his mirages were reality.
The man narrowed his eyes in puzzlement.
'After each attack, he sheathes his sword again. Why?'
Currently, Asteria was in its sheath.
'Maybe the Divine Tool has some sort of condition or burden on his body. If I attack within the space after he does a technique, then I win.'
The magician created another blade. Ayato sighed, disgruntled. He analysed Sora.
'He figured out Asteria's weakness. However, he's sorely mistaken if he thinks that all my techniques are only a single strike.'
The boy thought. Ayato adjusted his stance. He spread his legs out more and twisted his waist to the point where his sword was behind him.
Sora noticed this change in stance.
'I guess this will come down to who's faster.'
"Crescent Moon, Tenth Blade..."
"Mirage..."
They both dashed at the same time. The strike came.
Ayato cut across while Sora cut downwards. Their blades clashed. The boy pulled through, knocking Sora's arm back.
While Ayato was still in the motion of switch direction, Sora's other arm cut down.
"...Duality!"
"...Absolute Blade."
"Huh?!"
Before Sora's blade could reach Ayato, he knocked the other blade out of his hands. Ayato's arms held the blade above his head.
Ayato had made an arrow motion with the first two strikes, wanting to end it with the final one—the three-hit technique that is the Absolute Blade.
With one final push, the boy's sword pierced down like a hammer to a nail.
CLANG!
Asteria hit something that wasn't Sora. Ayato's eyes widened as he pulled away. It wasn't Sora who stopped that. He was bracing for the attack. Someone else did.
"You shouldn't be killing another World Magician."
A woman walked through the fog. Sora shivered when he heard her voice. He slowly turned back.
"Ack! It's you, Akane Chiori!"
She kicked Sora's ass.
"It's Miss Chiori to you, numbskull."
She was a beautiful woman, from the looks of it, a dominant one. She had the typical Japanese beauty of silky, jet-black hair but her eyes were blood-red like a vampire.
Akane Chiori was named the strongest World Magician in Japan and 8th in the world.
"Ayato Kyouya, is it? You're pretty good for tired brat."
"How did you stop that? You shouldn't have been able to see far in the Mirage Magician's fog."
Ayato asked, keeping Asteria at hand, ready to unsheathe if need be.
"So untrustful."
She giggled.
"My Magic Seal is Blood Manipulation. It has no disadvantages, I would say. I can't even get anemic. I used a blade of blood to stop it."
Ayato couldn't believe it. A blade of hardened blood stopped a strike from Asteria. Even Sora's walls were cut from it.
Akane walked over to Sora and pulled his collar, dragging him across the floor.
"I'll be borrowing him for a bit."
"W-wait, where are we going?!"
She glared at him.
"The boss' order has been overwritten. We'll be focusing on something else. Subduing an escaped artificial World Magician."