Flow State, magnify.
The world had slowed to a calming stop. Every movement, of every object, and every particle, had frozen in place. Only when my proxies moved did the world move with it.
This feeling is a new sensation.
I'd never tuned-in to my Flow State like this. With any other opponent, the speed of reality would slow down tremendously, but would never stop completely. I realized that with Enzo, it wasn't enough to deal with his Adrenaline-State-amplified Angels. Time had to stop completely in order to counter his attack.
Focus, Klyson.
In order to overthrow Adrenaline State, I had to magnify the focus of Flow State, tenfold.
"Blitz," Enzo had said. His Angels rushed forwards in pursuit, soon to cleave through my proxies. But by then, the world had frozen.
Flow State, Magnified.
Time was proportional to how I saw it fit.
Absolutely nothing is moving, unless my proxies move first.
I'd achieved the impossible—a version of Flow State amplified by the presence of a Fractal, which was Ian's Control. In any normal case, where I alone were using Flow State, there'd be no way to further augment it. But in this currently impossible state of possessing a Fractal as a Fractless, I'd impulsively used Control to command the Flow State within my proxies to work according to my authority.
Control doesn't only work on human actions. It can apply to the concepts within a proxy too, only if the concept itself is already present.
I knew for a fact that bringing about a Fractal or Fractless Activation in someone was impossible using Control, as stated by Ian. But adjusting that Activated Fractal, or Activated Fractless state itself could work, since it was already present as a gene in the body.
This is the revelation I needed.
It had become a tide-turning moment for the fight.
Annihilate them.
My proxies moved towards the Angels, gracefully weaving through their attacks untouched, like a calming flow of water that spilled through a forest river, before striking fatally at their weakest points, like the instant erosion of soft-spoken gravel.
Shrrk…!
One consecutively after the other, Enzo's 13 Angels dropped to the floor with blood that spilled their deaths. Throughout this misty barrage, not a single one of my proxies had been touched. There was surprisingly no reply from Enzo's end after the sudden attack.
"…"
He was dead quiet.
Stomp—!!
13 more Angels had suddenly landed just behind my 30 proxies. With no time to spare, they were already rushing forwards with their aggressive 'blitz' formation.
Flow State, magnify.
I'd done it again, freezing the world for my proxies, and moving it only when they needed it to.
Shrrk—!!
In a quicker pace this time, my proxies had once again cleaved their way through the Angels gracefully like water that flowed through an irregular stacking of rocks. As it reached the pond forming at the end, everything had been stained red.
Blood from 26 of Enzo's Angels currently soaked the battleground.
"120 to 74, Enzo."
He remained quiet, but I could hear him fuming with deep breaths on his end. I could tell that he was infuriated.
"Is this the first time an Angel of yours has died?" I asked.
Finally, he spoke.
"You're getting too cocky for someone depending on a Fractal for a power boost."
I could tell a sinister smile had manifested on his face.
"Unlike an ant like you, I don't need such to achieve a heightened state. Congratulations, Klyson. You've done enough to bring about Absolute Adrenaline State."
Through my proxies' sensations, I could feel that the air had suddenly been imbued with an alarming amount of rapturous energy. It were as if electricity itself had sparked throughout the atmosphere. It shocked every core point in each of my proxies' bodies, paralyzing them in place with ecstatic panic.
What's going on?
Enzo had just deployed another 13 Angels. I re-magnified Flow State once more to maintain my advantage. But even though the world froze for my proxies, Enzo's Angels moved freely within it.
"Blitz."
Before I knew it, those proxies had been severed in a bloody instant. I'd cut ties with the minds of 30 without even realizing.
"What the fuck!?"
Enzo could only laugh at my shock.
How the hell did he do that?! I had Flow State Magnified active! The world freezes for everyone but me!!
"Only because you're Fractless too, I'll give credit where it's due." Enzo's voice had regained its usual condescending tone. "You're the first person to ever take down my Angels, let alone a single one."
His words shot right over my head, because assurance wasn't what I needed right now after what'd happened. I needed to understand how he'd bypassed what I'd already deemed impossible to counter.
"Absolute Adrenaline State."
I finally understood what he'd implied. Enzo had somehow managed to exert an amplified version of his Adrenaline State that characterized absolution.
Are you kidding me…?
Enzo's 'Absolute' Adrenaline State would remain absolute—retaining its original properties no matter what external conditions were present. This meant that his Angels could still move faster than the world, even if I'd frozen it entirely with Flow State Magnified.
"You're a monster."
Enzo had somehow attained an augmented Fractless state without the assistance of a Fractal like mine, and that even overpowered mine.
As if you haven't already proven it time and time again, I am constantly reminded why you were 'First' all along.
"90 to 74, Klyson. What's your next move now?"
For the first time in this battle, I was too baffled to even think of my next move. I realized that I was trying to accomplish the impossible.
What do I do?
My thoughts had gone blank. I'd lost touch of my focused state, fallen into a momentary limbo. But when I truly needed it the most, the influential words of an individual from the past echoed through my mind.
"Klyson, don't distinguish yourself from the rest of us just because you're Fractless. You deserve to choose the people around you instead of sticking to someone just because they're similar. You shouldn't be forcing yourself to put-up with Enzo just because you're alike."
My eye widened.
"If there's a similar goal and similar interests, those people will be grouped together no matter their differences. That's what the Upper Four is, it's a diversity!"
The soft hands of Kyra's beliefs had caught me before I'd fallen back into the void.