A silence settled, so heavy that one could have heard a feather drop. Tsura tilted her head, a smile still brandished, but her eyes betrayed a spark of surprise, even respect.
"Do you refuse?" Tsura repeated softly, as if to ensure she had heard correctly.
"Yes. I refuse."
Lana stood erect, her choice enveloping her like invisible armor.
"I refuse to become a pawn in your power game, to deny my humanity for power. You can destroy my body, but not my soul. I am Lana Temparus, and I will be the person I choose to be, not the one you want me to be."
Tsura burst into a sardonic laugh that turned into slow, mocking applause.
"Well… know that I would have tried everything not to come to this, but it seems you leave me no choice!"
With supersonic speed, she rushed towards Lana, catching her off guard. Just as she was about to strike her face, Lana defended herself by activating her temporal stop, yet for some unknown reason, Tsura had disappeared from the radar at that precise moment.
When time resumed, Tsura reappeared behind her, smashing her back with an agile kick, sending her straight into the ruins of the manor. But Tsura did not stop there; with her instantaneous teleportations, she overwhelmed Lana with a barrage of blows from all directions.
What is this speed?!
She stopped then vanished, leaving Lana to rise painfully with a broken arm. It was evident that she was no match for a Tsura who no longer held back. Moreover, the multiple uses of her temporal powers had drained her mana considerably, leaving her only a few chances of survival.
"Behind you."
Lana turned abruptly to strike her adversary, only to find, to her great surprise, that no one was there. It was only too late that she realized the trap set for her, as from the air, the latter prepared for an attack that would end the combat.
Floating in the air with majesty, she let herself be rocked like a starfish on the water's surface. Her arrogant attitude had given way to a joy only Tsura could feel, as if she experienced an indescribable ecstasy.
"There's something you don't understand, Lana... It's that reversed magic was never based on destruction, but on the freedom to do what one wants in a world where chaos reigns supreme."
Lana, wounded and disoriented, felt reality twisting around her. Tsura hovered above, a dark silhouette against the sky agitated with chromatic distortions.
"And in this chaos, I alone hold the true power to undo and remake the rules."
Tsura raised her hands towards the night sky where the stars seemed to flicker with abnormal intensity, a harbinger of the arrival of a powerful spell.
"And that's why... I chose to reign...", she murmured with icy certainty.
[Reversed Magic: Resonance of Authority]
An invisible shockwave emanated from her, pulsing through the ruins like a powerful, rhythmic heartbeat. Lana felt trapped by an overwhelming force, her thoughts becoming blurry, her will wavering under the grip of Tsura's authority.
The world seemed to warp, reality itself bending to Tsura's will. Lana tried to resist, but she could feel Tsura's domination weighing heavily on her. The words of defiance she had spoken now seemed distant, muffled by the resonance of Tsura's imperious aura.
The air vibrated with chromatic distortion, shards of light crackling around Tsura like a glitch from another world.
I refuse... to be... taken...
Finally, after a long period of resistance, Lana, a tear in her eye, collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Tsura descended to the ground and deactivated her spell simultaneously. She walked over to Lana and looked at her with a triumphant air.
"You couldn't win, Lana. But I acknowledge that you fought valiant—"
Suddenly, Rogue burst forth with fury, landing a punch on her face powerful enough to send her staggering back several meters. For the first time since his summoning, Rogue had found the courage to intervene without his legs faltering. He had managed to swallow his fear for the one he cherished.
"GET OUT OF HERE!"
"Since when are you awake, huh?"
"GET OUT!" he yelled, his voice breaking.
Tsura rubbed her nose and noticed drops of blood trickling from it.
What? He managed to make me bleed?! No... it's only because I've weakened myself by using too much mana... That's why he was able to hurt me...
Rogue slowly knelt down, tears flowing freely like an unstoppable cascade. His hands trembled as he shook Lana with palpable anxiety, his face etched with distress.
"Lana! Wake up! You're stronger than this."
Tsura, growing impatient, realized that the fight was dragging on unnecessarily and was determined to end it as soon as possible. Rolling up her sleeves, she decided to go all out at 100% of her strength.
"Kid, back off and let me take Lana. Otherwise, believe me, I won't be as gentle as before."
Rogue lifted his head, his eyes red and worn from tears, but still resolute.
"Why this massacre? What are you looking for—"
Tsura cut him off with a kick to the temple, just strong enough to knock him down.
"You should have stayed asleep."
As she prepared to take Lana, lines of code seized her hands, preventing her from moving forward.
"Don't you touch her!"
"Oh? So you're finally using your personal power?"
"Get out of here and don't touch Lana."
She withdrew her hands and slowly approached him, smiling.
"Could it be you're in love with her, by any chance?"
"I've often tried to deny it, but yes. I admire Lana for her determination and courage. I'm even ready to suffer if necessary."
"How noble, young man. Suffering for a woman, that's really honorable..."
She paused mid-sentence, her thoughts clearing as a buried memory resurfaced. Before her eyes, the image of a young high school girl appeared, her long purple hair cascading around her like a lavender waterfall, her emerald green irises reflecting a joyful complicity shared with Tsura.
I sound like her... She used to say that a lot in class.
"Let's stop the talking... The evening is getting long and it's high time it ended, don't you think?"
"Yes, I think so too."
In a silence imbued with all the tension emanating from that moment, both readied themselves for combat. Tsura adopted a stance that demonstrated her martial expertise, while Rogue clenched his fists, his feet perfectly aligned.
In his spare time, he often asked Yanis for advice on how to defend himself without resorting to supernatural powers. As a result, Yanis had given him some sessions in boxing, as he felt it suited his physical condition.
So, recalling all his past duels against Jacob and Yanis, Rogue launched a right hook into Tsura's cheek. Tsura clearly didn't see it coming and spat out blood. Thus, in the velocity of their duel, they continued to exchange blows, each showcasing their expertise in dodging and countering.
"Do you dare to hit a woman?"
"There's no more chivalry left in—"
She struck him in the liver using the edge of her hand. Rogue's vision blurred as he staggered back, his breathing irregular. Tsura teleported into the air, aligning herself at his head level, then followed up with a jaw-breaking kick. The force was enough to shatter his molars. Rogue fell to the ground, blood flowing from his mouth.
"One should never talk during a fight; you should know that."
She decided to head towards Lana, but suddenly, Rogue tripped her with a swift leg sweep from the ground. Rising, he was composed enough to activate his personal power within his fists, wrapping them in lines of code and binary numbers.
"You're the one who started it, remember!"
Tsura stood up, rage in her eyes betraying her inner impatience. She advanced slowly, ready to end it. She vanished from his sight in a flash.
Did she teleport again?!
She reappeared before him, her fist hurtling at hypersonic speed, giving Rogue just a fraction of a second to dodge the deadly blow.
But what she didn't know was that Rogue, in a last-minute unexpected move, had also thrown a punch in her direction. The total surprise was that he hit her first. Tsura, caught off guard by his swift attack, was propelled with immense force, stunning her greatly.
WHAT THE?!
She hit the ground hard, creating a long trail of debris and dust with her velocity. Rogue, meanwhile, stood still, catching his breath. He looked at his fist and silently thanked himself.
For a split second, I managed to hack my arm to increase my strength and speed... I didn't think it would work, to be honest...
"THIS WAY, EVERYONE!"
Tsura's mocking scream suddenly echoed behind him, shattering the moment's silence. Caught off guard, he couldn't react as she, like a spear launched with titanic force, rushed at him, her feet sharp as a point. The impact was brutal, demonstrating the explosive power of her velocity as she violently struck his back, catapulting him several meters away.
Tsura dusted off her hands, then sighed with satisfaction.
"Finally done... That one was a real time waster..."
However, Tsura couldn't deny the tenacity of the two teenagers in their effort to save what was left of the mansion. But for her, it wasn't a time for admiration; she had to capture Lana and escape as soon as possible, as time was of the essence. After all, nothing was guaranteed, and an unexpected event could occur at any moment.
Just as she hoisted Lana's body over her shoulder, screams of rage erupted from behind her. Curious, she turned to see a horde of knights and magicians rushing towards her, ready for battle.
"What? Are they completely mad?"
She extended her hand to cast a spell. Weariness emanated from her movements; the prolonged battles had exhausted her.
"I didn't want to kill you, but since you leave me no choice...
"It's time... to end this... once and for all..." Rogue murmured from afar.
With astonishing astonishment, Rogue, still standing, had actually used his personal power to prevent fainting. His gaze expressed a determination he had never reached before, even more than his fight against Abaguo at Haradi. His jade aura unleashed like a gust of wind, sweeping both his and Tsura's hair.
His left hand firmly gripped his right arm, as if to strengthen it with his grip. Meanwhile, his right hand, palm towards the ground, held a center electrified green orb, emanating lines of code and chromatic aberrations.
She gazed at his power, with both shock and an unparalleled level of astonishment.
How is this possible?! How can he still be standing?
"I forbid you... to harm... anyone else...
"I'm hallucinating..."
Tsura struggled to believe what she was seeing. Standing before her was Rogue, a boy she had once regarded as a minor pawn, a piece easily removed from the game. Yet here he was, rising beyond the confines of his human potential, transforming into a formidable obstacle. She adorned herself with an intrigued smile, recalling a buried memory that explained the situation.
Yes... that's it... I remember now. We humans have a capacity that no other race possesses, the ability to break the mana essence of our soul. In theory, when mana is drained beyond its limit, it causes the user to lose consciousness. But some individuals manage to overcome this unconscious state through various techniques. And when that happens... the user is granted an almost infinite amount of mana for a brief period. It's extremely rare, but not impossible.
Tsura was now certain: Rogue had achieved an extraordinary feat through his personal power. According to Tsura, the soul is immutable, no personal power or magic can alter it, unless it's the dragons. So, watching him with a look of astonishment and pride, Tsura wondered if she should capture him too. He was a potential not to be wasted.
Rogue Grimez, I may have been mistaken about you, after all. If I had to compare you to the other Lost, it's clear you wouldn't be first, but you wouldn't be last either. You hide enormous potential within you, that's undeniable. But for now, my target is Lana and Lana alone, so I can't take you under my wing. However, I sincerely hope that you find someone capable of guiding you, of bringing your potential to light, so that he or she can turn you into a formidable person.
"Indeed, you are truly a member of the Lost Ones, Rogue Grimez. You have my respect…
"I don't know your name, witch... But know that this will mark the end of our confrontation.
"You can call me Tsura."
She quickly assessed the situation. Rogue was dangerously unpredictable with his newfound power, and she, despite her strength, was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue accumulating. Her mana had drastically decreased, and her body reminded her of every blow received during the confrontation.
She aimed at him with the palm of her free hand, preparing another spell. He smiled back in response. "Tsura... I have a question for you.
"Tell me?
"Do you know the peculiarity of my world, Earth?"
She raised an eyebrow, not expecting this question. "Not at all, and frankly, I don't care.
"In my world, magic doesn't exist, personal powers don't exist, and mana doesn't exist.
"Okay, and? What's your point exactly?
"My point, you who have grown up with the fantastical, is that you're about to experience the hardship of living for a moment in a world without magic, without personal powers, and without mana."
Her eyes widened in terror as she grasped the magnitude of what Rogue was about to do. "NO WAIT!
"Welcome to Earth, Tsura!"
But it was already too late. The orb Rogue held exploded in a blinding burst of light, emitting a silent yet forceful shockwave. The energy surged out like a gust, inaudible but palpable, shaking the reality around them. Tsura felt her strength abandon her, her incantations unraveling in her throat before she could even utter them. The magic, the mana, all the mystical force that had permeated the battlefield dissipated, leaving behind a strange void.
In the area affected by the orb's explosion, everyone seemed disoriented. The magicians, their wands and grimoires now inert, looked around, unable to comprehend why their power had suddenly vanished. The knights, for whom physical strength was an ally, found their armors and swords heavy without the lightness conferred by enchantments. Everyone was equalized in this absence of power.
The silence that then fell over the battlefield was almost more terrifying than the fiercest war cries.