Talegrimm knew from the moment he saw Bella. Knowing this girl was at her limit already. Standing was already a problem. It was hard to hide the trembling of muscles.
But everything changed the moment she transformed. Her ragged breath and shaky movements had vanished. There was voltage running through her body like she ran on it.
'New limits…?' Talegrimm thought. It didn't look the same as being healed, but was more like a Phoenix being born anew. Reaching the limits of one's strength before transformation must be what enhances the 'reconstruction'.
After all, this wasn't the same as wearing a suit for enhancement. Those were different from having your 'story' enhanced via a synced Spectre from the Imaginary Realm.
An angel with radiant wings illuminated the night; covering the injured girl. Her eyes had opened to reveal amethyst glows. There was endless grace and warmth within that gaze.
Seemingly something special about them…
She submerged and flowed through the body of the injured girl. Bella's uniform altering to fit the new narrative, and all originally unused abilities were being retrofitted for the design.
The girl was born anew. Two blades in her hand and magical lights covering her. The power of 'Hyped High' was already activated to boost her abilities. Becoming passively active regardless of what Talegrimm did.
Perhaps because of the hesitation born from the unknown, but Talegrimm didn't act first after seeing that. It was this mistake that lead to the destruction of her finest skeletal soldier.
But was that really true?
The moment Bella tried to follow the momentum to strike, a good number of bone spikes rained down to her position. Ending with her dodging just to save her own life.
The flames reignited on the ground whererever the bone spikes landed. There was clearly an adaptive style at work here from Talegrimm's side. This couldn't have been simple intuition or reflex to fight back.
'Missed…' Talegrimm looked disappointed at the result. He was trying end it right there, but she was too quick. Fortunately, he was getting around to adapting to it about now.
With a single gesture, a smaller but more refined skeleton was created around him. It wasn't simply a large torso of a human, but a work of art created specifically for combat.
Talegrimm let the Skeletal Machina copy his movements. Taunting the brat that came to have a tantrum about something so insignificant. Telling her to come and get it.
Bella took that offer.
She sheathed one of her blades and held the other towards Talegrimm. Taunting the genocidal maniac in her own way. The only difference was that this made her weaker.
A quick tying of her hair into a ponytail and a deep stance meant nothing. No matter how much she lowered her body, she couldn't become the ground. Life wasn't so easy.
Despite everyone knowing magic, they could never truly and completely escape the bounds of 'common sense'. Holding a sword in one hand was simply asking for a beating.
Not only wouldn't she be able to put her back into her slashes, she was open in a lot of areas. One good hit and that blade would be thrown out her hand. It was a dumb tactic.
So why did Talegrimm feel more concerned at this point? There shouldn't be anything off.
She was just stupid.
A tool that only had use as a bomb. There wasn't any information of any amazing feats as a swordsman from her. Only that she was pretty good at fighting. The forever 2nd place.
'Wait…' Talegrimm's eyes dilated when he noticed the sheathed blade flash brightly. It was only momentarily, but a strong surge of energy had been focused and refined into it.
'Power Sharpening' was in effect.
He had no idea how strong that strike will become if it was allowed to be charged for too long. The only option now was to go on the attack. Stop her from any sneaky little acts.
It shouldn't be too hard.
The bones Talegrimm didn't use floated upwards and pointed at her. Several while-like skeletal arms extended out. They attempted to grab her and bring the girl directly to her side. A double-sided attack and setup.
If she dodged the projectiles, she would be grabbed. If she blocked them, she would be grabbed. If she ignored them and focused on the hands, the bones will rip a hole through her. There was no right answer for this game.
Only loss.
'What?!' Talegrimm didn't expect her next action to be so bold. So out of expectations.
Bella changed the polarity of her weapons in that moment. A repulsive force pushed the blade she held as she threw it. It didn't go too far, but that wasn't the point of this action.
The necromancer's eyes widened when Bella saw through the single gap in her attack. One area where there wasn't as much bones being shot. It was such an insignificant gap.
However, that weapon throw opened up a path.
CLANG!
The blade and bone shot bounced off to deflect each other. Running right behind that lightning bolt was a second. Her body had become a raingun bullet. A train on the run.
Her free hand slid on the surface of the air while moving. Her speed with Lightning Steps so fast that she could feel the solid air resistance. Wind through her fingertips.
It started to charge up… Becoming brighter while making a clear buzzing noise. The clear sound of a taser charging up made Talegrimm fearful. He struck with his undead.
The skeletal guardian protecting him moved on its own. The trick of making Bella believe it moved with him came into play. However, the body flying at him way way too accelerated.
'Hyped High' was already in full effect and at its absolute limit. Allowing her to simply run past the skeletal guardian. Appearing right before the frail body of the Necromancer.
He heard her distinct chant:
"Blossoming Bolt." It was a self-stylised version of 'Bolt', her main sword technique using Polarity Swordsmanship. She had perfectly constructed a positive surge that was enhanced by the intention of her words.
The current, frequency, polarity, magnetic wave, and the change in personal magnetic field of the opponent was calculated. A series of numbers and equations through her eyes.
But she wasn't the only one calculating.
Though coughing up blood, the impact of the strike hadn't thrown Talegrimm off his feet. A situation like this was perfect for him. The real dirty smile on his face widened when he had successfully altered the skeletal guardian.
A cage formed around them. There was no time for her to shift her body weight to dodge or escape. This counter was a pretermined action put into motion not too long ago.
When she chose to recklessly charge in, the cage was already forming. She simply didn't notice it because the skeleton was acting out two different actions at once. It was a dead end. There was no escaping this next strike.
"Death Touch." Talegrimm whispered and imbued his words into his strike. Time had seemingly slowed down. His words still having rang out at the same tempo as before.
It was a downright obscene magic that withered the target to death via Miasma. One touch was all it took for the Death Force to corrode the entire body. It had no counters.
Because dying was so much easier than living. Causing death was also so easy. The fact that someone using Life Force thought they could compare in technique was funny.
Little did he expect that Bella would have a calm and sophisticated response towards such a scary technique. A simple Blossoming Bolt using two fingers fell directly on his wrist.
It struck his entire arm the opposite direction.
Finally, he was able to lift his head and look into her cold eyes. That unfeeling gaze filled with murderous intention. The intent to kill so vibrant and alive that it formed an illusion of her destroying his soul. Ripping off his flesh.
He know this feelings. The materialisation of murderous feelings using Aura to a target. It was widely known as 'killing intent' in eastern martial arts. Inducing fear into his heart.
She spoke to him. Her voice so sharp and frigid that she could cut iron with her words alone. The way she deflected an instant kill move only added flavour to her sentence:
"I'll make you regret everything."
Simply hearing these words were enough to know everything she felt. There was no other complexity or feeling behind them. Only that she wouldn't let him exist with her still alive.
Moreover, he noticed a problem.
This entire time she fought: Starting from his initial attack to now… Bella had yet to draw the sword she was using 'Power Sharpening' on this whole time. It hadn't been long, but the rage she felt was seeping into the blade.
Killing intentions were sharpening it. Making the strike she would eventually make more refined and masterful. Which was the nice way of saying it'd be brutal and pragmatic.
'Just die…!' Talegrimm didn't care about all that hatred she felt. He would make sure she wouldn't survive his third checkmate. Making sure there wouldn't be any wiggle room here.
"Do you think you can do that?" There was mirth at the end of his lips. The cage around them wasn't going to break from big words alone, and the bones shot before were returning to circle around them dangerously.
Aiming at Bella from the gaps in the cage.
The polaris swordsman showed no fear like before. It suddenly made Talegrimm wonder what trick she'd use this time. There was no hole to exploit nor weakness to be found.
Bella raised her hand and made a finger gun at Talegrimm's head. Her next words fast:
"BANG."
As if following her demands, the discarded blade shot straight through the thick bone cage and pierced Talegrimm's body. His eyes had yet to register what had struck at that moment. Unable to hide his confusion.
And he wouldn't get to think any further.
She wouldn't allow him that opportunity.
With his personal magnetic field having been altered, the amount of variety within her moves had been increased. The three points of polarity could be changed at any time.
With his immunity to pain, Talegrimm could still somewhat rely on his reflexes. The bones of the entire city suddenly started moving under his control. Bringing out a godly power.
Mages and humans in general were restricted in how much magic in the surroundings they could use. In fact, humans who could control external energy could be counted on a hand.
Talegrimm, however, had no such restriction when the city was so filled and brimming with Miasma. Even with just half his mind acting on reflex, he turned the entire city against her.
Unfortunately, this simply wasn't enough.
Bella's willpower had pushed her beyond human limitations. The techniques she'd mastered bloomed and intertwined. Like a lightning bolt constantly on the move.
'Lightning Step' allowed her to use the flying bones as leverage and move in a destructive fashion. Breaking through any obstacle before her next jump. Polaris Swordsmanship also kept her from being impaled by bones.
Talegrimm, Bella, and her discarded blade constantly switched positions. The former's frail body being thrown around against his will. Unable to fight back whatsoever.
Nothing could stop her.
"Burn!" In desperation, Talegrimm exploded the bones into hellfire flames. Weakening his options in order to deal significant damage to his one target. The lightning bolt using the bones he'd manipulated for her own leverage.
It was only at this point did his eyes focus to see what Bella was doing. While she was falling towards him in midair, both her hands held her blade and sheath. Changing into an Iaido stance despite still being in the air.
She couldn't properly twist her body to cut through Talegrimm. At least, that was what he initially thought until a blade once again pierced him. Only this time from behind.
His body was then uncontrollably thrown towards Bella, who was readying her gambit.
"This is for the people you killed. This is both our vengeance…!" Bella spoke while throwing everything into this strike. Her rage, anger, heartache, devastation, despair, apathy, ruthlessness, and deep killing intentions.
The burned out 'Imperial Privilege: Celestial Flare' had recovered from its five minute cooldown. Using it would break her to the point of undoing her transformation, but she wasn't going to forgive anything of the past.
Talegrimm opened his eyes to stare at the worst horror he created. He had to admit it at this point: Bella was no mere tool. She was a nightmare just waiting to haunt his dreams.
Those who were watching only saw several brilliant flashes in a single moment. Their light having overlapped to make it hard to tell exactly what happened. Only that the clouds above had been parted into a star shape.
When she sheathed her sword, Talegrimm was chopped into several pieces. His arms, legs, and head were detached from his torso in a grotesque manner. The transformation Bella was in also wore off after that finisher.
'I won…' Bella thought while falling from the sky. She had turned him into a broken doll.
It was too bad she was too inexperienced.
The laughter from a demonic entity filled the sky. Resounding and nearly shattering her eardrums. Her tired eyes turned to see that despite being in pieces, Talegrimm looked no less 'alive' than he did when they fought.
"Can you really 'kill' the dead?" Talegrimm asked while telekinetically moving his body parts. The back of his severed arm, his elbow, was ready to impale her chest ruthlessly.
"AWOOOOOO!!!!" The sound of a wolf howling at the moonlight threw Telegrimm off.
He turned his severed head in midair to see a figure flying across the sky to save the now useless Calamity girl. It was a familiar face from before, but her abilities had changed.
"Annoying brats…" Talegrimm was losing his patience. He was ready to destroy everything.
The movement of Miasma visible from afar.