Sasha clashed with Hagar, their blades flashing in the sunlight as they exchanged blow after blow. Despite Hagar's impressive skills, Sasha was able to overpower her, her movements swift and precise.
As the fight wore on, Sasha began to tire Hagar out, her attacks becoming more and more relentless. Finally, with a swift kick, Sasha sent Hagar flying across the battlefield.
As Hagar struggled to get back to her feet, Sasha took advantage of the opening. She compressed space, creating a tiny, incredibly dense point that she could use to attack Hagar.
Black Hole Bomb.
The attack traveled at near light speed sucking everything in its bath into it but just as it was about to hit Hagar, a figure in a black cloak intervened, blocking the attack with a swift motion of their hand. The figure held the attack for a moment before clentching thier fingers dispelling the attack.
Sasha's eyes narrowed as she took in the newcomer.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
The figure pushed back its hood, revealing a woman with piercing red eyes with pale skin. She had long ashen hair that seemed to dance in the wind. She wore a cloak that seemed to be made of black mist, and her fingers ended in sharp, claw-like nails.
"I am Mind," the woman replied, her voice low and husky.
"And I've been waiting for you, Sasha."
Hagar, who had been watching the exchange with interest, spoke up. "Mind? Regardless of what your name is,how dare you interrupt my fight. I almost had her."
" Hardly."Mind's gaze flicked to Hagar, and a small smile played on her lips.
"I've been watching you too, Hagar. And I must say, I'm I'm with your showimg. You talked big at the beginning and now look at how badly you've been beaten."
Hagar's eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name"
" I've been observing everything going on on this battlefield. The arcana pool,battle strategy as well as the names of the major players."
Sasha's eyes narrowed. "I don't know who you are, and honestly, it doesn't matter. You're just another obstacle to overcome."
Mind chuckled, the sound low and menacing. "Oh, I'm more than just an obstacle, Sasha. Out Ife everyone your the one with the most impressive showing. I'll bring you back to my master as a war trophy and maybe he'll consider releasing me"
" What are you even talking about?" Hagar asked.
As if that was the signal, Mind reached out and grabbed Hagar's neck raising her off the ground. Sasha jumped back and pointed her sword at them. Hagar's eyes turned bloodshot and rolled to the back of her head as Mind a wave of dark blue energy surrounded and engulfed them. The energyball began to shift and contort, elongating and her senses expanding.
As Sasha watched, the ball burst revealing Hagar who had transformed into a being of raw power and energy floating over the blue flames below her. She was clad in silver armor which shined in the sunlight , the tips of her gauntlets forming claws Her eyes blazed with an inner fire, and her hair like a bright fire.
"I've observed all the pieces on the battlefield," Mind said spoke from the amalgamated body, her voice now a low, husky growl. "Kojo's forces are strong, but they can be subdued. And I sense another one fighting against Phantom... Ah, but Phantom's been taken out. I believe the girl he was fighting was called Koniko?How...amusing. Taken out by simple Causality Inversion. Cause of blowing a whole in the ice with the effect of blowing a whole in his chest.That just shows he was a flawed creation."
Mind's gaze flicked to the wall, and a small smile played on her lips.
" I never expected this battle to bring someone so close to attaining Transcendence. The energy required to reach that state is great...so by now, the fix will be in a weakened state. I'll deal with her after I kill you, Sasha."
Sasha leaned foward.
" Id like to see you try."
With that, Sasha charged forward, her blade flashing in the sunlight. Mind caught the attack, her claws flashing as she threw Sasha away. Sasha fell through a portal and appeared, attacking her from above.
****
Kojo, who was fighting Faust nearby, looked over, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
Sasha compressed space, creating a tiny, incredibly dense point that she could use to attack Mind. But Mind was ready for her, and she broke the attack with ease.
( Focus) Sysia yelled in his head.
Kojo clashed with Faust, but the other man remained frustratingly out of reach. Faust's ability, Redefinition, allowed him to redefine all concepts and laws he had an understanding of, and he was using it to keep Kojo at bay.
Quicksilver
Kojo ran around Faust unleashed a relentless barrage of fireballs as he ran around him.
Faust redefined the concept of "range," causing all the attacks to miss them r versing the effect of the change threw an energy blast which Kojo dodged but it adjusted itself to blast him back. This allowed him to attack Kojo from an impossible distance.
Kojo threw up an earth wall blocking the attack then attacking him with earth constructs of arms that reached out towards Faust in an attempt to close the gap, but Faust redefined the concept of "space," creating a pocket dimension that kept Kojo trapped.
( This isn't real.Punch it)
" Huh?"
(Just do it.)
Kojo punched the bubble around him and popped it.
( For once I'm glad your as stupid as you are.)
" What's that supposed to mean?"
( Duck.)
Kojo ducked and rolled out of the way of an attack. There was a spark of lightning and he vanished appearing as a pulsing blur of purple lightning as he scanned Fasute from all directions.He gritted his teeth, determined to find a way past Faust's defenses. Faust "Stopped" Kojo who instantly froze in olace.
He summoned an asteroid from a portal crushing Kojo. The rock broke apart and thousands of streaks ran and crisscrossed around Faust. This was Kojo's doppelganger ability,Stampede.
Faust made an Omni-directional energy blast that obliterated the clones. Just then a severed arm flew in from of Fausts face. Kojo fully regenerated from the limb and punched Faust into the ground.
He allowed himself to get hit by the asteriod using Stampede at the last moment to serve as a distraction while one of the clones carried and threw a part of him at Faust to bypass his defenses.
" All thanks to your quick thinking ." He said as he charged up a magic circle
(I appreciate that you know now how lost you'd be without me but now not the time praise me after you've dealt with him.)
Cursed Chains shot out of the circle and wrapped around the apostle.
Quicksilver.
Kojo formed elemental walls and threw Fasute through them.
Kojo's cursed chain was the amalgamation of his energy drain ability Leach and Poison King,attacking his magic circuits with poison while draining his arcana. The tighter the chains got the more energy got absorbed into them.
Kojo manifested his Dragonfang and pulled the chains towards him, slashing Faust. He danced around him stabbing his vital points;
Lungs, Kidneys,Spine and Brain. Kojo then threw him away and while he was still in midair formed two magic circles above him the one above Lightning and the one under him Fire. The two released powerful blasts with Faust on the middle. Kojo pointed the short sword at the blast. Drops of poison flowed out if it turning to gas and swirling and igniting into a tornado of purple flames.
Infernal Flame.
The attack suddenly displayed. Faust's wounds were slowly healing although his white mask was cracked at the right side.
Kojo didn't want to give him an opening and with his speed attacked him aiming a jab at his heart at beyond the speed of sound.
Faust was ready for him, kicking dust at him and redefining the concept of "velocity" accelerating the dust particles to the speed of light causing Kojo to burst.
Kojo's body instantly came back together but he was a bit dazed from that attack.Faust took advantage of the opening, launching a barrage of attacks that Kojo was powerless to defend against.
" That healing ability is going to be a problem."
He redefined and all concepts of "healing"
As the attacks rained down on him, Kojo pushed himself back with a blast of wind though the force of Fausts attacks still affected him.
" This is bad. My wounds aren't healing." Kojo said looking at the bruises on his body.
( Don't be a baby. This is nothing. But I've confirmed it. He has the ability to manipulate concepts)
" Shit."
Kojo jumped back to avoid another barrage.
Dirt flying at the speed of light was a problem.
Accelerant.
Scan
Hyperthought
Kojo allowed himself to see all the possible moves Faust would make e argumentimg this by observing all ambient arcana enhancing his reaction speed while
Kojo was at Faust's mercy.
" I've never gone max speed with Quicksilver."
( The maximum speed of a Silver Lynx is slightly above Mach 5)
" That's the silve Lynx. I'm Kojo." He replied with a smile on his face. He enforced his muscles with all his Arcana and lunged at Faust summoning Caliburn into his other hand.
***
Sasha and Mind continued to exchange blows, their movements swift and deadly. Sasha was a formidable opponent, but Mind was something else entirely. Her powers of mind manipulation were making things hard for Sasha. She'd make illusions and directly attack her mind. Sasha who wasn't used to this form of fighting found herself struggling to keep up.
" Ha ha. What's the matter Carnage Queen? Can't keep up?" Mind taunted as she continued to push her back.
Sasha knew that she had to end the fight quickly, or risk being overwhelmed.
But Mind was relentless, her attacks coming faster and faster as the fight wore on. Sasha stumbled back, her defenses weakening, and Mind took advantage of the opening.
With a swift kick, Mind sent Sasha flying across the battlefield. Sasha landed hard on the ground, her breath knocked out of her. As she struggled to get back to her feet, Mind loomed over her, her eyes blazing with energy.
"It's over," Mind said, her voice low and husky. "You're no match for me, Sasha. It's time to end this."
Sasha teleported a fireball from somewhere in the battlefield and blasted her. She jumped back and tried to attack with a mind attack of her own.
Mesmir.
A pink mist covered the entire area.