Read ahead on Patreon.com/heavenlyenel.
Venerable readers, this is a good read.
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"Smart. I was about to shut down your mana flow. For someone like you, with more than one kind of energy flowing within, the effects would have been irreversible," Verdona chuckled, as she retraced her glowing hand.
Kevin reappeared above her, unleashing a concentrated energy beam reminiscent of Khan's moveset. Verdona's eyes widened as she swiftly raised both hands to block the attack, but Kevin was already beside her. His fist, cloaked in midnight purple flames and glowing mana, struck with a force that sent Verdona crashing in front of Gwen's house, shaking the very foundation of the neighbourhood.
Verdona lay momentarily stunned, disbelief etched across her features. How could a mere human teenager put her in the ground like that? As she considered using her secret move in combination with her mana shutdown technique, Gwen rushed to her side.
"Grandma!" Gwen cried out, panic lacing her voice as Kevin descended with a sonic boom.
In that split second, Verdona perception-blitzed Kevin, appearing before him in a blur.
"Ah, sh…" Kevin began, his voice slowing to a crawl in Verdona's accelerated perception as she executed her secret technique.
Her fingers moved with lightning precision, poking specific points on his core. The final strike landed with a force that caused winds to howl through the neighbourhood, uprooting trees and scattering debris. The shockwave rippled outwards, threatening to tear the area apart.
Ben, reacting quickly, shot webs to anchor Gwen's parents, preventing them from being swept into the air, while Gwen herself was barely held down by her energy field. Kevin, however, was not so fortunate. His pupils rolled back, his mouth opened in a silent scream, and his body plummeted to the ground like a stone.
"What? When did she—?" Ben muttered, unable to comprehend how Verdona had moved so swiftly from the crater to attack Kevin.
An explosive outburst of energy erupted from Kevin's body, draining him completely.
"I told you I'd be too much for you," Verdona chuckled, her eyes glinting as she watched the massive amounts of refined energy dissipating into the atmosphere.
"What a waste, so much energy… but let me take it in," Verdona mused, attempting to absorb the energy released from Kevin. But as soon as she began, she recoiled, coughing violently.
"Why? Isn't it just energy?" Verdona questioned, her confusion evident.
"What did you do to him?" Gwen demanded, tears welling in her eyes as she flew at Verdona, but Verdona's hair lashed out, pushing Gwen aside.
Gwen staggered back, but Verdona's hair ensnared her before she could recover.
"Stop this nonsense and come with me. He attacked me as if he wanted to kill me, tried to absorb my mana, and now look at him," Verdona said, directing Gwen's attention to Kevin's motionless body. Emotions began to swell in Gwen as something in her core burned furiously.
"Gwen, he's very strong for his age, but look at what I can do with just a little bit of seriousness. We are powerful, Gwen. I will destroy your body, liberate your true self, and you'll thank me," Verdona continued, her hand moving towards Gwen.
"No!" Ben rushed forward, shooting webs at Verdona, but she caught the web with her hair, binding Ben in his own trap. Ben was surprised how quickly Verdona made short work of him and he couldn't do anything about it.
"I love having powers and saving the world!" Gwen shouted, her voice filled with determination.
"Anodites save tons of people, Gwen! Once you've mastered your powers in sixty or seventy years…" Verdona replied with a smile.
"I am more than that! I love swimming, breaking boards with my hands… kissing Kevin," Gwen said, her voice breaking as she glanced at Kevin's still form, sensing the deep trouble he was in.
"You and Grandpa had something like that, So you will understand why I would do what I have to do!" Gwen said as she transformed into her anodite form without destroying her body, setting herself free from Verdona who was happy and surprised at the same time.
"YES! YES!! EMBRACE YOURSELF GWEN!!!" Verdona was elated watching Gwen absorb mana from the trees that fell on the road and the grass around her.
'"Fix him! Now!" Gwen demanded, her new form radiating power.
"It's too late for your boyfriend. If he only had mana in him, I could repair and reopen his mana channels. But his spiritual and energy systems are too complex for someone so young. He's done, Gwen; he'll die soon," Verdona replied with a sigh.
"WHAT? FIX HIM NOW!" Gwen screamed, charging at Verdona, who simply dodged her attack.
"You are too emotional now. You are more than this and you will come to see this on Planet Anodine." Verdona appeared behind Gwen, taking her by surprise.
Meanwhile, Kevin, barely able to move, dragged his body forward with his elbows, too exhausted to even crawl properly. He was trapped in a dark tunnel, slowly approaching a light at the end.
Kevin saw two familiar figures that were several Kilometres/miles ahead of him but he could perceive them just being in front of him at the same time.
These two were Fate and Khan who looked back at him as if he were nothing worth mentioning and continued journeying into the light and weren't seen again.
"No! NO! NOOO!" Kevin cried out in despair.
Kevin also saw his late master in front of him but his late master didn't join Fate and Khan into the light, instead, he faded away.
"Master Jack! Noooo! Not again!!" Kevin cried out but looked behind and found his body fading away like his late master.
"No, no, no, no, I don't want to die. I don't want to die!" Kevin said as he began dragging himself to the light at the end of the tunnel.
The tunnel itself began to crack and break down as Kevin continued dragging himself faster but his destination kept getting further and further as if completely out of reach infinitely.
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Writing has resumed on the patreon, school activities can really give a person pause sometimes. Support will always spur me on regardless, support me on my patreon today, @ patreon.com/heavenlyenel.