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Sylanwood, Diremaw: The Frozen Slopes: Training room, Time: 1:10 PM
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James felt a strange jolt of electricity as his leg transformed into a metallic one. His legging now appeared silver on the interior and featured gold-plated sections on the exterior. A small wing-like ornament adorned his foot.
Meanwhile, his halberd underwent a significant transformation. It seemed more detached, with various parts floating and held together by crackling electricity. At the tip of his halberd, a thunder charm gleamed ominously.
"Alright, it's time for you to feel the heat!" James announced confidently as he charged towards Cefie.
Unbeknownst to him, Thunderbird's influence had dramatically enhanced his agility. James soon realized he was moving far too swiftly for comfort.
"Woah, woah!" James exclaimed as he attempted to change direction, but it was too late.
Cefie nimbly sidestepped, and James crashed headfirst into a wall, leaving a comical James-shaped hole in its surface.
"It seems you're having trouble harnessing your newfound power. Perhaps you should've stuck to your old abilities," Cefie remarked, pointing at James. James slowly emerged from the hole in the wall, trying not to slip into his unstable state.
"Listen, you tin can! I'm still getting the hang of this power!" James yelled, his frustration apparent. He pouted at Cefie, not appearing threatening in the slightest.
"Suit yourself, meatskin," Cefie responded as they began emitting smoke from their pipe, obscuring the entire area once more.
"Alright, time to do this again," James thought to himself as he readied himself. He strained to look through the smoke to locate Cefie.
Suddenly, Cefie dashed through the smoke, about to strike James from above.
"Gotcha!" James exclaimed as he turned around and swung his halberd. To his surprise, the halberd detached and extended, leaving him bewildered.
"Whoa! Why is it doing this?!" James shouted in confusion as he wildly swung the extended halberd.
Some parts of the halberd split off, crackling with electricity. Cefie wisely retreated, dodging James's attacks and vanishing back into the smoke.
"If you can't even use your weapon correctly, then you're not qualified to be a guardian," Cefie insulted, reappearing behind James. James turned around, attempting to swing his halberd, but it remained detached and floated in the air.
"Damn it!" James exclaimed, frustrated. He tried to clash with Cefie's fist using a kick, but just as he did, the axe part of his halberd attached itself to his legging and adjusted to his foot, enhancing the power of his kick. Cefie was taken by surprise as they were pushed back with incredible force.
James stood there in awe of what had just happened, watching as the halberd's part returned to his legging. "Guess this is how I attack now, then," James said with a slight chuckle, finding the situation rather silly.
"This is beyond my calculations," Cefie admitted as they straightened up. Determined to gain an advantage, Cefie began increasing the muscle mass in their legs, making themselves bulkier in the process.
"I'm coming for you!" James yelled as he cautiously approached Cefie, making sure not to slip like last time.
"You're nothing," Cefie taunted as they prepared for James's attack.
James decided to try some new moves. He quickly jumped and attempted a dropkick on Cefie.
The spear tip of his halberd finally reached the left side of his legging, adjusting to his foot like the right one.
James executed the dropkick, creating an electrical spark, but Cefie was swift enough to block the impact, pushing James away slightly.
"Ow!" James yelped, dropping to the ground, and feeling a slight pain in his back. He would need some practice to perfect this move.
"Then I shall quote a tabletop game: 'How the tables have turned,'" Cefie said as they grabbed onto James's leg and started to flail him around.
"I'm so dizzy..." James groaned, his eyes spinning like spirals. Cefie continued to slam him onto the ground, causing him to yelp in pain with each impact.
"You may think I can only emit smoke and increase my muscle mass, but I've kept this a secret," Cefie said as they opened their palm to reveal a hole in their claw.
Lifting the beaten-up James with their foot, they aimed their palm at him, and cogs around Cefie's arm began to move.
Cefie shot out a barrage of sphere-shaped, air-pressured projectiles at him.
"A.P. Cannon," Cefie declared as they continued to fire, causing James to swing back and forth like a punching bag.
Despite being battered by the barrage of air-pressured projectiles, James refused to give in. He gritted his teeth and brought his other leg up in a moment of sheer determination.
Using the part of his halberd that had transformed into a makeshift spear, he drove it into Cefie's grip, forcing them to release him.
Gasping for air, James fell to the ground, exhausted but not defeated. He looked up at Cefie, a glint of defiance in his eyes. "You may have your tricks, but I won't give up," he panted. "I'll keep fighting until I win."
Cefie, slightly surprised by James's resilience, emitted more smoke from their pipe as they assessed the situation. "Very well, hero. Let's see how much fight you have left in you," they said, preparing for the next round of their battle.
James regained his footing and quickly got up, his left leg sparking with electricity. He rushed at Cefie, steadily adapting to his newfound speed, while Cefie observed his movements with a sense of curiosity.
"Rumble Flurry!" James roared as he unleashed a barrage of kicks on Cefie, each strike somehow generating a larger electric projection from his left leg.
Cefie, not one to back down, reinforced their arm and body with even more muscle mass to withstand the assault.
However, James was perceptive and saw an opportunity. He halted his flurry of kicks, lowering himself to the ground.
With precision, he swiped Cefie's legs with his right leg, catching them off guard and causing them to lose their balance, teetering on the edge of falling.
Taking advantage of the moment, James sprang back to his feet, his right leg raised while his left leg crackled with electricity.
"Swipe and Strike!" James bellowed, and his electrified left leg delivered a powerful kick to Cefie's chest, creating a resounding sonic boom that echoed through the room.
Cefie was sent flying backward by the force of James's devastating strike, but their sturdy metallic body absorbed the impact.
They slid back several feet, letting out a screech as they struggled to regain their balance.
"You underestimate the power of C.E.F.I.E.," Cefie declared. As they spoke, their upper body muscles began to shrink, while their leg muscles grew larger. In an instant, Cefie disappeared from James's view, leaving him bewildered.
Before James could react, he was taken by surprise as Cefie suddenly reappeared and delivered a gut punch that left James gasping for air.
Cefie slowly turned their head to face him. "Don't get cocky now," they warned, placing their hand over James's face, which began to emit something from their hand.
"F.T. Shower," Cefie unleashed a scorching stream of steam onto James's face.
"Ah! Hot! Hot! Hot!" James cried out, his face burning from the intense heat. He stumbled around in a panic, trying to escape the scalding steam.
Cefie seized the opportunity and grabbed James from behind, slamming him onto the ground and dragging him around like a toy.
"S.F.G. Assault." Cefie accelerated even more, emitting more smoke from their body.
With a final powerful move, they rammed James into a wall and concluded the assault with a steam projectile that pushed him further into the wall.
Despite the intense pain and disorientation from Cefie's assault, James's determination burned brighter than ever.
As the steam cleared, revealing James battered and bruised but unbroken, he slowly climbed to his feet.
"Is that all you've got?" James taunted, his voice filled with defiance. His body was aching, but he refused to give in.
Cefie watched him with a mixture of surprise and frustration. "You should've given up long ago, human."
James cracked his knuckles and assumed a fighting stance. "You've pushed me to my limits, tin can. It's time for the finale showdown."
With newfound determination, James and Cefie prepared for their ultimate clash, their eyes locked on each other as they readied their next moves.
Cefie decided to make their first move as they jumped and tried to slam James's head, but James reacted quickly. A spark of electricity surrounded him as he soared into the sky.
"I will end this fight now!" James yelled out, and the little wing on his legging seemed to grow larger.
With determination in his eyes, James prepared himself for a flying kick finisher, while Cefie quickly fortified their defenses, increasing their muscle mass.
"Skyfall!" James declared as he initiated the attack. He dashed toward Cefie, and upon collision, a brilliant light accompanied by an electric shockwave enveloped them.
Cefie struggled to withstand the tremendous force of the attack. In their attempt to block it, a short circuit occurred in their system, causing their arm to go limp.
"I might have miscalculated..." Cefie admitted as James's kick penetrated their metallic body, sending them sliding along their back into the wall.
James screamed in exertion as cracks began to appear on the wall. Putting all his power on the line, he delivered a final, devastating kick that tore a massive hole through the wall, separating the outside from the cavern and sending Cefie hurtling toward another mountain.
As Cefie was sent flying into the distant mountain, James stood there, panting and exhausted, looking at the aftermath of their intense battle.
The cavern around him was filled with debris and scorch marks, evidence of the fierce clash that had just taken place.
"You got your wires crossed, tin can," James quipped weakly, mustering a smirk despite his fatigue. "Should've known better than to mess with me."
But his triumphant moment was short-lived as he realized that Mianne might still be in danger.
The thought of her well-being gave him a surge of determination, and he knew he had to check on her.
With a limp and bruised body, James began to make his way out of the cavern, determined to find Mianne and make sure she was safe.
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