The figure appeared in an instance in the backdrop of space. He was imposing, with a dark, almost black, suit of armor that was intricately detailed. Crystalline-like textures and patterns were prominent on the armor. The details give the impression of metalwork, but the overall aesthetic was more fantastical than realistic. The armor covered nearly the entire body, including the head, which was helmeted in a style that was both ornate and fierce. The helmet was predominantly dark but had luminescent elements within it. The figure's posture was formidable and suggested great strength. The figure had long flowing hair, likely a part of the armor, that extended to the sides of the body, blending into the background in an odd manner.
"At last I have been summoned!" The figure declared with vigor.
Hoisted upon Naga Britha's eye narrowed dangerously, "General Magnus? But he died in battle with Rhiannon; what is this?"
"The scent of heretics is fresh and stains the very cosmos!" Magnus inhaled deeply as he turned to his summoner. "Child of the great Octavia, you have summoned me! The first to! As such, I can continue my mission to spread the name of my great Goddess!"
"Good, great, you can repay me by kicking the ass of that thing," Mikoto gestured to Naga as Magnus all but growled.
"Oh! The betrayer Naga! How dare you be alive before mine very eyes!" He exclaimed, "And foul Ancestor you dare yet plaque this realm!?"
"Hm, as eccentric as always it seems," Britha mused offhandedly as she stepped off Naga, her body smoothly floating and mimicking Mikoto. "I thought you dead, yet this is no mere necromancy." Yet that fact did not seem to offset her. "General Magnus, you were magnificent in our era, so at the very least it will be an honor to do battle with you." ("But the boy...a child of Octavia? I was not aware she had any children; I may be hard-pressed in this battle.")
"Hah, I care, not fiend!" The general bellowed, "I will twist your skin and render your very soul asunder!"
"My how rude," Britha murmured unbothered. "Then, if you will, Naga." The beast growled in anticipation.
"Alright then, General, focus on that annoying creature over there; I have the muscle woman."
With a sudden burst of speed, Naga and Magnus charged at one another. They barreled into each other, Naga's jaws snapping inches from Magnus.
As the two engaged in their frenetic battle, Britha flew through the space and launched herself at Mikoto. A deep red aura flared around Mikoto, crackling like a storm, amplifying his power as they tore through the area, colliding with sounds that resonated for light-years, sending terrestrial bodies quaking.
The moment they connected, the fabric of space warped; galaxies trembled and stars flickered dangerously. Britha retaliated first, muscles coiling like springs as she aimed a powerful right hook at Mikoto, but he gracefully glided to the side, letting her punch soar into the void. As she spun fluidly to regain her stance, a blur of mana erupted around them, the sheer force of their presence distorting the space between. Mikoto countered with a quick jab to Britha's ribs, the armor encasing him glinting ominously. Yet as the punch landed, it felt like striking a mountain—of course he could destroy one, but her resilience was to be noted.
"Nothing to it," Mikoto mocked. Britha, unphased, kept her form steady, brushing off the blow.
"Underestimate me at your own peril, boy," she responded, launching into a spinning kick aimed precisely at his knee joint. He twisted in precisely timed motion, evading her strike smoothly—his armor whirring, reflecting the light spilling through galactic dust.
"Should've brought more than just punches and kicks to this fight." Mikoto taunted as he quickly dove under her follow-up punch, twisting his body away. With fluidity, he retaliated with a double-leg sweep, aiming to bring her crashing to the space—though he was met with hollow space. She flew above him fluidly, a soaring leap.
Mikoto poised a flurry—left punch, right jab, evading her block, and thrusting a knee towards her midsection, but she twisted with an uncanny agility for her large size, parrying each attack.
"Your strikes have power, but you fight like a spoiled child." Britha retorted between lunges, letting fly a feint that left Mikoto momentarily off-balance.
But Mikoto responded quickly, creating a temporary glyph as a platform and pivoting on his heel and throwing an elbow that sliced through the void towards her chin, but she ducked, capitalizing on his momentum, pivoting low for a sweep of her leg across his ankles. He staggered but regained his footing with mechanical movements, smirking beneath his helmet.
Mikoto, sensing the tide of battle shifting subtly, initiated a simple retreat, propelling himself through the stars in a backward somersault that left a shimmer trailing behind. He floated gracefully, maintaining his poise at a distance. The vast space shuddered as he prepared, his red aura intensifying, glistening like freshly spilled rubies.
He extended his arms, fingers splayed wide, and summoned a dozen red circular glyphs that erupted into existence, swirling around him like hungry animals coiling. Each glyph pulsed ominously, vibrating with pure power, ready to unleash waves of sheer destructive mana. The space around him crackled with raw potency, his mana atmosphere thickening.
"Here we go, disappear!" Mikoto declared, he manipulated the glyphs, adjusting their angles. With that, he unleashed a barrage of red waves—fiery tendrils of pure, destructive mana shot forth from the glyphs, streaking across the emptiness like mass ripples across a still sea. Waves of raw energy rocketed towards Britha, each pulse designed to not only disrupt her physical form but to claw at her very essence, seeping into her soul with an insatiable hunger for anything that radiated strength. A simple and easy adjustment to make, his eyes could perceive her mana and soul alike. And he aimed to completely destroy her in both body and soul.
The destructive illumination splashed across the cosmos, brightly competing with distant galaxies as though they were mere candles. Blinding light enveloped Britha, consuming the void around her and transforming it into a radiant explosion that pulsed with the force of a supernova. The soundless roar of destruction echoed, waves of mana intersecting, colliding with brilliance, illuminating the very corners of the universe as planets quaked in the wake of the chaos, drifting remnants spiraling away.
Yet, as the light began to dissipate like the dying embers of a spent mana, a figure emerged from the astonishing glow—Britha, untouched and unscathed. She floated resolutely at the center of swirling remnants. A soft luminescence shimmered around her; she was protected by a spell of absolute defense.
Mikoto scoffed in annoyance. "What did you say you were the Ancestor of again?"
"Hm, I do not repeat myself," she merely said.
"Forgot? A senior moment perhaps?" His voice sounded with clarity as he scanned her form; ("[Absolute Defense] it nullifies any kind of harm, be it physical, mental, or soul damage. I've never seen such an absurd spell; I could hit her with a spell that could destroy a galaxy and then some and that would not even stagger her; man, what a pain.")
Britha, spoke. "In every battle, there are defenses that go beyond mere strength, boy," she replied evenly, her voice soothing yet firm. "True power lies not just in destruction but in protection. The goddess Astraea practiced this, and she is even superior to me."
He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he adjusted the plates of his armor, tightening his stance as he prepared for the next wave. "Protection? You're just a glorified shield. What are you afraid of, huh? Facing a boy like me?" He sneered, digging deeper into his mockery. "You might as well sit down with some tea and play the damsel, because this is no game for weaklings."
Britha shook her head slowly, hints of amusement in her eye despite the ferocity. "A warrior knows that strength is not measured by the number of hits landed, but by their resilience." She straightened, adopting a fighting stance that showed poise. "You can keep insults as your weapons, boy, but I will stand firm in my truth."
"Truth, huh? I'd wager your 'truth' won't score you any wins in a fight against an overwhelming, stronger opponent."
As they continued their battle; Naga and Magnus held their own. In that instant, the space stirred with ominous mana as the unblemished black of space erupted into chaos. Dark silhouettes sliced through the void, colossal meteors forming from the remnants of dispelled star matter, spiraling down in a cataclysmic shower aimed directly at Magnus. The space beneath began to tremble as Naga howled, a sound that resonated with the very vibrations of the wave itself.
"Fool! This is nothing! Behold the very power of my goddess!"
Magnus exploded with mana as he centered himself, drawing strength from the intensity around him. With confidence he focused on the incoming masses, calculating every vector, trajectory, and potential point of impact with a clarity that was unnerving.
As the meteors descended, Magnus leapt into action. He flew forward with incredible speed, hefting one massive fist into the air. As his fist collided with the first meteor, a radiant shockwave erupted—spreading outward in all directions—as if he had unleashed the power superior to that of the an atomic bomb itself. Each meteor met a similar fate; with every impact from Magnus' colossal fist, explosions lit the darkness with an odd brilliance.
"Hahahahaha! Behold the might of General Magnus!"
Naga, watching through gleaming eyes, felt the tides of battle shifting inexorably. Undeterred by Magnus' sheer power, he adjusted his strategy. With a fierce roar that vibrated through the cosmos, Naga pivoted midair and shot forth with breathtaking speed, the light of the distant stars shimmering against his fur as he darted directly toward Magnus.
As he approached, his jaw parted, revealing fangs like drawn blades, and he aimed to sink his teeth into the armored colossus. Magnus, sensing the shift at the periphery of his vision, swiftly flew to the side in a flawless way—his form a blur. Naga's teeth snapped mere inches from Magnus' side, but in the ensuing moment of empty agony, the battleground conspired against Magnus courtesy of a certain beast. A stray shard of asteroid, hurled by the remnants of the meteors he'd just obliterated, slammed into him during his dodge, catching him off guard.
The impact sent him staggering, the force reverberating through his very core as he nearly lost his balance. Seizing the momentary advantage, Naga launched himself forward with all the grace and potency of a divine being, an embodiment of raw force. He tackled Magnus with the weight of the meteors behind him, their collision like the crash of titanic forces, an explosion of mana that caused the stars to flicker.
Time itself seemed to slow as they fell through space, Naga pinning Magnus against the remnants of a shattered asteroid field. The brute force of the canine creature pushed Magnus far across the void, spiraling through the remnants of what was once celestial debris, until they came to a halt, drifting through the embrace of space. Magnus grunted, his helmet momentarily clouded by cosmic dust, but within the confines of his armor, optimizing each component, he recalibrated quickly, looking to regain his footing as he and Naga stood on opposite sides of a shattered asteroid.
Within the stillness, the clash of forces surged in waves of mana. In the aftermath of their explosive clash, Magnus anchored himself as he called upon his magic that rippled within, summoning a myriad of enormous dark blades—shimmering obsidian weapons birthed from the depths of his own power.
With an imperious flourish, he raised his arms heavenward, his muscles taut with mana. The blades responded instantly, coalescing into being with an anarchic movement, towering in size and sharpness, as they swirled ominously around him like a storm waiting to be unleashed.
"Let's see how you dance now!" Magnus declared, his voice resonating with a dark, thunderous authority. In a rapid succession of motions, he launched the dark blades towards Naga, their shadows casting a pall over the space. They tore through the void with astonishing velocity, cutting through nothingness like streaks of pure light.
Yet, as the blades rocketed forward, a subtle shift occurred within the realm of possibility. Naga, his eyes glimmered, the aura of probability swirling around him. With an instinctual movement, Naga flicked his tail, and an unseen force rippled through the ether, distorting the very threads of reality itself. One blade, then another, shifted just out of reach as if guided by an invisible hand. The very essence of chance hung in his control, allowing Naga to evade each spiraling missile without moving, the dark blades whispering past him in a close call.
The momentum of Magnus' assault only grew, yet mundane evasion bore limits, and Magnus, feeling the frustration seething within him, called upon a deeper wellspring of power. "Octavia!" he thundered, a name steeped in reverence—a plea directed to the goddess who imbued him with strength. Her essence surged through him, illuminating his form with a celestial glow, intertwining threads of fate within his own being.
Channeling the divine energy coursing through him, Magnus reached into the fabric of destiny itself. The space pulsated around him as he shaped the invisible forces with intent. The battlefield shifted; the fabric of reality shimmered and folded at his command.
He altered the paths of the scattered blades, redirecting one with a subtle flick of his wrist. Time itself almost held its breath as the singular dark blade transformed from a miss into a lethal projectile, carving through the stars toward Naga with newfound momentum.
Naga, sensing the shift in fate—a tug in the fabric around him—turned, his luminous ears both catching the sound and feeling the energy crescendo as it sped closer. Realization etched into his features brought forth a split-second decision, and he attempted to weave himself away, but the altered trajectory was relentless.
The blade closed in, howling with the power Magnus had refracted through divine influence as it pierced through the very essence of probability. It struck true, impaling Naga with unforgiving velocity, the dark metal driven deep into his form. The impact echoed like a bell, resonating across the vast expanse with an earth-shaking finality.
Naga's body arched in response to the violation, luminescent fur shimmering with an array of vibrant colors as he was thrust momentarily to the brink of collapsing. Pain surged through him, a foreign sensation against his accustomed control of probability—an unexpected consequence of the blade's strike.
"Ha! As it is written! My Goddess shall always prevail!" Magnus declared, yet the struggle was far from over, as mana crackled in the air. Amidst the damage and torment, Naga harnessed the skillful art of self-healing—a gift that rippled in affinity with his mastery over the threads of probability.
With a resolute focus that illuminated his azure eyes, Naga tapped into the reservoir of mana surrounding him, drawing upon the very fabric of it. A soft luminescence began to envelop his form, spiraling upward from where the blade had pierced him, threads of light weaving seamlessly into his wounds. As the glow intensified, the wounds receded, closing at an accelerated pace.
Magnus, who had been observing this miraculous recovery with irritation, couldn't help but allow a self-satisfied smirk to dance across his lips. "You think you can just shake off my Goddess power that easily?" he boasted, his voice cutting through the silence. "I've tasted defeat before, but it only made me stronger! You are facing not just a warrior, but a force of destiny itself!"
Magnus charged forward, the weight of his armor clinking rhythmically as he closed the distance, throwing wide his arms as if to embrace Naga.
Naga responded with a fevered rapture; he sprang into the fray, surging toward Magnus with a wild howl that sent waves of energy rippling through the space. He lunged, fangs bared, and claws extended. Naga rotated in mid-air, twisting to claw at Magnus' armored frame as he landed just mere feet from him, nimble.
Magnus, anticipating the attack, pivoted expertly as he captured Naga's forward momentum using the strength in his legs, redirecting it against him. He ducked low, allowing Naga's claws to slice through the air above him instead of finding their target, before he retaliated in a display of force by slamming a fortified fist upward toward Naga's midsection, the blow fueled by the celestial mana of his goddess.
But Naga was quick, the divine creature flexing his sinewy form as he dodged to the side, the mass of both combatants colliding with gusts of force that rippled outward—space quaking around them. Naga retaliated with a swift counterattack, twisting on his hindquarters with acrobatic prowess, attempting to sink his teeth into Magnus' shoulder, his jaws snapping dangerously close.
Magnus saw the glint of ferocity in Naga's eyes and instinctively shifted to the left, narrowly avoiding being bitten. As Naga's momentum propelled him forward, Magnus drove his elbow back with force, aiming for Naga's exposed side in a shockwave that radiated. When Magnus threw a powerful punch aimed for his jaw, Naga deftly leaned back, allowing the blow to sail just inches from his snout, before clawing back with a visceral swipe aimed squarely at Magnus' face, with a force that could tear through divine metal.
Magnus barely deflected the assault with his forearm, sensing the raw power behind the strike, the clash vibrating through him, a resonance of mana that urged him to rethink his approach. Thus, he floated to the side while twisting around, launching a sharp kick toward Naga's flank with the strength of fortified steel, a move that spun the space as it flew forward.
Naga connected with the inertia, using his agility to propel himself backward, another aerial maneuver gracefully executed.
As their brawl continued, Mikoto's own continued as he glided through the void. At that precise moment, he turned his attention to a nearby planet swirling with vibrant colors—a sphere reminiscent of an untouched Eden, teeming with nothing he noted with a quick scan.
He raised his hand, palm outstretched toward the distant orb. Sigils flickered into existence around him. He transitioned seamlessly into the next stage—solidifying the planet into a projectile. With a decisive flick of his hand, the sigils intensified, casting beams of iridescent light toward the orb. The core energies of the planet began to crystallize, forming a solid, oversized mass.
Light flickered across its surface, revealing its vibrant atmosphere just moments before the transformation completed: the blue oceans frozen mid-wave, the verdant forests captured in muted motion, cascading over cliffs like thick forests of jade. The natural world became encased in an impenetrable layer of magic—a clamor of life submerged within stone and dust, suspended in time as Mikoto wielded the planet's essence.
Channeling his telekinetic magic with an explosive surge. As the magic enveloped the newly solidified planetary mass, he summoned tendrils—glistening streams of mana extending from his outstretched fingers. Each strand danced and curled, intertwining with the colossal orb that radiated mana beyond comprehension. Mikoto directed forward a surge of psychic force, shifting his stance to engage every muscle needed for the impending act of will. The oversized projectile trembled, vibrating in response to the energies binding it, and, with a calculated push, he launched the planet at Britha at light speed—a blinding comet crossing the void that was speed.
The speed was quantum and beautiful, a bullet streaking through the fabric of space, shimmering as it carved through it. The frame of the universe held its breath while the world shrieked toward Britha, the brilliant colors of the planet creating a spectacle that illuminated the dark.
Britha held firm, eye locked on the imminent trajectory. She felt the gravitational pull of the approaching force entwined with her being. A deep instinct vibrated through her as she braced herself. Her impossibly powerful stature radiated mana as she launched herself into the oncoming onslaught, propelled by pure might.
Launching off the space with an explosive surge that reverberated through her body, she soared gracefully, muscles coiling. In that split moment, she exuded might as her fist prepared for the impact. Time slowed as she approached the massive orb. With deft fluidity, she angled her body, allowing the momentum of both her flight and the planet to come together in a decisive moment of impact. Her fist drew back, surrounded by a swirling mass of kinetic energy that shimmered with might, a brilliant glow radiating from her core. Just before connection, she focused on the targeted stroke—a singular focus aimed at the planet's center.
"Let it be known!" she roared as the distance vanished. In that heartbeat, her fist collided with the planetary surface—an echoing crunch pulling the entire cosmos into orbit around them. It reverberated as if the very fabric of space quaked; the overwhelming force resonated outward, pulsating through the stars as her blow connected with remarkable might.
The moment her fist impacted was a blur of chaos—an explosion of light and mana bursting forth, painting the dark void with radiant colors reminiscent of auroras and suns igniting. Cracks webbed through the surface of the planet, as if the shockwave of her blow rippled through layers of time and space, unleashing chaos into meticulously orchestrated surroundings. She aimed for the heart directly.
Veins of energy snaked outward, cascading layers of fragments, every piece carrying residual mana that sang. Whole sections broke away, tumbling into the void, while the center of the planet buckled and imploded under the sheer force of her strike, sending forth vibrant shards in every direction. With the explosion refracted across the expanses, Britha remained suspended within the chaos. She felt the ambient life force that once thrived transform into echoes, rippling through her being. "What power..." Ironically, she uttered those words as she stared at the armored boy: ("He is merely testing the waters, dissecting my being. Hm, this is unwinnable.") She internally mused, yet fear did not litter her eye.
Mikoto observed from a distance, "Magnus, get back here!" He ordered simply; a loud noise resonated in the distance as, in a blur, the General appeared floating besides him. Naga mimicked him appearing besides his mistress.
"Do you require assistance with the filthy Ancestor?" He questioned; Mikoto merely shook his head.
"Nah, I'm about to finish this." Britha's lips curled into a frown at his confidence. "That annoying creature emits a field; similarly, upon touching him, you'd be affected by his probability control." Mikoto deducted as he raised his right hand, a brilliant white light illuminated to cosmos as something began to take form. "Using Harbinger or my Sabre would end this quickly, but that ain't no fun. Creation Magic." An orb took form, a perfect sphere no larger than a play ball. "Countering probability control is simple, really. As you have shown me, all I need to do is alter 'fate' itself so my attack cannot miss. Similarly, I can alter Naga's destiny."
"You seem confident in your ability to manipulate concepts." Britha noted, "Yet have you forgotten me? How shall you damage me?"
"With a ball of mass heavier than a neutron star launched at you at a speed faster than light—course I only need the weight, so I didn't factor in the heat or gravitational force of an actual one. But to answer your question, fate is fickle. There's no way I can control it, but both it and destiny can be guided." He merely stated that as he let the orb drop and then cocked his leg back in preparation, he kicked at his crafted orb.
The very realm felt its impact.