Stella was consumed by worry about Jake's well-being, but she quickly pushed aside her concerns and focused on completing the mission at hand.
"Can you even defeat me on your own? " Stella challenged Nine, which was awfully brave of her.
"Of course not," Nine replied confidently, "that's why I have him." Stella's face displayed a mix of intimidation and curiosity.
"Enough with the distractions," Stella admonished, before launching herself at Nine in an attempt to catch him off guard. However, her attack was swiftly countered, sending her flying across the forest and crashing into a nearby mountain base.
"Tis... but a scratch," Stella muttered defiantly, refusing to show weakness. Shiki suddenly appeared beside Nine in a blur of speed, his gaze fixed on the spot where Stella had been flung.
"Hey Nine, where's the enemy?" Shiki asked, as if he had not thought the one attacking jake is the enemy he spoke of.
"That WAS the enemy," Nine replied matter-of-factly.
"Oh...really?" Shiki responded, clearly taken aback. Actually took him a few seconds to process for some reason.
"Yes," Nine confirmed. "By the way, why did it take you so long to get here?"
"When you were on your way here, I had already neutralized your combined previous attack. After that, I stopped by a café," Shiki explained nonchalantly.
"You... nevermind," Nine sighed, realizing that Shiki's strength and abilities had grown significantly over the past five years. "It makes more sense now that you're the strongest."
"Okay," Shiki replied, seemingly unfazed. "Shouldn't we finish her off now?"
"I'm on it," Nine declared. "But why didn't you think of killing the light bearer in the first place? It seems like the obvious choice."
"I had plans for the future, but you insisted on killing her now," Shiki explained, revealing a difference in their strategies. As the two conversed, Stella watched them with a mixture of disgust and anger.
"YOU BASTARDS!" Stella exclaimed, snapping her fingers.
Suddenly, an ethereal spectacle unfolded before them.
"SOLAR RAIN: OUTBREAK!!" Stella announced as an array of ethereal spears materialized above the battlefield. The spears varied in size, ranging from one to five meters in length. Depending on Stella's stamina and preference, anywhere from a hundred to an infinite number of spears could be manifested. Each spear possessed the destructive power to nullify a star, similar to Rigel from the Orion constellation.
"Well... what do we do now?" Nine asked, unsure of how to proceed, not because he's scared or anything but just wanted advise on what to do with this matter.
"We do something, of course," Shiki responded with confidence.
"You're not helping me at all," Nine sighed in frustration. "Just make sure you handle any collateral damages."
Shiki nodded in agreement, understanding his role. Nine then turned his attention to Stella, his expression serious and determined.
"Now, for the real battle," Nine declared.
MONOCHROMIC DISTORT: RHYTHMIC BLUE: SHIFT!!", he shouted with conviction.
With a swift motion, Nine unsheathed his blade, which emitted a burning blue glow. He shifted the blade, deconstructing each and every one of the falling spears. Nine then charged towards Stella, aiming to decapitate her.
"This world shall be at peace in your absence," Nine proclaimed with conviction.
But just as Nine's blade was about to make contact, Jake appeared in a flash of light, blocking the attack.
"Surprise, you piece of shit!" Jake taunted Nine, his physical strength enhanced to new heights. The two engaged in combat once again, with Jake impressively deflecting, dodging, and parrying Nine's blade swings using only his bare hands which surprises nine to witness such a fast development.
"You survived Crescent Null... and you're using 'Mahō kyōka-jutsu'?" Nine remarked, acknowledging Jake's abilities and intelligence.
"How smart of you!" Jake exclaimed, his euphoria evident as he mocked Nine for his intellect.
"At that level of mastery? Even with my katana, 'Latent Flux'... you truly are an interesting one!" Nine commended Jake, recognizing his exceptional skills. However, their conversation was abruptly interrupted when Stella seized Jake, and a blinding flash of light enveloped them.
"We withdraw for now, but the next time we meet... We will end you both," Stella declared, her voice filled with determination.
"I look forward to my victory," Nine responded, unfazed by Stella's threat.
As the light vanished, Stella and Jake disappeared, leaving Nine and Shiki behind. Shiki had not intervened to stop them, as he took Nine's words about collateral damage quite literally.
"What a day," Nine sighed, reflecting on the events that had transpired. "How many more times will this cycle repeat again?"
Despite the chaos that had unfolded, the afternoon seemed peaceful, with the wind blowing freely and the weather embracing a sense of "freedom".