With a nod of agreement, we launched ourselves into the air, our bodies propelled by a surge of imagined speed. We circled the Whale, our eyes scanning its massive form for any sign of its master. We peered into its cavernous mouth, searched its barnacle-encrusted back, and even dove beneath its immense belly, the water parting before us as we moved through the frozen ocean.
But there was no one. No sign of a human, no trace of an Unveiled presence. The Whale seemed to be acting on its own, its motives a mystery.
"Nothing," I said, my voice tinged with frustration. "There's no one here."
IM frowned, his brow furrowed in thought. "Maybe the master is controlling it remotely," he suggested. "Or maybe it's not even here in the city."
"Or maybe the whale is too big, and its master can control it from anywhere," I added, a sense of unease settling in my stomach.
The realization that the Whale's master could be anywhere in the world sent a chill down our spines. It meant that we were facing an enemy with a global reach, an enemy whose motives and capabilities remained shrouded in mystery. The stakes had just been raised, and the Unveiled Family was facing its greatest challenge yet. The weight of the world, it seemed, rested on our shoulders.
We returned to the ground, our superhuman speed carrying us back to the schoolyard in the blink of an eye. The world around us was still frozen, the students and teachers suspended in their timeless poses, oblivious to the danger lurking above. But the Whale loomed overhead, its presence a constant reminder of the impending threat.
Imagine... copy that Harbinger, and I can summon it anytime I want, I focused my will, visualizing the Whale's essence merging with my own.
Then, looking at IM, I nodded. "Let's continue time and see where the Whale is going first."
With a silent agreement, we released the time stop, the world around us springing back to life with a rush of sound and movement. The students resumed their conversations, the teachers continued their lectures, and the Whale, its massive form still dominating the sky, began to move.
We followed it, our eyes fixed on its trajectory. It glided effortlessly through the air, its movements graceful despite its immense size. It headed towards the city center, its shadow falling over buildings and streets, casting an eerie pall over the bustling metropolis.
Wsooosh!
"Here come the fishes!" IM yelled, pointing towards a swarm of flying creatures emerging from the Whale's belly.
I nodded and pressed the button on my wristwatch, the familiar gun materializing in my hand.
Bang! Bang!
The air crackled with energy as I unleashed a barrage of shots, each bullet infused with my imagination's power. The projectiles soared through the air, their trajectory bending and twisting as they homed in on the flying creatures.
Imagine... bullets explode on impact, I commanded, my mind painting a vivid picture of fiery explosions.
The bullets struck their targets, detonating in a series of blinding flashes and deafening roars. The flying creatures, caught in the blasts, disintegrated into showers of shimmering dust, their cries of surprise and pain echoing briefly before fading into nothingness.
IM, not to be outdone, unleashed his own unique abilities. He phased through the remaining creatures, his intangible form disrupting their flight patterns and sending them crashing into buildings and each other. The once-orderly swarm was now a chaotic mess, their attacks faltering as they struggled to maintain control.
The people below, initially panicked by the sudden gunfire, remained unaware of the larger threat looming above them: the colossal Whale.
Unaware of the aerial battle raging above, they continued their daily routines, their lives blissfully ignorant of the impending danger. But IM and I knew that we couldn't let the Whale reach the city center. Its sheer size and destructive potential could cause untold devastation, and we had to stop it before it was too late.
Closing my eyes again, I focused my imagination, pushing its boundaries further than ever before.
Time stop and... massive speed, I willed, the world around us freezing once more. This time, I was determined to overcome the weakness that had plagued me before.
Super strong, undefeated creature, that's me... I imagined, visualizing myself transformed into an unstoppable force, capable of facing any challenge.
Swoosh! In an instant, the humans surrounding us vanished, teleported to a safe distance. Even IM was momentarily displaced, leaving me alone with the colossal Whale hanging ominously in the frozen sky.
"Summon the whale that I copied earlier..." I said to myself, my voice echoing in the silent world.
A surge of power coursed through my veins, a familiar yet amplified sensation. The air around me crackled with energy as a massive portal materialized in the sky, its swirling vortex dwarfing even the colossal Whale. And then, with a deafening roar that shattered the stillness of the time-frozen world, another Whale emerged, its form identical to the one hovering above the city.
The two behemoths faced each other, their immense eyes locked in a silent confrontation. The air crackled with tension, the anticipation palpable even in the frozen world.
I grinned, a sense of exhilaration washing over me. Let's see who's the boss now, I thought, my heart pounding with the thrill of the impending battle.
"Time resume!" I shouted, my voice shattering the frozen silence.
The world lurched back into motion, the city's sounds and movements returning in a rush. The two Whales roared in unison, their voices echoing across the cityscape like thunderclaps. The people below, finally aware of the monstrous creatures battling above them, screamed in terror, scattering in all directions.
The original Whale, startled by the sudden appearance of its doppelganger, lashed out with its massive tail, sending a shockwave of air that shattered windows and toppled trees. But the summoned Whale was ready, its own tail slamming into its counterpart with equal force. The impact sent both creatures reeling, their bodies colliding in mid-air, shaking the very foundations of the city.
I watched the battle unfold, my heart pounding in my chest. The sheer scale of the confrontation was awe-inspiring, the raw power on display both terrifying and exhilarating. I had summoned a creature of immense strength, a force capable of matching the Whale blow for blow. But would it be enough to defeat it?
"It's surprising how someone who's not a sorcerer can copy my Harbinger," a new voice echoed through the air, smooth and confident, yet laced with an undeniable chill.
I whipped my head around, searching for the source of the voice. And there, standing atop a nearby skyscraper, was a figure cloaked in a long, flowing robe. Their face was hidden in shadow, but their presence radiated an aura of power and authority that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice echoing through the chaotic cityscape.
The figure chuckled, a low, menacing sound that sent shivers down my spine. "I am the one you seek, Imaginary," they replied, their voice smooth and confident. "I am the master of the Whale."
A wave of realization washed over me. This was the mastermind behind the Whale's attacks, the one who had been pulling the strings from the shadows. And now, they had finally revealed themselves.
The figure raised a hand, their fingers tracing intricate patterns in the air. A surge of energy rippled through the atmosphere, and the Whale, its attention momentarily diverted from its doppelganger, turned its massive head towards us. Its eyes, glowing with an eerie light, locked onto me, a silent challenge in their depths.
"Don't move," I said, my voice cutting through the chaos. "Or else I'll kill your Whale. Again."
A tense silence hung in the air, broken only by the distant roars of the battling Whales and the eerie quiet of the depopulated city. The figure atop the skyscraper remained motionless, their shadowed face unreadable. A battle of wills was unfolding, a silent confrontation between two powerful entities, each testing the other's resolve.
Finally, the figure spoke, their voice a chilling whisper that carried across the vast distance. "You dare threaten me, Imaginary?" they asked, their tone laced with amusement and a hint of menace.
"I do," I replied, my voice unwavering. "And I see you're trying to do something. Tell me, what are you doing?"
A moment of silence followed, then the figure's voice returned, colder and more calculated. "... Scaring the Seers."
"Scaring the Seers?" I echoed, my brow furrowing in confusion. "Why? What do you gain from that?"
The figure chuckled, a low, throaty sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "The Seers are a cancer, a blight upon this world," they explained, their voice dripping with venom. "They seek to control, to dominate, to bend reality to their twisted will. They have no regard for the balance, for the natural order of things."
They paused, their shadowed face tilting slightly as if contemplating their next words. "I am here to disrupt their plans, to sow chaos and discord within their ranks. To remind them that there are forces in this world that they cannot control, that their arrogance will be their downfall."
"And your whale is the one destroying a lot of things, I would say?" I countered, my voice firm.
The figure chuckled again. "Destroy? Give me proof. I only destroy on the water, not in the sky."
I narrowed my eyes, skepticism clouding my judgment. "Your whale has been terrorizing the city multiple times a week. That's making people uncomfortable and giving them nightmares because normal humans are sensitive to high spiritual energy."
Bwooong! The fabric of reality tore open, and both whales, the original and the copy, were sucked into the vortex.
"Thanks for the copied whale, anyway," the figure's voice echoed through the clearing air. "I was about to do something drastic, but seeing you, I should probably take my leave."
Stuck... I imagined, focusing my will on the mysterious figure.
The figure's movements abruptly ceased. He couldn't turn his head or even blink.
What is this... I can't stand idly, no... I can't move at all... His panicked thoughts echoed in my mind, a testament to my control over his actions.
< Chapter 186 > Fin.