As Mei advanced, his body moved with a rigid, almost unnatural fluidity, each motion a direct extension of Zinia's will. Her fingers danced in the air, pulling invisible strings as she guided her brother through the battle. Every step he took, every swing of his staff, was a testament to her meticulous control, as though she were composing a symphony of violence. Mei's eyes remained vacant, reflecting only the intense blue flames that flickered at the tips of his weapon, yet his strikes were executed with deadly precision, each one timed to perfection as Zinia's commands flowed through him.
The grim boy watched with cold amusement, his hollow eyes glinting with a malicious light. With a sharp, unnatural movement, he extended a bony finger towards one of the trembling blue sheep. The creature froze, its vibrant wool darkening as an icy mist swirled around it. With a grotesque shudder, the sheep's form twisted and elongated, its body shrinking and reshaping until it morphed into a jagged, crystalline weapon—a spear of glistening ice, etched with faint, swirling patterns that resembled miniature galaxies. The grim boy gripped the spear, the twisted grin on his face widening as he felt the cold power coursing through it.
Zinia's eyes narrowed as she observed the transformation, her mind racing. "So, it's capable of turning the sheep into weapons... This changes things. But Mei can handle it." She flicked her wrist, and Mei's staff ignited with a new intensity, the blue flames roaring to life as he launched into a rapid series of strikes. The ground beneath him cracked and exploded with each impact, leaving smoldering craters in his wake as the force of his blows clashed against the hoarder's icy spear. The boy moved like a phantom, his form flickering in and out of sight as he dodged and parried, the eerie light from the galaxies within his weapon casting distorted shadows across the battlefield.
The clash of magic was a spectacle of raw power. Mei's flames roared with an almost sentient fury, scorching the earth and sending gusts of searing wind howling through the dead forest. With each swing of his staff, the air crackled with energy, and explosions erupted around the grim boy, forcing him to retreat momentarily. But the hoarder retaliated with equal ferocity—his spear sliced through the air, leaving trails of frost that froze everything in its path. Where Mei's magic tore the ground asunder, the grim boy's magic mended it with an unnatural cold, the shattered earth reassembling into glistening sheets of ice that reflected the star-like patterns within the weapon.
Zinia could feel the strain of the battle, both physically and mentally. "He's faster than I expected, and that spear… It's more than just ice." She watched as Mei continued his relentless assault, his body moving with machine-like efficiency, yet there was a tension in her fingers. "This isn't just about brute force. The hoarder is waiting for something, and I need to figure out what before it's too late."
Suddenly, the grim boy feinted, drawing Mei in with a deliberate misstep. Mei lunged, bringing his staff down with all his might, but the hoarder twisted, his spear striking with surgical precision. There was a sharp crack as the icy spear connected with Mei's staff, and Zinia's heart skipped a beat. The staff splintered under the impact, the wood and flame shattering into two pieces that tumbled to the ground.
For a moment, time seemed to slow as Zinia processed the turn of events. But then her lips curled into a small, determined smile. "No matter… let's have some fun." With a flick of her wrist, the broken pieces of the staff began to shift and reshape, the flames swirling around them in a controlled vortex. Mei's hands moved with the grace of a dancer as he caught the pieces mid-air, the fire solidifying into the sleek, deadly shape of a katana.
The hoarder's grin faltered as he saw the transformation, but only for a moment. Mei was already moving, the newly-formed blade a blur as it sliced through the air with a force that sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. The katana hummed with a powerful, concentrated energy, its edge cutting through the hoarder's icy defenses with ease. But the grim boy was quick to respond, his spear striking out with lightning speed, meeting Mei's blade in a clash of fire and ice that sent sparks and shards of frozen air flying in all directions.
Zinia's eyes gleamed with anticipation as she watched the battle unfold. "They're evenly matched… for now. But I need to be ready. The real danger is still lurking—whatever it is that the hoarder is hiding, it's only a matter of time before it reveals itself. For something that exists only in the present and has no existence it's hmm…" She could feel the tension building, the air around them thick with the clash of opposing forces, and knew that the true challenge was yet to come.
As the battle raged on, the blue sheep in the background began to waver, their forms flickering like dying embers before gradually fading into nothingness, their energies siphoned away by the grim boy. His small, twisted frame began to stretch and contort, his features sharpening as if he were aging rapidly before their eyes. The tattered rags that clung to him morphed into dark, flowing robes, embroidered with swirling patterns that mimicked the vastness of galaxies. The icy spear in his hand elongated, its crystalline surface fracturing and reforming into a deadly, ornate scythe, the blade glistening with a cold, otherworldly light. But before the transformation could fully take hold, Zinia's eyes narrowed with ruthless intent. She didn't wait—her fingers snapped, and Mei launched forward with blinding speed, his katana blazing with blue fire as he aimed a lethal strike at the still-shifting figure, determined to cut the transformation short before the balance tipped too far.