With that, the trio continued their ascent, their curiosity driving them toward the source of the explosion.
Unbeknownst to them, Lucy was already watching, her excitement palpable as she prepared to reclaim what she considered hers.
As for Max, he was already above them watching, not planning on joining the fun.
...
The wind howled softly at the mountain's peak as Max hovered in the sky above the trio, his black wings cutting a sharp silhouette against the gray clouds. His arms were crossed, his posture relaxed, and his expression bored, though he kept his gaze fixed on the unfolding scene below.
Lucy, her essence entirely merged with the mountain, made no visible appearance. Instead, a creeping mist began to seep out from the rocky terrain. It moved unnaturally, curling and twisting with purpose, like a predator stalking its prey.
Apparently, Lucy was afraid of crushing everyone on the scene, so she used her mist.
Below, the trio was already on edge. Lyra glanced around, her fingers twitching with tension. Lucky, its rainbow-tailed pigeon, perched on her shoulder, cooed softly, its radiant feathers casting prismatic reflections across the ground. Tobias's silver panther let out a low growl, its sharp eyes darting toward the advancing mist, while Celine's serpent hissed, coiling tighter around her arm.
"What is this?" Lyra muttered, stepping closer to her companions.
Tobias narrowed his eyes. "Doesn't feel natural. Be ready."
Before they could react further, the mist surged forward, solidifying into jagged spikes that shot out with terrifying speed. The panther leaped to shield Tobias, taking a hit to its flank. It yowled in pain, but the attack wasn't fatal. Lyra and Celine dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the onslaught.
"Defensive positions!" Lyra shouted, her voice sharp with authority. She reached up to grab Lucky, throwing the pigeon into the air. "Lucky, do something!"
The pigeon flapped its wings and released a brilliant burst of rainbow light. The vibrant energy struck the mist, dispersing it momentarily.
"Impressive," Max murmured from above, watching as the pigeon began its counterattack.
Lucy, however, wasn't impressed. Through the mist, her unseen frustration simmered, and the air grew heavier with tension. She tightened her control, forcing the mist to reform into massive tendrils that lashed out with devastating force.
The trio scrambled to defend themselves. Lyra's commands grew frantic as she tried to rally her team, but the mist was relentless. It hammered at their defenses, breaking down their coordination and driving them into a corner.
Despite their struggles, the pigeon, Lucky fought back valiantly. Its rainbow light intensified, forming intricate patterns that clashed against the mist. The light seemed to have an innate power, neutralizing the mist wherever it touched.
"It's holding it off!" Tobias exclaimed, his tone one of surprised relief.
Lyra's face lit up with hope. "Of course it is! Lucky's the strongest!"
The trio's morale soared as they watched the pigeon's radiant display. For a moment, it seemed as though they might actually overcome the unseen force attacking them.
But Lucy's patience had reached its limit. The mist receded abruptly, leaving the trio blinking in confusion. Then, with a sudden, crushing weight, the ground beneath them trembled. Rocks cracked and splintered as an invisible force pressed down from all directions.
"What… what is this?!" Celine gasped, clutching her serpent as the pressure forced her to her knees.
Lyra staggered, her expression twisting into one of fear. "I can't move!"
Tobias tried to push back against the force, but even his panther was pinned, growling in frustration as it struggled futilely.
From above, Max raised an eyebrow. Lucy was no longer playing around. She'd abandoned her mist entirely, opting to unleash her telekinesis instead. The raw power of her mental force bore down on the trio, crushing the air out of their lungs and driving them closer to defeat.
"Lucky, use it!" Lyra screamed, her voice tinged with desperation.
The pigeon responded. Its body began to glow, its radiant feathers transforming into pure light. With a burst of energy, Lucky expanded, growing into a two meter tall figure of glowing brilliance.
Max's lazy expression disappeared, replaced by one of genuine interest. "Now that's new," he muttered, leaning forward slightly.
The light pigeon spread its glowing wings and formed a protective dome of rainbow energy around the trio. The dome shimmered with an iridescent sheen, standing firm against Lucy's relentless telekinetic assault.
Lucy, now fully committed to her attack, doubled down. The mountain quaked as her invisible force pressed harder, grinding the earth beneath the dome into a deep pit. Rocks and debris flew outward as the pressure increased, yet the dome held strong, it was planted deep into the ground but still held on.
From inside the dome, Lyra and her team watched in awe as Lucky's power continued to grow. The dome, though cracking under the strain, seemed to regenerate and reinforce itself with every passing moment.
"It's doing it!" Lyra cried, tears streaming down her face. "It's protecting us!"
Tobias and Celine could only stare, their expressions a mix of fear and wonder. The pigeon they had once envied was now their sole hope of survival.
Above, Max's gaze remained fixed on the scene. The usual indifference in his eyes was gone, replaced by a glimmer of intrigue. The pigeon's display of power was far beyond what he had expected, if the pigeon starts moving the dome and Lucy failed to react to it they might actually escape.
"Lucy, keep it up," he said softly. His mind was already racing with possibilities.
If he could study the pigeon, understand the source of its strength, it could prove to be a valuable asset, or at least an interesting experiment.
"meh, I don't have the capability to study such a thing yet, but someone might!".
Below, the stalemate continued. Lucy's telekinetic force bore down relentlessly, while Lucky's rainbow dome grew brighter and stronger with every passing second.
The pit beneath them deepened, the earth groaning under the strain of their clashing powers.
Max's lips curled into a faint smile. "Let's end it here."
Max used his siliconic powers to grab a flying stone, and quickly marked it with Mystic eye and throw it in the air.
"Lucy take that stone next to the dome."
'OK'. Responded Lu, and the stone started flying according to Max's instructions.
Soon it was right where he needed it as he used Mystic eye to switch his prospective.
"Lucy we're leaving after picking them up, before the noise attract more variables," spoke Max, pulling the shotgun from his space ring.
The weapon gleamed in his hands, heavy with lethal intent. There was no hesitation in his movements as he aimed directly at Lyra's head, high above the chaos below.
From his position in the sky, Max pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The air cracked with the force of the shot. The slug vanished in an instant, teleporting with unerring precision to a point just an inch from Lyra's temple. The rainbow dome faltered, unable to react to the impossible trajectory.
The bullet struck true.
Lyra didn't even have time to gasp. Her body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, as blood pooled beneath her.
The moment her life ended, the pigeon let out a heart wrenching screech, affected by the death of its pet Master it will be weakened heavily.
The vibrant energy surrounding the pigeon flickered and dimmed, its towering form shrinking back into its original size. Its brilliant rainbow hues dulled to muted tones, and the once mighty bird collapsed to the ground, its strength drained.
Max's gaze didn't linger on Lyra's corpse or the fallen pigeon.
He reached into his space ring once more and pulled out a massive, ornate mirror. Its polished surface gleamed in the dim light, reflecting the chaos around it.
As he descended toward the pit, Lucy's presence flared beside him, her excitement still palpable even in her unseen form.
She moved toward him, but Max raised a hand, cutting her off.
"Later," he said simply, opening the pet space with a thought. Lucy vanished into it without resistance.
Max landed softly amidst the destruction, the mirror clutched tightly in his hands. He surveyed the scene, Lyra's lifeless body, the two remaining team members paralyzed with fear, and their pets subdued and injured. The air was thick with tension and despair.
The remaining duo, Tobias and Celine, couldn't even muster the strength to speak. They stared at Max with wide, terror-stricken eyes, their minds racing but unable to comprehend what was happening.
Max didn't offer them a word of explanation. He held up the mirror, activating his skill, [Mirror Prison].
The surface of the mirror shimmered like water before turning into an endless void. It pulled with an invisible force, dragging everything in its path into the reflective abyss.
Lyra's body was the first to vanish, her lifeless form swallowed by the mirror. Next came Lucky, its weakened state offering no resistance as it was sealed within. Tobias, Celine, and their pets followed, their panicked screams silenced the moment they crossed the mirror's threshold.
The area was left eerily silent. The devastation from the battle remained, a deep pit and shattered ground.
Max glanced around, as His wings flared open, and with a powerful beat, he took to the sky.
The wind roared around him as he flew away from the ruined mountain, heading toward the mountain house far away from here.
The journey was uneventful, his thoughts entirely focused on the new captives within the mirror. The pigeon, in particular, intrigued him. Its power had proven formidable, enough to pique his interest and warrant further investigation.
Arriving at his mountain house, Max landed gracefully, his wings folding behind him as he entered the building.
Setting the mirror down on a sturdy table, Max took a moment to examine its surface. Inside, the reflections of Lyra, Lucky, Tobias, Celine, and their pets floated.
'Out!'. Lucy's mental voice sounded in his head.
"Sure." Max opened the pet space as all of his pet went out.
Lucy immediately stuck her head on the mirror saying hi to her old rival.
inside the mirror the pigeon eyes widened, it forgot about it's weakness, about the people next to it, and the death of her pet master as it rushed towards Lucy, just to slam into the mirror wall helpless.
Max's lips curved into a faint smirk, looking at the scene of Lucy and the pigeon growling at each other.
"it seems it gained its bravery while away from Lu!."
The crows soon joined the fun glaring daggers at the mirror following the lead of the big boss Lucy.