A blanket of silence settled over the rooftop garden, abruptly shattered as both figures launched into action. The sudden clash of their combat created a powerful gust of wind that swept across the Enclave.
Mavislin's foot connected sharply with the Viceroy's blade, the force sending the massive Zenos reeling backward, though not far.
Without a moment's pause, the dragoness pressed forward, their battle transforming the once tranquil garden into a chaotic warzone. Sparks erupted from their clashing weapons, each strike and parry intensifying as they fought amidst the foliage.
Mavislin's blade met Zenos's with a resounding clang, their duel creating a symphony of metallic echoes. She was pushed to her limits, barely holding her ground against the Viceroy's relentless onslaught.
"Why are you so silent? Mayhaps that you are still cross at me imprisoning Scylla..." taunted Zenos, smiling devilishly at the angered dragoness.
"Damn right, I am! As if being cursed by some jealous, vain Goddess wasn't enough, she had to be imprisoned by the likes of you!" roared the dragoness, channeling her mana into her weapon.
With a powerful swing, the Viceroy was driven back, his intrigue mingling with confusion. As he steadied himself, a strange realization began to dawn on him.
His keen ears, ever attuned to the subtleties of battle, weren't deceiving him—there was a secondary, rougher female voice layered beneath Mavislin's usual tone.
This unexpected auditory shift hinted at something deeper, something unsettlingly complex about the dragoness's transformation. The Viceroy's gaze sharpened, his curiosity now matched by a growing sense of unease.
The charging girl got near to the Viceroy, crouching down to attempt an attack on his neck. However, Zenos was easily able to anticipate and quickly used his gauntlet to stop the attack.
"All those vile witches... Especially her! She didn't even allow me to reason with her! Why, those with pure beauty are cursed just for the way we've looked?! And how dare you flaunt me an exact mirror of my life?!" screamed Mavislin.
She then lowered herself down and struck the overgrown tank's ankles, allowing her opponent to flip backward to evade her attack.
"Am I still fighting Mavislin? Or have I mistaken it to be..."
"You should keep your mouth shut!" screamed the 'dragoness' as she hurled herself towards Zenos in a blinding rage.
'Keep yourself in check. Your emotions will be our downfall,' echoed Mavislin's true voice, rendering the Gorgon to stop her charge.
'But... But he used one of my daughters... She was...' pleaded the Gorgon, her voice turning back to her before she'd become a monster.
'And does that affect me in any way? She was nothing but an imitation, not the real thing. I gave you a chance to play and you do this... Get ahold of yourself or shall I take the spotlight again?'
'You may take the spotlight.'
'Lest you forget, I am the one who holds your reigns. Weaken me like that again and I will not hesitate to destroy your very existence amongst the Seat of Valour.'
The Viceroy took advantage of the situation and flicked his wrist to strike at the dragoness' side, only to be halted by her bare hands.
"Sorry about that... It was rather rude of me to allow my Guardian to take over like that... Rest assured, it will not happen again. At least, not in this duel..." replied Mavislin, going back to her usual stance and swinging Zenos away.
The battle escalated with every exchange of blows. Mavislin's scythe cut through the air with precision, only to be countered by Zenos's formidable strikes. The garden's lush greenery was trampled underfoot, the serene setting now a testament to their fierce conflict.
Recognizing the need for a strategic shift, Mavislin tapped into her Guardian's power. She disengaged swiftly, shifting into a defensive stance to prepare for her transformation. It wasn't the ideal time, but desperation drove her to act.
As Zenos's attacks grew more ferocious, Mavislin's movements became a blur, her scythe slicing through the air with renewed determination.
With a decisive swing, she drove the tip of her scythe into the soft, grassy earth, the blade embedding itself deeply as she braced for the next wave of combat.
Once a symbol of peace, the garden had become the stage for an epic struggle, and Mavislin was ready to face whatever came next.
"Whorl Of Anguish!" shouted the girl as a large emblem of black and purple erupted from her weapon.
Compared to their previous skirmishes, the emblem now loomed significantly larger, its presence nearly consuming the entire floor of the Enclave.
Dark orbs of black and purple emerged from the symbol, each one detonating violently upon colliding with the Viceroy's striking scythe. The explosions sent ripples through the air, creating a dazzling yet deadly display of magic and force.