Previously,I and Mei got in an intense fight ,there were three quasi-spirirts ,a great weapon of war,and a kaiju which was stronger than any we have ever fought and now the kaiju is chasing me . I just have to buy some time for Mei so luring outthe kaiju on my side might help Mei and how bad is just running? Or so I thought ,as I was running the kaiju finally caught up to me and plunged at me and soon my vision blurred, my thoughts scattered. The last thing I saw before everything went dark was the kaiju's blazing eyes, filled with malice.
**Mei's Side **
Mei was almost there, the tunnel just a few more leaps away. But the quasi-spirits weren't letting up. "I'm getting real tired of this," Mei muttered, her voice strained with exertion. "If I could just use my powers..." She felt a pang of frustration. The sunlight was her enemy here, stripping her of the strength she so desperately needed.
As she raced through the final stretch, Mei caught sight of Arta closing in, her hammer swinging wildly. "You're persistent, I'll give you that," Mei said through gritted teeth.
"I'm just doing my job," Arta replied, her voice cold. "And my job is to crush you."
Before Mei could react, kuki chanted an incantation. "Spirit Art: Blades of Malice!" Dozens of dark blades materialized in the air, hurtling toward Mei with deadly precision.
"Not good," Mei muttered, twisting her body mid-air to avoid the deadly projectiles. One blade grazed her arm, drawing blood. She winced but didn't slow down. "I can't afford to stop, not now..."
"Where is she running too?," Kuki observed from above, her tone flat but laced with something akin to annoyance. "Any idea , Arta?"
Arta hesitated for a moment, her gaze flicking toward the tunnel. "We need to finish this now. We can't wait for her to take her turn" .
"You've got a point," Qupa giggled, her voice unnervingly cheerful. "But it's more fun this way, don't you think? Let's see if she can make it." She continued "I think she is heading for the tunnel not far way …I see a solar curse!"
The other 2 quasi-spirits quickly understood what mei was trying to do ." Well then I won't let you go any further" arta said moving even more faster
.
"You are right,let's finish before situation goes out of control,everyone eyes on her" kuki shouted while flying in the air
Both qupa and arta said "Roger".
Mei could feel their eyes on her, judging, calculating. They were toying with her, waiting for the right moment to strike. She cursed under her breath, pushing herself harder. "Just a little more... I have to make it..."
As Mei sprinted toward the tunnel, Qupa's voice echoed behind her, filled with a chilling determination. "Spirit Art: All is Ash," the young quasi-spirit intoned, her catalyst glowing with a menacing, red-black energy that seemed to pulse with malevolent life.
Mei felt the pressure of the incoming attack even before it struck. Her mind raced, memories of the past flashing before her eyes as the devastating beam hurtled toward her.
**3500 Years Ago**
The Great War between the gods and the Origin Demons had been a battle that scarred the world, a war that no one truly won. The gods, desperate for victory, had commanded their angels to create weapons of pure spirit power, beings that could serve as the ultimate soldiers. These were the quasi-spirits, forged from the tortured souls of the fallen, their very existence a testament to the horrors of war.
The angels, under divine orders, harvested a thousand souls for each quasi-spirit, but the process was fraught with failure. The success rate was a mere 1 in 100,000. meaning countless lives were sacrificed to create these beings. Those souls, never allowed to rest, were bound within the quasi-spirits, fueling their existence but also dooming them to eternal servitude.
Quasi-spirits were less powerful than true spirits, lacking the divine connection that made true spirits almost invincible. Yet, they were easier to produce in large numbers because they relied solely on spirit power, making them expendable warriors in the eyes of the angels. Their obedience was absolute, their will nonexistent, and their purpose singular: to destroy, to follow orders, and to fight until there was nothing left to fight.
When the war ended, the quasi-spirits disappeared along with the angels who had created them. Their legacy, however, lingered in the darkest corners of history, a reminder of the lengths to which the gods would go to win their battles.
Mei's thoughts snapped back to the present as the beam approached. The devastating attack was almost upon her. She barely had time to react before it engulfed her and everything around her. The world turned white with the searing light of Qupa's attack, and for a moment, everything was silent.
The world around her exploded in a blinding flash of red and black.
When the light finally faded, the damage was catastrophic. Buildings in the beam's path had been reduced to ash, and one even collapsed from the sheer force of the blast. The ground was scorched, and a deep gouge had been carved into the earth. It was as if nothing could have survived such an onslaught.
Qupa floated down, a smug look on her young face as she surveyed the destruction. "Well, that should do it," she said, her voice betraying her certainty of victory.
Arta nodded, her expression cool and calculating. "She was powerful, but no one can survive a direct hit from that."
Kuki, the hammer-wielding quasi-spirit, twirled her weapon with a satisfied grunt. "Not bad for a little squirt, Qupa."
But then, from within the devastation, a voice rang out, clear and defiant. "Is that all you've got?"
A brilliant green light illuminated the area, revealing Mei standing tall amid the destruction. Her body was surrounded by a radiant green aura—the Aistia, her ultimate form. The power of the Aistia had deflected the full force of the beam, leaving her unharmed.
The quasi-spirits stared in disbelief.
Qupa's eyes widened, her catalyst trembling slightly in her grasp. "That's... the power of the mysterious Aistia..."
Arta narrowed her eyes, her calm demeanor faltering. "Impossible... she deflected the Spirit Art?"
Kuki growled, gripping her hammer tighter. "So, she's tougher than she looks. But she's still not one of us."
Mei took a deep breath, letting the aura of her Aistia form pulse with energy. The green light flickered in the air like flames, crackling with power. She focused her gaze on the three quasi-spirits, her expression hardening.
"Why are you here?" Mei demanded, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Who ordered you to attack?"
The quasi-spirits exchanged glances, their previous confidence shaken by Mei's unexpected resilience. Arta was the first to respond, her voice laced with arrogance. "We answer to a higher power, one far beyond your comprehension. But we don't need to explain ourselves to someone like you."
Kuki smirked, though her eyes held a hint of uncertainty. "Yeah, just because you survived one attack doesn't mean you're a match for all three of us."
Qupa, still reeling from the shock of seeing her attack deflected, chimed in, her voice wavering slightly. "You're just one person. We're quasi-spirits—created for war. You can't hope to stand against us for long."
Mei's gaze remained steady, her voice unwavering. "I may be outnumbered, but I won't back down. Whoever sent you will pay for what they've done. And I'll start by taking you down, one by one if I have to."
Arta laughed coldly, though it lacked the conviction it once held. "Brave words for someone who's barely standing."
Mei's eyes narrowed, her green aura flaring brighter. "You underestimate me. And that will be your downfall."
Kuki stepped forward, her hammer swinging in anticipation. "Enough talk. Let's see if you can back those words up."
The quasi-spirits prepared to launch their next attack, but Mei stood firm, her mind focused and her spirit unyielding. This fight was far from over, and she would make sure that by the end of it, they would regret ever crossing paths with her.
The kaiju loomed above me, its body engulfed in the fierce, otherworldly flames of the flare it had summoned. To my eyes, it looked like a meteorite crashing down from the heavens, a force of nature I had no hope of outrunning. My body, already strained from the constant dodging and lightning parries, was on the verge of collapse. I had no time to gather any power; the beast was simply too fast.
Its fist, blazing with that whitish-yellow flare, crashed into me before I could even think of dodging. The impact was bone-crushing, sending shockwaves of pain rippling through my body. I felt like I was being incinerated from the inside out. My Sparkle power, though activated, could only do so much to shield me from the damage. Little stars manifested around my body, a faint defense against the sheer power of the kaiju. The sparks absorbed some of the flare's energy, reducing what should have been a fatal blow to something survivable. But still, it felt like my entire body was on fire, every nerve ending screaming in agony.
The kaiju paused, seeming amused by my resistance. Its malicious grin gave me the briefest of moments to scramble back to my feet. I knew I had to move—had to escape. But the same old trick of running wasn't going to work again. The kaiju was wise to my tactics now, and it moved with a speed and precision that left me no room to maneuver.
Before I could even take a step, it struck me again, this time with the intent to finish what it started. Everything went black as the overwhelming force hit me, and I felt myself being flung backward, crashing into something hard, the world spinning around me in a blur of pain and chaos.
Meanwhile, on Mei's side, the curse was beginning to take its toll. The petal-shaped mark appeared on her cheek again, glowing with an ominous light. It was now filled 2/5, a clear indicator that time was running out. She had only about ten minutes left before the curse overwhelmed her, rendering her powers useless in the sunlight. Every second was precious, but despite her best efforts, she hadn't yet managed to advance toward the tunnel.
The plan was breaking down, unraveling faster than she could keep it together.
The three quasi-spirits, sensing her desperation, pressed their advantage. The hammer-wielding Kuki was relentless, her massive weapon swinging with earth-shattering force. Mei leaped and dodged with the grace of a seasoned warrior, but Kuki's relentless assaults kept her on the defensive, preventing her from making any real progress.
The sword-wielding Arta circled from above, her dual swords gleaming with deadly intent. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a rain of swords, the Spirit Art: Blades of Malice. A dozen dark energy swords materialized in the air, homing in on Mei with unerring accuracy. She barely had time to react, using her Cutting Edge to parry the swords. Each strike resonated with a sharp clang, the sheer force of the impacts rattling her to the core.
But it wasn't just Arta. Qupa, floating behind them, was preparing another devastating attack. Her crimson catalyst glowed as she chanted, "All is under," sending a series of consecutive red energy slashes toward Mei. The air was thick with the sound of slicing energy, each slash aiming to cut her down.
Mei's aura flared as she activated her Burst Form, her green Aistia expanding around her like a shield. She deflected the energy slashes with the increased power of her aura, but even with her defenses boosted, she could feel the strain. Her body was being pushed to its limits.
"That's the power of quasi-spirits," Mei muttered to herself, frustration and determination mingling in her voice. These beings were designed for war, their combat prowess honed over millennia. She couldn't afford to underestimate them, especially not with the curse looming over her.
Kuki's hammer came down again, the ground shaking with the impact. Mei barely dodged in time, the force of the slam sending shockwaves through the earth. The quasi-spirit followed up with Squash, a direct, powerful strike that Mei knew she couldn't block head-on. She evaded, the hammer missing her by inches, but the shockwave still knocked her off balance.
Taking advantage of her staggered state, Arta unleashed Sword Dance, a rain of swords that descended upon Mei like a deadly storm. Mei countered with Ural-Beam, firing multiple mini energy blasts in rapid succession to intercept the falling swords. The sky lit up with explosions as the energy blasts and swords collided, the air crackling with residual power.
But the assault was unrelenting. As Mei tried to regain her footing, Qupa cast her All Obeys mark on Mei, a dark red symbol etching itself onto her shoulder. The mark glowed ominously, giving Qupa and the others a clearer sight of Mei's movements, a dangerous advantage in the heat of battle.
Mei grit her teeth, pushing through the pain and the overwhelming pressure of the three-on-one fight. She had to get to the tunnel, had to find a way to turn the tide before the curse rendered her powerless. With a surge of determination, she activated her Burst Form once again, her aura flaring brighter, pushing back against the quasi-spirits.
"Ural-Beam!" Mei shouted, unleashing another volley of energy blasts, this time more concentrated, aiming to break through their defenses.
Kuki grinned, her hammer infused with intense spirit energy as she activated her Infusion. Her strength and agility skyrocketed, and she charged through the energy blasts, her hammer swinging with terrifying force. Mei dodged, but the hammer's shockwaves still hit her, pushing her closer to the edge.
Arta, seeing an opening, swooped down with her swords, performing Slash Out—a move designed to cut through any defense Mei might throw up. Mei parried desperately, her Cutting Edge barely holding against the onslaught.
Qupa, floating in the back, cast All is Safe, healing and buffing her companions, making them even more formidable. The three quasi-spirits moved in perfect sync, their attacks relentless, their coordination flawless.
The situation was dire, and Mei knew she was running out of time. The petal mark on her cheek glowed brighter, a stark reminder of the curse ticking away as she had ⅗ . But she couldn't give up. Not yet.
To be continued...