With a smile, Akira said, "Now I know why I couldn't sense you. Your mana was well hidden, but my senses are heightened, and I can feel your attacks."
The woman's voice sneered, "No matter. You only defended that attack out of luck."
But Akira was no longer the same. Empowered by the snake's mana, he dodged and countered the woman's attacks with ease. Each strike was met with a swift and precise parry, his sword slicing through the void.
The woman unleashed more powerful attacks, but Akira danced around them, his movements fluid and deadly. He was no longer on the defensive, but had turned the tables, countering each strike with one of his own.
The woman's voice grew more enraged, but Akira just smiled, his confidence growing with each successful dodge and counter...
The woman finally revealed herself, her eyes blazing with fury. "You're getting too cocky, Akira. I would love to devour you," she hissed, her voice dripping with malice.
With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a torrent of attacks, each one more ferocious than the last. Akira found himself on the defensive once more, his sword flashing in the dim light as he desperately tried to keep up with the onslaught.
But despite the woman's increased ferocity, not a single attack landed on Akira. He dodged and weaved, his movements lightning-fast, his sword slicing through the void to deflect each strike.
The woman's face twisted in rage, her eyes burning with an otherworldly energy. She summoned even more power, her attacks becoming a blur of speed and fury.
Yet Akira stood firm, his defenses unbreachable. He was no longer just defending himself - he was waiting for an opening to strike back...
As the woman's mana waned, Akira sensed his chance. He let one of her attacks hit, gritting his teeth against the pain. But to his surprise, he didn't sustain any injuries.
"This is the opportunity," Akira whispered to himself.
With a confident smile, he began to taunt the woman. "I've been watching your attacks, and I finally understand your pattern. I've created a replica."
The woman snarled, "You're bluffing!" and increased her assault.
Akira pounced, taking every slash head-on. He touched her shoulder, and then gained distance. "The only issue with the replica is that I have to touch the person for it to work."
With a swift gesture, Akira said, "Laceration!"
The woman was surprised when nothing seemed to happen. But then, she felt a cut slice through her body. Her eyes widened as she stumbled, her vision fading to black. Her body severed in two, she collapsed, dead.
As she lay there, she looked up at Akira and whispered, "What... am I looking at?" before her eyes went dark.
The darkness dissipated, revealing the sorcerers who had been taken away, alive but injured. They stared at Akira in awe, unsure what to make of the young warrior who had just defeated their captor...
Akira approached the sorcerers, concern etched on his face. "Are you all okay?"
They nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. "Y-yes, thank you," one of them stammered. "But... some of us didn't make it."
Akira's expression turned somber. He knew that the woman's attacks had been brutal, and it was a miracle anyone had survived.
He nodded, his voice filled with regret. "I'm sorry. I did everything I could."
The sorcerers nodded, understanding in their eyes. They knew Akira had saved as many as he could.
As the drivers arrived to tend to the injured and clean up the mess, Akira took a moment to pay his respects to the fallen sorcerers. He vowed to make sure their sacrifices wouldn't be in vain.
With a heavy heart, Akira led the surviving sorcerers out of the ruined building, ready to face the aftermath of the battle and the challenges that lay ahead..