章 84: Incomplete Crest of Love
[Date: 1/16]
[Time: 7:10 PM]
[Location: Verdant Grove]
Yoshido inched closer toward me, his guard steady and his expression apprehensive. His mind raced with thoughts, struggling to find an approach. He glanced at Sensitia behind him, needing her guidance for this new situation.
"I'll give you some hints on this power," I started, closing my eyes and exhaling. "It's nothing like Desire Manifestation. That has a weakness: you must have a desire for it to work. Passion makes it very clear, which is why it is right to use that sparingly. This, however…my imagination is my limit…but I must control what I think."
Yoshido listened intently, guarding himself even more. 'Is he bluffing?' he wondered.
"However, you saw me perform my Tribal Howl at the start of this fight. Maluhia… meaning Peace. I created peace within myself; my thoughts and my emotions are all clear. My Tengoku Form brings me into a State of Clarity. Clear Mind. My only real limit is Suru's stamina," I said, glancing at Suru.
"Eh? Why did you just tell them? We could've—" Suru began, but noticed the look in my eyes.
I smirked, shrugging. "I figured it would be fairer to know this ability has a time limit. It lasts as long as your stamina can hold out."
'So that's his weakness. Alright, but that still leaves Ambitia. She is acting just like Ardor, staying in the back and watching. We need to kill her,' Yoshido thought, focusing on Ambitia.
"If you would like to attack, I would say to do it now. This might be your best time to attack while I'm stationary," I said, watching Yoshido closely.
Yoshido grunted softly, then prepared to strike. He glanced between me and Ambitia, focusing his mind and body. He launched himself toward Ambitia but noticed the forest around him warping. He stopped and looked around, seeing Ambitia in a different position. His eyes widened.
"So close~" Ambitia giggled, leaning against a tree.
Yoshido growled and dashed toward Ambitia again, launching a blast of ice at her, but the ice immediately melted, the ball of water falling to the ground. He stopped again, his breaths shaky, his mind racing.
"What's wrong..?~ Can't attack me? Well, allow me to make it easier," Ambitia said, stepping forward.
Ambitia walked toward Yoshido and Sensitia, her eyes flashing with pure ambition. She vanished and reappeared in front of Sensitia, launching her away with a roundhouse kick. As Sensitia flew backward across the forest, she was warped back in front of Ambitia, who landed another attack that sent her crashing to the ground.
Sensitia recovered quickly and flew toward Ambitia, launching a swift kick, but her leg phased through Ambitia's body. Sensitia's eyes widened in shock as she searched for Ambitia, but it was too late. Ambitia appeared above her, launching her to the ground with an axe kick.
Yoshido watched as his Love Demon was easily handled by Ambitia, his mind unable to process what just happened. He heard my chuckle and turned his gaze toward me, noticing my condescending smirk.
"Don't you understand now? Everything that just happened, I Envisioned it. This is Grand World. It's more than just an index of abilities. I turned this…into my domain," I said, my tone tinged with pure confidence.
Yoshido stared at me for a moment, his gaze returning to Sensitia and Ambitia. 'He didn't even throw out an attack. He used his power to protect and assist Ambitia. He's making a fool out of me…and I can't exactly use my Sixth Sense on him because I don't know what he's going to imagine next…'
Yoshido turned his attention toward me, getting into his stance. 'However…he is much more of a threat than Ambitia. He's great at support, but without lifting a finger, how good can he possibly be with such a handicap?'
Yoshido dashed toward me and launched a swift kick, but noticed it missed. He grunted and threw a punch at my face, but no matter how much he tried, he simply couldn't reach me. His face contorted in frustration, his mind unable to process the events unfolding in front of him.
'I can't reach him…Why?! Why is this happening?!' Yoshido yelled mentally, throwing multiple attacks, but each one never reached me.
Yoshido jumped backward and growled softly in anger. He stood up straight and glared, his mind racing with frustration. Suddenly, he hatched an idea. "You're only using support because you're scared that you are going to lose! Yeah! That's it! You're scared, aren't you?!"
"Scared of who? Scared of you?" I asked, laughing softly and letting out a soft sigh. "No, I'm not scared…but since you want me to attack so badly, I'll focus on offense now."
'Finally…if I can't read his mind, I can definitely read—'
Suddenly, a root impaled him from behind, causing Yoshido to cough blood. He looked down and noticed the root sticking out of his stomach. The root retracted and Yoshido stumbled forward, holding his stomach.
"Should've kept your guard up," I said, using my power to heal him. "But that was just to show you that I can fatally wound you at any time. However, that would be too easy…"
Yoshido looked up at me, his eyes flaring with anger. "Don't you make a fool of me!" he roared, dashing toward me.
He summoned a sword of ice, slashing rapidly. Each slash was blocked by a root protecting me, each attack getting nullified with ease. I shifted my foot and a pillar of stone struck Yoshido's chin, knocking him into the air.
"So far…I haven't been using Envisioning actually. I've been using my normal Element Control. Just because I have Envisioning doesn't mean I'll use it every time, but I'll use it now," I said, closing my eyes.
A giant hand of steel constructed behind me, forming into a fist. The fist flew toward Yoshido, sending him crashing through multiple trees. I warped the forest around us, appearing where Yoshido landed without moving an inch.
Yoshido slowly stood up, coughing heavily and catching his breath. He looked to his side, noticing me standing in the distance. Once he caught his breath, he turned toward me, shooting a piercing glare.
"Some might think of this ability as a Deus Ex Machina, but I think limiting how much I actually use it prevents it from being categorized as such. I could easily spam this and create whatever I want, but I want to give you a fair fight. I am a Hero after all and heroes fight fair…right?" I taunted, chuckling softly.
'There's no way I'm allowing this freak to continue embarrassing me! No more! No more!' Yoshido yelled mentally, his aura flaring around his body.
I smirked as I watched him, noticing his body flickering and appearing in front of me at near-invisible speeds. He launched a kick at me, but Ambitia countered with a superkick to his face, knocking him back. Yoshido stumbled backward, holding his face, then groaned as Ambitia struck his stomach with a powerful Destiny Flash, knocking him into the air.
My eyes flashed, a giant hammer constructing above him and knocking him to the ground, nearly pulverizing him. Ambitia appeared behind me, wrapping her arms around me from behind, her ears wiggling with delight.
"You can't win, Yoshido…and we aren't even using our full power. You're simply outmatched. You're lucky that Lustie isn't here. I'm not sure if she would even allow me to take this long in a battle like this. It's actually unfortunate that Axel sent you here to kill me without doing his homework," I began, looking down at Yoshido.
"Better yet, you yourself are to blame. You found me pretty fast at the concert…but you didn't think of using your ability to study me beforehand? You have the best ability for stalking your targets with Syncognition. That ability literally allows you to know everything that's happening in the Present, yet you waste your own potential," I finished, my tone cold and steady.
Yoshido struggled to his feet, his body shaking from the intensity of the blows he had received. He spat out blood and glared at me with a mixture of anger and desperation. His aura flickered wildly, a testament to his unyielding determination to not give up.
"You think you're so powerful, don't you? With your Envisioning and your fancy tricks. But raw power isn't everything," Yoshido snarled, his voice filled with defiance. He glanced at Sensitia, who was slowly getting up, determination blazing in her eyes. "We have our own strengths, too."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And what might those be?"
Yoshido's aura suddenly surged, enveloping his body in a fierce, icy-blue glow. Sensitia mirrored his action, her own aura blazing with a fiery red intensity. Together, their energies began to synchronize, creating a powerful resonance that shook the very ground beneath us.
"We've fought countless battles together," Yoshido said, his voice now calm and resolute. "We've faced enemies far stronger than you, and we've always found a way to win. This time won't be any different."
Sensitia stepped forward, her eyes locked onto mine. "You may have your Envisioning, but we have something just as potent: synergy."
In a flash, Yoshido and Sensitia moved in perfect harmony, their attacks synchronized in a seamless dance of destruction. Yoshido's icy blades clashed with my roots and stone pillars, while Sensitia's fiery strikes disrupted my elemental defenses.
I could feel the pressure mounting as their combined assault forced me to use my Envisioning more frequently. With a wave of my hand, I summoned barriers and counterattacks, but their coordination made it increasingly difficult to predict and counter their moves.
"Impressive," I admitted, my voice steady despite the onslaught. "But you'll need more than just synergy to defeat me."
Ambitia appeared beside me, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Let's show them what true power looks like, Master."
With a nod, I focused my Envisioning, creating a vast array of constructs and illusions to confuse and overwhelm Yoshido and Sensitia. Ambitia joined the fray, her attacks blending seamlessly with mine, creating a chaotic battlefield where our enemies struggled to keep up.
Despite their best efforts, Yoshido and Sensitia began to falter under the relentless pressure. I could see the strain in their eyes, the exhaustion starting to take its toll.
Yoshido let out a bellow and awakened the Philosopher's Stone within his chest, a burst of icy energy surging around his body. Armor made of ice began to form around his body, blades of ice forming behind him into ice wings and his blue eyes shined brightly into the night. He summoned his Ice Blade and exhaled, frost escaping his mouth.
"Boreal, come to me…" He said, the Sapphire Crystal in his chest plate shining brightly and granting him immense strength.
I stared at Yoshido then smirked, chuckling softly. I watched as the trees around us began to become covered in frost due to his aura. "Ahh, I see. You still have a Philosopher's Stone Form. The Ice Angel I'm guessing."
Yoshido stared at me, pointing his sword directly at me. "You don't stand a chance anymore, even with your Envisioning! Once this stone is activated, I become one of the most powerful beings on Earth!"
"Ruby had the same idea, yet she was put down and joined my side. The difference between her and you is that I can't keep you alive…and I'm taking Sensitia away from you," I said coldly, my Power Beads forming around my neck. I let out a Tribal Howl, transforming into my Nigoku Form.
Yoshido noticed me getting into my stance, a smirk playing on his face. 'Finally, I can use my Sixth Sense again. There's no way he's going to be able to slip by my perception again!'
Yoshido and I stood off against each other, the forest around us silent as they bore witness to this final stand off between us. Neither of us made a move, studying each other's movements.
Yoshido launched himself toward me, slashing swiftly at me, but I dodged his slash, countering with a powerful Destiny Flash to his face and knocking him back. I ran forward, following my attack with a jumping kick to knock him even further back. I landed on the ground in a running start, my eyes glowing brightly with determination.
"Prepare to get a taste of my Destiny Rush!" I bellowed, iridescent lightning flashing around my body.
Suddenly, an iridescent glow enveloped me, the air crackling with energy as arcs of multicolored lightning danced around me. With a burst of speed that defied the eye, I became a living bolt of lightning, zipping through the ring in erratic, unpredictable patterns.
I struck Yoshido from every angle, each attack a blur of motion and light. Yoshido was bombarded with rapid blows, each impact accompanied by a flash of rainbow lightning that seared the air and left dazzling trails in its wake. The barrage was relentless, a storm of prismatic fury that left no room for defense.
I knocked Yoshido in the air, launching one of my Power Beads at him. Yoshido spread his wings to stop himself in the air, using his sword to deflect my power bead. He noticed I warped to my Power Bead and turned toward me.
"Esoteric Wind Technique: Vortex Bullet!" I bellowed, launching my Power Bead at Yoshido once again.
Yoshido groaned as the bead struck him on his stomach, sending him crashing to the ground at high speeds. I used my Envisioning to summon a dragon to emerge from underground, chomping Yoshido and flying in the air. The dragon disappeared and left Yoshido flying in the air, wincing in pain.
I grabbed Yoshido's ankle and flew to the ground at high speeds, bellowing as I slammed him onto the ground, leaving a crater in the ground and a large smoke cloud formed around us. I jumped out of the smoke, noticing ice covering the ground beneath us.
Yoshido bellowed, his aura clearing the smoke then he stabbed his sword into the ground. "Absolute Zero!"
Suddenly the area around us froze over, even time itself froze. Yoshido panted softly as he now had time to breathe. He looked at me, frozen in time and chuckled softly, soon turning into a loud laugh.
"I've won! I really did it! I won!" Yoshido laughed loudly, rejoicing over the moment.
He walked toward my frozen body, preparing the killing blow. He laughed as he slashed, but noticed he hit an afterimage, his eyes widening in shock. Suddenly, he felt something impale him, causing him to cough blood once more.
He looked down and noticed a hand going through his chest with his Philosopher's Stone in hand. The ice around the area shattered and he looked back, noticing me behind him.
"How…i…froze…time…" He said softly, slowly becoming limp, his eyes slowly becoming lifeless.
"That wasn't Envisioning…I simply used my own Ambition to transcend your time stop," I said, taking my hand out of his chest and letting him fall to the ground.
Sensitia noticed Yoshido fall to the ground, realizing that he lost even with Sixth Sense. She looked at Ambitia who was just standing by a tree. "How..? How did your Master win?!"
"He won because he was simply better. His Ambition was much stronger than Yoshido's. He has much more to fight for. He has more to lose…so with sheer will alone, he used his power to just become better. He could've easily just imagined Yoshido out of existence, but what's the point if you know you're going to win? He'd rather show why he's better than immediately taking the victory," Ambitia said, getting off the tree and walking toward Sensitia.
Sensitia watched Ambitia closely, getting into her stance. She grunted softly as Ambitia grew closer and rose her guard even more. Sensitia threw a fast punch, but Ambitia blocked it perfectly then grabbed her arm.
Ambitia struck a pressure point on Sensitia's arm, weakening her then kicked her leg, forcing her down onto one knee. She placed her fingers on her forehead, Sensitia's eyes widening with shock.
"It's over, Sister. You can stop fighting. You don't have to fight us anymore. You're free," Ambitia said softly, lowering her arm.
Sensitia closed her eyes, letting out a soft sigh. She stood up slowly and held her arms. "To have lost…to someone like you. It really pisses me off, but at the same time, I'm glad."
I watched the two and reverted to my normal form, then grunted softly, falling down to one knee. Ambitia looked over at me then hurried toward me.
I held my hand out and smiled, slowly getting back on my feet. "I'm fine…just low on stamina."
Ambitia smiled at me, gently holding me up. She looked at Sensitia, holding her hand out. "Cynthia…join us. It's only right if you do so…"
Sensitia looked at us, letting out a soft sigh, then smiled and walked toward us. "Fine… I'll join you. He does have the other Love Crests after all."
[*BEEP BEEP BEEP*]
I looked at my watch, then looked at my arm, noticing my Love Crests glowing brightly. Ambitia and Sensitia looked at my arm as well, noticing each Crest I had so far become one.
[Achievement Unlocked: Obtained the Incomplete Crest of Love.]
[Reward: All Trait Level UP!]
[All Trait Level: 80]
Lust-E smiled at me, floating around me happily. "Only one more Crest and you'll officially become a recognized Savior! Flirtoria is the last Love Demon we need to obtain!"
"Flirtoria… She's still with Amor in Sanctuary City. However, she made it clear that she doesn't want anything to do with fighting. She hasn't helped Amor once, so I don't know how you'll obtain her if she's never on the battlefield," Sensitia said, holding her arms.
I looked at Sensitia and smiled at her. "I know one way. Sixth Sense. Now that I have your Crest, I can use Syncognition to see and know what she's doing in present time. However…it will have to wait for when I get back to Sanctuary City. I have two or three more days here and I want to spend time with everyone before I leave again."
Sensitia glanced at me, then closed her eyes with a smile. "Hm…I understand. I think it's only right for you to do so as well. Meanwhile, I should probably go see Lust-E and my other sisters."
Ambitia smiled at the two of us, then nodded her head. "Alright, since we're all allies now, let's go back to the city. Aubrie and the others are still waiting for Shiro."
The three of us began to make our way out of the forest to go see the girls again. After we left the vicinity, Sebastian emerged from the darkness of the forest, his eyes looking at the scene displayed before him.
Sebastian walked toward Yoshido's body, crouching down and closing his eyes. He stood up and took out his phone, walking off. He called Axel as he began to make his way through the forest. "Axel. He's dead as well. Shiro killed him and took Sensitia with him."
"That's alright. We still have Amor and Feleti on our side. Just come back to Sanctuary City. We should regroup as soon as possible," Axel said on the phone.
"Understood," Sebastian said, ending the call, then ran off. He gritted his teeth as he made his way back to Sanctuary City. "We need to kill him…or else we can never take over the islands. He has to have a weakness…there needs to be one…"
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