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"Magisa..."
He got emotional, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"What's wrong? Why is Astral Aegis active?"
She asked, noticing the flaming crown.
"I'm not a king without a crown, you know."
He teased. Still in his arms, Magisa took a moment to digest before spitting out.
"I had a nightmare. I was fighting with you and Ela.."
"It's all right. It was just a dream."
He reassured, refusing to tell her the reality.
"Lady Elara... she's in trouble!"
Suddenly, Elaine barged in, unable to read the room due to the urgency of the situation. Hearing this, Magisa scanned her surroundings, picking up Elara's signature and teleported, leaving Cepheus embracing the void.
"Lady Magisa."
Noticing the person before her, Elaine nodded.
"Y...you're an Angel. Good, let's go help Lady Elara."
She took off immediately, and Elaine followed her. She didn't need to know what was happening. But the Goddess of Life being in danger isn't something she has to fully recover from in order to act.
"Man, I thought it would be over, but we have to chase Phoenix away. Lady Elara sure has fallen."
Cepheus sighed, following the two.
"Any last words, Goddess of Life?"
He asked, pointing a hand mirror towards her.
"You think all those mirrors and shards were created for show?"
He asked, laughing.
"I've seen and collected all the data of all the alternate realities you've faced and destroyed. The fractured version, including the alter ego, and you think I won't be able to come up with a way to get rid of you? Pathetic.
Real power isn't wielding reality-destroying Arts. But employing the mind to its maximum potential. I'm sure you all thought I was the weakest because I couldn't wield things such as void or death."
He chuckled. Reality is hitting Elara hard.
"But that was exactly what I wanted. I will not let you realize your error until the very end. Sayonara, Goddess of Life. Prison of Thousands Echos."
The construction of the cathedral domain started, and then...
"Black Scripture."
"Solar Mandate."
At the perfect moment, Magisa intervened, causing the conceptual collapse of every mirror and deactivating the seal. Cepheus followed suit, shaping the law Solar Mandate into a sword that severed Phoenix's arm.
The Twins stood protectively in the fort of Elara while Elaine flew to her aid.
"Do you believe that removing the Concept of mirrors will be enough to stop me?"
"Do you believe winning is inevitable?"
Cepheus fought back.
"You guys..."
Elara was shocked & surprised. She watched the twins with pride and joy. The youngsters she raised and taught how to fight are now the ones protecting her. She couldn't be any prouder.
"Thank you, Elaine."
She got up, healed, and walked to stand between the twins.
"I'm so proud of you both. Welcome home, Magisa."
"I'm sorry for all I've done, my Lady. Permit me to assist in getting rid of this unpleasant stink."
Magisa made the request, and Elara nodded in response.
"You did an excellent job of bringing your twin back, Cepheus."
"It was a hassle, but it worked."
'Why haven't I been praised?'
Elaine protested, and as if it were her time, Elara spoke out.
"You have developed into a stunning young Goddess, Elaine. Although your rise to the Supergod tier was rather unexpected, I would prefer that you succeed me as the Goddess of Life if I were to retire."
"M...me? I don't think I can."
"You've done the impossible already. This will be a walk in the park."
"Come join us."
She hesitated, understandably, when Cepheus extended the invitation, but no one stopped him. Anyone could understand the challenge she would face against the Dark Nebula.
Conjuring confidence, she followed the baby's steps to stand by him. (Her heart must be racing, lol)
"Are you ready to get your ass kicked?"
Cepheus inquired, the Astral Aegis radiating with growing intensity.
"When this is all over, how about we take a nice break and enjoy ourselves together?"
"For sure, Lady Magisa."
"Quantity over quality, light over darkness, existence over nonexistence, creation over destruction, life over death, power over mind. These are all fallacious notions that you continue to delude yourself with. Unfortunately, all of these statements are meaningless in front of us, the peak of dark creatures, Dark Nebulas."
Phoenix whispered, hovering above them, his aura surging. Under his presence, the Infinite Hall began to crumble and shatter.
Blood spurted out of his wounded arm in an unusual way, and pieces of the Hall mixed with the blood to form a blade that he gripped firmly in his left hand. His right hand can not regenerate because of conceptual annihilation.
The intense four-on-one match started.
Without a doubt, Phoenix was being pushed back since he did not have a mirror. With conditional immortality still in effect, Magisa went wild and activated Null Womb, as well as forging a Crimson Pact with Phoenix.
With Astral Aegis activated and Solar Mandate in hand, Cepheus did not need the Celestial Art or Scantum Resurgence since they were worthless, and his squad was on the attack, and they needed to stay that way.
Elaine was behind because she was unable to fully control her recently awakened body, so she was not very helpful. Elara, on the other hand, wasn't the offensive type either. She's best suited for support, but she stepped forward, not wanting the twin to take all the credit.
In reality, Phoenix was not losing. His only means of support was his sword, and he is unable to use mirrors. This team could handle an Omni, yet he maintained his ground for this long
'Cepheus, his chance of reincarnation has been sealed. Take advantage of any opportunity to deliver a lethal blow.'
'Leave it to me.'
'Channel all you've got into that one attack.'
'You can count on me.'
In the midst of a violent struggle, Cepheus took advantage of a small gap and plunged Solar Mandate into Phoenix's heart. He directed all of his might onto his leg, and as his foot made contact with Phoenix's temple, the impact cracked his bone.
Almost instantly, Magisa merged all of her tentacles before knocking him aside. He flipped uncontrolled before stopping in the air, having already transformed his velocity into a static force. He was encircled by the four.
"If this were during the Rebellion, I'd offer mercy and allow you to surrender..."
"But this is war."
Phoenix finished her sentence, his smile unwavering despite being on the losing side.
"Exactly. Any last words?"
Cepheus inquired, prepared to kill this jerk, but Phoenix's face remained fixed.
"Do you know what the greatest feeling in the world is?"
He questioned them.
"Heh?"
"Just answer it before killing me."
"Winning."
"I'll accept your point of view. Who's next?"
"Defeating you."
Magisa answered.
"Keep attaining new heights."
Elaine.
"That's inapplicable for me."
Elara provided an unusual response, but no one protested.
"You guys have a great perspective, but pay close attention. When everything goes as planned, it is the greatest feeling in the world."
In his own words, he pointed his finger. Long after it fell, the Infinite Hall has been replaced with an unending sky-sized mirror that reflects in every direction.
Magisa observed that, and her face went pale.
"T..that..."
"Shh."
He urged her to keep quiet.
"The play is almost over. Magisa, can you please present your Final Art to us?"
Phoenix spoke with unsettling calm. Magisa flinched, the words striking deeper than she expected, her composure breaking for a brief moment.
"Everyone… run!"
She spun around and shouted, her voice sharp with urgency.
Power surged out of her without restraint, her aura bursting into life and tearing through the space around her, wild and unstable, as though it might consume everything in reach.
To be continued...