Chapter Twenty: Nova Burn: Part Three

The air crackled with tension, as though the very atmosphere around them was about to shatter. Circe's presence weighed down on the cave, creating an oppressive pressure that made it hard to breathe. The ground beneath Yozora’s feet trembled, and the space around the portal twisted and warped, distorting reality itself as her dark magic seeped into every crack and crevice. Her cold, glowing eyes locked onto Yozora, Mara, and T.LAC, and a cruel smile spread across her lips.

“Fools,” Circe whispered, her neck cracking grotesquely as she twitched, her voice full of hostility. “You little Tuners have no idea what’s coming.”

Yozora’s eyes tapered as he stared her down, his mind racing. What does she mean? His grip on Star Gazer tightened, and he spoke firmly. “What do you mean by that, witch?”

Circe tilted her head unnaturally, a twisted grin spreading across her face. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll all be dead soon!” she screeched.

Yozora’s thoughts immediately shifted to protecting Mara and T.LAC—his best friends, his only family. This wasn’t going to be an ordinary battle. He could sense Circe’s power; it was far greater than anything they had faced before. One wrong move, one mistake, and they would all be dead.

He turned to his team, his voice sharp and commanding. “We stick to the plan. No mistakes. Mara, stay cloaked. T, get into position and prepare Time Distortion Arrows. We can’t let her regain control of the battlefield.”

T.LAC gave a grim nod, his usual humor gone. He melted into the shadows, activating Kakusu to cloak himself from view. Mara suppressed her flames, becoming invisible as she silently flew above, her eyes locked on Circe, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Yozora stepped forward, his face cold and focused. He could feel Circe’s bloodlust radiating off her, like a predator toying with its prey. If we mess up, we die.

Circe raised her hands, her power swelling as boulders and debris began to levitate, dark tendrils of magic spiraling outward. The sand beneath her feet lifted into the air, twisting and morphing into shadowy, snake-like creatures that hissed and writhed with malicious intent. Her laughter echoed through the cavern, low and menacing.

“You’ll be the first to fall, baby Tuners,” Circe spat, her glowing eyes narrowing on Yozora. With a snap of her fingers, the shadow serpents lunged toward him, their bodies writhing with dark energy.

But Yozora was ready. His eyes flashed red as he disappeared from sight. “Star Gazer Fumi: Form Five—Dani Phantom."

From the darkness, his ghostly reapers emerged, their ethereal forms moving alongside Yozora, slashing and cutting through the shadow serpents with precision. One serpent managed to slip through, darting toward Yozora with deadly intent. In a flash, a phantom blocked the serpent’s strike, launching Yozora into the air, evading the attack.

Circe, seeing the opening, unleashed all her serpents at Yozora, their massive forms swarming the air. Yozora deflected one, but the others closed in. He allowed himself to free fall, his Phantoms forming pillars for him to bounce off, intercepting the serpents mid-air and slashing them into nothingness. The collision of dark energy and phantoms sent shockwaves through the cave.

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Perched high on a ridge, T.LAC watched the chaos below with sharp eyes. He smirked, shaking his head. “This guy’s showing off.” He whispered softly, "Keijo Fumi: Form One—Time Distortion."

He nocked three arrows in under a second, their tips glowing faintly as they cracked through the sound barrier. The arrows struck the ground near Circe, and the air around her warped. Her movements slowed, and her serpents writhed sluggishly, caught within the distortion field.

“Now!” Yozora commanded.

Mara, hidden in the shadows above, emerged. Her body ignited with flames as she whispered, "Keijo Fumi: Form Two—Solar Flare." Blinding beams of white phosphorus shot from her palms, aimed directly at Circe. The searing light blinded her momentarily.

“Pathetic tricks!” Circe growled, raising her hand to block the light. But the phosphorus scorched her skin, forcing her back, her snarl turning into a pained hiss.

Yozora seized the moment. He moved in, his scythe slicing through the air as he activated Star Gazer: Form Three—Reaper’s Kiss. The blade gleamed like a wave of stars in the night sky, and he aimed a deadly strike at Circe’s midsection.

But Circe was fast—too fast, even in her slowed state. She twisted her body, barely dodging the lethal edge of the scythe, and with a flick of her wrist, sent a wave of dark energy crashing toward Yozora. He deflected the blast with his scythe, but the force sent him skidding backward across the cavern floor.

Circe let out a violent scream, her voice echoing off the walls. “You thought that would be enough?! You’ve barely scratched the surface of my power!”

The ground trembled violently as Circe raised her arms, dark energy swirling around her, warping the very battlefield. The portal behind her pulsed, drawing more and more power into her body.

“Now, witness the true power of an Alpha!” Circe bellowed, her voice booming as reality itself began to warp around her.

“Zora!” Mara called out, her voice tinged with panic. “She’s pulling power directly from the portal! If we don’t stop her now, we’re done for!”

Yozora’s mind raced. Circe was siphoning energy from the portal—giving her an endless supply of power. They had to sever that connection.

“T, it’s time!” Yozora shouted, locking eyes with T.LAC.

T.LAC let out a shaky laugh, trying to mask his fear. “Right, let’s show this witch what we’ve got!” He drew his bow once more, focusing his energy as he whispered, Keijo Fumi: Arrow of Galactic Destruction. The arrow’s tip gleamed with a void-like blackness, glowing ominously as he aimed at Circe.

With a sharp release, the arrow struck directly above Circe, splitting the air with a deafening crack. A dome of gravity formed around her, trapping her within its pull, holding her in place as the pressure built.

“Now, Mara!” Yozora called out.

Mara soared high above, gathering the last of her energy as her body burned with a brilliant light. "Keijo Fumi: form eight Nova Burn," she whispered. With a snap of her fingers, a violent solar burst descended upon Circe, the massive wave of energy collapsing within the gravity field, obliterating everything inside.

Circe’s eyes widened in horror as she felt her connection to the portal sever. “No!” she screamed, her form disintegrating in the maelstrom of energy, her body reduced to ash as the final attack consumed her.

Yozora landed on the scorched ground, his breathing heavy. He glanced around at the destroyed battlefield. “It’s over,” he muttered quietly.

But something was wrong. The gravity field that T.LAC had created began to distort, warping the air further. A dark, swirling vortex started to form—a black hole, rapidly pulling in everything around it.

Circe’s voice echoed faintly, hauntingly. “The last attack... was brilliant but flawed. I’ve tweaked its function, using what you Tuners call Fumi. This cave, you, and everything in it... will collapse.”

Mara turned to T.LAC, panic in her voice. “You idiot! Why didn’t you seal the attack when you formed it?!”

T.LAC scratched his head, flustered. “Uh, well... I don’t know! Maybe because you rushed me!”

The two bickered for a moment until Yozora cut them off, his voice calm but urgent. “Guys, stop. The only way out has already collapsed, and I don’t have enough Hindo left to portal us out.”

He clenched his fist, his mind racing for a solution. “We have no choice... We have to go through the portal. It’s the only way to survive.”

Mara and T.LAC exchanged a glance, then looked back at Yozora, grinning despite the danger.

“Awesome,” T.LAC said, excitement returning to his voice. “We always wanted to try this!”

With one last breath, the three of them ran toward the portal, ready to face whatever lay on the other side.