The Headmaster shifted from disbelief to a begrudging acknowledgment of the situation. She realized that Kintovar's fusion of technology and magic was not to be underestimated due to her knowledge of Solene’s defeat.
With a nod, the Headmaster conceded, "Very well, Kintovar. Let the battle between magic and technology commence."
The mages prepared to unleash another round of magic attacks at Kintovar. They seemed unfazed by her advanced equipment .One of the mages boldly stated, "We don't care about your equipment. If we land a hit on your face, you'll take damage!"
Their elemental powers crackled once more as they conjured torrents of fire, ice, lightning, and earth, sending them toward Kintovar.
Becky, wielding her custom Hammer infused with earth magic finally made her move. She brought it down forcefully onto the ground creating a powerful earthquake that rippled through the battlefield. The ground shook violently, causing disarray among the mages who struggled to maintain their footing.
Sybil went swift and precise with her sword. She dashed forward with incredible speed. Her sword while killing off several of the mages who were caught off guard by the sudden earthquake and her lightning-quick attacks.
Becky looked over at Kintovar and confidently declared, "We'll handle the small fry for you, doc. Focus on the Headmaster!"
Their coordinated efforts disrupted the mages' assault and gave Kintovar the opportunity to confront the Aimathema directly.
Aimathema used her psychic magic to lift Kintovar into the air and dropped Alan.
"Why resort to such primitive means as weapons when those two have very little magic power to speak of?" the Headmaster inquired with a hint of curiosity. "Yet they are offing mages effectively with your creations' weapons…. How? Explain yourself, Kintovar."
Kintovar was suspended in the sky by the Headmaster's psychic power, but she remained composed.
"Magic is not the only path to power, Aimathema. Becky and Sybil have proven that technology can be combined with their own skills. With that, they created a formidable force. Do you see the potential of unity between the different disciplines?"
Clearly frustrated by Kintovar's words, The Head of the Academy dismissed her with a wave of her hand. A powerful psychic blow struck Kintovar, causing her to flinch in pain; however, Kintovar swiftly retaliated by aiming her Bg-356 and firing at the Headmaster.Her invisible shield materialized once more, but this time, it showed visible cracks under Kintovar's attack.
Aimathema’s eyes widened in surprise. She came to realize that Kintovar's technology posed a genuine threat.
The Headmaster, recognizing the urgency of the situation, unleashed her next attack.
“Psychic Nova!”
She sent a powerful shockwave of psychic energy radiating outward. The Nova hit Kintovar, Becky, Sybil and the remaining mages with tremendous impact. Their bodies were rocked. They struggled to maintain their balance.
Kintovar gritted her teeth as the psychic energy disoriented her. It made it challenging to concentrate. Becky and Sybil also felt the effects, their movements momentarily hampered.
Seizing the opportunity, Aimathema prepared to follow up on her advantage. She began to channel her psychic powers to their fullest extent. Her aura of mental domination expanded and enveloped the battlefield in an oppressive, suffocating energy.
“Psychic Dominion"
A field of mental domination extended from her enveloping the area and affecting everyone within its reach.
Everyone found themselves under the oppressive weight of the Headmaster's psychic influence. Their thoughts became muddled, and it became increasingly difficult to focus or resist her commands.
With a wicked grin, she directed her attention toward Kintovar.
Kintovar had her own thoughts becoming clouded and her willpower tested. She felt the oppressiveness of the Headmaster's psychic control. She struggled to maintain her clarity and resist the Headmaster's influence.
"Psychic Dominion," Aimathea declared with smugness, "is a power that bends minds to my will. You may be resourceful, Kintovar, but in this state, even you will find it challenging to utilize that brilliant brain of yours."
Kintovar, despite the mental strain, mustered her willpower.
Kintovar knew she had to act quickly to break free from the mental shackles. She focused her thoughts on her strategy – the skyborne bombs she carried.
Despite the mental haze induced by the Aimathema’s psychic influence, Kintovar managed to activate the bombs. They hovered around her. The spherical devices shimmered with the aura of Artificial magic.
“Deploy!”
The bombs shot upward into the sky forming a menacing field of potential destruction above the battlefield. It was poised to rain devastation upon the Headmaster and her forces.
The sky borne bombs hovered menacingly above. Kintovar clashed with the Headmaster's psychic power. The Headmaster was still confident in her control over the situation. "You set up your own demise, Kintovar. You've forgotten who holds the reins here."
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
With a surge of her psychic abilities, the Headmaster lifted Kintovar into the air once more. Kintovar was now suspended in mid-air. She struggled against the oppressive force. Her gaze darted between the bombs and the Headmaster. It didn’t take her long to realize the impending danger.
The Headmaster directed her psychic powers towards one of Kintovar's hovering bombs, sending it hurtling towards Kintovar. The bomb, infused with artificial magic, crackled with energy as it approached.
Kintovar's eyes widened as she saw the bomb rapidly closing in on her. She knew that she had only moments to react before the explosion would consume her.
In a desperate bid to save herself from the impending explosion, Kintovar took out her grappling hook attachment. With quick and precise movements, she aimed the magnetic hook towards one of the hovering skyborne bombs, the very same bomb that the Headmaster had sent her towards.
The magnetic attachment latched onto the bomb, allowing Kintovar to gain control of its movement in the air. She knew that timing was critical, and with exceptional accuracy, she calculated the perfect moment to release the bomb.
With precision, Kintovar sent the bomb towards her intended target—the Headmaster. The bomb flew through the air, crackling with destructive energy as it closed in on its new target.
The Headmaster was distracted by her psychic powers. She didn't anticipate the sudden reversal of the bomb's trajectory. She turned just in time to see the skyborne bomb descending upon her and then the realization dawned in her eyes.
The bomb flew at the Headmaster with a powerful explosion which engulfed her. The power of the attack sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. Debris was scattered and some mages could feel the aftereffects of it and stumbled nearly falling to the ground.
Kintovar descended to the ground unharmed.
The Headmaster, her fury unabated by the damage she had sustained, called upon her formidable powers once more. With a glare, she shouted,
"Temporal Acceleration!"
As if time itself had quickened around her, the Headmaster's actions became a blur. She stood with an unusual haste. Her posture and demeanor altered by the temporal manipulation. It was as if she had become a force of nature. Her every movement marked by swiftness and precision.
In the flurry of accelerated movements, the Headmaster closed the distance with astounding speed. Kintovar, forced to relinquish her Bg-356, found herself on the defensive against the relentless strikes of the Headmaster's staff.
The Headmaster's attacks were precise and unrelenting, each strike aiming to break through Kintovar's defenses. Kintovar, despite her agility and resourcefulness, struggled to keep up with the Headmaster's frenzied assault.
Kintovar attempted a kick, but the Headmaster proved quicker and more precise.
“Bad Move.”
With a swift and calculated move, the Headmaster directed her staff toward Kintovar's eye, her psychic energy building at the tip. A massive beam of psychic energy surged forth, a concentrated torrent of power that struck Kintovar with unyielding force. The impact was overwhelming, and Kintovar was sent flying backwards, her body engulfed in the dazzling display of energy.
The power behind the attack was immense. Kintovar’s body tumbled upwards before crashing to the ground. Smoke and debris billowed around her, and for a moment, it seemed as though she had been defeated.
But Kintovar was not one to yield so easily. She slowly, but resolutely, began to rise once more. Though battered and scorched.
Kintovar adjusted her sunglasses and felt the strain of the Headmaster's accelerated movements, her mind raced to find a solution within the chaos of the battle.
‘This is proving to be quite the challenge. The Headmaster's psychic abilities are formidable, and this temporal acceleration only adds to her advantage. I need to find a way to level the playing field…’
Kintovar observed the Headmaster's hasty movements, trying to discern any patterns or weaknesses in her attacks.
‘Her speed is impressive, but it also makes her actions somewhat predictable. I can use that to my advantage.’
Kintovar's gaze shifted to the Bg-356 lying nearby, momentarily forgotten in the heat of battle.
‘That weapon could turn the tide, but I'll need to retrieve it without getting caught in the Headmaster's psychic grasp.’
She considered her other tools and abilities, searching for any advantage she could exploit.
‘The grappling hook attachment might give me some reach without getting too close. If I can distract her for a moment, it might be my chance.’
The headmaster raises up her staff, then forms a large yellowish energy from it. It splits into several blasts which went towards Kintovar. Kintovar quickly evaded the rapid blasts of yellow energy sent her way, her agility and quick reflexes keeping her out of harm's reach, she seized the opportunity to strike back. With a swift motion, she aimed her grappling hook at the hovering bomb nearby, hoping to redirect it towards the Headmaster.
However, the Headmaster's accelerated movements made it challenging for Kintovar to predict her actions accurately. The bomb sailed wide of its mark, exploding harmlessly in the distance.
Before Kintovar could regain her bearings, the Headmaster closed the distance with alarming speed. Her staff connected with Kintovar's chest, sending her staggering backward.
Despite the force of the blow, Kintovar refused to stay down. She pushed herself upright with effort.
The Headmaster roared outwards with a shout that echoed through the battlefield. She invoked the formidable power of her psychic abilities.
"Psionic Break!"
Her staff crackled with intense psychic energy, and a concentrated beam of pure psychic force formed at its tip. This beam took on an ominous black hue as it homed in on Kintovar, tracking her movements with unerring accuracy.
The Headmaster's Psionic Break surged toward Kintovar, its dark energy crackling with malevolent power. Kintovar, recognizing the gravity of the situation and the need to respond with equal force, made a split-second decision.
With a swift, fluid motion, she activated her Giant Black Cannon. The enormous weapon materialized before her, dwarfing even the formidable BG-356. It hummed with ominous energy, radiating a palpable aura of power.
Kintovar aimed the colossal cannon at the approaching Psionic Break. The sheer size and destructive potential was her counter attack. With a thunderous roar from Kintovar, the Giant Black Cannon unleashed a devastating blast of energy. It went head-on with the Headmaster's attack.
The clash of titanic forces created a shockwave that tore through the battlefield shaking the very ground beneath them. The two immense energies met in a cataclysmic explosion that engulfted the entire area.
Once the dust and debris settled, the outcome of the clash became evident. Both Kintovar's Giant Black Cannon and the Headmaster's Psionic Break had been canceled out.
Kintovar swiftly switched from her Giant Black Cannon to two small guns, she wasted no time in opening fire at the Headmaster. However, the Headmaster displayed an almost uncanny agility, effortlessly dodging the barrage of bullets. Her temporal acceleration gave her an edge in evason.
With a sly grin, the Headmaster taunted Kintovar, "You'll find it quite challenging to hit me, Kintovar. Your technology alone won't be enough."
The Headmaster's yellow energy surged around Kintovar's remaining skyborne bombs, and her control over them became apparent. The hovering bombs began to shift in the air, aligning themselves with the Headmaster's will.
"Kintovar,” Aimathema began with a mocking tone, "you're going to have quite a bit of trouble getting out of this situation."