Friaday, August 2, 3074 AE

Crash

Blaze and Scarlett are sent flying, tumbling across the ground.

“Ugh, this guy is tough.”

“He’s not so tough.”

“Can you get over that and accept that he's stronger?”

“Hn. Maybe he is stronger.”

The man in front of them was named Null, a very powerful Kōsō who had come to Elaria for some relaxation when something caught his eye.

His target seemed to be Blaze, or what was inside him.

“I thought he wouldn’t be strong since his power relies on negating others' abilities.”

“But even with that power, he is still physically strong and fast in his own right, a dangerous combo.”

“Yeah, a dangerous combo and we are caught in his path. What a day this is.”

Blaze rushes towards the man at full speed, swinging down his scythe.

The man grabs the scythe before lifting him high into the air, spinning around, and launching Blaze back over towards Scarlett.

“What did you think would happen just charging in like that?”

“Uh, he would be caught off guard and I could strike him.”

“Idiot.”

She smacks Blaze in the back of the head.

“We need a plan, otherwise we’re both going to die.”

“Well, we can’t use our powers. I still have my scythe, and you use hand-to-hand combat to fight. All in all, the closer we have to get to him, the less likely our chances of winning.”

“That’s it, we just need a distraction.”

“What kind of distraction?”

As both start coming up with a plan, Null just stands in place, waiting for their next move.

‘I sense a powerful presence approaching, and it is coming fast.’

Null looks to the right, in the direction in which he senses the energy presence with concentration.

Seeing a moment of distraction, both Blaze and Scarlett close in, ready for a strike. Just as they are about to land their attacks, both are blown away faster than they can blink.

“W-what just happened? I did not see him move. How did he send us flying?”

“Hn, maybe he’s just been holding back the whole time.”

“If that’s true, then we’re cooked.”

Off in the distance, two figures rapidly closed in.

“Big Brother!”

Slam

One of them yelled, flying toward them but immediately crashed into the ground after getting so close.

“Huh, what happened?”

“There is a barrier around here that prevents us from using our powers. By the way, why are you here, sis?”

“I’m here because I sensed both of you were in trouble, and I brought help.”

Lyria points to Aeloria, who landed perfectly fine on her feet.

“It seems my adorable students have found themselves in quite a pickle.”

Blaze and Scarlett’s eyes twitch at being called adorable but let it slide.

“Yes, this guy—he’s not easy to beat. He can negate your powers, and he created an area like a barrier where everything inside it loses its powers.”

“That does sound quite troublesome. It must have been difficult for both of you since you two rely on your powers to increase your speed and power. It is not good to become too dependent on your powers.”

Both of them look to the side, not able to deny that they rely on their powers more than their physical capabilities.

“Well then, why don’t I take care of him for you? I can’t have my students dying on me now, can I?”

With a smile, Aeloria turns around and begins walking towards Null.

“I am sure you will find that I am quite different from my students. Your powers will not have any effect on me.”

Null, as normal since he first appeared, did not utter a single word.

“Not a talkative one, are you? Let's see how long that lasts.”

Aeloria faces off against Null, standing face to face at the exact same height, her long silver hair flowing behind her, reaching her lower back.

She is wearing a fitted, sleeveless black crop top showing off her modest chest. The top is adorned with intricate silver embroidery that forms celestial symbols. Along with this, she wears high-waisted, dark indigo trousers that hug her form and flares out slightly at the ankles, with subtle silver threads woven throughout.

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She wears black ankle boots with silver accents and a slight heel, enhancing her height and giving her a regal stance. To finish her look, she wears a silver choker with a pendant shaped like a crescent moon and matching silver bracelets on both wrists.

She launches a swift strike aiming for his chest but is stopped by his arm as he blocks the strike, but is quickly caught off guard as her other fist comes up, hitting him in the chin and lifting him high into the air.

“She, she actually landed an attack.”

“Did you expect anything else, Blaze? This is Sensei; there is no one who can match her.”

“Well, let's not speak too soon. The fight just started. But brother is right, to land an attack on someone like this that easily is impressive.”

Aeloria jumps into the air, intending on sending him crashing back down with a heel kick, but her leg is grabbed by Null, who spins mid-air and launches her away.

She catches herself mid-air, flipping before landing gracefully on the ground.

"I will commend you, you have some skill, but I am disappointed with what I have seen. It seems you have only gotten by on negating others' powers, giving you the upper hand. If not for that ability, you would have lost to one of my students alone."

For the first time, Null showed some semblance of emotion as her statement drew an irritated look and a twitching of the eye.

"Oh, did that hurt your ego? I think you will find that much more than that will be bruised when this fight is over."

Both resumed their dance, clashing blow after blow, but Aeloria managed to keep the upper hand.

"Is this really the best you can do? I expected much more from you. From what I sensed, your power is far higher than what you are showing. Either you are holding back or have not tapped into your true potential yet."

She went in to deliver the final blow but was surprised when her attack had no effect.

"If you really think that, then you are naive."

For the first time, Null spoke with a grin.

"You must think my power is just to nullify powers, but that is not all. My powers extend far beyond that."

He delivered a swift punch to her face, sending her flying, but she caught herself mid-air and landed on the ground, rubbing her jaw.

"Call me surprised. I severely underestimated you."

She said dryly, annoyed that her plan to swiftly end this fight did not go as planned.

She tried to move but her movements were slow as if she were moving through mud.

‘What's going on?’

"I bet you are wondering why you cannot move. It's because I can not only nullify powers but also physical strength and speed, making you an ordinary human. Kukuku."

"Bastard."

She said, not with a look of worry but with a smile on her face.

"Why are you smiling? You are at my mercy."

"Hahaha, at your mercy? Don’t make me laugh. Let me show you what true power is."

"Is Sensei going to do it?"

"Hn, yeah, she is going to take it off."

"This will be fun to see."

Aeloria took off her blindfold, and the moment it came off, the whole area around them began to break apart from the sheer power that she emitted. The ground was pulled apart, trees uprooted, and the wind picked up.

She opened her eyes, which were a mesmerizing blend of shifting colors, reminiscent of a cosmic nebula.

Blaze, Scarlett, and Lyria were pushed against the ground as if a heavy object was atop them. As for Null, he struggled to stand, being pushed onto one knee.

"H-how? Your power should be nullified."

"Nullified? How can you nullify something that is far beyond your comprehension?"

Null managed to stand up and ran over to strike her but was frozen in place, not able to move.

"I... I can't move. What did you do to me?"

He angrily said, struggling to move even a finger.

"I froze you in time. You won’t be able to move, and I’m sure you are not able to grasp time or even nullify it, so you are at my mercy."

While he was frozen in time, Aeloria just walked around him in circles, taunting him and calling him names.

"You picked a fight with my students and even tried to kill them. For that, I cannot forgive you. You can mess with me, and I'll shrug it off, but go after something I cherish the most, and you will pay."

"Eclipsing Ray." She closed her eyes, gathering power within them before reopening them and launching a ray of energy that crashed into Null, destroying half of his body.

"We are not done yet. Let's see how much more you can take."

She charged another attack, but right before she could launch it, Null disappeared out of nowhere.

"Huh, where did he go? I don’t sense him anymore."

She tilted her head in confusion, almost frying it before turning towards her students.

"Well, it seems the enemy is gone, so you three can rest easy now."

‘Rest easy? We almost died by your sheer power rather than the enemy.’

The three of them thought in their heads.

A loud rumbling could be heard, coming from Aeloria’s stomach.

"Oh, seems like I’m hungry. Tehe, let's go get something to eat, on me."

She put her blindfold back on before walking away.

"Is that all she has to say? Is she not worried that the guy got away?"

"Of course, Sensei is not worried. She is the strongest, after all, right, brother?"

"Hn."

All three followed Aeloria, unaware of being watched, except Aeloria, who was fully aware since the beginning.

‘I wonder when they will show themselves or if they will continue hiding in the shadows like weaklings.’

In the Divine Realm, Nyra watched the whole spectacle from start to finish.

"The woman, she is quite powerful, if not arrogant, and those eyes—they are the 'Eyes of Eternity,' a very dangerous pair of eyes."

"Yes, those eyes in the wrong hands could bring destruction to the whole world if left unchecked."

Seraphina said from her spot right next to her goddess before asking a very important question.

"What will you do about her then? She has just shown how powerful she is. She could possibly be a threat."

Nyra waved her off, not worried much. She was confident in the power that she wielded to be enough to stop anyone who tried to attack her.

"I won’t do anything. This is good for me. With her there, she will push my little pawn into becoming much stronger and bring out my desired goals much faster."

"Still playing and toying with the lives of mortals, are you, goddess? What have I told you about that? Get into the corner; you’re in timeout."

Seraphina pointed to the nearby corner for Nyra to go to. At first, she refused but reluctantly did so after a punch on top of the head, leaving a comically huge bump.

"B-but this is not fair. I'm only having fun; I'm not doing anything wrong."

"The fact you don’t see the wrong in what you are doing is all I need to know. You will stay in that corner for a week, no questions."

Nyra curled into a ball, crying in the corner, saying, "This is so unfair," and "I am a goddess; why am I in timeout?"

“I can't believe she is not taking this seriously”

Seraphina looked into the orb that Nyra used to peer into the portal realm one last time before taking it away