-You know… - I said and started walking towards the two hanging in the air. - You’re right. I need to pick a side.

-No shit! You…

I think Steve thought that I did already, because suddenly rocks also started forming next to me.

-You’re quick on the uptake… - I mumbled and prepared to guard myself from the attack…

…that didn’t come.

I didn’t let him.

I slapped away the stones he created. Or more like crushed them to dust.

My body was back in peak performance, Origin Crystal included: with a simple punch I was able to destroy the rocks that he wanted to pelt me with.

-Fucking finally! - I heard Mike yell. - Now get those off me so I can absorb this piece of shit!

Ah. So that’s what he was planning.

Along with his blows, just like before, he was planting his essence into him?

I mean, it worked once, why not once more?

No wonder Steve was just trying to overwhelm him with numbers: having him lose concentration would mean that he was just wasting time.

And that’s exactly what he wanted.

To waste time.

While I liked the idea of those two fighting until they were finally content, I had a feeling that there was a good chance stalling would only bring us more issues.

So, I had to act.

I leaped into the air, mirroring Mike and aimed at landing right where he was. Or at least managing to reach that spot.

I was back in a body that felt natural to me, so I thought that would not be an issue for me…

And I was right.

-What…

I reached out, and just like him I managed to grab onto the crystal, hanging with him. At the same time, I did shield him from the barrage of stones. Or rather that the stones also started targeting me.

Of course they were just shattering on impact with my body, so that was not a problem.

-I mean thanks, but that’s not…

I didn’t let him finish.

I grabbed the crystal with my other hand and pulled myself up, wanting to get higher.

Nope, no dice.

Steve was not going to interrupt the barrage, and even if I was to be able to stand on top of him, the fact that he was still pretty small and was wobbling around under our weight, would only make me fall down. Or both of us.

But, even if I was just to hang there, I still was a big problem for him.

So far, he was able to fend off attacks from Mike and hang in the air, he was starting to have some issues.

My weight had probably something to do with that.

Sure, Mike was part crystal, and even though most of his visible body was turned, I am pretty certain that inside he was still normal. He for sure was guarding his own insides, his strange aversion towards the crystal making him stop any changes.

Me on the other hand? I was the opposite.

I was completely turned. Well, I made myself like that.

So obviously, my weight was different. And I could add something on top of that.

-Visu.

If he could use earth magic to assault me, so could I.

Well, it wasn’t really even an assault. For either of us. But, I did have to use my own mana, not just… do whatever it is that he was doing.

Still clutching onto him, I started forming more and more stones on my body. Just like he was pelting me with those, I just attached those to me, making myself more and more of a burden to him.

It did work.

Especially when he didn’t stop attacking with his own rocks.

While before, when those were making contact with my body they were just getting destroyed, now I made sure to make them stick to me.

He was just making me an even heavier weight for him to support.

-What the fuck are you even doing?! - yelped Mike, completely stunned by my weird plan.

Can’t blame him.

But, he quickly regained his composure and jumped down.

His weight didn’t change much, but I didn’t like how he would be away from me, so I decided to speed up a bit.

I already had plenty of stone formed around me, so melding it wouldn’t be an issue.

I reached towards the ground with my other hand trying to reach it…

I managed to, although it did take some rock forming mana usage, to anchor myself to the ground.

And started pulling everything together.

-This is weird, but keep going! - I heard from the ground.

Mike.

He changed again.

His body was back to normal, although now he was holding a spear with a very sharp tip that was clearly made out of crystal.

THE Crystal.

Crystal that was infused with his own essence.

Great.

That would work as well.

-I’ll get him down! Just don’t miss.

-Don’t intend to.

With one big heave, I pulled myself together.

Literally.

Steve didn’t expect that.

Honestly, he was still just waiting there, not really replying to any of our attacks, weirdly.

My weight and the pull managed to bring him close to the ground, almost completely grounding him.

Just as that happened, Mike jumped up and on top of him, attempting to pierce him and pin him to the ground.

It sort of worked.

He definitely made contact, and with a sharp point of his spear he even managed to break through his shell.

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I think that surprised all of us: none thought that his crystal would be so easily pierced, especially knowing what it was made out of.

And yet, it worked.

None of us were going to stop there, though.

As soon as the spear struck, I dropped my form. Or, well, just stopped controlling the stones.

Like a dead weight, those just dropped away from me, almost crushing both of them, while I myself jumped back and prepared for what would come next.

I am pretty sure Mike was about to complain, but changed his mind and instead focused on the pierced crystal.

He was constantly pouring his mana towards it, or essence rather, trying to take it over, I think.

At that point, Steve finally retaliated.

But in a way neither of us expected.

He just… shattered.

Both of us instinctively tried covering ourselves from the shrapnel, but that was pointless. He wasn’t aiming for us.

I say “aiming”, because the pieces immediately after scattering started changing their trajectory, and instead of embedding themselves in surrounding rocks and Mike’s flesh, they started flying upwards, gathering again.

Wait… was he reconstructing himself?

It looked that way.

Of course, it was possible. I mean, I did that before, so why not? I never did manage to control my shattered pieces…

What am I saying.

I did do that.

When I severed my hand, that’s exactly what I did. He was doing the same thing, but on a bit larger scale and with smaller pieces.

And it was not just that he was putting his own pieces together. The moment any piece got in contact with another, both melted and started dripping down, onto the ground, making a puddle.

Mike noticed, of course. And wouldn’t pass up that opportunity.

It definitely seemed like it was a moment of vulnerability for him.

Mike jumped again, and this time he didn’t even aim his spear, instead just punched the ground where the puddle was, sending his mana towards him.

But… it didn’t do shit. It was just like he punched a pool of water: he scattered the goo-ish puddle of the melted crystal.

Not even that. Moments later it already was getting pulled back together, forming back onto the same puddle.

-Fucking… Persistent… Piece…

He was landing punches in between curses and complaining, but the effect was still the same. Just wasting energy.

If that was what Steve wanted, he definitely was doing a great job at baiting us.

I was about to join in and somehow try and contain both of them, but suddenly, I felt something.

A presence.

I wasn’t really paying much attention to my surroundings, but still had a pretty good feel on the mana of the area.

Sure, I was busy, but not to the point where I wouldn’t notice about fifty mana flames marching through the forest right towards us.

Ha, what I am saying. Marching? It was more like a sprint.

And they were getting closer.

On top of that, it was not like they were weak, either.

If those were just regular people, I’d probably miss them until it was too late; they would’ve just got lost in between the trees. I mean, if they were weak, that wouldn’t be any problem but…

What matters is the fact that they were about as powerful as our Steve before the transformation. Or maybe a bit less… yeah, probably. I think there was one person there that would be a bit stronger, but couldn’t be certain from this distance.

-We have company - I said out loud. - Something is approaching.

Mike looked at me with spite, but just a moment later he realized that I was not kidding. Most likely checked by himself and felt the same thing.

-What… they found us?

-Told you it’s only a matter of time.

Right. He was playing to stall us.

-We need to move - said Mike, immediately dropping his form and turning back to a regular person. - Fuck this guy.

-You sure? You took that long to kill him and now you…

-If I could kill him fast, I would’ve done it - he said angrily. - But I am not about to get caught.

-Are they really that much of a threat…? - I asked. - Who are those people, anyway? MIRE?

-Of course, who else would it be? But I am surprised that they are so quick. Especially after what I did to their headquarters.

-Maybe that is why they are fast.

-Whatever. We move?

-We?

-You are not going anywhere.

Of course, he was going to try and stop us.

-Like you can do anything to…- started Mike, but wasn’t able to finish.

The goop that was so far just lying there on the ground, the “body” of Steve, flashed and exploded once more.

This time not with shrapnel, but with just… well, goo.

I intended to dodge, same with Mike, but that did not happen.

I mean, it’s not like either of us were slow or not expecting that to happen, but he was persistent. He was able to change the trajectory of the “projectiles” to that much of a degree that we just couldn’t get away.

Hell, it felt like we were just magnetic and straight up attracting that stuff.

-Get away from me!

Right. Instead of flailing about trying to get rid of this stuff, Mike had a more destructive idea.

How did I know…?

I mean, I had the same thought.

I quickly jumped away from him and both of us casted a spell.

-Geksu!

-Geksu!

Funny. Both of us used the same thing: fire.

And, for both of us it didn’t do shit.

The goo wasn’t flammable. Hell, it looked like it was just straight up ignoring our flames.

-Elwu! Gymnu! Fuck!

The last one obviously wasn’t a spell, but just in frustration Mike even hurt himself.

I mean, what did you expect?

Trying to wash this off with water and then using lightning?

Of course that would’ve hurt.

But, it actually did something.

The goo, just like parts of his skin, was visibly zapped. I could see some burn marks, just like on his skin. That is, in places where he wasn’t crystal.

-Nice going. Elwu! Gymnu!

I repeated the exact thing he did but…

It didn’t work?

I raised my hand and checked.

The slime that was now stuck to me had wandered right towards my arm and formed a layer on top of my forearm and was just there.

I definitely did hit it with both water and lightning.

-Elwu! Gymnu!

I even repeated the process.

But still, it didn’t hurt it.

Nearby, Mike seemed to have… some dificullties.

Sure, he was able to hurt it, but he was hurting himself as well.

The parts of his body that were still flesh started sporting more and more burn marks from the lightning magic he was hitting himself with.

Wait… Just lightning magic?

-Gymnu!

Yeah, he was only zapping the slime now. I mean, himself, too, but that was only because his spell wasn’t that precise, targeting his whole leg.

His slime was apparently stuck to his right calf.

So lightning was enough…?

Then why…?

-Gymnu! Gymnu!

I zapped myself. Even twice. But still, nothing. Slime just was there.

What if…

-Hanpi.

Nothing? What if I… Fuck it.

-Jepqo!

Oh, I might have overdone it a bit.

Even though I used a more advanced version, I still have done no damage.

That is to the slime and myself.

Can’t say the same to the environment.

The last one was powerful enough that my crystal skin didn’t manage to absorb it fully, instead it straight up had splintered and hit a nearby rock.

That… melted.

Yeah, I was not going anywhere with that.

Still… strange.

I used that much magic and had not had any success. While Mike…

-Gymnu!

Right, he just finished.

Using just regular small bursts of electricity he managed to fry all the substance away.

I mean, his leg was in a bit of a bad shape, but that was because it was just normal flesh.

-We need to move! - he announced.

-I can, but… - I gestured towards the slime. - I can’t get rid of this.

-That’s… Whatever, they are getting closer.

-Right.

-Can you speed yourself up?

Ah. The enhancement. I mean, I could, but…

-Sort of, but…

-So it wasn’t my imagination.

-Imagination…?

-Less talking, more moving. Come on!

And he bursted into a sprint.