Kinsey smirks, sensing Sapphira's challenge, "I don't mind taking you on, mermaid. I'd say it's time someone taught you a lesson about messing with me.”

"You're playing with fire, mortal," Sapphira warns, a steely glare fixed on Kinsey. "You're way out of your league here.”

“Out of my league, my ass! Check this out!”

Kinsey jumped, her Dark Aura surrounding her body as zeroed in on Sapphira. Before Kinsey's foot could make contact, the mermaid evaded with a buttery smoothness and retaliated with a brutal tail strike that hit the side of Kinsey's face, the sound echoing through the chamber as Kinsey's body destroyed several pillars and before slamming into a wall, leaving a large crater.

Her Aura Shield shattered after the blow, the impact left Kinsey stunned and battered, pain shooting through her head and body as she struggled to stand up. Her eyes flicker with a mix of shock and anger as she glares at Sapphira. The rest of the girls watch silently, their expressions ranging from concern for Kinsey to shock at the ferocity of the mermaid's attack.

Sapphira stares down at Kinsey, her expression stern. "I warned you," she says, her voice harsh. "You don't know what you’re messing with.”

Kinsey spits out a mouthful of blood, her body trembling from both anger and pain. "You're paying for that!" she snarls, her eyes flaring with intensified hatred.

Sapphira's eyes remained cold, her stance defensive. "You should count yourself lucky I didn't finish you off there and then," she says coolly. "You're way over your head.”

Kinsey lets out a low, furious growl as she stands up. "You think I'm afraid of you? I could wipe the floor with you any day!" she snaps. "You wanna challenge me? Bring it on!”

Sapphira remains calm, her eyes never leaving Kinsey. "You're blinded by your anger," she says, her voice steady. "And your recklessness will be your downfall.”

"Your fake wisdom doesn't impress me!" Kinsey retorts viciously. "You think you can just lecture me on what's right? You don't know anything about me or what I’ve been through! Now get outta my way before I destroy you for real!”

"You think you're the first brat who thought they could take me on?" Sapphira retorts, her expression remaining steady. "If you think you can overpower me, you're sorely mistaken.”

Kinsey's face twists into a sneer. "We'll see about that!" she hisses before charging towards the mermaid once again, her dark aura flaring up even more intensely.

Sapphira's eyes narrow as she senses Kinsey's approach. Again, she swiftly dodges and retaliates with another powerful tail strike, sending Kinsey backwards again with a bone-jarring crash.

As Kinsey hits the wall, she grimaces in pain, her body leaving another, though smaller crater in the wall. She slowly stands up, her legs shaking from the force of the impact. Despite the pain and damage, her determination remains unflinching.

Sapphira regards Kinsey with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. "You're stubborn, I'll give you that," she mocks with derision. "But what makes you think you can defeat me?”

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Kinsey grits her teeth, her eyes fixed on Sapphira. "I won’t let you stop me," she growls, her voice filled with a grim resolve. "I've come this far, and I'm not going to let a fucking fish take me out now.”

Sapphira smirks, her eyes gleaming with a hint of pity. "You're fighting a battle you can't win," she states with certainty. "You're just a mortal, and I'm an ancient being.”

Kinsey's hands clenched into fists, her determination unshaken. "Mortal or not, I won’t stop until the World Core is mine," she says, her voice filled with a cold determination. "You're just standing in my way.”

Sapphira lets out a dry chuckle, her tail leisurely flicking around. "You're quite delusional, you know," she remarks. "You really think you can control the World Core?”

Kinsey's eyes flash with a defiant glare. "Don’t underestimate me," she retorts, her voice filled with bitterness. "I’ve been underestimated too many times. This time, I’m taking what I want, and no one is going to stop me.”

Sapphira's expression hardens as she hears Kinsey's words. "You have no idea what the World Core is capable of," she warns. "It's not something to be toyed with, and it certainly isn't your personal plaything.”

Kinsey grits her teeth, her anger and impatience growing. "Enough with the lectures," she snaps. "I don’t care about the dangers or the consequences. I’m taking control of the World Core, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me, mermaid.”

Sapphira's eyes narrow dangerously, her tail twitching with annoyance. "I wouldn’t be so sure about that," she mutters, a hint of warning in her voice. "You’re dealing with powers far beyond your comprehension, and you’re being foolishly reckless.”

Kinsey sneers, her determination unyielding. "You think I'm scared of a mermaid?" she counters, her voice filled with arrogance. "I’ve seen far worse than you. The World Core is just another obstacle for me to overcome.”

Sapphira's face remains impassive, her expression giving nothing away. "Then you are a fool," she states matter-of-factly. "You may have overcome other obstacles, but the World Core is a whole different beast. It's not something you can just brute force your way through.”

Kinsey’s anger and determination intensify as she stands up straight. "The hell I can't!" she growls, her dark aura now enveloping her entire body.

Sapphira watches Kinsey closely, her eyes calculating. She's prepared for another attack but also knows that she needs to maintain her composure and not underestimate Kinsey's determination.

Sapphira senses the intensifying aura around Kinsey and readies herself for another attack. She can feel the increased power radiating from the girl, but doesn’t flinch, her gaze steady. "You just won't give up, will you?" she mutters.

Kinsey's eyes are wide and wild, her body trembling with a mix of intense anger and a strange, twisted enjoyment. "I won't stop until I make you pay!" she exclaims, launching herself at Sapphira once again, this time with even more savagery.

Sapphira blocked Kinsey's attack with a powerful thrust of her tail, sending her soaring into a nearby wall. The impact causes another large crater, and Kinsey slumps to the ground, her body battered and bruised, struggling to get up.

Kinsey slowly sits up, spitting out another mouthful of blood. Her body is now covered in cuts and bruises, each breath she takes labored, but her eyes are still filled with a mad determination to win. "You're...not winning...this, mermaid," she manages to say between ragged breaths.

Sapphira glares down at Kinsey, her expression stern. "You're stubborn, mortal," she remarks, circling around the girl. "But you're no match for me. You need to learn that some fights are unwinnable.”

Kinsey glares back up at the mermaid, defiant even in her weakened state. "Nothing... is unwinnable... for me," she retorts, struggling to rise but falling back down to the ground, her body too weak from her previous attacks.

Sapphira's eyes soften slightly, seeing the state Kinsey is in. "Your determination is admirable," she says, her voice softening ever so slightly, "but you're going to get yourself killed with this recklessness.”

Kinsey lets out a hoarse bitter laugh. "So what if I do?" she retorts, her voice rough and ragged. "Better to die fighting...than to live with the knowledge that...I got beat by some…dumb-ass fish.”

Sapphira's expression hardens again. "So you're reckless and suicidal," she mutters, shaking her head. "You're a fool. Don’t you care for your life at all?”

Kinsey's glare intensifies at the slight show of sympathy. "I...don't need...your pity," she snaps, wincing as she tries to rise again, only to flop back down to the ground once more.

Sapphira sighs, shaking her head. "This isn't pity, it's wisdom. You're outmatched here, and you'll only end up getting seriously hurt if you keep going down this path.”

Kinsey glares up at the mermaid, her expression defiant but also reflecting a hint of vulnerability. Her chest heaves with effort as she struggles to catch her breath, her body battered and bruised. "I... won't... stop," she insists weakly, the stubborn pride in her voice more prominent than ever.

Sapphira sighs again, frustration beginning to show on her face. "You're being foolish. Your stubbornness is not just going to get you hurt, it could get you killed," she says, circling around Kinsey, her eyes studying the girl's battered form.

Kinsey's expression flickers with a mix of defiance and pain. Her breathing is ragged and she's unable to rise again after another attempt, her body giving out on her. The adrenaline from before is fading, leaving her with a more prominent sense of her injuries. "You...ain't gonna…kill shit," she quipped, her voice weaker this time.

Sapphira watches the girl's struggle, her gaze steady. "I've seen countless mortals like you," she says, her voice soft. "They all eventually hit a wall, whether it's their own bodies or their own limits. You're no exception. You need to learn when to quit.”

Kinsey clutched her chest, beginning to chant under her breath. She didn't want to draw upon this power so early, but being stuck in such a tight corner, she must call for greater power from beyond…