Oscar sprinted forward, kicking off the bed of slate and dashing like the wind, a golden gleam shining from his feet. He activated his Prinstyct and was confused to see nothing. Even if Sirsi could move around with Reis, she still had to use her Ein in her spells and move her body normally. Yet, across from him, the self-proclaimed purest of the Voltens watched him, observing his every movement with a slight grin as if a play was performing before her. It was almost as though she wanted him to close in and attack her.

If so, then he happily obliged. Oscar stomped to a hard stop and swung a Golden Drill, covered in flames, aiming directly for her chest. He kept his eyes on her, studying her relaxed expression. Suddenly, her feet shuffled, and she mimicked his actions, planting her front foot into a tight stance and swinging hard, a drilling maelstrom swirling violently from her gauntlet, wreathed in Pseudoguise. His Golden Drill roared in flames while her maelstrom shrieked, the tempest raging in cutting waves.

Oscar drove his Golden Drill deeper, and their two spells glanced off each other in a deafening roar of the contesting elements, the rotational forces opposing one another, resulting in a blast of steam that was instantly blown away by the sheer shockwave of their collision. Forcing his arm to remain steady even after it was almost flung away, Oscar pushed onward. He took another bold step forward, a few inches away from her, and plunged his spell toward the exposed shoulder. Unsurprisingly, she aimed for the same place.

The torrential, rapid waves neared him, splashing cold water on his face. Oscar raised his shield, the diamonds glimmering like stars, bashed against her spell, forcing it away. But an explosion of sharp waters surged from the spell and engulfed him. On the other side, at the same time, his Golden Drill was repelled by her gauntlet, a disc of whirlpools expanding like a shield. The waters were heavy and dense, similar to the depths of the Abyss Prison. However, he unleashed his flames from the Golden Drill, shoving it all toward her.

Encased in his Indestructible Gold, a timely defense against the waters, Oscar felt the waters shudder, and a heavy force crashed into him. He knew all too well what this force was. He had used it many times in his battles and wars, his signature technique, the Shattering Wave, except this one used the waters. High-pressure streams of water, the kind that cuts metal, lashed onto him and burst, spreading the powerful Shattering Wave everywhere.

Gritting his teeth, Oscar absorbed the fearsome Reis and kicked forward. With this much Reis, he summoned an equal amount of Ein, fusing them into a singular whole. The concentration of Eirin collected into his foot and unleashed itself, Eirin Omnireus. Something halted him, another equally powerful force. The force brought upon by the meeting of two great powers caved in the floor, and the waters were blown away, raining down as a squall behind him. Sirsi had done the same as him, her foot extending into a graceful kick, the terrifying power of Eirin Omnireus flowing from it.

"You…." Oscar glared. Their feet did not touch, only the force of Eirin clashing in the empty space between them. The ground continued to cave in, flying rubble everywhere and riddling a large part of the bedrock in cracks. The air tore apart around them, yet none of the disturbances reached them in the center. Their fierce confrontation allowed only them and nothing else to intrude.

"As I expected from a Reis user of your caliber. Look. We are completely in sync." Sirsi smiled playfully, the strength of her kick increasing. With a slightly bashful face, she cupped her cheeks like a maiden in love and squealed delightfully, "It's the perfect match. That's right. Only you are worthy of being my child's father."

"I said it before. I reject!" Oscar poured more power, and finally, the balance broke. She was indeed powerful, but he was more than a match for her. The moment came when their feet touched, and all the ground split into two. Oscar was tossed through the air, his body tumbling on the ground until he managed to get on his feet and skid the rest of the way, two trails lining into the dirt. Sirsi also steadied herself on the other side of the new chasm.

"I admire your Reis and the perfect body you've obtained. I'm quite jealous." Sirsi leaned back, cracking her back audibly, without caring if anyone could see her alluring figure in such a pose, though that probably was what she wanted him to do. She wasn't taking this battle seriously, not even using her anima. Well, he refused to use his anima as well, a disadvantage in this battle without Erden to Meld into. Sirsi tapped her feet on the ground, soared into the air, and flicked her finger at Oscar, beckoning him to come closer. "There is no doubt anymore. Our child will be spectacular, and I will be the one to lead them into their grand destiny."

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Oscar had no response to the crazed imaginations of the Volten woman. He rushed into the air and watched Erden in the main world arriving at the Imperial Palace. He only needed to buy some time. Surely, the King Exalts could free him from this seemingly empty world. Wracking his mind for a way to buy time, Oscar gave into the woman's lunacy and said, "If we were to have a child, what makes you so certain the child will be safe?"

"Meaning?" Sirsi crossed her legs and sat in mid-air, eyes shining with enthusiasm and joy.

"What makes you certain the New Dawn won't take them away? Or if Kais wants to use them for himself?" Oscar asked, recovering his Ein as he spoke.

"You know of the Clan Head?" Sirsi's eyes narrowed, the steeled gaze of a warrior replacing the once superfluous look. She clenched her fists and floated closer, standing above the great chasm. "The child will be the future of the Voltens. I will never let anything harm them, not even Kais or the New Dawn leader. As a future mother and inheritor of the Volten legacy, I will protect them to my dying breath."

The strong intent in her voice startled him. Her words contained no hint of a lie or joke, leaving only the firm resolve. For a moment, he recalled his mother and how she protected and cared for him. Realizing his heart's softness, he immediately quelled the notion and hardened his mind. She was an enemy, not someone worthy of respect.

"That's admirable in a way, but find someone else." Oscar willed his Eirin into the air, forming a vast array of flaming swords containing brightly glowing golden rods inside the blazing fires. He hurled them, raining fire and metal at her. Sirsi, still glaring at him with a powerful gaze full of determination, responded with a downpour of water spears. One by one, the spears met the swords, clouds of steam wafting upward and hail of metal crashing down from their collective onslaught. Sirsi raced through the sky, water rushing from the palms of her hands.

"It would be so simple if I could find someone else!" Sirsi clapped her hands together and pointed out like a spear. Droplets of rain coalesced into an orb at the tips of her fingers. From the orb, a great sea serpent, waves as its scales and maelstroms as its eyes, roared and sprang out, rushing in his direction. "Even if there were another perfect Reis user, you're the one I want!"

Oscar focused his Ein into his left hand; the golden maw of a dragon expanded and reached a gigantic size, a match for the great serpent. Flames enveloped the metal dragon and burned bright red on its body. He swung, and the dragon bit into the sea serpent, steam hissing from where the teeth dug into the watery flesh. The serpent shrieked and chomped on his golden maw, the maelstrom fangs piercing into the hot metal. As both of their spells collapsed, Oscar dodged the excess rain and engaged in close combat with Sirsi.

"You're right! The child will certainly be in danger, especially with Kais and New Dawn. I can't let that happen. Which is why it has to be you!" Sirsi launched a series of combinations, her gauntlets carrying a heavy weight behind each blow. Oscar rotated and rebounded the Reis back into his attacks, and she also followed suit. A neverending chain of growing Reis between the two ensued.

Parts of the water from her attacks sliced into his body, spewing blood from the severed veins. These sharp droplets surprised Oscar. To think they were enough to injure him past his prided Eduresiclad and flame barriers. Oscar dodged a knee and ducked below the extending kick. He countered strongly with a devastating flaming Shattering Wave, forcing her back.

"When I spoke about how I would protect our child, you had a flash of admiration for me, no?" Sirsi gripped her stomach, hands over the burnt cloth around it. She tore it off, revealing the clenched abs underneath. "That kindness of yours is why it has to be you. There are many ways to get a child from you, but I want you to be willing to be the father so that when the time comes, I know you will come to protect the child."

The battle fell silent. Sirsi placed her hand over her chest and desperately pleaded, "Please. Kais's methods are not working. The Reis cores are failing. The Voltens need the true savior."

"You're a lunatic. A complete lunatic." Oscar said, lowering his arms. "You don't see the evil behind Kais's ways. Only the fact they're not working is what angers you. You only care about bringing about a savior, but you ignore the child's feelings."

"The child will be beloved and have a grand destiny! What other feeling than delight can sprout in them?" Sirsi retorted. "That purpose will fuel them and drive them to greater heights!"

"What if they don't want to?" Oscar shook his head. "Enough talk. I've had enough of this conversation about a child who will never exist. I'm ending this now." He slumped his shoulder lower into a slightly hunched position, his arms limping and swaying as if they had no bones. Adam taught him a long time ago the ways to counter Reis users. He never needed to use it until now.

'The Reis techniques to counter Reis, Counter Impact.' Adam's voice resounded in his head. 'With Erden and your perfect Reis, I'm sure you might not need to use it, but only an idiot doesn't prepare for the worst-case scenario. If you're isolated and against a powerful Reis user, fight well.'

'Counter Impact.' Oscar's eyes shone as Sirsi kicked out, the tumultuous tides trailing behind the sole of her foot.