At last, the final fight begun between the two.
This time, Lunaria didn't held herself back completely as before. Instead of going at just superhuman speed, or lightning speed. She went at a speed of mach nine thousand. Orion created a flame shield in time to protect himself and the others from her dash.
Kurenai froze time to freeze, Lunaria was just inches away from hitting her. Kurenai immediately sent countless time spears at her, dashed away to create distance then unfreezed it again.
She expected the spears to impale Lunaria and momentarily disturb her. But fate took a twist. The moment time resumed, all the spears shattered upon contact against her, who immediately covered the gap and delivered a hard punch at Kurenai's gut.
Kurenai gasped for breath, getting launched back. She stared down at her stomach, she could feel the intestine was crushed, she immediately recovered herself with time magic again.
"How!?" She yelled. "You only became faster and had more force than before, your body should have been impaled still!"
The question made complete sense, Lunaria just stopped holding herself back. But that shouldn't make her physically more durable than before now. Except, it actually did.
"You see... When I stop holding myself back, I actually stop compressing my inner muscles as well to a specific point in my body for each part. So, when I let go, that compression is also gone, allowing my body's natural state to occur more freely because it isn't packed together in a specific point."
Kurenai couldn't argue on that, that was a reasonable explanation. So, her earlier plan of freezing time then attacking with time spears would no longer work. It also explained why earlier, attacking Lunaria at a specific spot left her trembling, that was one of those compressed points, which were now gone after she stopped holding back, so that weakness can't be exploited now.
But she had other means to fight still. Instead of relying on her spears, she switched tactics. Using her pantheon level magic abilities, she sent an invisible wave that couldn't be seen by anyone. It was the same attack that had almost killed Risa earlier.
The attack hit Lunaria, Kurenai grinned for a moment but then it faded away. The wave only pushed Lunaria back, but left no harm. "Huh?"
Kurenai was shocked, such attack would have bypassed her durability and left a great wound on Lunaria. Then how come she tanked it so effortlessly.
"Just as I thought..." Lunaria said, as she put her hand where she was hit. "It was wise of me to use my wraith physiology with my human form."
Then the answer hit Kurenai. A wraith was unbound to space time, while their manipulation did no harm to a wraith, a physically effective attack infused by either of the two could still harm a wraith in the same way, a normal person can hurt another. Lunaria here had used that physiology of hers, with her human form. To simplify, she was still the same except spatial or temporal attacks affected her like normal moves now.
Kurenai gritted her teeth. She had to think of something. If neither brute force, nor can temporal damage affect her, what else did the vixen had to harm her? Increase her power further? But [E.G.O] couldn't be activated yet.
Kurenai tried to dash in, but Lunaria outsped her and countered with a fatal kick in her face. Kurenai crashed into a tree from the impact.
The situation continued, everytime Kurenai got up and tried to attack. Lunaria kept countering her. It was a loop. The trio who were watching, all three turned towards Lunethra.
"How did you even knew she held so much power?" Orion asked. Lunethra just gave a casual reply. "Through Sylves, we can still talk internally through the same body. Besides, I might also have an idea over why did she held herself back."
"And that would be?" Risa asked.
"She just said she might potentially destroy the planet, remember? She might be worried she may accidentally kill someone even if she doesn't shows it." That was an answer which made sense. Having so much power could be dangerous if not careful, so she always held herself back.
"I am still worried about something." Solara mentioned. Everyone turned towards her, Orion dared to ask something.
"What are you worried about?"
"You see. When the mutation had just occurred, Lunaria told me that Kurenai's and Tsukiharu's power was still constantly rising, Tsukiharu's growth was constant and Kurenai's growth was inconstant, but that was answered because of [E.G.O]."
Everyone except Lunethra were surprised at that. She continued. "That's why I am worried... Because even without the usage of [E.G.O], I can still feel the corruption rising within Kurenai."
"So what you are saying is..." Risa asked.
"You are thinking correct, that corruption within Kurenai is still not at it's full power. Besides, Kurenai's [E.G.O] may have pushed it's power even further now than I thought."
"How much did you thought?" Lunethra asked. "As strong as Lunaria, but then again. She was also holding back when I made that assumption."
"So, once the corruption is full recovered. Lunaria can either win or lose, depending on how much power the corruption may have after the usage of [E.G.O]." Orion muttered.
The others were also tensed now at the thought. None of them came close to even Kurenai now, if Lunaria gets surpassed. What will they even do?
"Relax... She will win." Lunethra interrupted with a bored tone. Risa turned towards him. "How are you so sure of it?"
"Because Sylves is sure of it, and I have seen it enough about how much she held back... She will win, just focus on sending others to safety."
The trio didn't tried to question him any further, seeing his confidence. They all went back to put everyone to safety.
Lunethra chuckled slightly after they left. It was a lie... Sylves's confidence wasn't why I am also confident... That's the reincarnation of my mistress, we are talking about, if I know she will win, then she will definitely win.
Back with Lunaria and Kurenai. The vixen crashed into another tree, completely injured now from the constant barrage of counters, starting to roar.
Lunaria stood in front of her, Lunethra also watched from the distance. Both of them could feel it.
You feel it as well, don't you?
Of course, the mutation is completed now.
As soon as Lunethra said that, Kurenai's body went completely dark. The black eyes and mouth were replaced with a white one, and her entire figure was as black as a void now.
The corruption had fully settled in within her, this was her complete corrupted state now. A dark beast, that only knew one thing. To kill.
"I'll kill you..." Of course, it kept it's consciousness still. Using the anger it had towards it's humiliation now, [E.G.O] fueled it's power to the absolute furthest it could currently handle now.
Kurenai dashed in, the speed matching Lunaria's now. Who blocked the attack, getting pushed abit back. She also dashed in, and delivered a punch to Kurenai's face, pushing her back as well.
Need help? Lunethra asked.
Hmm... Perhaps, no.
Thought so.
Kurenai charged in, so did Lunaria. Both of them exchanging blows strong enough to leave behind craters.
Solara felt the waves, as she sent an elf inside of the H-200's through the long stairs, meant for those who couldn't fly up to the entrance.
"Perhaps, Lunethra was right..." She muttered, her worry from earlier now gone.
THUD! A piece of a mountain fell on the ground, that they destroyed. Lunaria destroyed it with the force of her punch, hitting Kurenai behind it.
Kurenai got back up, and increased her speed by ten times through time magic and dashed in, hoping to stab deep into Lunaria's stomach.
Lunaria however, dodged it again somehow. Grabbing Kurenai's head, and slamming her knee straight into her face. The vixen's consciousness was almost knocked away from the impact.
Lunaria lets go off her, Kurenai almost fell back from the impact. She needed some other plan now if she wanted to win. Then her eyes noticed something in the distance.
The spatial waves, they were still open from earlier, because Lunaria had opened it by untangling the space time threads. She immediately froze time, and tackled Lunaria straight inside of it, going inside as well.
"Well... She will regret doing that." Lunethra muttered, as he yawned a little. "Who could have expected, that just letting go off her restraints would have made this so one-sided?"
Inside the realm. Kurenai was sent straight up. She gasped for air. She had pushed Lunaria and herself back inside the realm, aiming to exploit the imposed concept of time in the realm. But Lunaria attacked her immediately the moment they entered the realm.
Lunaria landed back safely, holding her stomach. A grin forming on her face. "I just have to kill you before you become a wraith."
Lunaria looked directly at her, then chuckled. "Perhaps, I won't even have to become a wraith this time now to fight you."
"Huh?" Kurenai was confused by that. Then Lunaria relaxed herself further. "You see, in our previous fight. I held back to not seriously harm you, but now it seems like that you can handle my attacks... Which means."
Lunaria's frost aura started to behave violently, leaking out much more than usual. "Inside this infinite void, I can go all out, without having to worry about my surroundings."
Kurenai immediately froze the concept of time, intending to attack Lunaria before she could charge up. However, what she saw next left her speechless.
Lunaria's aura, it was still rising. It was completely immune to her ability, not just Lunaria's aura. But even Lunaria herself wasn't affected by it anymore.
"What...?" Kurenai was speechless. She had no idea, how come Lunaria was moving still despite her freezing time.
"Kurenai... Answer me. Among every form of speed, which is it that can freeze even time?"
The question left Kurenai silent, she was afraid now. She tried to escape, but an ice wall summoned in front of the portal, prohibiting her from leaving.
The answer was simple. Light speed. Since light had no mass, it could move at a speed unreachable by mass. But if having enough energy, something with mass could also move at the same speed. Because light had no mass, it could move at a speed, where it felt like that time was frozen. It could also act as a counter to a situation where time was frozen.
Lunaria dashed straight, hitting Kurenai faster than she could react that sent her flying, but Lunaria was already behind her, she dashed again. Sending Kurenai somewhere else again, she kept repeating this process again and again, increasing the distance everytime to hit her even harder than before.
Kurenai was about to get hit once again, but she let out a full forced scream. A scream powerful enough to halt Lunaria and crack the abstract realm, just like she did last time when she fought the elf who brought her here.
Lunaria stopped in her tracks, not because of Kurenai's scream but because of what she saw. The cracks in the realm. She was surprised by it.
"So, this realm can also be destroyed huh?..." Lunaria had an idea, if left carelessly. Kurenai would most likely try to come inside here again to survive... Then what if she destroyed it? If Kurenai could form cracks, then Lunaria could easily destroy it. She can easily deal with Kurenai outside, as compared to the inside.
"Well, you are about to feel a disaster now." Lunaria mentioned, as she charged her fists with frost aura. Slamming it straight down, the impact hit hard for a moment, and then the frost started to spread like veins in the realm.
Back outside, Lunethra was thinking about the inside. Wondering what structure from the lower half of the world, overlapped with the upper half.
The world was divided into two halves, the upper half, where everyone lived, and the lower half, the half where all these different worlds existed.
The lower half, was undoubtedly inferior to the upper half when it came to withstanding attacks. Because while mana was common in both halves, only the matter of the upper half was infused with mana.
Since mana by nature, was already capable of working at the same level as a pantheon level magic user, only a will to control that mana was required. But when it came to an object, if its infused with mana then it was already far more durable than the matter without mana. It was the same as the upper and lower half.
Because no matter in the lower half was infused with mana, the upper half surpassed it completely when it came to withstanding an attack. Which also meant, some of the greatest structures from the lower half may not even surpass the lesser structures of the upper half.
"Hmm?" Lunethra noticed frost aura leaking from the portal, he could sense the energy well. That much power... Whatever structure is inside there, is equivalent to what this planet can endure.
The frost inside snapped, both Lunaria and Kurenai caught in the explosion that came afterwards. A white light engulfed the two of them, completely devastating.
The impact of the explosion came out of the portal as well, leaving behind a huge crater. Lunaria and Kurenai fell out of it, Kurenai completely injured to the point, she had passed out. Lunaria was covered in some blood at best.
"You look like, you just committed mass murder." Lunethra called out, as he got up from against the tree he was leaning on.
"Shut up."
"Whatever." He walked towards Kurenai. "Well, she is passed out finally now so..."
He started to absorb her corruption. Taking away the black form, little by little. Until, it was completely gone. But Kurenai didn't regained her consciousness.
"Seems like, she is extremely tired. Might take a few days to wake up." He commented.
Lunaria watched, as she put her hand on Lunethra's head. "Lunethra..." Her tone was cold.
Despite the fact, nothing scared Lunethra at all earlier. Her tone genuinely terrified her now, he slowly glanced up. Finding a really familiar look for a moment. "Yes?"
"I wish to tell you, that the time you attacked me in the spaceship. I still remember everything... I later recognised what the energy was, and choose to pretend that your plan was working."
"So... You knew about Resonance art?"
Resonance art, it was a special technique that looked red in colour. When someone is struck with it, they end up relieving memories they may not recognise at first, but are nonetheless their own.
"Yes, I did... Perhaps, those unfamiliar memories I felt when we arrived here were because of it... Even before we came here, after I recovered from the attack. My hostility towards you had also gone, as if I knew it was the better outcome to leave you be."
Lunethra sighed at that. "Lunaria... There was someone I knew, when I was still alive... You resemble her aura greatly, I even assumed you might be a reincarnation of her... That's my mistress. And from your words, it seems like my assumptions were correct."
Lunaria stayed silent for a moment. Then sighed slightly.
BONK! Finally, even Lunethra was hit in the head by Lunaria now. He rubbed his head slightly in pain, but didn't minded it. He even chuckled slightly.
Lunaria picked up Kurenai's unconscious form on her shoulder. She turned her face towards Lunethra. "Come quick, or I will leave you alone here... This time, don't disguise yourself with Sylves's form, but use your own."
"Seems like, you already started remembering the past huh?" Lunethra chuckled, as the disguised form disappeared. His hair, silver-white like Lunaria's and his skin slightly pale. Wearing a black overcoat, while his eyes were crimson red.
"Then let's go, shall we? My mistress?" He bowed down slightly. Lunaria's mouth twitched slightly upwards at the corner.
"Let's go... To recover not just this world anymore, but also my former memories as your former mistress." As the two left the place. The spatial waves of the portal, cracked and shattered as the connection was cut off now between the two worlds, upon the abstract realm's destruction.
Soon enough, the two along with Kurenai's unconscious form arrived at the spaceship. Solara was waiting there, as she saw the two arriving. She immediately rushed over to them, about to ask if they were alright.
"Lunar-" She paused. Lunaria got confused what happened, as Solara pointed at Lunethra behind her.
"Oh him? That's how Lunethra really looks like. He used a disguise similar to Sylves's form to get inside the spaceship easily before when I met him."
Solara was stunned at Lunethra's look. It was beautiful, charming as well radiant. He offered a gentle smile. Solara instinctively muttered out something. "He looks beautiful."
An awkward silence. Solara realized what she said, and quietly goes inside, signalling the two to enter. Lunethra laughed quietly, as Lunaria sighed slightly, both of them going inside. The stairs going back in the spaceship after they entered.
The moment the two reached inside, everyone greeted them. But they all stopped at the sight of Lunethra.
Soon chaos erupted because of Lunethra's handsome looks. Everyone was trying to find out who was this person. Lunaria's aura radiates violently in annoyance, shutting everyone up. As she explained them everything later.
"So... This good looking guy, is Lunethra." Orion asked.
"Correct." Lunaria answered.
"Who used Sylves's form to get inside here far easier than normal." Risa added.
"Also correct."
"... We apologise to Sylves, but Lunethra looks much better than him." Both of them said together.
Lunethra laughed quietly, as he interrupted with a teasing tone. "Oh, but Sylves himself used a disguised form. I merely used that disguise of his, with some changes."
"What!?" Both of them yelled, as they started questioning Lunethra about how did Lunaria's step-brother really looked like at all. But he never answered any of their questions at all, just making them chase him down.
Lunaria put Kurenai on the medical bed, and asked the medics to take care of her. Chiharu walked towards her, about to ask whether his mother was alright.
"Is she alr-?"
"No need to worry, she is just tired from the constant use of [E.G.O] and the corruption that infected her. All she needs is a rest for a few days."
Chiharu sighed in relief. As he thought about what to say. "How could I, even thank you for this?" He questioned. For him, after helping him recieve his own form again, and then saving his mother. It felt like, that he owed too much to Lunaria now.
"Don't thank me, thank Lunethra, and thank yourself as well. If it weren't for you two. We would have to kill Tsukiharu and Kurenai through the corruption venom."
Chiharu was left surprised at the words. He didn't expected such a response, then Lunaria's next actions left him in peace.
She gave him a gentle look. "Just don't over exhaust yourself, inside the H-200. Everyone is one big family."
Family, that was something he understood clearly. He saw around him. Legolas opening up to other healers in the spaceship, feeling not so out of place after a long time.
The Orcs were having a feast, their hunger satisfied after ages of surviving. The phantoms all loved the medium amount of darkness and light. Levin played cheerfully with the other kids.
Sera was lecturing Tsukiharu for everything that happened in the past, and Miharu was silently supporting her brother, by also getting lectured. Chiharu looked at all of them, realizing what Lunaria meant by that.
Tears almost fell from his eyes, as he gave Lunaria a polite bow, thanking her for her help once again. As he left, and went to help his younger siblings.
Lunaria also sighed in exhaustion. As she looked at Lunethra, who was hiding behind a pillar with Risa and Orion arguing after failing to find him.
She thought about it for a moment. The same laugher, that she once had because of Sylves.
Sylves... It isn't even your real name, yet I keep calling you that... Could I have made a different decision if you could have trusted me with your real name?
The thought wondered her mind, as she left the room to take a shower after the long day of work.
Nyxelle who was inside the control room, yawned slightly. As she got up, ready to move again. "Well, work on Elvin is done now... So time to head out."
She pressed the button for announcement again.
"Everyone, please go do your respective duties in the headquarters. The Interstellar spaceship. The H-200 has taken off. I repeat...!"
It was a daily thing for her now, always repeating the same thing before taking off. The spaceship started to take off, going beyond the skies once again, reaching into space once again.
For the natives of Elvin, it was an entirely new experience. Seeing space for the first time, all of them were amazed by the countless stars and planets here and there.
Miharu's eyes were sparkling at the scene. "So many crystals..." Appearantly, the phrase Crystal Nights, referred to the countless stars in the night sky. Which Miharu called crystals.
.
..
...
"Ugh... How long has it been." Someone muttered, as they woke up in a dark empty place. They looked at their hands, and tried to focus on something. "Still not working."
They sighed at their failure of whatever they tried to do, as they lie back down again. "Why... Why can't I even use my own body anymore?"
They covered their eyes, as they tried to go to sleep again.