As Heatblast charged toward Hex, the magician simply opened his eyes, an ominous yellow glow shining from them as he immediately sensed the incoming attack.
He spread his magic outward, letting it cover the area around him and heighten his senses, making sure that if a blue blur suddenly appeared and tried to kick him again, he would notice it before it could catch him off guard.
Still, that didn't mean Hex would simply stand there and allow Heatblast to reach him.
With a wave of his hand, the several magic books floating around him suddenly flipped open, their pages turning rapidly as magical symbols began glowing across them. A massive blue magic circle formed in front of Hex, and a powerful geyser of water erupted from it, shooting directly toward Heatblast with enough force to knock him out of the air.
"Whoa!"
Heatblast barely had enough time to raise his arms before the torrent crashed into him. The sheer force of the water sent him flying backward, his body spinning through the air before he slammed hard into the sandy ground and rolled several times.
Hex's gaze immediately snapped around, carefully watching the area around him as he searched for the blue blur he had become increasingly wary of. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice and allow himself to be kicked again.
Fortunately for him, there was no blue blur.
Hex let out a quiet breath before returning his attention to his spell, continuing his chanting as the magical energy around him began to gather once more.
Down below, Big Chill suddenly noticed the massive amount of water that had been fired from the top of the pyramid before crashing back down onto the surrounding sand. The water quickly soaked into the ground, revealing Heatblast lying in the middle of it, his flames completely extinguished.
"You okay?" Big Chill asked as he flew down toward his cousin, landing beside him while folding his massive blue wings around his body until they formed a cloak.
"Yeah... Hex just got a little stronger. No big deal," Heatblast replied confidently as he pushed himself off the ground.
Water was still dripping from his stone-like body, but the heat inside him quickly returned, causing the remaining water to evaporate into steam as flames burst back to life across his body.
Big Chill stared at him for a moment before asking, "Need my help?"
"What? Nah, I got this," Heatblast replied, giving him a confident grin.
Ben knew his cousin was basically immune to magic, but that wasn't the only reason he wanted to fight Hex himself. Ben was trying to prove something, not just to Evan, but to himself as well.
For a long time, Ben had been used to being the one who jumped into danger without thinking too much about the consequences. He had made plenty of mistakes because of it, and there were times when his actions had damaged the trust his family had placed in him. Yet despite all of those mistakes, they had never abandoned him.
They still trusted him.
They still believed he could do better.
That was why Ben wanted to show Evan that his trust wasn't a waste, and that he could live up to what his family believed in him.
Big Chill stared at him for another moment, seemingly understanding what was going through his cousin's mind before finally speaking.
"Just as water can put out fire, fire can also evaporate water."
Heatblast turned to face him for a second before grinning, giving his cousin a small nod.
With that, Big Chill unfolded his wings once more and flew away, heading toward the growing number of Corrodium mutants that were crawling out of the sand. His cold breath immediately spread across the area, freezing several of them in place before he flew between them, leaving trails of frost behind him as he continued immobilizing the creatures.
Meanwhile, in the nearby town, Max and Orfevre were busy fighting those same Corrodium mutants while trying to keep them away from the civilians who were still escaping through the streets.
Even though Max was retired, he was still the Greatest Plumber in the Milky Way Galaxy, and dealing with these mutants wasn't exactly difficult for someone with his experience. He kept his distance whenever possible, using his surroundings and whatever equipment he had available to knock the mutants back whenever they got too close.
Beside him, Orfevre was doing the same, although her fighting style was considerably more direct.
She grabbed whatever she could find and infused it with her Aura, turning ordinary objects into effective weapons. A piece of metal, a broken sign, a discarded pipe, even a blade of grass could become dangerous in her hands once she reinforced it with Aura.
Honestly, the way she fought was enough to make anyone question whether she was really only ten years old.
The countless fights she had gone through with her brother had unintentionally sharpened her instincts and fighting ability to a level far beyond what an ordinary child should have been capable of. She had become accustomed to reading an opponent's movements, reacting quickly, and using her surroundings without wasting unnecessary movements.
Orfevre spun through the air, performing a triple-spin kick toward the head of one of the mutants.
Her boot slammed into its face with enough force to send it flying backward, crashing through an abandoned shop stand.
She landed on the ground and immediately rolled forward, narrowly avoiding a blade-like arm that swept over her head.
The mutant barely had time to recover before Max threw a tire toward it. The rubber wheel struck the creature directly in the chest, making it stumble backward.
Orfevre immediately took advantage of the opening.
She kicked off the ground and performed a flip, her boot crashing into the mutant's chin and sending it stumbling backward. As she landed, she reached out and caught the tire before it could roll away.
She dug her fingers into the rubber and tore the tire in half with a sharp pull, now holding one half in each hand.
Her Aura spread across both pieces, reinforcing them until the broken tires became surprisingly sturdy weapons.
Orfevre charged forward and swung both pieces at the approaching mutants, smashing one across the face before immediately turning and striking another across the side of its head. The first mutant recovered and tried to slash at her from behind, but Orfevre ducked underneath the attack and swung one of the reinforced tires upward into its stomach.
The mutant doubled over.
She followed with a knee to its chest before grabbing its arm and throwing it into another mutant.
The two creatures crashed into each other and fell to the ground.
Meanwhile, Gold Ship was running around the streets while carrying a screaming Gwen, with several Corrodium mutants chasing them from behind.
The mutants repeatedly tried to slash at them, but the little troublemaker was simply too fast and unpredictable.
Gold Ship weaved through the streets, turning sharply around corners and slipping between buildings before the mutants could even finish their attacks. Every time one of them got close enough to slash her, she would suddenly change direction, leaving the confused creature swinging at empty air.
Evan's assessment of his little sister wasn't wrong.
When you are in danger, Golshi will ensure you are safe.
When you are safe, Golshi will ensure you are in danger.
Gwen was only screaming because there had been far too many close calls where they nearly got stabbed, and because she was clinging onto Gold Ship so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. She knew that if she fell off now, the impact alone would probably cost her a few broken bones.
Seriously!
How could a nine-year-old move at nearly 40 kilometers per hour!?
Gwen was starting to believe that if she really wanted to, Gold Ship could probably run alongside a speeding car.
"GRANDPA!" Gold Ship shouted as she spotted Max and Orfevre in the distance.
Max turned his head. His expression immediately changed when he saw Gold Ship running toward them with a small army of Corrodium mutants chasing her.
"Oh, boy..."
Orfevre didn't waste any time.
She stepped forward and threw the two tire halves she had been using as weapons toward the pursuing mutants.
"Golshi!"
Gold Ship immediately understood.
She threw Gwen upward.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
Gwen's scream became even louder as she went flying through the air.
Gold Ship then leaped forward, curled her body into a ball, and spun rapidly through the air. The two reinforced tires flew past her, striking two of the mutants behind her and sending them crashing into the ground.
Gold Ship continued spinning through the air before Orfevre reached out and caught her.
The transition was so smooth that it looked almost practiced, with Orfevre using the momentum of Gold Ship's movement to spin and bleed off some momentum, safely bringing her down without either of them losing their balance.
At the same time, Max quickly moved underneath the falling Gwen and caught her before she could crash into the ground.
Gwen immediately clung to her grandfather's arms, taking several deep breaths as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.
"Easy there," Max said reassuringly. "You're safe."
Gwen nodded shakily.
Max then looked back toward the swarm of mutants.
Only to see that the entire group had been completely encased in ice. The frozen creatures stood motionless in the middle of the street, trapped beneath layers of thick frost.
A familiar figure suddenly phased out from the ground beneath them.
Big Chill's blue wings unfolded around his body once more, forming his familiar cloak as he floated a few inches above the ground.
He looked toward Max.
"Null Void?"
Max gave him a firm nod.
"Null Void."
Big Chill raised one hand and swung it through the air.
A dark rift suddenly tore open in space, creating a direct connection to the Null Void.
...
Heatblast continued his clash with Hex, charging toward the magician once more while keeping his eyes locked on him, ready for whatever attack Hex decided to throw out next.
Hex, however, was still keeping part of his attention focused on the possibility of a certain blue speedster suddenly appearing, clearly unwilling to let himself be caught off guard by another surprise attack, and with a wave of his hand, the magic books floating around him opened once again as another magic circle appeared in front of him.
A powerful geyser of water erupted from the circle and rushed toward Heatblast.
Heatblast immediately recognized the attack and prepared to move, but instead of simply jumping out of the way, he relied on his photographic memory and recalled how Evan had used SAM. He remembered the way the metal plating on SAM's armor shifted whenever he needed additional acceleration, releasing flames from his elbow and using the force like a booster to increase the power behind his movements.
Heatblast figured there was no reason he couldn't do something similar.
As the water geyser came closer, Heatblast suddenly released a burst of flame from his left shoulder and elbow, using the force of the flames to push his body sideways. His entire body shifted toward the right just as the geyser passed him, the edge of the attack grazing his side and covering part of his body with water.
Rather than letting the water slow him down, Heatblast immediately increased the intensity of the flames burning across his body. The water covering him rapidly evaporated, turning into streams of steam that rose into the air as he continued moving forward.
"Nice try!"
Heatblast thrust his right hand forward and fired a powerful fireball directly toward Hex.
The magician didn't even flinch.
The magical books surrounding him activated once more, their pages flipping rapidly as the symbols written across them began glowing. Before Heatblast could reach him, the sand beneath his feet suddenly erupted upward, forming a massive tornado that swallowed the fire alien whole.
"Whoa!"
Heatblast was swept off the ground and dragged into the violent vortex as sand spun around him from every direction. He tried to fight against the wind, but the tornado continued throwing him around, forcing him to shield his face with his arms while his flames struggled against the constantly shifting air.
Hex watched from above with a confident expression.
Then his expression changed. The heat inside the tornado continued increasing as Heatblast's flames spread throughout the swirling sand, causing the temperature to rise until the entire tornado began glowing orange.
"What?"
Hex's eyes widened as he realized what was happening.
The sand tornado suddenly transformed into a massive fire tornado, with Heatblast standing in the center of it.
The attack that Hex had created had effectively become Heatblast's own weapon.
The fire tornado burst outward, sending a powerful wave of heat across the top of the pyramid. Hex quickly raised both hands, refocusing on his chanting as the books surrounding him flipped through their pages at incredible speed.
A magic circle formed beneath him, and a thick wall made entirely of water immediately rose around his body.
The heatwave slammed into the barrier.
Steam exploded across the pyramid as the intense heat met the water, but Hex remained protected behind his magical defense.
Heatblast didn't give him a chance to relax.
He circled around the magician, firing one fireball after another while constantly changing his position. Every time Hex attempted to retaliate, Heatblast moved out of the way, using short bursts of flame from his hands and feet to change direction in midair and keep himself from becoming an easy target.
Fireballs crashed against magical barriers, streams of water exploded into steam, and chunks of the pyramid were blown apart as the two continued their battle across its summit.
Hex's books continued turning their pages as he chanted, while Heatblast continued attacking him without giving him enough time to finish whatever spell he was preparing.
Neither side could break through. Heatblast couldn't get past Hex's magical defenses, while Hex couldn't land a decisive attack on Heatblast or stop him from constantly interrupting his concentration.
It was becoming a deadlock.
Heatblast quickly realized that if this continued, Hex would eventually finish whatever spell he was casting, and he had no idea what kind of disaster would happen once that occurred.
"Okay, enough of this!"
Heatblast suddenly increased the flames covering his entire body, turning himself into a blazing projectile before shooting forward.
He crashed directly through the water barrier.
The magical wall exploded into steam around him as Heatblast forced his way through it, ignoring the water crashing against his body until he finally broke through the other side and landed a solid punch directly against Hex's face.
"Gotcha!"
The impact sent Hex flying backward. The magician's body was thrown off the top of the pyramid, tumbling through the air before disappearing over the edge.
"Alright!" Heatblast raised his fists in celebration before suddenly looking around.
His smile disappeared. He was now inside the water barrier.
"Aw, man."
Hex floated back into view several meters away, his lower body surrounded by swirling wind as he steadied himself in the air. Despite the blood at the corner of his mouth, the magician wore a mocking smile as he looked toward Heatblast.
"Foolish child. Do you truly believe your meager attacks were enough to defeat a Master Magician such as myself?"
Heatblast looked at him from inside the water barrier, clearly realizing that punching Hex through his own defense had technically accomplished nothing beyond trapping himself inside it.
Hex spread his arms wide and continued his chant, his voice echoing across the ancient pyramid as magical energy began gathering around him. Heatblast could feel something beneath his feet, and when he looked down, he noticed the entire pyramid beginning to shake.
The trembling quickly grew stronger.
"What the heck is he doing?"
The ground beneath Heatblast suddenly began glowing.
A massive magic circle appeared across the top of the pyramid, spreading outward until it covered nearly the entire area around him.
Something moved inside it. A massive purple hand suddenly pushed through the magic circle and grabbed onto the stone surface.
The hand was followed by another as a massive figure slowly pulled itself out from within the magical circle. The creature possessed a muscular humanoid body covered in dark purple skin, while its head resembled that of a jackal. Ancient Egyptian clothing covered parts of its body, leaving its powerful upper body exposed as it slowly rose to its full height.
The creature towered over Heatblast.
Hex's confident smile returned as he raised his hands dramatically.
"Now, you shall be the first to witness and perish beneath the might of Anubis, the lord of the under-"
A blue blur suddenly crashed into Hex from behind.
"WHAAA-!"
The magician was sent flying before he could finish his dramatic introduction, his body tumbling across the stone before crashing hard into the side of the pyramid and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Heatblast stared for a moment. Anubis also turned his jackal head toward the dust cloud.
A few seconds later, Hex pushed himself out of the rubble, coughing as he wiped the blood from his lips. His expression had completely changed, the confidence he had shown moments earlier replaced by pure irritation as he slowly turned toward the direction from which the attack had come.
There was no mistaking that blue blur.
Hex's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me..."
A familiar figure stood several meters away, his golden eyes locked directly onto the magician while a confident smirk spread across his face.
Fasttrack casually rolled his shoulders before giving Hex a small wave.
"Yo, did you miss me?"