âAll of them?â Oliver whistled at Setoâs claimed feat. âHe must be pretty strong, Kisara. Not as strong as you, though.â He shrugged casually, taking a back seat.
âNo, no, thatâs too much credit Kisara.â Oliver waved his hand, dismissing her praise. He hadnât lied as much as he had in the past few minutes in ages, Oliver thought to himself as he shrugged. He took a step back, folded his arms to support his neck and leaned against a nearby wall. âIâll just watch, Iâd only be in Kisaraâs way when she wipes the floor with you.â Oliver said, but heâd do more than watching⊠Heâd predict Setoâs moves and signal them through to Kisara in a whisper only she could hear...
Glancing at Oliver, Kisara hoped the boy would remember what they had discussed before. Stepping forwards Kisara brought her fists up like a boxer would even her stance was the same. Looking around she then whistled a very high tune and it seemed like everything about her had begun to shake. Letâs just test him first. Stepping forwards quickly Kisara covered the distance between the two of them with an astounding speed. Her fist went for his face but it soon became apparent that it was feint when she brought her leg up to kick him in his side. The vibrations she assumed he no doubt noticed was centered on her leg, regardless of whether he blocked it or not heâd notice the effect of getting struck by it. Kisara wanted to know how strong he was but one kick wonât tell her what she needs to know. Once again that high pitched tune slipped through her lips as a wall of defense came up in case he decided to counterattack. It was a weak defense but she really just wanted to test him.
From how quickly she got in Seto read Kisara was strong in close quarters. She was fast, but Seto himself was no slouch either, as he had already began to weave with his hands. âShadow Make: Shockwave!â
A powerful spherical blast released from his palm, with the strength to blow everything far away, but Seto wasnât done yet. âShadow Make: Pillar!â He followed up; summoning a tall, thick shadow construct behind his opponent. His shockwave by itself might not do much damage, but if Seto managed to knock Kisara into the pillar, it sure would hurt.
It was only due to her sound barrier that she wasn't flung back much. Considering how weak she had made it Kisara was pushed back with some force but much of it was kept from her face as she brought her arms up. Coming to a stand still his next move was forming a pillar right behind her, although with her back to it she wasn't quite aware of it being there. Glancing over her shoulder Kisara saw the pillar and smirked turning her attention to the man in front of her. "So close." Straightening Kisara pulled her arms back as far as they'd go before slamming her palms together to form a loud shockwave of pure sound. The wave of sound had more force behind it than Seto's previous attack and would not be stopped by some form of defense. It would then vibrate and continue forwards until it was past an obstacle, of course dodging it was a whole other matter as the wave itself did not cover much width compared to its area.
Jumping forwards right behind the shockwave Kisara drop kicked Seto. Dodging it would result in another wave of sound but of a much smaller scale as the entirety of her leg was covered in sound waves.
âShadow Make: Forge!â Seto chanted, creating rather than a solid defence a soft one. A black pillow appeared in front of him, but not just one⊠An entire wall of pillows divided the two combatants! It absorbed the soundwave, even if most were destroyed and severed into particles of black energy; in and of itself making a smokescreen for KisaraâŠ
âDisappointing.â Seto murmured, clasping his hands together once more for what he considered the final blow. Using the smashed pillows and their darkness as a cover, he forged the particles into a giant wolfâs maw behind Kisara, which surely would intercept her dropkick if she kept going⊠Werenât it for a little warning. Oliver, who had been watching the whole fight both in the present and future, had tipped Kisara few seconds before before Setoâs spell would even be cast.
âShadow Make: Fenrir!â
In a sense having that screen was to her benefit however she herself could not see her opponent. It was thanks to Olivers words of warning that she knew of Seto's oncoming attack. However it was difficult to change her trajectory so quickly. The first thing Kisara tried to attempt was bring her arms back down to form a new sound wave that was just a single beam of concentrated sound. Letting her body continue its course she used a loose wave of sound to stop her movement although she came to a jittering stop.
Barely catching herself Kisara whistled a pitch that would make those with sensitive ears cry and if one was too close their ears bleed a little. Suddenly her body seemed to vibrate just the slightest and she slammed her palms into the ground bringing her legs up into a single handstand.The action cause the ground to tear up as it rippled and moved to let the sound go its course. The sound filled the room cracking the walls and going so far as to shake most of the mansion.
Letting her body roll forwards she used her momentum to push forwards. Bring her fist up in hopes it would connect with its intended target as he would no doubt be stumbling to get himself balanced. After that shrill whistle most if her movements were incredibly fast with a little bit more power behind them. If Seto managed to evade the punch he'd still have to deal with the small push behind it. Following up after that punch Kisara would take as many chances she can to attack Seto before her spell ran out along with most of her energy and hopefully his.
The trembling caught Seto off balance; causing his attack to disperse. Quickly Seto widened his stance to remain on two feet, bracing himself for an oncoming attack, but Kisara was too fast for him to properly bring his guard up. Gutted in the stomach, the Shadow Make mage was sent sliding through the room. That Kisara was more perceptive than heâd thought⊠And fast too! Despite the gut-wrenching blow heâd suffered, Seto was still in decent shape to counter;
âShadow Make: Bind!â
Tendrils spiraled from the the floor in front of Seto. Heâd been observant enough to notice Kisara had only gone for frontal attacks at melee range so far⊠And no matter how fast she was, if sheâd fall into his trap now she would be immobilised⊠If only Oliver didnât whisper of these plans to Kisara as well...
Even with the shadowy tendrils now in her way Kisara merely let sound erupt from her body as a sort of armour that pushed and cut the inky black away. A smile broke out onto her lips. It had been a while since she had this much fun. If it weren't for Oliver she would have had quite a bit of trouble dealing with the mage. Once she figured out what his magic was exactly she understood how it worked for the most part but the spells capable of being cast were unknown to her.
Dropping down low she twisted her body so that her legs were in the air and kicking out at anything close to them. They destroyed a few of the tendrils before she used her arms to push herself upwards and onto her feet. The dark mage was curious as to how Oliver was holding up and was a bit surprised the Shadow Mage hadn't figured it out yet. Her speed was obviously diminishing but that didn't mean wasn't a force to be reckoned with. Standing still for once as her previous spell died away Kisara breathed heavy for a moment before it calmed down enough to not be so noticeable.
"Have you had enough boy? I'm a bit surprised you've held up for so long. Many of my opponents would have been out by now." A cheeky grin danced on her face as she awaited his reaction. All she was doing was giving her time to rest even if it was only a little.
âHmph, youâre better than you let on.â Seto gritted. The flurry of attacks was taking the toll on his body, and it took Seto more than a little effort to stand up. When he got on his feet once more, however, his eyes had darkened and given Kisara a death glare. She needed time to recover, and he needed time to think. Sure, his opponent was fast, but it was as if she was acting on instinct; knowing exactly how to counter his Shadow Make at a secondâs notice. He needed to corner her, focus on forcing an opening⊠But that was no easy feet against an opponent with that much speed⊠UnlessâŠ
âShadow Make: Gauntlet.â Seto chanted, as shadows black as pitch wrapped from his wrists to his knuckles. Adapting a boxing stance, Seto gestured Kisara to come at himâŠ
âOh, heâs a tricky one.â Oliver whispered through Kisaraâs linked spell, quite amused by what heâd seen. âItâs a trap, Kisara.â He warned, already seeing what would happen if Kisara would continue her straight-forward attacks. âOnce he touches you, heâs going to hit you good. Be careful.â
[color=BF40FF] âIs that so?â[/color] she said with a smirk. Wiping away a bead of sweat as it rolled down her jawline. The Sound Mage was somewhat surprised that her opponent would want her to make the first move this far into the game but she would nonetheless. However even if she had the heads up sheâd have to be careful with how she approached it. The woman was already reaching into her reserves thanks to her last spell and her magic wasnât exactly meant for sneak attacks. Now how to deal with this fellow. An idea then came to mind but sheâd have to time it perfectly in order for it to work correctly.
Taking her own stance it was similar to Setoâs but more relaxed. Looking at him closely she could see that his stance was slightly off but it wouldnât give him too much trouble considering how well heâs been doing so far. His magicâs a tricky one and annoying. Rolling her shoulders Kisara took quick steps forwards jabbing at his face. It was a feint meant to lessen the amount of area he hit with his attack as well as to keep him from noticing the two magic seals. One was hovering close to her body ready to move to where he attacked, while the other seal was being formed underneath him. The first defensive seal was weak in order to concentrate power in the offensive seal, so Kisara was taking a risk with this. Before Seto would even realize, hopefully, a barrage of concentrated sound would erupt from the ground below him.
Blasted up in the air, Seto realised something⊠Kisaraâs ability wasnât to quickly adapt⊠It was to predict his moves. His train of thought came to a halt as he was smashed into the ceiling, as dust dwindled down upon the scene as a lazy summer rain.
âClever-â Seto groaned, feeling his body ache all over, especially when he barely caught himself dropping down. If anything, the sweat on Kisaraâs brow proved she had underestimated his resilience, but the dark mage was still in far better shape than him. He circled his opponents slightly, placing Kisara between Oliver and him.
Seto rapidly made a sign, âShadow Make: Dart!â He chanted, launching a seemingly straightforward attack to Kisara, who easily dodged it thanks to Oliverâs warning⊠But then the spell continued on itâs way towards Oliver⊠Who also dodged it, even though the attack should have come from a blind spot for the masked mage.
â-I was wondering why you didnât go for a direct attack last time.â Seto frowned, though even the expression itself hurt. He had to think quickly, but now he had figured out their secret, Kisara and Oliver would likely give him no quarter⊠He had to think fast⊠But the dust from the ceiling still lingering gave Seto an idea⊠But it was risky and would demand all his remaining magic suppliesâŠ
âDarkness Embodied: Titan!â
Dark energy sprouted from Setoâs skin like ribbons; strapping around his body layer by layer. His right arm grew fastest, and with a massive force it would rampage through the room; destroying the ceiling and walls alike. Unchecked, Seto would cloud the entire room with dust and debris⊠But it wouldnât end there. From the amassed dark energy, locusts would sprout and swarm the roomâŠ
Oliver knew what was coming, as well as that he would be unable to stop it by himself. âKisara! Donât let him finish his move!â Oliver yelled at the sound mage, for the first time in the fight worrying about what was coming...
The dark Mage did all she could to get out of the way of the falling ceiling, letting loose a volley of short blasts of sound to destroy any falling debris. Taking note of Oliver's instructions Kisara rushed towards Seto just as a decently large chunk of the ceiling fell in between them. Jumping back in time to avoid it a cloud of dust burst into the air clouding her vision.
Coughing briefly for once in the whole time they were fighting Kisara seemed to be under strain. Knowing she wouldn't reach him in time, Kisara formed a new seal and brought it to her lips and then blew on it. The seal began to grow in size until it formed a near complete barrier around herself. A brief look of relief flashed across her face but she realized Oliver was no longer near enough to be within the barrier. Frowning Kisara began to whistle in order to keep the barrier up while moving towards Oliver. She couldn't risk running least her breathe stutter and lose the barrier. It was obvious she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long, not because she was running out of energy but the sheer fact that if she stopped to breathe the barrier would fall.
Kisara knew the barrier was weak since she made it so it could last. The sound Mage only had enough energy to do one or two more spells regarding sound but even her body was beginning to become sluggish.
A swarm of shadow locusts danced alongside the dust; an ill omen if there was any. Many would land on Kisaraâs barrier, slowly but surely eating their way through her magical shield. However, Oliver was not so luckyâŠ
âOuch, ouch, ouch!â The boy squealed, rubbing his eyes and jolting around. While nobody could see anything, Kisara as a sound mage would probably realise Setoâs strategy at this point.
With nothing to see, there would be no predicting any of the shadow mageâs attacks⊠Whereas Seto would use sound as a rough locator⊠Specifically Oliverâs cries.
The titanâs arm swept across the room in Oliverâs direction, using itâs girth as a substitute for accuracy. It hit Oliver with itâs wrist and slammed him into - No, through the wall! In one hit, Oliver had been taken out and the playing field had been levelled. However, Seto understood that this trick wouldnât work on Kisara. Not on itâs own at least. The titanâs hand reached for the whistling sound, but dispersed into a dozen of tentacles; each and every single one, once having found their way to the barrier, wrapped around it. Seto patiently waited for Kisara to drop her barrier, at which exact moment, the tentacles would make a full-body wrapper, leaving the sound mage no way to escape.
Shit her brow furrowed as her mind worked hard in deciding her next move. If she understood correctly the shadow mage was waiting for her to lose focus and lower her guard, thus weakening her barrier even more. Kisara could already see that the locust were eating away at it and she wouldn't be able to continue for very much longer. Her lips set into a grim line Kisara let her barrier drop and in those few seconds used the remainder of her magic to hopefully push back the tentacles.
Slamming her hands together a burst of sound exploded from her fingertips either destroying or pushing back anything out of her arms reach. It honestly wasn't strong enough to seriously injure a person let alone destroy the amount of tentacles to get her out this predicament. Cursing under breathe Kisara knew it was pointless to struggle since she not only had no more magical energy to rely on but she was now constricted with little to no room to move.
Kisaraâs spell only delayed the inevitable. The darkness embodied spells were the strongest in Setoâs arsenal and resilient as well. Tentacle by tentacle wrapped her form in cold darkness, blocking her sight, chilling her skin and constraining her every movement. It was not hard to see where this branch of Setoâs magic got itâs title fromâŠ
Except for that of his tentacles arm, the mass of shadow muscles dispersed from Setoâs body, leaving a heavily panting mess of a man, clearly paler than his usual self. Coldly he stared at the grip he had on Kisara, for a sliver of a second lost in thought. With his muscles resisting every move, Seto used his free hand to weave one final sign.
âShadow Make: Bind.â
The tentacles emitted dark energy, dispersing into the atmosphere and the remainders shrunk to the tendrils Kisara had cut through so easily before. They mummified her, putting emphasis on binding the ankles, wrists and jaws tightly together. Although it was evident the spell was inferior to itâs predecessor, it would still easily serve itâs purpose of keeping Kisara in check in her weakened state.
Exhausted, Seto dropped to his knees, grabbing the case of his katana to keep himself from falling over. Now the scene had settled, he looked at the wreckage around him. The destruction was a sight to behold, the room not even remotely reminiscent of how it had looked when he first entered it and some of the blackest of his magic still wandering in the air⊠But past that he could see the bound Kisara and the unconscious, but breathing Oliver, and Seto couldnât help but smile.
âFairy Tail wizards do not take lives, isnât that right, master?â