Little by little, the scattered ash began to fill the gap created by Shoun's attack, who was currently recovering from the impact of his own strike.
—(This... it's still not perfect, but I can finally counterattack)— thought the young man as he looked at his own arm. His new fighting style, "Balance Voltage," focused on one thing: balance. Entering an overloaded state was not an option; while it was more powerful, the pain simply didn't allow him to think at his full capacity, and it also endangered his life in the long run. Limiting the amount of electricity he absorbed wasn't an option either, so he decided that, as an apprentice, he would have to walk the fine line between overload and limitation—(Maybe when I become a Dominator, I can take advantage of the overload... I'll have to wait for that moment).
The strike he had just executed, the "Balance Voltage Strike," used approximately 50% of his core. Since it was inefficient to operate at less than 100%, he had to keep moving the electricity as soon as he absorbed it. If he delayed even a little, it could take a toll on his body and his core. Fortunately, at this moment, he was only slightly paralyzed and could rejoin the battle almost immediately.
—(I need absolute concentration; one small mistake and I'll be crippled for an entire battle... I guess that's the result of walking a tightrope)— As for the punch itself, it basically involved charging his fist with the desired amount of electricity to release (in this case, 50%) and executing a punch where all the excess electricity would be discharged in a cone-shaped explosion.
Soon after, the Vestige within the ash resumed its offensive, just in time for Shoun to rejoin the fight.
—Is that trick new? It looks pretty powerful— Deuz commented as he arrived next to the young man. The masked figure wasn't far behind, nodding in agreement with Deuz's words.
—You could say I've finally grasped an essential part of my ability... I think we might have a chance against that thing, though I'm not sure... Try not to distract me during this state, or I might hurt myself— Without another word, the young man shot toward the monster within the ash. The others followed from their respective positions, and quickly, ash tentacles began to surround each of them. This time, however, the young man wouldn't fall behind.
As he began to absorb electricity, he struck any tentacle that crossed his path. Despite this, he was gradually being surrounded. He thought about using the Balance Voltage Strike again, but he felt it would limit his options for counterattacking. After all, it was an imperfect technique that required a lot of electricity, yet it was his most powerful attack. So, he decided to try something new.
When the tentacles surrounded him, Shoun defended himself calmly. His core was already full, but he continued to absorb electricity, releasing it in a controlled manner through his limbs. At times, his electricity leaked into the air, causing his hair to stand on end from the static. At one point, he spotted a small opening between the tentacles, just big enough for him to pass through. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have been fast enough to reach it, but of course, he was now beyond those old limitations.
By slightly emptying his core, he allocated an extra 20% to each leg. The extra expenditure didn't concern him, as his core would be refilled in the next few moments. Before his body could feel the strain of the overload, he expelled all the extra electricity beneath his feet, just as he jumped. All these actions combined created an overwhelming impulse that allowed Shoun to pass through the opening, momentarily freeing himself from the Vestige's attacks.
Balance Voltage Impulse!
Landing softly on the ground, he noticed that both Deuz and Kaze had also managed to overcome the attacks in their own ways, opening the window for a counteroffensive.
—Attack first! I need to be sure where that thing is!— Without questioning Shoun's demand, both apprentices followed the order. Kaze began cutting through the upper right side of the ash monster, while Deuz summoned his own shadow tentacles to slice through the lower left side. Both offensives revealed that the Vestige wasn't in either of those places, so Shoun knew where to aim his destructive attack—(Right in the middle... Isn't that too predictable?)
Without further delay, he began absorbing even more electricity while mobilizing it. The Vestige within the ash detected that Shoun was the greatest threat at that moment due to his previously demonstrated destructive power, so all the tentacles and waves of ash moved to block the punch he was preparing.
—Predictable— the young man declared briefly. His slightly hunched posture and the way he positioned his right arm made it seem like he was about to throw a punch, which was exactly what he wanted everyone to believe. In his current state, he wasn't limited to a couple of moves. To win this battle, the only option he saw was to constantly evolve, and he was more than willing to do so.
Instead of throwing a punch, he used the Balance Voltage Impulse again, but only lightly. With a small jump, he bypassed all the barriers set up by the Vestige. In mid-air, he began to spin his body, executing a tornado kick with his right leg, which was charged with an extra 50% electricity. The kick released a lightning slash that struck directly at the center of the ash monster.
Balance Voltage Tornado Kick!
—------------------------------------------------------------
Inside the dark mausoleum, Sein could be seen running nervously through the ash, illuminated only by the glow of his ability. The little one ventured deeper and deeper into the abandoned structure.
—Come on, come on, I'm close!— Without much hesitation, the little one looked into the room previously occupied by the ash monster. Gripping his sword tightly, he entered with his guard up. Inside, there was only one thing besides the ash: an altar.
The altar was located against the far wall of the room. It was made of a stone similar to the one used to construct the other buildings in the City of Ash. The altar had no special engravings or anything of the sort. On it rested a folder, which didn't match the architecture of the city. Besides the folder, there were also yellow flowers on the altar, which, despite having been abandoned long ago, still looked as if they had just been picked.
—...There doesn't seem to be any trap— Cautiously, the little one approached the altar and took the folder, knocking many of the flowers to the ground in the process— I need to hurry. I think it'll be faster if I leave and come back— Without further concern, Sein stored the documents inside his jacket and began to activate the visa. At the same time, the flowers that had fallen from the altar turned into ash, merging with the ash already on the ground. Unaware of this, the little one disappeared from the mirror world and returned to his own.
—------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone's vision was slightly obscured by the ash that had been stirred up. Shoun fell to the ground, barely able to move momentarily due to his most recent attack. He was almost crushed by a wave of ash but was saved at the last moment by Kaze.
—Thanks...— The masked figure didn't respond, as he was focused on the monster within the ash. Indeed, the strike had hit the center of the creature, but the ash in that area hadn't yielded to the young man's attack, though multiple cracks could be seen in some parts.
The Vestige began to undergo a metamorphosis. The ash that formed its shell became more diffuse, merging with the surrounding ash. The next moment, enormous ash tornadoes began to form within the city, creating a massive storm that severely blocked the vision of all the apprentices. As a follow-up move, a multitude of tentacles formed around them and immediately launched an attack.
—Damn it!— Shoun, who hadn't fully recovered yet, couldn't re-enter the Balance Voltage state, so he was overwhelmed by the increasing number of attacks, compounded by his obscured vision. Luckily, Kaze was by his side to cover him and help him withstand the first wave of attacks. Deuz wasn't far behind, joining in to defend together.
—This situation... hasn't it become too unfavorable?— asked the boy with the beret as he destroyed a wave of ash with his daggers. Deuz was obviously referring to the fact that, like Shoun, the Vestige had adapted to their fighting style, making its body even more diffuse while increasing its attack power— At this rate, we'll have to retreat for real.
—No! There has to be a way— Shoun shouted desperately, using all his mental capacity to find a way to win. He tried to detect the Vestige's presence through his energy sense, but it was useless due to the small amount of energy present in each grain of ash. Trying something different, he attempted to sense how the monster absorbed spiritual energy from the air. The fact that certain types of Vestiges were classified as "magical" wasn't random, as even before the Codex, the method invented by the elves to perform magic was to use the spiritual energy in the air and combine it with their own to cast a spell. Vestiges essentially did the same thing, but they didn't need to go through the cumbersome processes that mages did. When he tried, Shoun realized once again that it was useless, as the Vestige never stayed in the same place, and the absorption was inconsistent, happening in very short intervals. He concluded that there was only one way to defeat this Vestige, a cumbersome and unrealistic one at that— There's one option... we have to exhaust it.
—Exhaust it?
—I can absorb energy from about 30 meters around me constantly. That should be enough to cover the entire area where we're fighting. Then, it'll have to either move or keep depleting its spiritual energy. At that point, no matter what, we'll be able to attack.
—And do you think all of us can outlast an alpha brute in spiritual energy? I remind you that not all of us here have infinite spiritual energy— the boy with the beret commented, half-jokingly, half-annoyed.
—I know, that's why I don't think it'll really work, but what other option do we have?— Even Shoun knew he couldn't outlast the brute. After all, absorbing so much electricity meant he had to constantly discharge it with the Balance Voltage, and since his technique wasn't fully developed yet, it took a toll on his body. It wasn't as severe as his overloaded state, but if the damage accumulated, he would eventually give out.
—...Fine, focus on defending. Let's cover each other's backs and conserve as much energy as possible— Deuz finally said, causing several of his tentacles to retreat into his shadow, leaving him with only his two dagas and two tentáculos. Kaze deactivated his cloak entirely. Shoun prepared himself and finally gave the signal. His hair stood on end once again from the static.
The areas immediately began to empty of all spiritual energy. Like an ocean, whenever a place was drained of spiritual energy, it was quickly refilled, but Shoun emptied it again just as fast. Shoun, who risked exploding if he didn't release his electricity, began to use several Balance Voltage Impulses in rapid succession. Since his two companions had to limit themselves to conserve energy, he had to make up for their shortcomings, appearing whenever needed, destroying the ash, and disappearing just as quickly.
The Vestige wasn't stupid. It quickly realized what was happening. Its core began to empty, as it wasn't cheap to turn the entire battlefield into its own weapon. Because of this, it began to attack even more fiercely, in more calculated and methodical ways. Using the ash flying from the tornadoes, it camouflaged tentacles from the apprentices' spiritual senses. After all, the detection sense was like another pair of eyes for any apprentice. This forced Shoun to be in more places at once with an even tighter timeframe. His body began to feel the strain of the battle little by little.
Deuz, for his part, was panting. His two tentáculos looked frail. He still had a small reserve of spiritual energy, but if he kept using his tentáculos, he would run out quickly, so he wisely decided to have them retreat into his shadow. Kaze, on the other hand, looked restless. His heavy breathing could be heard behind his mask. His sword, Wind Cutter, seemed to have lost its edge, its characteristic glow almost completely gone.
The situation was, to say the least, unfavorable. They were achieving their goal of exhausting the Vestige, even if only a little. Everyone noticed how, in waves, there were sometimes fewer tentáculos, and at times, some tornadoes spun more tightly, giving them a bit of their vision back. But despite all these small victories, it seemed like they would be the ones to give out first.
Then, tragedy struck. A wave hit them head-on while tentáculos covered their flank. With no other option, the young man prepared his fist and executed the Balance Voltage Strike. Knowing he would be momentarily paralyzed after using that attack, Deuz stepped back to cover him while Kaze handled the flanking tentáculos for a brief moment. The battle had only lasted a few minutes in total, but every moment felt like agony. Their bodies and uniforms were battered, covered in their own blood. As Deuz prepared to withstand the tentáculos, it turned out that they weren't attacking—instead, it was a wave that had been right behind the first one.
Time froze for everyone. They knew that none of them could destroy that attack at that moment. Shoun couldn't move, while both Deuz and Kaze had minimal reserves of spiritual energy. Defending against that attack would leave them in an even worse position. They all knew it. They had lost. There was no other option but to attempt a retreat.
~Pew~
A green shot crossed the entire battlefield and stopped the rapid advance of the wave, causing it to collapse into a pile of ordinary ash, effectively preventing the dangerous situation the young ones were in. The stunned apprentices turned to look at their savior, who was none other than:
—Robin!?
—Fuuu— Robin didn't respond to Shoun's call at first. They simply spun their gun and then blew smoke from the barrel before sticking out their tongue mockingly.