I stood frozen, watching as the battlefield shifted in an instant. Now it wasn't just between Jaipa and Obari, but between six of the Stones and Jaipa alone.
"What's happening?" I whispered, more to myself than anyone. The air was growing thick with tension, buzzing like a strange melody.
Jaipa stood alone, with an intensity I hadn't seen in his eyes before. Despite still being my opponent, crimson attention had shifted completely to the confrontation unfolding before us. The Six Stones had formed a loose semicircle around Jaipa. Obari, still partially burned from Jaipa's earlier attack, moved back to join his companions.
"The mark of claim," I murmured, touching my own cheek. I couldn't think about it much because of the battle unfolding before me.
Without warning, the one with the staff struck first, slamming his twisted branch into the ground. Fissures erupted beneath Jaipa's feet, but he was already airborne, his wings carrying him upward with incredible speed.
"Buzz!" he called out, and suddenly his movements blurred. One moment he was in the air, the next he appeared behind the bandaged one, striking with such force that the ground shook beneath our feet.
The bandaged Stone, despite his covered eyes, somehow sensed the attack and pivoted, raising a hand that glowed with pale light. When Jaipa's strike connected, there was a sound like a thunder clapping, and both combatants were thrown backward by the force of their collision.
"Impressive... for a youngster like you," the bandaged one said, seemingly unharmed by Jaipa's attack.
The child-like Stone, who had been lounging on his floating rock, now sat up straight, his expression suddenly serious. "Can I kill him?" he asked, his voice high yet too mature somehow chilling
"Patience, 9th," the old man beside him said.
Jaipa didn't wait for them to strategize. He went all out from the start, his movements were too fast for me to grasp or even for those Stones to track as he appeared behind Obari again
"Depth," he muttered, throwing a simple, slow punch that reminded me of the normal Jaipa I knew
Obari's expression changed to something like confusion. "What the hell is he doing?" he said and tryed to deflect Jaipa's punch with a simple gesture of his hand. But as their hands made contact !
Obari's expression changed again. "I... I can't! Deflect his punch?"
Jaipa's deceptively slow punch broke through his guard, and the next second, Obari flew past me, landing at least fifty meters away seeing obari flew that long everyone's eyes were widened with a question of, what had just happened ?
When I turned to look at Obari, he didn't move for a while, then he made small movements as a sign of being alive
Turning back, I saw that now five of the Stones were upon Jaipa without giving him another chance to single one out. Only the staff-holding Stone stood back thinking about it now, he must be a magic user like in those novels.
Time seemed to slow as I watched five of the Stones converge on Jaipa in a perfect formation, their movements synchronized like a deadly dance they must have performed countless times before beside me crimson stood still but not unaware of what was happening
"Seal the area," Crimson said, his voice cutting through the tension of the battle
The tattooed Stone slammed his palm to the ground, and instantly a dome of shimmering energy encased the battlefield. Suddenly a weight pressed down on my body as the air itself had become dense with energy and pressure
Jaipa's four eyes narrowed, his body tensing as he assessed the approaching threat. I couldn't help him. One wrong move and I'd be involved too.
The child-like Stone reached him first, moving with speed that belied his small stature. "Let's see how long you last," he taunted, throwing a devastating punch at Jaipa.
Jaipa caught it with one hand, the impact sending shockwaves through the air that whipped my hair back. But in that moment of contact, the bandaged Stone appeared behind him with his palms glowing with the same pale light
"Behind you!" I shouted before I could stop myself.
Jaipa didn't turn around. Instead, his wings flared wide, their edges suddenly sharpening like blades. They slashed backward like his wings could see, forcing the bandaged Stone to leap away. But it had been a feint the old man was already moving in, his previously frail hands now crackling with dark energy.
Jaipa whispered something, and when the old man's attack connected, a sound like hitting an iron wall rang out. The old man's eyes widened, as did all the other Stones'. Jaipa hadn't moved even an inch after getting hit with that punch. The old man instantly leaped back, maintaining distance between them.
Crimson was still watching, as I was, with calculating eyes before finally joining the fray.
What happened next was almost too fast for my eyes to track. The air filled with flashes of light and thunderous impacts as all the Stones attacked simultaneously from different angles. Jaipa's form blurred while he whispered to himself.
Obari swung his circular weapon, which separated into segments connected by crackling energy. It wrapped around Jaipa's arm, but he didn't try to pull free. Instead, he yanked the Stone toward him and again whispered something. In that instant, Obari was sent flying back by Jaipa's punch.
"Jaipa... is he evolving? His punches are faster than before." Now I was just a spectator in this battle i had changed position with jaipa now
"That thing!" the bandaged one said. "Captain, could we lift the ! "
"Patience, Three! We don't even know what is happening here right now ? . Let's watch for a bit," Crimson replied and with that, the all-out battle resumed.
I held my breath, certain I was about to witness Jaipa's defeat...
But then his eyes flashed, all four of them changing from green to a brilliant dark blue. Again he muttered something just like before i couldn't hear him, but I didn't need to hear it because I could see ! what was coming next. Not only me all of the Stones could see it too.
We all looked up at the sky at the same time Above us floting countless war machines were shining with dark blue energy
"Fuckkk! " Seven of the Stones exclaimed in tempo !