On the central floating landmass, Sera and Talon both stared at each other across from the ruined battlefield. Neither spoke a single word.
Sera suddenly raised her right hand towards Talon and a barrage of strings lashed out with insane speed. They danced through the air, twisting and bending in ways that seemed to defied physics, making them nearly impossible to predict.
"String Blade Whip!"
Strings cleaved multiple towering trees cleanly into numerous pieces, while others curved midair, aiming directly for Talon's midsection.
Talon, who looked completely bored, flicked her wrist.
The strings stopped mid-flight, trembling as if caught in an invisible grip. With a nonchalant wave of her hand, she redirected the attack, sending the strings slicing harmlessly into the ground below her.
She then raised her hand, palm facing outward, flinging rocks, trees, and debris violently toward Sera.
Numerous strings intertwined in front of Sera, forming a makeshift shield. The debris shattered against the barrier, but the sheer force of the impact sent her skidding backward. She smiled despite the strain on her body.
With a dramatic flair, she spread her arms wide. Strings erupted outward, spreading in all directions like a massive spider web. The strings snapped tight and blitzed towards Talon with terrifying speed, slicing everything in their path.
Talon reacted instantly, thrusting her hand forward, palm facing up. The ground in front of her exploded upward, creating a makeshift shield. The strings sliced through it like butter, but she was already gone.
She flew into the air, her body surrounded by the glow of her pink essence. With a flick of her finger, rocks, trees, and debris rose around her, floating like planets orbiting a star.
Without any clear warning, she hurled them all toward Sera.
Sera's strings intercepted them, cutting through some and deflecting others. But Talon wasn't done.
She extended her arm, palm facing downward, and the entire floating island seemed to tremble and groan.
The ground beneath Sera cracked and buckled as an invisible force pressed down on it. Sera staggered, her knees buckling slightly as she fought to stay upright.
In a desperate move, she lashed out with her strings again. But this time Talon didn't dodge them. Instead, the strings seemed to disintegrate out of thin air right before reaching her. Sera panted heavily as she tried to steady herself. Blue blood trickled from her mouth and nose.
"Her power… it's monstrous. I can't even touch her." Sera thought, as she took in the destruction around her.
Her eyes eventually landed on Talon again across from her, floating slightly above the ground with her arms folded, seemingly bored. Sera's hands trembled slightly as sweat dripped down her face. She frantically calculated her next move, trying to find an opening, a weakness, anything that could turn the tide in her favor. But her thoughts were cut short as Talon began to speak.
"Honestly, this is pretty embarrassing. All this effort, and you still can't land a hit? I mean, seriously. Did you forget your lines? Lose your stage directions? Hmph, this is pathetic…"
Sera's eye twitched.
But Talon wasn't finished.
"Face it, Sera. You're not even good enough to be a side act, let alone the main event. Maybe you should've stuck to handing out flyers in the streets."
Sera's bloodied blue lips began to form a sly smile.
"You really don't get it, don't you?" She muttered out.
"I don't? Well please, do enlighten me." Talon retorted, a small smirk forming.
Sera straightened up.
"You see, the show hasn't even begun."
Talon's smirk faded away.
"Here we go again… What are you babbling about now?"
Sera chuckled softly. Her blue wings spread wide open behind her.
"All this time, you've been under the impression that I'm merely an actress—a performer seeking the spotlight." She said as she began to ascend slowly into the air.
"But in truth,I have no desire to be on the stage. No interest in playing a part written by someone else. My true ambition is to be a director! The one who orchestrates every movement, who controls what everyone sees and does."
"That's cute you'd actually spare us from your horrendous acting, but I don't care. No amount of your pathetic speeches will save you."
Sera's smile widened, looking nearly unnatural and demonic at this point.
"Speeches? No, darling. Consider this your introduction to the cast members!"
She raised her left hand, fingers spread wide.
"Allow me to present: Marionette's Domain!!!"
From her palm, thousands upon thousands of shimmering strings exploded outward. They spread out then down the floating land down to the ground below, snaking across the terrain with uncanny speed. Talon's eyes darted around, trying her best to track their movements.
"What is she up to?" She thought, unfolding her arms and readying herself for whatever is to come.
On one of the other floating landmasses, high above in the dense canopy of the forest, Kaeline moved silently from branch to branch. She paused, sensing a disturbance.
"Something's off…"
The next moment, a draconian warrior lunged at her from behind, sword above his head ready to strike. Kaeline spun, narrowly avoiding the blade by mere inches.
"A draconian? And why is he attacking me?"
But there was something wrong… the warrior's movements were stiff, unnatural.
Before she could ponder further, two more draconians emerged, launching mini fireballs in her direction. She leapt backward, the flames scorching the space she'd occupied moments before.
She landed lightly on a tree branch, assessing her attackers. The three draconians perched across from her, expressions blank, as if they were mere bodies with no souls.
"Why are you attacking me?" She asked, but received no response from either one.
Then, she sensed something else. Without hesitation, she performed a swift hand sign.
"Shadow Step."
She melted into her own shadow just as a massive essence blast obliterated the trees, vaporizing the three warriors as well. From below, Velzari emerged, his eyes glowing with malevolent intent.
"Damn witch." He growled, scanning the area.
"You can't hide forever… Kaeline!"
Back on the central floating island, Talon found herself surrounded. Hundreds of starborne troupe lackeys and Draconian warriors closed in, their bodies jerking in unnatural ways, faces and eyes blank.
She floated slightly above the ground, eyes flickering from one blank face to another.
"Using corpses now? That's low, even for scum like you."
Sera descended, her feet touching the ground.
"They are my actors, and this is my grand production. And you, Talon, will play the leading role."
She waved her hand with a little more dramatic flair. The lackeys and draconian warriors responded, lunging forward.
Talon extended her armand invisible waves of energy shot forward, targeting the strings connecting Sera to the victims.
But unlike before, nothing happened.
The strings remained intact.
"What the—?"
Talon tried again, but it was no use. The strings wouldn't break.
"Why can't I destroy them? I severed them earlier with ease. What's different now?"
Her focus was interrupted as a barrage of fireballs lit the air, hurtling towards her.
"Oh dear, has my poor little psychic prodigy lost her touch? What's wrong? Where's that smug little face of yours?" Sera said in the same mocking manner as Talon did her before.
Several starborne troupe lackeys, armed with swords and spears, raced toward Talon. Her eyes began to glow as she prepared to unleash a devastating attack.
"I'll show you—"
But something stopped her.
It was a voice.
"Help… me."
She froze immediately, her eyes widening as the words entered her ears. She stared at the approaching lackeys, their faces twisted in unnatural smiles. But beneath the lifeless glaze of their eyes, she caught it—a flicker of fear, of desperation.
"They're alive?" She realized, her stomach dropping to her feet.
"These aren't corpses. She's controlling living people!"
Her concentration wavered, just for a moment… and that was all Sera needed.
From across the battlefield, Sera's eyes glinted with delight as she caught Talon's hesitation. She raised her hand dramatically, her voice ringing out.
"Action!"
A draconian warrior materialized beside Talon, moving with blinding speed. His scaly blue body glowed faintly, an ominous light building within him.
Talon's heart skipped a beat as she turned her head, her eyes locking onto the warrior.
His face showed pure agony, but his smile was larger than life.
"When did h–"
BOOOOOOOOOM!!
A fiery explosion erupted as the warrior's body detonated mere inches from her.