One after another, the impact of their strikes shook the room, like rippling rain with no end in sight. Each strike falling faster than the last as both displaying the beauty in their technique, fighting for hours on end. Giving time no say in this fight.
"Your holding out well but don't stop now! We're going to pick up the pace!"
Pinching onto his thumb and the back on his right hand, Maradi flips over his fist, digging both her feet into his chest as she presses down hard. Launching Iramo straight into a tree so hard it demolished the ground. Barely giving him time to scold Maradi as he staggers back to his feet and leaps into the falling trees.
"Pick up the pace?! You sure you don't wanna slow back down?!"
In an instance a trail of light crossed the sky forming a fist, pushing Iramo out the tree, digging deep into his arms, forcing them back into his chest. Burning up his shirt and leaving singe marks on his vest as Maradi's body materialized, sitting in the trees.
"Don't complain now! You asked for my best so now I'll give you a taste! But I am the strongest Driver so don't be too upset when you can't match my pace."
Its time for The Queen Of Lies to show her face.
Throwing herself backwards off the tree, Maradi forms two brilliant lights and slams them together in the palms of her hands. Blinding Iramo as she falls to the ground and takes a step back. Shouting a phrase to the sky as she pulls her hand over her face.
"New Blue! Set drain to Ultra Black!"
He's been doing good so far but I really do need to end this before she gets back. If Saranai finds out I've been training him right out of bed, I'll never hear the end. Hehehe she cares way to much for me to believe their just friends who promised to make each others dreams come true! That's right! As your big sister I have to make sure your dreams come true too! So making your "friend" stronger is the least I can do!
Draining the fleeting color from the room, the lights fade away and Maradi's skin begins to crack. Peeling her precious face away and leaving pure radiance behind. A light so pure you could only find it among the stars. An the moment Iramo opened his eyes, he saw that same overpowering radiance split into ten and began frantically looking around.
No matter how much I rub my eyes the others won't go away! I though maybe she just hit me to hard but no way this is just in my head! We we're the only ones to come in so where the fuck did she find the other nine?! If this the next level she could at least do with two and I'd be fine! But you see I can't even beat YOU then you bring out NINE!!
But soon he'd learn it was no mistake, it was The Queen's First Sin, The Phantoms Light. An for Maradi… it was far more than she needed to end this fight.
Sorry Iramo… I know it will be hard but bare with it, it's tough out there and I don't know what you'll face. But I know that Bio Life is always changing and hardly ever fights fair. So if you can handle yourself now, I know you'll do great out there.
Maradi became an every changing blur, always seen with a different disguise hidden within the light. Taking on a new appearance at every angle even shifting her eyes. Maradi became untraceable, unable to distinguished, She became… an endless lie. Shining so bright she could even fool the sky. Changing anyone mind… even right in front their eyes.
An standing right beside her stood her dolls, forged from the stars. Wearing a familiar face to all, no matter who you are. Because no matter the distant, all memories return to the stars. An each Star Dollcan reach back just as far, into the corners of your mind. Mimicking friend and foe alike as they strike you down or approach from behind.
A special technique that only grows stronger with the perception of the mind… Memory Mirage.
Hey it's me again! lore drop time! There's so much more to it than just the power of the mind. I'll let you discover the full truth on your own but I'll leave just one hint behind. The truth behind it is the same one that we search for while we bide our time. But its the nature of the living to let such a truth slip our mind.
"You're plenty strong Iramo, I know that much now but you need to go further, look deep inside. Unless you can go deeper, this is your limit for now and this will be where we end."
No matter how Iramo tried to fix his eyes on the sight of her, Maradi kept changing before his eyes. Obscuring his vision and putting a strain on his eyes, forcing him to look away then back again.
"So this is you serious? I'm not a fan of it but I can feel the change. You never said this was possible… how can your thoughts reach my brain?"
After a long silence, a shifting voice that could go by a thousand names spoke, sending shivers down Iramo's spine.
"I'm not affecting your mind directly, the effect is trickling down, from your body to your mind. An once the lights in your eyes its only a matter of time, before memories long gone come to visit again. So tell me Iramo… is your will strong enough to face your family and friends? My light can make even the fallen rise again."
Brushing his hands through his hair and back down his face, Iramo glances at the bruises and blisters up and down his arms. Swiftly turning his gaze to the dolls with eyes that could kill, throwing his hands to the side. Showing no fear as they slowly gathered around, looking beyond his eyes and deep into his mind.
But no matter what face the dolls took, Maradi could already tell from one glance, he'd already made up his mind.
No matter what came next— he'd make it feel his pain! Because in his eyes… it comes with each memory, no matter how deep in his brain.
"Honestly I don't know how to answer that and I don't know much about my past but I'm not scared to look it in the eye. If beating these frauds playing pretend means I can see them again, the people I lost along the way— I'll fight anything! No questions asked! The only thing I hate more than not knowing myself, is someone who knows nothing trampling on my past!"
With a click of her fingers, a doll came forth from the line and blocked his path, taking form right before his eyes into his fathers shape. Seething with rage Iramo showed no hesitation as drove his fist right into its face and dragged it down to the ground.
"If your going to impersonate the person closest to me do it with some class! My father would never get hit by that and he would NEVER show his ass!"
Before he could look away, the doll was already twisting his hand. Not by force but with the same technique as his old man. Reversing the impact and driving it back up his hand, pushing Iramo back as he caught by surprise.
"You can even do the thing?! And you even got his eyes! Well I may have never beaten my old man but I can damn sure beat one of his lies!"
Carefully observing from afar Maradi watches the exchange with hubristic pride, holding herself back.
No Maradi! Handouts will not help such a man. He's a lot like Xander, he'll want to grasp the truth with his own two hands even if he has to risk his life! The best I can do is advise him and stop things if they truly get to far.
Amist the fierce exchange of blows, her voice washes over the sky.
"The past will always comes back to haunt you and its first stop will always be the mind but now its become as real as within your head. This is the next level Iramo… TheManifest Of The Mind. Something that is unfathomable for most but I have a feeling you won't see it the same. So for your first lesson of tomorrow, will be the last one of today. Surpass your past! But do not throw your life away!"
Closing the distance with a flickering kick, Iramo strikes the star doll in the right side once and twice over the head. Pulling his leg back expecting to see a bloody face, Iramo was met with a hand instead. Narrowing missing him as he quickly pulls back his head and brings his knee to the sky. Landing right in front the star doll, narrowly missing its head as he throws his weight back onto his hands, launching himself into the air.
"Seriously spawning in with his technique and skill is hardly fair! I don't even know my nature yet, how can I compare to that?!"
Turning into a cloud Iramo carries himself high into the air in an instance, coming down twice as fast and obliterating the ground. But as the smoke began to settle, the star doll shot into the air. Wearing a red cloak his time, moving twice as fast. Saying not a word as it lands in a tree and Iramo appears right before its eyes.
"Oh your fast but I'm on your ass!"
Bringing down his fist hard with heavy winds circling his hand, Iramo locks eyes with the star doll, seeing not the faintest sign of life as the sheer force of the winds blows the trees away, leaving only the star doll behind.
"Good! If that much blew you away, you wouldn't even live up to my dreams!"
That being said, this copy's way stronger than it seems, it tanked that hit just now. If I wanna win this I gotta strike hard and overload it but how can I get past that-
With a brutal strike to his chest, Iramo chocked on his words and slid across the ground, crashing into a sea of debri, holding his side. Slowing rising to his feet, Iramo sees the star doll slowly approaching out the corner of his eye. Yet no matter how close it came Iramo couldn't take his eyes off the sky. For a brief moment, it looked like Iramo was looking beyond the stars and into their hearts.
But impossible as that may seem, nobody's ever tried such a thing… not even at the start.
Is it fair that mortals alone get to dream? What about of the trees? What about the stars? They feel too yet they get little empathy from afar. But we all have dreams… even the stars in the sky. So please… reconsider before sentencing others dreams to die.