Why?
Why the hell?!
You're a caster—how can you stay that calm against a close-range assassin ambush and just blow him away?
Aren't you supposed to be surprised when I grab your hand, lose focus for half a second, and then get punched into the dirt so we can wrap this up with a happy little pincer?
The Doctor was sweating bullets.
He'd grabbed her to restrain her—now he was the one being restrained.
I'm dead.
Black Originium energy seeped up around Amiya, swallowing her and the Doctor.
She was about to leave—dragging him with her.
But then—
Boots pounded the ground.
Ice screamed through the air.
"Let him go!"
Talulah had appeared behind Amiya at some point. She roared, raising her sword and bringing it down.
Amiya's motion stalled. Black Originium energy snapped out like it had eyes, lancing toward Talulah.
But—
"Got you!"
Talulah twisted her movement and dodged.
That strike was a feint.
The real threat was the ice she'd body-blocked for.
Two streams of frost curled around Talulah like fish, splitting to either side and crashing straight into Amiya.
Against Kevin's punch, Amiya had reacted instantly—there was no way she'd miss this.
Originium energy flared into a shield, stopping both attacks.
They didn't hit her, but they froze the area into slick, cracking ice.
"...Annoying," Talulah hissed, about to unleash fire—
Sixth Stage: Shana!
Kevin was back.
He moved so fast Talulah saw only an afterimage. When she blinked, he was already in front of Amiya.
Holding back because she looked young would get him killed.
Golden pupils ignited in Kevin's eyes.
Faster fists. Heavier force.
And still, Amiya reacted, like a machine reading inputs. The moment someone attacked, she executed the perfect counter.
A black circular barrier wrapped Amiya and the Doctor inside.
Kevin's punch smashed into it. The shock shattered the ground beneath his feet.
Blood ran from his hand. It felt like punching a concrete wall bare-knuckled—pain blooming after the impact.
The barrier held perfectly, blocking every angle.
Amiya's gaze swept over Kevin, Talulah, FrostNova… then settled on the Doctor.
Black energy welled up again, preparing to spirit her and the Doctor away.
Was there really nobody who could stop her?
No.
There was one.
The Doctor—still interlaced with her fingers.
Arts-wise, Amiya completely outclassed everyone here.
But physically?
The Doctor would flatten her.
He took a deep breath.
"I'm a researcher, sure—but I still throw hands when I have to!"
"Now's that time!"
He squeezed hard.
Amiya staggered, entirely unprepared, falling toward him.
Confusion flickered in those dead eyes—like she couldn't accept that a mere researcher could have this kind of strength.
"Bear with it!" the Doctor shouted, and swung.
Amiya instinctively tried to raise Originium energy to block—
But when she saw the Doctor's clenched teeth, the reckless, desperate punch—
Her motion stuttered.
Like a machine jammed by a conflicting command.
The Doctor's fist slammed into her face.
The girl flew backward. The black barrier collapsed. She hit the ground hard, and something fell from her pocket.
"That's the key!"
FrostNova swallowed her shock and lunged without hesitation.
Whatever the cost, she had to take it—only the key could make this city move again.
But as she dove—
Amiya's eyes snapped open.
Black Originium energy shot out.
Before FrostNova's unbelieving stare—
It pierced the key.
FrostNova froze as she stared at the wreckage. Her eyes trembled.
The key was destroyed.
Chernobog could never be activated now.
Amiya floated back up as if the punch had meant nothing. Her empty eyes fixed on the Doctor.
"She's not gonna hold that against us, right?" the Doctor muttered, wiping sweat away, and pulled Kevin in front of him.
"What do we do now?" Kevin asked low.
"We ask those two." The Doctor meant Talulah and FrostNova.
"Talulah! What now?" he yelled.
She jolted out of her shock, gritted her teeth, and shouted back.
"Withdraw immediately!"
"The key is ruined. This city... is finished."
As if to confirm her words, a Catastrophe lightning bolt tore through the thick clouds in the distance.
The Catastrophe was coming.
"Then run!" the Doctor said.
With the key shattered, Talulah and FrostNova had no choice. They retreated toward the Doctor and Kevin, staying wary of Amiya.
Amiya, meanwhile, stood still like a doll, making no move to follow.
They all saw it.
But there was no time to care—and no way to handle her anyway.
She was too strong.
The girl watched their backs in silence. A faint spark briefly returned to her eyes—
Then began to fade again.
Elsewhere on the battlefield—
Patriot's shield was braced against a massive greatsword.
Banshee Arts wove through the fighting, cutting soldiers down.
An unseen assassin lurked in the ruins, striking whenever an opening appeared.
Reunion was on the verge of collapse.
Patriot and his men didn't falter.
They would hold this line, stopping these enemies until his daughter and the leader he trusted finished what they came here to do.
When a white little cat lifted another giant sword to hurl at Patriot—
She froze.
The huge blade turned in midair—
And stabbed straight toward her.
The earth screamed. Dust swallowed everything.
Two figures dropped into the warzone.
And the battle's flow changed.
-------
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