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The battle between Kiera Voss and Vesper Noctis began in a flash of brilliance and shadow. As if erased from reality, Kiera vanished into thin air. Vesper’s sharp eyes darted across the battlefield, his expression calm but alert.
“It’s sad,” Vesper mused, his tone taunting, “that you have to disappear and try to catch me off guard. A real fighter faces their opponent head-on.”
His voice carried through the stillness, but before he could continue, Kiera materialized before him with deadly precision, executing Serpent’s Lethal Strike. Her hand, moving at blinding speed, aimed for his throat—a viper’s deadly bite. Yet, even as she struck, Vesper’s voice continued, eerily calm.
“But even so,” he said, “if a mongoose tries to sneak up on a cobra, the cobra will always find a way to win.”
With impossible grace, Vesper sidestepped the strike and countered with Starlight Devourer. His fist, brimming with the energy of collapsing stars, connected squarely with Kiera’s midsection. The force of the blow sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, and Kiera was hurled into the distance, crashing into the ground with an impact that shook the earth.
The pain was overwhelming, as though the power of a thousand strikes from Captain Doran had concentrated in a single blow. Kiera struggled to her feet, every movement weighted by the lingering force of Starlight Devourer. Before she could fully recover, Vesper appeared before her in an instant, his dark presence towering.
“I truly admire your power,” he said, his tone almost gentle. “I want you to be a part of my campaign. So I’ll spare you for now. But don’t think for a second that your life is safe.”
Vesper raised his hand and activated Spectral Rune Cage. Intricate, dark symbols formed a shimmering prison around Kiera, shrinking with every passing moment and pulling her into the consuming darkness. She fought against the cage’s pressure, but her strength seemed to wane as the symbols tightened their grip.
Satisfied, Vesper prepared to open a shadow portal to return inside Fort Vigilance. But as the swirling darkness began to take form, a sharp pain tore through his chest. He staggered, his eyes widening in shock.
Kiera Voss stood defiantly, a whip-like tendril of energy extending from her hand and piercing the small, tangible spot on Vesper’s chest. Her Venom Lash had found its mark.
“How?” Vesper demanded, his voice laced with frustration and confusion. “How did you manage this?”
Kiera, her whip still taut, began walking toward him, her expression fierce. “I planned for this,” she said coldly. “From the very beginning.”
She explained her strategy:
“Before I approached you, I used Shadowstrike Feint to mislead you. I knew you would rely on Starlight Devourer for your counterattack, so I created an illusion to bait you.”
The narrator elaborated: Shadowstrike Feint allowed Kiera to create deceptive illusions of multiple strikes, confusing her opponent and creating openings for lethal blows.
“Once you revealed your intangibility,” Kiera continued, “I activated Venomous Precision to pinpoint the one spot where you were tangible. I calculated every move.”
Venomous Precision, the narrator explained, granted Kiera the ability to target pressure points with surgical accuracy, disrupting an enemy’s core functions.
Vesper’s lips twisted into a menacing smile. Despite his frustration, he chuckled darkly. “You truly are extraordinary,” he admitted. “Worthy of my respect…and my wrath.”
The air around him crackled with energy as he unleashed Obsidian Constructs. The battlefield shifted violently as shadowy giants, monstrous creatures, and colossal weapons emerged from the darkness. The constructs loomed large, their forms reinforced with unyielding dark energy, and their presence oppressive.
The narrator described: Obsidian Constructs allowed Vesper to create indestructible shadow formations, ranging from massive warriors to devastating weapons, each imbued with lethal power.
With a single motion, Vesper commanded the constructs to attack. Giant blades, nearly 200 inches wide, shot toward Kiera at near-light speed, while shadow giants lumbered forward with crushing force. The assault was relentless, an overwhelming storm of destruction.
Kiera’s reflexes ignited as she activated Viper’s Reflex. She moved with superhuman agility, weaving through the barrage of attacks with precision and grace. The giants’ blows narrowly missed her, their immense weight cratering the ground as Kiera slipped through their strikes.
The narrator explained: Viper’s Reflex heightened Kiera’s agility to unparalleled levels, allowing her to dodge and counter attacks with ease.
But the relentless assault pushed her to her limits. Realizing she needed more, Kiera transitioned into Viper’s Phantom Evasion, her form blurring into afterimages that danced through the battlefield. The constructs’ attacks fell upon illusions, their sheer force tearing through empty air.
The narrator elaborated: Viper’s Phantom Evasion allowed Kiera to move so quickly that she left afterimages, confusing her enemies and setting up devastating counterattacks.
In a stunning display of skill, Kiera countered. Using Serpent’s Lethal Strike, she dismantled the shadow giants one by one, her strikes cutting through their immense forms with surgical precision. She parried the enormous blades with calculated movements, her strength undeterred.
As the final giant fell, Kiera unleashed her ultimate move, Serpent’s Final Constriction. Her movements flowed seamlessly, each strike targeting Vesper’s constructs with deadly efficiency. The battlefield trembled as she delivered the final blow, shattering the last of the Obsidian Constructs.
The tangible part of Vesper’s body seemed to shift as Kiera aimed her decisive strike. Her attack landed with perfect precision, striking the exact spot she had identified earlier. But something was wrong.
Vesper stood unharmed, a chilling smile spreading across his face. He lowered his gaze to meet Kiera’s, his voice a sinister whisper. “Did you really think it would be that easy?”
His hands opened, revealing a glowing rune etched into his palm—the Rune of Severance.
The narrator explained: The Rune of Severance severed an opponent’s magical connection, rendering their abilities useless and causing immense pain. Only Vesper could remove the rune, making it a tool of control and subjugation.
Kiera staggered, her strength waning as the rune’s effects took hold. Vesper’s smirk widened. “I etched this onto you the moment I intervened against Neraxis. You’ve been fighting at a disadvantage the entire time.”
Her knees buckled, the pain overwhelming, as Vesper’s taunting voice echoed in her mind. “You fought valiantly,” he said. “But this ends now.”
Kiera collapsed, and Vesper, with a wave of his hand, summoned the Spectral Rune Cage. The dark symbols encased her once more, pulling her into the shadows.
“You’ll make a fine companion,” Vesper said, his tone filled with cruel satisfaction.
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