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Haru crouched, black flames flickering across his forearms, his eyes locked on Carrera standing opposite him. The compressed battlefield would make each movement critical. Nuclear energy rippled from Carrera's form, distorting the air in undulating waves.
"You've certainly grown stronger demon" Carrera said casually, her arms folded. "Let's see what that freak Noir taught you."
Haru exhaled slowly, a grin tugging at his lips. Alrightā¦ I can't run away, so I might as well enjoy myself and go all out.
He sprang forward, launching himself toward her with blinding speed. Carrera tilted her body mid-air, letting his fist graze her shoulder. Sparks flew, and she lightly flicked him aside with a glowing palm, sending him skidding across the barriered ground.
Haru's black flames flared brighter as he rolled to his feet. She's not going to take me seriously is she. I can tell from that first attack. How annoying.
He darted again, feinting a high punch. Carrera shifted, catching his wrist and twisting it, forcing him into a low flip. Before he could recover, she thrust her leg outward; Haru twisted, narrowly evading, and felt the residual shock of energy ripple past him.
"Incredible moves," she said, voice almost playful. "But surely this is not all of you've got. Show me all of it."
Haru's heart raced with excitement. Every dodge, and blockā¦ this is the dance he yearns for.
He surged forward, weaving low, left, then right, trying to catch her off-guard. Carrera matched every movement, sidestepping a kick, ducking under a sweeping hook, her hair and cloak flaring with the nuclear energy radiating from her.
Haru grinned, unleashing a dismantle slash aimed at her midsection. The edge of the energy cut struck her, but she rotated her body, letting the strike graze harmlessly across her side. Sparks of residual energy arced outward, but she barely reacted.
"Well that's interesting," she said, spinning into the air and firing a wave of nuclear beams. Haru's Multi-Functional Barrier flared gold, absorbing most of the impact. Shards of stone and debris exploded around him as he surged forward, dispelling some of the energy as he approached.
Carrera tilted her head, her smile widening. "Hmmā¦ it's rare for a Greater Demon to be able to use a Multi-Functional Barrier. Noir actually took training you seriously then."
Haru gritted his teeth, launching himself into close-range combat. His fists collided with her forearms, knees striking her abdomen, elbows snapping toward her ribs. Carrera blocked, twisted, and countered with precise strikes of her own. One of her hands shot forward, palm bursting with nuclear energy; Haru ducked, letting it slam into the ground, sending a plume of rock and dust skyward.
She'sā¦ she's everywhere at once, he thought, heart racing. She's way too fast.
Haru pivoted, sweeping a leg low, then twisting mid-air to deliver a heel strike to her shoulder. Carrera shifted instinctively, catching the blow with her palm, but the shock of the strike pulsed up her arm, causing the faintest flicker of irritation across her composed face.
"Your closer quarters combat and battle IQ is astonishing," she said, amusement lacing her tone. "You don't fight like a demon with less than 5 years of experience at all."
Haru grinned, eyes alight with excitement. So she is paying attention. At least she's taking me tad bit serious, even though she is massively holding back.
He leapt back, forming a series of Cleave slashes, energy edges aimed to pierce her essence. She raised a universal barrier, each strike shattering against it in bursts of sparks.
Haru saw her block his slashes with her barriers, so he instead teleported the slashes, letting them appear instantly. Something she hadn't expected, but Carrera spun, using universal perception to track every movement, neutralizing each attack.
"That was smart," she said softly, floating higher. "I like it. Come on, I'm sure that's not all you've got."
Haru twisted his body, black flames flaring, and fired a concentrated magic pulse at her feet. Carrera's barrier flared, blocking the strike, and she fired back, a sweeping arc of nuclear energy slicing through the compressed battlefield. Haru rolled, weaving between the beams, energy from his own magic shielding him as he advanced.
Acceleration is uselessā¦ she's faster than me in every vector, Haru thought.
He surged forward again, striking in rapid succession. His fists collided with her forearm, she rotated, blocking an elbow, and her knee shot up to meet his mid-air kick. Each connection sent tremors through the battlefield, rock shattering beneath their movements.
"Don't underestimate me," she murmured, flicking a hand and sending an explosive pulse toward him. Haru rolled, barely avoiding the blast, and countered with a dismantle slash aimed at her side. Sparks erupted as the energy clipped her barrier, forcing her to adjust mid-air.
Haru's black flames swirled brighter as he whispered to himself, This is itā¦ push everything into one rhythm, overwhelm her senses.
He teleported directly in front of her, fists coiling with demonic energy, but Carrera's universal perception tracked him instantly. She sidestepped, slashing with a hand imbued with nuclear energy. Haru twisted in mid-air, the strike grazing past him, tearing up the ground behind him.
Carrera floated back slightly, a faint smirk on her face. "You're very entertaining"
Haru gritted his teeth, forming dismantle slashes mid-teleport, each one aimed with precision at her core. She raised multiple universal barriers, energy crackling along their edges, and the slashes collided with them, sending shards of light scattering.
"I think we've determined that these slashes are no threat to me have we not?" she said, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Don't you have anything else to show me."
No threat? Haru thought, eyes narrowing. I almost killed an Archdemon with these slashes!
He twisted the slashes mid-flight, Cleaving through the subtle gaps between her barriers, energy tearing at her very soul. A faint flicker of tension crossed her eyes but she maintained her smile.
Haru's pulse raced as he combined a barrage of strikes with Cleave slashes. Every punch, elbow, and kick was infused with demonic energy aimed at destabilizing her essence. She blocked, dodged, and absorbed most of the hits, but small vibrations of disturbance pulsed through her form.
Her barriers are strongā¦ her reflexes faster than my fastest strikeā¦ Haru thought, black flames coiling like a storm. But I've reached the point where nothing I do can't at least leave a mark on her soul.
Carrera floated down slowly, nuclear energy swirling around her like a cyclone. She laughed, a clear, resonant sound that made the battlefield tremble. "It seems you've run out of things to show me. It's time to end this game."
Haru's heart pounded. He leapt, Cleave slashes spinning, black flames raging, magic and close quarters fused into one fluid attack but Carrera raised her palms, and the concentrated nuclear magic surged toward him. He dodged, weaved, and teleported, only to find her output overwhelming every movement he made.
Iā¦ I can't outpace herā¦ I can't teleport past her perceptionā¦ she is a monster! How did Diablo no-diff this monster???.
The battlefield shook violently as her nuclear energy collided with his barrier. Rocks and soil vaporized, shockwaves tearing through the compressed space. Hitting the limits of his speed and energy, Haru gritted his teeth, pushing every ounce of power into his attacks.
Carrera's calm amusement was unwavering, her laughter echoing like a bell. "You're impressive, little demon. I'll remember you."
She gathered all her nuclear energy into a massive sphere above her. The air cracked and warped as the ground trembled. Haru tried to evade, but the concentrated blast was unavoidable. It struck him, throwing him into the ground. Black flames flared to shield him, but the sheer force shredded the terrain, leaving him scorched and battered.
Thisā¦ I can't holdā¦ Haru thought, black flames flickering violently. This is itā¦ is this how I die. Dying in battle against a Primordial. I can't say I hate it.
But just then a voice rang.
[Notice]
[Traveler has reached the threshold. Evolution to Archdemon will now commence]
Haru smiled "Well would you look at that]