We didn't run with Master Bey for long. I didn't want to get too far from the main battlefield so that after the victory, I could come to the aid of my girls and students as quickly as possible. And yes, my victory wasn't even up for discussion. But whether I'd manage to win without revealing anything beyond what I've already shown or want to show—that was a big question...
Stopping at an intersection where all the cars had been swept to the edge of the road by Swamp Lizards during their invasion fifteen years ago, I looked around. An open, wide, and deserted space. Perfect for this battle. And most importantly, just a kilometer from where my girls are fighting the blue deacons.
"What, don't want to run anymore? Finally realized the utter futility of it?" Master Bey taunted me, deactivating his artifact boots. Interesting, did they teach him psychological warfare methods in the assassins' temple? His tongue is awfully sharp.
"I doubt that if I really wanted to escape, you'd be able to catch me. Shadows are a convenient way to move, but not when your opponent has wings." I spread my wings with black feathers, as if showing off and flashing him an arrogant smile.
I needed to give him the impression that I'm strong enough, but too proud, and also can't keep my mouth shut, blurting out my aces to the enemy at the first exchange of words. In general, I couldn't contradict the information he knew about me, but at the same time, I needed to downplay my danger specifically to him as much as possible.
Not a pleasant task, honestly. I'm more used to just hitting harder, but unfortunately, that tactic won't fly right now. Damn, when will I finally not have to hide, like in other worlds? Damn responsibility and consequences for my actions here...
"Heh, if you'd used them from the start, you might've had a chance to escape. But now they're useless!" Grinning brazenly, Master Bey finally released his prepared chaotic shadows domain spell.
A sphere of darkness with a radius of three hundred meters formed around us immediately. My eyes, enhanced by the body strengthening technique, which used to see kilometers ahead clearly, suddenly lost their usual sharpness. Now my vision range was just a couple dozen meters around. Everything else was shrouded in impenetrable darkness.
Hm, so this is what Master Bey's shadow sphere looks like from the inside. Judging by what I feel, it's a modified first step High-level shadow element spell "Nyx Regime." It creates a kind of domain where all elements not related to dark magic are weakened, while shadow magic, on the contrary, becomes stronger. Moreover, Initial-level magic is boosted by two steps, which greatly adds to his movement speed in his domain.
In addition, since Bey's chaos and shadow elements are fused together, his magic gets an additional triple boost, similar to what I achieve with fusion magic. And that's without accounting for the enhancements to his shadow magic from Night Fury and the fact that this domain includes a chaotic spatial labyrinth.
Yeah, if I were an ordinary mage even at the peak of High level, my death would be guaranteed. But I can't give him any reason to doubt my act: I'll thrash around for a bit to lull his vigilance.
Having formed a rough battle plan, I released my ice domain, neutralizing the effect of Bey's "Nyx Regime" on me. And though my vision didn't return to normal, now I could sense everything around me with my element particles in the air, though it couldn't compare to full vision, but still. Not that I hadn't sensed Bey with my spatial senses before, but now I had some justification for roughly knowing his position, and that's important.
"Ha, think that by releasing your domain, you can find me with your element particles? What, do you think I was born yesterday? I've killed more High-level mages than you've seen in your life! How do you think I killed them? Asked them to off themselves?" Mocking me, Master Bey poured more mana into his spell, continuing to expand his domain.
Three hundred fifty, four hundred, five hundred meters. That's where he finally stopped. If before, thanks to my domain with a three-hundred-meter radius, I could still sense him, now that he'd expanded "Nyx Regime" to a kilometer in diameter, it became very problematic, as he'd simply left my detection zone.
And he's still hiding, concealing his ability to redirect my attacks, forcing me to spend mana expanding the ice domain to keep up with him. Sly bastard, but for now, I need to play by his rules. The time for the decisive strike hasn't come yet.
"Ha, think you're the only one with a ton of magical energy for expanding a domain? All my stars are enhanced by a couple steps! In mana reserves, I won't lose to anyone at High level!" Bragging and continuing to maintain the image of a proud genius who loves to boast, I poured mana into my domain, expanding it to a size matching Bey's.
"Ha, eat that! The hour of your death has come!" Shouting this, I cast "Thousand Ice Arrows" second step High level, directing them straight at where I sensed Master Bey.
But they flew not where I aimed, but as if teleporting, appeared to my right, heading straight for my body! Luckily, my control over my own magic was strong enough to dissolve the ice arrows, already a meter from my body, into element particles and absorb them back, replenishing my reserve again.
"Heh-heh-heh, you're quite the talented kid to develop your control to that degree. Commendable achievement at your age. But against me, it won't help! You'll regret not dying to your own attack!" Continuing to try to shake my emotional state, Bey decided to attack me himself.
A mental attack knocked on my spiritual world, and I let a small effect through to understand what he was sending at me. Several strange black masks with patterns appeared before me immediately, flying straight at me at high speed. Roughly sensing their effects, I instantly cast "Ice Chains" and struck at them, but my attack just passed through, dealing no damage and letting the masks touch my body, causing a small drain on my spiritual power.
If I hadn't secretly blocked most of the attack with my spirit element, those masks would've drained more than half my mental power! And Bey didn't even cast this from his own reserve, but from an artifact! Meaning his reserve remained untouched, while I'd become sluggish and my reaction slowed. Excellent artifact for an assassin, no doubt.
"What the hell is going on here?! How did you redirect my attack back at me? And these masks... All effects of chaos and spirit elements? But I don't see a 'Chaos Funnel' for redirection, and I don't know spells like these masks... Artifact effect?" I mused aloud, trying to confirm in Bey's head my genius, but also my chattiness.
I was like begging him to praise me for correct answers on an exam. The image of a smart student who crushed all his past opponents just with superior power and greater magic knowledge should already be forming in his head. Which is what I need.
"Heh-heh-heh, maybe yes, maybe no. You'll get your reward either way. And it will be death!" Bey continued mocking me. This time his voice came from several places at once, and in my "vision" through element particles, I saw several figures appear around me, each of which could be him.
With normal sight, I'd distinguish them easily, and spatial senses showed perfectly what they really were. But sensing through ice element particles in my domain... My brain isn't a quantum computer to assemble such a detailed picture from info from every particle. So yeah, if I wanted to keep playing along, I could only spend mana trying to hit them all, searching for the real one, who wasn't even among them. And considering the increased consumption of the expanded domain... Yeah, Bey is a master at gradually wearing down opponents.
But nothing, judging by him already using his shadow demons, this fight will end soon. At least if everything goes according to plan. If it drags on too long... I'll spit on the consequences and blast him with the most unnoticeable combo of space and spirit elements, using fusion magic. My girls are more important than maintaining cover.