Reflected Torment

In the sealed forest, as the battles intensified...

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!!!"

From the twisted shadows cast by her dress of cursed threads, the cold miasma exploded in a grotesque proliferation, emanating from a small, euphoric figure.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡SFFFFF-ZUT-ZUT-ZUT-SRAAAK-KRRRR-VREEE...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

And without needing to move a single muscle in her body, multiple appendages of black and crimson cloth erupted violently from her into the charred ground around the Great Fire Spirit, Keahi.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡FSHHH-ZRAAAK-THUUM-SCHWRRR-KRRRR...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Immediately, like spectral claws fueled by madness, the limbs of shadow dug straight into the basaltic stone of his legs and torso, imprisoning the titan of fire with superhuman strength.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! Look at him move! He moves, he moves, he moves...! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Thereupon, the shrill, maniacal laughter of little Goldie echoed through the clearing as she clenched her claws in midair.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡KLA-ZTTT-¡KRAAAK-SHREED-BOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

And in sync with her gesture, the dark arms lifted the colossal mass of magma and basalt of the Great Spirit as if it weighed nothing, violently slamming him against the ground from side to side.

"Damn... filth-spawned abomination!"

In response, Keahi could only roar in indignation as the impact made the earth rumble.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡THUUUUUUM-CRASHHH-BOOOOOOM-SPLASH...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

As he was thrashed, he attempted to ignite his thermal heat to incinerate the threads holding him, unleashing a blue flare that should have consumed any existing fabric in an instant.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ZWUUUUUUUU-GHOOOOO-FSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

However, the appendages of miasma did not even flinch.

"What is this strength...?!"

The purifying flames died out at the mere contact with the cursed energy enveloping the girl, while the dark arms hurled him through the air once more to slam him down again with unrelenting violence.

"What is wrong with this ground?! How is it possible that your energy doesn't burn?!"

As a result, suppressed panic began to seep into the colossus's voice.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡KABOOOOOOOM-SHHHHWWWWWRRRRRRRRR-KRRRR...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The mass of his body took hit after hit, and to his absolute horror, every fissure that opened in the basalt from the violence of the crash echoed back inside his spiritual core, twisting his very structure from within without him being able to comprehend the mechanics behind such torment.

"AHAHAHA! Don't stop! Keep cracking! We haven't finished adjusting your parts yet!"

In contrast, oblivious to such a thing, with her pupils dilated in a viscous red and her fangs bared, Goldie celebrated every impact as if it were heavenly music, relishing in her opponent's torment and bewilderment.

"DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ME, CURSED PLAGUE!!!"

However, in response, Keahi's roar echoed with a vibration so thunderous that it shook the very foundations of the spatial barrier.

"I AM THE GREAT FIRE SPIRIT!!!"

And in an act of pure desperation and ancestral pride, the Great Fire Spirit forced the energy of his core to the absolute limit, causing his very being to burn from deep within.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡GHOOOOOO-VUUUUUUUUUUUM-BZZZZZZOOOOOM...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Because of that, an uncontrolled tide of bluish flames and hyper-concentrated steam erupted around them in a three-hundred-meter radius...

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT~!!"

Consequently, the shockwave of absolute heat engulfed them both instantly, scorching the ground into a pit of incandescent magma and devouring the oxygenated air in a fraction of a second.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡SFFFFFWWWWWWWWWW-FROOOOOOOOOOO-KRA-KRA...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Thanks to that, Goldie's skin began to char under the stifling temperature, breaking out into blisters and bloody cracks that burned instantly.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! YES! MORE FIRE! MORE HEAT! AHAHAHAHAHAHA~!!"

However, instead of screaming in agony, the hybrid threw her head back, her laughter growing even more unhinged as it fed on the violence of the heat.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡SHRRRR-FZZZZZ-GONNNG-SRAAASH~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Yet amid the hell of steam and flames, the dark appendages of her dress reacted to their mistress's frenzy; responding with a metallic, viscous snap, the arms of miasma mutated, sharpening their tips until they transformed into dozens of gigantic, serrated thorns.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡DUSH-DUSH-DUSH-¡KRRR-CHAAK!-PLASMMM...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Whereupon without a shred of mercy, the storm of thorns riddled the magma colossus's structure, piercing the basaltic stone time and again in a frantic, relentless siege.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡KRAAAK-THUMP-SZZZZ-VUUUUUUUUUUUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

In that manner, stone, fire, and miasma flew in every direction as the cursed projectiles embedded themselves deep into Keahi's mineral flesh.

"KGGHHAAAAAAAH...!!!"

As a result, the Great Spirit roared in pain as each stake impaled his torso.

"¿¿...??!!"

Yet despite that, gathering the remainder of his volcanic mass, Keahi set both colossal feet against the bed of molten stone, planting himself firmly to halt the onslaught...

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡WWWRRRRUUUUMMM-ZHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-KRRRR...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Thus beginning a clash where both primordial forces collided in a violent power struggle.

"I will consume you until not a single atom of your existence remains, abomination!!"

Keahi's titanic mass pushed against the thorns and Goldie's superhuman strength, creating a point of pressure so monstrous that the air around them exploded in continuous thermal and dark micro-shockwaves.

"AHAHAHAHA! Try to consume me! Try, try, try! AHAHAHAHAHA!!"

However, as the intensity escalated, the collision of opposites turned the battlefield into a pressure cooker.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡SFFFFFWWWWWWWWWW-FROOOOOOOOOOO-GHOOOOO~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The stifling vapor from the magma upon contact with the cold miasma expanded relentlessly, thickening second by second until it formed a dense, grayish-white fog that completely devoured vision, isolating the terrestrial clearing into a domain of overwhelming gloom.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"

And in the middle of zero visibility, the roars of both contenders echoed like the thunder of a cataclysmic storm.

"AHAHAHAHAHA~!!!"

On one side, the dense roar, loaded with determination, of the Great Spirit, prepared to defend the purity of the world at any cost; on the other, Goldie's unhinged, euphoric laughter, merging into a roar of pure bloody excitement that resonated in every direction through the curtains of steam.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡!)

Yet it was at that point that suddenly, right at the center of the clash, the condensation of opposing energies reached its critical point and collapsed in a violent detonation.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡KABOOOOOOOM-SHHHHWWWWWRRRRRRRRR-CRASHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Because of that, the resulting shockwave swept away the fog in a perfect circle for a brief instant, scattering shards of basalt and bluish fire everywhere.

(¡¡¡¡Ssssshhhhhiiiiiiiiiuuuuuuuu~!!!!)

However, as the steam began to close the gap once more, the tension in Goldie's miasma thorns suddenly slackened.

"... Huh?... Where did you go?... Tee-hee-hee! What happened?... Did you break?... Did you fall apart so quickly?!... AHAHAHA—!"

The titanic resistance she had been pushing against vanished in a flash...

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ZWWWWUUUUSH-¡THUMP!-CRACK-KRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

And in turn, Goldie's maniacal question was cut off in a fraction of a millisecond.

"Oh, my...?!"

Before she could react, a blurry silhouette burst through the curtain of smoke at an abyssal speed that defied the Great Spirit's former mass.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE ME, ABOMINATION!!"

Immediately, a solid, devastating impact slammed directly into the little abomination's face, violently repelling her body backward.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡BOOM-SPLASHHH-KRAAAASHHH-ZZZZZZZ...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Because of that, Goldie was sent flying like a projectile, dragging and bouncing brutally across the charred earth until crashing into the base of a rock formation, kicking up a cloud of ash in her wake.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡THUMP-CRACK-KRRRR-SRAAAK...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

However, at that very instant, the immediate effect of the impact manifested.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ZWWWWUUUUSH-¡BOOOOOM!-PLASMMM...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

In parallel to Goldie crashing into the rocks after being sent flying, the figure that had just struck her was violently hurled in the opposite direction by an equal, invisible force.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡FSHHH-ZUMMMM-SFFFFF~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

And with a whip-like snap of the air, the silhouette cut through the curtain of smoke, executing lethal flips in midair to cushion the inertia before repositioning and descending with absolute lightness onto a charred branch.

"... Damned creature."

Only then, as the steam around him finally dissipated, was the new appearance of the Great Fire Spirit revealed.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ZWUUUUUUUU-GHOOOOO-FRRRRRRRR...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The colossal titan of heavy basalt had vanished...

"...."

In its place stood a compact, slender, and athletic humanoid figure, clad in an armor of polished volcanic stone that clung to his body like a second skin.

(This is problematic...)

From his joints and shoulders burst flares of hyper-concentrated blue fire that hissed with the precision of a blowtorch, while his burning mane shrank into a crown of dense, steady flames.

(... I am beginning to understand how her ability works... I was even forced to assume this form...)

He had sacrificed his area-of-effect destructive power and titanic mass, but in exchange, his agility and speed had reached a divine level.

(I didn't strike her in a weak point... I hit her in the face, and my own face fractured instantly...)

Standing on the branch, Keahi slowly raised a polished stone hand toward his own face...

"It's some kind of reflection."

As he ran his fingers over his left cheek, he felt the same deep crack and the same sharp pain he had just inflicted on the hybrid deity.

(... However, when her torso collapsed earlier, her body healed, but my armor remained broken.)

With his eyes of golden and blue light fixed on the crater where Goldie had landed, the Great Spirit analyzed the cold, terrifying truth while hovering over the hot air.

(This plague doesn't just resist... If it really is what I think... Then...)

It was then that a spark of realization illuminated Keahi's mind amid the mist.

"AHAHAHAHA! How fast! How fast you became tiny!"

... But it was only upon seeing her emerge intact from the rubble of the rock formation—which shattered into a thousand pieces as Goldie's silhouette rose from the crater—that Keahi's hypothesis was confirmed.

(... Damn it... Any damage she receives or inflicts on herself is replicated onto me, but her regeneration is not shared...)

Seeing her walk through the curtain of ash and smoke as if the brutal impact had never happened—her facial skin completely pristine and scratch-free after restoring itself in a fraction of a second—was the moment Keahi felt the ultimate pressure...

(If I continue to attack with brute force, I will only destroy myself.)

At the same time, with a viscous snap, the dress of cursed threads began to writhe on her back.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡SHRRRR-FZZZZZ-GONNNG-SRAAASH...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Whereupon the dark miasma fibers spread and branched violently until deploying a pair of demonic wings composed of black cloth and sharp shadows that beat the air, kicking up a gust of cold steam.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ZZZZZZWWWW-CRACKLE-FROOOOOOOOOOO~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

However, the anomaly did not stop there.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!"

Driven by the frenzy of her hybrid nature, Goldie raised both arms in unison.

"Look, look!"

In her right fist, a concentration of celestial golden light began to compact with blinding density, making the surrounding space hiss with divine vibrations.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡SFFFFF-ZUT-ZUT-VUUUUUUUUUUUM...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

In absolute contrast, in her left fist, the miasma of her curse side condensed into a sphere of dark, heavy, and unstable mass that devoured the light of the bluish fire around it.

"Light on one side, shadow on the other!"

Suspended above the charred ground with her miasma wings beating rhythmically, the hybrid contorted her face into a cold, demonic smile...

"Which one would you like to try first... or do you prefer both together? AHAHAHAHAHA~!!"

... Ready to play.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡KLA-SHWW-¡KHRA-ZTT!-BRRRR-KABOOOOMMM...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

And instead of launching an attack right away, Goldie tilted her head to the side with a stiff, awkward jerk.

"Please, you have to die!... No, no, no, you have to live!"

Thereupon, her body began to sway erratically in midair, wobbling from left to right like a puppet whose strings had been partially severed.

"Run away, run fast!... AHAHAHAHA! Don't leave, we're just getting started with our playtime!"

The words spilled from her throat in a clash of overlapping voices, alternating between a child's sob and a shrill, thrill-filled laugh...

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡SFFFFF-ZUT-ZUT-VUUUUUUUUUUUM-ZZZZZZWWWW...~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Whereupon, slowly, she raised both hands, bringing her palms together in a prayer-like gesture.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡KRAK-SHH-ZTTTTTTTT-VRRRRRRR-CHAAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

As a result, as her hands slammed together, the celestial golden light of her right fist and the unstable black miasma of her left fist were forced into a violent collision.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ZWUUUUUUUU-GHOOOOO-FSSSHHHHHHHHH-VOID...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Because of that, both energies began to fuse violently, writhing into an unstable mass that sputtered with lightning bolts of both colors.

"It's so pretty... so bright and so rotten..."

The air around her crackled from the violent repulsion of the energy fission.

(¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡THUMP-WWWRRR-¡CRRR-RRIT-SPLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

A micro-vortex of energy pressure ripped open right between her palms, cracking space itself as the pure light strove to purify the shadow, and the dark mass fought to devour the divinity...

"HAHAHAHAHA! Die so we can be friends and play!"

It was thus, separating both palms with conflicted excitement, that Goldie launched herself forward, carrying a heavy burden of pain.