He shifted his weight, using the force of his dodge to turn smoothly. As Chrono Nexus landed from her attack, Ark spun around, his tail whipping through the air, aimed at her exposed flank.
Chrono Nexus reacted with speed, she outstretched her hand and gold appeared then condensed into a staff she began whirling to deflect the blow. As the tail and the staff connected the impact sent a shower of sparks raining down around them, the clash of their attacks echoing like a thunderclap. The shockwave caused cracks to ripple around the ground.
"Impressive," Ark muttered, his voice echoing through his helmet. "But let’s see how you handle this."
He channeled his mana into his hands, arcs of vibrant light swirling around his fingers. With a swift motion, he unleashed a barrage of mana bolts, each one aimed at Chrono Nexus. The battlefield lit up with their bright color, mama bolt streaking toward the goddess like a storm of meteors.
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Chrono Nexus’s staff was a blur as it moved, deflecting each of Ark’s mana bolts easily. The battlefield was a storm of light and sound, each of the deflected attacks impacted the surroundings, sending shockwaves through the ground.
"We just started yet she’s adapting so quickly," Ark realized, his thoughts racing. "I need to change the dynamics of this fight."
With a surge of mana, he stopped his barrage and focused his mana on the ground beneath him. The earth trembled as golden and black-silver tendrils erupted around him, forming into massive, jagged spears. With a thought, Ark sent them hurtling toward Chrono Nexus, their sharp edges glinting in the dim light.
Chrono Nexus reacted instantly. She spun her staff in a wide arc, creating a shimmering barrier of blue mana that intercepted the incoming spears. The impact was explosive, sending shards of mana and metal flying in all directions.
But Ark was already on the move. Utilizing his Aspect power, he lifted a section of the ground beneath him, propelling himself into the air. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the chunk of earth hurtling towards Chrono Nexus, who barely had time to dodge as it crashed into the ground where she had stood, creating a massive crater.
"She’s fast, but not invincible," Ark thought, his eyes narrowing. He landed lightly on the ground, his tail whipping around to create a whirlwind of debris. "I need to find a way to slow her down."
Chrono Nexus wasn’t fazed by the destruction around her, raised her hand and manipulated the flow of time around her. The world seemed to blur as she accelerated, becoming a streak of blue light. She darted towards Ark, her staff aimed to strike him down.
Ark’s eyes widened as he barely had time to react. He brought up his arms to block, the force of her strike sending shockwaves through his body. The ground beneath his feet shattered, creating a ripple of cracks.
"She’s too fast," he thought, gritting his teeth, coughing up blood right after. "But I have my own tricks."
With a roar, Ark summoned a surge of mana, his body glowing with an intense light. The air around him shimmered. "Genesis raise my first †Authority† usage threshold to 100%. Any more attacks like that could put me out of business." Experience more on freewebnovel
"†[But, lord Ark, if you do that won’t your aura then become familiar to her? She would be able to have an idea of who you really are even if she doesn’t know you directly.]†"
"You have a point, but if I don’t do that I could die here, she’s actually trying to kill me you know!" Ark’s thoughts echoed with a sense of urgency as he replied.
Chrono Nexus tilted her head, a faint smile spreading on her lips. "You’re stronger than most, but let’s see if you can withstand the sheer force of time itself."
In an instant, she surged forward, her movements a blur as she accelerated her time. The world seemed to slow down around her again, everything moving at a fraction of its normal speed except for her. Ark barely had time to brace himself as she closed the distance between them, her staff a blur of motion aimed straight at his head.
"Genesis," Ark called out in his thoughts, "Activate †Child-Of-Time† and accelerate my speed by 10%."
"†[Understood!]†"
In that instant, Ark reacted with lightning speed. He ducked under the swing, feeling the rush of air as the staff sliced through where his head had been. Using the momentum of his dodge, he pivoted and swung his arm out, his fist glowing with concentrated mana aimed at Chrono Nexus’s midsection.
Chrono Nexus twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the blow.
"Wait… the †Authority† he’s using is oddly familiar." Chrono Nexus mused as she gazed at the way the cosmic energy around Ark’s body changed as he moved with her all seeing eyes.
She countered with a swift kick, her foot glowing with blue mana. The impact struck Ark’s side with the force of a cannonball, sending him skidding across the cracked ground.
He grunted, the pain sharp but manageable. "She’s trying to keep me on the defensive," he thought, his mind racing. "I need to turn this around."
With a flick of his wrist, Ark summoned his golden and black-silver manipulations. Metal shards erupted from the ground around him again, forming into a multitude of sharp blades that he sent flying toward Chrono Nexus. Each blade was infused with his mana, glowing intensely.
Chrono Nexus responded with a wave of her hand, slowing time around the blades. They moved sluggishly, giving her enough time to dodge and make her way through the onslaught. She moved gracefully like she was dancing, her staff spinning in complex patterns to deflect the few blades that got too close, All possible due to her all knowing nature.
Ark saw his opening. As she focused on dodging his blades, he lunged forward, his fists blazing with mana. He closed the distance in a heartbeat, swinging at her with a flurry of punches and kicks, each strike aiming for a vital spot.