Chrono Nexus parried and blocked, her staff was a blur as it moved. The sound of their impacts echoed across the battlefield, each clash sending ripples of force through the air, making the ground beneath them shudder. She moved skillfully, each dodge and counter perfectly timed, but Ark was relentless, pressing her harder with each passing second.
He could feel her rhythm, the slight hesitation in her movements, and he exploited it. With a sudden burst of speed, he feinted a punch, due to the fact both of his †Authorities† were active that caused a ripple effect that caused her unable to predict him for a moment, drawing her guard to the right, and then spun around, his tail whipping out in a powerful arc.
The tail connected with her side, sending her staggering back, her staff momentarily out of position.
"Got you," Ark muttered, seizing the opportunity. He charged forward, his hands glowing with a brilliant light. He aimed a devastating blow at her, pouring his mana into the strike.
Chrono Nexus’s eyes flashed with fury. She raised her hand, and time seemed to warp around her. The air shimmered as she decelerated the flow of time around Ark’s fist, slowing his punch to a crawl. She stepped aside effortlessly, her movements smooth and skillful, and retaliated with a powerful thrust of her staff, aiming for Ark’s chest.
Ark saw the attack coming, but the time distortion around his fist made it hard to react. He gritted his teeth, summoning his aspect power to create a barrier between him and the incoming strike. The staff collided with the barrier, the impact sending shockwaves rippling through the air, but it held, absorbing the brunt of the blow.
"You think that’s enough?" Chrono Nexus taunted, her voice echoing with confidence. She pressed harder, her staff crackling with blue mana as she tried to break through Ark’s barrier.
Ark growled, pushing back with all his might. He felt the strain on his mind and body, but he couldn’t afford to let her win. With a roar, he released a burst of mana, shattering the barrier and sending a shockwave that forced Chrono Nexus back.
Breathing heavily, Ark straightened, his eyes blazing with determination. "I’m not done yet," he said, his voice a deep, resonant growl. He summoned his †Child-Of-Time †Authority† once more, feeling the power surge through him, amplifying his speed.
Chrono Nexus’s eyes narrowed, a hint of recognition flickering in her gaze. "You’re persistent," she said, her voice carrying a hint of admiration. "But persistence alone won’t be enough to defeat me."
"I’m seeing it now, just a bit more, and I’ll be able to pinpoint his origin," Chrono Nexus thought as she smiled. She was already aware that the young man before her had no ill intentions for being in this timeline, and she could also sense he was related to her and a certain someone, which made her happy and excited.
She raised her staff, and the world around them seemed to shimmer. Ark felt the air grow heavy as time began to slow, everything moving in a surreal, dreamlike state. He gritted his teeth, fighting against the time drag with his †Child-Of-Time-Authority† as he prepared for her next move.
Chrono Nexus moved with blinding speed, accelerating herself even faster than earlier, her staff a blur as she struck at Ark from all angles. He barely managed to keep up, his aspect power and reflexes working overtime to block and deflect her attacks. Each impact was like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves through the air and creating craters in the ground.
Ark knew he couldn’t keep up this pace for long. He needed to find a way to break her rhythm, to create an opening he could exploit. His mind raced, calculating his options as he fought to stay on his feet.
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Then he saw it—a brief flicker in her movements, a momentary lapse in her timing. Seizing the opportunity, Ark summoned his golden and black-silver manipulations, creating a massive sword that he gripped and swung with all his might. The blade cleaved through the air, aimed directly at Chrono Nexus.
Chrono Nexus’s eyes widened in surprise as she saw the attack coming. She raised her staff to block, but the force of the blow was too much. The impact sent her staff flying from her hands, and she staggered back, her guard down.
Ark didn’t waste a second. He lunged forward, his fist blazing with mana, and struck her with a powerful punch. The blow connected with her midsection, sending her flying back, crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact.
For a moment, the battlefield was silent, the dust settling around them. Discover more stories at freewebnovel
As Ark stood in the settling dust, the silence was broken by a soft, melodic sound. Chrono Nexus was laughing. She rose from the ground, clutching her staff, her movements smooth and graceful despite the ferocity of their battle. Dusting off her clothes and armor with a casual, almost playful smile, she looked at Ark with a mixture of amusement and admiration.
"Impressive," she said, her voice carrying an undertone of genuine appreciation. "You’re stronger than I expected. But this is far from over."
In Ark’s mind, Genesis’s voice rang out with urgency. "†[Lord Ark, it looks like you might need to use your third †Authority†. If this battle drags on any longer, she could uncover your identity.]†"
Ark clenched his fists, his resolve firm. "No," he replied sharply, both aloud and in his thoughts. "If I use that, it will certainly kill her. Why would I ever do that?"
Chrono Nexus’s eyes gleamed with intensity as she began to charge at him again. Her speed was blinding, her aura radiating a fearsome power that sent tremors through the earth.
Ark braced himself, his stance solid and his body ready for action, ready to unleash another powerful attack. He expected another collision, another violent clash that would test the limits of his strength and endurance.
But what came next shocked him to his core.
Instead of attacking, Chrono Nexus slowed her movements and, in a sudden and unexpected move, wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. Ark’s eyes widened, his mind reeling from the unexpected action. The fierce warrior who had just been his relentless opponent was now holding him gently, her touch filled with an unexpected tenderness.
"There, there," she murmured softly, her voice soothing and filled with an emotion he hadn’t expected. "Enough with the fighting. You should know a mother will never go all out against her child."
Ark froze, the words echoing in his mind. He looked down at Chrono Nexus, her golden hair shimmering and her cosmic blue eyes now filled with a gentle, almost motherly warmth. His thoughts raced, and he spoke to Genesis in a voice filled with shock. "She... she knows, Genesis. She’s figured it out."
"†[You think?]†" she replied ironically.