Each of the Naga Sorceress’s clones kept casting spells, adding a variety of ways to harm him.
They created whirlpools that tripped him and threatened to pull him under, walls of water that slammed into him like battering rams, and jets of freezing cold ice that pierced through his defensive [Aegis].
He even attempted to summon his [Grand Aegis] but it was quickly dispersed by a series of runes sent towards the forming ice dragon somehow. The statue that held its soul within his inner heart world seemed to darken with the flow of mana reaching it halted. This was the first time he’d ever seen a counter to his [Grand Aegis] and had no idea what to do.
Despite their attempts, he barely managed to dodge some of the more devastating attacks, his mind racing to find a solution.
Recalling his fight with the Crystal Eel, Lassim decided to try the [Hydroburst] technique when he got close enough to one of the clones.
He gathered his mana, focusing it into a powerful burst of energy, and then released it into the water around him. The shockwaves rippled through the river, distorting the water’s surface and disrupting the Naga’s control over the glittery stardust.
The first few [Hydrobursts] sent waves crashing outward, causing the mirror image to ripple slightly but remain intact.
"[Damn,]" Lassim muttered, realizing the illusions weren’t actually illusions but were made of water and more resilient than he expected.
He cursed under his breath and poured more energy into the next burst, sending a stronger shockwave through the water to see if they could still be disrupted enough to lose their shape. At the very least, disrupted enough to lose control over the spells they were casting in his direction.
The surface of the closest clone churned into chaos, the violent turbulence disrupting the Naga’s precision and the spell formed from the runes between her hands spiraling out of her control causing a chain reaction that exploded the clone. It splattered in a spray of mist as the water splashed and rejoined the river.
"[It’s working!]" Lassim thought, his confidence surging as he noticed the illusions adjust their distance to be further away from him.
He followed up by dashing quickly with [Tempest Steps] towards the next one and unleashed a rapid series of [Hydrobursts] at each clone, each one more powerful than the last, hoping to force the real Naga into revealing herself.
One of the clones furthest from him began to waver as the water around it roiled violently.
Lassim seized the opportunity and lunged at it as quickly as he could, thinking it might be the real one losing control over her spell, his halberd slicing through the air with deadly precision.
But as his weapon connected, the clone merely dispersed into a splash of water, confirming it was nothing more than a hollow construct.
"[Of course,]" Lassim thought, gritting his teeth in frustration as the remaining clones continued their relentless assault, their spells hammering him from all sides.
Jets of freezing water slammed into his body, sending sharp pains through his limbs, while whirlpools threatened to drag him under. His [Hydroburst] had disrupted the copies but hadn’t revealed the real Naga.
Unperturbed by Lassim’s attempts, the clones began to chant in unison, their voices echoing ominously through the waters once more.
From the depths of the river, the massive form of a water elemental began to rise once more. The creature, with its towering, churning form, loomed over Lassim, revealing its glowing bracelets holding its water-based body together.
The Naga clones didn’t let up, continuing to rain down spells as the elemental advanced. Lassim found himself under siege from all directions, his mind racing to keep up with the relentless onslaught. The elemental’s fists came crashing down toward him with the force of a tidal wave, while the clones conjured barriers and launched projectiles of ice and water at him.
Lassim barely managed to dodge the first strike, but the elemental was relentless. It swung its fists of flowing water again and again, each blow sending shockwaves through Lassim and the water. Lassim could feel the force of the attacks reverberating through his body, threatening to break his bones.
Lassim’s breath came in ragged gasps as he desperately fought to hold his ground. "[This is insane,]" he thought, narrowly dodging a bolt of icy water that whizzed past his head. "[I need to find a way to turn the tide of this battle… or I’m done for.]"
He focused his mana into his halberd, charging it with a mixture of water and lightning. The blade crackled with energy as he unleashed a powerful [Thrust], aiming for the elemental’s center.
The halberd struck true, of course, but instead of piercing the elemental’s body, it passed through harmlessly, as if cutting through air as the water split to accommodate his polearm.
"[What?!]" Lassim’s eyes widened in disbelief as the elemental shrugged off the attack, its watery form reforming instantly. It retaliated with a devastating backhand, sending Lassim flying across the river. He crashed into the water, the impact knocking the wind out of him.
"[This thing is practically invincible,]" Lassim thought, struggling to catch his breath. He could feel the Naga’s gaze on him, her amusement clear even without words. "[And I’m running out of options.]"
The elemental loomed over him, its fists raised for a final, crushing blow. But Lassim wasn’t ready to give up.
Summoning his strength, Lassim activated [Tempest Steps], his body blurring as he moved with incredible speed. The elemental’s fists crashed down where he had been moments before, but Lassim was already gone, darting around the battlefield in a blur of motion.
"[How in the 9 hells do I even beat her? What stupid recommendation is there that she has a weakness…,]" Lassim thought, his mind racing as he evaded the elemental’s attacks. "[But, I can’t give up. Forget about weaknesses and just kill her, that’s the answer right?]"
He sighed, "[I’m just wasting my time trying to fight this elemental. If only I was already in the Spirit Ascension stage…or knew a different technique to blow everything up at the same time. I should stay focused on her and defeat her. Eventually I’ll run into the real one… right?]"
He focused his attention once more on the Naga Sorceress and her clones, who were now gathered in a group more tightly together. The real one was among them, directing the elemental’s movements with her magic while the rest cast spells.
If Lassim could break her concentration, even for a moment, it might be enough to turn the tide.
With a burst of speed, Lassim closed the distance between them, his halberd crackling with energy.
As if fate had decided to lend a hand in his choosing of a target, the Naga’s eyes widened in surprise as he lunged at her, but she quickly retaliated, summoning a wall of water to block his attack.
The halberd struck the barrier with a resounding crash, sending water spraying in all directions. Lassim gritted his teeth, steadied his footing with another burst of [Tempest Steps] and poured more mana into the weapon as he pushed against the barrier instead of retreating. The Naga’s control over the wall of water wavered, her concentration breaking for a split second.
"[Now!]" Lassim thought, seizing the opportunity. He unleashed a massive [Hydroburst] at point-blank range, the force of the explosion shattering the water barrier and sending the Naga reeling.
The elemental’s form flickered and weakened as the Naga sorceress’s control faltered. It suddenly fell to join the river as its gauntlets splashed into the river and sank to the bottom of its celestial sparkles.
But the battle was far from over. The Naga Sorceress, though wounded, was still a formidable opponent.
She hissed in anger, her eyes burning with fury as she prepared to unleash her full power as she summoned and raised a coral covered staff out of some spatial object she must have had. Her actions summoned a massive whirlpool that began to form between them, knocking them away from each other.
The water swirled with terrifying speed, the currents strong enough that it began to tear flesh from his bones. He spread [Lifestream] across his body as much as he could, but it was tough.
"[I’ve got to end this, and quickly,]" Lassim thought, his body aching from the prolonged battle. He’d kept [Lifestream] active the entire time, and that combined with his repeated activations of [Tempest Steps], [Thrust]s, [Slash]es and [Hydroburst] were too much for his progenitor marks to keep up with. He gathered the last of his mana, preparing for one final, all-out assault.
With a primal roar as he pushed his body to its limits, Lassim charged forward, his halberd crackling with energy as he fought against the powerful currents. The whirlpool pulled at him, threatening to drag him under, but he pushed forward, his determination unyielding to reach her again.
The Naga unleashed a barrage of spells as she no longer controlled the whirlpool, hurling jets of scalding water and shards of ice at him, but Lassim did his best to deflect the most dangerous of them with his halberd. He focused on wasting as little energy as possible, making his movements precise and controlled.
Each step brought him closer to the Naga, his eyes locked on her as he prepared to strike.
With a final burst of speed, Lassim broke through the whirlpool, his halberd glowing with an intense azure and violet light. The Naga’s eyes widened in shock once more as he closed the distance between them, but it was too late and she was too drained to summon another whirlpool..
Lassim brought his halberd down with all his might, the blade cutting through the Naga’s defenses and striking her with a powerful [Hydroburst]. Surprisingly, the force of the attack hadn’t killed her and only sent her sprawling across the water, her staff slipping from her grasp as she fell.
The whirlpool began to dissipate, the turbulent waters calming as the Naga Sorceress’s spells over the environment and celestial river all ended.
Lassim stood over her, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he watched the life begin to drain from her eyes.
Despite her immense power, despite the overwhelming odds she had stacked against him, Lassim had managed to push through, to outlast and overpower her with sheer guts and will power to win.
The Naga Sorceress looked up at him, her once fierce expression softening into one of weary resignation. "You... have proven yourself," she murmured, her voice weak but still tinged with a sense of ancient pride. "No challengers have ever reached this point... and you are the first to have managed to best me in combat. While this is a mere shade, you deserve the win."
Lassim, still on guard, kept his halberd ready, though he could sense that the fight had gone out of her. "Thank you. It was tough and I still have no idea if you even have a weakness like the voice said." he replied, focusing on controlling his breathing and calming the adrenaline rushing through his veins.
The Naga’s serpentine form began to shimmer with a soft light, her body dissolving into the waters of the Celestial River. "You are strong, challenger," she continued, her voice becoming fainter as her body faded.
"Perhaps strong enough to see your journey through to its end as you also control divine mana at such a young age. But remember this: true strength lies not just in power you’re borrowing right now, but in understanding it and making it your own. Understanding the world, the elements... and yourself.
After you do that, you might be able to make that final step that us guardians have been unable to do without their assistance."
As her form finally dissipated completely, the waters where she had stood began to glow with an ethereal light.
From the depths of the river, the final fragment of the wish pearl rose, its soft, azure light pulsing gently. Lassim watched as the fragment floated towards him, finally coming to rest in his outstretched hand.
For a moment, Lassim simply stood there, the glowing fragment resting in his palm. It tugged to join the others in his pouch but he held it firmly.
The battle had been grueling, pushing him to his limits and beyond, but he had emerged victorious. "[No shortcuts this time,]" he thought, reflecting on how sheer force had been the only solution. There had been no clever trick, no hidden weakness to exploit—only raw determination and power had seen him through.
With a deep breath, he retrieved the other fragments from his magic pouch. There was a sense of completion, of finality, as the last piece settled into place and the orb began to glow.
The androgynous voice that had guided him through the trials spoke once more, its tone calm and almost reverent. "Congratulations, Lassim. You have collected all the fragments of the wish pearl. With them, you are now ready to claim your reward."
Lassim felt the air around him shift slightly, as though the very fabric of reality was being manipulated. The fragments began to glow with an even brighter, more intense light. The merged fragments floated into the air, spinning slowly as they converged at a single point.
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