Joel stood up from the floor, his aura radiating power and majesty. He broke through to the pulse realm in one go after the battle.
This is truly magnificent, he thought to himself as he examined his body. He felt like he could easily defeat the Oni now if they fought again.
He continued to move forward in the bush and caught sight of a girl fighting an earth dragon. To think I would see the rare time affinity here, he thought to himself as he saw Alice fight a one-sided battle with the dragon.
Joel, seeing as she had killed the dragon effortlessly, moved closer to the girl and merged with his shadow to become stealthy.
Who is there, Alice yelled as she got into a battle posture. As expected, the time affinity is not just for show. Even in stealth, she can sense me, Joel thought to himself as he left his shadow.
Joel crafted another spear with essence as he got ready to fight Alice. Alice was already in the pulse realm and had a white crest. The only reason her cultivation speed was faster than Joel's was that her family had access to a massive amount of resources, but Joel only cultivated with pure essence.
Alice saw the person and cast a wicked grin. So it was the young master of the Zephyron clan, you sure have some nerve to try to compete with me. Although she was surprised that he was in the pulse realm, that didn't make her fear him.
Joel did not even exchange words with her; he lunged forward with a burst of speed, aiming his spear at her throat. As he got closer, a sense of distortion washed over him, and Alice, who was in front of him, mysteriously vanished. Curse this time affinity, Joel already understood that she had paused time to evade his attack.
Swoosh, a cutting sound was heard behind him as Alice struck his sides with her blade. Joel quickly intercepted it with his spear and was pushed back.
Splurt, Joel spat out blood as he tried to heal himself with water essence. I am already at a disadvantage even before the battle starts, Joel said as he smiled. I need to stop holding back, or I will be killed for real.
Joel coated his leg in wind essence and dashed at Alice. When he was close to her, he felt the distortion again, and Alice was nowhere to be found. Alice, using the momentary pause, lunged at him from behind but was met with several wind lances that pierced her from behind.
He directly made a swing with his spear, aiming for her head.
Twin Paradox Arts: Temporal Echo
Alice used one of her techniques, appearing where she was before the attacks came. Even the wounds from the wind lance had closed.
Alice huffed out of exhaustion; the essence consumed from using the technique drained her. I forgot he was a Zephyron, he is not to be underestimated, she thought to herself.
I knew she would have a life-saving technique as a time mage. Joel faced Alice again as he used a technique.
Alice, using the remaining essence in her, used a technique as she charged in for a final attack.
Twin Paradox Arts: Infinite Strikes
She began slashing at inhumane speed, as her strikes were locked in time without touching Joel. After striking for three seconds, all the slashes finally lunged at Joel.
Joel, calmly swinging his spear.
Limitless Technique: Water Style: Crashing Maelstrom
A force field appeared, absorbing all the strikes with ease. Alice, who saw all this from outside the ripple, was shocked. Joel simply smiled and snapped his fingers; the force field transformed into a spear and pierced Alice directly in the head, ending her life.
One down, more to go, Joel said as he copied the time affinity from Alice.