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As the three Bronze Saints passed Shura, he glanced at them—his eyes narrowing slightly. That single glance was the spark that ignited the battle.
"Don't even think about it, Shura." Sensing his intent to attack, Mika's fist shot forward.
"Atomic Thunderbolt!" The blow struck Shura in the abdomen, sending him flying.
"Losing focus in the middle of a battle? It seems you need a reminder of who you're facing." Mika grinned and—in a flash of light, was upon him.
"Damn it—Diamond Dust!"
Camus, seeing Mika attacking Shura, unleashed his signature technique—the same one he had taught Hyoga.
However, Camus's version was far more powerful.
A wave of chilling cold washed over Mika—even before it reached him.
He had faced freezing attacks before—Such as Esdeath's Mahāpadma, which could freeze time itself.
But Camus's Diamond Dust felt different, carrying a primal, almost—divine chill that made Mika instinctively wary. It was the essence of absolute zero—a terrifying concept to even someone with his diverse knowledge and experience.
But Mika didn't have time to analyze it. He wasn't alone.
"Your opponent is me, Camus." Aiolia's voice rang out as he intercepted Camus, lightning crackling around his fists.
"Lightning Punch!"
A barrage of light-speed punches collided with Camus's Diamond Dust—a clash of lightning and ice that created a powerful shockwave.
——
Taking advantage of the distraction, Mika resumed his attack on Shura.
"Let's go!" Shiryu urged Seiya and Shun.
With Mika and Aiolia now battling Shura and Camus—it was their chance to continue their journey towards the Pope's chambers.
"Right!" Seiya agreed. They knew their role was to press onward.
"Shun—hold Hyoga tight! We're going to run!"
"Got it!"
———
With their departure, the battle in Libra intensified.
"Excalibur!"
Shura—recovering from Mika's initial attack, unleashed his own deadly technique, a sword beam of concentrated Cosmo hurtling towards Mika.
Mika calmly raised his hand. "Crystal Wall!"
However, this time, he didn't use its reflective properties. Shura's Excalibur was imbued with a [Law of Severance].
The Gold Saints Often wielded such laws within their techniques—though their understanding and control of these laws were limited.
They couldn't manipulate them freely or extend their effects beyond their specific techniques. But within those techniques, their power was truly godlike.
Therefore, Mika wouldn't risk deflecting such an attack. He focused his Cosmo on reinforcing his Crystal Wall.
"Screech!" The piercing sound of metal against crystal echoed as Shura's attack struck the barrier.
Mika didn't wait for it to break through. He sidestepped, dodging the blade of light, and charged towards Shura, who responded with a flurry of attacks. Blades of light filled the air—a dazzling display of speed and power.
Mika grinned, He raised his arm, a crimson vortex swirling around it, growing faster and denser.
"Let's see which is stronger: Your Excalibur—or my Enuma Elish!"
"Enuma Elish: The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth!"
He swung his arm downwards.
The crimson whirlwind—now a concentrated beam of chaotic energy—shot forward, tearing through space, obliterating everything in its path.
It was an attack imbued with the [Law of Creation]—a power beyond mortal comprehension.
The very space around them began to collapse—as if reality itself were unraveling.
"What kind of technique is that?"
Shura, sensing the familiar resonance of swordsmanship within the attack, was momentarily captivated.
But the next instant—the sheer scale and destructive power of Mika's Enuma Elish overwhelmed him, its raw Cosmo far surpassing anything he had ever encountered.
He was momentarily captivated, his gaze fixed on the crimson vortex.
And in that instant—he was struck...
Unlike the original Enuma Elish, Mika's version moved at the Speed of Light.
Shura, momentarily mesmerized—had no time to react.
He was engulfed by the crimson whirlwind—which expanded rapidly, shattering the temple's ceiling and erupting skyward.
——
Elsewhere in the Libra Temple—
The force of Mika's attack momentarily interrupted Aiolia and Camus's own battle.
"Cough, cough…"
Shura emerged from the rubble, his body covered in blood, a gruesome sight. However, to Mika's enhanced senses—his life force was still strong, his Cosmo burning brightly.
"Impressive. To think my most powerful technique could only do this much damage against a Gold Cloth…" Mika muttered, though he wasn't surprised. Gold Cloths, imbued with divine power, offered incredible protection. While a Gold Saint's attacks could slay gods—their defenses were even more formidable.
As the blood flowed from his wounds, they began to close; Gold Saints could heal minor injuries with their Cosmo. However, ignoring his internal injuries, Shura's fighting spirit burned even brighter, his excitement growing, having witnessed such a powerful technique.
Mika smiled. "It seems you need—more persuasion."
———
———
"Excalibur!"
"Starlight Extinction!"
"Diamond Dust!"
"Lightning Plasma!"
Within the ruined Libra Temple—The four Gold Saints clashed.
Mika, after his initial attack, couldn't land another significant blow on Shura; he was now locked in a stalemate.
It wasn't that his strength had decreased or Shura's had increased—but Camus's timely interventions were disrupting his attacks.
"Atomic Thunderbolt!"
Mika—seizing a fleeting opportunity, a momentary lapse in Shura's defense, unleashed Aiolos's signature technique.
But just as the attack was about to connect—
"Diamond Dust!"
A wave of frigid Cosmo hurtled towards him—forcing Mika to react.
"Crystal Wall!"
Mika quickly summoned his shield, blocking the attack, though it wasn't a serious threat. It was a hastily cast spell.
After a brief exchange, they had assessed each other's strength.
Mika was the strongest, Aiolia the weakest, though these were relative terms. Their Cosmo levels were similar—some simply closer to their peak than others. They were evenly matched.
Mika had a slight advantage against Shura, while Camus held the upper hand against Aiolia.
This allowed them to interfere in each other's duels.
Mika would occasionally launch an attack at Camus, while Camus, in turn, would use his ice techniques to disrupt Mika's fight against Shura.
"Stardust — Revolution!" Frustrated by the constant interruptions, Mika unleashed his wide-area attack, hoping to overwhelm both Shura and Camus simultaneously.
"Excalibur!"
"Diamond Dust!"
They unleashed their most powerful techniques, hoping to counter Mika's attack directly, to create an opening for escape.
But Mika wouldn't give them the chance.
Just as Camus's Diamond Dust was about to collide with Mika's Stardust Revolution—
"Lightning Plasma!"
Aiolia—sensing Mika's intent, intervened, his attack intercepting Camus's, creating a momentary gap in their combined assault.
It was a calculated risk, a sacrifice to ensure Mika's attack connected.
And it worked.
Now, it was two against one. Facing both Mika's wide-area attack and Aiolia's relentless assault, Camus, who had been holding his own against Aiolia earlier, was forced onto the defensive.
Mika and Shura faced each other once more.
They transformed into light, their Cosmos colliding, like miniature suns clashing, unleashing shockwaves that tore through the already ruined temple. They separated, then clashed again, their movements a blur of light and speed.
Clang!
Their arms collided—Shura's Excalibur hand-slash against Mika's spear.
Mika, after mastering the other Gold Saints' techniques, had been intrigued by Shura's Excalibur, its blade-like hand strikes. He had wondered if he, too, could develop such a technique.
The answer, of course, was yes.
The core of Shura's Excalibur was his mastery of swordsmanship, a technique only achievable through years of dedicated training, honed to the point where it could cut through anything.
However, Mika, with his guidance from other worlds and his vast combat experience, was no less talented. Having decided to replicate Shura's technique, he needed a suitable weapon as a base.
He had chosen [Sacred Gear - Radiant Spear].
After all, he lacked a suitable sword for such a technique. Ea—while powerful, was more of a magical artifact than a blade, its true power lying in its conceptual nature—not its physical form.
Radiant Spear, however, forged from legendary weapons like [Gungnir] and [Durandal]—possessed the Law of [Unerring Accuracy] and [Absolute Severance]—a perfect combination for his new technique.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
Both Mika and Shura grinned—their excitement mirroring each other's.
Shura, thrilled by the challenge, by the clash of similar techniques.
Mika—by the opportunity to refine his own newly developed skill, to absorb Shura's mastery and integrate it into his own.
His Spear, once a mere concept, was now rapidly evolving, its potential limitless.
He had great hopes for this new technique.
It would be his trump card...
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