The mana entity was real. It was decked out in armor and deep blue fur. It isn’t like the vestiges that Soverick was fighting earlier. This one actually has weight to his existence. That meant this fight has more than tripled in difficulty.
“I know you. That’s why I didn’t underestimate you.” The mana entity spoke.
He was comfortable speaking since what it was doing was standing around and using the length-changing ability of its spear to attack Soverick.
Soverick on the other hand kept quiet. He wasn’t comfortable talking unless he wants to be pierced through by the spear. The attacks were lightning-fast. The switch from elongated to reduced was done by the spear beyond what he thought was possible for a weapon.
His opponent continued to talk. “You are the aberrant. I watched your fight in the first stage. You ruined our plan. You must pay for that sin with your life.”
Soverick had been watching and examining the mana entity. When he noticed that it was pulling a massive amount of mana into several spots around him, he knew that he couldn’t allow the mana entity to continue. He must stop whatever is about to happen immediately.
What was going on was absurd to think about. The mana entities he had faced had only one Ability that they used but this one seems to be a warrior and a mage. He had his spear and could also cast spells. The fight had quadrupled in difficulty.
Soverick lagged in speed all of a sudden. The mana entity took advantage of it and sent the spear his way. Then he sped up, heightened his perception, and then he grabbed the spear. His hand latched onto the pole of the spear and tried pulling it. He was sure he should be stronger than the mana entity. He had faith in his accumulated momentum. He was wrong.
He experienced what others must have felt when they crossed fists with him or tried to push him back. He couldn’t move the mana entity at all. There he was, all revved up with his hand on the spear but it wasn’t bulging. Then he felt his intuition tingle in warning, so he let the spear go and tried to move as far away as possible.
The spear lit up like a bolt of lightning. It was like a blue energy construct instead of the rigid form he was holding onto earlier. A bolt jumped out from the spear of lightning and struck him. Some of his barriers were shattered immediately. He would have been electrocuted and paralyzed if he was still touching it. And that would be the least of his problems.
“You’re smart and you have good instincts. You’re the complete package.” The mana entity said as he let go of the ambient mana he was accumulating.
“You tricked me,” Soverick said calmly.
“Correct.” The mana entity was still grinning at him. This time, Soverick could see a touch of madness within his opponent’s eyes.
“It’s just me, the spear, and my lightning. Nothing else.” The mana entity laughed and answered.
Soverick had thought he was about to cast spells. He expected the worst outcome when the mana entity was gathering mana. He thought he wanted to create a magic arsenal. It might have been game over if Soverick let that happen.
He had thought that since the mana entity was real, it could probably do what other mana entities could do. So he tried something desperate and the mana entity had been anticipating it.
“I knew you were going to abuse your momentum. It’s how you’re so fast and strong. I don’t know how you got so much of it or how you can keep it up for so long. But you’re not the only one with a lot of momentum.” His opponent mocked him.
Soverick continued to dodge and evade his attacks with the spear. The mana entity grew bored and irritated at the monotony of things. The fight had devolved into a chase of a cat and a mouse.
“Is this all you know how to do? To run and hide like a coward. I thought better of you seeing as you are the hero of the plane.” He said to Soverick.
He even left openings in his attacks so that Soverick would try something different. But it seemed Soverick had become overly cautious after that last deceit. He didn’t even respond to the snide comments that the mana entity made.
“If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you.”
Saying so the mana entity lit up like his spear. Lightening began to course through its body. Then he flashed brightly and appeared before Soverick. Soverick understood what was going on immediately. The mana entity was augmenting itself with its element. It will make the mana entity faster. When coupled with the strength he felt when he tried to pull the spear, the mana entity should become deadlier. But Soverick smiled.
Faster or stronger, what mattered is that the mana entity had moved closer to him. It meant it was within striking distance and most importantly, within Soverick’s range of divine sense. So Soverick struck. He put all he had into a punch to his opponent’s head. The mana entity blocked his fist but somehow he was still struck in the face.
Imagine punching a boulder flying at you at a minimum speed of 300m/s hard enough for the boulder to crack. Odds are the fist will also be damaged. The mana entity’s head whipped back abruptly. 17 of Soverick’s barriers broke as soon as his fist made contact with his opponent’s jaw. It protected his fist from most of the damage, but his arm was almost dislocated.
The mana entity was surprised by the hit, it had blocked it, and yet he was struck. He might have made a mistake but he could retaliate. His spear moved to cut Soverick in his side. Instead of backing off, Soverick moved forward.