Misdirection

I could try cornering her, but I can't think of how I would achieve that. I could also try an attack she can't dodge, most likely an area of effect one, but that would only serve to make my Uua finish faster. So, what can I do? If I could attack while still being inside Hilla's barrier things would be much easier. I pause, could I do that? Immediately I try to form a Roe outside the barrier, unfortunately, I soon find out that that is impossible since my domain seems to be restricted to be within only the barrier. It seems as long as I am within the barrier I can't control the magic outside it. I guess that's part of the reason why it's so effective. If I can use project my magic outside, then it shouldn't be impossible for my opponent to project theirs inside.

While I am thinking, she doesn't stay idle as she fires off a barrage of pyramid-shaped projectiles. The moment the first one hit I am forced to pay attention to her. The attack actually punctures Hilla's barrier. It doesn't shatter the barrier, just makes a hole where it hits. Thinking fast I make the barrier spin, shifting the invisible projectile away from me.

The remaining projectiles strike at that same moment but since the barrier was spinning, they scrape at it instead of puncturing the barrier. The moment I realize that I keep spinning the barrier until the projectiles dissipate. Through sheer luck, I just figured out how to counter her most troublesome attack. And that isn't my only gain. The hole she punctured at first made me realize something. Hilla's barrier could be created any way I wanted; it doesn't necessarily have to cover me from all sides. As long as I leave a part open, I should be able to use my magic just fine.

Still, if I can't get close enough to her to hit her, all I have gained will be useless. While I think she launches more attacks, my still rapidly spinning barrier is enough to stop them. After a few more seconds of thought, I come up with a plan that just might work.

I create a large enough hole in my barrier that can enable me to still use magic without too much effort, but to make up for it I make the barrier begin to spin all around me. If she makes any move, it won't take any time for me to point the barrier in the direction of her attack. I ready myself, turn on the sensitivity noer Luoi had taught me, then I use Burst.

Ever since I learned Burst from Drew, I have a specific amount of Uua I use to do it. Today, I use more than three times that amount in one moment. The result: I shoot toward Bree like a bullet. Of course, since I increased my speed she also does the same, but I don't mind, sticking to my plan.

Another invisible wall appears in front of me but this time I am expecting it, having noticed her hand moving just a moment before. Using Burst I leap more than fifteen feet into the air, over the wall. She takes the chance to fire a barrage of those pyramid-shaped projectiles at me. I direct my barrier to block them, making sure to keep it spinning so that none of them would be able to puncture it like before. In retaliation, I create a massive Roe and shoot it at her. As expected, she dodges it.

I hit the ground running and continue my frantic offensive, making sure my speed doesn't falter, and peppered her with Roes and sharp waves of telekinesis. In the face of my pressing attacks, she tries her best to retaliate, but I don't let that happen. My rapid movements prevent her from binding me like before, especially since I make sure to rapidly change direction to prevent such a thing, and Hilla's barrier orbiting me is quick to stop any other attack she can throw. My current state is not sustainable due to Uua consumption, but I can still keep it up for a minute or so.

Finally, under my pressing attacks, she makes a fatal mistake by returning to an area where I had previously attacked her with a lot of Roes. It is then I put my plan into action. Ever since my plan began, I made sure to use my increased sensitivity to my residual Uua to prevent them from dissipating too fast. Now, because of how much I was pressuring her, she failed to pay attention and returned to such an area.

I use Burst to boost me forward and ensure that the area she was in touched the edge of my domain, then I created several of the first parts of the Lode noer with the residual Uua, while shooting an especially powerful Roe at her. The Roe distracts her, causing her to fail to notice when the Lode noers attach themselves to her.

She shoots a projectile at the Roe causing it to explode midway between us. At that moment, I add another part to my plan, making sure to keep the residual Uua from the destroyed Roe from dissipating too fast. Then, I activate the second part of the Lode noer on my chest, while using Burst at the same time.

Bree suddenly finds her escape halted as she is dragged toward me, and me toward her. With the added boost from Burst, she is quickly drawn into my domain, but I don't summon Hilla's barrier around her. With how much Uua I had consumed since I began my plan, doing so would be setting myself up for failure since she should have more than me right now.

I bring my Hilla's barrier in front of myself, blocking her hastily fired attacks, and then jump. She probably wasn't expecting that. Smiling, I prepare another Roe and fire it at her and as expected she summons a barrier between us to block it. Too bad that wasn't my real attack. Right now, she is standing at the point where she had destroyed my previous Roe.

With barely a thought, I recondense a Roe from the residual Uua and fire it up at her. Unfortunately, she is too busy looking up at me to notice the attack coming up from below. Once it hits her, the fight is over.

All of a sudden everything pauses. Then rewinds to the point where I first activated the Lode noer, but this time there is nothing to activate. At the same time, Gabe appears between us, emanating a very tangible pressure. The pressure disappears a second later as he smiles at me and pronounces me the winner.

Relief floods my heart. Bree looks like she wants to argue but Gabe projects the last part of the fight in the air. The moment she sees the Roe flying at her from below, she accepts her defeat.

Before Gabe teleports us back to our seats, I say to her. "That was one hell of a fight. You're really good."

"Thanks. I was hoping I'd get to fight Keldin, but it seems I'm not good enough."

"Why?"

"I want to kick his ass."

Before I could ask what he did to her, we are teleported back to our seats. Gabe then announces a five-minute break before the final fight. The thought of the upcoming fight keeps my heart pounding, and the five minutes pass in a flash. Then it is time, the fight for who takes first place. Me versus Keldin.