The morning loomed over the castle of Shadowfall, wrapped in an expectant silence as Alexs prepared for his training with Mayuri. The atmosphere was heavy with tension, and Alexs could feel Mayuri's challenging gaze before the confrontation even began.
"Are you ready, Alexs?" asked Celes, looking at him with a mix of concern and confidence.
"I will be," Alexs replied, trying to mask his nervousness with a determined expression.
Mayuri, on the other hand, seemed less worried. With a dismissive gesture, she conjured a small crystal barrier in front of her — a preview of her crystallization magic abilities.
"Come on, show me what you can do," Mayuri taunted with a mocking smile.
Alexs took a deep breath, focusing on channeling his basic magic. His initial attacks were easily blocked by Mayuri's crystal barriers, which she summoned effortlessly. Despite his efforts, Alexs couldn't find an opening in his opponent's defense.
Mayuri, her expression arrogant, formed a Diamond Sword. She wielded it skillfully, advancing toward Alexs with swift and precise cuts. Sweating and with his heart racing, Alexs conjured a wind barrier to deflect the attacks, but the diamond sword cut through it with ease.
Mayuri: "Is that all you've got? If you're not even trying, how do you expect to help Lilith-sama? You're just a waste of time." She sighed in boredom at Alexs' apparent lack of skill.
Alexs: "Give me a break, I'm still adjusting to this situation. Damn it... if I keep this up, I won't stand a chance. I need a plan to get close and strike her directly. Judging by her skills, I can assume her crystal magic is based on creating various techniques using elements that can crystallize."
Alexs now chanted a spell and created a cloud of gas in his palm, launching it at Mayuri. She merely stood still, summoning a force field made of obsidian that completely enveloped her. The dark color of the obsidian prevented anyone from seeing inside, though Mayuri could see out clearly.
Mayuri: "Come on, you didn't actually think poisoning me with gas was a good tactic, did you? Besides, this force field protects me not only from attacks but also from any kind of contamination." She laughed smugly.
Alexs: "Damn... I thought that would work. How many tricks does this girl have up her sleeve?" He groaned in frustration, launching a piercing spell that bounced off the force field, creating a crater between them.
He then summoned a gust of wind, stirring up debris and dust around her. Yet even this wasn't enough to land a hit.
Mayuri: What is this idiot doing? He's just attacking randomly... This is getting boring. Maybe I should finish him off quickly; that way, Lilith-sama will be impressed with my skills and choose me as her personal bodyguard and champion. Wait... what's he doing now?
Alexs formed a fire orb and hurled it directly into the crater created by his earlier spell.
Mayuri: "Hahaha! You can't even control your magic properly, or are you just... AHHHH!"
Mayuri screamed in pain as an explosion echoed from within her force field.
With Lilith, Slyther, and Celes
Lilith: "Slyther... did he...?" she asked curiously, noticing Slyther's equally surprised expression.
Slyther: "It seems so, Lilith-sama. Alexs took advantage of Mayuri's overconfidence and used her assumption that he was weak against her. He let her stand still, launched the gas cloud, then used her own force field to amplify the impact of his piercing spell by placing it directly beneath her. Finally, he sent the gas through the crater with his wind spell and triggered the explosion with fire, giving Mayuri no chance to escape."
Lilith: "Clever... I don't think even I could've come up with that in such a short time. Plus, Mayuri's crystal magic is incredibly frustrating — even in our training sessions, I've struggled to beat her without using at least 19% of my power."
Back at the battlefield
Mayuri's force field dissipated, revealing her outfit slightly scorched and her expression filled with irritation at having underestimated Alexs and been humiliated.
Frustrated by Alexs' persistence, Mayuri shifted her focus and conjured an Obsidian Spear, hurling it with a cry of rage. Alexs barely dodged in time, creating an earth barrier to absorb the impact. The spear shattered the wall, leaving a crater in its place.
Alexs: "What the hell?! You almost killed me!" Alexs shouted at Mayuri, who merely chuckled before turning serious.
Mayuri: "Maybe I got too confident and underestimated you... but that won't happen again."
She charged at Alexs with her diamond sword, attacking relentlessly. Alexs barely managed to dodge, relying on wind magic to boost his speed and maneuver around the courtyard with no chance to counterattack.
Mayuri: "What's wrong? Out of ideas already? Don't worry, if you stop running, I'll make sure you get to carry my things when we go out!" she teased victoriously.
Alexs: "Don't tell me you've fallen for me and this is your way of asking me out. Sorry, but you're not my type."
Mayuri suddenly stopped, her face turning red as a tomato.
Mayuri: "Wha... Wha... What?! Of course not! The only person in my heart is Lilith-sama!"
Taking advantage of her distraction, Alexs created a smoke cloud and then summoned icy air to freeze it around Mayuri. She quickly shattered the ice but was confused when she no longer saw Alexs.
Mayuri: "Where did he—?!"
A sudden strike to her back knocked her off balance — Alexs had appeared behind her, his hands enveloped in fire.
Alexs: "I'm tired of being underestimated... It's time to go all out or die trying."
With renewed determination, Alexs attacked fiercely, combining fire-enhanced punches with dark magic blasts and summoning a horde of zombie-like minions that rushed Mayuri from multiple angles.
Feeling overwhelmed, Mayuri whispered a chilling prayer, freezing the ground around her. Sharp ice spikes emerged, instantly shattering the summoned zombies. She then launched the icy spikes directly at Alexs. With no other option, Alexs conjured a wall of fire that barely saved him.
Seeing Alexs nearing exhaustion, Lilith decided it was time to end the training. But before she could intervene, Celes, who had been observing from a distance, sensed Alexs' frustration.
Celes: "Alexs," she called out, catching both fighters' attention. "If you win this fight, I'll reward you like last time..."
Alexs turned beet red at the memory.
Mayuri, however, did not take Celes' words well. Her face hardened, and her eyes gleamed with sudden fury. The temperature around her plummeted.
Mayuri: "You... what did you do to my mother?!" she demanded, grinding her teeth in rage. "You're just as worthless as every other man in this world."
Alexs: "W-wait... this is a misundersta—"
Mayuri: "Shut up!" she snapped, her voice cold and sharp. "And you!" she pointed at Celes. "Don't you dare interfere in this fight — I decide what happens here!"
The air thickened with ominous energy as Mayuri unleashed her full power. Crystals of various shapes and sizes rose around her, all aimed directly at Alexs with lethal intent.
With no time to react, Alexs found himself facing a relentless onslaught of precise, calculated attacks. Each move Mayuri made displayed her mastery over crystallization magic.
Alexs: Damn... what should I do? If I don't figure something out fast, I'll die without ever knowing love... or worse, without seeing Hanako again...
Between pain and desperation, something awakened inside Alexs. A soft, comforting voice echoed in his mind.
Voice: "This is enough. It's time to act."
It was the voice of his critical magic, awakened in this life-threatening moment. With newfound determination, Alexs began to strategize...
Mayuri's abilities were formidable, but not perfect. Alex noticed small cracks in her crystal armor, weak points that could be exploited if he acted quickly and precisely.
The courtyard of Shadowfall Castle resonated with the raw energy of magic as Alex and Mayuri faced off in a duel that had evolved into a deadly dance of magical skills.
With Memory Echo activated, Alex moved with agility and precision that even surprised Mayuri. His gestures were fluid and calculated, each movement of his hands accompanied by a soft murmur of arcane words.
With each spell, he tried to emulate the techniques and abilities he had observed during Mayuri's combat. Mayuri, on the other hand, responded with renewed ferocity. Her crystallization magic expanded into complex formations, creating sharp weapons and protective barriers with impressive speed.
Each time she cast a spell, her voice resonated in the air with precise commands and magical chants, while the crystals obediently responded to her will. The duel intensified with every exchange.
Mayuri launched Amethyst projectiles that shot toward Alex with speed and precision, each one intended to cut or crush her opponent. Alex responded with clever countermeasures, creating bursts of magical wind to deflect incoming attacks or forming temporary barriers to shield himself from the most severe blows.
The fight took on a new dimension when Alex, using Memory Echo, attempted to replicate one of Mayuri's defensive techniques. Concentrating his magic, he formed a crystal barrier that stood between him and an incoming attack. Although imperfect and less resilient than Mayuri's, the barrier managed to deflect the projectile just enough to avoid a direct hit.
Mayuri, seeing the imitation of her technique, frowned with a mix of surprise and irritation. She increased the intensity of her attacks, now determined to prove the superiority of her skill over Alex's imitation.
Meanwhile, with Lilith and Slyther...
"Amazing... I didn't expect that to work. But it seems your tactic worked perfectly, Celes," Slyther said with a smile as he watched the battle.
"I know, I'm amazing, aren't I, Slyther-chan? Lilith-sama... Wait, what tactic?" Celes replied, confusing the other two.
"The one where you pretended to have something with Alex to provoke Mayuri's anger so Alex would activate his critical magic," Lilith answered, looking at Celes, who displayed an expression that suggested she wasn't joking.
"Wait... Don't tell me you actually... You... No way. Alex is in serious trouble."
Back on the battlefield...
The young man, aware of his limitations but motivated by the need to defend himself and counterattack, continued exploring the capabilities of Memory Echo. With every new skill he attempted to adopt came a strong headache, yet he felt his connection to magic strengthening, allowing him to adapt more quickly to Mayuri's attack patterns.
The duel grew hotter and more frantic as the minutes passed. Crystal projectiles mixed with bursts of magical energy and gusts of wind, creating controlled chaos in the makeshift battlefield.
Celes, watching from a distance with narrowed eyes of concern, could see the determination in Alex's movements.
Becoming increasingly confident in his ability to handle Memory Echo, he fought with the courage of someone who had found a new source of power and hope in the face of danger. The sun began to slowly descend toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the castle courtyard.
For Alex and Mayuri, however, time seemed suspended as they continued their battle, each seeking the decisive moment to tip the balance in their favor.
Finally, in a moment of clarity and boldness, Alex saw the opening he had been waiting for. With a rapid series of movements, he deflected one of Mayuri's attacks to the side and launched a precise counterattack toward her, creating a Diamond spear by combining two of Mayuri's techniques — something even she had never done before.
Surprised, she quickly formed an obsidian shield, hoping to stop the attack.
The spell struck with force, causing Mayuri to stagger back a few steps as her obsidian barrier cracked under the pressure.
Alex seized the opportunity without hesitation, advancing with determination as he channeled the power of Memory Echo once more. Reciting a quick chant, he summoned green emeralds that emerged from the ground, forming an intricate net. With a graceful gesture, he hurled the net toward Mayuri, trapping her and restricting her movements with sharp crystals.
With a mix of exhaustion and triumph in his eyes, Alex cast one final spell directly at Mayuri — one she knew well.
"Amethyst Orb and Emerald Net... How is it possible that he replicated those spells if I never used them against him? Even though they're not as powerful as mine, combined they're just as dangerous."
The power of Memory Echo amplified his normal magic, making the spell shine with dazzling intensity as it shot toward its target.
Mayuri, recognizing her inevitable defeat in that moment, closed her eyes and braced for impact. The spell enveloped her briefly before dispersing in a flash of light and energy.
The courtyard fell silent for a moment, broken only by the soft whisper of the wind and the echo of dissipating magic in the air. Alex, breathing heavily but with a satisfied smile, collapsed to the ground completely drained of mana, causing him to fall unconscious from the immense strain of replicating another's critical magic.
Mayuri, unable to believe what had just happened, turned toward Celes, who was watching with awe and relief from the distance.
The battle was over, and though the scars of the fight were evident in the ruined surroundings and the exhausted combatants, the outcome was clear. With the awakening of Memory Echo, Alex had proven his ability to adapt and overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.