~CRACK!~
The ultimate armor that Ana's doppelgänger wore shattered to pieces, and Maria's armor and entire attire experienced the same fate.
It was almost as if they were fragile as glass, broken off their skin in no time at all.
Once that happened, their demise soon followed.
~VWUUUUUUSSSSHHHHH!!!~
The both of them were consumed by golden energy, burned to cinders before they even realized it.
Afterwards, silence erupted.
"We're done here." Kuzon broke the decorum with his tone of resolve.
His gaze narrowed as it pierced through Ciel's facade.
"Now let us proceed."
"H-how did you…?" Ciel already knew Kuzon was not going to explain his actions to her.
Based on his expression, she could already sense his disinterest in her and the obsession he had towards the mission.
'I need to stop them no matter what!' Her thoughts echoed.
That meant utilizing her Trump Card once again.
'It's going to be quite draining, especially considering how I just used it to create two more doppelgängers for those two—all in vain—but the returns should be worth it!'
If she could perfectly replicate Kuzon, then she would have access to all the powers he possessed.
That would even the playing field considerably.
'The other two also seem incredibly powerful! They're far stronger than I expected!'
That meant she couldn't hold back any longer.
'[Original Magic: Forge Of Creation]'
The world suddenly took on a glass-like form, almost as if space had become mirror-like
This surface tension was followed by a flash of bright white light, with golden undertones buried underneath.
'Hahaha!' Ciel laughed to herself.
Now that the light had covered everyone and everything in the vicinity, she had all she required to mimic their power.
'Now… for the perfect duplicates!' She grinned.
The bright light faded, and three clusters of energy manifested in front of her.'Hehehe… hehehe…!'
Everything was working according to her plan! All the procedures had been completed, and how there was no stopping her!
'Let's see how you handle dealing with versions of yoursel—!"
~ZZZTTTTTZZZZZ~
Right before her eyes, Ciel watched the three clusters of energy buzz and dissipate in failure.
None of them successfully birthed the duplicates that were promised.
"E-eh…?" Ciel's brows twitched as she watched the impossible unfold.
'How is this possible? How did this happen?'
She somehow had a lingering suspicion, and it caused her to raise her eyes to watch Kuzon.
His glowing eyes stared at her condescendingly—almost as if he could not be bothered by the shameful failure of her Magic.
"W-what… what in the world… WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MAGIC, YOU FILTHY CHILD!"
Ciel's breathing became heavy following her scream. She had used too much Aether and fortitude in activating her Original Magic.
Exhaustion tugged at her now, but she could not afford to show any weakness.
Not while the situation was this dire.
"You two… let us proceed." Kuzon ignored Ciel's voice, instead facing Serah and Edward.
Even though they nodded at him, they were just as confused and flabbergasted as Ciel.
The both of them seemed to want to know what the fuss was all about, and what Kuzon had actually done.
However, even to his teammates, Kuzon had no interest in explaining.
'The moment I detected her Magic, I used my Authority to override it before it was complete. Since I possess greater authority—on par with the Constellations—in this form, she never stood a chance…' His thoughts trailed.
It didn't matter what was thrown at him. As long as he had more authority than that very thing, he could override it entirely.
That was why Kuzon felt this entire exchange was pointless.
… Why he only cared about the mission.
"Answer me, you insole—!"
~VWUUUUUSSSSHHHH!~
Before Ciel concluded her hysterical shriek, she was suddenly engulfed in golden flames.
Her body burned to its very marrow, and within that same moment, nothing was left of her.
"Bothersome…" Kuzon murmured.
Edward and Serah exchanged glances, both unsure of what to feel about Kuzon's string of behaviors.Surely, it was the most efficient route, so why were they a little anxious about it.
"How dare you interrupt me? Have you no respect? You insolent fool!"
The silence was once again interrupted by Ciel and her resumed bickering.
"As expected. You've replicated yourself as well. This is why I didn't want to engage you, to begin with…" Kuzon groaned.
Initially, he was disappointed in both Maria and Ana, considering he had given them the task of keeping Ciel busy, yet here she was.
However, the more he thought of it, the more he realized there was no reason for that.
'Ciel probably has a duplicate facing Maria and Ana right now. Or maybe that is the original, and this here is the duplicate…'
No matter how he sliced it, Maria and Ana were never going to be able to completely hold her back.
'So she copied Legris and his annoying duplication, huh? How bothersome.'
Kuzon's increasing irritation stemmed from the anxiety that kept tugging at his heart.
Any moment now, and that cocoon could birth the new Legris—or whatever plan he had.
Every second counted, and it felt like he was the only one who recognized that.
'We don't have time for conversations or pointless battles.'
Which meant there was only one solution—one way out from his current dilemma.
"We're going to commence our attacks. Whether she's in the way or not… it doesn't matter." Kuzon declared.
He was tired of Ciel, and if they could just ignore her and continue their task, that would be for the best.
"Are you sure?"
"Shouldn't we be more cautious?"
Edward and Serah respectively asked, and to that, he clenched his fist in mild annoyance.
"We didn't come here to be cautious of Ciel! We have to destroy that cocoon before time runs out!"
He knew his tone was harsh, but Kuzon didn't care at the moment.
What was at stake far outweighed any consideration he could have for anyone else.
"We destroy the cocoon, and it's mission complete!"
That was all that mattered.
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading, everyone!
Do you agree with Kuzon? Let's hear your thoughts.
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