Galaxy of Hyperion: Mystic Heir

Chapter Forty-Eight: Frozen Finality

Alba was able to catch up with Jay despite her unmatched speed, and they attempted to send another attack of Ice magic at her. Jay ducked below the first punch before sliding to the side to avoid the kick that came next, the physics of the icy ground starting to have their way with her. Jay was able to get in a quick stab regardless, and Alba was left to fall backward with a notable injury in their side. A glare was manifesting in their gaze, and it was pointed squarely at Jay and no other. 

"I believe that I've already made my choice, and if you think that you can topple me before the battle is done, then you can take your victory for whatever it's worth to you and the rest of the Lakinya that have fallen apart as you describe," Jay told Alba evenly. She didn't raise her voice or rise to the bait that Alba had placed for her. "I know what I am fighting for, and I wish to see you defeated by the time that the battle draws to a close."

Alba summoned another plate of ice to cover up the injury that they had sustained to their stomach, and they jumped in Jay's direction as soon as they had managed to start healing the injury. Jay slid on the ground once again to keep from getting hit, but the icy surface of the ground was growing aggravating to her. Jayler didn't know what she was supposed to do to fix the issue, but luckily, he didn't have to answer the question at all. Instead, Tavi snapped his fingers together, and that was seemingly all it took to fix the situation before it could grow any worse. Bands of magic slithered up from the ground before latching themselves firmly against Jay's feet, still giving her the chance to move how she pleased while keeping her from struggling under the slick surface of the cave around them. 

In a way, Jayler had to wonder why Jay wasn't going to just transform if she was struggling under these circumstances. Transformations became rarer as mages grew stronger since they had more innate power to draw upon, but it would have been helpful to be able to fly given the unfortunate texture of the ground below. Jay was clearly struggling under the lack of purchase that she could find on the cave's floor, and the solution seemed clear as could be despite the fact that she was refusing to shift forms to resolve the problem. 

Jayler was ultimately cut off from his quick musings when Alba flicked their wrist in the direction of the rest of the group. They were summoning a wide arc of icy magic that spread through the air quickly. Jayler let out a yelp of surprise before throwing up a shield of fire that would stop the attack in its tracks. The other members of the group had also resorted to using barriers, but Jay ducked under the strike so that she wouldn't have to yield in her attack against Alba to defend herself. 

That was seemingly against Alba's wishes, not that Jayler expected anything else. After all, Jay was the one that Alba wanted to defeat more than any other in the group, and the idea that she had escaped their attack undoubtedly didn't sit well with them. This did nothing but raise Alba's levels of rage, something that already seemed dangerous as it stood, and Jayler was right in thinking that this was a bad thing. Alba lashed out with a kick when Jay went down low, and that was all it took for Jay to be shoved to the ground below. She slid across the ice away from the rest of the group. 

"Jay!" Jayler cried out. He went to move toward her, but he was cut off by another barrage of ice that Alba summoned in his direction. He threw up another barrier, and while he did try to push on forward, he found that it was much easier said than done to reach his sister. This onslaught of ice was much stronger than the previous one had been, and he was being pushed away from the scene of Alba and Jay's encounter under the sheer force of the attack that Alba had summoned. 

Jay, meanwhile, was on the ground near the glowing blue walls of the cave. Alba reached down and cupped their hand around Jay's chin. "Game over," they whispered to her with all the malice in the world. "You have failed. Lyloc has failed. Everything ends here and now."