Chapter Seventy-Seven: Overpowering
On Earth
Morgan, Artemisia, Cecile, Maya and Leonora who felt the connection slowly nodded.
"Fine then, this time, I'll let you run amok."
[Artemisia: Though, please go easy on that girl; she seems...]
[Cecile: You really are kind, Sia.]
[Maya: I'll lend you a hand too, Ash.]
«Beta: I will lend an hand to Master's sister as well»
[Leonora: Um… are our thoughts going to be connected to the initiator like this every time?]
[Morgan: Not really. Only if you want to.]
[Morgan: Right… on that note, Maya-nee, send a footage link to Ratatoskr.]
[Maya: Mm? Why, though?]
[Morgan: To show them a single Esper is as worthy as a spirit, or something like that.]
[Artemisia: You mean they doubted the existence of us Espers?]
[Cecile: Now that you mention it… rough her up a bit, Ash.]
[Artemisia: Cecile…?]
[Leonora: Err… I'd like Ashy to do her best.]
[Maya: Isn't telling her to do her best equivalent to saying, "kill her"?]
[Leonora: Eeeh? I didn't mean that!]
[Cecile: I think Maya-san is joking with you.]
«Beta: Scans indicate that Ms. Maya's statement is not intended as a jest»
[Cecile: Maya-san… you—]
Back at Space
Ashley let out a wry smile. Her family was quite energetic.
But then, she looked at herself.
She had changed. This change was only temporary, but indeed she had.
Now, she had six different factors inside her.
Morgan's unshakable confidence, Artemisia's love, Beta's detachment.
Cecile's will, Maya's indulgence, Leonora's determination—and her bravery.
All those attributes were empowering her, prompting endless powers inside her.
No wonder her manner of speech had changed.
Even her eyes had dimmed slightly, turning into a golden-blue hue.
"I thank you all for this chance."
She now looked and sounded more like a composed person.
Even her intent was being deceived.
But she had no time for that, as her gaze was now fixed on the spirit before her.
"Mukuro… is that your name?"
She requested the information through the link, and Morgan sent it without delay.
Having received the information, Ashley closed her eyes for a bit.
"I see, what a painful past. You have every reason to feel this way."
She acknowledged Mukuro.
Not out of pity, but understanding.
After all, Ashley knew she wasn't in any position to judge.
Revenge?
She had thought about it too.
But her own powerlessness had restrained her for so long—
To the point where she had learned to cower instead.
And because she was weak.
She couldn't stop Maya.
"In the end, I relied on my one and only brother, but even I want to help."
"If it were his wish to rule the world, then I, Ashley Sinclair, will conquer the world!"
Slowly, she extended her hand forward.
"For what or whom do you want to continue forward, Mukuro?"
Every esper was taken aback by Ashley's true intention.
Morgan was the proudest.
He slipped his hands into his pockets, as the corners of his lips curling into a warm smile.
That girl…
He muttered.
"Looks like I'll have to spoil her even more than I already do."
[Ashley: Right. Before I forget, Cecile, good luck with your surgery]
[Cecile: Thank you~]
Back in space
Ashley locked eyes with Mukuro, whose aura had changed drastically.
Her Astral Dress was now dyed crimson, retaining the same constellation-themed aesthetic.
But she was radiating a far more oppressive presence.
"Muku understands not what thou speakest of, but thou didst strike Muku."
You'll pay.
That was the meaning behind her words.
Ashley let out a quiet sigh.
It couldn't be helped.
That form was Mukuro fully unleashing her potential through her Angel: 〈Michael〉.
Indeed she was now strong.
Perhaps even stronger than Ashley herself.
Yet Ashley never once doubted herself, even knowing the gap in raw power.
While she may be able to use the abilities of the rest,
…ultimately, it depends on how much of it she can actually draw out.
If she couldn't fully draw out [Laplace Demon] ability, then it wouldn't work.
Heck, it might backfire on her.
But, Ashley didn't think she'd fail.
Immediately, Ashley pointed a finger before her, muttering some words.
"Phase."
"Pāramitā."
"Pillar of Light."
A golden orb manifested in front of her finger, so dense, it wrapped space around it.
In that instant, she activated [Laplace Demon] and [Body–Mind Union].
Go!
She shot it as she then closed in on Mukuro, who also did the same.
As they closed the distance, Mukuro struck the orb aside with 〈Michael〉.
Clang!
Their weapons clash.
Ashley broke away, twisting her body and striking again.
Only for the blow to be intercepted once more.
Sparks erupted in the vacuum of space, only to be drowned out as…
Rumble!
A wormhole opened beside them, dragging forth a space storm laced with fragments of asteroids.
Yet none of it reached them.
Before Mukuro could even turn her head, the storm froze mid-motion.
"Indeed… how utterly vexing."
〈Lataib〉
Seeing that the attack wouldn't work, Mukuro changed her stance.
Mukuro lifted her hand and immediately flung it down.
Through their clash, she noticed:
Her domain was conditional; when she was near, she could hit Ashley herself.
Rather, it seemed any form of projectile was simply useless against her.
But then, this would work.
What's more, having analyzed Ashley's abilities, Mukuro made her decision.
Multiple gates opened directly in front of Ashley.
Each exuded a violent vacuum-like pull.
It was similar to a black hole devouring everything in its path.
And, in the next instant, even more gates appeared, surrounding Ashley from all sides.
Yet, despite that, Ashley only sighed.
"Really? Using such meager powers against me… are you underestimating me?"
Ashley threw her hand in front of her and immediately dispersed the gates.
Rather, she deleted the absorption effect of the gates.
"..."
"What? This is merely standard territory control reinforced with enhanced output."
Mukuro offered no further reply.
Now she understood, this was no insignificant ant, rather… it was a thorn.
"Very well. I shall show no mercy."
Since no form of projectile worked on this strange individual,
Mukuro abandoned ranged measures altogether.
She accelerated violently, at agressive speeds, matching, no, reaching Ashley's speed.
Instantaneously, she appeared in front of Ashley, who also spread her hand in front.
"Nngh!"
Mukuro staggered mid-air.
Something collided against her
As she glanced behind her, she saw the golden orb still lingering, distorting space itself.
And just when she turned.
Wham!
Another blow rushed in, accompanied by a thunderous impact.
However,
"Gghk!"
The person who was sent flying wasn't Mukuro but Ashley herself.
Ashley steadied herself midair, wiping the grime that slipped from her lips.
She stared at her hand for a moment.
"Wonderful. As expected of my own strike… it even managed to hurt me."
Her smile deepened, much to the spirit's displeasure.
"I asked before, didn't I? What is it you want to accomplish, surely there must be one."
Ashley paused once more, pointing her hand toward Mukuro.
Then with her index and middle finger, she tapped the side of her head with a smile.
"A loved one, or a special person?"
"If you seal yourself like this, the hell would you ever know such things, brat?"
Her eyes changed at that part.
It was no longer Ashley trying to talk sense into her, if it were possible.
Then they wouldn't be here.
In that case…
"And if my words don't reach you…"
Slowly, she tossed «Caulydron» aside as it dissolved into pixels.
"Then my fists will."
Ashley pointed at Mukuro and made a slow clenching motion with her hand.
For a moment, both simply stared.
Suddenly..
Ashley lunged at her.
Her line of attack was Mukuro who too clicked her tongue before doing the same.
Both chased each other at speeds as fast as sound in space, in which..
..in the vacuum of space, such motion demanded nothing short of the supernatural.
Mukuro was a Spirit, and Ashley an Esper.
Yet the two lights collided in the depths of space.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed as asteroids split apart, some shattering outright.
Ashley's fists crashed against the shaft of 〈Michael〉, unleashing a relentless barrage.
However, none of it directly affected Mukuro.
Each impact was being channeled back toward Ashley—
…who calmly dispersed them with «Transfer», scattering the force into the surrounding void.
"Grr, how vexing."
"Hahaha, looks like this is how it has to be."
Despite blocking and sealing the force of Ashley's strikes, Mukuro couldn't keep up.
Ashley's speed still surpassed hers.
More than that, the sheer volume and tempo of her attacks were enough to throw Mukuro off balance.
"Ora, ora, ora, ora! What's wrong?"
"I haven't even gone all out yet."
Suddenly, Ashley flipped backward, pulling away before striking an exaggerated pose in midair.
"The World!"
She shouted, and the surroundings gradually faded into gray.
Perhaps it was Morgan's influence.
Or perhaps it was the lingering habits of a former otaku.
Either way, the ability she invoked overlapped into one.
[Enhanced Perception] + [Thought Acceleration]
Of course, even Ashley herself couldn't move.
Naturally, only her perception existed in the present time.
But that wasn't all.
[Laplace Demon].
Right in front of Mukuro,
Several orbs slowly formed, each distorting a tennis-ball-sized portion of space.
Layered atop them was the 〈Anti-Wizard〉 formula.
Now refined into a mana-induced 〈Anti〉 construct.
Generating an [Anti-Spirit] phenomena.
"Time will start to flow again!"
Ashley shouted as her thought finally overwriting reality itself.
The command propagated as vibrations, reaching the frozen Mukuro.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
"Kuh!"
Consecutive blows slammed into Mukuro's Reiryokukenki.
It bypassed it and striking her directly.
Yet, due to the overload, she couldn't even feel the hit despite hitting at point blank.
Steam rose from the points of impact.
From the very attacks Mukuro had tried to return.
Ashley's eyes slowly widened.
"Seriously? Reversed Reiryoku Technique?"
Unknowingly, she began to assimilate with Morgan, or rather…
His previous otaku self.
Ashley herself was an otaku too.
Without even noticing, she had started blurting things like that out.
"Thou art not sane."
"Ah.. is that so? Maybe… You may be right? You're so right."
Her grin widened replaced by a cold smile, and in the next moment.
Bzzt!
She vanished, reappearing right in front of Mukuro in a blur.
"Pest! 〈Jerez〉!"
An ability that Mukuro wasn't supposed to have at this point in time.
Somehow, she activated it.
"Hou? Is this part of the singularity caused by him? As expected.."
Just as Ashley reached Mukuro's front, she suddenly teleported.
She had [Teleported] to a marked location, standing atop an asteroid.
Ashley stared down on Mukuro clearly in sight, and as she did…
She saw the space become unstable.
What's more is that if Ashley didn't see it wrong, the space was crumbling.
A violent turbulence formed, turning the area into an unstable zone.
"Mm… that could've actually hurt me."
Yet, Ashley knew all she needed was one more hit, if she could land it.
She could summon Mukuro to that plane.
Then she can use the other Artemisia's powers:[Love] to forcibly read her memories.
"How is that, my fellow espers?"
[Maya: In theory… yes.]
[Cecile: Well, that's if you can reach her, but I believe in you.]
Ashley blinked hearing Cecile.
[You haven't started the surgery?]
[Cecile: Not yet, after all, you're using my authority without giving me credit.]
[Sorry, your authority is just too good.]
Ashley thought that as she narrowly dodged a 〈Lataib〉 and 〈Jerez〉 combo.
Opening a wormhole and then firing a [Reiryoku Decompression] through it—
It was annoying to say the least.
Naturally, this was only possible because there was no lag between her perception and her actions.
The moment she saw it.
It was that instant she could act.
[Artemisia: Mm. Then I'll help as well. Is that acceptable, Morgan?]
[…]
Ashley evaded another [Reiryoku Decompression], flying away to another direction.
She looked towards Mukuro flying towards her with an annoyed expression.
"Pests should know their place. I'm in the middle of an important call."
With a visibly annoyed expression, Ashley raised her hand forward.
"Rupture!"
Vrrrrr~
At Ashley's words, a large amount of repulsion force appeared, pushing Mukuro away.
However, Mukuro pushed back against it with brute force.
"Indeed tenacious."
[Morgan: Haah, you decided to sync more with me; it has affected you quite a bit…]
[Morgan: I'll have to adjust some things later, but nevertheless, go ahead.]
"Splendid."
Ashley snapped her fingers with a massive grin on her face.