So, this is who I will be fighting?

  Agnis said as he saw 2 party members retreating.

  “Please be gentle.” Giana tried to throw in some charm, but some illusions got shattered and canceled it out.

  Agnis raised his eyebrow.

  3 of you are tanky as fuck. If I go easy on you, I will get destroyed!

  “Come on! How is the student supposed to surpass the mentor if I die here!”

  Nice try Toxic Donkey. Don’t think I can’t see you in stealth.

  The intimidating [Boss music] recommenced, a [Frost Pillar] shot out of the ground and launched the real Toxic Donkey, who got knocked out of stealth, into the air and got saved from getting skewered by [Frost Pillars] as Io caught him.

  “Ugh, why is your race going extinct again?”

  Because of those obnoxious gods.

  “Kyle watch out! You’re talking to an illusion!” Giana warned.

  Toxic Donkey saw a blue flash to his side. He managed to parry the strike, but his dagger froze ande had to abandon it. “Shit!”

  Nilah if you would be so kind.

  Toxic Donkey looked around to find the blue fox.

  “Kyle! Nilah can turn into a sword!” Giana warned again and cast a thick barrier on Kyle. Something hit the barrier and cracked it. 5 of the 9 slashes got blocked by the barrier. The other 4 hit Toxic Donkey and sent him flying.

  Something akin to a net caught him.

  “Oh thanks”

  Io turned into a dragon and flew over to Toxic Donkey. “Kyle focus! None of us can use wires!” Io tried to snap the wires but was having difficulties, “Huh? Why?”

  How do you like my dragonbeard wires?

  A cold flash went out and Io froze over. Giana started to sing and Agnis drew a peculiar rune.

  Silenam

  Giana’s voice disappeared and she couldn’t dispel this strange [Silence].

  “Come here lil’ bro!” Agnis easily evaded Noelle’s attacks and punches. He also evaded all the daggers Toxic Donkey threw from his bound state. Noelle tanked all the [Water Blades] shooting out after each of his evade.

  Giana started to dance and Agnis froze her legs.

  I’m sorry Giana but you’re the most overpowered one in this room. I can’t knock you out so I need to make sure you can’t do anything.

  Agnis interrupted any attempt of Giana to break out of the frost that slowly started to creep up and cover her.

  Noelle tried to stomp but Agnis swapped her with an airborne dagger which prevented the stomp from connecting.

  What a high difficulty fight, I need to keep you in the air.

  He turned his sword into a spear and used [Vanishing Ripple] and kept Noelle airborne while still throwing daggers at Toxic Donkey, who couldn’t escape his bind.

  “Ugh this is bullshit. Why can’t I do anything?” Toxic Donkey attempted to [Shadow meld] but something landed under him and bloomed, the Dawnlight made using shadow magic extremely hard. “Wow well played. I’m impressed but also annoyed.”

  Noelle wasn’t taking any damage from the attacks, but she also couldn’t get out of it.

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  Let’s see how good my aim is with this.

  Wires wrapped around Noelle, he pulled on the wires and flung Noelle at Toxic Donkey. Noelle collided into Toxic Donkey, knocking him out.

  “Wow that was mean!” The wires made a sound as they were straining as Noelle was increasing her weight to get out of the bind. Agnis couldn’t hold onto the wires any more else he would get pulled in, so he let go.

  “It’s time for the big sister to teach her little brother a lesson.” She got all her tails out and Agnis evaded crystal formations shooting out of the ground. Noelle took every [Water Blade] that flew out as he evaded.

  Hmm well that’s annoying, opponents like you are what I hate fighting the most.

  “Good that means we stand a chance.” Noelle wanted to stomp, but she slipped as Agnis had used [Frozen Ground] and her pants got frozen to the ground.

  Hmm while I can keep the two of you CCed forever, I probably can’t defeat you.

  Agnis interrupted another attempt of Giana to break out of the frost that was reaching to her hip by now. Giana decided to use the frost mana she had gotten from him.

  Oh, using my own mana against me. Crafty vixen.

  Giana managed to break out as Agnis had shifted his focus to dispelling the frost magic flying at him. She tried to speak, but she still couldn’t produce any sound.

  A large crystal hammer slammed down on Agnis which he evaded. Noelle still tried to thaw her pants from the floor using fire magic but it didn't work well against frost magic.

  “Truly a troublesome little brother. I guess I have no choice.” Noelle went 7t mode and the mana wave broke her out.

  Ohh 7t mode. What does it do exactly? There’s a grid on me. Am I screwed?

  Noelle couldn’t fully dismantle Agnis, but she could do a lot of damage in an attempt. She couldn’t get herself to do so, however.

  “Ugh.” She made a waving gesture and polygons appeared around Agnis. He didn’t dodge, but just observed. Noelle wondered why he wasn’t taking action. The polygons were forming a fist around him. The shape locked in and Agnis got grabbed by the fist made out of crystal.

  “Why… why didn’t you evade?”

  I’m curious on how this works, but shouldn’t you pay more attention? You should be strong against this.

  The scene in front of Noelle cracked as if made out of glass and shattered. The crystal fist was holding Giana and Noelle felt a cold streak at her back.

  Ugh, so unreasonably tanky.

  She tried to turn around, but her back was frozen.

  “Ugh, please don’t let me do this.”

  Do what?

  Noelle tried to stomp, but she stomped into snow.

  “Truly living up to your name and role Silver Torrent. I will apologize to the real you after this.”

  The grid appeared on Agnis and while she couldn’t fully dismantle him, she could deal a lot of damage. Blood erupted out of him and he fell down to the ground. Noelle didn’t feel good about this win and the frost on her and Io disappeared.

  Giana was still silenced, however.

  Noelle collapsed to the ground after she took in the scene of a bloodied, unconscious Agnis on the ground. “Stupid brother… this doesn’t feel good at all, even if it’s just an illusion.”

  Tears flowed over Giana's cheek as she took in the scene as well.

  “Huh? What happened? Wait Agnis! Keep it together!” Io ran over to the bloodied Agnis. Noelle and Giana untangled Toxic Donkey who got healed by Giana.

  Toxic Donkey woke up, rubbed his head and looked around. “It’s over already? So, we won?”

  “Yeah… it didn’t feel good.” Noelle pointed at Agnis laying on the floor, bloodied.

  “Ugh, yeah, it’s unsettling to see him like that. I suppose I prefer him to be alive. It feels a bit anti-climactic, but we won.”

  “Oh, I got my voice back! Do you mind if I heal him up? You go see what the treasure is about. My treasure is laying over there…”

  “Wow that was sweet. Let’s go.” Toxic Donkey got up and beckoned Vinny and Yvonne.

  The 5 of them approached the hoard behind the strange couch, while Giana ran over to Agnis.

  The five were looking at something very suspicious.

  “Is this the artifact? But didn’t he say that he just tried to lure the gods in? is it even real?” Noelle placed her hand on it and tried to find out what it was made out. “I have no clue what this is made of, so it might be real. Huh, wait… Something is off”