"The First Witch's lightning gem. How did you…?!"
Invidia didnt back down, in fact he got angry when Matsumi used that item. Completely jealous, in fact, envious of the artifact on his neck. Telling of the sin he was. The concept of Envy.
"Two can play at that game. Let's see you test against my Tokubetsu."
"You're gonna show me? Do it! Let me see your Tokubetsu!"
In a flash of energy he rushed forward, the bat gripped tightly to the side.
Invidia made a hand sign. Maybe one that was reminiscent of the old times. One's that Mr. Moon told him about. Dark mana started to form behind him as an eye opened, one that formed from his mana behind him. It flashed at him, opening in the process as he sped forward, the dark mana surrounding the trees and such.
Matsumi swung the bat with great speed when they reached each other, attacking several times, side to side while keeping up his speed to not be grabbed out of it like last time.
When Matsumi attacked Invidia, multiple Invidia's appeared out. Clones. Just like those old times. They were slammed with the bat as the original Invidia laughed.
"This is the true power of envy! I don't need anything anyone has if there are hundreds of me! Now then, show me the true power of the bracelet! Show it to me now!"
"You like an audience too, huh?!"
Matsumi weaved in between all the clones, using his speed as best as he could while also striking everytime that he moved around.
At least, it wasn't his first time fighting a bunch of enemies. He had prepared for these battles with Barghest. The cloak of thunder crackled with every strike, as long as it was active, he wouldn't have to worry about running out of mana for some time.
More clones started to spawn and spawn and spawn within the space, striking and clawing at him and keeping him away from the original Invidia.
"Well then! If you like this audience so much how about we turn up the heat some?!"
The clones all aimed at Matsumi jumping upwards, leaving only him on the ground. They all sent blue fireballs for Matsumi, all of them homing in and flying for him in the center of the pseudo-world egg that Invidia had trapped Matsumi and Eraba in.
"Now, that's awesome!"
He grinned as he dashed around on the ground. The fireballs following crashing close behind him, he almost tripped from the shock of it all.
However, he kept his movement consistent and looked at the clones above. Trying to identify if the real one had anything different.
Invidia had one quality that the others didnt. The eye that appeared behind him was now on his forehead, and every other Invidia had two normal eyes. They continued to fire fireballs at him. The fire crashed all around the ground near Matsumi, cutting off route after route he could go.
"There you are!"
Matsumi avoided the rubble wherever he went, flipping over them as they got more intense. A large piece of earth jutted up from the ground, almost like a ramp. Matsumi ran up it, slamming his foot down right at the top, his imperfect flash step boosting him high into the sky, directly at Invidia.
Invidia and his clones jumped through the sky to tackle Matsumi one at a time, stopping his trajectory towards the real Invidia ss he was the last one in the line of them.
Matsumi spun around in the air, holding the bat still as he turned like a small tornado.
One bearing a small fraction of the First Witch's power.
The clones went flying left and right, flying away from Matsumi as they dissapeared into dust. Invidia dove and jammed his hand in the tornado, stopping the rotation as he caught matsumi, delivering right hook after left kick to him trying to wear him down.
Matsumi was able to deflect the first right hook, the kick slamming into his side. He tried to slug him right on the left side of his face with the bat before attempting anything else.
Invidia's left cheek bone was shattered from the bat as he leaned back.
A soldier in his past life. One that took many hits similar to that one. That was where the feeling of envy came from.
He was the best soldier he could be. He listened. He followed directions. He Killed with no hesitation. What more could be required?
That medal.
The gold medal soldiers got at the end of war and the start of peace. He received it. He very well did. What of it though?!
The acknowledgement that his peers got was greater than his. He suffered from a lack of it.
Why did no one see him the way they saw others? Why?! Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Nobody had an answer for him. Nobody gave him the acknowledgement of Ashi Zenin. Nobody gave him the acknowledgment of any world leaders.
But Lilith did.
It was apart of his nature and very character to be jealous. It was necessary for his existence and anything that was necessary for your existence like Matsumi's fun was something that had to be done for the greater good, for many reasons.
He snapped back and looked towards Matsumi, the aura of his mana burning in his eyes as he looked on.
Matsumi, grinning ear to ear, latched on to Invidia's body. He wrapped his legs around his torso, limiting his movement, he was getting the hang of this wrestling thing. He raised the bat high before laying blow after blow on Invidia while he was restricted by Matsumi. They both fell down, but the attacks didn't stop as they approached the ground.
Invidia grabbed Matsumi himself, latching on to him. As they slammed to the ground and he took blow after blow, he dug his fingernails into Matsumi's skin from where he could, fire blasting from his fingertips and burning the inside of his muscles, flames bursts through causing baffling pain to his vessel as he continued to raise the heat, the blue flames flickering and dancing off of Matsumi's arms and body.
"Ahh!"
He grit his teeth, looking up in pain. The flames burning his body, if he stayed like this for any longer, there would be severe consequences. The blue flames reaching deep under his skin, the mana from it coming close to Matsumi's…closer than anything had come before.
He planned to keep striking at Invidia with all he had, when Matsumi's mana started to beat strangely…It wasn't steady like it had been before. His mana picked up speed, yes, but it always had a certain pattern. This time though, it was different, erratic, aggressive, violent.
"It's hot…it's hot…!"
He felt something building up fast, his mana landing on a new pattern, a new beat. His eyes would glow a tinge of orange before he looked back down to Invidia.
"Let me go!!"
He let go of the bat with his left hand, slamming it into Invidia's cheek.
Suddenly, an outburst of red flames erupted right on them, burning brightly before an explosion encompassed them both.