[Pause Level 5: Authority Over Frozen Time.]
"Break." He muttered.
At that instant, the space ahead of him where the shadow had been standing cracked like a fragile piece of glass. It was on the verge of shattering right after he did so.
[Break Executed.]
"Unpause time."
[The flow of time resumes.]
Just as the shadow finished taking a step, it's entire head seemed to vanish as a strong gust of wind blew right through it.
*VWOOOM!*
Holes formed all throughout his body as his attacks, delivered in the world of frozen time registered.
Following that, the space where the shadow had been standing grew cracks all over it, said cracks spread throughout the shell of the shadow's corpse
For a moment it seemed to be effective, but just as Gray expected, the holes created closed quickly after, leaving behind not even a trace of injury.
Meanwhile the cracks progressed through its body whilst also growing in the space before them.
The air was being sucked into the crack almost like the vacuuming suction of the black hole but significantly weaker.
'At least it's having some sort of an effect.'
'What should I do now?' He wondered.
Gray didn't have much time to ponder on it however, as the cracks were slowly closing on the shadow's body.
It's head slowly tilted upwards to look at Gray, it's white round eyes, resembling sketches on a piece of paper.
Then it's mouth slowly opened, the same glowing white showing it's grin running all the way back to it's ears.
Gray took a step towards it with his guard up once again, only for his eyes to widen as he did so.
The moment he stepped forward, a piece of the shadow figure's shadow, lunged towards his while remaining in contact with it's own.
It extended towards him like a piece of gum.
Gray stepped backwards, keeping his shadow away from it as he knew just how vulnerable it would make him.
Ruby was already caught, if he got caught too and placed in paralysis it'd be over.
Just as he thought that, the shadow did a right curve, before moving in a zig zag manner,.
It was using the other shadows around to ricochet towards Gray and speed up. somehow faking Gray out and putting it's in his blind spot at fast speeds.
[Pause Step.]
Gray paused stepped up into the sky, away from the shadow.
But that was where he made his mistake, a source of light which was coming from the flashes in the area where the naval fleets were, along with the flashes of light coming through the other one ended up pushing his shadow closer toward it.
[Pause Step – Fast Forward Chain]
Gray's figure appeared all the way at the other end of the Airshipa, at an angle and spot where his shadow was turned away from the shadow abuser guy.
He clicked his tongue as the shadow gave pursuit once more.
'Guess I'll move faster.'
[Activating Mark Of The King: Second Stage.]
Gray went straight to second stage with the activation.
A mysterious puzzle-like mark manifested on his forehead and a halo of light emerged, surrounding it in it's glory.
Strange runic patterns ran down Gray's face shortly after and the air around him changed.
Not giving it too much thought the shadow figure's shadow continued extending itself at him.
It was then that it happened.
Gray's figure completely blurred out, he began circulating around the shadowy figure, whilst making sure his shadow stayed out of it's grasp at high speeds.
It was impossible to keep his eyes on him, he resembled nothing short of a blur.
Gray's figured vanished completely off the top of the Airship.
He appeared around the edge, hanging on while he watched.
The shadow seemed to be aware that he was
Ruby couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't keep up with it, the fight.
How? Her eyes were glued right on to him the whole time, so how was he moving so fast? Rather his attacks earlier, he does it again.
She felt completely useless as she watched, the fact that she was under the enemy's ability and thus couldn't help him. It annoyed.
But it wasn't unexpected that she'd be feeling this way, after all she was still unaware of Gray's ability to stop time.
Rather, now that she thought about it was that she realised that she knew strikingly little.
Based on what anyone could see, Gray could simply lock things in place. It was as simple as that.
He could create fields and teleport using his ability somehow, but that was fundamentally the theory behind it.
She couldn't feel any movement from him, yet he would somehow appear wherever he wanted.
It wasn't teleportation.
'It's as if he has the power to move when the world itself stops... Or the world itself waits for him to make a move.'
She did not know that he possessed a time related ability. But for her, regardless of what his ability was, it didn't change the fact that she was being dead weight.
She watched not wanting to blink, she didn't want to blink and miss not even a second.
Whilst watching, she waited.
Her blood continued to flow down, creating a small pool in the process.
Turns out she could still control her ability as she wanted.
'I'll find a way to help him... No matter what it takes.'
-
Gray who was speeding around the shadow figure, couldn't help but wonder what to do.
Physical attacks wouldn't work.
Break, his strongest skill failed, meaning spatial attacks won't work either.
Even if he somehow managed to break Ruby free, what could her blood possibly do against something which can't be hit?
Gray's eyes widened in realisation.
His blurry figure appeared, right above it kicking down at it's head.
The grin on the shadow's mouth widened as it saw this. It didn't expect Gray to make such a stupid move.
With his figure above it, his shadow was almost an inch away from touching the figure's shadow. All the figure needed was one touch. It had no need to avoid since it's body couldn't be harmed by physical attacks.
And so it waited for the moment where his leg would descend, and his shadow would come into contact with it's own.
But it never got that moment.
[Energy Manipulation: Level 1]
[Ability Amplified By The Mark Of The King.]
[Solar Energy]
A bright blinding light flashed from Gray's leg as it descended downwards.
The shadowy figure screeched in pain, burn marks appeared over the top of it's figure as Gray's shadow made contact with it.
It was so lost in the pain that it was unable to seize control of him and at that instant, it's head cocked forward as Gray's feet rammed it in from the back.
Gray's eyes widened in surprise, It worked.
[Pause – Pause Step & Fast Forward Link]
[Pause Amplified By The Mark Of The King]
He instantly used pause on the shadow figure whilst appearing before it with another three kicks in motion.
*BA-BA-BAAM!*
The air burst three times as three consecutive kicks were delivered in an instant.
But none of the kicks had hit, they had all gone right through thin air.
It had managed to get away, just before he could land the attacks. It even managed out outpace [Pause] somehow.
He looked in Ruby's direction and glared at the shadow standing right beside her. The top of it's head was covered in scorching red burn marks. The eyes on it's chest were moving around in a frenzy.
'How did I do that...?'
[You are naturally able to manipulate energy.]
[You can manipulate more forms of energy the more you become acquainted with the skill.]
[The Mark Of The King Assisted With The Solar Energy.]
'Yeah... Thanks for the explanation. It worked and all but... It recovered too quickly.' He thought to himself.
"And more importantly... Let her go." Said Gray as he glared at the shadow.
It was crouched down beside her shadow, with it's arm above it. Gray didn't know what it could do, but even he knew from the grin on it's face that it was threatening him.
Ruby's bloodlust was leaking out, the fact that it would dare to use her as a threat to get to Gray, she began to struggle even more in an attempt to break free.
But it was all futile, the most she could do was tremble.
"Time st-"
Before Gray had even begun to say the words, the shadow leaped into Ruby's shadow, completely disappearing without a trace.
"Wha-"
Ruby was interrupted as her head suddenly cocked forward.
She took a step towards Gray and then another... She could move again.
But it wasn't her doing the moving.
"G-Gray...? The shadow... It's controlling my... Movements!"
She was visibly struggling with it, but it was clear it was having no effect.
Veins bulged out of Gray's neck and forehead as he witnessed this. Blood could be seen flowing down his lips as he bit into it from anger.
"..."
It's intelligence was growing. It was clear what it planned to do now. Use Ruby's body to attack whilst knowing that Gray couldn't possibly harm it.
Gray could tell that, that was its plan.
And that was what infuriated him.
Ruby's body grabbed onto a jewel before throwing it at the floor. A split second later, her large battle axe emerged from the jewel.
"How does it... Know about that...?!" She asked
It was most likely muscle memory.
Gray watched, as the Ruby picked up and charged at him.
"Gray...! Don't... Worry about me...! Just-"
Her mouth suddenly shut, interrupting her next few words.
But for Gray, whether or not she finished the sentence, wouldn't have made a difference.
He already knew what she was going to say.
He clenched the Katana in his hand, before looking towards her quickly approaching figure.
'There's no choice...'
"Sorry... Ruby..."
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