Wesley had to admit there was some truth to what Grant stated about how his dearly beloved had rubbed off of him. Though he understood that his future-uncle-in-law meant it as a mocking quip, Wesley took pride in that sentiment. His eyes lit up as he and Nega-Wesley continued to exchange blows. Their evenly-matched skillset let them to go back and forth all around the area of the library they were in. From the ground to the air, thin streams of mist emitted from their blades, causing small waves of white and black magicks to create shockwaves throughout.

As the two were still up in the air, their blows came to a steady close as Wesley’s shadow pulled one over him. When Wesley had sent a wave of holyga forward, his shadow held out its free hand that resulted in the holy not only getting its entirety sucked into some sort of vacuum spell, it would return to its point of origins, but Wesley quickly noticed it had its divine properties inverted, resulting in a darkga spell coming his way. Out of desperation only, Wesley put up a veil of shellga in a split-second decision, however it would prove to be all for naught. The collision between his protective spell and his shadow’s powerful arcane spell would prove to be the deciding factor of Wesley walking away from it injury free and what actually happened.

Within seconds, there had been a powerful explosion in the air above the library. Unlike previous examples of Dalmascan power, this had not been an even display of white and black; this was a black cloud that consumed about five meters wide in every direction. A second and a half later, Wesley - the real, abridged WEsley - was shot down to the ground. As his body was going head first, back to the ground, he demostrated his quick thinking, yet again, as the Dalmascan was just mere yards from the ground, he coated himself with three layers of protectga. As he came crashing into the ground, when he bounced on the marble ground, though he was protected by his spells, the impact alone was enough to leave a Wesley-sized crater into the formerly-flawless ground. Wesley caught himself when he was vertical. As he did, he saw his shadow coming for him. Right at the moment their eyes met, Wesley’s free hand, whcih was previously holding a shield that was lost during hte exchange, was raised up. The shadow was so close that Wesley could literally feel the vile mist threaten to corrupt him once more.

[color=fff79a]“Not this time,”[/color] Wesley smirked, his hand shining brilliantly. [color=fff79a]“In my heart, in my soul, the lights of the heavens dwell. In thier eyes, I decide the fate of the wretched and the divine.”[/color] Wesley’s voice began changing into something angelic. In his voice, one of an ancient, thought long-gone entity, the King Raithwall, Wesley’s ancestor, spoke through his body, [color=#FFF79A]“[/color][color=#FDF598]a[/color][color=#FCF497]n[/color][color=#FBF296]d[/color] [color=#F9EF93]I[/color][color=#F8EE92],[/color] [color=#F6EB8F]t[/color][color=#F5E98E]h[/color][color=#F4E88C]e[/color] [color=#F2E58A]r[/color][color=#F1E489]e[/color][color=#F0E287]m[/color][color=#EFE186]n[/color][color=#EEDF85]a[/color][color=#EDDE83]n[/color][color=#ECDC82]t[/color] [color=#EAD97F]o[/color][color=#E9D87E]f[/color] [color=#E7D57B]t[/color][color=#E6D37A]h[/color][color=#E5D279]e[/color] [color=#E3CF76]B[/color][color=#E2CE75]’[/color][color=#E1CC74]N[/color][color=#E0CB72]a[/color][color=#DFC971]r[/color][color=#DEC870]g[/color][color=#DDC66E]i[/color][color=#DCC56D]n[/color] [color=#DAC26A]a[/color][color=#D9C169]n[/color][color=#D8BF68]d[/color] [color=#D6BC65]A[/color][color=#D5BB64]l[/color][color=#D4B963]e[/color][color=#D3B861]x[/color][color=#D2B660]a[/color][color=#D1B55F]n[/color][color=#D0B35D]d[/color][color=#CFB25C]e[/color][color=#CEB05B]r[/color] [color=#CCAE58]b[/color][color=#CBAC57]l[/color][color=#CAAB56]o[/color][color=#C9A954]o[/color][color=#C8A853]d[/color][color=#C7A652],[/color] [color=#C5A34F]d[/color][color=#C4A24E]e[/color][color=#C3A04C]e[/color][color=#C29F4B]m[/color] [color=#C09C49]y[/color][color=#BF9B47]o[/color][color=#BE9946]u[/color] [color=#BC9643]u[/color][color=#BB9542]n[/color][color=#BA9341]f[/color][color=#B9923F]i[/color][color=#B8903E]t[/color] [color=#B68D3B]t[/color][color=#B58C3A]o[/color] [color=#B38938]w[/color][color=#B28836]a[/color][color=#B18635]l[/color][color=#B08534]k[/color] [color=#AE8231]a[/color][color=#AD8030]m[/color][color=#AC7F2E]o[/color][color=#AB7D2D]n[/color][color=#AA7C2C]g[/color] [color=#A87929]t[/color][color=#A77828]h[/color][color=#A67627]i[/color][color=#A57525]s[/color] [color=#A37223]e[/color][color=#A27021]a[/color][color=#A16F20]r[/color][color=#A06D1F]t[/color][color=#9F6C1D]h[/color][color=#9E6A1C].[/color][color=#9D691B]”[/color] When his voice spoke, the shadow was frozen, suspended just a mere three inches away from WEsley’s growing light which, as his words would finish, had gone from a solid white into a faded brown, appearing almost golden. His sword dropped to the ground, though it had separated into several fragments that looked like a million swords. [color=gold]“Perish into oblivion!”[/color] He said, a sudden tone change occuring as the blades, regardless how many of them there were, all had impaled the shadow. 

To the naked eye, it was like a flash of light and then nothingness, but those with an enhanced vision - those like Shion, like Rio, like the Ascended Humes - would see it in every frame as it was happening in real time. The tiny blades picked away at the shadow’s very existance as if they were a needle and the shadow was thread. Each strand of blackness faded away when each blade had cleanly gone through its form. 

As it was reduced to nothing but a floating head of darkness, WEsley had ntoiced the disticnt lack any visible reaction. There hadn’t been any sort of reaction at all. It, much like the darkness that made it, was devoid of any sign of life. It simply was and now it was no longer.

[color=fff79a]“Even in death, it dies as it lived: a copy and nothing more.”[/color] Wesley somberly muttered to himself, completely inaudible to no one but himself and Hashmal.

Wesley held his hand out and his sword appared in it as if it it heeded his call to return to him. Swiftly, he sheathed it, joining the others in finally facing Rio. Though he exhausted a large chunk of his magick in that fight against the shadow of himself, Wesley was poising himself to face Rio as he intended to do in the first place. But, of course, the fiend had different plans. In fact, it would seem as though whatever Emiri and Rio had started before would continue.

Wesley didn’t like this. In all honesty, he hated it. Emiri had no doubt increased her strength as of late, but it was obvious to anyone with a set of ascended eyes that Rio still was plenty strong. And the fact that he couldn’t do anything to help her in Jaakuna’s stead was, if nothing else, embarrassing. It made this proud Dalmascan feel like he was worthless and useless to Emiri. If Nadeline wer ehere, she’d reassure him. What a pity that Wesley hadn’t realized how much he relied on Nadeline’s cheerful outlook on life.

[color=fff79a][i]I hope you’re not hurt, my love. And wherever you might be, if the Gods have any sympathy for a singular hume, let them send a sign to reassure this lonely soul that you are safe and sound..[/i][/color]

The King closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.  Three long moments had passed and as Wesley’s relaxed body had opened his eyes as only someone in a serene state of mind could, the sudden shift of the sounds surrounding him forced Wesley to jerk his head around. He heard crashing and then cursing. It was distant, but with the added bonus of having the Earth Esper, Wesley was more intuned with Mother Gaia’s land than most were, so even the faintest sound was at his disposal (granted he was concentrating long enough). And in this state of awareness, Wesley heard everything within the radius of a mile. He heard the ants crawling to their farm. He heard the mice finding food for their own. He also heard the sounds of fire burning through ancient, priceless bookshelves. Wesley hadn’t known anyone to be that...careless - well, no one except…

[color=fff79a]“So, that’s the sign. Very well, I will accept it.”[/color] Wesley said to himself, smiling.

And, within only a minute, just seconds after Rio’s last words had left his mouth, from the center of a bookcase directly across from where Rio had stood, a literal, speeding bullet of flame the size of one specific hume had came crashing so fast and so hot that, whatever Rio had thought of doing or was in the process of doing, had gone flying to the bakc of his mind much like he had been forced to do in the physical realm as the golden mane that Wesley’d recognize from anywhere had struck Rio in his own head, causing the two forces of nature to collide with each other. 

Though Rio was sent flying, the speeding flame stayed where he was, if not regretting his actions just now. Wesley took it as regret as he heard more curses.

[color=ed1c24]“Well, that could’ve gone a lot smoother,”[/color] Jaakuna, who was now standing up, grunted and moaned, his hands on his head. His eyes, though on Emiri, could literally feel the gazes from everyone, but specifically, he could see Shion. As per the usual, she wasn’t happy with his entrance, though, based off how Wesley interpreted her gaze from his vantage point and how Jaakuna’s legs were shaking, odds weren’t in his friend’s favor.

And that caused Wesley to lean towards Grant. [color=fff79a]“So, seeing as how neither of our usual suspects is here, I suppose we’ll have to be the ones to do it, wouldn’t you agree, Grant?”[/color] Wesley knew Grant was puzzled, so he would elaborate. [color=fff79a]“What are the odds that Lady Shion kills Jaakuna before Rio gets the chance to?”[/color]