Pah!

A loud collision rang out, followed by a female body travelling in an arc across the air.

Bang!

Maltida's body slammed into the wall, and her eyes turned blurry. Still, she could partially see a familiar male figure in front of her.

A silver covering could be seen on the left side of her face, which took the force of the punch.

"Gustav?" Angy voiced out from the ground.

'Hmm, even with that amount of force, she didn't pass out... This proves that I have truly weakened,' Gustav stared at his fist as he lowered it.

He was using sprint so, due to his speed, the force of his punch was multiplied by four. Originally, that would be enough to nearly decapitate a mixedblood of Maltida's strength, but now that he had been weakened, it could only do this much.

"Are you okay?" Gustav asked as he squatted in front of Angy.

Angy eyes were already watering as she stared at Gustav's face. She remembered everything she had gone through since the start of this phase. The deaths she had to witnessed and the decisions she made.

"Gustav!" She didn't know where the strength came from as she jumped into his embrace.

Gustav was a bit surprised by her action, but when he thought about the current situation, he had a vague idea of why she acted in this way.

Gustav looked down at Angy's head resting on his chest and raised his hand before bringing it down on her hair.

He gently caressed her silver and pink hair as his jaw made contact with her horns.

"It's alright. Everything is gonna be fine now," Gustav had never said these words before, but for some reason, he felt good saying it.

Maybe that feeling of wanting to do heroic deeds was still there but just not present with everyone.

Gustav noticed that Maltida had come back to her senses and was ready to attack him. So, he quickly found a spot and dropped Angy there.

"So, we finally meet!" The same masculine voice was heard from Maltida's mouth as she spoke with a huge frown.

"Be careful. She's not in her right senses," Angy voiced out as Gustav approached Maltida.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Angy... Anything else you'd like to add?" Gustav said while standing several feet away from Maltida, who still had glowing purple eyes.

Angy giggled lightly after hearing that, "Just be careful. I think Glade is also the same way," Angy voiced out.

"Glade?" Before Gustav could try and find out more, Maltida dashed forward as liquid-like silver started coating her entire body from head to toe.

'What exactly is wrong? I have to engage her first before making any assumptions,' Gustav said internally as he also dashed forward.

Maltida conjured a silver-like spear from her body and swung it at Gustav.

Gustav swerved to the left, but the instant he dodged it, Maltida swung it towards the left with force.

Zwwwoosshh!

Gustav straightened his left palm before sending it towards the side body of the spear.

[Palm Strike has been activated]

Bam!

Gustav's palm slammed into the body of the spear, sending it flying from Maltida's hand.

Swooonn!

Immediately his left palm made contact, he spun around and sent his right elbow out towards Maltida's face.

Bam!

Maltida blocked it with her right arm, but the force still caused her to slide backward by several feet.

The instant she dropped her arm, which was currently blocking her sight since she used it in blocking Gustav's attack, she noticed the large brownish foot laced with sharp claws headed for her chest.

Sshhiiookkk!

Silver-like spikes suddenly protruded from her body as Gustav's foot travelled in mid-air towards her chest.

Gustav, who was in mid-air, was unable to stop his movement, so he quickly spun and sent his right foot hurling towards the left side of Maltida's face.

Bam!

Gustav's right leg slammed into Maltida's face sending her flying towards the side.

Swooooshhh!

Gustav didn't wait for an instant. The moment his foot touched the ground, he dashed out again as his fist got covered with a layer of icicle-like covering.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

He repeatedly threw out fists at Maltida even though her body was still full of silver-like spikes.

Each time his fist made contact, the spikes would be blasted apart, giving Gustav the chance to punch her silver covering.

Maltida's silver covering was very hard and protected against every kind of attack. However, once Gustav started gaining the upper hand, throwing out punches repeatedly, he let his arm take the form of the mutated bull. His fist was also covered with the Iro silk from the Kilapisole alien Lifeform he took, along with atomic disintegration coating both his arms. Maltida's silver outer covering was riddled with holes in a few minutes.

Bam! Swweeii!

Gustav's fist sent Maltida flying again before she slammed into the wall.

Bang! Blergh!

She spat out blood before sliding to the ground. Still, her eyes had a purplish glow even they had slightly dimmed.

"Interesting! Looks like the information my puppets have fed me was true," Maltida voiced out.

"What information?" Gustav asked as he started walking towards Maltida.

"About your excellence! You are truly what I need!" Maltida replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Gustav asked with a confused expression.

"Hahaha, I have found the one! Surrender yourself to me, kid!" Maltida shouted out while standing to her feet.

"Do you not see the situation you're in? Why would I surrender to you?" Gustav responded as he continued walking towards her.

"If you want this vessel to be free, you have to?" Maltida said with a smile, "I'm sure you share some attachments to this person," 

Gustav stood in front of Maltida and smiled, "You think I care?" He voiced out before grabbing Maltida by the neck.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Gustav gripped her neck tightly as he spoke, "Haha, did you really think you could get me with this?" He continued to squeeze as he spoke.

'Did I miscalculate? How could she share such memories with him, and he holds no regard for her?' Maltida's face showed a choking look as the being controlling her mind thought.

The being stared at Gustav's expression from his Maltida's point of view, 'He's a crazed kid this one... He's not bluffing. He doesn't care,' The being realized this as he stared at Gustav's uncaring expression.

'I better withdraw from this vessel before I get affected by her death... I cannot afford to lose a single ounce of power,' The being concluded.

"Do not delude yourself, kid... I shall have you soon. My puppets shall bring you to me in due time!"

Gustav heard these words in his mind as the purplish glow in Maltida's eyes faded.

The voice sounded exactly the same as the one coming from Maltida's mouth earlier.

Plop!

Maltida fell to the ground and passed out afterward.

"Maltida!" Angy shouted out from behind and ran towards Gustav and Maltida's position.

She took a healing capsule a while ago, so her injuries had almost healed up completely.

"Is she dead?" Angy asked while staring at the unconscious body of Maltida, which was still without any movement on the ground.