The Married Life Of Immortals

Bane summoned one of Agarta's throwing knives in each hand while also channeling water mana into his eyes and fire mana to his muscles. He was getting better at controlling and commanding the mana, but his base was far from limitless. Not only that, but Bane couldn't draw mana from the air around him even if he wanted because Lysia was sucking in every last drop.

There was just one problem. Lysia wasn't doing anything other than gathering the mana while Mizuage raced around like a man possessed. Every spiritual beast that appeared was swiftly killed using the same sword Mizuage rode on to bolt from beast to beast.

Regardless of what was happening there, Bane knew that he couldn't afford to waste the mana he had, making this fight he was about to initiate that much harder for himself. Part of him couldn't help but wonder if Lysia was just hogging all the energy to make his job harder. Looking back over to Lysia, she turned her head to lock eyes with Bane, a smirk on her face.

"You wanted to train, right?" Lysia asked, and Bane forced a grin, and then flung both knives in his hands at the same Tree Spirit above.

The blades headed at the target like two speeding bullets and the Tree Spirit tried to move out of the way, but Bane flicked his finger in that direction. Agarta's blades altered their course, and then slammed into where the neck of the creature should be, but the blades bounced off. They even made a noise like they had hit metal.

Bane's eyes narrowed as the Tree Spirits began to move, their elemental powers crackling around them. The two air-affiliated spirits took to the sky, their bodies becoming surrounded by swirling winds. The two water spirits moved with fluid grace, their forms seeming to ripple as if made of water. The lightning spirit, however, remained on the ground, arcs of electricity dancing across its bark-like skin.

Bane knew he needed to stay focused. Drawing upon the advice given by Eve, he assessed his surroundings, searching for any signs of the nexus points where the Tree Spirits' roots connected them to the Nexus Tree.

With a swift motion, he summoned more of Agarta's knives, the cool metal reassuring in his grip. The air-affiliated spirits swooped down towards him, gusts of wind preceding their rapid descent. Bane flung two knives at them, flicking his fingers to alter their trajectory mid-flight. The blades sliced through the air, aiming for the spirits' necks once more.

This time, the spirits were ready, their wind barriers deflecting the knives. Bane clenched his teeth, knowing he needed to draw them in closer. He allowed the spirits to get within striking distance before diving to the side, narrowly avoiding their wind-imbued claws. As he rolled to his feet, he spotted the water spirits advancing, their bodies shifting and flowing with each step.

"Agarta, now!" Bane commanded, launching another volley of knives towards the airborne spirits. He directed the blades with precise movements, aiming for the nexus points near their bases as Eve had advised. One of the knives found its mark, severing the spiritual root of an air spirit. The creature let out a screech as it plummeted to the ground, its connection to the Nexus Tree severed.

Seizing the opportunity, Bane dashed towards the fallen spirit, summoning Kyōka and Yume. The twin blades shimmered with lunar energy as he closed in, his movements a blur. He struck with Kyōka, the resplendent blade cutting through the spirit's bark-like skin with ease. With Yume, he cast an illusion, creating multiple copies of himself to confuse the remaining spirits.

The lightning spirit, recognizing the threat, unleashed a barrage of electric bolts towards Bane. The real Bane dodged and weaved through the onslaught, his illusions flickering and vanishing as they were struck. Using the chaos to his advantage, Bane closed the distance and sliced through the lightning spirit's nexus point with Kyōka, severing its connection to the tree.

Without waiting, Bane released Yume, and used both hands to bring his half charged Kyōka down in a chopping motion. The strike split the Lightning Tree Spirit in two, but this caused the remaining two Water and one Wind Tree Spirits to go berserk.

Bane's heart pounded as the remaining Tree Spirits charged at him. The two water-affiliated spirits flowed like liquid, their forms rippling as they moved with a grace that belied their size. The air spirit circled above, gusts of wind swirling around it, preparing to dive.

"Let's finish this," Bane muttered, summoning more of Agarta's knives and holding Kyōka and Yume at the ready.

The water spirits struck first, their bodies morphing into torrents of water that surged towards Bane with incredible speed. Bane leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, and flung a knife at one of the spirits. The blade altered its trajectory mid-air, slicing through the creature's watery form and targeting its nexus point. The spirit let out a guttural roar as the knife struck home, severing its connection to the Nexus Tree.

The second water spirit retaliated, forming a sharp, ice-like spear from its liquid body and hurling it at Bane. He ducked just in time, the icy projectile grazing his shoulder. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Bane summoned another knife and aimed for the spirit's base. The blade found its mark, and the water spirit collapsed. Bane dispatched both of them before they could recover, but then the bodies of the dead Tree Spirit's all turned to spiritual energy, and rushed at the remaining one in the air.

'Something tells me this isn't good,' Bane groaned inwardly. 'Do you know what it is trying to do, other than power up?'

Eve's voice echoed in Bane's mind, filled with urgency. 'The remaining spirit is absorbing the energy of the fallen ones to bolster its strength and resilience. This is a last-ditch effort to defeat you, and if it succeeds, it will be much harder to bring down.'

Bane watched as the air-affiliated spirit's form grew more defined, its winds intensifying to a near-hurricane force. The spiritual energy from the other guardians infused it, making it larger and more menacing. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent light as it focused on Bane, the winds around it crackling with raw power.

Bane knew he had to act quickly. He channeled his mana, feeling the familiar surge of power course through his veins. Summoning Agarta's knives once more, he launched them at the spirit, guiding them with precise movements to target the nexus point.

The empowered air spirit deftly dodged the first volley, its enhanced agility making it difficult to hit. Bane realized he needed a different strategy. He called upon Yume's power, creating a series of illusions to confuse and distract the spirit. As the illusions surrounded it, the spirit hesitated, its confusion evident.

Using this brief window, Bane summoned Kyōka, its blade glowing with an intense lunar energy. He leaped into the air, aiming for the spirit's nexus point with a powerful strike. The spirit reacted with a gust of wind, but Bane's trajectory altered, thanks to Agarta's guidance. He struck true, Kyōka slicing through the spirit's base with a resounding crack.

The air spirit let out a deafening roar, its winds dissipating as the severed connection to the Nexus Tree weakened it. Bane pressed the advantage, following up with a series of swift, precise strikes from Kyōka and Yume. Each blow further destabilized the spirit, its form flickering as it struggled to maintain cohesion.

With a final, decisive strike, Bane drove Kyōka into the spirit's core, shattering its nexus point completely. The air spirit disintegrated into a burst of spiritual energy, dissipating into the air. Bane landed heavily, panting from the exertion but relieved to see the last of the Tree Spirits defeated.