From Miyama to Shinto, Leaping
Clang. Clang.
The screech of iron against blazing stone rang out above Miyama town.
The enemy had obviously upped the ante a bit in terms of the power she was putting into her attacks, and Raiden did just the same. Each tossed rock met with the shaft of that polearm and was sent hurtling generally back in the direction it had come from. If she wanted to learn about his abilities, then she could learn that attacks on this level were still something he could absolutely handle. After five throws, he hadn't missed one yet, and he was getting closer with each hit.
More than just that. He was picking up speed and flashiness in equal measure, perhaps even revelling in the showiness of the battle. Every hit ended with a flourish, as he landed on a rooftop once again, staying still while Caster prepared her next attack before leaping up to meet it.
No doubt, it was a fool's way of fighting... Had he been swinging his spear with his feet just now?! At this point, his movement was such a rapid blur that it was impossible to say.
Clang. Clang.
The screech of iron against blazing stone rang out above Fuyuki Bridge.
"Hah! Anything else?!" Constantly picking up speed, each jump took Raiden noticeably further than the last. And yet that was completely counteracted by the fact that he came to a dead stop for a few seconds each time. He wasn't someone who prioritized efficiency, but that was his strength in its own way. He felt the sixth coming, crouched, and leapt again.
The returning course of the rocks was no longer so random, now. If she was going to harass him endlessly like this while he crossed the city, it was only fair for him to return the favour a bit, yeah?
The sixth stone clipped a satellite dish near where the pair were hovering, melting supports and sending it tumbling into the street below.
The seventh hurtled past them, close enough for Kairi to feel the heat radiating off of it.
After that, each one was aimed straight for Caster. Her own firecrackers careening through the air to return to their maker. Really, if she was any good as a magus, she could effortlessly deal with her own spell, but that was fine. It was the principle of the thing, really.
Clang. Clang.
The screech of iron against blazing stone rang out above Shinto town.
The buildings here were taller. Despite leaping dozens of meters into the air to strike the twelfth stone, Lancer only needed to fall a few feet to land on top of the nearest skyscraper. He took a breath, feeling the cold night air across his skin. He may have only been allowed to walk around during the night, but that was still fine. It felt nice. He closed his eyes.
Hm? The next one is...
For a fool, Raiden had one hell of a brain. At the release of the new shot, which, compared to the rest, burned dimly enough to be almost undetectable, he moved just the same. In that moment, before he felt the presence of the stone, what he thought was hey, where's the attack I was expecting?
His opponent didn't seem to be much of a warrior in the traditional sense, and he already had a "feel" for how and when she would act. Even if he couldn't predict what kind of magecraft this woman was using, he could definitely predict her throws.
Clang.
As the explosion began to simmer within that stone, it was repelled, flying backwards into the burning shot that had followed it. A collision to negate both attacks in a midair blast once they came together. Destroying two stones with one stone, so to say. Just as Caster had wished, a burst of light filled the sky, along with smoke and ash from the bullet-like stone.
But in the midst of all that, where was Lancer? Where had he landed? Was he somehow obscured behind the debris and smoke from that explosion just now..? No, surely if that were the case, it would only take a simple spell to see through it.
On the rooftop near to Caster, where the satellite dish had fallen, concrete shattered. No doubt, someone had just jumped from that spot. Even with the abilities he had shown so far, for him to make it this close so quickly was absolutely beyond expectations.
Caster's attention should definitely have turned to that rooftop, where magical energy and sound were radiating. If Lancer had lunged from there to make a direct attack, she would only have a fraction of an instant to ready countermeasures to protect herself and her Master.
Of course, he hadn't. His noisy leap from there had been completely horizontal, sending himself instantly to another rooftop, and from there...
Another leap, silently this time, without shattering the rooftop beneath his feet. He cut through the air like a spear, and his spear cut through the air like--well, you get the idea. Before the magus' eyes could fully register that there was no one coming at her from the first rooftop, he was in the air behind her, thrusting that huge weapon at her body. There was no way to stop grinning as he attacked with blinding speed.
"Was that fun? You've got a hell of an arm on you, Caster!"
...Doesn't shouting like that ruin the main point of a surprise attack, Raiden?