"I'm protected by the Fidelity Charm, so even if he shows up, it won't matter. But just to be safe, let's finish this quickly," Horned Basilisk replied.
"No way!" Alex snapped.
Horned Basilisk suddenly raised her hand, but instead of launching the powerful single-target spell [Mystic Snake], she used the gravitational magic Alex had seen Pete employ before.
"You really think you can beat me with the same trick? How naive," Alex sneered.
He tapped the belt around his waist, and suddenly eight metal branches like insect legs sprang out from his back.
They dug into the ground firmly, anchoring him in place.
Though Horned Basilisk's horizontal force was strong enough to push aside furniture and debris, it barely fazed Alex, who was firmly rooted to the ground.
Alex raised the round shield on his left arm, easily blocking the stones and rubble flying toward him.
"Thunder Sword, Desolate Thunder Meteors!" Alex shouted as he drew his sword and slashed with the move that had served him well against Pete before.
Combining [Thundris Tempest] and [Voltbrand], Alex had developed several magic sword techniques.
Among them was [Puncture], known for its incredible speed and penetration, but he was reluctant to use such a risky move against the Horned Basilisk, as it would only bring trouble for Bo.
He also had [Storm Blade], inspired by Andre's "Blade Storm," but instead of metal blades, Alex used thundris tempest sword energy.
However, this technique drained at least ten magic power points per second, so he avoided using it during the trial.
Alex had already tried directing the thundris tempest at the underground yin man before, and even tested it on Pete, but it only made them fly back without causing much harm.
Since [Thundris Sword] is a close-range attack, effective only within about ten meters, it wasn't the best choice for this situation.
Instead, the moves that suited better were [Whirlwind of Knife], [Desolate Thunder Meteors], and [Electronic Carnival].
Although Alex gave these three different names, their effects were quite similar, and they all shaped the thundris tempest into a meteor-like magical sword aura and launched a tracking attack.
Among these, [Whirlwind of Knife] was the largest, about the size of a dagger, followed by [Desolate Thunder Meteors], which was only slightly bigger than a toothpick.
Because of their size, Alex worried that [Electronic Carnival] might be affected by the gravity magic.
Since [Desolate Thunder Meteors] had already dealt a fatal blow to Pete before, he finally decided to use that move.
The Horned Basilisk on the opposite side was a bit surprised that Alex had found a way to counter her gravitational spell.
But when she saw Alex repeating the old trick of firing this splitting, arrow-like lightning magic, she couldn't help but sneer, "Let me show you the real difference..."
"Separation technique!"
The area where Horned Basilisk and Alex found themselves was once a wide corridor, but after their previous clash, the walls on both sides and the ceiling above had been smashed to pieces, exposing vast open spaces on either side.
Suddenly, Horned Basilisk cast a spell and seemed to split apart, instantly producing dozens of identical clones of herself that quickly filled the space, at least fifty of them.
These clones looked exactly like her, down to the wand in their hands, perfectly engraved.
Alex was taken aback.
'Are these clones?'
'I knew about physical duplicates like Golden Snidget and Pete, but I didn't expect Horned Basilisk to have a technique that copies herself like this. But are these just illusions to confuse me, or do they have the same fighting power as the original?'
Before he could dwell on it, the clones answered with action.
All fifty Horned Basilisk raised their wands together and shouted the spell, unleashing a swarm of cyan magical snakes that far outnumbered Alex's own [Desolate Thunder Meteors].
These energy snakes moved like living creatures across the battlefield, some collided directly with Alex's meteor magic, while others weaved around it, aiming straight for him.
Alex's heart pounded with fear.
What shocked him most was that the clones didn't stop after casting the spell once - they kept casting, one spell after another.
Though their spells didn't seem as powerful as the original Horned Basilisk's, just one or two of these [Mysterious Snakes] could cancel out his [Desolate Thunder Meteors].
This proved that these clones were no mere illusions; they had real substance and strength.
'No matter how fast I cast, I can't keep up with their spellcasting speed.'
'If I continue to confront them head-on, I'll just waste my magic power and won't stand a chance.'
It seemed he first had to uncover the secrets behind these clones before regaining the upper hand on the battlefield.
Fortunately, this time Alex was the weaker side, and unlike Pete, the Horned Basilisk wouldn't choose to run away.
Determined, Alex swung his sword wide, unleashing wild bursts of thunder sword energy that scattered more than a dozen of the surrounding Secret Art Snakes.
Without hesitation, he quickly retreated, sinking into the ground as if plunging into water, vanishing instantly from the Horned Basilisk's sight.
Horned Basilisk sneered coldly, unfazed by Alex's escape.
"Still remember the 'Subterreo'? Looks like the traitorous Thunderbird taught you well. And that blue Fiendfyre before, you must be Gerald's illegitimate son."
Following her sharp gaze, dozens of clones around her immediately burrowed into the ground just like Alex, disappearing without a trace.
The shuttle spell was still part of the Horned Basilisk's arsenal, so when it came to escaping through walls, she was just as skilled as her opponent.
After slipping underground, Alex found himself in a basement room that looked like a kitchen, filled with various cooking utensils.
He didn't hesitate.
Knowing he had stolen this magic from the club, he assumed the Horned Basilisk had countermeasures and planned to use the Subterreo to escape again.
But when he tried, he realized the basement floor was sealed by a powerful protective spell, blocking any deeper descent.
Golden Snidget had once mentioned something tricky about the Horned Basilisk's basement.
Could this be it?
It seemed the Horned Basilisk wasn't entirely lying when trying to gain Thunderbird's trust, but Alex couldn't afford to linger.
They would catch up soon, and he needed to get rid of them first.
These clones had a long-term plan.
Thinking quickly, Alex gave up on going further down and instead dashed toward the nearby wall.
When he touched it, he found no barrier and melted into it instantly, ready to make his next move.
Just as Alex vanished, more than a dozen figures descended one after another from the basement ceiling.
After realizing there was no sign of Alex nearby, one of the avatars sneered, "That little mouse runs fast, but both the floor and the outer walls of my basement are protected by shields."