"Voltra mode!"
The seven colored stripes across Melissa's chest armor flared and then collapsed into a single blazing red.
Red lightning exploded from her body in crackling arcs, erupting outward into her metallic angel wings which spread wide with a thunderous hum.
She vanished in a streak of red light—blitzing forward so fast that the ground beneath her feet cracked from the force of her acceleration.
In front of her stood three figures—the Serpenters twins, their bodies already swaying in unnatural rhythm as if they were dancing to a tune only they could hear, and Leviathan, the red horned beast.
They are three of the six commanders under Flect Turn.
"Lightning arrows!" Melissa called out as her bow formed in her hand and she pulled back on the energy string, red lightning condensing instantly into arrowheads that crackled violently before being released one after another in a relentless barrage.
"Shi shi shi shi~!"
The twins laughed, their voices overlapping in a distorted harmony as their bodies bent and twisted in impossible ways, their sword-whip quirks lashing outward like living serpents, blades multiplying and snapping through the air as they deflected, sliced, and danced around the lightning arrows with grotesque elegance.
Their movements resembling something closer to an octopus than a human as their limbs flowed without structure or limit, while at the same time the ground beneath them ruptured violently as massive drills of water erupted upward from the drainage systems below, spiraling toward Melissa.
"Forest mode!"
Her response was immediate, her red glow shifting into a deep brown as the stripes across her suit changed, and in the next instant the earth answered her call as massive trees burst upward from the ground, thick trunks intercepting the incoming water drills with explosive force while branches shot outward like grasping limbs, twisting and extending to bind the three commanders in place.
"We'll love cutting those wings of yours!"
The twins' voices echoed as their blades multiplied further, slicing through the branches effortlessly, their attacks growing faster, sharper, more erratic, while behind them Leviathan reached into his coat and pulled out a vial.
Trigger.
Melissa's eyes narrowed instantly. "Shit!"
He injected himself as his body convulsed.
Muscles swelled grotesquely, veins bulging as his frame expanded, his roar tearing through the battlefield as the water around him surged violently in response.
Before Melissa could even fully process it the twins followed suit, injecting themselves as well, their laughter breaking into manic hysteria as their faces warped into snake-like forms, their eyes glowing with madness while their sword-whips expanded into ten blades each, snapping through the air with terrifying speed.
"Now this is fun~!"
Melissa inhaled slowly, her chest rising and falling as she forced herself to stay calm while watching the massive wave forming before her.
"Blizzard mode!"
Her stripes shifted to cyan as she fired instantly, arrows transforming mid-flight into jagged icicles that froze the incoming wave into towering structures of ice, halting it for a single, fleeting moment; before Leviathan roared and shattered it completely, the frozen mass reverting instantly into water and reforming into an even larger surge as he charged forward atop it.
"Crystal mode!"
Green light erupted across her suit as a massive crystal gauntlet formed over her hand, her wings folding slightly as she braced herself, and the moment Leviathan reached her she stepped forward and drove her fist into his cheek with all her strength.
The impact sent him crashing backward in a violent shockwave while at the same time crystal armor spread across her body, blocking the relentless slashes from the Serpenters twins as their ten-bladed whips struck again and again, faster and stronger with each passing second.
Her breath grew heavier as her mind went into overdrive.
"…you're spreading yourself too thin."
Arata's voice echoed in her mind.
Melissa's eyes flickered for a split second as she deflected another strike, her body moving on instinct while her mind was dragged into memory.
Flashback.
"Gamma mode! Gamma ray!"
The beam exploded forward, accompanied by a storm of arrows as Melissa poured everything she had into the attack, her voice filled with frustration, determination, desperation all at once.
Arata didn't move, didn't react, didn't even shift his stance as he raised his gauntlet and the attacks simply stopped—frozen mid-air.
"What—how are you—?!"
The energy compressed and twisted into a spear.
"Oh come on, don't tell me you're—"
The spear shot toward her.
She tried to switch—tried to react—but it was already there, inches from her face, her breath catching as she froze completely, her body refusing to move.
Arata dispersed it casually.
"…I lost again…" she muttered, dropping to the ground as exhaustion washed over her.
"Yeah," Arata replied simply, sitting beside her and handing her a bottle of water. "You did."
She drank quietly before asking, "Then what am I doing wrong? I'm using everything… every element… every combination… and I still can't win... still can't make you move."
"That's exactly the problem," Arata said, "You're using everything. The moment something doesn't work, you switch. That hesitation? That panic? It creates openings. Against someone skilled, that's all it takes."
She clenched the bottle slightly. "Then what should I do?"
He raised three fingers. "Three options. First—master single elements. Get strong enough that you don't need to switch just to survive. Second—split into elemental clones. You lose power, but gain numbers. Overwhelm your opponent."
He stood up as he turned to leave.
"Train those, and then you will be able to easily take down top heroes and villains."
"Wait!"
He stopped.
"…what's the third one?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
Arata glanced back, a smirk forming. "You'll find out… when you've mastered the first two."
End of Flashback.
Melissa's eyes sharpened as she snapped back to reality, blocking another incoming strike as her lips curved slightly despite the situation. "you really don't make anything easy, do you…"
She exhaled slowly, then brought her hands together.
"Elemental split!!!"
A radiant circle erupted behind her, glowing with the symbols of all seven elements as her body dissolved into white light and flowed into the circle before bursting outward—three figures emerging.
"Crystal barriers!!!"
The first Melissa slammed her hands down as crystals erupted across the battlefield, enclosing the space and trapping the three commanders within a confined arena.
"Tempest hurricane!"
The second raised her arms as a violent storm formed instantly, wind howling as clouds gathered and a massive hurricane engulfed the enclosed space, sucking in all water and trapping the trio inside.
"Voltra rain!"
The third pulled back her bow and fired a massive lightning arrow into the storm clouds.
Red lightning crashed down relentlessly, from the clouds into the hurricane, electrifying everything within as the trio screamed, their enhanced bodies convulsing under the overwhelming force.
The storm faded as their bodies fell.
The were Unconscious.
"Crystal jail!"
Crystal structures caught them mid-air, sealing them completely.
The three Melissas dissolved into streams of red, blue, and green light before merging back into one as Melissa reappeared, her breathing heavy, her body trembling slightly as she looked at the imprisoned commanders and let out a long breath.
"…Mission accomplished."
Without wasting another moment, she spread her wings and shot into the air, lightning crackling faintly as she moved to assist Tobita in taking down the remaining enemies.