Prism was not worried about Ember.
If anything, she had already calculated every possible outcome the moment Ember stepped forward and declared her intent.
Ember was talented–undeniably so. Her flames were refined, her presence intense, her confidence unshakable. She was precisely the kind of entity Prism needed for her master Lord Cubix's greater design.
But needed did not mean equal.
Ember was powerful, yes–but still far beneath her.
And so Prism had already devised several methods to subdue her, persuade her, or break her pride entirely if necessary. In the end, Ember would stand beside her. Prism would present Ember and her object–along with the others, to her master and fulfill her mission flawlessly.
The three remaining entities hovered in silence, their geometric forms faintly shimmering as they observed the tension unfolding.
"Are you sure about this?" Gold asked, his golden cube form dimming slightly with concern.
"Boss said he would handle it," Cream replied.
"I get that, but–"
"Are you implying that you think our boss is incapable of handling something this minor?"
Cream's voice was steady. Not angry, and most certainly not offended. She was just worried.
Even though Prism had assured her that everything was under control, doubt still gnawed at the edges of her thoughts. Faith and anxiety could coexist, and in her case, they did.
"No… forgive me," Gold said, lowering himself slightly in apology.
After the exchange, Aloe drifted closer.
"You didn't have to be harsh with him," Aloe said calmly.
"I know," Cream exhaled. "I'm just stressed. What about you? How are you feeling?"
"To be frank… I'm worried," Aloe admitted. "I know I should trust the boss, but Ember feels… comparable to the boss."
Aloe was perceptive. Among them, Aloe was the most intuitive when it came to measuring other Entity's strength.
Aloe had sensed it the moment Ember arrived–her pressure, her composure. Aloe believed that if Prism and Ember truly fought without restraint, the outcome might not be as certain as everyone assumed.
"Well," Cream said firmly, "I have faith."
"You do? Why?"
"Because boss said she would handle it… and I trust her."
Even through her anxiety, Cream's conviction burned bright. Prism carried an aura that made belief feel natural, inevitable even.
"I see," Aloe said softly. "Then let's prepare to congratulate her when she wins."
And so the two entities drifted back as Prism accepted Ember's provocation.
"You want to be the leader?" Prism asked.
"I deserve to be the leader," Ember replied without hesitation.
"How arrogant."
"It's confidence, not arrogance."
"Is it?"
"Yes."
Prism allowed the conversation to continue, not to argue, but to analyze.
She had learned from her master, Lord Cubix that judgment made from a single perspective was fragile. True assessment required multiple angles, subtle testing, deliberate provocation. Every word Ember spoke revealed something. Pride, impatience, hunger.
That was why Prism rarely misjudged others.
"Can you back it up?" Prism asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Prove you're worthy of taking my position."
Ember felt the trap. She could sense it.
Something about this feels wrong…
But pride silenced caution.
"How?"
"Best me."
"Excuse me?"
"If you defeat me, the position–and everything that comes with it, is yours."
Prism was not boasting. She had simply deduced that nothing would tempt Ember more than legitimacy.
"Are you serious?"
"Do I sound like I'm joking?"
Their pressures expanded simultaneously.
The collision sent ripples through the air. Cream and Aloe trembled under the force until Gold expanded his faces outward and activated his object.
"Shield!" he shouted.
A massive oval shield formed around them, its golden surfaces layered thick with condensed energy. The [Hover] Prism had constructed for travel began cracking under the pressure, fractures of light spiderwebbing across its structure.
Gold's shield, however, did not waver.
"Fine," Ember said. "I accept."
"Good. Do your best to entertain me."
Ember's object ignited into existence. "You wanted to see it? Well here it is. This is [Inferno]."
"Show me."
"I'll hold back. I wouldn't want to hurt you too badly."
A condensed sphere of flame formed and launched toward Prism.
It vanished inches from contact.
What? Well, it would be disappointing if she couldn't handle at least that much. Ember thought to herself.
"Not bad," Prism said. "But you can do better."
Ember attacked once more.
Multiple colossal flame spheres materialized, surrounding Prism in a blazing ring.
Interesting. But lacking refinement. Prism thought.
"Let's see you handle this!"
The spheres converged.
The explosion swallowed Prism in a storm of fire and light. Heat surged outward violently, rattling Gold's shield. The space itself seemed to warp under the strain.
"Hold on!" Gold shouted as his shield groaned.
For nearly a full minute, the inferno raged.
When it faded, silence followed.
"Where's… the... boss lady?" Gold asked, trembling.
"Don't worry." Cream said confidently.
The smoke cleared.
A silhouette hovered untouched.
It was Prism.
Not a scorch mark marred her surface.
"That was better than the first one." she said calmly. "Still though, it's insufficient."
"It's the boss lady!"
"She's okay!"
Relief flooded the trio.
Aloe watched intently. I thought they were equal… Seems as though I was wrong.
Although Aloe had made an incorrect assessment of Prism's overall strength, it was one that Aloe was happy to have made.
Ember stared in disbelief. Impossible. I know that attack connected.
"If that is all," Prism continued, "you should now understand the gap between us."
"How?" Ember demanded. "How are you doing this?"
"There's no point in telling you." she responded coldy.
"What?"
"Figure it out. Perhaps then you'll prove interesting."
The battle had ended the moment Ember failed to understand what happened.
Prism controlled her presence with extreme precision. She could expand it, suppress it, divide it. By projecting a false presence identical to her own while concealing her true position, she allowed attacks to pass harmlessly through illusions.
Ember had been striking phantoms this while time.
Even if Ember discovered this, Prism had already calculated other additional countermeasures.
The outcome was predetermined.
"What makes you think this is over?" Ember snapped.
Pride would not let her kneel.
She had always been superior, always dominant. She had never once lost. Even now, defeat never crossed her mind.
"If you cannot even perceive how I avoided your attack," Prism said coldly, "Then you cannot win."
Ember pulsed with frustration. She knew Prism was right, but surrender tasted worse than defeat.
Prism decided then. She would not merely win. She would engrave inferiority into Ember's core.
Multiple Prisms materialized around her.
"What?!"
Ember attempted to generate hundreds of flame spheres, buy they extinguished at formation.
"How are you doing this?!" she demanded.
"If you cannot deduce something so basic," Prism replied, "then that is your limit."
The words struck harder than any attack.
Prism then calmly explained how she manipulated layered presences and pressure differentials to destabilize Ember's combustion field before ignition.
It was a demonstration of absolute control.
Even knowing the method, Ember realized she could not counter it.
"So," Prism asked, "what will you do?"
Prism was finished playing.
"…Fine," Ember said bitterly. "You are better than me."
"I'm glad we could reach a conclu–"
"For now," Ember interrupted.
Prism dismissed the clones.
It was her victory.
Cream floated closer. "Again with the interruptions."
"Relax," Prism said. "The offer still stands for you to join us."
"Be grateful that boss is still willing to accept you," Cream added.
"You will not be leader," Aloe said calmly. "Given the fact that you failed."
Gold wobbled proudly. "Just so you know, I outrank you!"
Ember burned with humiliation.
She is superior to me, that mucb is clear. If I follow her, perhaps I can grow stronger. "Since you insist, then I'll gladly join your mission."
"I don't think so..."
"If you're not going to be respectful to the boss..."
"Then you don't get to join her mission."
All three of them challenged Ember to respect Prism. Ember stared at Prism–who only ignored her in return.
I wonder. Prism thought.
She wanted to see just how Ember would react in this situation. Ember was left with no other choice but to reluctantly follow the conditions placed on her.
"I would appreciate joining your mission…" she gazed at the trio. "...please."
"Welcome." Aloe said gently.
"Know your place." Cream added.
"That's right!" Gold beamed.
"I understand." Ember replied.
"Then let us depart." Prism commanded.
"Uhm…Boss." Cream said hesitantly.
Prism followed her gaze, only to see thag the [Hover] had nearly disintegrated from all the damage it took.
"Sorry, but it's not entirely my fault." Ember reasoned.
She wasn't wrong, but the others weren't having any of it.
"And who was it that challenged the boss?" Aloe asked pointedly.
"…." Ember remained quiet, unable to come with an argument.
"Do not worry about it." Prism said. "I intended to improve it anyway."
Prism reconstructed it.
The new [Hover] was different from the previous one, much different.
The object is an elegant, oval-shaped lidded vessel resembling a gently flattened ellipsoid or a stylized clamshell. Its smoothly rounded, symmetrical form features a slightly elongated profile with soft, organic curves that taper toward the ends, evoking the gentle contours of a river stone or a pod.
The lid fits seamlessly over the matching lower half, creating a clean horizontal division that emphasizes the balanced, almost egg-like proportions when closed. The only thing it retained from its predecessor was the prismatic color.
It was designed for speed, as well as comfort.
Ember glanced at Prism one last time. Defeat still stung. But beneath it…
A spark of ambition.
And Prism noticed. Good.
Growth required pressure. And she had only just begun shaping Ember.