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*****
"Then watch yourself!"
The siblings called out in unison before simultaneously launching their assault on Fini.
To ensure he wouldn't accidentally get tripped up, Fini promptly summoned 'Incursio.' He even went a step further and activated its Water Mode. With this layered defense, even if he simply stood perfectly still, the two of them wouldn't be able to shatter his barrier anytime soon.
While this approach was arguably a bit unfair, future enemies certainly weren't going to offer them a fair fight.
Fini silently reasoned that shattering their illusions early and giving them a harsh dose of reality would be much better for them in the long run. He let out a small yawn, watching with mild boredom as the two tried to crack his aquatic shield.
Wanda fared a bit better. Her ability focused on energy manipulation, and she already possessed a baseline level of control. Pietro, on the other hand, was looking rather pathetic.
"Pietro, maybe you should try learning how to walk all over again!"
Even though Fini was standing completely stationary, Pietro's punches were still wildly missing their mark.
Under the passive enhancements of 'Incursio,' Fini's senses were drastically heightened. Relying purely on raw battle instinct, he could easily react to Pietro's speed. After all, when his senses were pushed to their peak, he could even detect the distant, watchful gazes of Heimdall and Odin.
"You have absolutely no idea how difficult it is to control this kind of speed!"
Pietro felt incredibly embarrassed, but he still stubbornly shot back an excuse.
"Heh."
Hearing that completely flat, monotone chuckle, Pietro felt an overwhelming wave of mockery wash over him. A surge of irritation flared up in his chest, causing his speed to accelerate even further. Consequently, he began crashing repeatedly into the room's furniture and the surrounding walls.
Watching Pietro completely lose control of his own momentum, Fini couldn't be bothered to baby him anymore. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Wanda, who was standing a short distance away, essentially acting as a stationary turret.
His eyes naturally drifted toward her notably ample and pale bust first. Fortunately, the full-face visor of 'Incursio' kept his gaze entirely hidden, meaning Wanda wouldn't notice a thing.
Then again, Fini suspected that even if she did notice, she probably wouldn't care all that much anyway.
"Miss Wanda, as a somewhat experienced sorcerer myself, I feel obligated to tell you that standing perfectly still while trying to dish out damage is the absolute worst approach to combat!"
Fini spoke as he prepared to impart a lesson. He chose not to retaliate with his Explosion Magic; Wanda's body was still that of an ordinary human, and she likely hadn't figured out how to use her energy for physical reinforcement yet. If she took a direct hit from his Explosion Magic, she'd end up severely cooked, if not completely charred.
Instead, he opted to manipulate the floor of the Mirror Dimension. With a sudden shift, the ground beneath Wanda lurched, causing her to lose her footing. The blast of crimson energy she was preparing flew wildly off-target.
The room wasn't very large to begin with, so that stray bolt of energy narrowly missed Pietro, causing a cold sweat to break out across his back.
Looking at the chaotic state of the duo, Fini let out a slow sigh. He had originally hoped to quickly nurture them into highly reliable sources of experience points, but looking at their current performance, it was clear they still had a very long road ahead of them.
Right at that moment, Fini caught sight of Helen Cho nervously walking into the hospital ward. She seemed to be searching for them frantically. However, because the gateway to the Mirror Dimension had already sealed shut, she couldn't see or interact with them at all.
Fortunately, though the four of them were technically standing in the exact same geographic location, they were separated by entirely different dimensional planes. The ongoing battle between Fini and the siblings didn't affect her in the slightest.
When Helen Cho first walked in, both Pietro and Wanda momentarily faltered, distracted by her presence. But once they realized that none of their actions could touch or affect her, they put their worries at ease and resumed the fight.
Since it wasn't convenient to drop the spell and step out just yet, Fini could only silently offer Helen Cho a mental apology, deciding he would explain everything once the training session concluded.
After searching the room to no avail for a short while, Helen Cho left the ward. Fini immediately resumed his clash with the siblings.
---
Inside the Mirror Dimension.
Fini completely transformed into a tyrannical drill instructor, launching into a lecture that was ostensibly meant to help them, but practically amounted to playful hazing. "Wanda, keep moving! Learn from your brother, look at how fast he's running!"
An instant later, he casually stuck out his leg and tripped the passing speedster. Turning his head, he called out, "Pietro, look at your sister! Why can't you walk slowly and carefully like she does?"
The siblings gritted their teeth, pouring everything they had into attacking Fini. They were simultaneously enduring a physical beating and a relentless psychological onslaught.
Unfortunately, the chasm in strength between the three of them was simply too vast. Throughout the entire ordeal, the only notable moment occurred when Wanda grew so utterly infuriated that her energy violently erupted. The dramatic rising and falling of her chest caused Fini to momentarily daze out, allowing her to shatter his water shield for a single second.
Regrettably, the aquatic barrier regenerated almost instantly, and in the end, they failed to land a single scratch on Fini.
Two hours later, the siblings collapsed onto the floor, utterly drained of every ounce of energy. Fini, conversely, didn't feel tired at all; after all, he had barely moved from his spot from start to finish.
"Alright, that's enough for today!"
Fini gave a casual wave of his hand, completely dissolving the Mirror Dimension.
This seamless transition highlighted the fundamental difference between himself, a full-fledged Dimension Lord, and the Ancient One. If the Ancient One wanted to leave the Mirror Dimension, she either had to forcefully shatter it or utilize a Sling Ring to create a portal. Fini, however, could actively shut down the space at will.
"Are we... back?"
Staring at the completely unchanged environment around him, a severely bruised and swollen Pietro managed to push himself up into a sitting position. He had been tossed around so violently that he could barely differentiate between the actual hospital room and its mirrored counterpart.
"Yeah."
Wanda sat up as well. Thanks to Fini consciously holding back his strength, she hadn't sustained any real physical injuries. However, the constant running and dodging had left her completely drenched in sweat, causing her clothes to cling to her figure quite prominently.
The sight made Fini feel a bit too self-conscious to disengage 'Incursio.' At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, wondering if it was finally time for him to actively look for a girlfriend or something.
Forcing those distracting thoughts out of his mind—since they would only get in the way of him becoming stronger—Fini looked down at Wanda and Pietro. He asked, "Remember the rhythm and sensation of today's battle. Strive to master your abilities as quickly as possible. If I ever need your assistance in the future, the enemies we face will likely only be stronger than me."
Pietro and Wanda fell into a sudden, heavy silence. The current Fini already felt like an insurmountable mountain, leaving them with absolutely zero hope of victory. They couldn't even begin to comprehend what kind of role they could possibly play if they had to square off against an adversary even mightier than him.
Seeing the grim expressions on their faces, Fini blinked, quickly realizing that he had probably demoralized them a bit too much.
He offered a word of comfort, saying, "Don't be so discouraged. Your raw potential is actually immense."
"Besides, I'm not going to ask you to blindly throw your lives away. Needing your help is just a future possibility. For now, you just need to focus on how to make yourselves stronger, exactly like I do."
Having said his piece, Fini summoned several piping-hot 'Violet's Fried Chicken Chunks' and handed them over. They would help heal their minor injuries while effectively lifting their sour moods.
As he munched on the delicious fried chicken chunks, the oppressive gloom weighing on Pietro's mind lightened considerably. Watching him, Fini had to suppress a chuckle.
In reality, following the conclusion of this battle, Pietro's overall progress was actually far greater than Wanda's. When they started, he hadn't even dared to move properly, but now he was already capable of pulling off sudden, emergency brakes.
After all, after being tripped repeatedly for nearly two hours straight, if he still hadn't learned how to stop properly, he really would have ended up running himself to death.
As for Wanda, after venting her pent-up power so thoroughly, her volatile energy was no longer leaking and scattering all over the place. For the time being, the facility staff would no longer find themselves turning short-tempered and easily irritated just by stepping near her.
"Alright, I'll be taking my leave now. Get some proper rest. If I have time tomorrow, I might drop by again."
---
Fini stepped out of the hospital ward, only to immediately spot Helen Cho waiting outside. She looked incredibly anxious, to the point of being on the verge of tears, though a visible wave of relief washed over her the moment she saw him. This instantly made Fini feel quite sheepish.
"I'm terribly sorry. I completely forgot to notify you beforehand. I took them out to help them get a handle on their powers."
Fini quickly offered an explanation to put her mind at ease. Helen Cho's anxiety vanished, replaced by an intense curiosity. She couldn't resist asking, "Where exactly did you take them?"
"Well, how should I put it..."
Fini pondered for a moment before clarifying, "We were actually still inside that exact same ward, just within a completely different dimension."
Seeing the utterly blank and bewildered expression plastered across Helen Cho's face, Fini thought it over and tried a different analogy. "You know how a mirror works, right? It generally has two sides, but under normal circumstances, you can only ever see one side. Just view that room as a mirror; I simply took them to the other side—the side you can't see."
(End of Chapter)