The battlefield roared with energy as Tim and Rei fought in perfect sync, their attacks seamless, their movements a blur of light and shadow.
Blooma, now in her serious mode, lashed out with tendrils faster than the eye could follow, each one radiating dark, twisted energy ā but it didn't matter.
Tim's Solar Saber burned with brilliant white flames, slicing through the tendrils like they were paper. Every swing left arcs of golden energy in the air, explosions following every strike.
Tim: (grinning, voice steady) "You're strong, Blooma... but we're stronger now."
Rei moved beside him, her Lunar Crescent Hatchets glowing a dark aura. She spun and slashed with deadly precision, forming barriers of lunar energy when Blooma tried to sneak in long-range attacks.
Rei: (coolly) "I see your tricks. You're getting predictable."
Their attacks combinedāSolar and Lunar energy intertwiningācolliding with Blooma's swirling black energy.
Every time Blooma lunged forward, Tim countered with a fierce solar strikeāpushing her back.
Every time Blooma tried to surprise Tim, Rei's hatchets interceptedāknocking her off balance.
The Solunar people watched, wide-eyed.
The White Solar Warrior and the Black Lunar Warrior were overwhelming Blooma.
Even Heatsun and Moonsalt, though still injured, stared in astonishment.
Heatsun: (stunned) "They've... grown so much. This is nothing like before."
Moonsalt: (tearfully smiling) "They're fighting like true Celestic Warriors."
The more Blooma attackedāfurious tendrils slashing like whips, dark blasts raining down like meteorsāthe more coordinated Tim and Rei became.
ā Tim's Solar Rush ā a blazing sprint followed by a furious slash that scorched the ground.
ā Rei's Lunar Shroud ā an evasive, fluid movement that cloaked her in dark energy, allowing her to slip past Blooma's attacks and strike her back.
Blooma growled louder with each failed attempt to land a solid hit. Her dark aura pulsed violently, but it only made Tim and Rei push harder.
Tim: (mockingly again, but with a sharper edge) "Getting mad, Blooma?"
Rei: (calm but deadly) "Losing your touch?"
The crowd cheered louder and louder as Blooma was pushed further backāan unfamiliar sight for the people of Soluna who had once believed her to be unbeatable.
Jim, still recovering but watching with a burning gaze, clenched his fists.
Jim: (to himself) "They're... so much stronger than before. It's like they're completely different warriors."
But it wasn't just their physical strengthātheir Celestic Resonance was on another level now.
Every move was sharper.
Every blow was heavier.
Every defense was quicker.
And Blooma felt it.
Her eyes narrowed, her breath heavierāfor the first time in this battleāshe looked... cornered.
But Tim and Rei didn't let up.
The amplified warriors were driving her further into a cornerāand the fight was only escalating.
The clash of energies continued to shake Soluna.
The air was thick with a mix of radiant solar light and dark lunar shadows ā a chaotic storm of Celestic power.
Tim gripped his Solar Saber tightly, its golden blade glowing even brighter. His attacks were relentless, each one carrying devastating power:
ā Solar Stab ā A precise thrust that shot a concentrated beam of solar energy straight into Blooma's side, burning through her dark tendrils like molten fire.
ā Solar Collision ā A sweeping horizontal charge, unleashing a scorching wave of solar energy that slammed Blooma back several feet, the ground beneath her searing with each strike.
ā Solar Smash ā Tim leapt into the air and came crashing down, his blade glowing with intense solar radiance. The impact created a fiery shockwave, sending cracks through the battlefield and knocking Blooma off balance.
The crowd roared louder with each attack, the Solunar people cheering their champion:
"White Solar Warrior!"
"He's unstoppable!"
But Tim wasn't fighting alone.
Rei moved like a shadow beside him, her Lunar Crescent Hatchets shimmering with a deep blue glow. Her style was fluid yet fierce ā a perfect contrast to Tim's fiery aggression.
ā Lunar Boosted Boomerang ā She hurled both hatchets, and they spun through the air like glowing crescents, slicing through Blooma's tendrils before curving back into her hands.
ā Lunar Multiple Mirage ā Rei split into multiple shadowy clonesāillusions of herself that darted around Blooma, confusing her for a brief moment before the real Rei slashed her across the back, leaving a trail of lunar energy.
ā Lunar Pierce ā She crossed her hatchets into an "X" shape and then charged Blooma head-on, thrusting them forward to stab into Blooma's shoulder. Dark lunar energy exploded from the point of impact, sending Blooma reeling.
Even Blooma's serious mode couldn't keep up with the relentless onslaught.
Every time she tried to strike, Tim's Solar Saber would burn through her tendrils, and Rei's Lunar Hatchets would cut off any sneak attacks.
From the Medical Center, Dr. Aron and Sheila watched the battle unfold through their spy cameras planted around Soluna.
Aron leaned forward, his usual calm demeanor replaced by shock.
Aron: "I knew the training would push them... but this..."
Sheila's eyes were wide, watching the battle intently.
Sheila: "Their power... their defense... even their tactics... it's all evolved. This is far beyond what they showed last time."
Even Gravik stood stiffly behind them. His face paled a little at the sheer force Tim and Rei were displaying.
Gravik: (grumbling, but clearly impressed) "Remind me never to defy those two... they'd squash me like a bug."
Back on the battlefield, Jim watched his "elder siblings" fight, his body still bruised from Blooma's earlier torture.
Jim: (to himself, voice hoarse but proud) "They're... incredible."
Blooma, now covered in burns, gashes, and swirling Celestic scars from the combined solar and lunar attacks, growled in frustration. Her once smug expression was goneāreplaced by pure rage.
Blooma: (snarling) "You... pests... You think you've won?"
But Tim and Rei didn't answer her.
Instead, Tim flashed a cocky grin, his Solar Saber burning hotter.
Tim: "We don't think we've won...but we know you're losing."
Rei's eyes glimmered as she spun her hatchets, her aura dark and controlled.
Rei: "And this is just the beginning."
The air around the battlefield suddenly thickened as the Solunar people, Jim, Heatsun, and Moonsalt all felt the shift in energy.
The once-proud Blooma, who had been steadily overwhelmed by Tim and Rei's relentless combined assault, now stood motionlessāher chest heaving with fury, her tendrils twitching sporadically.
Her once-flawless, cold exterior was now cracked. Her cloak, elegant and flowing, was torn and tattered. For the first time since the battle began, Blooma looked... vulnerable.
Tim pointed his Solar Saber at her, its golden flames swirling around the blade.
Tim: "What's the matter? Getting tired of losing?"
Rei, spinning her Lunar Crescent Hatchets in a rhythmic pattern, stepped beside him.
Rei: "Or maybe you realized you're not as strong as you thought."
The Solunar people erupted again, chanting the names of their protectors:
"White Solar Warrior! Black Lunar Warrior!"
But then... everything fell silent.
Blooma's head slowly lifted, her crimson eyes glowing with an unnatural intensity. A twisted smile crept across her face.
Blooma: (voice darker, almost growling) "You really... think you've seen my full power?"
Her voice, once calm and condescending, now oozed with malice.
She raised both hands, and dark tendrilsātwice as thick as beforeāshot out in every direction, creating a dome of shadowy energy around the battlefield. The Solunar people gasped as the sky above seemed to darken unnaturally, despite the sun and moons still present.
Then... her body began to shift.
Dark energy poured from her like a black flood, swirling around her form. Her skin darkened into a deep obsidian hue, pulsating with veins of glowing purple. The once-delicate tendrils that extended from her back twisted and morphed into serpentine appendages, each lined with jagged teeth and glowing violet eyes.
Her limbs elongatedāarms stretching unnaturally, ending in clawed hands dripping with dark energy. Her face contorted, jaw widening slightly, revealing sharp fangs. Horn-like protrusions emerged from her head, curling back like a crown of darkness.
Her elegant figure was gone.
Blooma had transformed into her monstrous true form.
Blooma: (snarling) "I despise using this form... it's hideous. A crude, untamed version of myself."
Her voice echoed in a dual toneāboth her usual smooth voice and a more guttural, demonic growl layered beneath it.
Tim's confident smirk faded slightly.
Tim: (gritting his teeth) "Okay... that's new."
Rei's grip on her hatchets tightened.
Rei: "She's even stronger now..."
From the medical center, Dr. Aron slammed a hand on the control panel, his face grim.
Aron: "No... this is her true form. All that time... she wasn't even using her full power."
Sheila, eyes narrowed, leaned closer to the screen.
Sheila: "I've heard rumors about this form... but never thought I'd see it."
Gravik, standing behind them, looked horrified.
Gravik: (gulping) "That... thing... makes her old form look like a doll."
Back on the battlefield, the Solunar people were now visibly panicking. The mere sight of Blooma's monstrous form seemed to radiate fear itself.
Jim, still injured and kneeling, struggled to catch his breath.
Jim: (voice weak but determined) "Tim... Rei... be careful."
Blooma flexed her new claws, testing her strength. With a single swipe of her arm, a wave of dark energy shot forwardāshattering a small mountain in the distance and sending an earthquake-like tremor through the ground.
Tim stumbled slightly but held his ground.
Tim: "Alright... so she's a bit stronger. Doesn't mean we're backing down."
Rei's hatchets glowed with lunar energy.
Rei: "We just have to push harder."
Blooma's monstrous form loomed over them, her tendrils writhing like vipers.
Blooma: (voice deeper and venomous) "Let's see how long you can last... now that I'm done playing."