"You... are mother and daughter?" Clark asked, a bit puzzled by the huge age difference between the two. It was hard not to think they were grandmother and granddaughter.

"No. We're not. This woman is crazy," Tiffany commented, crossing her arms and glaring daggers at the woman beside her. "I've already told you to leave me alone, old woman. I don't need your help here."

"Tiffany, are you sure?" the old lady asked worriedly. Her veil might have hidden her face, but there was still visible hurt and resentment about her relationship with her daughter.

"Yes. I can handle these two on my own. I don't need anyone to mess things up for me. So watch, old lady, while I do something useful for once in my life."

"And I thought I was the hothead... Okay, I'll trust you, but if I feel you're in danger, I'll intervene, got it, young lady?" Tiffany didn't respond, just focused her gaze on the two enemies. The mist that had formed with the old lady's arrival slowly dissipated, and the general took a few steps back.

"Here she comes," Clark said, drawing his dagger and preparing to advance as well. However, Eagle Eye held him by the collar of his shirt. "What is it?"

"We don't know her power; getting too close might be dangerous."

"Stay back then and cover me," the redhead said with a mocking tone. "Getting close to me is dangerous; we'll see if this little blue girl's power is greater than mine."

The archer almost tried to retort, but then he thought, the redhead might be a good test subject in the fight. He would surely learn about the girl's powers by seeing him fight her, so it wouldn't be too bad to let him attack; after all, he wasn't a precious friend. And he had to admit that... his arrogance irritated him. "Fine then, I'll trust you, but don't expect me to intervene if something happens, got it?"

"I don't even care if you do," Clark ran towards his opponent, completely unconcerned with whatever power she might have. The moment she entered his power range, he took a brief pause, processing the feelings he perceived. "Man, what a dead heart..."

Immediately, the redhead jumped to the side. A massive blast of something had come charging at him. It was white and malleable, like some kind of wet sand... snow. It was an extremely agile attack; he barely managed to dodge, but the overwhelming cold froze part of his shoes. When he hit the ground, his feet were so icy from the material's proximity that even his sense of touch was confused, and he ended up losing his balance.

"Snow? So her powers are indeed related to cold..." The archer observed, analyzing the fight. The girl hadn't moved; the snow simply materialized from the air around her and advanced with great force.

"This attack was too fast; I didn't even get a chance to think." And a second assault came towards Clark. Still on the ground, he had no choice but to try using his dagger to block. The snow blast came crashing against him.

"Idiot, you're going to freeze..." John muttered, still watching cautiously. MissHapp, who seemed as interested as ever, had a relieved smile.

"It looks like Tiffany is more independent than I expected," the old lady relaxed as the archer watched with intrigue. But it was Tiffany who noticed the problem first... she realized Clark wasn't freezing.

"I didn't expect to use something like this so soon..." The arrogant voice of the lying angel echoed. Indeed, when the snow stopped, he was fine, with no signs of wear.

"How did you do that?" the girl asked, showing no real emotion.

"Hahaha, do you want me to reveal everything so openly? What's the fun in that?" On the outside, he was arrogant, but inside, Clark was confused. He was commanding the girl's heart to be afraid, to fear him, to love, to respect. But every emotion he commanded refused to enter her heart.

Nothing. The girl's deadpan look said nothing to him; she was just staring at him. "Okay, see if I care." More snow materialized, this time forming a kind of avalanche toward the enemy, so thick that it hid her enemy from sight.

"It won't work no matter how much you..." But something was off. Suddenly, the girl's cold heart disappeared; she simply vanished. Clark couldn't sense her anywhere. He had lost his connection with her, couldn't touch her heart or copy her powers. "Damn it."

The man then began to flee from the incoming attack, but a futile action remains futile no matter how much effort is put into it. The avalanche was fast, that snow was too fast, like a white serpent striking with full force.

If it reached Clark, every fiber of his body would freeze until it shattered; he would end up as shards of glass on the ground. In the midst of the attack, the snow stopped, allowing Clark to escape.

"What's this, archer? I thought you weren't going to interfere..." Tiffany said, while beside her was a wall of snow holding an arrow.

"All I inferred was that I wouldn't intervene if he needed help. I never said I wouldn't try to attack you when you're unprepared. And girl, I wouldn't stand so close to that arrow if I were you." The projectile's color began to turn red as its temperature rose drastically. The blue girl's expression didn't change at all, remaining with her morbid demeanor, not even when the arrow burst into flames, dissipating the snow.

A curtain of fire and smoke rose, and when it cleared, the girl was no longer there; she was in another part of the desert.

"Again," Clark commented. "How does she disappear like that?"

"Disappear? Look at her feet, Clark."

"Her feet?" The archer was right; there was snow under the girl's feet. After a few seconds of reasoning, the redhead understood. "Ah, she's not disappearing, just moving too fast. She uses the snow on her feet as a sort of means of transportation. That explains why I lost connection with her; she moved beyond the..."

"Clark, you talk too much," said the archer in a disappointed tone while interrupting his colleague. "... you shouldn't speak so freely. She only moved to catch you off guard from another position. She doesn't know the rule of your powers, so keep quiet."

Wait a second, who was John to say that? Did he think he was smarter than Clark? The redhead knew that well, which was why he hadn't spoken earlier, but it didn't matter; he could win regardless of whether the person discovered it or not. The girl escaped his range this time because he didn't have time to use her power as well. But now this know-it-all wants to tell him how to act and fight against a cold little brat?

"John, never tell me to be quiet again." It was an order, given with power, literally, but the archer was already rationalizing his need to obey and was controlling himself, knowing the origin of what he felt.

"Stop being stubborn. You know I'm right and..."

"OH BRAT," Clark shouted. Suddenly, he couldn't control anyone anymore? How was that possible? He commanded, and others didn't listen? So forget everything. If no one is going to love him, if no one is going to obey him, he didn't care what they would do. "Listen up, my power is emotional control. I have a certain range, so be careful."

"You idiot, what are you doing, you crazy man?" Holding back from shooting the arrogant beast beside him, John started to think quickly about how to act.

How would the girl react? How much would she understand? Calm down, John, she still doesn't know your powers. She probably thinks it has something to do with fire. You still have a surprise element with you.

"Ah, I expected something like this," the girl confessed, emotionless, surprising both of them. "Narf had mentioned that one of the humans was capable of seeing the heart, and while I was attacking you, strange feelings arose within me. Urging me to idolize and obey you."

"Wait, so my powers did work on you? But you didn't show anything, not even hesitation or reaction."

In response, she huffed.

"I already said: See if I care. I'm used to controlling what my heart says. To staying calm no matter what happens... I'm used to having an internal war amid an external one."

Silently watching, MissHapp held the hem of her dress in pure guilt and anguish.

"Argh, so much drama..." Clark commented with pure disgust. "... You talk as if you're the only one who has these feelings and goes through these struggles. Kid, I don't have time for your exaggeration. Guess what? Everyone has an internal war and external problems. You're nothing new; you're just a spoiled teenager who had too many privileges, simple as that."

I could narrate what Tiffany felt when she heard those words, but inside is so cold, I wouldn't know how to describe it to you. In an instant, she felt nothing,... I'm not sure if I could come in to tell you. Let's let actions speak instead of words, shall we?

I mean, It was really quick Before any of the men could process what was happening, Tiffany was next to Clark, using the snow as if she were skiing. The girl moved with great ease, sliding over the rocky ground. A blast of snow was hurled at Clark, pushing him backward. John grabbed the bowstring and started pulling, ready to create another arrow when his finger was cut by the string. The cord was sharp as a blade; no, his finger was fragile as glass. Suddenly, it became icy cold.

"Try using your weapon now, archer..." the icy young woman ordered as the snow danced around her. "...everything exposed to a very cold environment is swallowed by ice. The first symptom is slow movements; it's hard to move, isn't it? That's your muscles hardening. The second symptom is fragility. The colder the human body, the easier it is to injure, and the next symptom is freezing."

"TIFFANY, BE CAREFUL!" With the lady's warning, the girl reflexively used snow to defend herself from the snow. And, with the quickest of thoughts, the girl pieced things together.

"So that's how you resisted the cold before... Your power isn't just emotions; it's about assimilating with your opponent, right?" In her vision, there was a half-red-haired man, now with half-gray hair, similar to Tiffany, and the snow danced around this man too.

"Damn, was I caught?" The man joked with pure cynicism in his voice.

Tiffany began to slide through the snow, and before long, her opponent had followed her, sliding similarly. He matched her speed, with a cynical and Machiavellian smile. If Tiffany cared, she'd be frightened. No matter how one attacked the other, the other defended.

She then stopped near MissHapp, staring at the strange man in front of her for a while, still grappling with the feelings his words had stirred within her. The words she had said to him. Then she realized that if she didn't stay calm and control her impulses, she would be killed.

"MissHapp, I'm going to need your help here. This fight is getting dangerous and..."

"YES, YES, YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES!!!!!!" The lady shouted for the world to hear as she hugged the girl tightly. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH, THIS WAS THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER MOMENT I WAS WAITING FOR!"

"Maybe dying again isn't so bad after all..." The girl said seriously, breaking the old general's heart next to her.

"Oh, Tiffany, stop being so cold."

"You're the one who's too hot. Anyway, use your mist already." Obediently, the lady began covering everything with some sort of gas, fogging the area and reducing everyone's visual clarity.

"Planning to escape using the mist as a distraction? As long as you're connected to me, I know where you are, brat. I won't let you escape so easily." The man prepared to ski through the snow, and meanwhile, John noticed that everything was getting warmer...

Unlike the girl, the old lady's appearance didn't indicate anything about her power. All that was known about her was that she proclaimed herself as a mother... mother and daughter... one was calm and the other agitated... cold and hot... That wasn't mist. It was steam. John then understood that the girl had turned the tables once again.

As Clark invoked the snow around his feet, the heat melted it into water, causing him to lose control, slip, and fall face-first onto the ground.

"Damn, what a disgusting duo," exclaimed the half-red-haired man, getting up and charging after them. "I'm not letting you two escape like this."

"Impulsive and arrogant..." murmured the archer to himself, just observing, learning from the idiot's mistakes. "...we're in a sauna. If you waste your energy recklessly, you won't have the strength to fight."

As he said, despite being able to keep up with the movements of the two, running blindly only exhausted the red-haired man more quickly. His body began to sweat excessively, and if moving in the cold was painful, moving in the heat was tiring.

"If the girl has become useless now, then you take her place, old woman." Clark decided to establish a power connection with the other general, becoming immune to the heat of the steam. Now, the part of his hair that had turned gray returned to normal, and the part that was normal turned gray.

"I understand," Tiffany commented while the two continued to run through the fog, avoiding the man. MissHapp remained listening with interest. "He's linking to us and using our abilities to resist our powers. However, that doesn't make him invincible. After all, he apparently can only copy one power at a time. MissHapp, deactivate your mist and..."

"No." MissHapp said, annoyed. She couldn't say why, but the way Tiffany had spoken seemed very snobbish. Was the girl starting to think she knew more than her own mother? Wanting to give orders without even asking her opinion? "Control your tone when speaking to me, young lady."

"Hmm... now you're acting like my mother used to..." the girl said with her usual deadpan expression, but the old lady received this with great force. No, she couldn't act like that again. No, things would be different this time with Tiffany. But why was she so angry? Since she had resurfaced, she hadn't exploded like this. So why now, among so many moments, was she losing control? She was a brute idiot who didn't think about her own daughters' mental health. She simply couldn't get things right. Tiffany only saw her as a mother when she acted like this? What a damn woman the general was, that... "MissHapp." Her daughter's call brought her back to reality. "This guy controls emotions; be careful. Someone like you is an easy target for him in that regard."

Emotions? That's right, how could she forget something so basic? She was really an idiot... Tiffany could be incredible and control those fluctuations. She was too blind to what her daughter wanted to do, only the blue girl knew how to be controlled and composed. She should listen to what she says, without caring about what she feels. Now she needed to trust her daughter.

"Okay, I'll deactivate it now." With that, the steam began to dissipate, replaced by a snowstorm that started and the temperature dropped. Clark's body began to freeze and ache again.

Irritated, the man decided to switch his copy to Tiffany again, becoming immune to the cold. And so it went, switching between mist and snowstorm, Clark alternating between the two, growing tired, and increasingly taking on characteristics of those he copied.

The focus of the two remained on the man, wanting to corrupt his transformations more and more. It reached a point where they stopped reviewing. Both the mist and snowstorm happened simultaneously, a suffocating heat with a cutting and icy breeze.

The temperatures danced together in harmony. They didn't mix, but still managed to affect the angel. Clark grew increasingly enraged, made a fool of by a child and an old woman, two dramatic idiots who thought they were so much.

"Clark, this is getting ridiculous to watch," said Eagle-Eye as he approached his colleague. He created an arrow on his bow and shot it into the ground between the two. A wall of wind formed around them, and all the mist and snowstorm were sucked into the walls, completely clearing the center.

It was like a whirlwind, the center was clean of all that temperature onslaught.

"What do you think you're doing, you bastard? I don't need your help," Clark scandalized, making a fuss that John couldn't stand. He couldn't think with all that noise... shouldn't Clark be a cold and calculating sociopath? Instead, he acted like a spoiled and disgusting brat when things didn't go his way.

"Listen, idiot, I'm not blind. You're turning into them while fighting. I can't stand by while there's a chance you'll become another nuisance in this fight. If you can't control yourself, shut up and get out of my way."

"Because you are doing so much against them, i'm almost speechless."

"I'm not going to attack recklessly. I don't know anything about them."

The two egos collided, one feeling sovereign and the other concluding to be. Two fragile egos, further damaged by the truths they discovered. Two "heroes" who didn't care at all about each other.

"He's using the wind to control our powers..." MissHapp admired, trying to push her steam through the dense windstorm but failing. "...So besides fire, he has wind?"

"That's not it," Tiffany analyzed. "He has a very problematic power. And that wind... he probably controls its magnitude. Otherwise, even the stones would be carried away, but unfortunately, wind is the favorite place of snow." Tiffany produced more snow, but this time, it divided into several flakes that entered the walls of wind from the whirlwind, following the flow and advancing carefully. The blue general kept pace with the wind and attacked the duo.

The flakes were small, sharp, and too fast to follow, like shurikens. Clark connected with MissHapp and produced his own mist and heat. His steam grew and protected them, melting all the flakes that attacked him.

"Clark, don't overuse her power or you know what might happen."

"I can handle it for a while." Then his hair turned white and his black clothes, John ran to the man and kicked him, canceling the control and making him go back to normal.

"You're full of it. You were transforming into her. Don't you understand? If your connection is too strong, I'll have to face three generals alone."

No concern for the golden angel. In fact, there was none. It didn't matter if he died right then and there. He was just another nuisance for the archer. But of course, you are a nuisance, Clark. You're not loved by anyone.

"I don't give a damn about that. Aren't you the genius? Surely you can handle this. But you know that with these two, there can be no mistakes, right? They're not playing around, and I'm doing all the work here, so shut up and..."

While they were talking, a snowflake flew like a bullet and destroyed the arrow lodged in the ground. Immediately, the walls of wind had their flows canceled, and the dance of temperatures returned inside, spreading with even more force.

So much snow and vapor came in at once, a blasted avalanche. It overwhelmed them, causing a massive shock throughout their bodies. Every fiber in their bodies conducted what felt like thousands of volts of electricity. It was as if their hearts would stop at any moment. Now they suffered the worst of thermal shocks, on incomprehensible and terrifying scales. They barely survived, still buried in the snow, emerging from that white mountain completely exhausted and broken.

Moving hurt. Breathing hurt. Blinking hurt.

It was as if the very act of existing caused them pain.

And it took all that pain for the archer to conclude something...

"Clark, you're right..." Jonn began, for him, that blow was far more catastrophic than for Clark. He was indeed hanging by a thread. One more of those and he would surely die. There was no more time. "Alone I can't do it, and neither can you. Their team attack is coordinated... We need to work together too... and we can't underestimate them, understand? That girl analyzes... every movement we make... and already creates attacks and counterattacks based on what she determines."

Clark suffered through existence for a moment, trying to understand the archer's request. Work together? The two didn't trust each other, and neither cared whether the other survived. How could they work together? Both wanted to control the fight and order the other around... but if it continued like this, they would both die. "Yeah... the brat is smart... If it were just one of them... I could handle it fine, but the two of them together just doesn't work. We need a plan to defeat them..."

"Leave that to me... I'll come up with something, but you need to promise to follow my orders to the letter, understand?"

"Just... this time..."

"Perfect... I don't want to have to work with you ever again..."

The snow behind them began to move, and with the cunning of a serpent, it surrounded both of them and prepared to attack. The fog began to burn them again, and the snow advanced from all sides. Eagle-Eye created a fire arrow and shot it, the flames grew and drove away all the snow. But the heat of the vapor combined with the heat of the flames only worsened their condition.

Their skin felt like it would melt at any moment. Their breathing was faltering, they were in a sea of fire while both generals remained untouched by the temperature.

MissHapp suddenly embraced Tiffany with all the happiness in the world.

"I'm so proud of my little girl, that was amazing."

"It's enough, old lady, don't squeeze so tight, you're too hot." Tiffany said, showing some affection as she tried to push the woman away. She had to admit, receiving so much affection while doing things could be a hassle... but it wasn't so bad.

"But darling, that was incredible, and you had an amazing and authoritative pose."

"Don't call me 'darling' in front of enemies, it makes me look like an idiot."

"You're right, I'm sorry, I couldn't hold back. Tiffany, let's end the suffering of those two quickly, okay?"

"Okay..." The blue-skinned girl murmured, with a wave of her hand, the fog receded and another drop in temperature came. A breeze so intense it extinguished the fire and cooled everything down.

A cold so intense that John and Clark began to suffer from hypothermia, shaking all over their bodies. They started to get frostbite, their skin was deteriorating, causing unbearable pain. Their blood vessels began to constrict to conserve heat, reducing blood flow to the extremities, numbing their limbs. Both of their bodies were freezing with extreme aggression.

Unable to endure any longer, Clark's skin shone golden, and the same glow emerged with John and Tiffany.

"What's going on, Tiffany?"

"He's creating a connection with both of us, linking himself to me to make them immune to the cold. But don't worry, this gave me an idea." Tiffany lowered the temperature more and more, forcing Clark to strengthen his connection with the melancholic girl to keep up.

While there, feeling Clark's power over him for the first time, John had an idea!

"Clark... Can you pick up any information I give through the connection?"

"I think so."

"Perfect, then listen to my plan, and please, don't lose control."

"Got it..."

And so, each step of the archer's plan against the duo was transmitted to the angel. A crazy plan. A risky plan. And a plan that required trust. "... Hm, you're sick, man. But don't worry, I can handle it."

"Yeah, he can..." The teenager mocked. "He must be very strong and capable, right? If he believes, he can do whatever he wants."

"But how cruel." MissHapp said with reproach. "It's not nice to talk about others like that."

"Huh? But we're trying to kill them..."

"That's no reason to be cruel, young lady..."

"Whatever, you're not my mother..." Clark spotted an opening in the fight between them and seized the opportunity to advance and attack.

A strong blizzard attacked Clark and threw him far away.

"Boy, how many times do you need to go through this to understand that Tiffany is too strong for you?"

"But, MissHapp, I didn't do anything."

"What? Then who...?" MissHapp looked around searching for the source of the attack until she spotted a second Tiffany there, exactly like the original, in the place where the archer had been. "Another Tiffany?"

"He must have created a very strong link between me and your friend, turning him into her."

"So now he's alone against three of us." MissHapp said, entertained, but the original Tiffany hadn't relaxed, observing calmly.

"This transformation must have left him very weak..." The blue-skinned girl concluded. "They haven't been working together until now, so it makes sense that he accidentally transformed his friend..."

"So there are two Tiffanys after all?"

"She probably has my memories up to the point where the archer transformed into her, my personality, and powers. She's basically me and... what are you doing, old lady?"

The woman was hugging the other Tiffany with extreme affection. The copy of her daughter acted exactly the same way, trying to push her away but still accepting it.

"There are two Tiffanys here! How cute!"

"Hey! You only have one..." said the original, stopping mid-sentence, blushing as she realized what she was about to say. No, that was ridiculous. "Forget it, that one is an enemy too."

"Hm? No. You're the enemy." The other Tiffany said, stepping out of the old lady's embrace and launching an attack at the general.

"Wait, Tiffany." MissHapp's plea was in vain, and a clash began between the two. It was impossible to keep up; both were extremely fast, with the same reasoning, agility, and style. The dense blizzard intensified with their dance, creating a huge mess of power, and they were so similar that the old lady lost track of which was which. Then she realized the problem.

"Both are basically the same person... it's impossible for me to determine the real one from the fake." Damn it. What to do? She had joked but didn't want anyone other than her daughter. Her daughter was unique, she was special. No. No. She didn't want another, she wanted the real one. "It's that man... if he dies, everything will return to normal."

A transparent red ball then formed in the old lady's hand, the heat bubble expanded into many and attacked from all sides toward the redhead. Clark ran, his nose was bleeding, and he was very tired. The fog returned around him, making it hotter, and tiring him out faster, which made him slow. He dodged the attacks with great effort, but even dodging, he still felt his body burning more and more. He was about to melt.

"It's no use, boy." The old lady said serenely. "Heat doesn't need to touch to hurt. Didn't you notice? If you're a meter away from a campfire, you'll already feel the temperature rising. The longer you stay still, the hotter it gets. You'll burn and your bones will carbonize..."

Something hit MissHapp from behind and threw her far away. The woman fell hard on the ground with a wound on her back, and when she looked back, she saw a man with a bow recently drawn looking at her, and Tiffany was lying nearby. The arrow was completely frozen, and the shock with MissHapp's hot body created another explosion, and another, and another, continuing to explode repeatedly for a good while.

A large part of the elderly woman's dress was ripped, exposing her bloodied and damaged skin. Staggering from side to side...

"Did it work?" Clark asked, also looking like he might fall at any moment. But the woman did not fall; she remained standing, alive and furious. The angel had used too much power and could no longer hold on. He ended up collapsing on the ground, exhausted.

"Tiffany, enough... I can no longer forgive them, let's destroy these bastards once and for all."

"Misshapp, calm down..." said the melancholic girl, getting up from the ground with her exhausted body. "I think these two still..."

"No, I'm fed up with these two assholes! Let's finish them NOW! Come on, tell me what to do quickly!"

"Misshapp..." Tiffany wanted to retort, wanted to speak, but the old woman's fury subdued her, and the girl was left without a voice. She had no choice but to lower her head.

"HURRY UP!"

"O-okay..." Tiffany said, indicating with her hand. She placed the palm of her right hand on the ground, and a blue aura emanated into the rocks. Misshapp repeated the same movement, but with a red aura.

John realized something was wrong. He ran towards Clark and positioned himself in front of the angel, preparing for whatever was coming, and then it began.

An earthquake started, and the ground began to crack and split. The auras from the two women entered the earth and synchronized perfectly. Interestingly, what moves tectonic plates is hot and cold air. So, by creating the two, the duo was able to control the entire area. A part of the ground lifted, and the piece where John and Clark were began to sink.

John shot an arrow upward, and created another arrow. The two were linked by magnetism, so the first arrow pulled the second upward, and as he held Clark, the archer rose with him.

"Please, let it end now," Tiffany said as the two moved their arms, and the ground reconstructed itself, surrounding the two men and moving to crush them. John invoked several arrows and shot them. All exploded upon contact with the rocks, dissipating everything and creating a curtain of smoke.

Still guided by her pure hatred, Misshapp fired a heat beam to destroy everything in her path. John managed to throw Clark out of the line of attack but was hit by the full force of the strike.

Something his fragile body could not withstand.

He flew against the ground, his arm broken and his body scorched. Misshapp laughed triumphantly, not realizing that she had made a terrible mistake.

"h... how...?" groaned the injured man on the ground, his body completely burned and bruised. "Wh... why?" But there was something strange... his voice was faltering. "Miss...happ..." It was then that the woman realized that it was Tiffany, not the archer, who had been hit. It was her daughter who was burned and broken on the ground.

"No. No. No. Why? You? But how?"

"But you're really an idiot." Clark got up from the ground, merely pretending to have fainted, while the other Tiffany slowly transformed into John.

"I realized that if Clark can connect others besides himself with others... he can also transform one person into another through the connection," the archer explained calmly while the elderly woman rushed toward her scorched daughter. "It's true, we both couldn't defeat you two together, so it would be very advantageous if one of us had to die to win."

"Not to mention, well, you're really stupid old woman. If you took the lead, there would be many openings. I slowly increased your rage while lowering the confidence of the blue girl. She might manage to control her emotions from exploding, but not even she can make a wilted flower bloom. In the end, ahaha, it was your rage and that girl's insecurity that made her lose."

"She's a child! MY DAUGHTER! YOU TWO ARE MONSTERS!"

"What did the girl say again?" Clark asked, making a thoughtful face and then scratching his head, finishing with a cynical smile. "Oh yes... see if I care."

"You're not real people, you just seem like it. This kind of rotten reasoning doesn't work with me." said the archer.

It's no use, Misshapp, they don't regret it. Even if you were real people, they wouldn't care. They both live for their own goals and do whatever it takes to win.

Then Tiffany let out a weak, morbid murmur. How ironic, the cold girl was dying burned.

"Miss...happ..."

"Hmm? Yes, dear, I'm here, you'll be okay, okay? We can fix this, I'm sure Narf or Orf can think of something and..."

"No... you know very well that it's too late for me... it never was..."

"Don't say that... you still have a great future, and I know there's so much you want to tell me that I never heard. I'm willing to listen now, talk to me..."

Talk about what? Oh, Misshapp still believed she was Tiffany's mother, so she wanted her to say the things she wanted to tell her mother. "Calm down." "I can do it if you let me try." "I can't stand being afraid to talk to you anymore." So many things she wanted to say and explain. But her mother would never hear any of them... or would she? Tiffany, do you really try to talk to your parents? Do you just assume they won't listen? Or when you start, do you give up halfway because you lack strength?

Many times our parents seem incomprehensible, but they understand. We sometimes underestimate our parents when conversation is possible, only fearing it. Our parents are as human as we are, and if we stopped to truly talk to them, it would indeed be possible to reach something.

But the cold in the belly caused by insecurity on one side and the heat of authority on the other causes a thermal shock that prevents the system from moving.

She's asking you to tell her the basics you would like to say to your mother... Because you won't be able to say everything... just the basics.

So, raising a scorched arm, the girl placed it on one of the elderly woman's cheeks with... extreme tenderness.

"I... still can't believe it. But, if you really are my mother... all I want to say is... thank you for everything, I love you, Mom!"

"Tiffany?"

Then the general's body broke into numerous small balls, like countless marbles, and they flew through time and space, returning Will to everyone. One of the small balls entered Misshapp's heart.

"No... no... no... no... COME BACK! I LOVE YOU TOO, MY DAUGHTER! I'M SORRY I WASN'T THERE! COME BACK! COME BACK! I'M LISTENING NOW..." Slowly, the elderly woman's voice weakened, her strength was draining, tears rolling down her face, her red eyes, and the more she cried, the more her emotions intensified—her rage, her anguish, her sadness, and her mourning.

"THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR TEARS!" roared an unknown voice in her head. Misshapp had never heard that voice before, but it was deep and powerful, roaring like a sergeant in a barracks. "IF THERE'S TIME FOR TEARS, THEN THERE'S TIME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! YOU STILL HAVE ENEMIES TO FIGHT! DON'T GIVE UP! PERSIST! FOR YOUR DAUGHTER! LET'S GO!"

"For... my daughter? Yes... I can't let them go unpunished..." The steam emanated from the elderly woman's skin, which reddened with great flush while her black dress seemed to crack and blaze with an intense heat, as if it were made of coal and igniting. Her tears turned into magma, and the ground around her began to melt. Her bun came undone, and her hair was freed into the air, just as the veil on her face was released, revealing the most furious expression ever made by a being. "... THEY WILL PAY!"

With a wave of the elderly woman's hands, lava was summoned towards the two enemies. The archer created four arrows and launched them, forming a sort of diamond wall where each arrow became one of the corners of the barrier.

The resilient material held up well against the attack, but the old woman was now maneuvering around the wall, moving with a speed akin to her incandescent fury.

"Clark... this is not good..."

"Yeah. I'm trying to calm her down, but the emotions are just intensifying. What kind of willpower is this?"—Creating a brief link, the redhead also began using lava powers, firing futile attacks against the woman in desperation. She faced everything head-on and nothing happened to her body.

The archer created a water arrow and shot a flood at the woman, but it just evaporated. Even if he threw explosions, he wouldn't be able to do anything against the eruption exploding within that general.

She was unstoppable and they would not endure. If they received a single attack from her, they would die without a doubt. But neither had the speed, resistance, or power to fight against that.

At that moment, Misshapp was invincible.

"Hihihihihi, hey, hey..." That voice. Where did it come from? Whose voice was that? She was almost reaching the two enemies when, once again, another voice sounded in her ears. But this time, it was a voice that gave her chills for some reason, feeling dark hairs appearing behind and binding her whole body. It wasn't really happening, there was no one there, but it was as real as reality itself. It was as if someone was right behind her.

And Misshapp didn't know why, but she was sure it was Lily.

"Hey, hey, who gave you permission to become so strong? You are exceeding your purpose..."

With that said, a specific memory came to the elderly woman's mind. Her youngest daughter, repeating the same word, over and over:

Calm. It's true... she always used to say that...

Calm. All she wanted was peace...

Calm. A truce from the chaos she lived in...

Calm. But her mother never listened...

Calm. What a beautiful voice...

Calm. So gentle...

Calm. So serene...

Calm. What a disappointment, Misshapp...

Calm. Your daughter died twice...

Calm. Both caused by your wrath...

Calm. And here you are, surrendering to hatred...

So, old woman, have: Calm.

And with each word, the elderly woman's heart calmed down. Did you learn, Clark? This is how you manipulate someone's emotions. Not through force, but by using the person's own mentality.

Thus, the elderly woman calmed down, slowly returning to normal, even before she could touch her hands to the two opponents. Now she was weak and... sad... so sad... but she had no strength left to cry.

"Get it over with..." The old woman begged, falling to her knees on a melted ground. Both John and Clark were confused, as nothing seemed to have happened to them, she just stopped... "If she's not here, I have no reason to stay. So please..."

The two looked at each other for a moment, not out of pity, but out of suspicion. However, she could have killed them then and didn't. Without further hesitation, John drew his bow and shot.

An orange light dissipated through all time and space, returning fortune to the world.

Mother and daughter. The wrath of one and the calm of the other, indeed, that's what I call a shock.

"Man, those two were hell..." Complained the redhead, falling to his knees exhausted, while the archer also fell to the ground debilitated.

"Yeah... but I guess that just proves how incredible they were..."

Meanwhile.

What is consciousness? From the Latin "cum scientia," it is the notion of being aware. There are neurological, psychological, and even ethical-philosophical definitions. But a summary of consciousness would be: The level of alertness at which an individual brings perception of self and surroundings.

A being without consciousness is something that does not exist, is not real. It is just there. When there is consciousness, there is life.

Thus, Emily's consciousness was returning, restoring her life, and the girl, looking around with attention and perception, spotted Lysa, burned, injured, and lying unconscious on the ground. She tried to wake her friend, but it was no use; the girl was knocked out.

With consciousness comes the perception to understand the world, attention to direct the consciousness, and memory to store what has been learned.

Memory... to remember what was stored... like an unaccepted truth.

"So it was you who defeated Elaine, impressive. Emily, right? I was actually expecting one of you to wake up." Accompanied by the feminine voice, something began to fall from the sky, like a gentle snowfall, but it wasn't snow. Not water. It was confetti. Like a grand celebration, an event awaited by many. It turned into a carnival on earth as confetti fell around the girls, and then a faceless teenager approached. "I'm Narf, nice to meet you."

"How do you know my name?" The girl said, not having a face wasn't enough to scare Emily, but being a general was. How could she, a small child without any skill, face one of them?

"Emily, I know everything about you. There is nothing that hides from me, including your truth."

Truth? So she knew? About the lie? The deception? That which the other Emily had deduced in secret but refused to say out loud? That which the real Emily would never realize unless it was told to her face by the truth itself.

"SHUT UP!" The child grabbed a stone from the ground and threw it at her enemy, but in mid-flight, the projectile exploded into confetti, like a magic trick, and Emily felt something hitting the back of her neck.

A small attack, as it was made by a child. The thing that hit her neck was the very stone she threw. Narf let out a mocking laugh at the failed attack.

"You know that if you don't use your powers, you have no chance against me." The child ignored the warning and, in impulse, tried to punch the general. But she merely dodged. "Oops, you're quite fast."

Always had been, the child didn't punch, kept attacking and attacking, every maneuver and move the adults had taught her, every punch, kick, knee strike. But Narf dodged them all; it wasn't just a matter of reflex.

"And now a left elbow strike..." The general said, dodging, and she continued to predict each attack the child would make, moments before she did. "It's no use, I know. What you think. What you feel. What you know. Everything that is in your consciousness, I will know, Emily." With a quick move, the general kicked the child in the face, throwing her back. "You were actually quite useful, so we have an intrusive monk who saved you to destroy us and recover the virtues. Who is he? You don't know either, as you're unfortunately too stupid. However... hahaha, your other version must have already deduced it; her reasoning is too fast for you to keep up. Sorry, I hate being ignorant, I'd like to know what's going on before the others find out. So, Emily, you'd better call your brilliance soon, so I know what she knows."

"She doesn't want to appear anymore... I'm not the one who calls her... she just appears."

"Well, that's not a problem. Either you die or she appears. Simple as that."