Lysara's dark eyes narrowed as she unleashed a wave of mind control energy, a swirling mist of shadows that clawed at Zane's thoughts. His vision blurred, walls bending and twisting into nightmarish shapes. Voices whispered lies and threats, confusing his every step.
Zane staggered, clutching his head. His mental defenses were being shredded by her power — it felt like drowning in a sea of illusions.
But then, a familiar warmth spread over his skin. His Shadow Armor flared to life, the black armor wrapping his body like a second skin, streaks of glowing blue tracing its form. His heart quickened as he focused on the skill he'd been saving for a moment — Void Mirror.
The blue streaks pulsed and shifted, turning a cold, steely grey. The power inside him surged, and in that instant, Zane felt a new clarity piercing through the fog of hallucinations.
He raised his hand, sending a ripple of psychic energy outwards — a perfect reflection of Lysara's own mind control power.
The swirling shadows that had gripped him twisted back toward their source. Lysara's eyes widened as confusion clouded her face, her connection faltering under the assault of her own technique, mirrored and turned against her.
Zane stepped forward, his voice calm but laced with determination. "Your tricks won't work anymore. I'm not your puppet."
Lysara snarled, trying to shake off the mental grip, but her control wavered. Her mind, so used to ensnaring others, was now trapped in a reflection of her own making.
The battlefield shifted from the physical to the mental. Both fighters waged war inside their minds — waves of psychic energy crashing and colliding.
Zane's enhanced intelligence and the temporary grasp of her power allowed him to predict her next moves, blocking her attacks and returning his own with brutal precision.
Lysara unleashed a sudden surge of psychic shards, sharp and jagged like broken glass, aiming straight for Zane's mental core.
Zane raised a shield of shadow, the Void Mirror power reinforcing his defenses. The shards shattered harmlessly against the invisible barrier.
With a burst of speed, Zane closed the distance. The streaks of grey on his armor flared brighter as he concentrated the stolen power into one final strike — a mental shockwave that slammed into Lysara's psyche.
She collapsed to her knees, gasping as the assault broke her concentration. Her dark eyes flickered with a mix of fear and fury.
Panting, Zane's armor slowly faded back to its original blue glow. His mind cleared, the hallucinations gone.
Nyx's voice chimed in his head, playful and teasing, "Awww, looks like you're fighting dirty—and winning!"
Zane smirked, shaking his head. "Dirty or not, I'm not losing to her."