How does one know the difference between Star Mages?
The Circles.
First to Third Star Mages use an single circle. Fourth to Seventh Star Mages uses interlocking and numerous circles at once. And Eighth Star and above use mystic geometric shapes instead of circles alone. On these three categories, it's easy to know.
For instance, a Third Star Circle is stronger than a First Star Circle because of the glowing. The brighter a mystic circle, the most powerful it is.
This applies to both Circlemancy and Circlecraft Mages. But for Vastarael, the second he unlocked his Third Star in the Floor Trials, he was able to use interlocking mystic circles and numerous circles at once.
And the Control Circle was the very first mystic circle he created as a Circlecraft Mage after reaching the Third Star. It is a multi purpose circle that can be used for submission and even on operational objects.
Now, he was going to use it on a subdued and weakened Overlord Rank Krepsuna.
As the battle raged around him, Vastarael stood steady, the Control Circle glowing brighter and brighter beneath him. Its interlocking layers pulsed with raw power, the sapphire light casting an almost divine glow across the chaos.
"Alright, you overgrown nightmare. Let's see how you like this."
With a flick of his wrist, the circle expanded, its runes spinning faster as it activated. From its core, hundreds of sapphire chains erupted, streaking through the air like serpents with one purpose: to bind the Krepsuna.
The chains were a sight to behold, shimmering with sapphire blue essence as they surged toward the creature. The first wave struck true, wrapping around its massive limbs and embedding themselves into its writhing, grotesque body. The Krepsuna roared, its seven eyes glowing with unholy light as it thrashed against its bindings.
The chains tightened, pulling it away from the spire, but the creature wasn't going down without a fight. Vastarael watched as it resisted, its sheer size and strength threatening to snap the chains like threads. But for every chain that broke, five more surged forward to take its place.
Vastarael frowned, his gaze flicking to the creature's position. It was still clinging to the spire, its monstrous limbs digging into the structure as if trying to merge with it. The gravitational field of the Obsidian Runic Spire was supposed to pull anything from above into the ground, but Adelasta seemed to be exempt from its effects.
"Of course she's not affected," Vastarael muttered under his breath. "She's too busy setting the damn thing on fire."
Adelasta, blazing like a golden-orange comet, darted through the air with terrifying precision. She unleashed a fire beam that streaked across the sky, slamming directly into the Krepsuna's side. The impact was cataclysmic, a searing explosion of heat and light that sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
The Krepsuna howled, its balance faltering as it lost its grip on the spire. Vastarael's chains seized the opportunity, pulling harder as the creature toppled.
When it hit the ground, the force was devastating. The impact created a massive crater in the middle of the fantasy city, sending shockwaves that toppled nearby buildings like dominos. Dust and debris filled the air but the sapphire chains glowed through the chaos, wrapping tighter around the creature.
Vastarael gestured sharply and the chains responded, tightening around the Krepsuna's limbs and pinning it further into the ground.
But the creature wasn't done. It thrashed violently, its seven eyes glowing as it let out an ear-piercing screech. The sound was disorienting, shaking the very air and causing cracks to form in the chains. One by one, they snapped under the strain, shattering into glowing fragments.
"Seriously?"
With a wave of his hand, more chains erupted from the Control Circle, latching onto the creature with renewed force. For every chain that broke, five more replaced it, each one stronger and more resilient than the last.
[Vastarael, is it me, or is this thing ridiculously stubborn?] Adelasta's voice cut through his mind.
[Oh, you're just noticing that now?]
He shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
[Focus! You're the one who said you could handle this, remember?]
[I am handling it!] Vastarael retorted, his hands moving in intricate patterns as he reinforced the chains. [Do you see this thing moving? No? Then shut up and let me work!]
[Wow. You really are cranky this morning.]
[You have no idea.]
The Krepsuna wasn't giving up, though. It thrashed harder, its massive limbs tearing through buildings as it tried to break free. Vastarael gritted his teeth, his hands glowing with sapphire light as he poured more essence into the Control Circle.
"Stay. Down," he hissed, his voice low and dangerous.
The chains responded, glowing brighter as they tightened around the creature's limbs and torso.
Despite the creature's resistance, he could feel the Control Circle beginning to take effect. The runes on the chains started to glow, their power seeping into the Krepsuna's body and forcing it to submit.
For a moment, it seemed like the tide was turning. The Krepsuna's movements grew slower, its thrashing less violent as the chains tightened further. Vastarael's eyes narrowed, a determined smirk playing on his lips.
"Almost there," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
But the fight wasn't over yet. The creature let out another deafening roar, its seven eyes blazing as it summoned a surge of energy that sent cracks rippling through the chains. Vastarael cursed under his breath, already preparing to summon more.
[Adelasta, keep it distracted!] He called out telepathically. [I need more time!]
[You better hurry up,] Adelasta replied, her voice tinged with frustration. [This thing isn't exactly playing nice!]
And with that, Vastarael dove deeper into the fight, his Control Circle glowing brighter as he poured every ounce of his focus into chaining the Krepsuna.
Adelasta was still raining divine fire on the Krepsuna, her flames erupting in massive explosions that shook the ground with every strike. Vastarael's chains were holding strong but the beast was still struggling, its monstrous body writhing against its sapphire bindings. And then, just when Vastarael thought the chaos couldn't escalate any further, Ferris arrived.
Out of nowhere, a streak of black-red energy zipped through the battlefield, slamming into one of the Krepsuna's grotesque seven eyes. The creature let out a screech so loud it felt like the air itself was being torn apart. The blackened greatsword, pulsating with crimson energy, embedded itself deep into the eye, and the next second, the eye exploded in a spray of green blood and shattered flesh.
Ferris landed on the ground a second later, her black armor gleaming under the chaos of fire and sapphire light. She looked up at the creature, her expression grim but steady.
"This thing's ugly as hell," she muttered, summoning her weapon back. "Guess I'm just in time to clean up this mess."
Adelasta, still hovering above the battlefield, summoned a barrage of fireballs, each one swirling with golden-orange flames. She hurled them at the creature with a flick of her wrist, the massive orbs of fire slamming into its body and detonating on impact. Each explosion rocked the ground below, sending shockwaves that toppled the few remaining structures in the area.
The Krepsuna screeched again, its body convulsing as it lashed out wildly with its tentacles. But Adelasta didn't care. She darted through the air like a flaming comet, her body glowing with flames as she hurled fireball after fireball.
"Stay down, you oversized octopus!"
Meanwhile, Phaenora was dealing with the endless waves of minions that had suddenly zeroed in on Vastarael. The creature seemed to have realized he was the one orchestrating its imprisonment and it was throwing everything it had to stop him. But Phaenora wasn't about to let that happen.
With her sapphire glaive glowing brighter than ever, she became a streak of sapphire light that cut through the hordes like a blade through water. Minions were being obliterated by the dozens, their bodies exploding into green blood and gore as Phaenora tore through them. Even Vastarael, focused as he was, couldn't help but be amazed by her speed and precision.
[Phaenora, you good?] He asked telepathically, his tone slightly strained as he maintained the Control Circle.
[Good? I feel incredible! It's like I've got a whole damn ocean of power to play with!]
But even with Adelasta and Ferris wreaking havoc and Phaenora holding the line, the Krepsuna was still resisting. Vastarael could feel its immense strength pushing against his chains, threatening to break free. He clenched his fists, his gaze narrowing as he made a decision he'd been avoiding.
"Damn it," he muttered. "Guess there's no other choice."
With a deep breath, Vastarael raised his hand and began summoning a new circle. This wasn't just any circle. It was a Sapphire Mystic Circle, something he had been working on but never fully mastered. It wasn't ready, not by a long shot, but he didn't have time to worry about that now.
The circle began to form above the battlefield, its size utterly massive, larger than the Krepsuna itself. Its glowing sapphire runes spun and interlocked in a mesmerizing pattern, pulsing with raw, unbridled energy.
[Adelasta! Ferris! Get out of there!]
Adelasta glanced down at the massive circle, her flames flickering around her.
[What the hell are you—oh.]
She didn't need to be told twice. With a burst of flames, she flew out of the danger zone, Ferris following close behind.
The second they were clear, Vastarael unleashed it.
The Sapphire Mystic Circle pulsed once and then a massive blast of liquid sapphire erupted from it, slamming into the Krepsuna like a tidal wave. The creature howled in agony as the liquid sapphire engulfed it, its monstrous body writhing as it tried to resist.
Before anyone could even process what was happening, the liquid sapphire began to solidify. The circle shaped the liquid into a perfect cube around the creature. The cube gleamed like frozen ice, its surface smooth and strong.
The Krepsuna was trapped.
Vastarael didn't stop there. He extended his hands, the sapphire chains embedding themselves into the cube from all sides. Each chain glowed with the power of the Control Circle, ensuring the creature couldn't move even an inch.
With the creature finally immobilized, Vastarael ran toward the massive cube. As he approached, the gigantic Control Circle miniaturized, shrinking down until it was no larger than a small emblem. It appeared on the face of the cube where Vastarael placed his hand, glowing brightly as it locked into place.
But he wasn't done yet.
Vastarael closed his eyes, drawing on the immense reserves of essence stored in his nine pseudo-cores. The power surged through him like a raging river, threatening to overwhelm him, but he pushed through. With a deep breath, he summoned five more Control Circles, each one appearing on a different face of the cube.
The effort left him breathless, his body trembling from the strain, but it was done. The Krepsuna was sealed.
"And here I thought that nine cores would solve my essence issues. Damn it..."