"Open the mirror dimension!" Just as the Ancestor lost his sensory perception of the surroundings, Robert's voice echoed in Baron Mordo's mind, snapping him back to reality. He quickly led his comrades to set up the mirror dimension.
With a hum, the Ancestor, unaware of his surroundings, stood cautiously on guard, expecting an ambush. Thus, the mirror dimension swiftly enveloped both Robert and the Ancestor.
However, when the sunlight that blocked their senses faded, the Ancestor, shielded by his own power, instantly sensed the change in the environment. His expression changed dramatically: "Damn it! Spatial magic?! Break it!"
With a hum, as the Ancestor's words fell, a powerful aura burst from his body, attacking the surrounding mirror dimension. It was evident from this aura alone that the Ancestor's strength surpassed that of the previous Hell Lord, Kaire.
But before the Ancestor's aura could fully release, he was struck violently, sending him crashing into the ground, creating a crater. The attacker was none other than Robert, who had activated his Great Ape Power and Berserk Fist. Initially, Robert hadn't planned to strike so quickly, but the Ancestor's aura threatened the integrity of the mirror dimension. If Robert didn't act, the dimension might collapse.
Robert knew the Ancestor was a cowardly character. If he escaped the mirror dimension, he would flee and hide without a trace. Although Robert had tracked him once using the second-in-command werewolf, it didn't guarantee constant surveillance, especially with the Ancestor's knack for escape.
Thus, Robert had no choice but to strike preemptively, interrupting the Ancestor's aura to secure the mirror dimension.
After attacking, Robert focused on the impact site. Given the Ancestor's previous aura display, the sneak attack shouldn't have caused serious injury. Logically, the Ancestor should have emerged to confront his attacker.
However, the Ancestor showed no intention of coming out, and there was no movement from the crater. If not for Robert still sensing the Ancestor's aura, he might have thought his sneak attack had killed him instantly.
"Hiding, are you? Waiting to ambush me if I go down there?" Robert raised an eyebrow, finding this combat style intriguing. The Ancestor remained motionless in the crater, even holding his breath to feign death. Unfortunately for him, he didn't understand the subtleties of aura.
"If you won't come out, I'll force you out!" Robert decided to use a powerful Ki blast. Within the mirror dimension, he didn't have to worry about excessive destruction.
Robert noticed the mirror dimension becoming more robust over time, possibly due to more Kamar-Taj disciples or a special magical artifact.
Even as Robert prepared his Ki blast, the Ancestor remained hidden. Robert unleashed the blast, transforming the ground into a molten landscape. Yet, the Ancestor was nowhere to be seen, and his aura vanished, as if the Ki blast had obliterated him.
"So, you found a way to hide? Impressive..." Robert's eyes flashed with surprise. He knew the Ancestor wasn't dead but well-hidden. Even finding him was no easy task.
This was Robert's first encounter with such a hide-and-seek battle style. No matter how he attacked, the Ancestor avoided direct confrontation, frustrating Robert.
However, while Robert pondered this, he noticed a faint fluctuation.
"Saiyan! Someone is sabotaging the mirror dimension, and it's happening in multiple spots. If you can't stop him, even with our magical tools, the dimension won't hold for long," Baron Mordo's anxious voice reached Robert, confirming that the fluctuations were the Ancestor's doing.
"More than one spot? That's unexpected," Robert thought. Initially, he detected only one fluctuation, but after Mordo's warning, he sensed more irregularities.
The mirror dimension was like a ship at sea, and the fluctuations were like small holes in the hull. Though tiny, given time, these holes could sink the ship.
Robert couldn't let these holes persist. However, even after Mordo's reminder, he couldn't pinpoint the Ancestor's true location.
Even Baron Mordo and the others, who controlled the mirror dimension, couldn't find the Ancestor. Otherwise, they would have transported him to Robert instead of merely warning him.
This showed the Ancestor's skill in survival and concealment, honed over millennia.
"Shrink the mirror dimension to the size of a city block, enough for me to fight," Robert decided, realizing he couldn't find the Ancestor as things stood.
With a hum, the vast mirror dimension shrank rapidly, transforming into a familiar part of New York City. Even so, the Ancestor remained hidden, and the small holes reappeared in the now smaller dimension.
"I won't let you hide!" Robert declared. He memorized the smaller space's layout and unleashed a powerful mental barrier.
With a hum, an invisible barrier covered the entire mirror dimension, creating a second layer of protection.
This was Robert's solution. While he didn't fully understand the mirror dimension's mechanics, he deduced that Mordo and the others relied on external forces to control it.
That's why they couldn't find the Ancestor. They controlled but didn't fully master the mirror dimension.
Now, Robert's mental barrier overlaid the mirror dimension, creating a domain he fully controlled. Any disturbance or hidden entity within would be detected.
The only downside was the increased strain on Robert, but it was necessary. If the enemy was too powerful and broke the barrier, it would affect Robert, which is why he avoided using this in direct combat before.
However, with no other options against the Ancestor's evasion, Robert had to dual-task.
"I've found you!" Robert's eyes lit up, filled with excitement and fury. Already in his Great Ape Power form, he was ready to unleash his rage.
With a swish, Robert vanished and reappeared near a wall, punching through it and sending a figure flying, crashing through multiple buildings toward the edge of the barrier.
With a crack, the figure hit the barrier, creating a fissure. The Ancestor immediately attacked the crack, attempting to break through and escape.
Despite everything, the Ancestor still avoided direct combat, preferring to flee.
"Trying to escape?" Robert sneered. The barrier collapsed partially, the shards slicing at the Ancestor.
In an instant, the Ancestor was covered in cuts but continued moving forward, willing to suffer wounds to escape.
The barrier's collapse gave the Ancestor a chance to hide again, blending with the mirror dimension and evading detection.
However, just as the Ancestor neared the shattered barrier, he hit another invisible wall.
With a crack, this new barrier also fissured, but it stopped the Ancestor, allowing Robert to catch up.
"You think you can escape?" Robert taunted. "I shrank the mirror dimension for this very reason. Do you think I can only cover such a small area?"
Robert finally saw the Ancestor's appearance. He resembled an old gentleman, akin to Mephisto but more refined.
"Impressive. You're the first to push me this far," the Ancestor, Alexander, said, his voice deep. "I have no choice but to kill you."
"Alexander, huh? Sounds impressive, but your actions say otherwise. Show me what you've got," Robert mocked.
But before Robert finished, Alexander split into numerous figures, each darting in different directions, none towards Robert.
"I should've known you'd never fight head-on!" Robert cursed, gathering another powerful Ki blast, targeting the countless Alexanders spread across the barrier.
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