*
"Your little trick won't work, I don't even have to ignore the rules. Equity invasion automatically corrects the state of our stats, so even if you swap them they will swap back." (Eterna)
Short blond hair in a bob cut, a face more beautiful than it's surroundings, endowed with halo like hair. There's no doubt, this was the goddess Sariel first saw in the administration zone next to A1.
" Here. " (Eterna)
Despite standing in front of countless students in a crowded spot, she swipes her hand faster than the human eye can perceive. A clean slice across the neck, a decapitation might not kill an A grade magical girl immediately, but it would still severely hinder them. She stood still waiting, when she realised... Sariel survived. She took a step back, but it was too late. Sariel reproduced her attack, moving at a speed so fast the passersby think they're standing still, staring intently at each other.
"... Tch, Equity Invasion doesn't work with your Oblivion Magia active, you're constantly stealing back mine divine status." (Eterna)
At present there stood two god like beings. Or at least there appeared to be. With mortal understanding, a lower level of comprehension, even if {Swap} truly conceptually switched their stats and combat capabilities, there was a limit to how much it could {Swap}. It's like how a thief could only steal what they could see. Sariel can muster the strength and perception speed of a deity, but she couldn't comprehend its mechanisms.
Simultaneously nabbing the throne of the garden's deity, they face each other head on in the open. No one could see the details of the fight, no one could even feel the repercussiond. To everyone else, it looked only like an obstructive staring contest.
In that same short moment, they fired countless punches and their fists collide beyond the ability to quantify. The gap between any grade and SS grade or godhood was never fair. Nevermind a true fight, it's taken everything she has just to match punch for punch here, and preventing any shockwaves from disintegrating the school or melting down the residential zone. Each swing was more destructive than a nuclear explosion that would carve out the land, yet their attacks were barely neutralising each other.
Durable fists, reaction speed, that seemed to be the extent of what she could {Swap}. If she could {Swap} stats, she should be able to do it for skills too or even Eterna's authority over the universe. But she couldn't. A lower level of comprehension, the failings of a mortal mind. She was just structurally inferior as a mortal. It wasn't her fault. Her computational speed has barely allowed her to reach this far with some help from her magic, even if reaction speed could catch up there were still feints and other combat techniques she needed to account for.
All in all, her mind couldn't handle the weight of Eterna's knowledge, that's why what she swapped had hit a naturap limit. Beyond this natural limit was brain death. If they had been running or bouncing around, there was no way she could keep up either. The only reason she survived thus far... Was is because Eterna deliberately remained rooted to this spot? No comrades, no magic. All she had was what she stole, what she's crudely imitating. An inferior form of her opponent's capabilities.
This was accounted for, she would die here. Yet she couldn't give in. If she let a single punch through, nevermind her own life, the school and everyone else would disintegrate together. Leaving behind nothing but ash in the wind. Was this really it? She couldn't escape either. The fate of everyone else hung in her shoulders, a precise threat that didn't escape Eterna's notice. Rather, this might have been the perfect place to execute Sariel. Simply by being in this school, Sariel couldn't use {Swap} to slip away.
Let's think about it rationally, that's what Alice's mental training magic is most useful for isn't it? For two minds to be in constant battle, not one that is overtly intense but one that is insidious, slow acting, omnipresent. Day and night, constant pressures had led to her developing parallel high speed thought. The high speed might be irrelevant considering she's borrowing Eterna's reaction speed.
Splitting her computation power into parallel processes without wasteful distribution... She concluded Eterna would gain the upper hand in every situation. She can stall, but the only way to get out of this... Is there even a way?
"Generic technique, fate lock. " (Eterna)
No escape of life saving technique would work. It makes sure the next death is true and permanent, the soul wouldn't survive and the same being couldn't manifest again. "Maybe this is it for me.
Did you think I would say that?" (Sariel)
Nothing ventured, nothing gain. Normally {swap} is a horrible skill for combat. For opponents who are overwhelmingly weak, you can confiscate their limbs or directly take their head. For those who are too strong, instantly teleporting to another place isn't useful. You might be able to get behind them, but your perception speed isn't enough to catch up, they'll see you and hit you before you realise you've changed locations. In their perspective, it'll look like you got behind them and then stood still, opening yourself up to attacks.
What if, you had the same perception speed? Then it stands to gain...
"{Swap}." (Sariel)
Her skill changes her location with another by specifying two sets of coordinates of equal size. Meaning the air around her is taken with her too, unless she only brings her body with her.
Eterna turns around, prepared to meat Sariel head on. Swap occurs in 'an instant', an immeasurably short period of time that cannot be quantified. It is a mechanism of the skill and usually her own reaction speed is slower than the skill, her body is transported first before she has to take in her surroundings and react. Even to Eterna, she won't be able to see this, double swap. This time she doesn't say it aloud.
By stacking it twice in a row, she doesn't appear to have lifted a foot. But Eterna has turned around. She neutralised a recent attack then counters the back of Eterna's head. This is an avatar and not the real body, her reaction speed isn't truly infinite like Lastia's was when she ascended. She realised this after copying Eterna's stats. Her heart races as time slowed to a crawl, and even then her knuckles traced the air like a blinding missile and struck true to their aim. Light spreads across Eterna's body originating from the point of impact, tracing her silhouette.
Blood bursts forth out of her eyes, nose, mouth and ears. For a moment she stood still as the world watched, inevitably catching the attention of the surrounding students. Murmers of a fight and calling emergency services linger in the background. Sariel knew better and began screaming. Easier to explain.
"Eeeekk!!!!!!" (Sariel)