Amanda's stern facade melted away, replaced by a radiant smile that illuminated her features with a youthful glow. She stepped forward, her movements imbued with a mother's tender affection, her eyes sparkling with pride. "Oh, my dearest Lisa," she said, her voice warm and loving, her hand reaching out to gently cup Lisa's cheek. "Please, my love, dispense with the formalities. Call me 'Mother,' or even better, 'Mummy.' The constant 'Delta' makes me feel ancient and distant. It simply won't do for my precious daughter to address me with such coldness."
Lisa offered a graceful, slightly embarrassed smile, her cheeks flushing delicately. "I apologize, Mother. It feels... unconventional. A bit strange, to be frank."
Amanda chuckled softly, her affection evident in her gentle gaze. "Nonsense, my darling. You are my daughter, first and foremost. Now, I have a task for you, a mission of utmost importance. There is a group of metallic villains entrenched within a long tower, a grotesque structure that threatens to spread Steel's corruption. Your objective is to eliminate these villains and destroy the source of their power—a corrupted tree—at the tower's summit. I have unwavering faith in your abilities, my brilliant girl. I know you can accomplish this swiftly, perhaps even more efficiently than I could myself. The fate of our world rests upon your capable shoulders, my sweet Blue Angel. Let us bring an end to this threat swiftly and decisively."
Lisa's eyes shone with a fierce determination, her posture straightening with resolve. "I understand, Mother. I will not fail you. I will succeed."
Amanda beamed, her maternal pride radiating outwards like a warm embrace. "I know you won't, my precious. Now go forth, my starlight, and return to me safely. Your mother believes in you."
***
Lisa arrived at her destination to find a colossal tower, a dark spire plunging into the earth like a malignant growth. It radiated an ominous aura, a palpable sense of dread that even she, with her formidable power, could feel. Unlike the towers of the Upper City, or even the sprawling chaos of the Undercity, this structure was located in a desolate, uninhabited region, amplifying its unsettling presence and suggesting a deliberate isolation.
She approached the tower's imposing entrance, its gates sealed with intricate mechanisms that hummed with dark energy. With a swift, almost disdainful gesture, she bypassed the defenses, her power flowing through the ancient seals like water through sand. She stepped inside, her senses immediately assaulted by the oppressive atmosphere.
A hulking figure awaited her in the dimly lit chamber, a brute of a man wielding a massive axe that dwarfed his already immense frame. He introduced himself with a guttural growl that echoed through the chamber, his voice a raw force of nature. "I am Harma," he declared, his presence exuding raw power and primal aggression.
Lisa, unfazed by his intimidating display, calmly surveyed the tower's interior, her senses extending like delicate tendrils to map out the positions and power levels of its occupants. A faint smile touched her lips, a mixture of amusement and disappointment. "This is... underwhelming," she remarked, her voice laced with a hint of aristocratic disdain. "These adversaries are remarkably weak. Only the 'Fake Steel' individual possesses a modicum of worth. I expected a greater challenge."
Harma roared his fury and charged, his axe a blur of motion, a devastating arc of destruction aimed at the elegant young woman before him. But Lisa was already gone. She reappeared above him, her movements swift and graceful, her hands crackling with destructive energy. With a fluid downward thrust, she unleashed a devastating blast, a torrent of pure power that not only obliterated Harma but also ripped through the tower floor below, taking out Bale's stronger clone too. The tower shuddered, dust and debris raining down as Lisa descended through the newly formed chasm, her movements precise and unhurried.
She reached Fake Steel, who was seated on a throne with a tree behind him.
"Lisa, you have arrived, finally. I will satisfy my boredom," Steel said.
"Please don't call me Lisa, it's creepy coming from a person like you. Call me Ms. Everheart. You cheap imitation of a legend," she replied coldly.
Then she threw a blast at Steel that moved at the speed of light so Steel couldn't dodge. It completely vaporized Steel and his tree.
"Hmph. This was even easier than anticipated," she mused, her expression serene, her clothes unruffled. With a dismissive flick of her wrist, she turned to depart, leaving behind a trail of destruction that marked her passage.
Lisa returned to her mother's side, her movements as graceful and composed as when she had left. "I have completed the mission, Mother," she reported, her voice calm and even. "It proved to be far less challenging than anticipated."
Amanda's face lit up with relief and unrestrained maternal pride. With an uncharacteristic display of exuberance, she rushed towards Lisa, embracing her tightly, her voice filled with warmth and affection. "My brilliant daughter! My sweet little warrior! I knew you would succeed! You are truly extraordinary!" She paused, stepping back to look at Lisa, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Now, how would you feel about celebrating your victory with a delicious meal? Ice cream, perhaps? Your favorite?"
Lisa's lips curved into a genuine, radiant smile, her eyes softening with affection for her mother. "That sounds wonderful, Mummy. I would love some ice cream."