Once Upon the Light in the Dark

Crack the fingers, brandish flames on both hands─then strike through the highly defensive masked target before they could predict where to guard. Rehash of a rehash, but battles inevitably consist of offensive and defensive sequences─seeing who wins better than the irresistible spear and the impenetrable shield. I, as the Strongest Mage, couldn't possibly assume defense after battling myself: there was no way against the damned portal user Shiranui─his rapier and all thrusting to a different level of execution. I won't let that happen once more, or at the least, if I'd fall down─I'd have incapacitated the opponent first.

That's one pragmatic way to look at it, but… Yeah!

Tussling with the devil is no joke at all.