Captain Kirana Millard VS Demon General Azazel

A few moments before the astounding event in Lumiere unfolds.

Southern gate of Marina City.

Standing amidst the Marina army's ranks, who are busy defending the city walls against the onslaught of demon forces attempting to breach the defenses, is Kirana.

She stands while occasionally providing aid by launching ice arrow attacks at the approaching enemies.

Kirana's presence there is not just to assist but also to confront a powerful figure that will arrive shortly.

Yup, shortly.

Gracefully and lightly leaping atop the city walls, Kirana supports the threatened soldiers. Suddenly, she senses a significant threat rapidly approaching the city walls.

Kirana glances and sees a large black spear swiftly flying through the air. She can sense the immense power emanating from the black spear.

It's not an ordinary spear. It's magic!

"O, wise Moon Goddess, protect your servant from the threat of evil, [Ice Wall]."

Kirana then channels a considerable amount of mana to create a sturdy ice wall standing before the city walls.

The demons within the area affected by the [Ice Wall] freeze instantly.

The Marina soldiers are taken aback as they see the gigantic wall of ice before them. However, since the ice wall has frozen the enemies and bought time for the soldiers to breathe, they cheer for Kirana's strength.

Unfortunately, Kirana pays no heed to the cheers.

On the contrary, she shouts to the soldiers to brace for impact.

They are bewildered, at least until they finally see a massive black object crash into the ice wall with tremendous force.

Wuuuuuung! BAMMMMM!!

""!!!""

A powerful shockwave rocks the southern area of Marina. The soldiers on the wall who weren't prepared for the impact of the black spear's attack are thrown from the wall, plummeting to the ground.

Are they dead or wounded? It's hard to say, as each soldier is currently trying to protect themselves, hunkering down on the ground.

Kirana herself slices through the strong wind generated by the collision with her sword.

She then approaches the site of impact. There, she witnesses her ice wall on the verge of crumbling.

Kirana channels more mana to reinforce the barrier, resisting the black spear's attempts to pierce through the ice.

As her ice wall becomes sturdier, Kirana observes that the black spear seems about to explode.

If left unchecked, it could cause significant damage. Not only would her ice wall be destroyed, but the city wall would also collapse.

If that happens, the thousands of demons that have been assaulting the city would easily breach its defenses.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Kirana can't allow that to happen. She runs along the surface of the ice wall she created, then leaps and spins in the air toward the location of the massive black spear.

"[Absolute Zero]."

Kirana murmurs as she activates the skill of her Moonice.

Tang!

Kirana thrusts her rapier, successfully touching the surface of the black spear. The next moment, the black spear begins to freeze bit by bit.

Then, in less than a minute, before the spear can explode, Kirana manages to freeze the entire attack. She shatters the frozen black spear with a kick.

The black spear shatters. Kirana leaps and stands atop the ice wall she created. She gazes up at the sky, where a demon figure is applauding.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The demon was about two and a half meters tall. Its skin is as dark as obsidian. It has long black hair with two large horns resembling those of a male goat.

Its angular face features a pale, dark complexion. A pair of red eyes gaze down on the humans below.

The demon is bare-chested, adorned with several accessories on its hands and arms. Enormous black wings extend from its back.

Overall, the demon resembles a winged and horned humanoid, until one notices its lower body, which has a pair of goat-like legs.

The demon claps while observing the white-haired woman on the ice wall. It has to admit that it didn't expect to encounter someone capable of stopping its most potent magical attack, the [Spear of Darkness].

"I didn't anticipate this. There's still a formidable figure in Farnodt who can halt my [Spear of Darkness]. A high-level spell equivalent to the strength of a Rank Jack, and it can be thwarted by a basic spell from Ice Magic. You really have humbled me, little girl..."

The demon remarks, devoid of a smile on its face.

Kirana hears the words but pays them no mind. As the demon speaks, Kirana mutters incantations and launches a dozen ice arrows at the flying demon.

However, the demon easily destroys the ice arrows. It suddenly conjures a black trident, and with a single sweep, shatters Kirana's attacks into pieces.

"Is this all you've got? Quite disappointing."

With a disappointed tone, the demon lowers its trident, intending to recite a spell to strike down the seemingly weak woman below.

Unexpectedly, hundreds of ice shards that were thought to be inconsequential start flying toward it in needle-like forms, piercing its skin.

"!"

The demon freezes, its gaze fixed on the woman who's wearing a small smile.

"You destroyed my magic, but not my ice."

Kirana then flicks her finger, "[Frozen Flower]."

The hundreds of ice needles that punctured the demon's skin instantly freeze the flesh and tissue upon impact. They spread and create frozen patterns resembling the stem of a thorned plant.

The demon falls silent for a moment, then releases mana from within itself, forcefully expelling the ice thorns that pierced it.

While it succeeds in removing the ice thorns, parts of its body remain frozen. The demon then utters a spell that engulfs it in flames, melting the frozen portions of its body.

"Kukuku, not bad, little girl. Who are you? I've studied all the strong figures in Farnodt, but I've never heard of you."

Kirana grins, "Oh, is that so? My name should be quite famous around Marina. After all, I am one of the people who killed a Demon General in Blackwinter."

"! Kyahahaha! So it's you! You're the Huntress of Marina!"

"Well, I'm pleased to know that my name is remembered by the Abyss. However, unfortunately, 'Huntress' is just a pseudonym. How about I introduce myself properly?"

"...?"

Kirana smiles, "Kirana Millard, Captain of the Moon Squad from Death Valley. Nice to meet you, O General of Abyss."

The demon furrows its brows, not understanding why the woman below suddenly introduced herself—a rather odd thing to do in the midst of battle.

The demon doesn't know that Kirana's intention is to proclaim her connection to her Father's territory.

Not Westya or Marina, but for the first time, Kirana wants everyone to know that her sword is wielded for her Father and to save her Mother.

The demon doesn't know, but it follows Kirana's game by introducing itself in return.

"General Azazel from Abyss. May you entertain me well, O Captain Millard of Death Valley."

Azazel thrusts his trident toward Kirana, who instantly fires a dark energy bolt.

Swoosh!

Kirana dodges, then from the surface of the still-standing ice wall, a frost dragon emerges and flies toward her.

The woman jumps then lands on the dragon's head and swiftly moves toward Azazel.

Kirana creates another dozen ice arrows aimed at Azazel in the air. However, this time her attack fails.

The demon manages to prevent it by turning the area around him scorching hot like a furnace.

"Tch!"

Kirana clicks her tongue, then commands her ice dragon to charge at Azazel while she leaps backward, creating a large ice bird from the ice wall.

What Kirana is doing isn't magic. She manipulates the existing ice, shaping and moving it according to her will.

Her training with Fenrir is paying off, and Kirana is able to apply it in critical battles like the one unfolding before her.

Azazel, of course, doesn't stay idle. He conjures a large firebird, which clashes with Kirana's ice dragon.

The friction between the elements of ice and fire creates an abnormal temperature in the surroundings. But for Kirana and Azazel, that doesn't matter. They both continue unleashing successive attacks of ice and fire.

Creating a spectacle that leaves onlooking demons and humans alike witnessing a weather anomaly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Gyahaha! You're the best, Millard!"

"Go!"

Kirana leaps from the bird she's riding, directing it to charge. It crashes into Azazel's wall of fire. The bird melts, but hidden within it is a concoction of mist made by her father.

Swoosh!

In an instant, when the ice bird is completely engulfed in flames, a cold white mist immediately envelops Azazel.

Sensing danger, the demon quickly flies high above to distance himself. Suddenly, from within the mist, a massive explosion occurs, shaking the southern area once again.

On the other side, Azazel, who had flown up, finds Kirana waiting for him, this time with ice wings on her back.

With [Absolute Zero], Kirana swings at Azazel, managing to injure him, but not sever his limb.

Enraged, Azazel kicks Kirana forcefully, sending her flying to crash into the city wall.

Brakkkkk!

"Cough!" Kirana coughs up blood.

Azazel, seething from his wound, immediately begins chanting a high-level spell.

However, in the midst of his incantation, he feels a freezing sensation creeping up his arm. When he looks at his right arm, the one wounded by Kirana, he's taken aback.

His arm has frozen.

"!"

Azazel is shocked and panics, feeling something unusual. He usually covers himself in the fiery element to counteract the freezing effects, so it's odd that his arm is still freezing.

Not only is it freezing, but a piercing pain also shoots into his mind.

Azazel attempts to melt the ice on his arm again, but as soon as he heats his frozen limb, instead of thawing and returning to its normal state, his entire arm melts like ice and separates from his body.

Azazel is left in stunned silence, not comprehending what he just witnessed. Something is wrong with the ice abilities possessed by the woman.

"What did you do?!"

"Heh, do you think I'll tell you?"

Kirana retorts as she frees herself from the city wall and takes flight again to face Azazel.

This time, the Demon General closely examines the rapier Kirana wields.

There's an unusual aura emanating from the weapon. Moreover, the seemingly transparent blade of her rapier always makes it difficult for him to determine the range of her attacks.

"A magical weapon…" Azazel mutters.

Shiing!

Kirana then assumes a stance, ready to perform the finishing move of her sword technique.

But suddenly...

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The sound of cracking reverberates in the sky, causing both Kirana and Azazel to break out in cold sweat.

Their bodies involuntarily shiver as they sense a terrifying aura emanating from a distance. Specifically, from Lumiere.