the first floor(7)

Ava, Henry, and Lucas stood amidst the charred remains of the battlefield, their eyes fixed on the five high-ranked Djinns before them. The creatures towered over them, their bodies composed of roaring orange flames that licked the air, crackling with malice and power. Each Djinn wielded a different weapon forged from pure fire—a spear, a greatsword, twin daggers, a mace, and a whip that flickered like a serpent.

Ava: "Five of them... This is going to be fun."

Henry tightened his grip on his flame sword, the faint shimmer of fire magic already sparking at his fingertips.

Henry: "Fun isn't the word I'd use. They're stronger than the ones we've fought before."

Lucas stepped forward, his ice magic swirling around him like a winter storm. His icy blue eyes locked onto the Djinn with the whip, his expression cold and determined.

Lucas: "We can handle this. Just don't let them overwhelm you."

Without warning, the Djinn with the spear lunged forward, its weapon aimed straight for Ava. She barely had time to raise her hand, a fiery shield forming just in time to block the attack. The impact sent her skidding backward, her boots carving into the scorched ground.

Ava: "Alright, you want to play? Let's play."

She retaliated with a burst of fire magic, a blazing arc that collided with the Djinn's chest. The creature staggered but quickly recovered, its spear spinning with deadly precision as it closed the distance again.

Meanwhile, the greatsword-wielding Djinn charged at Henry, its blade cutting through the air in a fiery sweep. Henry dodged to the side, his fire magic igniting in his palms. He hurled a series of fireballs at the creature, each one exploding against its molten body.

Henry: "Why don't you cool off a little?"

The Djinn roared, its flames burning hotter as it swung its greatsword with renewed fury.

At the same time, Lucas faced off against the whip-wielding Djinn. The fiery weapon cracked through the air, narrowly missing Lucas as he ducked and rolled out of the way. He countered with a shard of ice, the projectile striking the Djinn's arm and extinguishing part of its flames.

Lucas: "You don't like the cold, do you?"

The Djinn hissed in response, its whip lashing out again. This time, Lucas caught the weapon with a stream of ice magic, freezing it mid-swing.

The spear-wielding Djinn was relentless, its attacks swift and precise. Ava dodged and weaved, her fire magic clashing against the creature's flames in a dazzling display of light and heat.

Ava: "You're persistent, I'll give you that."

She extended her hand, a massive fireball forming in her palm. With a sharp motion, she hurled it at the Djinn. The explosion engulfed the creature, but when the flames cleared, it was still standing.

Ava: "Alright, time to step it up."

She focused her energy, summoning a fiery lance that burned with intensity. With a swift motion, she hurled it at the Djinn, the weapon piercing through its chest. The creature let out a guttural roar before its flames sputtered out, leaving only a pile of smoldering embers.

Ava: "One down."

Henry ducked under another swing of the greatsword, sweat dripping from his brow as the heat intensified. The Djinn was powerful, but Henry wasn't about to back down.

Henry: "Let's see how you like this!"

He slammed his flame sword into the ground, a circle of fire erupting around him. The flames coiled upward, forming a fiery serpent that lashed out at the Djinn. The creature tried to block with its greatsword, but the serpent's jaws clamped down, shattering the weapon into pieces.

The Djinn roared in fury, its flames flaring in an attempt to regenerate. But Henry didn't give it the chance. He raised his hand, a concentrated beam of fire shooting forth and piercing through the Djinn's core. The creature's body collapsed in a burst of embers, its flames extinguished.

Henry: "That's two."

The whip-wielding Djinn was proving to be a challenge, its attacks erratic and unpredictable. But Lucas remained calm, his ice magic countering every strike with precision.

Lucas: "You're fast, but not fast enough."

He created a wall of ice, the whip striking against it and freezing on contact. With a flick of his wrist, Lucas shattered the ice, sending shards flying toward the Djinn. The creature recoiled, its flames flickering as the cold sapped its strength.

Taking advantage of the opening, Lucas summoned a massive spear of ice.

Lucas: "Time to put you on ice."

He hurled the spear with all his strength, the weapon striking the Djinn and freezing it solid. The creature let out a final, guttural cry before shattering into a million icy fragments.

Lucas: "Three down. Not bad."

The twin dagger-wielding Djinns circled Ava, Henry, and Lucas, their movements synchronized as they prepared to strike.

Ava: "They're working together. Be careful."

The two Djinns lunged simultaneously, their daggers leaving trails of fire in their wake. Ava and Henry blocked the attacks, their fire magic clashing with the Djinns' flames. Lucas flanked them, his ice magic targeting their legs and slowing their movements.

Henry: "Let's take them down together!"

The trio coordinated their attacks, their magic weaving together in a brilliant display. Ava created a wall of fire, forcing one of the Djinns to retreat, while Henry launched a barrage of fireballs at the other. Lucas capitalized on the chaos, freezing one Djinn's arm and shattering it with a swift kick.

Ava: "Now's our chance!"

She summoned another fiery lance, hurling it at the retreating Djinn. The weapon struck true, the creature's flames extinguishing as it crumbled to ash.

Henry and Lucas focused on the remaining Djinn, their combined magic overwhelming it. A final blast of fire from Henry and a spear of ice from Lucas ended the creature's life, its body disintegrating into embers.

The battlefield fell silent, the oppressive heat dissipating as the last of the Djinns were defeated. Ava, Henry, and Lucas stood amidst the wreckage, their breathing heavy but their spirits high.

Ava: "That was intense."

Henry: "But we did it. Five high-ranked Djinns, gone."

Lucas smirked, his icy blue eyes scanning the battlefield.

Lucas: "We make a pretty good team."

But there still was five high-ranked Djinns left, and one man with burning flames around his body, was facing them.