the fight against Fianna(1)

The air was suffocating. The sky above them, once a dark expanse, was now dyed a deep crimson, as if the heavens themselves had been set ablaze. The ground beneath Ava's feet was scorched black, cracks glowing with molten fire, exuding waves of unbearable heat.

Fiona, the Emperor of the Red Flames and Queen of the Devils, stood at the center of this infernal wasteland. Her presence alone made the air shimmer with unbearable heat, as if reality itself struggled to contain her power. Her long crimson hair danced in the scorching wind, her golden eyes smoldering with amusement as she regarded Ava and her team.

Fiona:

"Hmph… They send children to challenge me? This is disappointing."

Her voice was smooth, yet carried a weight of authority that sent a chill down even the bravest warrior's spine. She stood relaxed, arms crossed, yet the sheer power radiating from her was enough to make lesser beings tremble.

Ava gritted her teeth. She refused to be intimidated.

Ava:

"You talk too much."

Fiona arched an eyebrow, then smirked.

Fiona:

"Oh? You have spirit. Good… otherwise, this wouldn't be fun."

Beside Ava, Dakota's mother, Isabella, stepped forward, her presence strong despite the suffocating flames. The two Tower Guildmasters, Marco and Nico, stood ready—Marco's ice magic already forming jagged spikes of frost in the burning landscape, while Nico's water magic pulsed around him, cooling the air. Behind them, several reinforcements, elite mages and warriors, gripped their weapons tightly.

Marco:

"Ava, don't let her provoke you. Stay focused."

Nico:

"We have one objective. Don't die."

Ava smirked at his dry humor, but her grip on her twin flame-forged daggers tightened. This was a battle they could not afford to lose.

Ava was the first to move. She launched forward, her body engulfed in a trail of blue flames as she slashed at Fiona with rapid, precise strikes.

Clang!

Fiona blocked the attack effortlessly, catching Ava's wrist with a single hand. The heat from her touch seared Ava's skin, but she refused to back down. She twisted, bringing up her other dagger in a fiery arc.

Fiona tilted her head slightly, dodging it with ease. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent Ava flying backward with a pulse of raw heat.

Ava barely had time to regain control midair before Isabella caught her with a surge of healing magic, soothing her burns.

Isabella:

"Be careful. She's not even trying yet."

Ava clenched her fists. Damn it. She's fast.

Marco took this chance to strike.

Marco:

"Frost Domain!"

An icy wave erupted from him, consuming the battlefield in a sudden blizzard. The ground cracked as frost spread across the molten terrain, the intense heat battling against the cold in a violent clash.

Fiona frowned as ice crawled up her legs, attempting to trap her.

Nico:

"Tidal Descent!"

A massive surge of water crashed down from above, an ocean's worth of force aiming to douse Fiona's flames.

The battlefield hissed violently as steam erupted, engulfing everything in a thick mist. The reinforcements moved in, blades flashing through the fog, hoping to overwhelm Fiona while she was momentarily blinded.

Then—

BOOM!

A fiery explosion erupted from the center, instantly vaporizing the mist.

Fiona emerged, completely unharmed, her expression still bored.

Fiona:

"Is that it? Pathetic."

With a snap of her fingers, the temperature skyrocketed. The frost melted in an instant, the water evaporated before it could touch the ground.

Then she moved.

Faster than anyone could react.

Fiona appeared in front of Nico first, slamming a burning fist into his stomach. He gasped, his body sent flying, crashing through molten stone.

Marco barely had time to summon an ice barrier before Fiona turned her gaze to him.

Fiona:

"Ice magic, huh? Useless."

With a flick of her wrist, a pillar of crimson flames erupted beneath Marco, shattering his ice defenses and engulfing him completely.

Ava's heart pounded as she watched her allies being overwhelmed so easily.

She's toying with us…

Ava:

"We're not done yet!"

She sprinted forward, flames coating her entire body as she unleashed a devastating chain of attacks.

Ava:

"Infernal Blitz!"

Her daggers slashed faster than the eye could see, leaving trails of blue fire in their wake. The attacks struck Fiona directly, slicing across her arms, chest, and legs—

Yet, none of them cut deep.

Fiona smirked, her body regenerating instantly, her own flames devouring Ava's like a superior predator.

Fiona:

"Not bad. But still not enough."

Ava's eyes widened. She had never seen someone shrug off her fire before.

Fiona placed a hand on Ava's chest.

Then—

BOOOOM!

A firestorm erupted, sending Ava crashing into the ground, carving a deep trench in the molten rock.

Ava struggled to breathe. Her body screamed in pain. The heat was unbearable, even for her.

But she refused to fall.

Slowly, she stood up, wiping the blood from her lips. Her flames flickered weakly but refused to be extinguished.

Isabella landed beside her, her hands glowing as she channeled healing magic.

Isabella:

"We need a plan. Attacking blindly won't work."

Ava:

"She absorbs our flames… but she hasn't absorbed my blue flames as easily."

Marco staggered to his feet, his body covered in burns.

Marco:

"Then we need to combine our magic. Overwhelm her with something she can't predict."

Nico groaned, pulling himself up from the rubble.

Nico:

"A coordinated attack… we only get one shot at this."

Ava nodded, gripping her daggers.

Ava:

"Then let's make it count."

They moved as one.

Ava sprinted forward, her flames roaring back to life, burning brighter than before.

Isabella followed, sending waves of healing magic to keep her going.

Marco summoned ice spears, coating them in Ava's blue flames before launching them at Fiona.

Nico unleashed a tidal wave, merging it with the fire, creating a spiraling vortex of boiling steam and burning ice.

The reinforcements unleashed a barrage of magic, all converging at once.

Fiona's eyes widened slightly, the first sign of acknowledgment.

Fiona:

"Hmph… interesting."

She raised her hand.

A massive explosion erupted as the combined magic struck her directly, shaking the battlefield itself.

For a moment, silence.

Then—

The flames parted.

Fiona stood there. A burn mark now visible on her arm.

Just one.

Fiona:

"Hah… you actually hurt me."

Her smirk widened.

Fiona:

"Finally. This fight is getting interesting."

Then, the flames around her changed.

They darkened, turning from crimson to black.

Ava's eyes widened.

Ava:

"What… is that…?"

Fiona:

"Let's stop playing, shall we?"

The pressure in the air doubled.

Ava's breathing became ragged.

Marco and Nico took a step back, sweat dripping down their faces.

Isabella's hands trembled.

The reinforcements froze in place.

Fiona stepped forward.

And then—

Red flames engulfed the battlefield.

Everything was consumed.

The fight had only just begun.