Merlin stood with an air of nonchalance, his robes billowing slightly from the residual heat of Zyrith's flames. The room crackled with tension as fire danced along Zyrith's blade, her anger palpable. She dashed forward with incredible speed, her flaming sword cutting through the air in an arc aimed at Merlin's neck.
Merlin raised a single finger, muttering a brief incantation. A barrier of shimmering ice formed instantly, intercepting the strike. The collision hissed as the heat of her flames clashed against the cold, but the ice held firm. Merlin chuckled. "You'll have to do better than that."
Zyrith growled, her frustration growing. "Stop mocking me!" she screamed, launching a volley of fireballs in rapid succession. Each orb of flame roared as it tore through the air toward him.