Yet the most striking thing about the demon other than his smirk was his missing arm.
Mu Xi didn't get angry that he tried to sneak attack her, as he knew this place thrived on stuff like that. Mahaan smiled as he leisurely began to walk towards Mu Xi as if she wasn't worth much in his eyes.
'She was also apart of that group.' Thought Mahaan as he knew her energy felt familiar. As his thoughts trailed back to the group of people around the person who had the seed. He began remembering the man with the goldish-white hair and blue highlights.
'If only he was here right now! I would have made sure to make him die a dogs death in the time, its take an incense to burn.' Thought Mahaan as he was gnashing his teeth.
His exchange with Tang Wulin caused him frustration whenever he remembered being forced to flee and sacrifice his arm to the golden spear, to avert certain death. He had never been so humiliated in his life before and swore he would kill him in the most gruesome way.
'Well first, let's take care of this one.' Thought Mahaan as purple-gold flame started to appear around him.
Mu Xi narrowed her eyes as her Okami Sun appeared prominently behind her and golden flames began to appear on her vermillion hammers. But before they could even attack each other, a burst of red flames erupted from where the Rider of Cinder was.
"I never thought, there would be monsters like you. Who could push someone like me to this level." Said the Rider of Cinder as he slowly got up from the rubble.
He dusts off the dirt from himself and glances at Mahaan but there was no surprise in his eyes as if he already knew he was here.
"Another challenger appears but it matters not." Said the Rider of Cinder as he picks his up ancient blade that begins to light up with flames.
"Let the real battle begin."
The Rider of Cinder hacks down with his ancient sword that seemed to have transformed into a blood-red sun that wanted to incinerate and to sweep through everything.
Mu Xi and Mahaan expression change as they quickly used their flames to block the Rider of Cinder attack. But it wasn't enough as their body was sent flying with a cough of blood.
'It's way stronger than before.' Thought Mu Xi with a grimace as blood was leaking from her mouth.
"You senile old man with one foot already in the grave, hurry up and die." Roared Mahaan as purple-gold flames burst from him and formed an enormous flood dragon.
The flood dragon roars out as it began rushing toward the Rider of Cinder after Mahaan thrust out his fist. As if a volcano was gushing out, the area around the flood dragon was completely submerged in purple-gold flames as it charged forward.
Yet the Rider of Cinder wasn't even phased as the ancient sword in his hand erupted with a brilliant light. With scarlet flames that were incomparably large, shining like the birth of a new star.
The Rider of Cinder hacks down with the ancient sword that slices apart the flood dragon and engulfed the area in front of him.
"Not good!"
Mahaan hastily tried moving out of the way but was cut by the flames of the ancient sword causing him to be sent flying away.
As the Rider of Cinder saw Mahaan body flying away, he heard the screech of a bird. He glanced to the side to see a vermillion bird made of golden flames charing towards him. The Rider of Cinder decided to meet the vermillion bird head-on as he hacks down his blade towards it.
As the vermillion bird in front of him got a slice in half, Mu Xi appeared behind with a flash of light. She smashes her hammer engulf with flames towards the Rider of Cinder.
Bang!
The Rider of Cinder got sent flying but Mu Xi instantly charged after him. She brandishes her two vermillion hammer and teleported in front of the Rider of Cinder. But before she could smash down on him, she was sent flying by an arrow of purple-gold flames.
This allowed the Rider of Cinder who only needed the time it took to take a breath to recover. The Rider of Cinder glance to his side to see Mahaan dashing toward him with a purple halberd in his hand and murder in his eyes.
The Rider of Cinder simply dashed toward him and they both collided. The Rider of Cinder brandished the ancient sword and continuously hacked about towards Mahaan who swung back with his halberd.
Yet it was Mahaan who was at a disadvantage as the Rider of Cinder moved like the wind to deflect his halberd strikes and quickly hacked down. Brilliant flames hacked out endlessly toward Mahaan who become terrified.
"How! Weren't you already injured by fighting her! How do you still have so much energy!"Roared Mahaan in disbelief.
How can he not be in shock as he planned everything carefully and yet nothing was going as planned? He made sure to wait for both Mu Xi and the Rider of Cinder to fight until one of them is defeated or exhausted.
So once he saw Mu Xi smashing the Rider of Cinder into the ground, he through it was over and interfered before she could kill him. As he wanted to be the one to do it, just in case the Rider of Cinder turned into a soul weapon.
He didn't want to give the girl the chance to have the power to fight back. And yet who would have thought not only could the girl fight back but the fiend who was fighting as if he didn't just fight earlier.
The Rider of Cinder didn't give Mahaan a reply as he continued hacking down. Ten moves later, Mahaan was sent flying while coughing up blood from his mouth. Yet how could the Rider of Cinder let this chance go?
The Rider of Cinder aura spiked up as he held up his ancient sword that turned into a fiery red sun and then hacked down with all of his might. Mahaan eyes widen as he saw the world split apart from the Rider of Cinder slash as endless flames were dispersed and rushed into all directions.
The Rider of Cinder watched as Mahaan became engulfed in endless flames and a miserable shriek ringing out. The flames continued burning bright and created a whole field of fire.
"Thank you for waiting for me."Said the Rider of Cinder as he turned around to see Mu Xi with her twin vermillion hammer.
"No problem, he was more of a pest." Said Mu Xi causing the Rider of Cinder to slightly smile.
Without any words said, they both charged at each other and collided. A hammer and sword both covered in flames collided, shaking the burning room.
In just the time it took to gather two breaths, they collided ten times in succession. They weren't just confronting each other with their weapons but their two flames that tried to overpower the other in each clash.
In the time it took to make tea, they exchange over a hundred times and yet there wasn't a change, until now. Mu Xi was beginning to push back the Rider of Cinder and her Ultimate Fire began to overpower his.
The Rider of Cinder did his best to defend while understanding why this was happening. As from what he could tell, the girl he was fighting was learning and getting a better understanding of how to use her fire.
Two more exchanges later and they both leaped backward while coughing out blood. Yet Mu Xi eyes shone as she knew the Rider of Cinder was even more wounded than her and knew it was time to end this.
Her fourth ring appeared and lit up, causing her to teleport in front of him. The Rider of Cinder was already prepared as he long since figured out her ability. The girl could teleport to anywhere that the light shined, meaning in this battlefield she could appear anywhere.
'But the range is too far as if she has... Ultimate Light too!'
A terrifying amount of energy and flames erupted from the Rider of Cinder as his hacks down towards Mu Xi with all of his might. Yet Mu Xi didn't retreat but charge forward as the sixth ring appears behind her and it lit up.
'Nova Burst.'
Mu Xi thrust out her two fingers that were jade-like towards the tyrannical ancient sword. As the two made contact, a thunderous noise rang out and a gale started to stir up. The two forces seemed evenly matched as the fingers and sword struggle against each other.
The winds blew fiercely, and the ground began to rumble. Yet after a breath, Mu Xi fingers began to press onward and began pushing back the ancient sword.
'Her power is eradicating everything!' Thought the Rider of Cinder in shocked as he could see his ancient blade being burned away and the flames around it.
This was Mu Xi sixth ability called Nova Burst. It's where she concentrates all of her Ultimate Fire onto her skin. Then with one strike, she instantly eradicates and burns anything she touches out of existence.
Bang!
Mu Xi finger destroyed the ancient sword and burned a hole through the Rider of Cinder. The Rider of Cinder gazes at Mu XI for a while before nodding his head before disintegrating down on a sub-atomic level and burning away.
Mu Xi let out a sigh at this but her body began to wobble as she knew that one attack too a lot out of her. As she regains her balance, she turned to one of the rusted swords that were surprisingly still around.
'Not a bad weapon.' Thought Mu Xi.
As she moved towards her, purple-gold flames wrap around her and caused her to let out a scream. A colossal size demon was behind her made out of flames.
"Curse that bastard! To think he would force me into this state."Roared Mahaan as he begins to limp toward Mu Xi.
His whole body was leaking with blood with some of the organs showing and the skin being torn apart to the point they were showing bone. As he got close to Mu Xi, wrap his hands around her neck and began choking her.
"Damn you! You just had to burn his soul too!"Roared Mahaan in anger as he knew without the soul of a fiend, one couldn't receive their soul weapon.
As he continued to joke Mu Xi in anger and rage. He felt his body trembling in raged and then Mu Xi began speaking.
"Third time." Said Mu Xi.
"What." Said Mahaan as he furrowed his brows.
"This is the third time you have interfered and attacked me." Said Mu Xi as her body began to tremble.
"So what? You can't do anything about it. So just shut up and die."Said Mahaan with a sneer as he began pressing more force down on her neck.
"You are right. You should shut up and die."Said Mu Xi causing Mahaan with blinks his eyes as he felt a bad premonition hitting him.
Seven rings appeared behind Mu Xi and they all lit up.
'Okami Sun Avatar.'
All of the flame around Mahaan and Mu Xi was swept apart. With the whole room becoming void of all flames.
"What the hell! What did you just do!"Roared Mahaan as he saw his flame demon and all of the fire around was gone.
"Silence."
Mahaan was going to retort but then his eyes widen as he found he couldn't say anything. He slowly looks down and saw his whole throat was charred and burned to a crisp. His whole body began trembling as terror began invading.
"You have no right to speak."
Mu Xi voice rang out causing Mahaan to gaze back at but then his eyes shook as the aura around her was way different.
"You have been a pest for a while."
Instantly Mahaan felt his whole body lit on fire and causing him to roar out in disbelief. As the amount of pain, he was feeling shouldn't be possible as every single molecule in his body was being burned. It should be known demons of his tier and strength were extremely resistant to fire, yet the flames on his body treated his resistance like paper.
'Escape!'
Space around Mahaan began to tremble before a dark vortex began to warp around and started to drag his body away. He never thought he would have to use this item that Demon Monarch Alba gave him and his secret guards.
'That was the-'
Before Mahaan could finish his words, the vortex around him began to shake. Then to his shock golden flames were eating it away.
'Impossible! Her flames can burn away space too!'
Mahaan watched in shock as his only way to escape was destroyed all around him. He couldn't say think anymore as his body was being burned again.
Mu Xi slowly walks up to Mahaan who could feel his whole body fading and disappearing. She moved her head close to him and allowed him to see her pupil that shone brilliantly like the sun.
'Please spare me!'
'Please! Please! Please!'
That was what Mahaan was trying to shout but he sadly had no vocal cord. As that was horribly burned by Mu Xi who didn't want to hear his voice.
"Pests don't need to speak."
"And so."
Mahaan was trying his hardest to beg as he could feel his whole soul shake and almost burned.
"Begone."
Whisper Mu Xi as the whole room lit up in brilliant golden flames with blistering heat surpassing even the core of the sun itself. Everything was erased in the room, as the walls were disintegrated, floors were melted down except the doors that had a strange aura around them.
Mahaan wasn't able to scream out or react as his whole body and soul were eradicated from existence. The last thing he saw was a towering sun with rings of light swirling around it as if it was the incarnation of the sun itself.
And then everything returned to normal with Mu Xi letting out a sigh and feeling the strength in her body swaying. She had to lean on one of the rusted swords that she didn't intentionally burn to keep standing.
'That really does take a lot out of me.' Thought Mu Xi as she recalled her seventh spirit ability.
Her spirit avatar was too terrifying and tyrannical. As it basically has her become Ultimate fire, incarnate. The temperature around her will rise to the point where moisture can barely form, and a sun sphere will coil around her with heat ten times hotter than even the core of the sun.
Yet that wasn't just it, as she could expand the radius of her sun sphere depending on how far the light shined, making it possible for her to cover a whole country and eradicate everyone. Yet her ability also requires a huge amount of soul power to even activate let alone maintain.
Just now, she had to contain the sun sphere to just around her skin, and that in itself was draining her way too much. It was also why Mahaan didn't instantly get destroyed or eradicated.
Yet even with all of these restrictions, her Okami Sun Avatar was really one of the strongest avatars out there. With a sigh Mu Xi begin picking up the rusted sword, when she heard a voice ranging out behind her.
"Mu Xi!"
"Xu Xiaoyan!"
#
Tang Wulin found himself in the same room as the other two.
"I guess we are one of the first-ever to pass the third floor." Said Zeref as he glances around.
"True." Said Tang Wulin as he stops in front of the door that was leading down to the fourth floor.