Lester was stunned for a moment. Not getting used to the sight of beasts, especially as strong as this one, was on their side.
"Your Highness?"
Kyra turned to face him. With the dirt and scuffle in the ground, her figure appeared a little dirty.But she still looks stunning under the wreckage of burning houses. Totally breath-takingly beautiful. How long can Lester gaze at this undying beauty he doesn't know.
But if it means he gets to stay with her a little longer, then he won't ask for anything else.
"How effective is your elemental control on beasts?"
Lester jerked his head toward the scorpion-tailed lion. Kyra shrugs. "Not that long. But it will hold until we finish taking care of this matter. "
The flame seems to notice their presence. It stopped spreading and burning down houses by gathering in front of them.
The blue fire grew enormous until it's height reached the peak of Elven Croft Tower. A shadow emerged from the middle of a gigantic fire. It separates itself from the blue flames.
It was a man in a black robe. The blue flames recede beneath his feet. Kyra narrowed her eyes. It seems the perpetrator of the blue fire is here. Lester is at her side, readying his sword.
The man has sharp eagle eyes and dark hair. His face is covered with a mask. Two swords are strapped to his back. He did not say anything. He just stayed standing a few meters away from them.
Lester decided to make a move first. He jumped and lunged at the man. His glowing sword cut the air and aimed at the man's chest. But Lester's opponent did not dodge. He raised his hands and a tower of raging blue flame separated the two of them, building a twenty foot tall wall.
Lester did not evade in time and got burned. He rolled to the side, trying to put out the blue fire on his clothes. But it did not work. Kyra stretched her hand and thick vines wrapped around Lester's body, greedily absorbing the eternal blue flame.
A scream suddenly erupted behind the towering fire towers at the man's side. Lester got up immediately.
"Your Highness."
"Go." Kyra unsheathed her sword. the two swords on his back, ready to fight. Lester looks at the man and at Kyra. He was not needed here. This fight is only for the strongest.
It was such a waste that the Faery King never saw your limitless power, Your Highness. He thought inwardly. Lester knows the man is a fire demon. Terribly on par with the Ice Demon that killed the Twelve Elders at the High Court.
Lester badly wants to help Kyra. But what can he do? Being here, standing beside her, is a burden to her.
"Then I will come back here, Your Highness. Please wait for me. "
You must stay alive, is what he wanted to say. Though Kyra's stare affirmed him that she understood his meaning. Lester turned around and took a detour from the towering fires.
"My Master's orders are absolute." The man said after Lester left. His tone was cold ice, contrary to the hotness of his blue fire.
"Ice Demon said you're on ethereal stage. Is that true? "
Kyra did not answer. The man continued, "My Master wants me to bring you back to the demon realm. Alive. " The temperature seemed to drop when he said the last word.
"But he never said to leave you unscathed." The man charged at her. Kyra took a step back and bent down. The man vanished and reappeared behind her. His two swords forming an X, attempting to sever her torso.
The perfect momentum of evading and deflecting the man's attacks took him aback. She purposely bend down to avoid his surprise attack. Did she know it' beforehand? Kyra lunged at his chest. He jumped backwards and disappeared. Kyra reverses the point of her blade to the right side.
It clashes with the incoming two blades strike. In the midst of the burning town, the thrust and clash of blades rang out. Screams are no longer heard, the cackle of fire disappears. There were only two figures engaged in an intense battle. Sparks flew from the crossing of their blades.
Kyra keeps advancing and pouncing. Her attacks are vicious but flawless. Each strike aims at the man's vital spots. The man gritted his teeth. It was obvious he was driven backwards. Kyra kept delivering intense blow that made his two blades ring at the impact.
To destroy Kyra's momentum, he switch places. The spot where he was standing erupted in intense blue flames. Kyra's hands almost burned to dust, while the man himself materialized on Kyra's behind. His two swords aim at Kyra's ribs.
Because of the sudden outburst, Kyra did not notice the man was already to her left. Her eyes widened in surprise at his sudden assault. Her mind blanked out for a second. She expected the pain. The intense burning pain of her flesh tore apart.
But... it did not come.
Kyra looked down at the man's two blades. It was caught between thick vines growing in the ground. How the vines slither and entrap the man's blades seems eerie to watch.
It was like the man was engulfed by dripping, crawling brown parasites. Busy sucking off the power of his flames.
The man frowns. He tried to take his hand from the vines' grip, but it strengthened its hold instead.
"So this is your trick?!" The man growled at Kyra. She did not respond. Her mind is blaring in alarm. What is this? What is this thick vines?
She did not make them appear. She did not call on her power. Why did it protect her on its own? Does this have a life of its own? Kyra shivered uncontrollably. It was one thing to know your power and train to get stronger. But it's a completely different thing when that power suddenly acquire consciousness and starts to act on its own.
The vines locked itself onto the man's hands; some of its parts were bulging, sucking and absorbing the man's power.
"Stop." The man gritted his teeth. He tried to conjure blue fire in his arms. But the more he exerts mana on his arms, the more eager the thick vines get to suck it in.
Kyra's eyes trailed to the towering blue fire. It's weakening. Even the burning houses. The blue fire that was supposed to be impossible to put out is slowly dissipating. Is this the power of her vines?