The Noble bore marks of the explosion, evident in his singed attire, ash-covered hair, and smudged skin. However, his substantial shield remained remarkably unscathed, if slightly tarnished. Amara let out an exasperated sigh, her lips twisting into a rueful smile. "Life's never that simple, is it?" she muttered under her breath.
With practiced precision, Amara conjured a protective shield of fire around herself, just as the Noble squeezed the trigger of his rifle. The shot thundered through the air, hurtling toward her head, only to collide with the searing barrier of flames. The impact caused the bullet to disintegrate upon contact, the fiery shield consuming it in a burst of light.
The Noble's frustration was evident as he clicked his tongue and pulled the trigger, sending a barrage of shots in her direction. Swiftly, he advanced, his shield held aloft, ready to strike. Amara anticipated his move, sidestepping his shield with a graceful maneuver, using the shield's size to her advantage. "You're not much without G.E.A.R., are you?" she taunted, a smirk playing on her lips.
Amara harnessed her fiery magic once more, shaping it into several phoenix-like forms. With a deft motion, she launched them toward the Noble, who tried to deflect the attack with his shield. But the fiery phoenixes altered their trajectories, converging from different directions and converging upon the Noble simultaneously, engulfing him in a blazing onslaught.
As the fiery phoenixes converged and the smoke cleared, the Noble charged toward Amara. Abandoning his rifle, he opted for a more direct approach this time, his right fist cocked back for a powerful punch aimed at Amara's abdomen. To his surprise, Amara remained still, seemingly unperturbed.
A sly smile graced her lips as she taunted, "Yes, burn yourself to death trying to punch my fire." The Noble's fist made contact with the barrier, and she could see it scorch his skin. However, instead of disintegrating his arm, the shield only burned him. Amidst the flames, his arm managed to breach the barrier, and his punch landed squarely on her abdomen.
Amara's response to the blow was a grunt of pain, and the impact almost knocked her off her feet. While she was no stranger to taking hits, the force behind the Noble's punch was something entirely different. But the Noble's assault didn't cease there. Raising his shield with the intent to smash it into her.
With a reaction that was more instinctive than calculated, Amara surrounded herself with a burst of flames. The sudden fiery eruption acted as both defense and offense, propelling the Noble backward as he collided with the intense heat. As the flames subsided, Amara regained her footing, standing tall once again.
The Noble rose to his feet, his right arm bearing the marks of Amara's flames. Despite the gruesome burns that exposed a glimpse of his bone, he clenched his fist with a determined resolve, suppressing the pain. He refused to be defeated so easily.
Meanwhile, Amara was prepared to end the confrontation decisively. Channeling her destructive magic that had brought down the automaton before, she stretched her arm out, her fingers directed toward the Noble. From thin air, a superheated spike materialized, its tip radiant with intense heat. Swift and fluid, she launched the spike towards the Noble. In response, he raised his shield once more, using it as a protective barrier against the impending onslaught.
The collision of Amara's formidable magic against the Noble's shield turned into a test of strength, a battle of wills between their powers. With the Noble straining every muscle and Amara channeling an increasing amount of mana, the struggle intensified. It was a clash that embodied sheer raw power.
In the end, there was a victor. The spike, fueled by Amara's overwhelming magical prowess, overcame the Noble's defense. It drove through the shield's resistance and found its mark, piercing into the Noble's heart. As Amara extracted the spike, the Noble's life force waned, yet he defied the grip of death.
"Enough from you," Amara declared resolutely, her voice laced with authority. As she drew the spike from his heart, the Noble's defiant cry rang out "NOT YET!" A final surge of his fading strength. He hurled his shield at Amara, driven by a desperate, final act of retaliation.
The massive shield crashed to the ground, its weight and impact causing the earth to tremble beneath it. Amara, unfazed by the near-miss, gave a relieved sigh, acknowledging the challenge she had overcome. The Noble's final coughs of blood marked the end of his struggle, his life extinguished. Amara's grip on her abdomen tightened as she winced, the memory of the Noble's devastating punch still fresh.
"Got to report this eventually," she muttered through the pain, knowing her actions needed to be communicated to her superiors. However, she was well aware of their instructions not to contact them unless explicitly summoned or after she had captured Larkin. Understanding the consequences of the explosion's aftermath and the potential arrival of Ironhelm's forces, she knew it was time to retreat.
Enveloped by a torrent of flames, Amara vanished from the scene, leaving behind the aftermath of her fiery battle in the heart of the devastated forest.
Lying amidst the ravaged forest, the lifeless form of the Noble remained eerily still, a silent witness to the destruction that had unfolded. Yet, a new presence emerged, a voice slicing through the tense silence. "Still clinging to life, are you?" The words were directed at the fallen Noble, spoken with a calm authority that demanded attention.
"Do you wish for salvation, Harick?" The voice, offered a chance at life. The Noble, Harick, remained unresponsive, his body unmoving and his consciousness distant. "If you desire it, there is a way," the voice continued, the weight of its words hanging in the air, though Harick's stillness spoke volumes.
"Understand that salvation comes with a price. Will you assist me in achieving a certain goal?" Harick's answer remained an enigma, hidden within the depths of his silent form. With a decisive nod from the ethereal presence, the agreement was sealed. At that moment, a snap of fingers resonated, a burst of divine light enveloping Harick's broken body. His wounds mended, his life reclaimed.
"I... I live," Harick's voice, fragile and surprised, broke the silence as he gazed upon his savior. Standing before him was a figure akin to an angel, a being of ethereal presence, offering both redemption and a purpose yet unknown.
"Ar-are yo-" Harick's voice trembled, struggling to find its way past the shock that had gripped him. His gaze was fixed upon the being before him, a man whose appearance defied comprehension. Feathers, white and angelic, adorned his back like wings of purity, a sight Harick couldn't fully believe. He wore a combination of garments layered in an arrangement Harick had never seen before. Yet, it was the enigmatic gloves, their surfaces adorned with a peculiar purple metal, that captured his attention, adding to the air of mystique surrounding the stranger.
The stranger seemed to anticipate Harick's unspoken question. "If you're going to ask if I'm an angel, then yes, I am," the man's words carried a casual nonchalance, brushing aside the weight of Harick's astonishment as if it were inconsequential. And perhaps, in the presence of this unearthly being, such matters truly were insignificant.
"But that doesn't matter. As a Noble, you hold some influence in Veridiania, correct?" the angel posed the question. Harick, still grappling with disbelief and astonishment, stammered out, "Ye-yes, I do. Why?" A smile curled upon the angel's lips as he continued, "There is a reason I saved you, and not your soldiers, you understand?" Harick's gaze swept across the aftermath, his comrades now reduced to charred remains. Searching for understanding, he queried, "May I ask why?" With a fluid grace, the angel lowered himself to Harick's level, their eyes meeting. "Simple," he uttered, his tone carrying an air of dark intention. "You will help me kill your goddess."