The night air was thick with anticipation as Liria and Enara stepped outside. Stars sparkled above, indifferent to the brewing storm below. The clearing around Daena's cabin seemed almost too small for the tension crackling between the two girls, both of them practically buzzing with restrained power.
Enara took her place opposite Liria, her smirk as sharp as a knife. "Ready to see how real magic works, little forest mouse?"
Liria rolled her eyes, feeling her blood heat up in response. "Yeah, keep talking, 'Your Highness.' Let's see if your mouth can back it up."
[System Alert: Engagement with formidable opponent initiated. All status checks in place. Initiating 'Duel Mode']
As if on cue, her system hummed to life with a flurry of updates. She glanced at Enara's stats again, noting the gulf between their levels but refusing to let it faze her. She'd fought monsters before. This was just… a particularly annoying one with a tiara complex.
Enara held out her hand, and dark flames flickered to life, dancing along her fingers with a sinister grace. "It's adorable, really," she drawled, watching Liria's reaction. "You've barely got a spark compared to me."
"Oh, don't worry, I've got more than enough to singe those fancy curls of yours," Liria shot back, focusing her energy into her hands. Her black flames gathered, wavering slightly but still holding steady.
Enara's smirk only deepened. "Let's see if you can handle this, princess."
And then she moved.
Enara was a blur, her dark magic amplifying her speed as she dashed toward Liria. Liria barely had time to react before Enara's fist, wrapped in flames, came hurtling towards her. She jumped back just in time, feeling the heat skim past her cheek.
[Dodge successful. Health: 450/450]
"Fast, aren't you?" Liria managed to gasp, steadying herself.
Enara chuckled darkly, her eyes glittering. "Faster than you, at least."
Liria grit her teeth, drawing on every bit of her agility to match Enara's pace. She focused, letting the fire within her build before unleashing a sharp Ember Swipe. Black flames shot out in a slicing arc, aiming right for Enara.
But the demon princess was ready. She sidestepped with unnatural grace, shadows twisting around her feet. "That all you've got?" she sneered. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a ball of darkfire hurtling toward Liria.
Liria barely managed to roll out of the way, feeling the heat singe her arm. Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to keep calm. Focus, Liria. Just keep moving.
[Health: 420/450]
"You know," Enara taunted as they circled each other, "I almost feel bad for you. Almost. I didn't think I'd ever meet a human so determined to embarrass herself."
"Keep talking, Enara. It's the only thing you're good at." Liria's hands burned as she formed another Fireball, hurling it straight at Enara.
The ball of black flames shot toward the demon princess, but Enara simply raised her hand, the darkfire around her fingers intensifying as she absorbed Liria's flames into her own. "Nice try, but it'll take a lot more than that to beat me."
Liria's eyes narrowed, refusing to be discouraged. "Alright, then. Let's turn up the heat."
She dashed forward, aiming a punch at Enara, who easily dodged and countered with a swipe of darkfire that left Liria stumbling back, wincing.
[Health: 400/450]
"Seriously? That's all you've got?" Enara scoffed. "I thought you'd at least put up a bit of a fight."
"Oh, don't worry, I'm just getting warmed up," Liria retorted, steadying herself. She clenched her fists, letting her fire build up once again.
Enara raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "I'd suggest saving your energy, little mouse. You're only going to embarrass yourself more."
With a deep breath, Liria concentrated, feeling her fire flare stronger in response. She took another swing at Enara, her flames roaring around her fist. This time, she managed to land a glancing blow, the black flames licking across Enara's arm.
The demon princess flinched, her smirk faltering for just a moment. But then she laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, that's cute. You actually think you hurt me."
[Successful hit. Opponent's Health: 680/700]
Enara's eyes narrowed, her expression hardening. "Alright, little mouse. Playtime's over."
Before Liria could react, Enara raised her hand, the shadows around her swirling and twisting until they formed a dark blade. She lunged forward, slashing with a speed that made Liria's heart skip a beat.
Liria ducked, barely avoiding the blade, but the move left her off-balance. Enara took advantage, landing a swift kick to her side that sent her sprawling onto the ground.
[Health: 370/450]
"Come on, Liria. Stand up," Enara taunted, her voice dripping with mock pity. "Is this really all you've got?"
Liria pushed herself up, gritting her teeth. She was sore, bruised, and exhausted, but there was no way she was backing down now. "I don't need your pity, Your Highness."
Enara's eyes glinted with amusement. "Oh, you think this is pity? No, this is me being merciful. But if you're that eager to lose…"
Liria clenched her fists, letting the fire build in her palms once more. She took a deep breath, focusing her energy. She knew she couldn't beat Enara with brute force, so she'd have to be smart about it.
"Alright, Enara. Let's see if you can handle this."
With a quick movement, she launched an Ember Swipe, following it up with a Fireball in rapid succession. The two attacks merged, creating a larger burst of flames that shot toward Enara.
For the first time, Enara's eyes widened slightly. She raised her hands, conjuring a wall of darkfire to shield herself, but the force of the combined attack pushed her back, leaving her slightly off-balance.
[Successful hit. Opponent's Health: 650/700]
Liria smirked. "Not so easy, is it?"
Enara growled, her eyes flashing with anger. "You're going to regret that, forest mouse."
With a burst of speed, she lunged forward, her dark blade slashing through the air. Liria dodged, but not fast enough she felt the sting of the blade grazing her arm.
[Health: 340/450]
Liria gritted her teeth, feeling the sting flare as blood seeped through her sleeve. She knew she was outmatched, but she was not about to give Enara the satisfaction of seeing her hesitate. "Oh, that's cute. So you finally managed to scratch me, princess."
Enara's smirk was back, taunting and sharper than her blade. "Scratch? Sweetheart, that's just a warm-up."
Liria tried to ignore the pain and forced herself back to her feet, steadying her breath. She couldn't let Enara intimidate her. Every ounce of her pride, every bit of stubbornness in her bones, demanded she keep fighting.
[Health Update: 340/450. Note: Continued combat may result in serious injury.]
[Recommendation: Strategic retreat is advised.]
[Override: Permission to ignore advice granted.]
"I didn't come this far just to lose to some demon brat," she muttered under her breath. The system, oddly silent, seemed to agree, though it wasn't exactly giving her any helpful suggestions at the moment. She suspected it was too caught up in the "combat mode" to indulge in its usual cheeky remarks.
Enara didn't wait. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a darkfire whip, snapping it through the air toward Liria, who barely managed to dodge it by diving to the side. The ground where she'd just been erupted in flames, and she rolled to her feet, the smell of scorched earth in her nose.
"Really, Liria?" Enara taunted. "All you're doing is wasting both our time."
"Oh, and what a tragedy it would be if Her Highness's precious time were wasted," Liria shot back, summoning every scrap of sarcasm she could muster. "Look, Enara, maybe you should just go find a mirror if you need someone to appreciate how impressive you are."
Enara's eyes narrowed, her face twisting in anger. "I'll teach you some respect, you insufferable little—"
Before she could finish, Liria rushed forward, striking out with a feint punch before kicking Enara's legs from underneath her. Enara stumbled, surprise flashing across her face for just a moment before she recovered and retaliated with a vicious sweep of her darkfire blade.
Liria ducked and lunged again, slipping past Enara's defenses to land a quick jab to her ribs.
[Successful hit. Opponent's Health: 640/700]
Enara hissed, her hands glowing with darkfire as she summoned an intense wave of energy that sent Liria stumbling back. She barely managed to keep her footing, but her heart pounded with the thrill of actually landing a few hits.
Enara's smirk was gone now, replaced by a scowl of genuine irritation. "Alright, forest mouse. You've had your fun. Time to show you why they call me the princess of demons."
Liria squared her shoulders, breathing heavily. "Bring it on."
With a flick of her hand, Enara summoned a dozen orbs of darkfire, each one crackling with sinister energy. They hovered around her like a twisted constellation, each ready to strike. Liria's pulse quickened, but she forced herself to remain calm. She couldn't afford to show fear, not now.
The orbs shot toward her, one by one, forcing her to dodge and weave with every bit of agility she had. She managed to avoid the first few, but one grazed her leg, sending a sharp burst of pain up her side.
[Health: 320/450]
Gritting her teeth, Liria summoned her own black flames, sending an Ember Swipe straight through two of the darkfire orbs, dissipating them in a cloud of smoke. But before she could catch her breath, Enara was there, her fist glowing with darkfire as she swung at Liria.
Liria barely managed to block the hit with her forearm, wincing as the darkfire singed her skin. She retaliated with a quick jab to Enara's shoulder, and for a moment, they grappled, flames flickering between them as they struggled for dominance.
"You're stronger than I thought," Enara admitted, her voice low. "But that won't be enough."
"Funny," Liria replied, pushing back with all her might. "I was about to say the same thing to you."
With a burst of strength, she managed to shove Enara back, breaking free of the grapple. Breathing heavily, she steadied herself, feeling her own black flames flare to life around her fists.
Enara's eyes glinted with amusement as she wiped a bit of dirt off her cheek. "You know, I'll almost feel bad for you when I finally take you down."
"Almost?" Liria laughed. "You'll forgive me if I don't feel the same way, princess."
Enara raised an eyebrow, a dangerous smile curving on her lips. "Oh, Liria. I'm just getting started."
They both paused, sizing each other up in the moonlit clearing. Liria's heart pounded as she prepared herself for the next round. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up, but she knew one thing for sure she wasn't going to give Enara the satisfaction of backing down.
[Note: Continuation of battle is not advised.]
[Override confirmed. Proceeding.]
"Alright, Enara," she said, raising her fists. "Let's see what you've got."