Before they could realize it, the crackling darkness of the black fire covered Bloody Lily and Fryft, but, to both their surprise, the dark embrace retreated in the face of Fryft's shield of light, which seemed to be woven from the threads of her own mana. Blood Lily, exhausted, felt relief at being saved from the death that seemed imminent. The darkness of the black fire dissipated around them, revealing once again the scene distorted by the battle that was still raging.
Fryft lowered his arms, dissipating the protective shield.
The red-haired player straightened her posture and said:
"You saved my life, thank you."
"It's not time for thanks yet, there's a lot to be done," replied Fryft, his eyes focused on a point not too far away
At that moment, the demon, still recovering from the impact of the piercing arrow, looked directly at Fryft with a mixture of surprise and recognition. He put a hand to his head and scratched his hair, messing it up a bit.
"Damn... I know you, you're the woman who went to hell and signed the contract between Surtr and Zylok. Why are you here?" Belial muttered, clearly more wounded than ever. "What do you want, interceding in this war? You know that by doing so your stay in Muspelheim will no longer be tolerated, correct?"
Fryft stood firm, his eyes fixed on the demon. "Normally, I don't take sides in big battles like this, Belial, but there is a balance that needs to be maintained."
The demon growled, his expression turning from surprise to disdain. "Humans, even those who have become almost as strong as us demons, like you, can't stop us."
"You may think we're insignificant, but even the smallest sparks can set fire to great forests." Fryft replied calmly. "And here we are, challenging you. So why don't you try coming at me? I bet I can stop every trick you have up your sleeve."
Belial, still wounded by Bloody Lily's arrow, gritted his teeth as he thought:
'She managed to stop the black fire. She's definitely not a mage like the others, yet she must have some obvious weakness. All human mages are like that.
Fryft didn't back down. Her gaze was a mixture of determination and experience. She raised her left hand, summoning a magical energy that began to flicker around her. "If that's how you want to play it, Belial, so be it, I'll strike the first blow." She then looked at Bloody Lily and muttered, "You can still walk, right? Go to the portal, there's a big obelisk lying eight meters to the south, use it and don't mind me, I'll hold it long enough."
The air around her seemed to become electrically charged as Fryft channeled her magical energy. Her eyes glowed with an almost supernatural intensity, reflecting the deep concentration she was devoting to the task. Belial, for his part, stared at her with a mixture of defiance and curiosity, his demonic body ready for the next clash.
Small particles of light began to dance around Fryft, converging on a central point. It was a magic called <Stellar Circle>. The glow increased, and suddenly rays of magical energy formed, swirling around him like luminous serpents.
The serpents of magical energy advanced towards Belial, snaking through the air in sinuous patterns. The demon, however, was not willing to be caught off guard. With an agile gesture of several hand signs, he summoned a shadowy barrier, a defense formed from darkness itself. Fryft's snakes collided with the barrier and were seized by the shadows, creating an explosion of magical sparks as they were destroyed.
The human mage showed no signs of discouragement. Instead, she seized the moment to cast magic once more. She raised her right hand again and used <Astral Blast>. A glowing sphere of energy began to form in her hands.
Belial, sensing the imminent threat, prepared to strike back. However, Fryft's magic sphere exploded in a cascade of heavenly light before the demon could react, scattering several projectiles. The impact of these projectiles created a magical shockwave, shattering Belial's dark barrier as if it were made of glass.
The demon growled in pain as the Astral Blast hit him, dissipating into swirls of luminous sparks. However, despite the blow, the demon smiled maliciously. He raised his right hand, summoning black flames that curled around him and once again formed that gigantic avatar from before.
"<Armor of the Abyss>!" he proclaimed.
Fryft quickly raised a shield of light in front of it and his punch, made of black flames, collided with the barrier, creating an impressive scene of magical conflict. The battlefield was bathed in an intense glow, a mixture of heavenly light and demonic darkness colliding in a spectacle of magical power.
Blood Lily, observing the battle, felt deep admiration for the human mage. Fryft, with her fearless courage, faced Belial with a skill that rivaled the forces of hell. Then Blood Lily, seizing the opportunity, began to move towards the obelisk that Fryft had mentioned. It wasn't far, but the constant tremors mixed with the uncertain terrain made it difficult to reach.
At the same time, Fryft, without losing his composure, flew up to the same height as Belial and threw a <Star Sphere> towards Belial. The sphere traveled through the air like a shooting star, leaving a trail of light that contrasted with the dark particles of the dissipated black fire.
Belial, with surprising resilience, withstood the impact and defended her attack, only for it to bring him to his knees.
"That's a taste of what I can do, Belial," Fryft declared, her eyes shining with confidence. However, she was bluffing. These spells were the largest in scale and seemed to have had little effect on him.
"But that's just the beginning." Belial said and, demonstrating her innate magical ability, conjured an additional layer on his avatar to protect herself from subsequent attacks.
As the magical sparks dispersed, Fryft was already thinking about her next spell. She whispered strange words, bringing to life a spell she had known in the depths of Muspelheim. The supernatural flames around Belial began to twitch, responding to Fryft's new magic.
"I didn't want to have to use this, but against you it will be the most effective... <Intertwined Flames>!" Fryft proclaimed, extending both hands towards the demon.