On the Battlefield
Zalaroya (speaking with exhaustion, barely standing):
"You… are stronger than I expected, Lord of Fire!"
Infernus:
"And you too!"
Rin (shouting):
"Infernus!! Do you need help?"
Infernus (rushing toward Zalaroya with all his speed, shouting with all his strength, gripping his sword tightly):
"I don't need any help!!! I can kill her alone!"
Rin stepped back.
Infernus struck, but the blow was blocked by Zalaroya.
Infernus:
"This time, I will show you the meaning of hell, Zalaroya!"
Zalaroya (gritting her teeth with contempt):
"Be silent!"
As the swords of Infernus and Zalaroya clashed, Infernus kicked Zalaroya in her stomach, throwing her backward.
Zalaroya retreated ten steps back.
Zalaroya (looking up to the sky and laughing madly):
"The sun is setting! Your end is near, Lord of Fire!"
Yui started running on the ground, then jumped into the air, her feet ablaze.
She headed toward Zalaroya and shouted:
"Infernus, get back!"
Infernus moved aside, and immediately Yui stabbed Zalaroya in the head.
Zalaroya fell to the ground as if she were a lifeless corpse.
Rin ran toward her and checked her pulse, finding no sign of life:
"She's dead!"
Yui rejoiced greatly, and everyone believed she had truly died… and that the war had ended.
But…
The moon began to rise in the sky, and as its light touched Zalaroya's body, the wound on her head started to disappear, she healed… and her pulse returned.
She opened her eyes again and began searching for Yui.
When she saw her, she moved toward her.
Yui (happy, hugging Infernus with joy):
"Finally… we have won!"
Suddenly, blood spilled from her mouth.
Infernus (shocked):
"Yui!"
He looked at his stomach and found a sword piercing her from behind.
Rin (shouted desperately):
"Yui!!!"
Infernus was in shock, and his heartbeat accelerated.
Yui (speaking weakly):
"Infernus…"
Zalaroya pulled out her sword, and Yui fell to the ground.
Rin caught her gently and placed her on the ground.
Rin:
"Yui!!! Yui! Are you okay?!"
Yui:
"You fool, I am fi—" (she could not finish)
Rin:
"No need to talk! I will help you, wait!"
Yui:
"No need… from the start, I was meant to die, but I survived… and I think this was my last chance."
While Rin tried to help her, Infernus was losing his mind, almost turning into a beast.
He began attacking Zalaroya wildly, shouting:
"If Yui dies… I will burn this world and everything in it!!!"
A fierce clash between them, Infernus looked like a huge beast.
Even the flames around him lost control and turned into writhing fiery spirits, as if coming out of his body or trying to control him.
Zalaroya (smiling and speaking sarcastically):
"That's not my fault she will die! In the end, my sword entered her body… what fault do I have?"
Infernus grew angrier, and flames poured from his body intensely, like a great fiery aura.
Zalaroya:
"Damn… I can't approach you in this state. But no matter, I will destroy your body through your blood!"
Zalaroya raised her hand toward Infernus and tried to control him, but she failed.
"What is this?! What's happening?!"
She tried again but in vain.
Infernus (shouting):
"You won't control me that easily!"
Zalaroya (gritting her teeth with contempt):
"I never expected to use this skill against insects!"
Suddenly…
Reality around Infernus started to distort and change.
After seconds, the place became ice, freezing limbs.
But Infernus did not freeze.
His body began to shine with even more intense fire, like sunlight, melting the ice around him.
Zalaroya:
"I didn't expect this… but no problem."
She tried to attack, but the fire surrounding Infernus was very intense.
Suddenly…
A small sun formed in his hand, then grew bigger and bigger until it became mountain-sized.
Infernus hurled it toward Zalaroya.
But Zalaroya managed to freeze it completely.
The place changed again, and everything returned to normal.
It seemed Yui had died!
Rin was screaming and crying, and when Infernus saw him, he ran toward him worried.
When he arrived, he found Yui dead…
At that moment, Infernus lost feeling…
His eyes became empty.
He grew angrier, exploding with grief and rage, and the only thing filling his heart… was killing.
His power erupted, and a huge fiery explosion appeared like a star exploding!
Everything within a three-mile radius was destroyed.
Forests turned to fire, trees disappeared, seas and oceans evaporated as if they never existed.
The heat started melting everything… even the sky turned into fire.
Zalaroya blocked this wave with a shield, but she suffered clear wounds and burns, but healed quickly.
Zalaroya:
"What is happening?! What is this heat?!"
She barely breathed in this atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Yui and Rin were protected by a fiery shield from this heat… created by Infernus.
Then Infernus stood and looked at Zalaroya.
Suddenly, a giant fire burst out, engulfing Zalaroya entirely.
She screamed in pain.
Her face melted, her hair and skin burned, her body tore apart, her legs fell off, and her hands as well.
But she came out of the fire, healed, and looked at herself.
Her legs returned, her skin started healing, and her hair began growing again.
Zalaroya (with hatred and anger):
"You bastard!!! I promise I will make you taste this torment tenfold!"
Then the place became dark… complete darkness.
A faint light appeared… it was the moon.
Zalaroya appeared standing in the sky, and Infernus looked at her as one looks at a servant kneeling.
Zalaroya (with contempt):
"I will gouge your eyes out!"
She launched toward Infernus at speed.
---
Elsewhere, inside the Great Fire Kingdom...
Ryo was wandering the markets, eating food.
Ryo (enjoying):
"Mmm, delicious! It's been a long time since I ate food like this!"
While he was enjoying, his friends were fighting a war, and some of them had died.
He finished eating and headed to the royal palace, to the throne room.
The guards allowed him in, knowing he was the kingdom's hero, entitled to enter anywhere—even if he faced the entire kingdom's army and no one would stop him.
As he walked through the royal court, he noticed worry on the faces of servants and soldiers.
He began to worry but ignored it and reached the throne room.
Ryo (excited with closed eyes):
"Infernus, I'm back!"
He opened his eyes, but no one was there.
"What? Where did everyone go?!"
He opened one of the doors and entered… it was Infernus' advisor.
Advisor:
"Oh, Lord Ryo!"
Ryo (smiling):
"Hello, Advisor! How are you?"
Advisor:
"I'm very worried!"
Ryo:
"Really… what's going on? When I was on my way, I heard people talking about a war that started. Which war are they talking about?"
Advisor (shocked):
"What do you mean, Lord Ryo? Haven't you heard about the war?! Where have you been all this time? Lord Rin and Lady Yui have been searching for you everywhere!"
Ryo:
"Actually… I went for training, to face Zalaroya."
Advisor:
"I understand now. A war has started in the Great Ice Kingdom, and it seems the Ice Queen has died, and they lost the war.
His Majesty King Infernus is now on the battlefield with Lady Yui and Lord Rin… fighting Zalaroya!"
Ryo (serious):
"I see… so they are in the Great Ice Kingdom, right? I'll head there immediately."
Advisor:
"That's wonderful! Your arrival will make a huge difference!"
Ryo left the palace and headed toward the Great Ice Kingdom…
---
To be continued...