Chispa waited where she stood, but Nafız took her stance, one dagger pointing at the ground while the other aimed at the enemy's throat.
"Which one of you was it that was going to burn me to the bone?"
Even though her target was Chispa, her gaze was on Fuego; she was completely disregarding the enemy in front of her.
"Ooooh, things are getting more and more interesting!"
"In the carnival they set up to humiliate one of them in front of the guests, now they themselves are becoming the laughingstock!"
"Stay on your toes, strange things are happening here!"
"You're right, our target is Abarran and the kid named Jashua. We grab them at the first opportunity!"
The Four Representatives huddled closely together. They prioritized secrecy while discussing their stake in the conspiracies spinning in the Hell Palace.
"Chispa, I raised you for this day. Punish the sinners in the name of the Holy Fire Sect!"
When her Sheikh shouted, the young girl's gaze changed; she tucked her waist-length hair inside her battle gear and started walking. A thin, long sword materializing out of nowhere appeared in her right hand; like her Sheikh and Eyshan, she was a sword user too.
"In the name of the Holy Fire…"
The young girl turned to her sheikh and brought her weapon in front of her face, but a breath later she had to turn to the front.
"We're past the show-off part, let your weapon do the talking, not your mouth!"
Bringing one dagger down on the sword, Nafız tried to plunge the other into the enemy's ear. If Chispa, shaken by the surprise attack, was late to react, the battle would end before it even began.
"Hmm! A chain made of fire energy hangs from the back of the sword. Now you've earned a little of my respect!"
Nafız, belittling her enemy, waved her hand, indicating she was passing her turn to attack; how could the best young disciple of the Holy Fire stay put? Stomping her left foot hard on the ground, she shot forward; her body, drawn taut like a bow, ended at the tip of the sword.
Nafız dodged the attack by jumping to the side and tried to plunge her daggers into the exposed body. Chispa was expecting this; she swung the sword advancing in front of her backwards. The trailing images of the thin sword were made of fire; when the motion was completed, there was a ring of fire right where Nafız's hands reached out.
Both attack and defense were being executed simultaneously; before the ring of fire grew and surrounded her, the warrior of the Holy Blood changed direction and advanced. Sword and daggers clashed; even though Chispa had long started using energy, Nafız still hadn't used any of her blood techniques.
After clashing for dozens of breaths, the two warriors were sent flying in different directions; Chispa was panting heavily. Nafız looked her up and down once; there wasn't the slightest sign of strain on her face.
"All this support, all this care! Is this the best you can put out?"
Sighing and turning her head, Nafız turned and looked at Atractivo; she was laughing angrily.
"Drop dead, you insolent dog!"
Chispa roared; when she shot forward, her weapon and body were wreathed in flames. At the same time, a part of the flames surrounding the battlefield died down; the Holy Fire was pulling its trick.
"That's more like it, bring everything you've got!"
When the weapons met, the pillar of flame five steps in diameter rising from the ground engulfed the duo.
"She's finished!"
Fuego shouted, unable to contain her excitement, and it didn't look like she was going to stop either. The woman turning to Atractivo would be making the place ring if her disciple hadn't burst out of the pillar of fire.
"What happened?"
She could only mutter to herself; there was a deep gash on Chispa's arm. She could now hold her weapon with her left arm, not her right, and her stance was relatively broken.
"You finally managed to produce enough heat to make me break a sweat!"
Stepping out of the flames with heavy steps, Nafız licked the blood off her dagger; her lips were curling inwards into her cheeks.
"You...!"
Chispa moved once again; this time half of her barrier vanished. The fire-red was like a giant arrow. When it found its target, it exploded like a bomb; not once, but almost ten detonation sounds were heard.
"Now that actually felt hot!"
When Chispa flew back at the same speed and returned to her starting point, Nafız's voice echoed in the arena. The young girl's clothes were torn right down the middle of her chest. Her right breast was exposed and covered in blood.
"Chispa!"
Fuego sprang from her seat and threw herself to the edge of the battlefield; she couldn't believe her eyes.
"My Sheikh, help me!"
"Attack!"
The flames surrounding the battlefield vanished once and instantly returned. Chispa raised her sword into the air; the fire energy flying from around the ring started gathering at its tip. After the first batch finished, they vanished in the reappearing flames and joined the others.
"Atractivo!"
The Holy Bone Sect Sheikh called out to his friend; he couldn't stand him just watching. Gathering the power of two flame barriers, Chispa attacked along with the planet of fire at the tip of her sword.
When it reached Nafız, an explosion occurred, but what an explosion it was? Because there was no barrier, the Sheikhs had to protect those in their sects, the Representatives their delegations, and the Fiends their Queen.
For thirty breaths, the giant fireball wreaked havoc on the area; the screams of the warriors stationed behind the Holy Bone and Holy Blood Sects wouldn't die down. Of course, Atractivo and Hueso didn't protect them; only ashes would remain of the poor people.
"Very good, truly very good, but not enough!"
While everyone was waiting for Chispa's cry of victory, the most unlikely person spoke up; it was the voice of Nafız crushed by the planet of fire.
Twisting the sword-holding arm of the young girl she caught by the neck, Nafız was waiting for the remnants of the fire to die out. When the last ember faded, Chispa's neck couldn't hold out any longer; like a marionette with its strings cut, it started dangling in the void.
"If you want to kill the Blood God, you have to come with the flames of the Holy Mountain!"
Atractivo introduced the last god he brought to the battle; was there a more glorious way to declare victory than this?
"Let's see what you'll say when your god dies by my hands!"
Fuego was closer to the battlefield than anyone else; drawing her weapon, she attacked ruthlessly. Atractivo and Hueso lunged forward, and all their disciples followed them. Even so, it was unlikely they would arrive in time; the Holy Fire Sect Sheikh had almost reached Nafız.
"Blood Flower Storm!"
The daggers with blood flower reliefs on them sliced the air, and hundreds of blood flowers rained down on the area where Nafız and Fuego were.
The woman in red didn't slow down; despite the smoke rising from her body, she was about to plunge her sword into Nafız's throat.
"Blood Dome!"
Atractivo's voice was everywhere, but the blood-red dome only covered Nafız. When the sword struck the Holy Blood Sect Sheikh's technique, a loud crash and sparks rose. A scream of pain, even a moan was heard; fleeing backward, Fuego was practically crying.
"You will bear the price of your treachery on your body until you die, but don't fret. How much longer do you have to live anyway?"
Nafız was delighted as she watched the blood flowers burning the Holy Fire Sect Sheikh's face; the woman, pouring all her power into the attack, hadn't spent any energy to defend her body.
"Guards, block the exits!"
"Holy Fire, Ice, Earth, and Eye, prepare for battle!"
Even without receiving a command, the Representatives and the soldiers behind them also went for their weapons; the Holy Blood and Holy Bone were surrounded in seconds. When the battle lines of the front consisting of those inside and outside the battlefield were finalized, Eyshan slowly got up and took a few steps forward.
"What a flashy hundredth birthday, isn't it?"
Eyshan, not reining in her seductive laugh, laughed for a while; it was so repulsive that no one dared to join her.
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking but I can't find it. How can I make today even more perfect? What do you say Atractivo, wiping the Holy Blood Sect off the face of the earth might be what I'm looking for?"
Finally spilling the beans, Eyshan, taking her allies behind her, declared war. The answer of her counterpart on the opposing front would add joy to her joy.
"Give it a shot, I've prepared completely different surprises for you too!"