On the battlefield.
After summoning the Phoenix, Herta didn't even bother checking what kind of unit the opponent had deployed.
She raised her hand without hesitation and instantly activated her magic.
She only had one Phoenix—so speed was everything.
If the enemy's troops charged in, a single Phoenix would never be able to hold them off.
She still wanted to cast several more spells.
"I cast—Doomsday Judgment!"
Almost simultaneously, Xianyun had the same thought.
Fast. Clean. No hesitation.
She lifted her hand as well.
"Doomsday Judgment!"
Boom!!
Countless fire meteors streaked down from the sky, dragging blazing tails as they slammed into the battlefield.
Because both of them cast the spell at the same time, the number of falling fire meteors instantly doubled.
The battlefield was swallowed by crimson flames.
Smoke, fire, and deafening explosions filled the air—nothing else could be seen.
"Doomsday Judgment."
"Doomsday Judgment."
"Doomsday Judgment."
Neither of them bothered checking the situation.
Just keep bombing.
Boom—boom—BOOM!
The thunderous explosions shook the arena, nearly rupturing eardrums.
The spectators were completely stunned.
"This… this is insane."
No matter how many times one saw it, summoning meteor fire from the heavens was still an overwhelming sight.
The only awkward thing was—
The only two units on the field, the Phoenix and the Black Dragon, were completely unharmed.
They hovered lazily amid the inferno, bored beyond belief.
The two commanders, on the other hand, were already panting heavily.
After unleashing several large-scale spells in succession, Herta finally paused and looked toward the battlefield.
Everything was still obscured by fire and smoke.
"Hmph. Good."
She was clearly satisfied.
In her mind, the enemy's troops should already be wiped out, reduced to ash.
At this moment, Xianyun's calm voice rang out from the opposite side.
"Doomsday Judgment."
Another wave of meteor fire descended.
"Hah, how naïve."
Herta smiled coldly.
"My Phoenix is immune to fire magic."
In her eyes, this was nothing more than a desperate, self-destructive attempt by her opponent.
But if she only had a Phoenix, then the enemy's resistance was meaningless.
She raised her hand again.
"Doomsday Judgment."
Xianyun blinked.
So… the other side was doing the same thing?
She immediately understood—and couldn't help but laugh.
"You may cast it as much as you like."
"I have a Black Dragon."
"Do you really think Doomsday Judgment can harm it?"
"Doomsday Judgment."
For the next ten minutes, the battlefield was subjected to relentless magical bombardment.
Fire fell from the sky again and again.
Until finally—
Both sides ran out of mana.
The explosions stopped.
As the smoke slowly dispersed, both commanders' eyes lit up.
"Only a Black Dragon left on their side."
"Only a Phoenix left on their side."
Xianyun relaxed slightly, steadying her breath.
Though all that casting had accomplished nothing, she still held the advantage.
After all, a Black Dragon vastly outperformed a Phoenix in direct combat.
"Have you witnessed the power of Doomsday Judgment now?"
Xianyun spoke calmly.
"Your troops should already be reduced to dust."
She expected rage.
Frustration.
Regret.
Instead, Herta looked… puzzled.
"What troops?"
"I only brought one Phoenix."
"…What?"
Xianyun froze.
"You're telling me," she said slowly, "you only had one Phoenix?"
That meant—
All that magic… hadn't killed a single unit?
Before she could fully process this realization, Herta's expression changed as well.
"Wait."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You don't tell me… you only brought the Black Dragon?"
"…Of course."
"…."
"…."
Silence fell over the battlefield.
An unbearably awkward silence.
They stared at each other.
After all that noise, all that spectacle—
They had achieved absolutely nothing.
Compared to Herta, Xianyun recovered faster.
At least the situation still favored her.
Even if everything else had been pointless, the Black Dragon would definitely win against a Phoenix in a straight fight.
"Black Dragon. Attack."
The command was issued.
The massive dragon, already bored to tears, finally stirred.
Its wings spread wide as it dove toward the Phoenix.
"Hmph."
Herta wasn't impressed.
"You think I'm afraid of that?"
"Phoenix, counterattack."
The spectators leaned forward.
"Is it really going to work?"
"A Phoenix can't beat a Black Dragon head-on."
"The stats gap is too big."
Black Dragon:
Attack 25, Defense 25, HP 300.
Phoenix:
Attack 21, Defense 18, HP 200.
Even with resurrection, a single Phoenix had terrible odds.
The two aerial titans collided.
Flames and scales scattered across the sky.
Yet—
Something felt off.
"…Wait."
"Why doesn't the Phoenix seem to be losing?"
"It's actually holding on!"
On the stands, Ningguang frowned slightly.
"Xianyun's attributes are magic-oriented."
"All her strength lies in spellcasting."
"In close combat, she's at a disadvantage."
Sure enough, though the Black Dragon still held the upper hand, the gap wasn't as overwhelming as expected.
Then—
A bolt of lightning suddenly struck.
The Phoenix screeched as its body was blasted midair, instantly pushed to the brink.
"You still had mana?"
Herta stared at Xianyun in disbelief.
Xianyun calmly adjusted her glasses.
"I anticipated this outcome."
"Of course I reserved enough mana for a finishing spell."
"The mistake you made," she continued coolly,
"was choosing the Phoenix."
"The Phoenix may resist fire—but it does not resist lightning."
The Phoenix faltered.
Its flames flickered.
Victory seemed inevitable.
Behind her back, Herta clenched her fist.
"Enjoy it while you can."
She still had one spell left.
But she couldn't use it recklessly.
She needed one thing—
Luck.
"Please," she murmured under her breath.
"Revive."
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