Chapter 133 - The battle at Arclight (2)

Powerful gusts of wind were hurled towards Saemi, who used her wall of air to defend herself. However, even her shields didn't hold up for long against an uninterrupted series of attacks, forcing Saemi to constantly recreate her magical barrier. No matter how she examined the situation, it was far from favorable, both for Saemi and Ana.

"Ana, are you okay?"

Saemi asked, casting a quick glance towards Ana. Since the beginning of the battle, they hadn't been able to find a moment to exchange words, not even to devise a strategy. Unexpectedly, Saemi took on the defense while Ana was in charge of the offense. It wasn't as if they had planned this distribution beforehand, somehow, it just ended up happening this way.

"I'm fine... though I'm a bit hungry" 

Ana said unexpectedly, eliciting a smile from Saemi. Somehow, from the start of the battle, Ana never lost her composure or showed fear. Whether she intended it or not, this also helped ease the tension Saemi was feeling. Even if it probably wasn't her intention, Saemi truly appreciated Ana for it. With these thoughts in mind, Saemi replied.

"Actually, I'm feeling the same. When this is over, we can indulge in candies and desserts" 

Saemi said, turning to Ana with a warm smile. Upon hearing Fujiwara's words, Ana involuntarily let out a small thread of drool, escaping from the corner of her lips as she envisioned the scene in her mind. Observing this reaction, Saemi continued.

"Furthermore, I'm sure Makoto will shower us with treats if we win this battle"

Upon hearing this, Ana's eyes narrowed suddenly, her expression becoming noticeably serious. Somehow, Saemi's words seemed to have stirred something deep within Ana.

(I want Ma-kun to praise me with a headpat)

Ana's thoughts all converged on a single goal. In that instant, Ana felt something run through her body, a sensation of extreme cold enveloped her. The icy air seemed to manifest from her very being. While Saemi noticed that something was happening to Ana, there was no time for questioning. Just like Saemi, the masked figure also seemed to notice the change and intensified the intensity of her attacks.

While Saemi faced the relentless attacks of the masked figure, she suddenly felt a suctioning sensation in the air around her. More precisely, the colder particles in the environment seemed to be moving and coming together. Looking in the direction of this phenomenon, Saemi found Ana with her hand extended. In front of Ana, a white and icy vortex spun with impressive intensity. Gradually, this vortex began to take shape and grow.

Within a short span, a gigantic bird appeared on the battlefield, its imposing wings standing out, as well as its long beak. The moment her eyes fixed on that figure, Saemi had a memory of the legendary phoenix. Just like the fire phoenix, the ice phoenix seemed to be ablaze, but instead of radiating heat, it emitted a cold so piercing that even Saemi felt its effects.

As she watched, fascinated, the sudden appearance of the creature before her, Saemi heard Ana's words.

"Go, Nix-chan, freeze her"

Once these words emerged from Ana's mouth, in a low yet commanding tone, the bird let out a deafening roar and took flight. Wherever the bird passed, the vegetation around froze instantly, turning into pieces of ice. The entire surroundings of the ice phoenix had turned into a freezing inferno.

As the masked figure caught sight of the massive ice bird flying toward her, she pointed her hands and unleashed a continuous sequence of wind gusts. However, no matter how hard she tried, her attacks were frozen in the air. Raising her hand, the masked figure prepared another of her attacks. Within seconds, a loud boom reverberated through the environment, followed by lightning that struck precisely where the ice phoenix was.

The moment her eyes locked onto the phoenix, the masked figure displayed a surprised expression, something that, for all intents and purposes, remained imperceptible to the onlookers. The phoenix remained unharmed, despite one of its wings being damaged. However, this injury was quickly regenerated, as if the attack had never occurred.

On the other side, Saemi watched Ana's magic with fascination, feeling the hope of a potential shared victory. However, her hopes were dashed when, suddenly, waves of wind began to form around the phoenix. These winds started to spin in conjunction, generating four massive hurricanes that advanced toward the phoenix, blocking its progress.

Still, Saemi noticed that the tornadoes were gradually freezing. It was only a matter of time before the phoenix would break free once again. Before Saemi could even consider how to assist Ana, she felt the air around her moving and merging once more. Turning her attention back to Ana, she saw her extending her arms once again, a frigid vortex taking shape in front of her.

Within seconds, a new phoenix made of ice formed, flying swiftly toward her partner. The newly created phoenix opened its beak, and a vast blast of ice was expelled toward the hurricanes, freezing them instantly. This feat was enough to allow the other phoenix to break free from the remaining hurricanes.

Though Saemi couldn't witness it, it was quite evident that the masked figure was surprised. Before the masked figure had a chance to react, the two phoenixes surrounded her. Without a clear course of action, the masked figure could only gaze at the two phoenixes enclosing her. Even if she tried to fly away to escape, it was clear that the phoenixes would catch up to her. Despite the massive size of the two phoenixes, it seemed that size didn't matter when both were in the air.

It was as if both phoenixes had no weight at all, even though this idea clearly lacked sense. After all, every time the two phoenixes moved, small craters formed where their feet touched the ground.