Escaped Only to be Ensnared

Roxana's decision to not immediately flee despite her initial impulse stemmed from a strategic consideration of the unknown dangers that potentially lay beyond the immediate vicinity of the battle.

Although she did not have concrete evidence of a trap, such as a ring of demons waiting to ensnare her, the very possibility played a crucial role in shaping her decision-making process.

In a place where battles between powerful demons (potentially from lower levels of abyss) were very uncommon, it was reasonable to assume that various safeguards and traps could be in place, designed to capture or kill anyone attempting to escape or intrude upon such conflicts.

The lack of certainty about the presence of a trap did not diminish its potential threat in Roxana's mind.

Instead, it heightened her awareness of the broader implications of her actions. The environment in which she found herself was fraught with danger, not just from the immediate battle but from the myriad unseen threats that could lurk just beyond her perception.

In such a context, any reckless attempt to flee could inadvertently lead her into great peril.

The possibility of encountering a trap—be it a circle of demons, magical snares, or hostile forces aligned with either combatant—necessitated a more calculated approach.

Roxana understood that the dynamics of power and conflict in her world often extended beyond the visible confrontations.

Factions and forces could lay traps around significant battle sites, not just to ensnare fleeing participants but to capture unsuspecting witnesses or intruders who might stumble upon the aftermath.

The knowledge that she could unwittingly trigger such a trap or alert other predators to her presence by her movements made the decision to run away without a plan a potentially fatal error.

Thus, her course of action shifted from a simple flight to a complex game of timing and strategy.

She needed to wait for a moment when the battle's dynamics changed—a lull in the combat, a shift in the fighters' focus, or perhaps an environmental factor that could provide her with the cover she needed to escape unnoticed.

This required not only patience but also a keen understanding of the battle and its participants.

By observing the tides and flow of the conflict, Roxana hoped to identify an opportune moment to make her escape, minimizing the risk of encountering any unseen dangers.

In addition, Roxana did not sit idle while waiting. In light of the looming threat of encircling demons, Roxana was utilizing every second to strategize.

She had an urgent need to act quickly and innovatively. The girl understood all too well how important it was to employ as much magic as possible in order to outwit these fiendish adversaries, even for a short period of time.

Her inventory housed an assortment of souls, each a potential source of power.

Yet, instead of directly consuming these souls for a minimal mana increase, Roxana chose a path untrodden by history.

She decided to craft a Magic Power Increment Potion from these souls, a venture she had not attempted before. The magical nature of her system ignited a flicker of hope within her that this potion might exponentially amplify her mana, far beyond the modest gains of direct consumption.

Moreover, the dire circumstances left no room for the gradual process of extracting and consuming souls individually, a method that could inadvertently draw the demons' attention.

At the critical juncture of the battle, as the tension between Ignis and Caelum reached its zenith, Roxana recognized her moment to act.

First, Roxana crafted simple visual deceptions, ghostly images that mirrored Ignis and his subordinates, each performing acts of betrayal: striking at each other or signaling to unseen allies.

These phantoms were fleeting but vivid, designed not to withstand scrutiny but to instill a moment of doubt and paranoia.

Simultaneously, Roxana wove auditory illusions, whispers carried on the wind, mimicking the voices of Ignis and his demons, speaking words of treachery and deceit. "Traitor!" one illusion accused in Ignis's voice.

"You dare turn on me?" another hissed, mimicking a subordinate's tone.

This sensory overload reached its crescendo as Roxana used her magic to blur the lines between friend and foe, making each demon perceive the other as a betrayer for a mere second.

This was not a grand spectacle but a subtle trick, a psychological wedge driven between Ignis and his forces at a critical moment.

The effect was instantaneous and ephemeral. Ignis, ever confident in his power, hesitated, his flames dimming as suspicion flickered in his eyes.

His underlings, momentarily convinced of their leader's treachery, recoiled, their coordinated assault faltering. This fracture in their unity, though fleeting, disrupted the flow of their relentless attack, providing Caelum with a precious opening.

Caelum, seizing this momentary lapse, summoned the last of his strength for a spell not of attack but of escape. A blizzard burst forth from his being, not to assail his enemies but to envelop him in a shroud of obscuring snow and wind.

Ignis roared in frustration, his fire cutting swathes through the tempest in search of his foe. "Where are you hiding, Icicle? Come face me head on you coward!"

But Caelum was already fading into the whiteout, his form becoming one with the blinding storm. The forest held its breath as the Demon of Ice, with a glacial serenity born of desperation, slipped through the veil of the tempest.

In the silence that followed, the forest seemed to exhale, the frost retreating as if in deference to its master's departure.

Ignis, his flames dimming in confusion, scanned the clearing, the victory he had savored now as elusive as the vanishing frost.

Seizing the opportunity provided by the swirling blizzard, Roxana had activated [Environmental Camouflage] and made her escape from the chaotic scene.

It was only after she had taken what felt like a mere ten steps from her original position that an unexpected sensation of weightlessness overtook her.

A brief moment of confusion ensued before the realization dawned upon her: she was not running on her own but was instead being effortlessly carried away.

Lifting her gaze, she found herself in the firm yet gentle grasp of Caelum, who held her as effortlessly as one might lift a small kitten stranded in the middle of a road.

His deep voice broke the silence, imbued with a mix of amusement and intrigue, "Now now, little vixen, you didn't think I hadn't noticed you from the very beginning, did you? I have some juicy questions for you."

Roxana's heart sank into a pool of dread at his words, while Caelum merely chuckled, the sound resonating with an unsettling ease as they traversed tens of miles in mere seconds, the landscape below them a blur of motion.