Laisa's eyes glowed as she opened her fan with a snap.
"Sakura," she whispered.
In an instant, a giant tree of flames bloomed into existence, the fire shaping into a massive peach tree. She flapped her fan once, and a flurry of burning petals rained down. Where they touched the ground, steam hissed and rose.
Yet Azreal remained seated, calm, almost indifferent.
With a flick of her wrist, the fiery petals swirled, trapping Azreal inside a sphere of burning flowers.
"I'll show you my strength," Laisa declared.
From the side, Sarah smirked to herself.
Bringing Laisa here was a smart move. Her love for Lord Azreal might just bring about a comeback in my plan.
But her smirk froze as Azreal's voice echoed from inside the sphere.
"Was this supposed to be a testament to your strength, Laisa?"
The petals slowly parted, revealing Azreal sitting casually in the center, untouched.
"Your flowers and flames are still as cute as ever, Laisa. I still can't beat you in flame creation."
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Sarah clenched her fists. "What are you doing, Laisa?! You were supposed to be my game-changer! Don't tell me you're going soft because of your feelings!"
"Shut up," Laisa snapped, glaring at her. She turned back to Azreal, her heart pounding.
I'm not going soft. I want to defeat him too...!
Azreal's voice cut coldly through the air.
"If you truly wish to defeat me, it'll take more than fiery flowers. Flowers are meant for peace... not war."
With a casual wave of his left hand, a gust of wind scattered the petals into nothing.
"Have you forgotten what I taught you?" he added.
Laisa grinned maniacally. "Of course not, teacher."
She flapped her fan again. This time, the petals circled around her, forming a spinning dome.
"This is the moment... where I surpass you."
Azreal smiled faintly. "Then prove it. With actions, not words."
"Oh, I will," Laisa said, her voice wild with excitement.
The petals hardened into weapons—blades, spears, lances.
Azreal, standing now, his throne of ash dissolving behind him, nodded.
"In honor of your efforts... I'll fight seriously."
"Good," Laisa said, her fan snapping closed.
The weapons shot toward Azreal like missiles. Without even flinching, Azreal summoned flames into his hands, squeezing them into the shape of a blade. Effortlessly, he deflected every weapon with a single hand, his body barely moving.
The deflected weapons burst back into petals, attacking from behind.
Without looking, Azreal stretched his other hand behind him, and a burst of flames blew them apart.
Laisa's eyes gleamed.
She flapped her wings of petals and shot into the sky.
"I am... an angel!" she cried.
Azreal glanced up at her, curious. "An angel, huh? What brought about that idea?"
Laisa smiled coldly. "Just like there are gods and angels in heaven... even hell must have one. You were like the god of hell. And I... I was your angel. But when the god strays from his path, it's the angel's duty to guide him back."
She flapped her fan again, creating fiery shuriken that hovered in front of her.
"Your powers were meant to rule hell. But you failed! So I will evolve... to reform a new hell!"
The shuriken sped toward Azreal.
He dodged effortlessly, letting them embed into the ground. They started to glow ominously.
Azreal's eyes narrowed.
The ground exploded around him.
From inside the smoke, his voice echoed:
"So I'm just an uninvited guest now?"
Flames flared around him as he walked through the destruction, feathers of flames falling from the sky.
Laisa watched carefully—
In a blink, Azreal's voice came from behind her.
"Never take your eyes off your enemy."
Before she could react, a blast of flames struck her midair, sending her crashing into the ground in a fiery explosion.
How is he this fast?!
The smoke cleared. Laisa staggered up, her petal wings scorched and burnt.
She looked up—Azreal floated down to the ground, calm as ever.
Before she could think, he was already in front of her, throwing a punch.
But her body exploded into petals—a substitution!
Azreal raised a brow. "Clever."
The petals wrapped around his hand, locking him in place.
From the other side, a real Laisa appeared, attacking with a blade.
"I see through it," Azreal muttered, slicing her—
—only for her body to turn into more petals.
Multiple Laisas emerged from the petals, each wielding blades, rushing at him from every direction.
Sarah held her breath.
Bright light exploded from within the attack, sending all the Laisas flying as petals.
Azreal stood in the center, untouched, his hand now free.
The petals gathered again, forming Laisa's half-body.
"You can't lay a hand on me, Lord Azreal!" she declared.
Azreal smiled slightly. "I wonder about that."
Suddenly, the ground under his feet turned into petals, swallowing him. He burned it away instantly—
—but a sharp sting caught him by surprise.
Behind him, a half-formed Laisa held a blade, stained with blood.
"You're finished!" Laisa cried, twisting the blade.
Azreal coughed blood... but then smiled.
"So naive," he whispered.
His body turned to ashes, crumbling away.
"What—?!" Laisa gasped. "But I—!"
Azreal appeared behind her like a ghost, driving his blade into her back.
She coughed weakly, her real body forming fully.
"It's over, Laisa," he said coldly.
"I... lost..." she whispered, collapsing into unconsciousness.
Azreal pulled his blade free and pointed it at Sarah.
But just as he took a step forward, heat exploded behind him.
Azreal spun, narrowing his eyes.
From the ground, Laisa slowly rose, heat waves pouring off her body. A strange, black mark burned into her forehead.
Azreal's eyes sharpened.
"Y'tharion's Mark...!"
Laisa grinned, almost lustfully. Her voice echoed with madness.
"Fight me to the death, Lord Azreal! I'll make you acknowledge me!"
The ground trembled as the heat around her reached a terrifying level.