Even so, Ruari refused to back down.
She sprayed new flames from behind to replace her missing left arm and rebuilt her form with them.
"We can take her down if it's the two of us!"
Shion shouted as she gathered ice spirits around her.
"Haa... haa..."
Luna stood beside her, breathing hard. Her shoulders rose and fell with each breath, and the sweat on her cheeks sparkled in the pale white light.
(...! Luna is pushing herself too hard.)
Shion narrowed her eyes slightly. The first use of Moon Spirit Harmony Lunania had taken far more of Luna's strength than she had imagined.
"I'm fine, Shion. I can still fight."
Luna spoke those words and gathered light into her palm once more.
But the sea at her feet swayed for a moment. It was clear proof that her magic control was breaking down. At this rate, Luna would collapse first.
Shion made her decision the instant she saw that.
"Luna, let me confirm two things. First, have Orun Dura and Oliver already left the Phoenix Shrine?"
Shion asked while she caught her breath amid the shattering ice crystals. Her gaze never left Ruari. Her voice rang out clearly even as the wind and heat scorched her skin.
"Um... Yes. The two of them should be fighting somewhere else."
Luna answered right away, though she was still gasping for air.
"I see. So no one is there right now."
Shion gave a short nod. There was no panic or hesitation on her face. Only her eyes, calm and focused, sorted through the situation and searched for the next move.
"Second question. Do you have a spell that can take Ruari down in one hit?"
The question sounded calm, but an urgent resolve lay beneath it.
"I cannot say for certain, but I do have a spell that should be able to neutralize her. However, it will take quite a lot of time to prepare in my current state. While fighting... it would be almost impossible..."
Luna bit her lip and looked down. Her voice carried clear hesitation.
Shion narrowed her eyes slightly and brushed her hair back in the raging wind.
She nodded quietly and spoke.
"Understood. I will create that time for you."
Shion looked straight into Luna's eyes.
"So no matter what happens, Luna, finish that spell."
Those words made Luna's heart pound hard.
"Understood!"
Luna raised her concentration and began controlling the surrounding spirits.
In that moment, Shion closed the distance in one burst.
Right as Ruari let out a roar, Shion quietly wove her magic.
"Absolute Zero."
In an instant, heat was stolen from the world.
The air trembled, and the sea surface froze instantly.
It was a spell of extreme cold that should have sealed every being in silent death. But Ruari's flames burned fiercely against it and refused to freeze completely.
Even so, the air grew steadily colder, and the rain turned into hail.
Shion's hair swayed in the chill as ice crystals scattered in the wind.
"Is this all you've got?"
Ruari spat the words and swung her burning arm.
The moment another torrent of flames began to form, Shion cast her next spell.
"Stillness of the Frozen River."
Countless ice shards glowed, and a massive block of ice appeared.
Ruari's body was trapped inside the ice cage and stopped moving.
Ruari was sealed in the time-freezing ice, yet her eyes still moved. Inside the ice, a red light flickered slowly.
"It doesn't work, huh..."
Shion let out a small breath.
The next instant, flames erupted from inside the ice and cracks spread across it.
"At this rate, the Inferno will break through before my spell is ready!"
Luna cried out in panic.
But Shion smiled fearlessly.
"No problem. All I needed was these few seconds."
At those words, the ice spirits around them gathered at a single point.
The ice block shattered as flames burst outward.
Shion raised her staff and quietly spoke its name.
"Fimbulvetr, the Frozen Hell Box Garden."
In the next moment, the entire world froze.
Sound vanished. The wind froze. Light stopped in its tracks.
It was Shion's ultimate spell, one that interfered with natural laws and brought the flow of time as close to zero as possible.
She could never have used it if the Phoenix Shrine had not been empty.
In this stopped world, only Shion, Luna, and the spirits they controlled could still move. The sky, the sea, and the flames all remained frozen, wrapped in a faint blue light.
"So this is what you meant by creating time..."
Luna murmured.
Shion smiled faintly and nodded.
"Exactly. I stopped the world's time until your spell was complete."
Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Spirits gathered around her, and white light converged at her chest.
Soon the spell was ready.
"Amaterasu, the White Radiance of Spirits."
The world began moving again.
Right as the ice shattered and the flame demon tried to roar, a pillar of white light poured down from the heavens. It pierced the dark clouds and swallowed Ruari whole.
The overwhelming light silently bored into the sea.
Its brilliance did not fade even after cutting through the ocean itself.
When the world drew breath once more, all that remained were shattered ice and a silent sea.
The dark clouds covering the sky slowly parted, and sunlight poured through.
"Haa... haa..."
"...Any more than this... Luna's body won't hold up."
The pixie separated from the exhausted Luna.
Luna's hair returned to its deep blue color. She breathed heavily from her shoulders but kept her guard up.
She stared at the sea surface and let the remaining white light in her hand fade.
At that moment...
"...Ah...!"
A faint voice reached her ears.
Luna turned and saw Shion losing her balance a short distance away in the air. She clutched her chest as painful breaths escaped her.
Cold air poured from her entire body while magic power rampaged beneath her skin.
It was the price of Fimbulvetr, the Frozen Hell Box Garden. The backlash from forcibly interfering with the laws of the world was now eating away at Shion's body.
"Shion!"
Luna slid through the air and rushed to her.
The moment she got close, blood flowed from Luna's right eye. The strain of overusing the Spirit Eye in the fight against Ruari must have caught up to her. The red drops ran down her cheek and scattered like shining ice.
"I'm... fine... It's just... like a seizure... or something..."
Shion tried to smile, but her lips trembled. Her body had reached its limit and suddenly fell under gravity.
"Shion!"
Luna stretched out both arms and caught her as she fell. The cold air stung her skin. Shion's body felt as cold as ice itself.
Even so, her breathing remained steady despite the pain.
(At this rate... I need to get her to a safe place right away...!)
The instant Luna tried to head toward Kyokuto while holding Shion, a sharp killing intent ran down her spine.
She reflexively turned around.
There, standing on the scorched sea surface, was Ruari.
Her body was falling apart and her flames flickered weakly.
Yet her eyes still burned with fighting spirit.
"You really did a number on me."
Her voice was hoarse, but the heat in it remained ferocious.
Luna held her breath. She herself was close to her physical limit.
"...Luna! Lend me your magic power!"
The pixie's urgent voice echoed inside Luna's head. As a fairy, the pixie could not interfere directly on this side. She needed a person like Luna to use magic.
"I'm sorry... I don't even have the strength left to give you power anymore. But I won't give up...!"
Ruari raised both hands. Flames were born once more, and the air above the sea distorted.
Even so, Luna prepared to face her while still holding Shion.
"That is far enough."
A calm male voice completely changed the atmosphere of the battlefield.
A black shadow descended through the air, red cloak fluttering. It was the unremarkable man named Solda.
He landed just above the sea surface and walked over to Ruari's side.
Behind him stood five boys and girls. They waited expressionlessly, as if ready for orders.
"What authority does a mere puppet have to order me around?"
Ruari growled in a low voice.
"If you give me another order, I will turn you to ash."
Even so, Solda replied without moving a single eyebrow.
"Please calm down. We have already accomplished our goal this time."
He continued in a gently admonishing tone.
"Besides, your vessel is complete. That body of yours has already reached its limit, has it not?"
Ruari's flames flickered for a moment. She was indeed aware that the magic power inside her body was on the verge of collapsing.
Even so, her regret would not let her stay silent.
"I don't care if I'm at my limit. Those two are worn out too. I can still burn them to cinders."
Solda sighed and gave a small shrug. Then he turned his gaze toward Luna and the others.
"You two do appear quite exhausted. In that case, please finish this quickly."
The corners of Ruari's mouth lifted. Her flames blazed once more and burned the air.
Luna gritted her teeth and prepared to move away while still holding Shion.
(...No good. I can't dodge it!)
The moment the torrent of flames rushed in...
"Demon-Breaking Heavenly Flash!"
A low, steady voice rang out.
Dark blue magic power tore through the sea and swallowed the flames.
As the white smoke was blown away, a single man descended.
It was Orun Dura, clad in jet-black magical garb and carrying a demon sword.