The explosion from the collision of ice and fire continued to expand across the battlefield, rolling through the sky like a violent storm. Clouds were torn apart, steam spread across the continent, and fragments of ice rained down through the burning atmosphere.
Yet neither Britanya nor Serene had been defeated. Several hundred meters apart, both women fought to regain their balance.
Serene eventually stopped herself in midair, her feet settling against the heated ground below. Across from her, Britanya likewise steadied herself and planted both feet firmly against the frozen earth.
For several seconds, they simply stared at one another.
Then Serene smiled.
"I like you," she admitted. "If you weren't on the enemy's side, we could've been good friends. But unfortunately, we just had to fight each other."
Britanya remained silent.
Serene slowly raised her palm toward the sky.
"Out of a little respect, I will let you witness my power."
Her eyes narrowed.
"But do bear in mind as long as I am under the sun…I am unstoppable."
The atmosphere changed. Serene's aura surged upward.
"The Great Sun."
A brilliant sphere began forming above her palm. At first it was small. Then it expanded and expanded and again it expanded.
The heat radiating from it became increasingly intense until the surrounding environment began melting simply from its presence. Ice evaporated from the battlefield, rivers of melted water formed across the frozen ground, and the air itself distorted around the growing sphere.
Britanya stared at it.
"This kind of heat…"
Her eyes narrowed.
"It's the same as the real sun."
Serene laughed.
"Catch it if you can, Ice Queen."
She threw the sun. The enormous sphere descended toward the continent like a second star.
The moment it touched the ground, everything in its path disappeared beneath overwhelming heat. A gigantic trench was carved through the continent as the sun traveled directly toward Britanya, melting every layer of ice she had created.
Britanya immediately raised both hands.
Multiple enormous ice walls formed in front of her. The Great Sun smashed through the first. Then the second. Then the third. One after another, the barriers were destroyed.
Britanya gritted her teeth and formed an enormous ice spear between her hands. She thrust it forward.
The spear collided directly with the Great Sun. For a brief moment, the two forces pushed against one another. Then the spear shattered. The Great Sun continued forward.
It struck Britanya. Her body was carried across the continent at tremendous speed before she was driven into the ocean. The impact sent an enormous wall of water into the sky but the attack did not stop.
The Great Sun dragged Britanya beneath the ocean, through the depths, and into the seabed. It continued downward before finally exploding underground. The resulting shockwave shook the entire ocean.
Water surged across the continent in an enormous flood. Yet even the Great Sun could not survive forever. Its energy gradually dissipated beneath Serene's overwhelming heat.
The sphere vaporized.
Deep beneath the ocean, Britanya's body floated through the dark water. Her right hand was burned, and blood slowly escaped from the injury, dispersing into the surrounding water.
Her eyes remained closed for a while then they opened. Britanya stared at her own blood. For a moment, she said nothing but Something inside her had changed.
Serene didn't know. She didn't understand the truth behind Britanya's power. The angrier Britanya became, the more lethal her ice became. Britanya slowly rose through the water.
She emerged from the ocean and stood upon its surface. Every step she took froze the water beneath her feet. She walked toward the continent as a path of ice formed behind her.
Britanya stopped.
"Ice Formation."
Her body transformed into ice. The next instant, she emerged from another formation directly before Serene.
Serene's eyes widened slightly before she smiled.
"Good. You survived. You can play with me a bit more."
She raised both hands.
Multiple Great Suns began forming around her but before she could throw them, Britanya raised one palm. The suns suddenly froze and Serene's expression changed. Britanya slowly closed her hand.
Thin ice spikes instantly formed around Serene. They pierced through her torso. Serene coughed blood. She looked down at the ice before slowly looking back at Britanya.
"It seems you got serious too."
Her expression became calm.
"Very well…"
Serene's aura erupted.
"God's Will."
A blazing sun appeared behind her head. Her body became enveloped in the flames of the sun itself. She raised her hand. Britanya reacted instantly. She raised her own hand.
Fire and ice erupted simultaneously beside the battlefield, creating an enormous explosion that swallowed the surrounding landscape.
Serene emerged from the flames.
"World of Destruction."
The ground erupted. Massive pillars of fire shot upward from the earth. The ocean itself began twisting as enormous whirlpools formed across its surface.
Britanya moved. She dashed through the battlefield in a left-right pattern, weaving between the pillars of fire as they erupted around her.
"Ice Blizzard."
The ground beneath her exploded.
A mountain of enormous, razor-sharp ice spears erupted upward at tremendous speed. Britanya stood atop the formation as it rose toward Serene. Serene punched forward.
A massive wave of fire erupted from her fist. It collided with the advancing ice. Steam exploded outward. Serene jumped through the explosion and drove her fist toward Britanya.
Britanya covered her feet in ice. She kicked. The kick collided with Serene's fist. The impact shook the battlefield.
Britanya pushed away and landed several meters away.
"I'm getting really tired and annoyed by this."
Serene laughed.
"I'll make your death quicker. Don't worry about everyone else, they will soon meet you in the afterlife."
Britanya lowered her head. Her silver hair fell across her face.
For a moment, she became completely still. Then Serene felt something. A crushing killing instinct suddenly descended upon her. Her smile disappeared.
"It's just a fluke…right?"
Serene's eyes narrowed.
"There's no way that came from her."
She raised her palm.
"Rapid Exothermic Combustion."
Millions of tiny sparks appeared throughout the air surrounding Britanya. They floated silently.
Serene smiled.
"Now die."
She snapped her fingers. Every spark ignited but Britanya didn't move. An enormous wave of ice suddenly erupted from her body.
The world stopped. Time itself froze. The sparks remained suspended around Britanya. The flames stopped moving. The ocean froze. The clouds froze.
Even the sun hanging above the battlefield became locked in place. Everything became ice…Everything except Britanya. She stepped forward.
The sound of her footsteps echoed through the frozen world.
Serene's flames began fighting against the frozen time. Heat erupted from her body as the frozen space trembled. Cracks spread through the temporal prison.
Then Serene broke free but Britanya was already standing directly in front of her. Her palm was inches from Serene's face. Serene's eyes widened.
Britanya spoke quietly.
"Absolute Frost."
A wave of ice passed through Serene and her body froze from within. More importantly, the connection between Serene and her God's Will was severed.
The blazing sun behind her head began freezing.
The flames turned into ice. The divine power became crystallized. Then the entire manifestation shattered into countless particles of ice dust. Serene's eyes widened as she realized what had happened.
The ice continued spreading through her body until her divine power could no longer sustain itself. The battlefield fell silent. The continent froze. Mountains, forests, rivers, and the ocean were all swallowed beneath an enormous expanse of ice.
Serene's body finally collapsed. She was dead.
Britanya stood alone in the frozen wasteland. Her Circuit Embodiment slowly disappeared.
The silver in her hair faded as her transformed state ended. Her body finally gave in to exhaustion. She fell backward onto the frozen ground and stared silently toward the sky.
Her breathing was heavy. She had exhausted an enormous amount of strength but she was still alive and unlike many of the others fighting across Kael'Ar, Britanya had not yet reached the brink of death.