The corrupted forest shuddered as two overwhelming forces collided.
White radiance and dark-orange flames tore through the clearing like opposing storms, their clashing energies warping the air itself. The ground beneath them cracked and melted, roots igniting into ash as shockwaves rippled outward with every exchange.
Sora moved first.
Light surged beneath her feet, propelling her forward in a blinding flash.
*Divine Acceleration*
She vanished from Mor'gan's line of sight, reappearing above him in midair with a spear of condensed holy light forming in her grasp.
*Luminous Pierce*
The radiant spear hurled downward, trailing brilliant arcs of light.
Mor'gan's molten-gold eyes flashed.
Dark-orange flames erupted from his body, spiraling upward into a blazing shield.
*Infernal Guard*
The holy spear smashed into the barrier, detonating in a thunderous explosion of light and heat. The blast scorched the treetops and shattered nearby stone, but when the smoke cleared, Mor'gan still stood tall—cloak singed, armor glowing red-hot, his posture unshaken.
"Fast," he mused. "And precise."
Sora landed lightly, her white aura sharpening into a focused glow.
"Then keep up."
She raised both hands.
*Radiant Barrage*
Dozens of lances of pure light rained from the sky, each one homing in on Mor'gan with lethal intent.
He laughed, spreading his arms wide.
*Cinderstorm*
A vortex of dark-orange flames erupted around him, spiraling violently and devouring the incoming light spears. The air screamed as holy radiance and infernal fire annihilated each other midair.
The forest trembled.
Mor'gan stepped forward through the flames, his boots melting the ground with every step.
"My turn."
He thrust his arm outward.
*Voidfire Lance*
A compressed spear of black-orange fire ripped through the air, warping space around it.
Sora crossed her arms instantly.
*Sanctified Barrier*
A crystalline wall of light formed just in time. The flaming lance slammed into it with catastrophic force, spider webbing cracks across the barrier and blasting Sora backward.
She skidded across the earth, boots carving deep trenches into the soil.
Her barrier shattered.
But she did not fall.
Soft cyan brilliance blossomed around her.
*Lifeweave Restoration*
Her breathing steadied. Cracked ribs mended. Burned skin healed in seconds.
Mor'gan tilted his head, intrigued.
"Light for offense. Life for recovery. Efficient."
He raised a flaming fist.
"Let's see how long you can maintain that."
They clashed again.
Sora blurred across the battlefield, divine acceleration carrying her through arcs of light. She struck from above, below, and behind—radiant blades flashing like falling stars.
Mor'gan met her head-on.
His combat style was brutal yet refined, every movement shaped by hard-earned experience. His dark flames didn't merely burn flesh—they devoured mana itself, forcing Sora to constantly reinforce her defenses.
Their battle tore the forest apart.
Trees collapsed into ash.
The ground melted into glowing trenches.
Corrupted roots were purified only to be incinerated again moments later.
For several intense minutes—
They were evenly matched.
Sora's speed countered Mor'gan's raw power.
Her light pierced his defenses.
His flames shattered her barriers.
Neither gained a clear advantage.
But gradually…
The difference revealed itself.
Mor'gan's strikes grew heavier. Faster. More oppressive.
Each clash sent Sora flying farther than before. Each blocked blow drained more of her mana.
A flaming uppercut smashed through her guard, launching her across the clearing. She crashed into a shattered boulder, coughing as the impact rattled her bones.
Dark-orange flames surged toward her.
*Ash Rend*
Sora raised her hand desperately.
*Verdant Aegis*
A shield of luminous life-energy bloomed around her, absorbing the inferno's fury. The flames scorched the barrier, but did not break it.
She slid to one knee, breathing hard.
Mor'gan approached, flames licking around his form like a burning crown.
He clapped slowly.
"Bravo, Miss Saintess," he said mockingly.
"Truly."
"You've managed to endure direct combat with me for several minutes—despite being outmatched in strength."
He tilted his head, molten-gold eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
"And as a teenager, no less.
With Inferior physical parameters.
Inferior power output.
Inferior combat experience."
His grin widened.
"As expected of a rare prodigy like you.
You gifted prodigious really do exist in a league far above us 'common folk.'"
Then his smile twisted into something vicious.
"Too bad. I have to kill you. But don't worry—I'll at least honor your pretty head by selling it for a magnificent sum."
His laughter echoed through the ruined forest.
Sora stood, wiping blood from the corner of her lips.
"You talk far too much for someone on borrowed time."
Her white radiance flared—deeper now.
Purified.
Transcendent.
Cyan and white light intertwined around her body, forming an aura that felt fundamentally celestial, as if its presence overwrote the natural laws of the world in inexplicable ways.
Mor'gan's eyes narrowed.
"This radiance? What is it? It feels nothing like the holy light emitted by the Divine followers I encountered before."
He retreated instinctively.
He felt discomfort, not the usual intrinsic mismatch of opposing natures he experienced in the presence of divine followers but rather an agonizing sensation that sent fear creeping up to the depths of his existence.
"What the hell is this?" he snarled, clutching his face.
"Dammit, girl! You seem to have some nasty special powers that are very fatal to demons. I'd better kill you fast!"
Sora raised her hand.
*Transcendent Grace*
Her injuries vanished.
Her mana flow surged.
The oppressive pressure around her weakened.
Not because she overpowered it—
But because her light existed on a fundamentally superior plane.
Mor'gan's flames roared higher in response.
He lunged.
Their clash shook the dark clouds above.
Mor'gan's flaming fists met Sora's radiant shield, the impact sending shockwaves across the battlefield. The forest screamed as holy and infernal energies collided.
Sora was still at a disadvantage.
His raw stats were greater.
His experience deeper.
His output overwhelming.
Yet—
Her transcendental light and life affinities bridged the gap.
Each wound was restored.
Each offensive strike was purified.
Each fluctuation in her mana was stabilized by divine resonance.
She wasn't winning.
But she wasn't losing.
The battle slowed into a brutal equilibrium.
A stalemate.
Mor'gan exhaled sharply, eyes blazing with irritation.
"Stop struggling," he growled.
"I might even grant you a painless death, human bitch."
Sora's gaze remained calm.
"As if I would believe a demon to keep his words," she replied coolly. "You creatures revel in negativity and committing cruelty."
Their auras erupted once more—
Light and dark colliding in a clash that sundered the forest.
****
Meanwhile — Inside the Cocoon Barrier.
Within a sealed sphere of pure white light, the chaos outside felt distant.
Null watched the battle unfold through the translucent barrier like a private theater.
Explosions.
Shockwaves.
Reality tearing itself apart.
He rested his chin in his palm.
"Huh. She's holding up better than expected."
Fantasy Omniscience replied neutrally.
[Observation: Subject Sora's survival probability remains stable due to her transcendental abilities.]
Null hummed.
"So basically…"
"She's built different."
[Affirmative.]
A massive shockwave slammed into the cocoon.
The barrier didn't even ripple.
Null didn't flinch.
"Hey, Omniscience. On a scale from 'minor inconvenience' to 'cosmic disaster,' how bad is that demon?"
[Classification: Mor'gan Urroreth possesses high-tier combat proficiency and superior statistics. Direct confrontation by you is not recommended.]
Null nodded.
"Yeah, that tracks."
He glanced at Sora as she clashed with the demon again.
"…She's kind of amazing."
[Statement: Emotional admiration detected.]
Null shrugged
"Can you blame me?"
Another explosion rocked the battlefield.
Sora was still standing.
"However… what happens if she exhaustes her mana?"
[Outcome: Probability of defeat increases significantly.]