"Among all of these people, you give me the strongest sense of danger. I never expected it to be an old friend!"
The Flame Witch gazed at the illusory figure in her hand, a trace of a smile appearing on her face.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Mirror's voice was dry and mechanical.
"Krolod! My Land of Flame does not permit any outsider to peer into it!"
The Flame Throne seemed utterly confident in her judgment. Accompanying her declaration, terrifying golden soul force surged violently into Mirror's body. Thread after thread of golden lines writhed back and forth within its illusory form before igniting into golden flames.
An illusory scene was forcibly torn from Mirror by the Flame Throne.
It appeared to be the interior of a vast, empty hall. Upon the throne sat a figure clad in platinum white.
The golden flames seemed to pierce through the void itself, descending directly into that place.
A soft sigh drifted from the platinum-white figure. Then a single feather materialized, transforming under the white light into an oddly shaped longsword — its crossguard adorned with a feather-like decoration — and slashed downward with a swift, decisive stroke.
Boom! The void split apart, and the hall vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, Mirror in the Flame Throne's grip burst open like a balloon.
"Krolod? The true name of the Sky Throne? I originally thought Mirror was a Spirit Wizard, but it turns out to be someone else's puppet. It seems Melinda isn't the only one with designs on the Flame Throne!" A sharp glint flashed in Leilin's eyes as he regarded the Flame Throne, who appeared entirely unscathed. He said nothing.
"But the Sky Throne's preparations couldn't possibly be that weak, could they?"
A hint of anticipation flickered in Leilin's gaze. After all, this was a scheme laid by a Sixth-rank Solar Wizard — Mirror shouldn't have been dealt with so easily.
Humm!
At that moment, several white goose feathers drifted down onto Leilin's shoulders like snowflakes, freezing him in place.
Then, feathers as light as falling snow began to descend throughout the entire demiplane. The white, drifting strands accumulated in a thin layer across the ground, even covering the Flame Throne's crimson-gold soul force.
Crack! Crack! Fissures began appearing across the demiplane's boundary membrane. Even worse were the signs on the Flame Throne herself.
Boom! Crimson-gold flames erupted from her body, instantly reducing the approaching feathers to ash. But several white feathers still pierced through her defenses, and her expression shifted. "Krolod, you deserve to die!"
Bang! A feather detonated, causing the Flame Throne's body to sway. The blazing solar True Spirit behind her dimmed dramatically, and the searing temperature plummeted, significantly easing the oppressive atmosphere throughout the demiplane.
Dark brown cracks spread across the True Spirit's phantom, and even the Flame Throne's original aura grew noticeably weaker.
"As expected — you still can't fully suppress your injuries!"
Melinda stepped forward, an eerie aura seeping from her body and lashing toward the Flame Throne.
"Die!" Even faster than her was Joanne. At this moment, her aura had reached the peak of the Lunar phase. Purple currents of energy converged before her, forming the shape of a trident, and she thrust it viciously at the Flame Throne.
"Get lost!"
With a thunderous shout, the golden flames surrounding the Flame Throne flared tenfold in intensity, incinerating the Sky Throne's entire arrangement.
But after unleashing that strike, the Flame Throne staggered back several steps. Crack after crack appeared across the crimson-gold throne behind her.
"I am the Flame Throne! All rules of flame in this world are mine to command!"
Facing the combined assault of Melinda and Joanne, the Flame Throne's expression turned detached and supreme, like a god looking down from on high as she delivered her proclamation.
Vast quantities of crimson fire particles materialized from thin air, coalescing into a plane of flame that went even beyond the realm of a domain, engulfing everything within.
"The ability to wield the rules of flame… Just a fraction of that power is this terrifying…"
Leilin's head tilted slightly downward, concealing his eyes that continuously flickered with a faint glow.
In his perception, ever since the Flame Throne had summoned this plane of fire that surpassed a domain, the fire elemental particles he normally communed with so effortlessly now seemed to possess a master of their own, actively resisting the call of his soul force.
This sensation was far more intense than the elemental isolation of a Morning Star domain. Leilin even had the fleeting illusion that those fire elemental particles had developed a life and will of their own, autonomously rebelling against his control.
"Even comprehending just a sliver of the power of rules grants such an overwhelming advantage over those below…"
Leilin sighed.