LOST?

Lyra was fighting her because of proposed marriage, but it was for Leonel, per se. Lyra was fighting for herself. All this time, she had been forced to face the comparison between herself and Aina. It had already been months of that spiraling inferiority welling up inside of her. She felt that if she didn't fight now, maybe she would never have the will to fight again for the rest of her life... and maybe her journey as a genius would end right here... She was entirely unwilling. Even if that meant dying here.

Lyra suddenly moved, a cyclone of flames forming around her like ribbons dancing in the skies. Her flames seemed to be of one heart, as though they were forged into silky fabrics that moved along with her will. When she appeared before Aina and struck out a palm her flames moved with her.

Aina flicked a wrist and her pole arm slapped against Lyra's palm. The palm was repelled, but the ribbons of fire snaked up her Battle Ax, pulling at it hard and suddenly as though to wrest it out of her control.

Aina's grip was much too strong. She pulled her pole arm back and the ribbons shattered, forming dancing balls of flickering flames in the skies that surrounded the two and blocked off Aina's bath of retreat.

Lyra's hair fluttered and her palms danced in the wind, seemingly fusing with it as her strikes were layered one after another. In a split second, she had sent out hundreds of strikes, each one filled with a light and delicate sort of aura, one that masked their true danger.

Aina raised an eyebrow and her Battle Ax spun in her hands. A vortex of Battle Ax Force clashed against the palms, sending sparks flying in all directions and only adding to the candle-like flames hovering in the surroundings.

The more the two exchanged blows, the more these flames multiplied, growing and growing until the point Fire Force seemed to be the only detectable Force in the surroundings.

Lyra's hair continued to flutter, their dancing rainbow array of colors beginning to influence the flames in the skies until suddenly, they went from a reddish almost pink color, to an eruption of rainbow as well.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The power of the flames skyrocketed. It was abrupt and suddenly, almost as though a flame within Lyra's heart itself had been lit.

Aina stood in place, her Battle Ax gliding through the air. Her golden irises observed Lyra as though she was deciding on something.

A delicate cry came from Lyra and the rainbow flames all solidified at once, a torrent of palms forming in the skies and crashing down toward Aina.

From an outsider's view, Aina was completely swallowed up. There was no place to escape at all.

Emberheart Force was among the most mysterious Forces in the world. If Scarlet Star Force was the number one Fire Force in the world, then Emberheart Force would certainly be ranked in the top ten if not the top five.

It was a Force that fused Fire Force and Soul Force, pulling on the emotions of its users to strengthen its flame.

Determination, grit, rage, humiliation... they all seemed to flicker within the flames, each taking hold of a different color and blazing with the glory of her heart... Her Emberheart.

BOOM!

Lyra gasped for breath, her palms still stretched out in a loose battle stance. She clearly felt that what she had done just now wasn't enough, but that was really everything she had.

WHOOSH!

The flames cleared and Aina appeared, standing unblemished. If it wasn't for her military outfit that was torn to shreds and dripping with blood, it would be hard to believe that she had even been in a battle at all.

Lyra didn't seem surprised, but the disappointment in her eyes was still clear and evident. In the end, she wasn't even able to leave a single scratch on her.

But she also didn't want to just give up like that. If Aina wanted to defeat her, she would have to either kick her off the arena or kill her. The words "I give" wouldn't come from her.

Aina observed Lyra in silence for a long while as the latter tried to catch her breath.

Honestly, Aina wanted to kill her. She didn't like the idea of anyone trying to get close to her husband, even if it wasn't Lyra's idea. At the end of the day, Lyra had known she existed and still tried to get close to Leonel anyway.

Aina could imagine that it wasn't necessarily Lyra's choice, but if things had gone differently, would Lyra have shown mercy in that regard?

Lyra wouldn't be likely to act to kill Aina directly, but if it came down to it and Leonel really was such a fickle man, she would have obviously snatched him up. And in a lot of ways, that was as good as death to Aina.

Ultimately, she had her reasons to very much dislike and even hate Lyra. But...

The woman had some guts.

That was just a peripheral reason, though, if she was honest with herself. This particular Spiritual Bubble, the Ma'at Bubble, had been the only one to not kick them while they were down.

She and Leonel had made enough enemies in this place, there was no need to unnecessarily make another.

Lyra suddenly froze, finding her vision going blank. Her last thoughts were ones of speechlessness... Material © .

When had she lost?