Ariana

Ariana was angry. The rolling fire should have made it clear, but just in case it wasn't, she was going to cause a few explosions to make her point. An explosive device collided against Afrieal's defenses, the city's usually invisible dome absorbing the attack easily.

"Have you gone mad, Ariana?" the Xnarthan lieutenant shouted, lunging at her with some well-placed blasts of hot air. The gasses within reacted to produce humongous amounts of heat and energy. What did they call it, a hydrogen peroxide bombs? "The city is protected by a Tier 30 artifact! Do you really think you can break it?"

'Have I gone mad?" Ariana asked, shaking her head as she swatted the hydrogen peroxide bombs to the side. The little thing couldn't even wound her in this state, her fire burned too hot for it to affect her.

"As a matter of fact, I have."she said, widening her eyes as if to scare the lieutenant. "Are you scared, liu-te-nant."

The lieutenant was not amused by her antics. The Emperor would probably be angry about the cost it took to take her attacks, the dome wasn't cheap to operate, but it cost even more to use it. On that note, a few more explosives were in order. The lieutenant's face was practically begging for them.

"I don't care what you think you're doing Ariana, I am forced to end you, you know that you have taken to harming innocent civilians as an outlet to your rage." the lieutenant said, acting oh so righteous as he conjured thousands of hydrogen peroxide bombs, and shot it at her husband.

Ariana scoffed, such a Xnarthan technique, to use one's loved ones as blackmail. Trevor knew it too, it's why he teleported right behind an active flame. The mana might not have approved of Po-rat's presence, but he had accepted that she was a part of her life. Now he got to watch the phoenix eat hydrogen peroxide bombs for lunch as a reward.

The bratty bird even burped, making sure the Xnarthan noticed the non-human sitting in their midst, literally eating their attacks. Ariana had to give her credit, Po-rat was a fine comedian when she wanted to be. The only problem was that she only wanted to be one while she was burning things.

A rather hard thing to accomplish when her fires burned at over 7,000 Kelvin on a cold day. A rather powerful bird, that one. Ariana was proud she had befriended her so young, not killing her had been one of the best decisions of Ariana's life.

"A little kindness goes a long way." As Matilda used to say. Well, today, that kindness was going to help her kill her daughter's murdered.

Ariana sped towards the lieutenant, a ten-meter-long sword of fire emerging from her hand. The fire curled around the lieutenant as she passed him, moving for the neck. Trevor was already reacting from the other side, a plethora of weapons shooting at the Xnarthan.

The lieutenant just shook his head, clapping his hands as a sound wave dispersed the fire and fractured the weapons. Ariana recoiled from the sheer force contained within, but it did little to dissuade her.

The lieutenant would die today. Fire burned through the air, consuming it at increasing speeds as she shot out hundreds of fireballs, randomizing their direction as they headed towards the lieutenant. Just one thought in her head: the lieutenant would die today.

Trevor helped, his attack more distracting than damaging, but still effective. The four tier difference was a bit hard for him and Po-rat to cover, but they contributed by keeping the lieutenant occupied. The blows hit each other, the swords catching on fire as they hit the lieutenant.

The lieutenant was barely phased, moving his hands in one direction as the wind followed, forcing the weapons towards Ariana. Ariana teleported away as the weapons spiraled off, ready to continue attacking. The lieutenant would die today.

"I see that you will not listen." the lieutenant said, sighing as he threw a palm in her direction. A typhoon emerged around her as it tried to pull her into its depths. Ariana reacted, burning the very air within as she shot massive swords of fire at the lieutenant.

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The lieutenant wasn't fazed, slamming the swords away again, as he surrounded her with typhoons, clashing them at her position, making her react again. Ariana began flying around the lieutenant as Trevor and Po-rat found themselves helpless. But Trevor was resourceful.

A plethora of fire bearing arrows got caught in the typhoon surrounding them, burning it away as the arrow found themselves flung at the lieutenant. Ariana backed it up, slashing out with swords.

The lieutenant slammed the attacks away again, sending more of his own as they fought. The battle continued like this for a while. The lieutenant would attack them, Ariana would reply, and find herself attacked again. Trevor would take over, attacking with what little strength he had to occupy the lieutenant.

"Why do you do this, General?" the lieutenant asked. A bad decision. Trevor took the chance to shoot arrows towards his mouth, forcing the lieutenant to stop them in their tracks. Ariana set them on fire as she burned the lieutenant's surroundings.

A huge collection of gusts flew out, blowing the attacks away, as the lieutenant laughed hollowly as he looked at them.

"Oh, you're good, you're good." he said as he moved. Thousands of tiny, but deadly gusts flew towards Ariana, followed by Trevor and then Po-rat. Ariana conjured fire, letting it burn the gusts off as she seared the lieutenant's defenses. What air could stand the fire of a mother's anger?

The lieutenant was like a surprised animal, spooked at the sudden attack. What a fool, did he think that she wouldn't see him escaping?

"Do you not care for your city, lieutenant?' she asked, mocking him as she relentlessly sent out searing swords of fire, bent on killing him. The decision to run had been wise, the lieutenant was clearly running short on mana, bound to fall to her attacks soon. But it wouldn't save him. No, it would take something far more powerful to save him.

Ariana thought of Anita, lying on her bed, maybe even dead now, as she looked at the panicked lieutenant.

"The Emperor will not forgive you for this!" he shouted as Trevor joined the fray, Po-rat letting out a huge amount of her trademark fire at the lieutenant. The fire continued in one single stream, not allowing the lieutenant to use his usual dismissing tactics to stop it. A dedicated amount of wind was needed just to stave it off. Ariana made sure to burn it off. Trevor made sure to chop at the idiot.

"Did you even think twice before poisoning my daughter?' Ariana asked, her voice hoarse as she saw her prey begin to falter.

"The Emperor gives an order, and I follow." the man said as Po-rat's flame neared. Ariana signaled for Po-rat to stop it, she wanted to be the one to end this man.

A blood-red flame appeared, eating at the man as he tried to defend himself. The battle was almost disappointing in how easy it was. Ariana wanted something a bit…more. But she would have to do with this unsatisfactory revenge.

"Do you think that killing me will accomplish anything?" the lieutenant said, laughing as his clothes burnt off, and the fire began burning his body. "The Emperor was the one that ordered your daughter dead! The revenge you so greedily seek will not be yours!" he laughed as the fire burn him.

Ariana felt the anger she had vented return with renewed fury. So this was just a political ploy by the Emperor, a try at keeping power? So that was what her daughter was to that man…well so be it. Ariana would burn him too. And before that, she would make him feel regret. Afrieal would burn. The statement before might have been little more than a taunt, but she meant it now. Afrieal would burn.

A System notification appeared in her vision, interrupting her thought process.

> Class option unlocked: The burning ash

Ariana looked at it for a second, having almost forgotten that she hadn't even chosen her class. The reason was simple, she hadn't been satisfied with the options. How arrogant she had been. But now, she would choose. The System hadn't shown her what the class gave yet, but Ariana had already chosen it. The name was just too appropriate. What was a mother without a child but burning ash?

The mana rolled in, the skill level ups that had previously been held now rolling in as Ariana felt her Tier rise. Tier 24...Tier 25...Tier 26...Tier 27...Tier 28.

Ariana laughed as she felt her newfound power. The mana was excessive, but she had also not chosen a class since the System had come. And she'd done a good amount since then. Oh, how the Emperor was going to rue the day he decided to make enemies of one Marchioness. No, she needed a new title…how about Queen of the burning ash? Yes, it sounded nice, nice and irritating to the Emperor and his loyalists.

Now she just had to announce her royalty to the world. A stray attack halted her planning, drawing her attention back to the burnt husk of a man.

“Hmm, I would kill you, but I don’t think I want to.” she said as she turned to look at him. “What was your name again? Oh, I don’t care, just keep it to yourself, burnt man.”

Ariana flew off, not sparing a second glance to her victim.