Inside the burning building in Tsukuru's entertainment district, the air is thick with smoke, and the roaring flames cast flickering shadows on the crumbling walls. Irana lay sprawled on the floor, her body aching from the brutal fight. Her once-pristine ice armor has melted away, leaving her vulnerable to the scorching heat.
Above her, Ariana stands tall, her red hair flowing wildly, illuminated by the inferno around them. Her piercing gaze looks down at Irana.
"Next time, mind your own business," Ariana says, her voice cold.
She turns away, walking toward the exit. The embers swirled in the air, framing her figure in an almost surreal glow. Just as Irana thinks she's gone, Ariana stops. Without turning back, she adds,
"That is… if you can survive to see another day."
With that, she walks away, disappearing into the thick smoke.
Irana grits her teeth, her body screaming in pain as she attempts to move. She presses her palms against the floor, trying to push herself up, but exhaustion weighs her down like chains. The heat is unbearable, the fire hungrily consuming everything in sight.
As Irana struggles to keep herself conscious, a sudden, thunderous crash disrupts the chaos around her. Ariana, who had been confidently walking away just moments ago, is now soaring through the air before slamming violently into the wall beside her.
Irana's breath caught in her throat. What just happened?!
"Is there… reinforcement already?" Irana mutters, a wave of relief washing over her. Maybe she didn't have to fight anymore. Maybe she could just close her eyes and leave the rest to whoever had arrived.
But then—her body tenses.
The slow, deliberate sound of footsteps echoes through the burning ruins, each step unnervingly calm against the chaotic backdrop of crackling flames and falling debris. There's something… off about it. This doesn't feel like the presence of an ally.
A strange sense of unease creeps up Irana's spine. She doesn't know why, but something deep inside her is telling her that whoever is approaching isn't just here to help.
As the smoke parts and the figure steps closer, the silhouette becomes clearer. Irana's eyes widened in disbelief.
"No way…" she whispers, her voice barely audible over the roaring fire.
The flickering flames illuminated the familiar figure, making her features unmistakable.
Irana's heart pounds in her chest as she finally sees who it is.
"Onee-chan?" she breathes, unable to believe what she's seeing.
It's Aria.
Her older sister walks forward with an eerie calmness, her gaze locked onto Ariana, who groans in pain against the rubble.
"Why is she here?
Elizabeth-sensei was supposed to be monitoring her in my stead. There was no reason for her sister to be in a place like this—unless…"
Irana's breath caught in her throat.
"Did Onee-chan… awaken her power?"
Ariana gritted her teeth, forcing herself up from the rubble. Her entire body ached from the impact, but her anger burned hotter than ever. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and glared at Aria, who stood there—silent, still, unscathed.
A snarl escaped her lips as flames erupted from her hands, swirling violently. She launched a roaring stream of fire straight at Aria, the sheer heat distorting the air. The flames surged forward, threatening to consume everything in their path.
But then—
The fire twisted unnaturally, stopping mere inches from Aria. It writhed in place as if caught in an unseen force, then scattered into harmless embers.
Ariana's eyes widened.
Her mind raced. That wasn't normal. That wasn't something she had ever seen before.
With a growl, she raised both hands, igniting the ground beneath her. The flames shot up like pillars, encircling Aria in an infernal cage. But before they could close in—
A crushing force pressed down on her.
Ariana staggered, her knees buckling. The weight pressing down on her shoulders was unbearable. It was like the air itself had turned against her, pinning her in place.
Her breath hitched.
Then, as quickly as it came, the pressure lifted.
Ariana wasted no time. She dashed to the side, moving in a blur, trying to flank Aria. Fire followed in her wake, forming a spinning ring of flames around them.
With a snap of her fingers, the flames surged, twisting into a raging tornado. The entire building trembled under the heat.
Let's see you stop this!
But then—
The flames shuddered.
Their movement halted as if held in invisible chains. The vortex of fire trembled, then collapsed in on itself, vanishing into thin air.
The heat was gone.
The fire was gone.
Ariana stumbled back, her heart pounding in disbelief.
Then, without warning—
She was yanked forward.
An unseen force dragged her across the scorched floor, slamming her into the ground with bone-rattling force. Before she could react, she was lifted again—then hurled through the air like a ragdoll.
She barely had time to brace herself before crashing into a half-collapsed pillar. The stone shattered around her, dust and debris filling the air.
Coughing and struggling to stand, Ariana looked around—
And realized the fire was gone.
The entire inferno that had engulfed the building—erased.
Not extinguished. Not smothered.
Just gone.
Her breath was ragged.
Her fists clenched.
She lifted her gaze, locking eyes with Aria, who stood there. Silent. Expressionless.
Ariana felt a chill crawl down her spine.
This wasn't a battle.
Ariana's breath hitched as she scrambled backward, her palms scraping against the charred floor. The flames that once raged around her had been cleared away, not by her own will but by her.
Aria took another step forward, her face unreadable.
"No way…" Ariana whispered, her heartbeat hammering in her ears.
The pressure in the air was suffocating. It wasn't just the heat or the lingering smoke—it was her.
The silent, looming figure of Aria.
Ariana's body refused to move properly. Her instincts screamed at her to fight, to lash out, but her flames wouldn't ignite. It was as if the very force pressing down on her had snuffed them out before they could even manifest.
She clenched her fists, trying to will her power forth again, but it was useless.
I can't beat her.
A cold realization washed over her as she continued to crawl backward, desperate to put distance between them.
She's trying to kill me.
Aria took another step forward. A shard of debris lifted gently into the air beside her, hovering as if weightless before twisting into a sharp, jagged needle.
Irana, still struggling to rise, watched the scene unfold in growing horror. Something wasn't right.
"Onee-chan…?" she muttered, her voice laced with confusion.
This wasn't like Onee-chan. The sister she knew—no, her Onee-chan would never do something like this. But the way she moved, the way she attacked without hesitation, without a single word, felt alien.
The stone needle shot forward, aiming straight for Ariana's heart.
Ariana barely had time to react. With the last of her strength, she lifted her arm, letting the sharpened rock pierce through her palm instead of her chest. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as pain jolted through her body, crimson dripping onto the floor.
Irana's eyes widened in realization.
Onee-chan is trying to kill Ariana.
Another piece of rubble floated up, reshaping itself into yet another deadly needle.
Irana clenched her teeth and forced her body to move, gathering the remnants of her power to push herself up.
"Onee-chan… no!! Don't do it!" she yelled, desperation leaking into her voice.
But Aria didn't stop. She didn't even flinch.
The needle launched forward, faster than before. It spun through the air, closing in on its mark—Ariana's heart.
Then—
Crack!
A sudden ice crystal burst into existence, intercepting the projectile just before impact. The stone shattered against the frozen barrier, fragments scattering to the ground.
For the first time, Aria's movements stopped.
She slowly turned her head, her empty, expressionless gaze meeting Irana's.
Irana felt a shiver run down her spine.
Those weren't the eyes of her Onee-chan. There was nothing behind them—no warmth.
Just emptiness.