The heavy footfalls of Ira's boots upon the wet grass became more pronounced and deeper with its noise. Eyes shifting about behind her mask, Ira could sense that something had happened to the area around them. That much was evident by Alexi raising her weapon for battle. [color=red]"Perhaps you will serve well to entertain me after all soldier,"[/color] the masked woman said, slowly drawing out her own blade. Judging from how Alexi was still standing despite the red-hued blade being unleashed, it was a good sign Ira was taking this seriously. [color=red]"Tell me, do you know who I am Knight of Winter? A simple curiosity I would like answered before this is over,"[/color] Ira said, crouching into her own stance. An overhanded strike obviously meant a cut from the side and Ira bent her legs, her blade held outwards toward her as time slowed all around.

Alexi's eyes unfocused for a moment at the question, her head tilting to the side and her stance swaying for a moment. [color=beaccb]"Mmm... The whispers... They say you are ravenous black fire, hungry beyond death."[/color] And then she refocused once more. Her stance stayed the same. Poised for an utterly predictable overhand strike, a powerful downward slash, or perhaps that was a feint for the possibility of a sideways slash, but with less power and efficiency from the starting position. The air around her started to freeze and shimmer, not ice in true, but crystalized time. [color=beaccb]"I am ready. Are you, Ravenous Flame?"[/color] Apparently her power, whatever she was doing to her personal time, had reached it's maximum charge.

[color=red]"A ravenous flame....yes, I suppose that is an apt description for me,"[/color] Ira said with a hint of a chuckle in her voice. [color=red]"I'd ask what exactly it is you're doing to this area around us, but where's the fun in that? A warrior should be expected to tackle all threats, visible and invisible. Come at me then soldier,"[/color] Ira said. Her legs crouched down to store up the energy to pounce and a crackling surge of red made her own blade go. A duel between swordswomen could be enjoyed in no other way.

Alexi's eyes opened wide, and with one moment, the ice around her shattered, and all resumed to what it should be. All the power she had stored unleashed in one strike and the maximum speed of the world returning to normal.

A warrior of their caliber could move astonishingly fast and strike exceedingly hard. A normal soldier's eyes couldn't track their movement, the acceleration created by a single step too swift. Armor and walls were like illusions tearing away from the breeze of a sword slice's passing. How many times in a single second could a warrior of their caliber strike? Many, many times. But if all that power of a thousand sword swings was gathered into one single strike, all those hundred steps off the ground combined into one, the power was staggering even to a warrior of their caliber. Where Alexi had been close to the maximum speed of the world before, because the speed of the world had been lowered, now she was near it because a hundred superhuman steps had been combined into one, and the island cracked in half from its might. The air could not get out of the way of the Knight of Winter fast enough, flames and plasma enshrouding her form in explosion as she struck. If Ira was not there to take the blow of Alexi's downward strike, or even if she parried it, the strike's force would again crack the island, this time perpendicular to the crack caused by her hundred steps as one. Alexi had learned a technique to force her speed and strength to their utmost limits for one strike, if given time to charge. But ultimately, it was still only plain speed and strength, in insane magnitude, but only the normal forces.

Indeed, the blow was at such a speed that even Ira's eyes could not keep track. Because when the world suddenly returned to normal, when the world suddenly moved faster than it was supposed to, Ira realized just what had happened. Unfortunately it was too little too late, her solitary reaction to the overhanded swing being a slight widening of her crimson pupils. Oh yes, she knew very well the attack that was coming, but the question was whether she could act the part in time. Her body moved on instinct, hands bringing her blade upwards to parry, block, whatever she could do in this scenario. The result was an audible crack in the air and the force of a thousand slashes piled against Ira.

[color=red]"Grrhnnn!"[/color] Hell's Queen said, forced onto one knee as the earth all around them shattered into collateral damage. In the end, she had managed to block the overwhelming blow though one arm was bleeding and forced down her side, Ira's other arm holding her blade. Sparks flew as Alexi's sword continued to grind into Ira's own weapon and with a crack to match sound of destruction all around them, Ira's mask split in half to reveal her [url=http://i.imgur.com/uhXyFqj.png]visage[/url]. Blood trickled down her face and even now she was still being forced deeper downards from the pressure under Alexi's swing. [color=red]"Tell me, grhnn, soldier. Were you planning on relying this battle on that one tactic?"[/color]

The pressure on Ira's blade suddenly lifted, and Alexi's Oathblade started slipping off and to the side, no force but gravity guiding its course. Alexi's shattered arms fell to her side, and broken legs struggled to maintain their footing, and failed, Alexi falling to one knee. For every action, there was a reaction, and to surpass her own limits with Avalanche Strike and Frostborne Steps so far had natural backlash. Her body simply wasn't designed to withstand such speeds, much of her clothes scorched to ash and skin peeled away by the very air. And the pressure of the blades had struck against her arms as though she herself had been the target. Now that all the stored power was used up in one overwhelming strike, there was little strength left in Alexi's body. [color=beaccb]"Is that sufficient for an answer, Ravenous Flame?"[/color] Alexi managed between ragged breaths between burned lips. Blood trickled now from between them, but Alexi smiled, as small ice shards started forming in a circle around them, to strike inward as one. In truth, it was a pathetic attack, one a mortal wizard might acquire with a year or two of training. A mere gun would have more power behind it than such an attack. But though her body was broken, Alexi would continue fighting with what power she had left, even if at this point, it was mostly symbolic, unlikely to deal any harm against a warrior of Ira's caliber.

[color=red]"It was,"[/color] was Ira's simple reply, the end of her blade meeting with Alexi's chest. Hell's Queen stood up on shaky legs, one arm still in function and pressing her blade deep into her opponent. [color=red]"I shall remember your name, Knight of Winter. As you should burn mine into your own memory. Ira, the Queen of Hell,"[/color] the Demon stated before lifting her blade away and out of the human's corpse. [color=red]"Do not think I was unaware of you. Did you enjoy the show little Angel?"[/color] she said with a slow rising smirk, Ira turning her crimson-eyed gaze to place on Syphax.
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[center][@Mega Birb], [@The 42nd Gecko][/center]