CHAPTER 61: BATTLE BETWEEN THE STRONGEST GENIUSES (2)

Then, with a swing of her hand, a burning crescent tore outward. Not a wave of loose flame, but a solid line of compressed one that was sharp enough to act as a physical edge.

Lilith didn’t dodge as she also swung her hand in response.

Her magenta claw cut the arc in half, splitting it cleanly. The moment the halves separated, they diffused into scattered embers like fractured molten glass.

But Ignis wasn’t firing a lone attack, as the (Blazing Rift) skill was just a feint, and she was already in motion.

Her left heel dug into the ground, planting forcefully to halt movement before another burst sent her forward. Her sword lowered, point facing outward, held like a lunging spear.

Lilith’s ear twitched, and she immediately reacted by stepping backward, not because she wanted to run from it but more like to control their distances.

Ignis’ blade thrust, and Lilith pivoted sideways, her slip movement was minimal, efficient, and a clean one.

Then, she countered with three rapid claw strikes, with each angled differently: one horizontal, one diagonal, and one rising vertically.

Ignis intercepted the first with her guard, turned her wrist to catch the second, but the third raked across her forearm, drawing a shallow burn and peeling a thin layer of skin.

Ignis didn’t flinch as she adjusted her grip, toes gripping the ground through her boots, body arching for another explosive rotation.

Their clashes continued.

Burn marks appeared across Ignis’ arms and body, each one the result of clean strikes where Lilith exploited micro-openings in her aggression.

Lilith remained mostly untouched, not because Ignis lacked power, but because Lilith’s reading speed and positioning allowed her to redirect force rather than meet it directly.

Then, after another clash, steel rang against demonic flame, and both of them separated into a distance.

Ignis’ breathing remained steady, though faint scorched marks decorated her skin.

Lilith looked at Ignis with a faint smile. "Is that all you’ve got in your human form?"

Ignis didn’t immediately respond.

She straightened her body and rolled her shoulder once. A faint smirk formed on her face. "Mmm..."

Then, she lowered her sword, flames condensed around her body. "Let’s get a bit more serious, shall we?"

Lilith squinted her eyes slightly.

Ignis activated his (Sunblood Armor — Human Form) skill.

Golden-red light surged beneath her skin like molten metal flooding through invisible channels. The flames didn’t explode outward, as they compressed tightly against her body instead.

Layer by layer, scales formed across her skin, each plate aligning perfectly with her musculature and joint movement.

Shoulders, forearms, jawline, every segment was reinforced with thin, radiant armor that didn’t hinder her motion—if anything, it refined it.

The heat surrounding her wasn’t wild anymore. It contained a controlled pressure that made the air ripple subtly around her outline.

Then, Ignis made the first move again.

Her first step forward wasn’t explosive with her center of gravity lowered slightly. The sword angled downward slightly as if preparing for an upward redirection rather than a direct swing.

Lilith reacted before the foot completed its placement. A faint trail of magenta flame flicked up her arms and condensed around her fingers, forming sleek claws without wasted mana.

Ignis accelerated her movement, directly meeting with Lilith.

Their first exchange wasn’t a loud one.

Ignis’ sword cut diagonally upward, starting from the hip line. The motion didn’t originate from her shoulder this time, it came from a spiral movement.

Lilith didn’t parry and intercepted this time.

Her right claw met the blade at a thirty degrees angle off center, redirecting rather than blocking. Her wrist rotated mid-contact, allowing the blade to glide along the flame coating without breaking balance.

Ignis immediately adjusted.

She rolled her wrist downward, transitioning the failed cut into a thrust.

Lilith countered by tilting her head sideways, the exact distance needed to avoid the tip by the smallest margin possible.

Ignis continued pressing forward.

There was no pause between each attack. Every motion merged seamlessly into the next.

She then used her (Infernic Edge Resonance) skill again.

The blade vibrated with a controlled oscillation this time, not the rough destructive like earlier. The surrounding air distorted slightly.

Lilith crossed her claws in front of her chest, catching the resonating blade while shifting her footing, left foot sliding to widen her stance, right heel digging deeper into the soil for leverage.

Instead of a ringing clash, the collision produced a low, vibrating humming sound, like metal scraping against compressed air.

Lilith’s arms trembled from the micro-shocks running along the surface of the blade.

Ignis didn’t let the pressure stabilize, as she stepped inward again.

Her elbow pivoted sharply, redirecting the blade from a downward lock into a horizontal sweep.

Lilith reacted by flipping her wrist outward, redirecting the motion rather than stopping it. Her forearm rotated a full hundred and ten degrees, forcing the sword to slide past her defense.

Ignis anticipated the deflection. She rotated with it as she bent her knees and lowered her body before swinging in a rising arc that targeted Lilith’s jaw.

Lilith slipped backward, her retreat was minimal, barely a hand’s width.

Ignis’ sword passed through empty air, and Lilith’s counter came instantly.

Her left claw slashed downward. She targeted an exposed spot between Ignis’ ribs and hip where motion recovery left a temporary vulnerability.

Ignis pivoted her hips sharply, deflecting the claw with the reinforced side of her Sunblood Armor. The magenta flame sizzled against the golden-red scale.

A faint burn mark formed, though it didn’t actually affect anything.

Ignis’ response was immediate, as she directly used her (Blazing Rift) skill.

She swung her blade horizontally. This time, the crescent wasn’t a loose wave of compressed heat one, but it was tighter and faster until it was already inches from Lilith’s chest.

Lilith slashed upward. Her claw split the crescent cleanly. However, this time, the cut wasn’t effortless.

Her arm twitched from feedback.

The energy that was scattered around caused a faint delayed explosion behind her as a low rumble rather than a loud detonation.