That Time I got Reincarnated as an infernal slime

Flames of Fury.

Chapter [V]: Flames of Fury

Rimuru steadied his gaze on Ifrit, the flaming spirit glaring back with an intensity that would make lesser beings tremble. The red-black flames of Infernal Manipulation coiled around Rimuru's hand, crackling with power and anticipation.

"Your flames versus mine," Rimuru declared, voice steady yet taunting. "Let's see which burns hotter."

Ifrit snarled, his form flaring even brighter. The air around them pulsed with heat, growing almost unbearably intense as he raised his flaming arms to conjure a sphere of roaring fire.

"Then face the wrath of an infernal spirit!" Ifrit growled, launching the fireball toward Rimuru with frightening speed.

Rimuru's Cryoflare ability surged to life, and in an instant, he raised his hand, letting blue-white flames burst forth to counter Ifrit's attack. As the two forces collided, a blast of superheated air and icy frost filled the space between them, creating a vapor cloud that shimmered in the light of their powers. The ground beneath them fractured, showing the strain of their clash.

"Alright, Infernal Manipulation works well enough against him, but this fight could drag on. I'll need to try something new." Rimuru's mind raced as he calculated the risks, considering how much power he could safely unleash without devastating everything around him.

With a thought, he gathered magicules into his core, calling upon the searing rage of Crimson Tempest. Scarlet lightning sparked to life, wrapping around his arms in an arc, blending with his Infernal Manipulation flames. The result was a crimson, almost sinister fire, crackling with an untamed energy.

Ifrit hesitated for a moment, eyes narrowing. "Interesting, but you cannot hope to match the fires of the elemental realm!"

"Guess I'll just have to prove you wrong," Rimuru shot back, his crimson lightning surging as he dashed forward, cutting the distance in an instant.

Their attacks met in a flurry of crimson and orange, each strike shaking the room as they exchanged blow after blow. Rimuru's movements were precise, weaving through Ifrit's blazing punches with an ease that seemed to unsettle the spirit.

Finally, he saw an opening. He thrust his hand forward, releasing a surge of red-black flames that consumed Ifrit's arm. Ifrit roared in pain as the fire bit into him, cold and hot at once, sapping his strength even as it burned.

"This is your end!" Rimuru declared, raising his arm for a final blow, his flames intensifying.

But just as he swung down, Ifrit let out a defiant laugh, a smirk forming amidst the flames. "You've got power, slime-but I'm far from done."

In a brilliant flash, Ifrit's body exploded outward, filling the room with a torrent of fire that forced Rimuru to leap back, raising a barrier just in time. As the smoke cleared, Ifrit stood, burning brighter than ever, his form now unstable, flickering as if on the verge of collapsing.

"Then I'll just turn up the heat, too," Rimuru muttered, ready to end this battle with everything he had.

Rimuru clenched his fist, his flames pulsing with raw power. As Ifrit's body burned even more furiously, the entire room trembled, unable to withstand the intensity of the flames around them. Rimuru couldn't help but grin at the challenge before him.

"Not bad, Ifrit," Rimuru taunted. "But I hope you realize that this is my domain now."

Ifrit sneered, his flames surging higher. "Let's see if you can withstand the full power of an elemental spirit!"

With a wave of his arm, Ifrit summoned a barrage of molten fireballs, each one scorching the air as they hurtled toward Rimuru. Rimuru extended his hand, and the flames of Cryoflare erupted around him in a protective aura, freezing the fireballs on contact and causing them to shatter into glittering ice shards.