Fate/Magus Path

145 Flames and Frost

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The deafening roar of burning flame pillars filled the air, accompanied by the piercing sound of something slicing through the void.

Though surrounded by erupting columns of fire, Roy's speed remained unimpeded. Cloaked in black flames intertwined with crackling lightning, he darted through the fiery inferno with remarkable agility.

Like a ghostly specter, he wove effortlessly through each pillar of flame conjured by Vlov Arhangel.

"Damn it..."

Vlov, having shattered several obstacles to halt his retreat, watched the figure dancing through the sea of fire with a wary glare.

Though his rationality was on the verge of collapse, his battle instincts remained intact.

The brief exchange had been enough to make one thing clear: Roy was no ordinary magus.

The black flames, no less powerful than his own, and the staggering speed that bordered on the impossible... coupled with that earlier crimson storm... painted a picture of a formidable adversary.

So, this was the ally of the princess that Roa had mentioned...

Even after meticulously executing Roa's plan to eliminate her allies, here stood this monstrous opponent, a wrench in his ambitions.

To claim the princess, this obstacle must be removed.

Kill him. Kill him! He must be killed!!!

And then, the princess would follow!

With a thunderous roar, Vlov summoned a massive white sword from the void, gripping it tightly in his hands.

"Die!"

With terrifying force, he swung the colossal blade at the black flames before him, his assault relentless and devastating.

This was the full might of Vlov Arhangel, one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors... a fearsome power manifested in his cursed flames and the sword that embodied unparalleled destruction.

Compared to Nrvnqsr Chaos, Vlov's raw strength was leagues ahead.

However, unlike Nrvnqsr's troublesome immortality, Vlov lacked such an advantage. This saved Roy the need for cautious probing, allowing him to escalate the battle to its climax almost immediately.

Facing the incoming blade aimed squarely at his head, Roy raised his arm.

Bang!

In an instant, the clash rang out like the toll of metal striking metal. The colossal white sword was firmly blocked by Roy's arm, now encased in a blazing armor of black flames.

"Is this the best you can do?"

Black Flames!

The fire on his arm surged to life, intertwined with flashes of dark lightning, ephemeral yet deadly. Roy countered with a blindingly fast punch, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

As his fist neared Vlov's shoulder, the flames and lightning ignited in an explosive burst.

"What?!"

Vlov instinctively poured more magical energy into his sword, slashing through part of the incoming flames to deflect them.

Yet Roy pressed on, his flame-wreathed arm continuing its relentless assault.

Vlov's gaze narrowed in confusion.

What's going on?

Despite slicing through the flames, their intensity neither diminished nor exploded outright.