Yuki’s focus narrowed as she locked onto the two elves before her. Their bodies were wrapped in their respective elements making them easy to identify. The combination of wind and fire created swirling masses of blue flames that roared and clawed at everyone within the field. While in it, Yuki’s opponents would be stronger and faster. And if they went into their elemental forms, they would have unlimited cover.

‘So they have every advantage right now,’ she thought. ‘Good. I want to crush them at their strongest.’

She swept a leg back and held her staff up, infusing a bit of mana into it. In order for her staff to work at its full potential, she needed a bit of magic. She wanted to keep the rest of her arsenal away for now though.

The two elves stalked towards her, their swords at the ready in one hand while the other was covered in mana as they prepared to unleash magic. She infused a little mana into her body, preparing for the inevitable onslaught. 

‘Come at me,’ she growled.

They charged, their speed augmented by the field of magic surrounding the battleground. Their bodies blurred as their blades sliced through the air, a faint whining reaching Yuki’s ears. 

With her metal staff, Yuki parried each attack. Her staff spun about as she ducked and sidestepped their every swing. And as she evaded their strikes, she watched them carefully. 

The two worked flawlessly together. They made up for each other’s weaknesses and supported their strengths. When one attacked, the other made sure to defend. And when the opportunity arrived for both of them to attack, they took it without hesitation. Their movement together was like two dancers doing a routine they’ve practiced for years. Hacking and slashing within inches of each other and never once stepping on or bumping into one another.

Yuki found no opportunities to go on the offensive. At least, not with what she was willing to use or do at the moment. It took all her concentration to parry and evade the incoming attacks. She could barely see the blades themselves as they came swooping down.

The two elves seemed to resist using their magic though. Besides the field around them, they launched no magical assaults. No fireballs or whirlwinds or even gusts to throw her off balance.

‘They’re testing me as well,’ Yuki thought. ‘They want to see what I can do.’

She wasn’t going to fold though. 

She continued to defend against their attacks, daring them to reveal more. They resisted, continuing to fight with just their swords and the domain around them. At times, they changed attack patterns, trying to throw her off, but Yuki countered everything. 

She had confidence in her own stamina. If the two didn’t do something else, she would outlast them. She was a dragon and they were only two elves. 

‘Come on. You two know this,’ she thought.

Soon enough, the two elves changed tactics. They infused their weapons with their individual elements, increasing their sharpness and lethality. 

‘They must be aiming to break my weapon.’

Tightening her grip, she used the mana she put into the staff to create a shield around the metal rod. When the two struck with their element infused swords, she met them head on with her staff. 

They fought for a minute more. Inferno and Whirlwind continued to pressure her, but her magic never faltered and her staff was unscathed. She, herself, was completely fine besides an elevated heart rate and slightly heavy breathing. Her armor hadn’t even been touched yet. 

She was growing impatient though. If she didn’t push the two, they may try to incrementally increase the strength of their attacks instead of going all out. She needed to get them to drop all reservations.

‘A small flash shouldn’t reveal too much.’

Drawing upon her mana, she increased the amplifications she was giving her body and waited for the right moment. It came when she feigned a small retreat, goading both into striking. Then, like a bolt of lightning, she snapped her wrist forward as she contorted her body to avoid the two simultaneous slashes. Her staff shot forward, the tip of it morphing into a spear head. It didn’t make direct contact though, only slicing the side of Inferno. Just where she wanted it to go.

All three of them pulled back to observe the situation. The tip of Yuki’s staff went back to being blunt, but she knew that the staff’s true abilities were already revealed. Inferno touched his ribs, his fingers becoming stained from the blood leaking out of the cut. 

The two exchanged a few looks before Inferno sighed and gave Whirlwind a small nod. 

“You’re quite stubborn, I’ll give you that,” he said to Yuki. “I don’t have much time though.”

Yuki didn’t reply and merely watched. The two began to shimmer as mana filled the air around them. The field of wind and flames around them flared stronger, covering everything in blue flames. 

Then the two disappeared from vision. Or almost disappeared. Behind her helmet, Yuki blinked, her pupils becoming slits as she brought out her dragon eyes. The world around her became vibrant as everything came into focus. The illusion of flames faded away to reveal their true identity of mana. The wind, too, became merely mana. 

And somewhere in the sea of magical energy, Yuki saw two masses zooming toward her. They were too dense to be the flames and winds of the domain around her. 

‘Try me,’ she thought.

Taking up a stance, she began to dance about the battlefield. Inferno and Whirlwind periodically materialized to attack her, but she twisted and twirled away from every strike. 

Along with the two elves now in their elemental forms, she contended with attacks of a magical nature that were hidden within the domain around her. Fountains of heat and gales of razor sharp winds came after her, but she saw them all and ignored them. Her armor was made for a reason.

To her satisfaction, as the battle dragged on and the two elves were unable to land any meaningful attacks, they seemed to become more and more angry. Their attack patterns became increasingly aggressive and sloppy as they did what they could to hit her. 

Yuki knew why. Their mana was draining at a fast rate. If they didn’t act soon, they would lose just from exhaustion. That meant something big was coming. Something she needed to prepare herself for.

The moment came when the two elves finally pulled back and reformed a few yards away from her. She didn’t bother going after them, deciding to stand still and watch. 

This time, Inferno didn’t even bother to speak to her. Instead, he began to chant, calling upon the rest of his mana as Whirlwind began chanting beside him. Yuki listened to their spell intently, trying to piece together what was coming. It clicked a few words in. It was an explosion. A massive one. Centered at where she stood. 

Without moving, she began her own spell, whispering the words beneath her breath. She buried it beneath the ground, hiding the magic circle from view. At the same time, she began wrapping her armor in another spell. 

She finished her incantation half a second before the two elves finished theirs. When she sensed the sudden influx of mana around her, she activated both of her spells at once. 

Everything around her became white as air itself was ripped apart and she shut her eyes. The protective spell she infused her armor with strained at the intense heat that ate away at it, threatening to melt it into a liquid pool of metal. She held her breath as well, knowing that if she tried to inhale, she would only be met with nothing. 

After what felt like an eternity, the mana drain from her spells went away and she opened her eyes. The ground she stood on was scorched to nothing, the grass destroyed and the earth becoming glazed like glass. But the destruction only extended out a few feet from her.

‘The barrier worked,’ she thought. ‘Good.’

She hit the armor she wore, the entire thing cracking and falling to the ground in pieces. The strain was too much for it. Her staff would be worthless now too as it was just a pool of metal now. But her body was completely fine save for a slight drain on her mana reserves.

The two elves before her were a different story. With her dragon eyes, she saw that they were almost drained. Whirlwind looked at her with equal parts shock and fear while Inferno wore a mask devoid of anything. 

“Is that all?” Yuki asked, a small grin spreading across her lips. Her canines revealed themselves, much sharper than normal teeth. “I was hoping for more.”

The two didn’t reply and only raised their swords.

“Oh well. I guess it’s my turn.”