The two faced each other. Albert held a smirk upon his lips as his wings flapped above the crimson well of mana and Claire's expression was frozen. Realizing he did not plan to willingly pull Alice back to her, she spoke to her companions.

"Could you guys try to get Alice out? I'll take care of him."

The demon tilted its head.

"Who says I'll let you?"

Its wings flapped and, in the next moment, he was before Claire, a fist glowing red as he punched.

An explosion ripped apart a wall of ice and revealed a chunk in the girl's place.

Claire slashed down from atop.

Her blade met the scrapping of claws as a spark spasmed into the air. Still, it found its way into a hand and lounged itself there. Frost momentarily chilled across red skin but, then, a blaze of flames rose upon his body, burning her ice away.

Albert grinned, "Girl, you're not the only one who is overpowered."

It spun and kicked.

Flames spewed alongside an explosion that rocked Claire's world and sent her flying. She crashed against a tree, the air falling out of her lungs, as ice fell besides her.

She had offset the attack with a shield of ice but, still, blinking, she realized the demon was headed for her.

"Damn. . ." Via muttered as the two began their battle. "So. . .does anyone know how to get her out?"

The ground exploded and Claire rolled from it.

As she ran, ice spears wallowed around her and shot between trees, trailing a demon and drilling for him.

"Do you think this is enough to destroy a sin of pride?" Two fists clashed together, creating a blazing roar that ripped apart her creation.

Appearing within the mass of shattered spears, Claire pierced her weapon forward.

"I don't care."

A gigantic, rotating, spear of ice met a fist and an explosion occurred, sending flames and chunks flying. The giant trees of the forest of illusion crashed down wherever they passed. A slew of fire and ice intertwining.

"Fool, as long as the sun shines, I'll never run out of mana to fuel my flames! Mine is a forever burning pride!"

Claire decided she ought to finish this fight while he still gloated. A platform of ice appeared below her, stopping her fall, and she placed a hand upon his figure as her Mana enveloped him.

In the next instant, both stood within a world of endless snow.

He looked around, slack jawed.

"Where is this. . ?" He asked.

"My world," She replied.

Surprisingly, flames still existed upon his person. After she checked his status, and saw the skill <Sun Blazer>, she realized he had been literal with his boasting.

Yet, she didn't care. In her world, her stats raised by one, all S rank, save for her strength, as she, momentarily, stepped into a higher rank. And, here, she wielded her powers with no cost to her mana.

"Really? Your world? It matters not," He chuckled as his body lit aflame and his fist glowed red. "I've seen how you fight, Claire, you can't win against me. You may be strong but the Sin of Pride is overpowered as long as the sun shines."

The sky was dyed the red of flames with his punch.

A swirl of flakes spun around the Ice Queen, ice below her feet, she faced his coming fist.

"You call yourself overpowered? Don't make me laugh."

A storm of snow swirled around her blade as she raised it into the air.

"This, is overpowered."

She slashed down.

His flames extinguished.

The entire Glacial World worked for her, snow blanketing through his torrent of a blaze and snuffed the explosion with a flurry. Then, out of that, came a blade of ice, crystallized till its extreme, baring down with a slash.

"You—wh—who are you!?"

His howl of pain rang in her ears as her weapon ripped through his fist, his arm, then teared into his body. The blood spewed onto her but she continued until <Loki> sliced him into two.

"I'm the fairy of this game of yours."

The halves of his body dropped from the sky and snow crawled upon them. As crimson snowflakes fluttered away, removing blood from Claire's figure, the Sin of Pride became the second corpse buried, forever, in her world.

It was the first time she had killed another sentient being, Claire thought, but she felt no emotion for his departed figure. She did not have time for such a thing. Instead, her mind went to Alicia as her figure flickered out of her world.

". . .it's over, just like that?" Via asked as soon as she appeared from amidst broken trees.

"Just like that."

Claire stepped in front of the crimson pool and looked to see a sleeping Alice.

"I'm supposing you guys couldn't pull her out?"

"We tried," Verra replied.

"Yup, it rejected us," Allen added.

When she looked to the others and they nodded, Claire frowned, mind spinning. Then, she gnashed her teeth.

'I'm not losing her. That's one isekai plot I don't want.'

She jumped into the mana well.

———

A familiar darkness surrounded Alicia Fraught. Cold and consuming, it brought back memories of chains and time eternal. She did not want to be there. She wanted to be anywhere but there.

Roaring filled her ears and the world gained light. She blinked her crimson eyes, opened them, and before her stood an army of beasts. From demons to demonic creatures, it was an army of thousands under a red sky.

"My lord," Seven figures said in unison, kneeling, heads bowed at the forefront of the gathered soldiers.

"Please lead your army."

Alicia Fraught felt a kinship with these demonic creatures. An old familiarity she was previously unaware of burned at her heart.

"Who are you. . ?" She asked, head tilting. "Who am I. . ?"

They raised their heads.

"We are your sins," They spoke in unison.

"This is your army."

A shudder rang through the vampire as memories sped forth. Around her, crimson mana danced widely as the roaring of an army continued.

"You are our Demon Lord!"

Once, she had led an army to destroy this world. In a first life, she had been the hand of death. A tool to a God seeking to break it all apart. For when there was creation, there was also destruction.

'That is my role. . .' She realized as her first life became clear.

She took a step forward.

A hand grasped hers.

Alicia's footsteps faltered and she turned to see Claire, standing before her.

"There you are," The Ice Queen spoke, the coldness of her skin seeping into Alicia's warmth.

"What demon lord nonsense? Come with me, Alice. You're my partner."

The world shattered.