Even as Reyon's Vector Field shimmered around him, the relentless barrage of lightning strikes battered his barrier. The continuous onslaught was so numerous and intense that even applying σ wasn't enough to counter every bolt. Each thunderous impact chipped away at the protective shield, leaving cracks that glowed with residual energy. Berth's relentless assault forced him to pour his own mana into maintaining his advanced spells, and it was clear that even he was beginning to tire.
Finally, with a bitter laugh of frustration, Berth's spell began to wane. "Haa—just who are you?" he bellowed, his voice echoing with both incredulity and rage. "You brat! Not even a spell this strong can leave a scratch on you! Are you not going to attack, or are you merely trying to drain my mana by defending?"
Reyon's eyes flashed with defiant amusement as he answered coolly, "Yeah, you're right, Berth. But aren't you ashamed—unable to kill a 5th-circle mage even when you unleash your most advanced spells?"
The taunt ignited a deeper fury in Berth. "Aaah, Reyon! I will make sure to end you with my ultimate!" With that, he gathered every ounce of his remaining mana, channeling it into a single, devastating spell: Hellfire Storm.
In an instant, a raging tempest of black and red flames, reminiscent of infernal fires from the depths of hell, coalesced and surged toward Reyon. The storm was an unholy maelstrom, a fusion of raw destructive power that promised to turn anything it touched to ash. In response, Reyon's eyes narrowed in determination.
With the precision, Reyon bolstered his Vector Field—this time more concentrated than ever before—and employed σ four times through the Ring of Ferica. The combined power of his enhancements weakened the Hellfire Storm, but it still roared toward his shield like an unyielding tidal wave.
The moment of collision was cataclysmic. As the raging inferno slammed into Reyon's fortified Vector Field, a colossal explosion rocked the battlefield. The force was so tremendous that even Berth, who had maintained some distance, was sent flying a few metres back by the shockwave. In the ensuing chaos, Berth's voice trembled as he murmured, "I don't know… it has become weaker… but still, with this much power, you should have turned me to ashes!"
His words carried a grudging respect amid his fury. "What a monster you are, Reyon," he growled under his breath. "It makes me believe the infamous strength of Leywin, the Phoenix, and Min Hee in the old stories. They were said to reach the strength of an 8th-circle mage in their twenties—more so, Leywin was said to be a 5th-circle mage possessing strength that surpassed even a 9th-circle. But looking at you, that must be true. What fearful talent you have."
As the dust slowly settled over the scarred battlefield, a faint silhouette emerged from the haze—a figure that made Berth's heart skip a beat. "C... could it be? You're still alive… even after my ultimate?" Berth stammered in disbelief, his voice quivering with both shock and anger. "It can't be! That was a fearsome spell!"
Reyon, catching his breath from the explosive collision, replied with a calm, almost nonchalant tone, "I nearly died to it, Berth. But here I am, still standing." His words dripped with both confidence and defiance.
Berth's eyes narrowed, burning with wrath. "You bastard—still standing without a single scratch! Are you mocking me?" His voice was raw with rage and disbelief, as if the very idea of his ultimate spell being negated was intolerable.
Despite the intensity of the moment, Reyon's composure remained unbroken. Yet he knew that the clash was far from over. The titanic collision had dissipated his Vector Field momentarily, leaving him vulnerable for an instant. In that pause, Reyon tapped deep into his reserves. With an almost instinctive command, he activated Omega and enhanced it with σ. Channeling all his remaining energy through the Ring of Ferica, he cast Blizzard—a 5th-circle spell that, when amplified, exhibited the might of an 8th-circle incantation. Absolute zero emanated from the swirling vortex of ice and wind, a chilling countermeasure to the Hellfire that still raged around them.
The combined forces of Reyon's enhanced Blizzard and his reestablished Vector Field clashed with Berth's Hellfire Storm. The inferno, though potent, was forced into retreat by the overwhelming power of the absolute zero and the seamless redirection provided by Reyon's vector magic.
"Is that it, Berth? Are you out of mana?" Reyon shouted over the cacophony of clashing elements. "Surrender now!"
But Berth's pride would not allow him to concede defeat so easily. "No!" he snarled. "I will go down with you then!" With that, Berth committed himself to a desperate, final gambit. He stabbed his wrist, letting his own blood spill onto the scorched ground. In a grisly display, he converted his spilled blood into a spell—a forbidden, life-draining incantation designed to extract every ounce of his remaining life force. His voice cracked with a mixture of defiance and despair as he screamed, "Reyon! With this spell, I will drain all my life force! Even if you are a peak 8th-circle mage, you cannot escape death if you face this!"
In that dire moment, Berth began to chant the incantation for Sea of Hellfire—a spell that would unleash a massive sea of hellfire, capable of consuming everything in its path. The ground trembled as dark, furious flames erupted beneath him, rapidly engulfing his form. The fiery sea roared to life, a living inferno that surged across the battlefield. It began by devouring Berth himself, reducing his once-mighty form to mere ashes, as the very definition of his ultimate power was fulfilled in a self-destructive crescendo.
Reyon, standing amidst the chaos, watched as the immense waves of hellfire roiled around him. The open field was transformed into a barren, smoldering wasteland—its former lush landscape now nothing more than ruins and scorched earth. The flames lapped hungrily at the edges of his Vector Field, threatening to overwhelm his carefully constructed barrier.