"The world has seen such suffering," said Eve. "No one hero can undo centuries of systemic subjugation, cleanse all minds of prejudice, and change the world. Not anymore."

  "What are you talking about?" As she spoke, Erina floated an orb and multiplied it into a cloud at her back.

  "You understand nothing. Rot." Thin trails of flame engraved a shallow ring around Eve. Consuming the roots around her, they roared into a blaze and then transformed, hue shifting from hot orange to unnatural blood red.

  Erina dodged away as a serpentine dragon of pure hellfire arced over and crashed down, waves of red flame dispersing over the earth and withering the grass. Her cloud opened fire alongside the butterflies, perforating the next infernal constructs and striking roots and gems that blocked their aim towards her enemy.

  "Goukei… 'War' was a breakthrough." Eve sheathed her blade and walked to the side, every step slow and deliberate as jets of red flame and streaks of green energy flew back and forth. "That power is meant to mold the future, preventing needless bloodshed. I claimed the gift to incite war and used it to stave off conflict."

  Erina motioned upwards and a dense emerald bush blocked Eve's jets of flame. Sweat rolled down the side of her face as she gestured wildly. The cloud multiplied further and then half of it compacted into one shining bolt. That bolt became a small array and came to Erina, splitting into a small orbit of powerful bullets ready to fire at a moment's notice.

  "There is war," said Erina over the roaring flame. "How can you claim that when history is filled with conflict? What kind of ruler can you claim to be?"

  "Break."

  The earth shifted. Twin jaws of dark rock breached the surface and clamped, shattering Erina's cover and themselves. She rolled away from the all-consuming jet of hellfire, three concentrated beams of light ripping across the battlefield in return.

  "Exactly," said Eve. Her blade swung three times, each strike guiding an orchestra of ten. The lasers bent and peeled away into empty air. "A frog cannot hope to fly just as a bird cannot burrow. One's nature—the experiences and evolution that led to their present—cannot change. Using War, I have guided the world and seen."

  The jets of flame ceased. One immense plume molded itself into a vast flaming scythe, held by a massive invisible hand amidst the howling winds.

  "This foul, miserable world of injustice and suffering… The history you have known is the best case scenario." Eve's voice dripped with contempt. "Harvest."

  Erina stopped in her tracks as the giant scythe arced away and then around in a massive low swing, brandished to reap. A magic seal flashed at her feet as the katana formed in her grip. Barely in time, she drew her sword in a vast emerald arc with an earsplitting din of tearing metal.

  The infernal construct's blade broke and dispersed. The hard impact that should have harvested Erina became a wall of withering hellfire washing over her.

  "Flow," ordered Eve.

  The flames became grit. A sandstorm battered Erina and then she found herself enclosed in it completely. Eve's arm was extended, the sand molded into a fist mimicking her own as she lifted Erina into the air in her crushing grip.

  "This world is a dead end." Eve's voice rang out over the battlefield—calm, clear, commanding. "There is no future of lasting prosperity ahead of you."

  The hand flung Erina down to splatter—

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  A triple-layered arresting array slowed Erina's fall to a hard but bearable impact. Her stomach felt like it dropped fifty feet through the ground on its own. A shimmering spear formed in her grip as she rose, fearful and determined green eyes rising with her to meet the falling fist.

  The moment the spear left her hand, the sand changed again. A wave of heat and her spear collided with glass, shattering it into an upwards spray of hundreds of pieces amidst the branches of lightning.

  "What a sad fate. What a cruel fate." Eve twisted her wrist. "Impale."

  The glass shards became opaque and darkened. Bits of metal clumped together and warped, the spray of the shattered fist condensing into a hovering armory of spears. They hung in the air, light glinting off their tips pointing straight down.

  Erina's eyes went wide, and she took cover under her hexagram barrier.

  The spears fell like orbital strikes, unbreakable rods effortlessly splitting the earth and burying themselves deep into the emerald underneath. Erina's barrier rang in her ears with the sound of dozens of new layers forming and shattering with every impact.

  Gritting her teeth, Erina threw her other hand out and quickly drew a seal at her feet. The distortion field activated, delaying the deadly shower above her until she could escape.

  Her lungs seared with every breath. Her heart slammed itself against the inside of her ribs. Erina felt her pulse pounding in the back of her head as sweat rolled down her face.

  Overwhelming. Spoken incantation, too, was another medium of spellcasting, aside from Erina's preferred ritual motions. But the Great Witch only ever needed one word for every element—and that one word delivered the power of a mage who spent a lifetime honing just that one element.

  Eve finished her gentle walk to the edge of the platform. She extended her hand to the flock of glowing butterflies, allowing one to rest on her finger. As far as she was concerned, Erina's toy was exactly as dangerous as a real butterfly.

  "I reject this end," said Eve. "If this world denies humanity its happiness, then it is the world that is wrong."

  "That's not…" Erina's voice was a hoarse whisper. She wheezed for breath, rocking where she stood. The way Eve stood there, Erina's weapon resting on her finger, waiting for her to catch her breath, almost hurt Erina more than any punishment she'd taken yet. "People can still be happy. You don't have a place to decide that for them."

  "You think in the framework of a mortal." Eve twitched her hand and let the bug flutter away. "And what of the others of this world? Those who suffer beyond your own eye's view? Will you condemn them for your so-called happiness? Why do you insist on suffering?"

  "That is the place of gods—"

  The instant that word left her mouth, Eve shouted, "What gods?! Radiance!"

  The stars flared blinding and Erina's consciousness faltered. She became aware she was on her side in the dirt, every muscle in her body groaning in pain. Bright green ether stained her and the dirt around her. Every breath was another hot spike in her chest. The gentle pressure of her own head's weight on the earth felt like the earth was kicking her in the head.

  She forced herself upright, only to crumple to her knees again. Hot pain flared up with every part of her that tried to move.

  A gigantic ornate sword of pure light hovered over her. Carved runes lined its glowing blade. Wielded by an invisible force, it reached all the way from the ground to the inner bands of the vast armillary sphere surrounding them. One swipe covered the entire battlefield, thousands of tons of steel brandished as swiftly as any normal counterpart and carrying all the incredible force necessary to move itself with terrifying might.

  "Do you think the gods are listening?" said Eve. "They are not. If the gods will not answer, it falls to humanity to act in their place. Again, you are fleeing your responsibilities!"

  Erina's legs burned and trembled under her weight. They gave out, and Erina fell to the earth once more with a pained grunt.

  Eve flicked her hand. The massive sword of light flipped over and embedded itself in the floor with a deep crack, shaking the arena. "Stand."

  Erina got halfway up from her knees before tipping over—and then her katana met the ground, stopping her fall. Erina rested her weight on it for support, shaking as she struggled to her feet. The cold wind moaned as she fought to regain control of her body. Pushing off from her katana, she balanced her weight on her feet until she no longer wobbled, panting for air as she held Eve's gaze.

  "Your life has no purpose," said Eve. "And without purpose, you are nothing. I see the fear in your eyes. Now you have begun to understand: I am not fighting you. This was never a battle to begin with."

  Erina listed to one side. The katana vanished, replaced with her spear to better keep her standing.

  Eve raised her sheathed blade and drew just one inch from the scabbard. Blades of wind lashed out, cutting gales dispelling all of Erina's lingering butterflies. Eve's emerald eyes were nothing but cold and severe as Fragarach returned to the sheath with a click of finality.

  "This is a lesson."