<h4>Chapter 43: Devil''s Return</h4>


    "Now, since you''re so impatient, let me demonstrate the true essence of magic." Ray''s once joyful smile transformed into a stern, cold expression. He brought his hands together and began chanting.


    "Terrain Activation."


    As he uttered these words, a subtle shockwave of magic rippled through the ground. Soon, golden lines reappeared on the floating chunks of rock. Within seconds, the rocks began to radiate heat, transitioning from brown to an ominous ck.


    The golden lines on the zing ck rocks resembled a scene from a volcanic eruption. Freya, bewildered by this sudden turn of events, felt the temperature in the arena steadily rise.


    Everyone present, including Freya herself, was awestruck by this disy of magic. It was as if they had been transported to an entirely different realm. She bit her lip, sensing the ever-increasing heat. Desperation fueled her as she poured all her magic power into reinforcing her protective water barrier.


    In less than a minute, a thinyer of water materialized from the air, enveloping Freya in a bubble. This makeshift barrier shielded her from the searing heat. However, Ray merely chuckled as he casually strolled towards the opposite end of the arena.


    "Your water barrier is indeed formidable," Ray admitted, pausing his steps to address Freya. She strained to maintain the barrier''s integrity, channeling all her magic into strengthening it.


    "But the key w remains: your barrier is still vulnerable to physical attacks," Ray elucidated, adopting abat stance andunching himself towards the nearest rock chunk, primed for a punch.


    "No way..." Ben''s eyes widened in disbelief as he recalled a simr situation from his previous battle with Ray.


    "Freya, RUN!" Ben''s voice rang out, his body posed to leap into the arena, but it was futile. Ray had already initiated his move.


    With all his might, Ray unleashed a punch at the first rock chunk. On impact, the rocky mass exploded into countless small projectiles of searing stones, which struck adjacent rocks and ignited them in session.


    It was reminiscent of Ray''s battle with Ben, where he punched an earth wall with a fire punch, releasing a barrage of ming rocks toward his opponent. However, this time, the zing stones continued to collide with other chunks, triggering a relentless chain reaction.


    In an instant, over a thousand miniature ming projectiles hurtled towards Freya, their velocity nearly imperceptible to human eyes.


    "Activate Ability: Wind Walk," Ben chanted as he leaped into the arena. In response, his brown shoes blink twice, and two silver lines materialize on them, resembling delicate feathers.


    As Ben entered the arena, the entire arena became a relentless maelstrom of explosions, each st hurtling toward Freya with even greater intensity than before. It was as if the entire battleground was engulfed in a storm of golden sparks, the deafening cacophony threatening to overwhelm the senses.


    Freya, her eyes wide open as she beheld the colossal onught bearing down on her, cautiously moved forward. Her hands trembled uncontrobly as she watched her water barrier disintegrate before the onught, much like a cotton nt torn asunder by a fierce gale.


    Within a matter of seconds, the searing heat began to seep through her skin. Tiny particles of sparks danced across her flesh, their minuscule forms piercing through her epidermis. There was no time for blood to flow; her life shed before her eyes.


    "Humanity is feeble, inherentlycking in magical prowess." These words had been etched into the core of her being and drilled into her consciousness countless times. Over time, she had cultivated a sense of superiority due to her half-elf heritage, believing herself to be superior to the likes of mere humans.


    Yet here she was, unable to withstand a spell from a human. Is she even weaker than humans? Is that why her n despised her? Was there even any point in seeking revenge? Was there any point in trying to change the world?


    What if she is a lowlife, not fit to be in her n? What if her n was right from the very beginning?


    Doubts and questions swirled within her mind, gnawing at her self-assured fa?ade. She could sense her motivation waning, like a light dimming in the encroaching darkness. The deeper she sank into this abyss of uncertainty, the harder it became to breathe. Perhaps surrender was the only answer.


    Darkness closed in as she abandoned her will, her body plummeting towards the unforgiving ground. Just as she was about to sumb to the relentless barrage, a hand reached out to save her.


    With his augmented speed, Ben managed to reach her just in the nick of time. Gritting his teeth, he hugged her tightly, bracing for the impending impact. For Ben, while the attack was swift, it was not fatal; he could easily mend his wounds using his vampire abilities. But for Freya, the oue might not be so forgiving.


    Ben hugged her tightly and greeted her with his teeth, preparing for the damage. But suddenly, he felt a strange pressure in the arena. It was a sensation all too familiar to him, reminiscent of the ominous presence he had felt at the Devil Tree.


    Ben''s eyes widened, his heart pounding as he lifted his gaze. Both he and Freya were enveloped by a protective cocoon of purple mes. These mes were gentle enough to feel like a soothing balm, gradually mending his wounds, yet they zed with an intensity capable of incinerating anything that dared to approach.


    Thousands of burning stones were hurled toward them, but despite the onught of a myriad of fiery projectiles, none could breach the barrier forged by the blue mes. Each particle disintegrated into nothingness upon contact with the azure inferno.


    Ben''s gaze shifted, and as he looked at Freya in her hands, there was a strange but sharp smile on her face. With the same purple eyes meeting his gaze, Ben heard those words that were being forced to be engraved on his soul.


    <strong>"YOU OWE ME ONE, DEMON."</strong>


    The arena crackled with countlessrge and small sts; it was a tornado of mes dancing in the air. Unable to see what was within and beyond it, the purple mes continued to shield Ben and Freya from the relentless assault.