Noah saw their formation and imdiately understood their strategy.
Erza and Mirajane would handle close-quarters combat, while Ultear and Sorano would provide long-range support and cover. This plan was built on their individual strengths. While Erza and Mira both had ranged attacks, they truly excelled in a close-up brawl. Ultear and Sorano, on the other hand, were far more effective at a distance. This formation allowed each of them to fight at their absolute best, increasing their chances of victory.
In her Black-Wing Armor, Erza wielded dual swords, darting around Sitri like a hornet. She'd find an opening and strike hard, leaving another gash on the demon's body. But the wounds would barely bleed before they sealed themselves shut.
Mirajane was just as relentless, swooping around the demon and unleashing her own barrage. She had already tried her Darkness Magic, but the effect was minimal. Small blasts did nothing, and even larger ones just seed to annoy it. Sitri's natural resistance to dark magic was too high, and pouring more of her own magic into it was a waste of energy.
She didn't have Erza's sharp blades, but her Satan Soul gave her razor-sharp claws. She used them to full effect, looking for any chance to rake or punch the demon.
From a safe distance, Ultear used her Ice-Make magic, waiting for the perfect mont to freeze Sitri's hands and feet, immobilizing it. The ice would only hold for a second before the demon shattered it, but that second was all the others needed to land a few more solid hits.
The most effective attacks, however, were coming from Sorano. Her Angel of Sunlight's light-based magic dealt the most damage. Every beam of light that struck Sitri exploded violently, leaving a large, charred patch. And while the wound would still heal, it was clear that these attacks hurt.
Every ti Sorano's attack connected, Sitri would abandon its fight with the others and roar, charging straight for her. That's when the other three would intercept it, blocking its path while Sorano retreated. Once Sitri was forced to re-focus on them, Sorano would sneak back in for another shot.
After being blindsided by light magic several tis, Sitri was becoming visibly enraged.
Suddenly, it stopped moving. It completely ignored the attacks from Erza and Mirajane. The girls felt an imnse, terrifying pressure building from the demon.
"Get back! Now!" Ultear scread.
Erza and Mirajane didn't hesitate for a second, aborting their attacks mid-swing and pulling back.
The next instant, a cataclysmic wave of fire exploded from Sitri's body, erupting in all directions. It instantly incinerated everything in the vicinity, transforming the clearing into a raging sea of flas.
The mont the fire erupted, Ultear threw up a thick ice wall in front of them. It only held for a mont before the inferno vaporized it, but it was just long enough for them to escape the imdiate blast zone, regrouping far from the demon.
"It's so hot!" Sorano yelled, wiping the sweat from her brow. "We can't get close, but our long-range attacks aren't doing enough! What now? Ultear, can you put out those flas?"
Ultear rolled her eyes, exasperated. She cast a wide-area Ice-Make spell just to cool the air around them. "How am I supposed to suppress an inferno like that? You saw what it did to my wall. The best I can do is reduce the damage and block so of the heat."
"I can probably get close," Erza said, "but I don't know how long my armor can take it." As she spoke, she requipped into her Fla Emperor's Armor.
It was armor that offered powerful fire resistance, designed specifically for this kind of environnt. But as she looked at the ground near the demon, which was visibly lting and vaporizing from the heat, she wasn't so sure. They were already this far away, and the temperature was unbearable. Her armor only resisted fire; it didn't make her immune.
"I can't take that much heat," Mirajane said, shaking her head. Her Satan Soul enhanced her durability, but it wouldn't let her charge into a furnace. She suspected she'd be incinerated before she even got close.
"So, this is it," Ultear said calmly, staring at the inferno, the heat distorting the air. "We can't defeat it. Even with all four of us, we're still not strong enough."
The other three nodded grimly. They had given it their all, coordinated perfectly, and used all their skills. But the truth was, they were only doing superficial damage, just chipping away at its stamina.
The result wasn't unexpected. They knew this enemy was out of their league; they had co to test their limits. The fact that they'd made any progress was a victory in itself.
But as they looked at each other, they could see the sa unyielding fire in each other's eyes. They had co this far. They would land one final, all-out attack. Even if they failed, they would fail with no regrets.
"Mira, I need you to blast a path through the flas!" Ultear said, taking command. "I'll use everything I have to keep that path open and suppress the fire. Erza, you go through that path, hit it with your strongest attack, and get out! Sorano, you back her up with a full-power light attack! Got it?"
They all nodded, their resolve set, and began to gather their magic.
In the distance, the demon, Sitri, had already finished healing. It let out a deafening roar that echoed through the valley, staring at the four of them with undisguised malice.
Ultear and the others faced it, their expressions grim. This would be their last-ditch effort, their most powerful combined attack. After this, they'd have nothing left.
But they were wizards of Fairy Tail. And they would never, ever give up.
~~~
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