The samurai had expanded his attack. The rain of lightning arrows was devastating, any single one that struck an unprotected target would surely deal grievous injury at best.

However---

The fight was nearing its end. Now left with only the onna-bushi as an ally, who herself was being attacked from multiple angles, the samurai had chosen to try and saturate the ruins with as many arrows as possible.

Arisa sucked in a deep breath.

"Ifrit!"

The blade raised back over her shoulder. Her grip tightened as she sent magical energy surging down her arms. She finally had a window of direct attack.

The heat passed through her fingetips, surging as leaping flames up Ifrit's wide, heavy blade, coating the weapon in fire. It grew brighter, casting a brilliant red-white glow across the ruined mansion as it surged upwards into the night sky and singed the crumbling wood behind her.

Gather it. Compress it. Concentrate it. Lock it as tightly to the blade as possible.

The leaping flames constricted and grew denser, hugging the shape of the enormous sword as they did. Despite it being fire generated from her own mana, Arisa could feel the heat washing over her body.

Tighter. Tighter.

She had to make sure she could reach the target in a single motion, or else she'd risk being struck by the arrows. There wasn't any defending to be done like this.

A single, final, decisive blow.

That's what she had to achieve.

In almost the same instant as Agent Amano fired his pistol---

"[i]Release![/i]"

The surging inferno exploded behind Arisa, turning a swathe of the ruined mansion to ash in an instant and leaving nothing further to burn.

The explosion of heat and sound sent the redheaded Agent rocketing forward, her feet leaving the ground as she hurtled directly for the samurai. She finally had an opening. She finally had a moment to prepare.

And finally---!

Ifrit slammed downwards, tearing through the air and trailing fire as it tore a path right for the ghostly warrior---!