A small section of the arena floor was thrust into the air by erupting magma, trailing black smoke. The Witch spun lightly to dodge the flying rubble. She moved with astonishing speed, snatching up Salomon in an instant and leaping onto the arena's circular wall.
The Arcanist knew that he might not be able to help much in this battle. The power of the Fortitudo angel was beyond his reach for now, and he was aware that he would only be a burden. Still, Salomon did what he could. He took out the lipstick and handed it to Bayonetta, then tore open a scroll and cast the spell written on it upon the Witch.
"You're so thoughtful." Feeling the magical field surround her, the Witch blew Salomon a kiss, then casually shoved him off the wall and sent him away from the battlefield. That height was nowhere near enough to kill him.
The Witch held her long blade and stared at the enormous angel clinging to the stone wall like a hawk.
"Come on, feather-face!"
Orange-red flames suddenly filled the sky above the arena, as though hydrogen mixed with air had been ignited. A flash of blinding light vanished in an instant, and the violent explosion even destroyed part of the stone wall that had endured to this day. Then the entire arena seemed to become a bucket filled with water—except it was filled with magma. The massive stone-brick floor was blasted into the air by immense pressure, while the excess lava rushed joyfully through the arena exits like a river.
The spell Salomon had cast was suited for precisely this situation. It was a protective spell commonly used against extreme heat: "Resistance to Energy Damage: Fire." Though only a second-circle spell, it was extraordinarily cost-effective, allowing Bayonetta to ignore