The instant the fire bees' assault let up, Mai Shiranui plunged from the air!
At some point, she had formed a long blade of dark red, molten-gold flame in her hand.
It was no solid weapon, but a mass of highly compressed flame energy. Pale fire danced along its edge!
"Flying Squirrel Dance!"
The flaming blade carved a vicious arc straight toward 2B's head!
The strike carried enough cutting force to cleave steel, along with a strange attack that mingled soul-scorching cold with searing heat!
2B dropped her shield in an instant, and the Eternal Flame on her right arm changed shape again.
It extended from a round shield, gathered together, and became a sword of pale flame, simple in design but brimming with power!
CLANG!
It was not the sound of metal striking metal, but an eardrum-splitting blast born from the violent collision of two extraordinary flames!
The dark red, molten-gold blade locked against the pale one. Blinding light and chaotic currents of energy burst from their point of contact, as though a tiny sun had been born between them!
The testing ground cracked outward from where they stood, and the energy-dampening field sounded a shrill alarm!
A pure contest of strength!
Mai Shiranui's flaming blade was heavy and uncanny, carrying the corrosive power of Hellfire and the explosive force of her own chakra.
2B's sword of Eternal Flame was steady and fierce, driven by an undying will to burn and a machine's precise, immense strength.
The deadlock lasted only an instant.
2B's left arm shot forward like lightning. Her fingers spread, and a tiny sphere of pale flame formed in her palm, spinning at tremendous speed!
"Annihilation Pulse!"
She fired at point-blank range!
Mai Shiranui's pupils contracted!
Her honed combat instincts drove her to react in a thousandth