Beyond the Boundaries

Lily held on tightly as the flames consumed Fai's hand at an accelerated rate. Her eyes darted around frantically, searching for any way to stop the madness, but her attempts were nothing more than desperate.

"Shit!" Fai shouted angrily as he tried to control the flames on his hand. He had no choice but to try and push her away with the helmet in his grasp.

She screamed.

Boom! The massive fireball slammed into the helmet, causing a violent explosion with fiery sparks and thick smoke. The red-hot helmet deformed into a molten mass, melting horribly in front of everyone's eyes.

"Ssssss..." Fai smelled the unmistakable scent of burning flesh and felt the sting of intense pain. His hand was suffering from burns that escalated faster than he could process.

All he cared about was getting rid of the melted helmet that had stuck to his hand. Desperately, he tried to let go, but the burned skin on his inner palm caused him to wince in agony as he took a quick step back.

"Damn it!" Fai whispered angrily as the searing pain almost overwhelmed him. He screamed internally while trying to minimise the damage, but he knew time was running out.

At that moment, Fai didn't give Ryan a chance to retaliate and hurled another fireball straight at his chest. The ball was fast, blazing hot, but Ryan, though in a precarious position, miraculously dodged it. However, the air around him almost exploded from the heat.

"Minister, stop, please!" Lily pleaded with tears in her eyes, begging him to stop attacking Ryan.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Fai snarled. "I'll punish that wretch first, then I'll deal with you after I enjoy his defeat!" His raspy voice was filled with contempt as his frown deepened.

Ryan seized the moment, rushing to find new armour to block the incoming attacks. But his attempt was futile—Fai was too fast. Fireballs rained down from all directions, causing the steel armour to melt like burning paper before Ryan's eyes.

"Damn you, you fat pig!" Ryan shouted angrily, his face glowing with determination. "Come and face me without your magic, and you'll see who will be defeated!"

Fai's eyes glimmered with sparks as he raised his hand. He toyed with magic as if it were a simple plaything, but he was clearly plotting something far more dangerous.

"You'll see what I'll do now!" Fai muttered, focusing his energy. A colossal fireball began forming in his hands, larger than any he had ever conjured before. It burned with an intense orange and red glow, aimed directly at Ryan.

Bam!

At the critical moment, as the fireball hurtled toward Ryan, Lily suddenly leapt in front of the attack, sacrificing herself to protect him. Her tear-filled eyes reflected her unwavering resolve, and she didn't back down.

At a moment when all seemed lost, Ryan's reaction was instinctive. Without hesitation, he grabbed Lily and pulled her behind him, shielding her with his own body. He gave Fai his back, placing Lily in temporary safety.

"Shit! I'm going to die!" Ryan whispered to himself, feeling helpless against the overwhelming force threatening his life and those he cared for.

But then, unexpectedly, something extraordinary occurred.

Boo!

A gigantic hand, brimming with extraordinary strength, appeared out of nowhere. It grasped the fireball as if it were nothing, its immense power absorbing the blazing flames like a mere breeze. The fireball vanished abruptly, leaving everyone stunned and speechless.

Ryan, who had resigned himself to an inevitable end, froze. His eyes locked onto the massive hand, disbelief etched across his face as he tried to comprehend the miraculous turn of events.