"I have to say, you're stronger than I thought."
Cineris hooked a finger beneath her chin and laughed, the corner of her mouth lifting as her eyes narrowed in playful mockery.
Theo stood motionless in the gloom, resolve hardening in his chest. He gripped his sword, extended his arms, and dropped into the Central Plains stance—ready to avenge his fallen comrades.
Then—
He surged forward in a heartbeat, a flash of steel—and came face‑to‑face with her.
Cineris didn't even blink. She watched the arc of his strike with cold precision. In one fluid motion, she summoned an ice sword, its blade etched with shimmering snowflake patterns.
Their weapons met with an earth‑shaking crash:
CLING—KBOOM.
The force shattered Cineris's sword in a shower of crystalline shards.
Theo's momentum faltered under the impact—and before he could recover, Cineris pivoted with brutal grace, sweeping her leg into his gut.
A sharp crack echoed through the clearing as he was thrown backward.
He landed on his feet a few meters away, breath ragged. One hand flew to his side—his armor had split, the metal bent, the seam gaping. He looked up, meeting Cineris's icy gaze, and managed a nod.
"You're formidable, Miss—I'll give you that."
His voice was calm, almost cordial, as he stepped forward, shoulders squared, cape billowing behind him.
"You're quite the remarkable knight, Miss Cineris."
Regret flickered across his features.
"Shame you're on the wrong side."
He shrugged, as if shaking off the conflict tearing at his heart.
"You'd make an excellent knight—that, I'll admit."
Then his tone hardened—steel threading through every word.
"That's all you have?"
With that, he raised his sword—this time striking with the true force of a warrior who had finally chosen to fight for something more than vengeance.
Cineris looked toward the approaching Theo.
Even through the helmet, his expression was unmistakable: calm—yet coiled with restrained fury. His shoulders betrayed it with each step, shifting with a measured tension. His arms swung like pendulums of coiled wrath.
With every step, his presence grew heavier—more focused.
He gripped the hilt of his sword—
And in an instant, he struck.
A diagonal arc—so fast only a blur remained in its wake.
Cineris chuckled under her breath, eyes gleaming. She swung her icy sword to meet his—now sturdier than before.
Their swords clashed in a resounding CLANG, her strike mirroring his with effortless precision.
Then—
She slashed again. Diagonal.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Each cut left a streak of snowy light in the air.
Each strike, Theo parried.
The corner of her mouth lifted.
"So you're better than I thought", she mused.
Her grin vanished. She lunged—a brutal downward strike that met his blade with a bone-rattling crash.
Their swords collided again, the force rattling his arms.
Then—with one fluid leap—she vanished into the darkness.
Theo held his stance, breath steady, eyes sharp. Watching. Waiting.
A flicker—
Then dozens. Hundreds.
Pale blue lights ignited in the gloom, spreading like frost in the night.
Then—
SHH-KRRR!
A storm of icy shards exploded from the shadows, screaming toward him.
Theo's sword became a blur, steel flashing with every parry:
CLANG! CLINK! SKRRRACK!
Frozen splinters scattered with each deflection. His arms trembled under the strain.
The shards came faster. Sharper. Louder.
SKRRR—SKKSHHH—KRANG!
His breath hitched. He was locked in rhythm—parry, pivot, deflect.
Then—
WOSHHHHHHH!
An unnatural wind howled past.
From the blue glow emerged something massive—a colossal blade of ice, ten times his size, inscribed with intricate snowflake patterns.
It spiraled toward him like divine judgment.
Theo roared and swung.
SHRR-BOOOOM!
The ice shattered in a cascade of light and frost.
He staggered, breath ragged.
What was that?
From the swirling dust, a figure burst forward—
Cineris.
Her sword came down. Fast. Precise.
Theo twisted—barely in time.
SKK–BOOOM!
The impact thundered across the field. Her blade shattered again—but the shockwave sent Theo flying.
THHRRKK! THHRRKK! THHRRKK!
He bounced across the stone, armor shrieking with every brutal impact.
He skidded to a halt—far from her.
Pain screamed through his ribs. But he rose.
Breathing hard, he looked down.
His armor had held—barely a scratch.
But his sword—
Cracked.
A deep split ran from hilt to edge.
His chest tightened.
His armor may be near invincible—but his sword wasn't.
And in this battle… one wrong swing could break it.
He exhaled, steadying his breath—
Then gripped the fractured sword tighter.
"I guess I didn't want to use this… but I need to," Theo muttered, his voice reluctant yet resolute.
With a swift motion, he pressed his index and middle fingers to the hilt of his sword, sliding them along its spine. Mana surged through the weapon, igniting its edge in a gleaming aura of power.
"Now," he said, eyes narrowing, "this won't end well for you."
His tone was calm—too calm. It carried a chilling nobility, an unnerving stillness before a coming storm.
Then—BOOM.
The ground ruptured beneath his feet as he launched forward, leaving a crater where he once stood. Water violently parted in his wake, erupting outward as he tore through the space between them.
In a blink, he was at Cineris's side, his aura sword slashing down in a sharp diagonal arc toward her chest.
"Seriously? An Aura Sword?" she thought, her eyes widening. She flinched, just barely leaping back in time to evade the blow. Her boots skidded across the wet stone.
"You're taking it seriously now?" she called out, smirking. "Then have fun."
But Theo didn't answer. He didn't even hear her. His mind was singularly focused—his movements relentless. He pressed forward again, his sword dancing through the air with ruthless precision. Left, right, left—each strike faster, harder, meant to break her guard.
Cineris parried them all, her icy sword ringing out with each impact. Sparks danced with every clash. The water beneath their feet rippled, then began to freeze as her eyes glowed with cold fury.
"Then have a taste of this!" she shouted, thrusting both hands downward.
In an instant, the water exploded into a jagged prison of deep blue ice, surrounding them.
Theo's breath hitched.
"Ugh—!" he groaned, as searing cold invaded his body. Ice crawled up his limbs, locking him in place, devouring the heat from his flesh. He struggled, but the frost was quick, relentless. His arms and legs turned a frozen shade of blue—he was trapped.
Cineris stepped forward, a smug grin on her face, thumb and finger playfully resting on her chin.
"What now, Mr. Invincible Knight?" she taunted.
CRACK.
A sharp noise, barely audible, echoed through the ice.
Her grin faltered. She instinctively jumped back, readying her stance.
"You're a monster," she whispered, a smirk appeared on her face , sweat tracing down the side of her cheek. "Even my brother couldn't break free from that…"
Theo's body trembled. Then, without a word, he shattered the ice around his arms in an explosive burst of power. His hands reached down, gripping the frozen chains on his legs. With a crushing squeeze, he smashed them into shards.
Steam hissed from his body as his mana flared.
He rose slowly, eyes locked onto her, sword glowing brighter than before. The air around him pulsed with raw energy.
"Is that all?" he asked, his voice low, deadly calm.