The air crackled with tension
The three of them stood facing the bald man, their stances firm, weapons drawn. Every muscle in their bodies was on edge.
Then, in an unexpected motion, the man calmly began removing his upper clothes, letting them fall onto the cold ground.
"The hell is he doing?" Amelia frowned.
Shirou glanced at him, then smirked. "Oh, nothing. She just said you had a great body."
"I did not say that!" Amelia snapped.
The man looked over and grinned. "Thanks for the compliment."
"There was no compliment!" she shouted back.
But the man's playful smile faded. His voice dropped into something low and serious.
"Name's Daito. I figured you should at least know who's going to kill you." He cracked his neck, stretching. "As for the clothes, I just don't want them to tear."
Amelia blinked. "Wait, what does that mean?"
Before she got her answer, she saw it.
With a sickening, squelching sound, five black tendrils erupted from Daito's back, twisting unnaturally like the limbs of some monstrous creature. Each one ended in a sharp point, writhing as if alive.
The air thickened. The tendrils moved like whips, and with a sudden burst, they shot forward toward the trio.
Elliot reacted first. "Ice Release: Frozen Bastion!"
A towering wall of jagged ice surged upward between them and the tendrils. They slammed into the barrier with a loud crack, piercing through but slowing slightly.
"Shirou! Amelia! Split up!" Elliot commanded.
Shirou darted right, lightning crackling at his feet. Amelia veered left, moving with a dancer's grace
One of the tendrils curled toward Amelia.
"You're the weak link," Daito sneered.
Amelia raised her hand, calm despite the threat.
"Hollow Pulse!"
A ripple of invisible energy burst out from her palm. It struck the tendril mid-air, halting it just enough for her to twist away, narrowly dodging the attack.
At the same moment, Elliot and Shirou charged toward Daito from opposite sides.
"Ice Release: Ice Prison!" Elliot shouted.
Thick ice formed around Daito's feet, aiming to trap him—but the tendrils shattered it within seconds.
The black limbs whipped toward Elliot.
"Ice Release: Avalanche!"
A wave of jagged, ice-covered spikes rose to intercept, crashing against the tendrils and slowing them just long enough.
"Ice Release: Frostbite!"
Cold energy surged into the tendrils that were still in contact, locking them in place—but only for a second.
That second was all Shirou needed.
"Ashbringer: Flame Edge!"
His blade ignited, a crimson arc of flame slashing through the air as he reached Daito. Daito instinctively poured mana into his chest as he leapt back. His protective energy wavered—his eyes darted to Amelia.
"That girl... she disrupted my mana."
The blade struck, grazing Daito's chest, but the cut wasn't deep. Still, Shirou didn't stop. He pushed forward.
Flames burst from his blade again in a wide arc.
But Daito raised two tendrils in front of him, crossing them like a shield. The fire hit but barely left a mark.
"Ice Release: Freezing Spear!"
Elliot launched his most powerful attack from behind.
The glowing spear of dense ice spun toward Daito.
One tendril lashed out and smashed it apart mid-air.
"Tch! That was my strongest spell!" Elliot hissed, frustration bubbling.
Daito tilted his head, grinning. "Cute tricks. But you'll need better."
His gaze shifted.
To Amelia.
"She's the problem. I'll start with her."
Two tendrils shot forward at inhuman speed toward Amelia.
"Ashbringer: Inferno Surge!"
"Ice Release: Ice Avalanche!"
Shirou's flames and Elliot's ice clashed together, forming a swirling barrier that stopped the tendrils inches away from Amelia.
Then two tendrils lashed at Shirou.
He jumped, lightning pulsing through his legs—but one of the tendrils still sliced across his upper arm. Blood dripped down.
"Damn... He's slow, but the tendrils are fast," Shirou muttered, gritting his teeth.
He glanced at Amelia.
"He's targeting her. If she goes down, we lose our support. Elliot's our best chance to hit hard. If I can create an opening..."
"Phantom Mirage."
Five glowing clones appeared, encircling Daito, running in unpredictable patterns.
One tendril snapped toward Shirou again.
He leapt back, barely dodging.
"You really think clones will fool me?" Daito laughed. "I can sense your real mana. The rest are shadows."
Shirou frowned. "So he can tell the difference. Then I need another way."
Daito's eyes narrowed. More tendrils whipped around, aiming now for Elliot and Shirou.
Both leapt away, barely avoiding being skewered.
"These things... They're like a wall," Shirou muttered.
Elliot landed beside him. "You're right. We can't even get close.
"Follow my lead," Elliot said.
The two nodded and dashed forward again.
Two tendrils broke off from the rest and hurled toward Amelia.
She saw them coming. But her eyes weren't on them.
They were on Shirou.
Shirou dodged the first. Elliot blocked the second with a thick sheet of ice. But the third tendril curved toward Shirou's back.
Amelia raised her hand.
"Hollow Pulse!"
The invisible shockwave knocked the tendril back.
"Ashbringer: Flame Edge!"
Shirou's sword slashed down, severing the tendril midair.
A roar echoed through the chamber as Daito stumbled back, clutching his shoulder. The other tendrils, inches from reaching Amelia, suddenly retracted.
"Now!" Shirou shouted.
"Ice Release: Freezing Spear!"
Another dense spear of ice shot forward. Daito tried to dodge—but too late.
The sphere struck his right shoulder, exploding with a burst of cold energy.
Smoke and frost covered half his body.
When the mist cleared, Daito's face twisted in pure rage
"Now I'll kill you in the most painful way possible," he snarled.
The remaining tendrils shot forward, faster than before.