"Hahaha… ah man, you lot have been a treat. Your leader died weeks ago, and you've been dancing to my tune like fools," the man sneered, facing Nathan.
"But you're getting boring—preying on the weak all the time. Where's the fun in that?"
He reached into the writhing shadows, produced a battered hat, and tossed it through the air. It landed perfectly atop his head as if by ceremony.
"Why… you… I'm going to kill you," Nathan snarled, charging with his axe raised.
Bang!
The axe came down in a brutal arc toward the man's neck—only the strike never landed. With a lazy movement the man's hand shot out and caught the haft mid-thrust.
The steel rang like a struck bell, but then it shuddered, squealing like warped glass. Nathan staggered back, the shock knocking wind from him.
"What are you?!" he spat.
The man stepped forward, a grin splitting his face. "You know, I almost spared you," he said, voice oily with amusement. "But you've proven yourself tedious."
His mouth widened into something unnatural; teeth gleamed sharp as razors. The firelight licked his eyes, giving them a deep crimson.
Nathan staggered back, fear etched across his face. His men faltered, their bravado cracking. One broke completely—his weapon slipped from trembling fingers, striking the ground with a dull clang.
"I don't want to die!" he shrieked, voice splitting as he bolted into the woods, arms flailing wildly in panic, mimicking a child throwing a fit.
The stranger tilted his head, a grin stretching wide. "Oh no… you don't."
His figure flickered out, swallowed by shadow only for a moment. Within a heartbeat, he vanished and reappeared.
Then—crunch. A sickening snap echoed from the tree line.
Thud!
Something heavy crashed to the earth.
The deserter lay in a heap, his body folded unnaturally, his head lolling at an angle no living man could bear. Blood seeped slowly into the roots beneath him, dark and glistening in the firelight.
James clenched his jaw. Damn… he's fast.
The other soldiers froze, too afraid even to breathe.
"Wuuuu…" Ember whimpered, still bound to the tree. Tears streamed down her cheeks, catching the firelight as her voice cracked in desperation.
"Fire!" Nathan roared. At his command, the forest filled with whistles—arrows slicing through the smoke like hunting birds of prey, all streaking toward the stranger.
The stranger gracefully evaded the arrows as they flew one after the other while not moving from his standing position.
"Who are you?" James demanded, his hand dropping to the hilt of the sword dangling at his waist. His stance sharpened, ready.
"Ahhh, I suppose I haven't introduced myself." The man tilted his head back and laughed, the sound coarse and sharp. "It's true—you don't know me. But I know you."
With a flourish, he removed his hat and bent into a mocking bow, his grin never faltering. "Call me… Seth. The herald of death."
The arrows paused midway before they hit him and just hovered near him.
James's blade rang as it left its sheath. He surged forward to strike—
"Woah, woah, woah! Hahaha… just wait a little!" Seth snapped his fingers, and suddenly every soldier in the clearing collapsed with heavy thuds, dropping like raindrops shaken loose from a storm.
Crack!
A streak of lightning split the sky, thunder rolling in its wake.
"What have you done?" James's voice thundered in unison with the storm.
Seth spread his arms wide, shadows writhing at his feet. "Don't worry about them—they won't disturb our play." His voice was giddy, unhinged. "A knight in shining armor, fighting a monster to save a maiden in despair. Tell me, doesn't that sound like a spectacular story?"
"But too bad the hero doesn't win in this story," he murmured.
Rain began to drop, but instead of quenching the flames, the fire roared higher, as if it had been given new life.
"I am giving you thirty minutes," Seth said, his grin widening as he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a pale, bone-like mask. "If you fail to defeat me… the girl dies… hahaha!"
"Shall we begin?" His voice deepened unnaturally, carrying a chilling weight.
"On guard, hero!" Seth vanished in a flash, a crack of thunder announcing his movement. In an instant, he reappeared behind James, a larger-than-life scythe swinging menacingly toward his back.
James snapped his fingers. From the earth, a wall rose, jagged and solid, shielding him.
"Oh… it seems you understand the rules of this world. Not bad… hahaha!" Seth cackled as he crushed the stone wall with a force that rattled the ground.
"Don't move." James's voice rang like a command. Seth froze—just for a moment—but as James thrust his sword, the villain broke free and melted into the shadows.
"James, help…!" Ember's voice cut through the chaos as the fire inched closer to her.
James hesitated only briefly before rushing toward her, only to have Seth's scythe sweep toward him. James barely evaded the strike.
"Come now, hero… You can't afford to be distracted," Seth taunted, his tone dripping with mockery.
"Damn… he is a master when it comes to the internal application of Sar. The sheer precision of his control—it's impossible," James thought, his mind racing as he tried to formulate a strategy.
"Well, first things first… I have to stop this fire."
"Oh… still configuring your strategy? I hope it helps," Seth sneered, gesturing toward Ember. "Tick… tock… Your damsel is running out of time."
"Oho… oho!" Ember coughed, smoke curling around her as she struggled against her bindings.
Hang on… James thought, clenching his swords tightly. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, a rhythm echoing like war drums:
Dum-thurdum… Dum… dar-thurdun…!!!
He took a deep breath, blinking slowly, and noticed a single snowflake drifting to the ground. His eyes focused, tracing the intricate, flower-shaped patterns etched into its delicate form.
"Oh… I understand," he murmured, his voice low but certain.
"This… is the law of ice." His right eye flared, glowing a spectacular shade of blue.