With graceful steps, Yoru retreated backward, and the jet-black greatsword—Frostmourne—reappeared in his hand once more. The heavy blade dragged along the rooftop, leaving behind a trail of ice.
Bone-chilling cold surged outward again, subtly confronting the furious Riser.
Boom!
A beautifully crafted diamond-shaped ice shield unfolded in front of Yoru. A fireball, released as a probing attack, dissipated into nothing before even reaching him. Unfazed, Riser stretched both hands wide as flames roared outward.
Behind him, his flaming wings trembled and unfurled. In the blink of an eye, Riser became a streak of fire, hurtling toward Yoru.
Anyone with a shred of common sense would know better than to face a Phoenix's fury head-on. Yet, when faced with Riser's charge, Yoru made a move that stunned everyone present.
He didn't dodge.
He took a step forward and chose to face it directly!
The massive sword Frostmourne, nearly as tall as Yoru himself, was raised high and brought down in a clean, straight arc—aimed directly at the incoming fiery phoenix illusion.
Cataclysmic frost, unleashed!
Within Riser's widening pupils appeared the enlarging black sword edge, accompanied by an indescribable freezing aura. For the first time, ripples of emotion stirred in his otherwise calm eyes, as he realized—his flames were fading.
Under the assault of that terrifying frost, the flames covering his body were rapidly weakening.
Impossible...! How could frost extinguish my flames?! The pride of the Phoenix clan will never lose!
The two seemed mere steps apart, but before Yoru's blade could fall or Riser could reach him, the structure beneath them—the school building—crumbled under the clash of ice and fire.
Caught off guard, both figures faltered for a moment. As the structure collapsed, they plummeted. Riser, being able to fly, calmly spread his wings. Yoru, on the other hand, plummeted straight down.
"You're dead!"
Riser wasn't about to let such an opening go. Steadying himself mid-air, he roared, his body now wreathed in almost golden flames, diving once more at Yoru.
Things suddenly looked grim. Falling midair, Yoru couldn't maneuver due to the weight of his massive sword. Putting the weapon away now would be a foolish move.
Got him!
Riser grinned inwardly—until he noticed the smirk forming at the corner of Yoru's lips.
You really think... I can't swing my own sword just because it's heavy?
Though no words were spoken, Riser read the message from Yoru's lips. His expression instantly changed—because the black greatsword, which had seemingly been weighing Yoru down, was suddenly hurled straight up—directly at him!
He threw his weapon—at me?!
Before Riser could react, the massive sword was already upon him. He raised his fists in a desperate attempt to block—
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
As Riser screamed in agony, Yoru landed lightly on the ground and looked up.
The sword had embedded deeply into Riser's arms. Though it hadn't severed them completely, his hands were now rendered practically useless.
Worse still, an overwhelming frost erupted from Frostmourne, surging through Riser's flesh and attacking his very soul.
"AAAHHHH! AAHHHHHHHH!!"
More anguished cries echoed. Then, to everyone's shock, Riser made a horrifying decision—he forcibly severed his own arms.
The dismembered limbs, still carrying Frostmourne, spiraled through the air before being shattered into frozen dust. Meanwhile, Riser—writhing in pain—crashed into the earth.
Even so, his severed arms quickly regenerated. For a Phoenix, recovering from physical injuries was easy; rebirth in flames was their nature. He had amputated his limbs to escape the sword's dreadful frost.
Had he not acted so decisively, that frost would've devoured him whole in mere moments.
Why is this happening…? I possess golden hellfire! How can I be this helpless against frost?!
Just what kind of weapon is that? How could anything in this world possibly freeze a Phoenix's flame?!
"UAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Riser roared like a wild beast, the flames on his wings surging even larger behind him.
"That frost… strong enough to freeze a Phoenix's fire… You… you're terrifying."
He forced out each word, and the entire hall watching the duel fell silent in shock—especially the members of the Phoenix family.
Does such a thing really exist in this world—frost that can freeze the flames of a Phoenix?
"But I won't give in! I swear on the Phoenix name, on our immortal pride!"
With a roar, blazing fire enveloped Riser's entire being.
SCREEE!!
A piercing cry rang out as Riser transformed into a phoenix entirely composed of fire.
He gambled everything—body, soul, and will—unleashing the Phoenix clan's ultimate attack, staking it all on a single strike to protect the glory of their name.
Yet facing this terrifying power, Yoru's expression remained calm. At some point, Frostmourne had returned to his hand.
His lips began to chant softly—
A lament of the forgotten.
A ballad of the dead.
A requiem for the forsaken.
He stabbed the sword into the ground before him.
As if sensing something dreadful, the flaming phoenix screamed shrilly in midair, struggling. Its flight slowed little by little.
The air thickened, turning murky and sticky. An ominous aura spread from Frostmourne, blanketing the battlefield.
The proud fire phoenix raised its wings in a final stance. Just one step more, and it could incinerate its enemy—
But it would never take that final step.
The Phoenix's flame… went out.
Or perhaps—it was frozen.
"…The Phoenix fire… was frozen by ice…"
Riser, visible now as his true form in midair, uttered the words in despair before plummeting from the sky.
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