Chapter 74: Trial of Sequences – Winter vs. Fang
I. The Murmur of the Frost
After the thunderous roar of the previous duel, the plaza remained permeated with ozone and wonder. Upon the obsidian platforms, the spectators barely dared to breathe. The name of the next battle traveled through the stands like a frozen whisper:
[Second Round of the Trial of Sequences:
Violeta, Void Winter (Origin Realm, Stage 7 Peak; Space/Ice)
vs.
Draven, Ice Fang (Transcendence Realm, Stage 8; Pure Ice, Morningstar Minor Branch)]
The combat platform was gradually covered by a frost that did not melt under the sun. Violeta walked toward the center. Her hair, whiter than snow, floated like a halo. Her deep blue eyes, sparked with the void, did not flicker. She wore a simple silver-blue tunic, but there was a lethal naturalness in her movements.
Opposite her, Draven stood waiting. He was tall and slender, with a rigid aura. The ice around him seemed like a guardian animal. His eyes, of steely light blue, did not lower their gaze before anyone.
Cedric whispered to Xylia: —"Draven has trained with equal parts hatred and admiration. He wants to prove himself against the direct heir."
Kael, arms crossed, added: —"If anyone can force Violeta beyond her limit, it is him."
Samael, floating above the plaza, declared: —"Ice against ice. Blood against blood. Let the Winter decide which is the true fang of the clan."
II. First Bout: Aurora and Fang
The gong resonated. Violeta did not hesitate, extending a hand. —"Frost Art: Rosary of the Thousand Moons."
Circles of ice began to spin around her, each reflecting a different image of her. Draven advanced without fear. —"Minor Lineage Art: Mist Fang."
A dense blue vapor enveloped the arena. Draven disappeared into the haze. Violeta remained calm, her spatial sense detecting fluctuations at her side. An ice stake emerged from the mist; Violeta rolled, the edge cutting only air.
The crowd saw two specters dancing upon the ice, each vanishing and reappearing at impossible points. Draven attacked with a series of rapid slashes—unexpected thrusts and ice claws seeking Violeta's back. But each time, space distorted, and his target vanished an instant before impact.
Violeta, with a soft smile, whispered: —"You cannot attack what is never where you think it is." Draven gritted his teeth. —"You cannot dodge a cold that comes from within."
III. Second Bout: Fracture and Fury
Draven retreated, gulping down frozen air. He shifted tactics, slamming his palm into the ground. —"Supreme Fang: Summoning of the Ice Dragon."
The temperature dropped sharply. A dragon sculpted from pure ice emerged, roaring silently, its maw filled with needles. It lunged at Violeta, its aura freezing even the light.
Violeta closed her eyes, her core spinning. —"Bridge of Frost and Void."
In an instant, her silhouette split in two. One part vanished, appearing atop the dragon, while the other remained behind Draven. The illusory Violeta launched a rain of ice moons, slowing the dragon's movements. The real one traced a line in the air. —"Fractal Cut!"
The line glowed, splitting the dragon into six segments. The ice shattered, filling the arena with shards that, instead of vanishing, floated around her, spinning like satellites.
Draven, still unhurt, leapt between the fragments. —"That is nothing!" He formed two curved blades, one in each hand, and threw them like boomerangs. Violeta jumped back, but Draven appeared already in her path, predicting her move for the first time.
The blades exploded in a storm of ice. Violeta fell to her knees, her sleeve cut, red blood flowing onto the frost. The audience roared, but the tension was absolute.
IV. Third Bout: The Limit – Void versus Heritage
Violeta touched her wound, the blood evaporating in the cold before touching the ground. She stood up, paler still, but with an absolute calm. —"Good strike, Draven. But the true Winter never bleeds alone: it always bleeds for others."
Draven, panting, saw for the first time the purple and blue vibration in the air. Violeta took a deep breath, and the space around her distorted, the images of the plaza splitting into impossible angles. —"Summoning: Fractal Star."
Above both, a six-pointed star, formed of ice and spatial echoes, began to spin. Every time Draven tried to move, space folded, and he reappeared in front of a reflection of Violeta. His Qi drained, each breath costing more.
Violeta approached slowly, the frost covering even the sound of her footsteps. —"Draven, your strength is great. But strength without purpose is only a frozen wound."
Draven, on the verge of collapse, channeled his entire ice core into one final roar. —"Fang of the Final Awakening!"
The ground shook. Ice needles emerged in all directions, seeking to trap Violeta in a prison of crystals. But she did not dodge. She extended both palms, touching two needles at once. —"Break, space!"
The sound of shattering glass echoed. The space around Violeta imploded, absorbing the prison and returning the frozen energy in an explosion of frost toward Draven. The impact was unavoidable. Draven fell onto his back, covered in frost, his breath visible in the dim light.
V. Epilogue of the Duel: To Inherit and To Forgive
The System announced the resolution:
[Violeta: Absolute Victory. Retains Rank 2 (Void Winter Sequence).]
[Draven: Wounded, but breakthrough unlocked – Transcendence Realm, Stage 9.****]
[Shared Reward: "Silent Aurora Lotus" – recovery and defense technique.]
Violeta approached her fallen rival. Instead of harsh words, she extended her hand. —"The clan does not only need winters. It also needs fangs capable of breaking the night."
Draven looked at her, humility weighing more than exhaustion. —"I will strive never again to be a shadow among your moons."
Violeta helped him to his feet. The crowd, initially silent, then roared. Not just for the victory, but for the dignity of both. Kael and Eris jumped onto the platform. Kael wrapped an arm around Draven. —"Today, brother, your ice did not break… it only learned how to shine."
Samael, from above, allowed a slight smile. —"Thus is the Morningstar Winter forged."
VI. The Clan Breathes and the Shadow Lurks
As the platform dissolved, Samael raised his voice: —"Next combat: Eris, Flame of Ruin, vs. Maren, Eye of Lightning."
But far from the bustle, in the shadow of the plaza, a spy from the Sect of the Purple Light took notes. In his eyes shone the reflection of the Fractal Star, and he knew the true danger of the Morningstars was not their power… but the brotherhood that turned ice into a shield and the void into hope.