KEIICHI MIURA
[9th Divine Art: Sacred Illumination]
As those words echoed throughout the vicinity, Baek’s eyes transformed into a pale-white hue, radiating like orbs of white fire. A constant stream of white steam emanated from his body, while his skin shimmered like a precious gem.
"I have no choice but to align with you, Herald," Mrizem conceded.
"I can only sustain this form for five minutes. After that, my remaining strength will be depleted, and I will be unable to move," Baek revealed, hastening towards Cyanthos, who had risen to his feet following the surprise attack.
Without wasting a moment, Cyanthos lunged towards Baek’s head. However, Baek stood firm as white steam enveloped him. He extended his hand, bracing himself to absorb the impact head-on. Just as the mace was about to strike him, something extraordinary occurred.
Baek seized the mace’s handle with his bare hand, causing a surge of lightning to surge through the weapon, swiftly reaching Cyanthos and inflicting a tremendous shock that elicited a scream of pain.
"Aaahhhh!" Cyanthos cried out in agony as he recoiled. Blood trickled from his wounds, with patches of black appearing on his body. His figure became a blend of red and black, the black representing the lightning’s effect from Baek and the red denoting the damage inflicted by Mrizem.
"The force of my blow... It was redirected back at me," Cyanthos uttered, his voice filled with pain as the realisation struck him.
"Indeed. Through this divine art, every strike directed at me is returned to the enemy with equal force!" Baek chuckled.
"But that would only prove effective against physical attacks, wouldn’t it?" Cyanthos interjected, his voice booming as ice materialised around him.
"Let’s test my theory." Cyanthos abruptly halted, swiftly turning to block a strike from Mrizem, who had capitalised on the distraction to teleport behind him.
"Enough! Prepare to face the entirety of my power!" Cyanthos bellowed, and in response, pure white ice materialised around him, taking the shape of massive legs, arms, a broad torso, and a head.
With astonishing speed, an enormous figure emerged before our eyes—a colossal, pure-white giant composed entirely of ice. Its size was comparable to that of a mountain, obscuring Cyanthos’s visage from view.
The formation of the ice giant was a sight to behold. As Cyanthos unleashed his power, the surrounding air grew frigid, and moisture in the atmosphere condensed into countless intricate ice crystals. These crystals swiftly coalesced, intertwining and solidifying, giving birth to the colossal form.
Layer upon layer of ice built upon itself, sculpting the intricate details of the giant’s limbs and body. The ice, flawlessly transparent, reflected the ambient light, creating an ethereal glow that emanated from its surface.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Within the icy titan’s colossal frame, we could discern Cyanthos’s body. Supported by intricate webs of white ice, he stood at the center of the giant’s control chamber. The web-like structures acted as a protective barrier, ensuring his safety as he manoeuvred and commanded the gargantuan construct from within.
With each step the ice giant took, the earth quaked beneath its immense weight. The ground, previously impenetrable, cracked, unable to bear the burden of the colossal entity. The reverberation of its strides resonated through the air, filling the surroundings with a palpable sense of power and impending destruction.
On the opposite side, I observed Mrizem, who inhabited Wallace’s body, sporting a grin. With a swift motion, he extended his hand, causing the entire vicinity surrounding the ice giant to distort, as if the space itself sought isolation from the outside world.
Within that area, my vision became hazy and distorted. Everything appeared fragmented, resembling a shattered mirror. The giant’s legs seemed to be positioned atop its head, defying the laws of physics. It was as if Mrizem had ruptured the very fabric of space.
"I cannot see anything! Why is everything distorted?" Cyanthos exclaimed from within the giant, which started rampaging uncontrollably.
"Let’s bring this to an end, Herald!" Mrizem declared, rushing towards the deranged ice giant.
Baek nodded in agreement and joined Mrizem, forming a temporary alliance. Swiftly, they engaged in combat against the giant within the fractured space. Mrizem skillfully warped and materialised in various locations, causing cracks to form on the ice giant’s structure with the sheer force of his weapon. The giant, helpless within the shattered mirror space, faced the relentless onslaught of Baek, who launched thunderous assaults upon it.
If the giant attempted to strike Baek with its ice limbs, the impact would instead be reflected upon itself, owing to the attack’s physical nature.
In a short span of time, the icy structure shattered, revealing Cyanthos’s body hurtling down from the sky. However, Baek swiftly caught the falling body, seizing the opportunity to unleash a barrage of lightning-infused punches. A powerful kick to the stomach sent Cyanthos hurtling towards the ground, the impact shattering his armour, while a veil of white steam enveloped Baek.
Due to the rift in space, visibility remained compromised. As Baek landed beside the unconscious Cyanthos, barely visible through the veil of white steam, he conjured a massive thunderbolt in his hand, poised to deliver the final, lethal blow.
**
As the shattered and distorted space gradually returned to its normal state, signalling the conclusion of this protracted battle, a sense of finality filled the air.
Before I could witness the aftermath, my attention was abruptly diverted by a spatial distortion above my head. Without delay, the unconscious body of Wallace emerged from the distortion, his features now restored to their usual state. This indicated that the enigmatic figure known as "Mrizem" had finally relinquished control over Wallace’s body.
Ensuring that Wallace was still breathing, I made my way towards the scene, eager to observe the aftermath of the intense conflict.
A sigh escaped my lips as I observed Baek seated on the ground, his eyes fluttering open and shut. It was evident that he was on the verge of losing consciousness.
Lying beside him was the lifeless body of Cyanthos, gradually dissipating while emitting a subdued blue glow. As the dissipation process neared completion, only a pale white liquid remained, contained within a sphere-like container.
However, a lingering sense of unease hung in the air. It felt as though we had all forgotten something of utmost importance.
"Indikar!" Realisation struck me, and I swiftly scanned the surroundings, but he was nowhere to be found. Where had he disappeared?
"Aah!" A piercing shriek pierced the air from behind me. It was Baek’s voice.
"Wait…" Before I could react, I witnessed a pale-white dagger impaling Baek’s torso and emerging from his stomach.
"One life for one!" Indikar materialised behind Baek, clutching the dagger. Despite being covered in wounds and barely conscious, he had managed to deliver a treacherous blow from behind.
"You coward!" I shouted, rushing forward. But before I could reach him, Indikar transformed into a violet mist and swiftly vanished into the distance.