Eleonora, taking control of Leonar's body, stood tall with a posture radiating confidence.
Without hesitation, Eleonora turned her gaze to the half-open fire hydrant Leonar had activated. Her brow furrowed slightly before she lifted her leg and, without a second thought, delivered a kick so powerful that it completely shattered the metal structure, causing the water to burst out uncontrollably.
The current began flooding the ground. Eleonora observed calmly, her lips curling slightly into a smile of approval.
However, things wouldn’t go exactly as she expected. The wolves, growing in number, began focusing their attention on her.
Some hunters, who had kept the creatures at bay until then, were exhausted and began to retreat, leaving Eleonora as the center of attention.
"This won’t be as easy as before..." Eleonora murmured in a calm voice, yet filled with determination.
Her gaze fell on a nearby hunter, who was fighting bravely, but whose sword had been dulled by the constant assaults of the creatures.
The sword still gleamed faintly under the dim light, and Eleonora tilted her head slightly, murmuring to herself:
"Something like that will work."
Without wasting a second, she extended her hand toward the raging water. The water responded instantly, as if it recognized her as its master, flowing toward her fingers and beginning to swirl in her palm.
The nearby hunters, realizing what she was doing, exchanged confused looks.
"What the hell is that guy doing?" muttered a short-haired man holding a makeshift bow and arrows.
His companion, a woman wielding a massive axe, tilted her head in disbelief.
"Is… is that elemental magic? But it doesn’t look normal."
Whispers spread quickly as the water, now fully under Eleonora's control, began to take shape.
Slowly, the form of a sword emerged from the current, as the air around it began to chill. Ice crystals reflected the light, casting blue flashes into the environment.
However, before she could finish her creation, a wolf larger than the rest, with scars marking its face and disproportionately long fangs, charged toward her at alarming speed.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Its growl reverberated through the air, and its paws splashed the water as it lunged toward its target with deadly intent.
In that moment, a message appeared in Eleonora’s visual field:
[Eleonora’s Power Unleashed]
The ice sword finished forming almost instantly, growing to an imposing size.
Eleonora spun on her heels with superhuman speed, lifting the sword in a fluid motion and cutting the wolf in two.
The creature didn’t even have time to howl; its body froze at the point of impact, leaving two perfectly separated halves before it crashed to the ground with a dull thud.
The ice quickly spread, encasing the entire carcass in a crystalline prison.
Eleonora exhaled a visible breath due to the cold air surrounding her.
"I didn’t expect to have to unleash this much power for this," she murmured, looking at the sword she had created.
It was enormous, almost grotesque compared to the elegant sword of the hunter who had inspired her design. Its edges were jagged, and the light refracted off its chaotic angles, giving it a somewhat odd appearance.
"I definitely need more practice…" Eleonora added, more to herself than to anyone else, as she adjusted her grip on the frosty hilt.
The nearby hunters, who had witnessed the scene, stood frozen for a moment.
One of them, a tall man with a scar across his left cheek, let out a whistle of astonishment.
"Is that guy an A-rank… or an S?" he asked aloud, looking at his companions.
"Did anyone else notice his hair was brown, and now it’s completely white?" asked a woman holding a spear.
"It must be part of his ability," suggested another hunter, though his tone indicated more confusion than certainty.
A burly man with a large sword struck the ground with the hilt of his weapon, drawing everyone's attention.
"Stop talking nonsense! It doesn't matter if that guy is an S-rank or whatever. Look at the number of monsters still coming out of that portal. If we don’t organize, we won’t survive."
The man's words seemed to snap the hunters back to reality.
Meanwhile, Eleonora had already begun moving again. With simple yet precise movements, she swung the ice sword, cutting down the wolves that approached her.
Though she showed no technical knowledge of sword styles, her control over the weapon was impressive.
Each strike was devastating, and the wolves' bodies fell to the ground, frozen before even touching it.
Despite her focus on close combat, Eleonora displayed a disturbing ability to strike at enemies' blind spots.
On more than one occasion, shards of ice detached from her sword and, with deadly accuracy, pierced the wolves trying to flank her.
The coldness in her expression, combined with the efficiency of her attacks, left the hunters around her staring in confusion, as…
Could a mage really create and wield their own weapon like this?
"What kind of ability is that…?" one of the hunters murmured, unable to take his eyes off the spectacle.
"Whatever it is, it’s making those monsters focus on him… I don’t know what to think. But it’s giving us time to regroup," said the man with the scar.
The hunters began to move with more organization, forming groups to prepare a counterattack.
Meanwhile, Eleonora continued her fight, quickly adapting to the characteristics of her new weapon.
When a particularly fast wolf managed to get close enough to attempt a bite, Eleonora spun her body with agility, letting the weight of the sword do the work. The frosty edge sliced the wolf diagonally, and the impact sent a shower of frost into the air.
"This style is effective… but still rough," Eleonora murmured, evaluating her own movements as the remaining wolves momentarily backed off, as if they sensed the danger she posed.