Iris's vision blurred as a wave of anger flooded her.

She nearly blacked out as a veritable torrent of mana surged through her. More than she had ever felt before, but instead of being consumed, she let it flood throughout her body. She used her [Electromancy], twisting her [Storm Skin], and became one with it.

What was blurry turned white. Then, in that instant, she became not just a conduit for the energy but the energy itself, her very essence distilled into pure, furious lightning.

Her sword was no longer steel, instead, it had been transformed into an arc of pure electrical energy, an unbroken circuit flowing from her core to its electrified tip. She glanced at her hand, now not made of skin and bone, but a swirling dance of blue and white currents. Iris had become a living tempest, a force of nature made of pure lightning. She was no longer merely harnessing the storm; she was the storm.

The raw, thick stench of dread suffocated the air as Iris burst into the bar, and the scene that greeted her bore the weight of a crushing darkness. The aftermath of the assault was far graver than any battlefield she could have imagined.

Worse than the aftermath of the various camps she’d assaulted.

Akane, in her dire fox form, was pinned to the ground by a glacial spear through her side, each shallow breath she took echoing with pain. Her vibrant essence seeped out, staining the floor beneath with a heartrending shade of crimson.

Across the room, Mocha was propped up against a wall with her eyes closed. Sera and Tanith, despite bearing grievous wounds of their own, had thrown their bodies protectively around her, acting as a living barrier against any further harm.

Laken was not moving as Bree and Gryff staggered themselves so that they would protect each other. Both of them, battered and bruised, had placed themselves as shields, the determination evident in their bloodshot eyes.

The newer adventurers, unfamiliar with such carnage, were huddled together, their faces masks of terror and disbelief. Among them, Neri's tears streamed freely, each drop a testament to her despair, while Lyra appeared shattered, her spirit broken.

And in the midst of it all stood him.

His silhouette, a dark specter amidst the icy mist that now filled the room, was the embodiment of malevolence.

The Marauder Prince was here to finish them all. And the only thing standing in his way was Iris.

“Corin Syllar.”

He turned. The first thing she noticed were the wounds. The grievous injuries on his face, claw marks and bites, should've been signs of his defeat. But instead, they were filled with a cold, haunting mist, making him look even more monstrous.

Corin Syllar, the Marauder Prince, met Iris's gaze with cold, unyielding eyes.

“As you did to me, everything you built will fall. Everyone you love will die—”

Yet before he could form any further words, his predatory intentions betrayed by the slightest narrowing of his eyes, Iris moved.

It was a blur.

With the swiftness only [Lightning Step] could grant, her form didn’t even change as she surged towards him, aimed straight at his heart.

But Corin seemed to predict it.

As if dissipating into the very mist he had conjured, he transformed into an ephemeral form, evading her strike. Instantly, a spear forged from the cold bitterness of ice lashed out to meet the arc of her lightning blade.

There was a shattering sound, resonating like the breaking of a thousand crystals as her lightning blade made contact. The spear fragmented into a million shards only to reforge in an instant, now aimed with deadly precision at Iris's heart.

But she was ready.

Veering to the side, she fired off a [Spark], her elemental fingertips sizzling with azure energy. Yet Corin was quicker, an ice wall rising abruptly, severing the connection between them.

Frustration. Fury. Desperation.

These feelings coiled within Iris, manifesting as an ear-piercing scream of rage.

She channeled all that pent-up energy into her [Chain Lightning], watching as bolt after bolt ricocheted off the wall, lighting up the room like a tempestuous storm.

With a calculated fury, she then [Lightning Stepped] directly towards the barrier.

The wall, still sizzling and sparking from her previous assault, exploded outward in a brilliant cascade of light and icy fragments. Amidst the flying debris, Iris's electrified hands latched onto Corin's arm. Shockwaves pulsed through him, his pain evident even through the chilling facade.

But Corin encapsulated himself within an icy armor.

Not this time.

With a strength born from both rage and determination, Iris pivoted and, using his own weight against him, hurled the Marauder Prince through the adjacent wall. The sounds of splintering wood and shattering ice filled the air as the dust settled, leaving a palpable silence in its wake.

The shattering noise had barely subsided when Iris and Corin found themselves in the main area, the heart of the Guild Hall, their relentless duel continuing with a ferocity that seemed to engulf everything in its path.

Without missing a beat, Iris conjured a sharp [Lightning Spear], launching it directly at Corin. But he countered with blinding speed, suddenly sheathed in a curtain of white. As the mist descended, blurring her vision, she realized he’d disappeared again. Before she could react, a bone-chilling blade—an echo of pure frost—slashed at her from the side.

She used [Storm Armor] and tried to spin away but she was too slow. Even as her armor lashed out at her attacker, she cried out in pain as the blade struck her, leaving a searing cold wound on her arm that would have sliced it off if not for her [Elemental Form].

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she retaliated with [Spark], aiming directly where she suspected Corin to be. A satisfying grunt echoed back, confirming her aim had been true.

Yet Corin was far from finished.

An intense cold radiated around her, and suddenly she found herself ensnared, feet encased in thick ice. Looking down, jagged spikes of ice grew rapidly upwards, threatening to pierce her. With no time to lose, she summoned [Arc Lash], sending arcs of electricity down from her sword, fracturing the ice around her feet.

Freed, she prepared to [Lightning Step] for a surprise attack, but was caught off guard.

The world around her turned white and disorienting as she was enveloped in what felt like a storm of ice and wind, obscuring her vision and numbing her senses.

She had to react quickly.

Trusting her instincts, she launched her [Chain Lightning], letting its branching energy seek out Corin.

A thunderous sound resonated, followed by a sharp cry of pain. It had found its mark.

For a brief moment, the icy mist cleared. Iris, seizing the moment, lunged forward, aiming a [Lightning Spear] directly at Corin’s heart.

But he was faster, a sudden barricade of ice rising between them, intercepting her attack.

As the two magical forces clashed, the resultant explosion sent them both staggering back, wounds evident on both fighters. Iris, with slashes that bore the chill of the deepest winter, and Corin, with burns that danced with electric blue.

Determined, Iris used her [Chain Lightning] again, the jagged bolts of electricity seeking their target.

Corin, though wounded, was not to be outdone. The ground beneath Iris shifted, spikes rising to impale her. She barely dodged, but one found its mark, piercing her side.

She cried out, not just in pain but in defiance.

The fight was brutal, the atmosphere thick with tension. Every move was countered, and every strike met with equal force.

As they continued, a realization settled in Iris's heart: she wasn't just fighting for herself, but for every person Corin had hurt, for every tear shed, and every scream silenced.

This time there was no banter, no joking. Neither would be leaving until one was dead.

She was the shield against this monster, and she wouldn't yield.

Not now, not ever.

With each passing second, the Guild Hall seemed to echo with the haunting resonance of their duel. The hall bore witness to a contest of unfathomable power in a struggle for survival. Shadows danced wildly, distorted by the shimmer of lightning and the ethereal glow of encroaching ice.

Corin, though wearied and bearing multiple wounds, moved with a relentless cold fury. Each blow he delivered seemed to pull from the very marrow of winter, forcing Iris to muster every bit of her willpower to respond.

Her once luminous figure, a beacon of lightning, was now streaked with chilling blue, each wound bearing weight to the price she was paying to protect those she loved.

A sudden onslaught of cold hit Iris as Corin unleashed a flurry of icy shards. Instinctively, she countered with [Arc Lash], splitting the projectiles in mid-air. But as one shard broke, two more formed in its place, a never-ending barrage that tried to overwhelm her [Storm Armor].

Each evasion drained her, each near-miss took its toll. He was stronger, with new spells. Clearly surviving the fall had done much to give him a boost. It took everything in her to keep up.

But Iris was far from beaten.

Drawing deeply from within, she sent a cascade of [Chain Lightning] towards Corin. As the arcs made contact, Corin screamed in agony, his defenses momentarily broken.

Sensing an opening, Iris gathered her energy, aiming to finish this with a single, decisive [Lightning Spear].

Yet, just as victory seemed within her grasp, the ground beneath her crystallized. Looking down, her heart sank as she saw her feet encased, immobilized. Her spear was avoided, once, then twice as he dove out of the way then formed a wall to stop the spear in its tracks.

She fired [Spark] after [Spark] but he either dodged or intercepted them while one of his hands stayed splayed out toward her, growing the ice around her legs.

She screamed and tried to hack at it, breaking off pieces. Then, just as she was almost free, Corin, without uttering a word, formed a glacial spike of ice.

Iris could see it, glistening and sharp, a monolith of ice with edges that promised a cold, unforgiving end. With a forceful motion, Corin sent it hurtling toward her.

Time seemed to slow.

Iris tried to muster another [Lightning Step], hoping to evade the inevitable, but her body, drained and wearied, didn’t respond fast enough. The icy monstrosity found its mark, piercing her abdomen.

The force of the blow knocked the breath from her, and for a moment, all she could feel was the biting cold. A hush of silence enveloped the room, punctuated only by her sharp gasps—each one drawn from pain-laden lungs that sent waves of agony through her.

Her [Elemental Form] flickered and then went out like a light, turning her back to flesh and blood. Her transformation into an elemental force had helped her weather so many wounds but with its wane, vulnerability struck hard.

She coughed, her blood coming out in a spray.

Iris looked up from the blood flowing from her stomach and at the approaching Marauder Prince, a spear of ice in hand and triumph clear in his eyes.

“I will take my rightful place,” he sneered as he raised his spear. “As is my true birthright. And my path starts with your death.”

But death would have to wait.

With a rasping growl of determination, Iris grasped the glacial spike impaling her and wrenched it free. It clattered to the floor, slick with her blood. Raw pain seared through her, yet it only fueled the burning defiance in her heart. She dug deep into mana yanking at it as if it were a life line followed quickly by pulling on her [Electromancy], drawing power from nature itself.

She ripped a spell from her mind and demanded the gods give her what she needed.

Her voice, hoarse and filled with agony, cut through the tension as she screamed with her hand raised, beckoning a storm to come.

The heavens answered.

A massive bolt of true lightning tore through the ceiling, striking with such fury that the ground quaked beneath them. Corin, unprepared for the raw force, was hurled backward. The ice encasing Iris’s feet shattered from the sheer impact, freeing her. Pure, unbridled lightning surged through her and she felt alive. Her eyes, once filled with pain and desperation, now glinted with the raw energy of a tempest.

Her [Storm Armor], imbued with the very heart of the storm, thrummed with energy.

Without wasting a moment, she lunged forward, every fiber in her being focused on her adversary. Corin, still reeling from the lightning's assault, could only muster a weak defense as she again used [Call Lightning].

The bolt struck, targeting the center of his ice-encrusted chest. The ensuing explosion of energy sent shards of his protective armor scattering and sending him sprawling with a scream of anguish, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.

He stumbled, struggling to find his footing amidst the debris. But Iris was relentless. With a shout, she executed a perfect [Arc Lash], and her blade, emboldened by her spell, found its mark on his neck.

Corin's defenses crumbled and, in a heartbeat, he was reduced to a lifeless form.

Iris stood there, sword still poised, breathing heavily. Her body, battered and bleeding, had reached its limit. The adrenaline that had been fueling her began to wane, and the weight of her injuries pressed down upon her. With a deep, shuddering breath, she allowed herself to finally give in to the exhaustion.

As the world around her faded, she collapsed, her battle finally over.