Chapter Fifty-One: Pursuit of Power

The ground erupted with twisted vines, pulsing with venomous green and black energy that seeped into the earth, encircling Yozora in a deadly mist. Serpentine shadows flitted within the fog, spectral vipers weaving in and out of sight, their hisses slicing through the silence. A toxic, decaying stench filled the air, mingling with the biting chill that Yozora’s Ice had left behind.

Without hesitation, Yozora raised his hand. “Ice Fumi: Frozen Tundra Gaiso.”

A dense, glacial armor materialized around him, its translucent ice plates glowing in hues of white and pale blue. Frost formed jagged peaks along his shoulders and gauntlets, and a thin aura of icy mist swirled around him, freezing everything, it touched. In this armor, Yozora was a living glacier, and he could feel his hindo aligning with the frigid power of the tundra.

Across the battlefield, Mordrin lifted his hands, the shadows twisting into shapes that resembled vipers, their green eyes glinting with malice.

“Viper Fumi: Spectral Serpents!” Mordrin called out, and ethereal snakes shot forward from the mist, fangs bared as they lunged at Yozora.

Yozora’s blade moved in fluid arcs, cutting through the first wave of spectral serpents, each one shattering into a mist of venomous green upon impact. But the vipers reformed, their venomous bodies converging with relentless speed. Yozora steadied his breathing, realizing he couldn’t stay on the defensive forever.

Closing his eyes, he reached within, centering his mind and body. “Nomad Fumi: Sixth Sense.”

Immediately, the world around him sharpened. He could sense the vipers' every movement, feel the toxic energy coiling around him. Three serpents shot toward him, and with precise movements, Yozora dodged, his blade slashing through them mid-flip.

He pushed forward, his frosted blade trailing shards of ice as he swung, sending a freezing arc that immobilized the vipers and shattered them into glittering fragments. Yozora’s focus turned to Mordrin, his instincts urging him forward.

Mordrin’s sneer twisted into a vicious grin. He raised his hand, and venomous vines erupted from the ground beneath Yozora, lashing out like snapping jaws. But Yozora pressed forward, his frosty aura freezing the vines as they entered his range.

“Is this the best you’ve got, Mordrin?” Yozora taunted, his voice a cool, confident edge. “Even your brother put up a better fight.”

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Mordrin’s smirk faltered, irritation flashing in his eyes. Yozora seized the moment, summoning a torrent of ice from his palm that surged across the ground, encasing the vines and creeping toward Mordrin’s feet.

“Viper Fumi: Grapple,” Mordrin muttered, his hand weaving through the air as vines slithered toward Yozora’s throat. Yozora leaped back, summoning an ice wall to intercept them, but Mordrin only grinned as his venom corroded the ice, breaking through with a sickening hiss.

Venomous hindo pulsed in Mordrin’s hands as he rushed forward, Decaying Touch aiming directly at Yozora.

“Feeling smug?” Mordrin taunted. “This is my domain now, my playground. You’ll be nothing but a whisper—another secret swallowed by the Kaelins’ legacy.”

Yozora chuckled, unfazed. “Funny, your brother said the same thing—just before I took his head.”

The insult struck Mordrin deep, and his face twisted with rage. “Keijo Fumi: Grasp of the Viper!” His venomous energy surged, the decaying force spreading up Yozora’s armor, corroding the ice with every passing second.

“Not a chance,” Yozora spat, flicking his wrist. “Ice Fumi: Vases!”

A colossal ice spire burst from the ground between them, forcing Mordrin to release his grip and twist away. Yozora took a breath, feeling the corrosive hindo gnawing at his shoulder, and quickly froze the affected area to stop its spread.

Mordrin’s face held a twisted satisfaction. “Decay is inevitable, Yozora. don’t fight it, embrace it.”

Yozora rolled his eyes as he raised his frosted blade. “You're monologuing again. Should I take notes?”

Mordrin’s expression darkened. “Laugh all you want, but let me tell you something.” His voice dropped to a chilling whisper. “Strength is the only true currency. This world preys on the weak, selling sweet illusions of kindness, morality, and compassion” scoffing “delusions of the powerless.”

Mordrin’s hand curled into a fist, venomous energy pulsing in sync with his words. “Empathy is a weakness, a crack in the armor. In this world, power alone dictates who lives and who dies.”

Yozora’s eyes narrowed as he readied his stance, absorbing the venomous tirade. “So, what? You slaughter a village of Vulcan families—just because you could?”

Mordrin took a step forward, his gaze piercing. “Yes. Why should I hold back? In a world of spies and backstabbers, only a fool shows mercy. Those who can’t defend themselves have no right to exist.”

“Only a fool thinks power alone is enough,” Yozora replied, his tone steady, laced with anger. “You think you’re above others just because you wield poison and shadows? That's nothing but fear masquerading as strength.”

“Still talking like a naive child,” Mordrin sneered. “Empathy? Friendships? They’re illusions. What matters is who dominates. All else is weakness.” Mordrin lifted his left arm, venom swirling into a massive, swirling sphere of lethal energy.

“Viper Fumi: Serpent’s End.” He raised his voice, drawing in every last drop of venomous hindo from the battlefield, forming a gigantic, pulsing orb of green energy. “Farewell, Yozora. You’ll dissolve before you even feel the pain—consider it my mercy.”

Yozora’s eyes locked onto the deadly sphere, his pulse steadying.

“Mercy?” He whispered, his gaze hardening. “You’ve twisted power into something ugly, Mordrin. But let me show you what real strength looks like.”