Chapter Forty-Nine: Relentless

The moment Yozora invoked “Frozen Tundra Perfected,” the air around him transformed, plummeting to an unnatural, bone-chilling cold that spread rapidly, consuming everything in its path. The ground beneath his feet crackled, frost crystallizing outward in intricate patterns as a powerful wave of ice surged forth, overtaking the battlefield with unstoppable force. This wasn’t a mere ice attack; it was the manifestation of an ancient, perfected technique, channeling the boundless power of a frozen wasteland into a single, all-encompassing assault.

The attack was as beautiful as it was deadly. Towering shards of ice erupted from the ground, jagged and glistening like the teeth of a great beast, encasing everything they touched in layers of frost. Each shard reflected fragments of light, creating a blinding, crystalline expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see. The once volcanic landscape transformed into a frozen wasteland, devoid of warmth or life.

With lightning speed, the figure leaped back, gliding across the icy floor in an attempt to evade the assault. A sneering grin twisted onto his face. "You must be brain-dead if you think a little frost is going to stop me. Didn’t you learn anything? Nuri was the only chance you had, boy," he mocked, shrugging his shoulders casually. "You’re just a bug to step on, a mouse to feed on. Nothing more."

Yozora didn’t respond; he simply raised a hand and pointed upward. The figure’s smirk faltered as he glanced up, only to find massive ice shards descending above him, ready to strike. Instinctively, he unfurled his snake-like scales, fanning them outward to deflect the shards. As they collided, the battlefield filled with swirling ice dust.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” the figure hissed, launching his own attack. “Venom Fumi: Decaying Touch!” His face twisted into a sinister grin. "This is where you die, you little wretch."

The Decaying Touch was a deadly technique that channeled venomous Hindo into the user’s hands, causing anything it touched to rot and decay. The effect was immediate and terrifying, turning surfaces into crumbling dust or sickly green ooze. This technique was particularly lethal against organic material, and even metals and enchanted objects corroded under its influence. Known not only for its immediate destruction but for its lingering toxicity, the attack left no chance for recovery.

With his palms glowing a sickly green, the figure shot toward Yozora, skating smoothly over the icy terrain. The air around him began to warp, decaying under the venomous aura radiating from his hands. "Did you really think some ice would stop me? The moment I lay a hand on you, it’s over!"

As the figure closed in, Yozora responded with a sweeping motion, summoning a frigid wind that carried shards of ice sharp as knives. The figure twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging the barrage, but his cloak was touched by the frost, which immediately began to spread. Noticing this, he quickly discarded the cloak, letting it fall to the ground.

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"Tch," he muttered under his breath. "This frost is no ordinary ice. If it touches me, I won’t last long."

He glared at Yozora, his dark eyes flashing with a mix of annoyance and respect.

The figure’s tail flared behind him as he landed with predatory grace, his gaze locking onto Yozora with renewed focus. He extended both hands, intensifying the venomous aura until it rolled off him in thick, sickly green waves. Wherever it touched Yozora’s ice, it corroded instantly, melting into black sludge and leaving pits in the frozen landscape.

Yozora’s expression remained sharp, his resolve unwavering. Snowflakes swirled around him as he concentrated, drawing on the tundra’s chilling power. Beneath the figure, the ground began to freeze over again, thin sheets of ice forming at his feet.

The figure stomped, releasing a surge of Decaying Touch, sending toxic waves rippling outward. The venomous energy shattered the frozen ground, leaving a sludge of decaying frost in its wake.

Undeterred, Yozora surged forward, his frosted katana gleaming with deadly intent. He sliced through the air with precision, leaving trails of ice that glowed faintly in the low light. The figure dodged nimbly, bending back with unnatural agility, and countered with a swipe of his hand, aiming to deliver Decaying Touch directly to Yozora’s exposed side.

Yozora twisted, narrowly avoiding the venomous strike as he felt the aura graze his sleeve, which immediately began to decay. With a quick motion, he froze the fabric, halting the poison’s spread before it could reach his skin. He released the tattered sleeve, letting it fall to the ground in a frozen heap.

The figure observed Yozora, his snake-like voice taking on a more serious tone. "Impressive. You’re built differently from the others—gotta give you that much."

A smirk twisted onto his lips. "You wield considerable power,” he said, his tone both mocking and admiring. "But it’s only fair to tell you the name of the one who’ll reduce your strength to dust."

Yozora gazed back, unfazed. "I don’t give two shits about your damn name."

His taunt hit a nerve. In a deadly whisper, the figure responded, "My name is Mordrin Kaelin, last of the Kaelin line, and the force that will see you undone."

For a moment, Yozora’s eyes flickered with recognition as memories surfaced. A battle fought long ago flashed through his mind, a desperate struggle and a snake-like warrior with a glint of fury in his eyes. He had met a Kaelin before—a warrior named Lyren who’d made grand claims of his family’s power, only to fall by Yozora’s blade. A small, mocking smile crossed Yozora’s face.

"So, Mordrin," Yozora mused, the sarcasm heavy in his tone. "I remember a guy named Lyren who had a similar spiel. ‘My brother is feared across realms,’ or some nonsense like that. You know, it sounds familiar. He was powerful... reckless, though. Kind of like you, underestimating his enemy."

Mordrin’s smirk faded, replaced by venomous fury as his aura flared dangerously, his Hindo growing even darker. "You’re the one who killed my brother?" His voice echoed with a mix of rage and incredulity. "I’ve searched realms for you, you arrogant fool. This day was blessed by the ancestors, bringing you right into my grasp."

His eyes narrowed with bloodlust as he extended his hand.

The landscape began to shift, the ground bubbling and transforming into a sickly green mire of poisonous sludge. Jagged, toxic vines erupted from the earth, their thorny tendrils dripping with venomous ooze, twisting toward Yozora as if alive.

"Torozon: Vipers Playground."