Ike’s hand struck home. Ice crunched under his fingers. He frowned. Huh?

Garrus’ coat fell open. Thick ice coated his whole body, preventing Ike from striking home. The ice quickly refroze around Ike’s hand. Garrus swung his arm downward, slicing the arm-blades toward Ike’s arm.

Ike surged his mana into Lightning Grasp. The lightning melted the refreezing ice, and he yanked his hand free, barely dodging Garrus’ blades. He backstepped. In his other hand, he swept his sword upward even as he backstepped. The upward strike of River-Splitting Sword flew toward Garrus’ arm.

Garrus laughed. “You think that pathetic thing can—”

The blade cut into the ice. The ice shattered. Ike’s eyes sharpened. His blade closed in on Garrus’ arm.

Blood sprayed. Garrus retreated, gripping his arm. A deep cut opened on the back of his upper arm.

Ike pressed the advantage. Lighting flashed after him as he closed in.

His feet slipped out from under him.

Garrus laughed. He snapped his fingers. Icicles burst up from the frozen ground and stabbed toward Ike. Ike plunged helplessly toward razor-sharp ice. He worked his legs, but his feet found no traction.

Dammit, and I just slicked up my shoes for the web!

Something struck his upper back and yanked. Ike stumbled back the other way as the force dragged him out of the ice.

“Watch your feet!” Wisp called from the edges.

“Heh. A two-on-one fight?” Garrus asked. He backed away warily, eyes darting to the edges of the battlefield.

“Don’t blame me when you came at me with two men,” Ike said. He stealthily checked the floor. Sheer, pure-black ice coated the ground between him and Garrus. The mana-goop-mud had frozen solid.

Hmm. Less than ideal.

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“Turnabout is fair play,” Garrus allowed.

Ice crackled through the ground all around Ike. Icicles burst up at him. He retreated one step at a time, then leaped up into the remnant web. Beneath him, the ice continued to spread, coating almost the entire mana field.

“Turnabout indeed,” Ike murmured. Now he controls the floor. Troubling.

From the forest, a dozen threads swooped across the battlefield. A rudimentary web appeared in a matter of moments.

“Thank you!” Ike called.

Wisp didn’t reply.

“A fool’s errand.” Garrus swept his hand. A wave of icicles pierced toward the webbing.

Ike charged in. With a Rank 2 body enhanced by Lightning Clad, it was easy to balance on the thin thread. Before the icicles could cut the web, he reached Garrus and let off a sideways slash. The man jerked back, retreating his neck before the slice. Forgotten, the icicles drooped.

Ike pressed the advantage. He launched Lightning Grasps, Shockwave Punches, and slashes at Garrus. Garrus dodged. Moreso than he had on solid ground, he moved gracefully over the ice. He moved faster than before, but couldn’t corner as precisely. Leaping from one strand of the web to another, Ike forced him to turn over and over. He landed light strikes on Garrus. Any of them would have been devastating, if not for Garrus’ ice armor. Instead, his blows glanced off, or at best, cut chinks in the man’s armor.

Far from helpless, Garrus fought back with every step. He landed a few glancing blows on Ike. Lightning leapt from Ike’s body and coursed over Garrus’ limbs with every strike.

Overhead, storm clouds continued to gather. The sky turned from a cloudy gray to a bruised purple. Thunder rumbled.

Garrus dug his heels in and charged. The ice blades on his arms burst out. He sliced, cutting through Wisp’s lines. Ike cut him in return, but his sword glanced off Garrus’ ice-coated chest. Ike dropped to the ground. This time, he was ready for the slick earth. Although unable to move as gracefully as Garrus, he successfully skated backward.

“Heh.” Garrus clenched his hand.

The ice under his feet trembled. Icicles punched into his soles, surging upward.

Time slowed. Ike caught a breath. Utilizing the full speed of Lightning Dash, he gave a tiny leap up, landing on the top of the upward-punching ice. From there, he kicked off again. Compared to the slick ice, the roughness of the spiked ice gave him something to push off.

This is my chance.

Lightning crackled after him. He closed in on Garrus. His sword blurred out. He activated Lighting Grasp, and lightning chased down the length of the blade. His blade flew out more quickly than before, powered by Lightning Grasp, Lightning Clad, and the River-Splitting Sword all together.

Garrus’ eyes widened. He threw his hand up to block. His ice blade shattered before Ike’s sword. Ike cut on, swinging with all his might. His sword slashed through muscle, then bone. It swept out the other side. Garrus’ arm hit the ground. Garrus stumbled back.

Ike chased after him. He lifted his sword again. His eyes locked onto Garrus’ neck.

Garrus stared at him in shock. The sword closed in.

The shock turned to a smile. Garrus clenched his remaining fist. “Gotcha.”