Her eyes narrowed, fixated on the soulbourne, its monstrous form standing tall on its two legs. The air was thick with tension as she stared into its glowing, sinister red eyes. The stench of its putrid breath filled the space, a mixture of decay and malice. Its sharp teeth glistened in the dim light as its skin bristled with jagged spines.

With a surge of determination, Aleria lunged forward, her sword clashing against the beast's impenetrable hide. The clash reverberated through the air, a resounding thud that echoed in her ears. A guttural growl escaped the creature's throat, sending shivers down her spine.

The soulbourne retaliated a forceful slap that sent her hurtling backward, crashing into the black, gooey ground. The impact left her body aching, a dull pain coursing through her.

Undeterred, Aleria rose to her feet, dusting off her tattered attire. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword, a firm grip that conveyed her unwavering resolve. As she raised her weapon, the air seemed to freeze, causing goosebumps to rise on Lioran's skin.

"Glacial Convergence, All Air Frosts as One!" She said, pointing the tip of her sword at the soulbourne.

Confusion etched on Lioran's face as he questioned, "What's happening?"

His gaze shifted to the soulbourne, now encased in a thick layer of ice, its once menacing form now a frozen tableau.

"I froze it," Aleria declared, her voice steady, her eyes fixed on the beast. Her blade transformed at this moment and possessed a chilling power that could reach temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius, capable of rupturing blood vessels.

Lioran's astonishment was obvious as he questioned, "You can do that?"

He had known of her ability to manipulate the temperature but never realised the extent of her control.

Aleria nodded, her focus unyielding, her gaze never leaving the soulbourne. Though she had frozen it, she refused to let her guard down.

Suddenly, the ice surrounding the soulbourne melted, a sizzling sound piercing through the air.

"It's not dead," Aleria spat, her voice laced with contempt. Lioran's eyes widened slightly at the revelation. If he were subjected to such an extreme cold, it would surely be fatal.

Her grip on her sword tightened, her body tense and poised for battle. She observed as the soulbourne's muscles twitched, its eyes burning with a malevolent glare.

With lightning speed, it lunged at her, teeth gnashing and claws slashing. Its relentless assault was a blur, each strikes a near miss, leaving bloody cuts on her arms and legs.

The soulbourne growled, launching another attack, this time landing a solid blow on her shoulder. A sharp cry of pain escaped her lips, momentarily blurring her vision. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand, her body trembling from the agony. With a concentrated effort, she froze the wounds, halting the flow of blood.

"This is bad," she whispered, her eyes fixated on the soulbourne. Its massive form loomed before her, its attacks unyielding. If only it were a feeble creature, she thought, but this soulbourne possessed great strength.

With determination, she placed her sword against her chest and trailed her finger along its blade. As her finger reached the tip, she opened her mouth, her eyes filled with icy indifference.

"Slice through the flames of chaos, and let the world freeze in your wake," she muttered, her breath forming a frosty mist that wrapped itself around the sword.

Rapidly, the sword transformed, shifting into a pure snow-white blade with a single blue line running along its length. As the line reached ten percent of the sword, it ticked and moved to the sharp edge, resembling a thermometer while maintaining its blade shape. Her eyes gleamed with a frigid light, and a chilling aura radiated from her body.

The blue line continued its ascent, reaching the first tick, causing the surrounding air to turn into a swirling white mist. The soulbourne lunged at her once more, its teeth gnashing and claws slashing. Swift and graceful, she evaded its attacks. The blue line progressed further up the sword, reaching the third tick. With each increase in the sword's glow, her attacks grew more ruthless, causing Lioran to tremble in fear.

By the fifth tick, the sword's blade emitted an aura of absolute zero. The surrounding air turned white, and the soulbourne slowed down. At the eighth tick, the sword's aura became so potent that the soulbourne's skin ruptured, blood pouring from its wounds. A mournful howl escaped the creature as the aura reached the ninth tick. With the tenth tick, the sword shimmered in a brilliant blue, and the soulbourne's body contorted grotesquely. Bubbles formed, and patches of its skin turned white. Thanks to Aleria's freezing, the soulbourne wouldn't succumb to blood loss.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Now, die," she declared. With a blur of motion, she lunged forward, her sword piercing the Soulbourne's chest. It let out a piercing cry of pain and agony as the blue light engulfed its body, causing its blood to crystallise into shards, intensifying its bleeding.

The soulbourne's body trembled violently, its red eyes losing their luster, as if drained of life. With one final shriek, it exploded into a gruesome shower of blood and flesh, the sickening sound echoing in Lioran's ears.

Horror washed over him, leaving his body numb with fear, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. The blood and gore from the soulbourne splattered across Aleria's body and face, creating a horrific visage that Lioran could only watch in stunned horror.

Taking a deep breath, Aleria exhaled, her shoulders slumping, and her breathing becoming ragged.

"Let's go," she said, turning towards Lioran. As she spoke, her sword returned to its normal state, and her cold persona faded away.

Nodding in response, Lioran followed her, his mind still struggling to process the gruesome events that had just unfolded before his eyes. He observed as Aleria grew increasingly emotionless, her eyes reflecting a world devoid of life. Shaking his head, Lioran focused on trailing behind her, the image of her brutality etched deeply into his mind.

In silence, they continued their journey, the air heavy with tension. Lioran could feel the weight of the tension building, sensing that Aleria was struggling to contain her emotions. Unable to bear the silence any longer, he mustered the courage to break it.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, his voice breaking the stillness.

Aleria's response was hollow, her voice devoid of any genuine emotion. He could see the weariness in her eyes, knowing she was lying. However, he chose not to press further, allowing the subject to drop.

After a few minutes of silence, they reached their destination - a glowing white rift in the sky, guarded by a group of individuals clad in shimmering silver armour. The guards wielded an array of unique weapons, each one distinct from the other.

"We're here," Aleria whispered, her voice barely audible. Lioran's gaze shifted from the rift to the formidable guards. The air surrounding them grew colder, sending a shiver down his spine.

"What do we do now?" Lioran inquired, his voice filled with uncertainty. Aleria's response was simple yet stern.

"Just follow me and not cause any trouble." Together, they approached the rift and the group of guards, the chilling atmosphere intensifying as they drew near.

Aleria cleared her throat, the sound echoing through the stone hallway, drawing the attention of the guards. They all turned their heads in her direction, their eyes locking on her. One of them, a woman with dark brown hair and golden eyes, stepped forward. As she approached, the scent of her perfume wafted through the air, a delicate floral fragrance.

She embraced Aleria tightly, causing her head to collide with her ample bosom. Aleria's vision blurred as she listened to the woman's words.

"Oh my god! The sweet, cute little popsicle is back!" the woman squealed, her voice full of excitement. Aleria struggled to breathe, the tightness of the hug constricting her chest. She had to push the woman away to regain her breath.

"I'm not sweet! I'm not cute! I'm not a popsicle!" she protested, her voice filled with frustration.

The woman, who seemed to be around the same age as Aleria, smiled warmly and affectionately patted her on the head.

"Aw, are you mad?" she teased, her voice tinged with amusement. She playfully pinched Aleria's cheeks, her fingers cool against her warm skin.

"Stop it!" Aleria exclaimed, forcefully pushing her hand away.

"Oh, you're so cute!" the woman gushed, ruffling Aleria's hair.

Aleria's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, the heat radiating from them.

"I'm not cute!" Aleria insisted, her voice filled with determination.

Lioran nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on Aleria. She isn't cute. The image of her fierce fighting replayed in his mind, solidifying his thoughts.

Aleria noticed his nod and felt her anger intensify. She delivered a direct punch to his head; her knuckles making contact with a satisfying thud.

"I'm not cute," she retorted, her voice laced with frustration.

"You didn't need to hit me!" Lioran complained, his hand soothingly rubbing the spot where she struck him.

"You were nodding your head, saying I wasn't cute. Which is still an insult!" she hissed, her words sharp and filled with indignation.

"But you're not!" he retorted, his voice firm. Aleria huffed, turning away from him in a display of defiance.

"Aw, are you two having a lovers' quarrel?" the woman cooed, her voice dripping with amusement.

"No way! We're not together!" Aleria stammered, her cheeks growing even hotter.

"Aw, you're so cute when you're embarrassed!" the woman giggled, playfully poking Aleria's cheek.

"Will you just stop!" Aleria fumed, her frustration clear in her voice.

"Fine, fine," the woman chuckled, her hands raised in surrender.

"So, who's the boy?" the woman inquired, her gaze shifting towards Lioran.

"He's no one, just some guy I met," Aleria answered dismissively, brushing off the woman's question.

"Uh-huh, sure," the woman grinned mischievously, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Hey, you know what?" she said, turning to Lioran. "She's quite the character, isn't she?" A playful smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Yeah, she's... something," Lioran replied, his words filled with uncertainty.

"Hey! Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Aleria snapped, her cheeks still flushed.

"Lorelei Devlin! Believe it or not, I will activate my Spiritual Soul Manifestation right here, right now!?"

Lorelei, the woman, narrowed her eyes and looked at her with resentment, her features contorting slightly.

"You're not so cute in that," Lorelei said, taking a step back.

Aleria simply rolled her eyes and turned her head dismissively.

"Oh, come on! I'm sorry," Lorelei whined, her voice tinged with a hint of petulance, her lips pouting momentarily before breaking into a smile.

"So, what are you doing? Heading back?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, I have something to report back to our Soul Bound. So, can you let us through?" Aleria replied, her tone laced with a touch of urgency.

Lorelei nodded understandingly and motioned for the other guards to open the rift.

"Thanks," Aleria said gratefully, walking towards the shimmering portal.

"It was good seeing you again," Lorelei called out, her voice carrying a note of genuine warmth.

Aleria merely snorted in response and waved her hand dismissively.

"Bye," Lioran said, following Aleria's lead.

"See ya!" Lorelei replied, waving goodbye with a mix of cheerfulness and wistfulness.

As they stepped through the rift, they appeared in the world of Spiritrium Expanse!