The night grew colder with each passing moment, a bitter chill continuously permeated the air as if being affected by an external force. Below the ominous night sky, the battlefield stretched out like a desolate wasteland. The once bustling town was now reduced to ruins and rubble. Its streets were empty and its buildings were mere shadows against the backdrop of chaos. The few standing structures bore the scars of previous battles, their walls marred by scorch marks and shattered windows. There was no sign of a single human in miles since this area had already been evacuated.

Amidst the eerie night, a relentless march of grotesque abominations advanced with an unsettling determination. Their movements were primal, either driven by an insatiable hunger for human souls and blood or an inexplicable urge to converge upon the fast-moving machine that sliced through the darkness with unwavering purpose.

The train, a sleek behemoth of modern technology, cut through the nightly darkness with its two bright beacons acting as swords that pointed forward. The train was a lifeline for those aboard, a refuge during the chaos--but also a target for the ravenous creatures that were swarming around it. In the distance, the fight against the ascenders and the monsters hadn't come to an end, yet. The monster numbers had only increased--making their fight for survival even harder than before. The sounds of flesh tearing, roars from both summons and monsters, and cackling of energy echoed throughout the battlefield.

Amidst their relentless march towards the fast-moving train, something incredible occurred….

A strange hush fell over the battlefield as if an unseen hand had pressed pause on the chaos. The monsters, driven by instinct and hunger, froze in their tracks. Their movements ceased, and the air grew heavy with a palpable silence that surpassed even cemeteries. It was as though the very essence of the night held its breath, waiting with bated silence to witness the unfolding events.

The creatures, with their twisted forms, stood motionless, their hypnotic gazes fixed upon the distant train.

Had they sensed a greater threat? Was it a momentary lapse in their aggression, or a sinister strategy unfolding in the dark recesses of their minds?

No.

It's because they were all dead.

***

Luna gasped for air and coughed back to life. The metallic tang of blood filled her mouth, a stark reminder of the battle raging around her and a reminder that she was still alive after taking the full force of that previous strike. Her entire being seemed to be in a pain she had never felt until today. It hurt...it hurt like hell!

Mira stood nearby, her face a mask of fear and concern. "Lady Feng…" Mira's voice trembled, her eyes darting between Luna and the approaching danger.

"I am fine," Luna hissed, her vision slowly clearing. She pushed herself up, ignoring the throbbing ache in her bones. How long had she been unconscious? Minutes felt like hours in this relentless fight.

"The undead!" Her gaze darted around the car, searching for any sign of their adversary. And then, with a suddenness that sent a shiver down her spine, Raphael materialized before them, his presence a sinister specter in the dimly lit space.

"You think I am like them? Foolish girl," Raphael sneered, his twisted form looming closer.

Luna's muscles tensed, her mind racing as she assessed the situation. With no weapon in sight, Luna improvised by seizing a metal plate from the ground. With a fierce throw, she hurled it towards Raphael. He dodged it easily, his laughter echoing off the walls as he closed in on the pair.

Mira on the other hand remained frozen, her eyes wide with terror. Thoughts raced through her mind. How did it come to this? They were already outnumbered and outmatched. Now this creature seemed to hold its own against a legacy like Luna.

"Get away from here, damn it!" Luna's roar snapped her out of the daze. Mira almost jumped as she tried to find anywhere to run. Even her fellow seemed to be in the same situation.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Drawing upon her remaining strength, Luna launched herself into action, her movements a blur of determination. Each strike was a calculated risk, a dance with death as she dodged and countered with the ferocity of a cornered animal. But Raphael was no ordinary foe. His resilience was matched only by his malevolence, his twisted laughter a chilling reminder of how dangerous he was and that he saw no threat in Luna. To him, she was probably an insect to toy with.

After delivering another weak blow that he blocked with ease, Luna staggered back and coughed more blood--the cracks on her hands growing even more. Raphael's immortality is what made him a difficult foe. Her fists seemed to slow his regeneration, but every blow risked exposure to corruption. If she let herself get infected by any more Black Ether, her body would give in...turning her into a walking corpse.

Gods, if only she could use zenshi.

Noticing her sorry state, Raphael laughed even more. Everyone except for Luna seemed to be frozen in place by his insane level of bloodlust. "Your body isn't going to last any longer, unfortunately."

Luna couldn't help but agree with his observation. Special as she was, her body had reached its limits and it was on the verge of breaking down. In fact, it was a miracle she was still conscious despite the pain she felt at the moment. However, it was clear that if she pushed herself any further, she would either die or succumb to the Black Ether that was in her system at the moment.

She looked at the silver bracelet on her scarred hand. The limiter was still displaying the number 3%. The thought of forcing out her strength crossed her mind. But she crossed it out when she remembered the delicate state her body was in right now.

'Am I going to die here?'

Just after she asked herself that question, a chilling presence filled the air and the temperature of the room took a massive drop that even caught Raphael off-guard. Luna was quick to recognize this effect. Yes, she knew the owner of this presence.

Her eyes widened in surprise when out of nowhere, a hand pale hand patted her shoulder. Quickly, her gaze traced the hand up to the woman standing behind her. "Mom?" her voice came out crooked and dry before breaking into another bloody cough.

Yes. The Flame of Winter, her mother, a vision of icy beauty amidst the chaos--was casually standing behind her. Luna almost sighed with relief, though the possibility of it being a hallucination lingered.

Flame of Winter's gaze softened momentarily as she looked at her daughter. "You've fought bravely, Lunaris. Rest now," she said gently, a rare note of affection in her voice.

Then, she turned to Raphael, her expression hardening to ice.

As soon as he noticed her ferocious presence, the infected demeanor shifted, his bravado faltering as he locked eyes with the majestic figure beside Luna. No one knew where Flame of Winter had come from, how she had arrived, or when she arrived.

…Only that her arrival spelled doom for any who crossed her.

"I will teach this fool a lesson not to mess with my children," Flame of Winter's voice was calm yet carried an undertone of ferocious anger.

Raphael attempted to retreat, sensing his imminent defeat, but Flame of Winter halted him effortlessly. By expelling her divine ability, she encased his entire body in ice, leaving only his head exposed.

After passing her daughter to a shocked Mira—who was finding it hard to believe that she was looking at one of the strongest humans on earth—Flame of Winter stepped forward and the air around her crackled with frigid energy. The temperature in the car plummeted even more with frost now creeping along the walls. The breath of every soldier was visible in the chilled air but none of them felt cold.

The soldiers, who had been battling despair, now stood in awe and relief, their morale bolstered by her presence.

"Who sent you?" Her voice reverberated through the car, commanding and powerful.

Raphael's defiance crumbled. "No one. I sought chaos for its own sake."

Flame of Winter's silver hair billowed in the cold breeze she conjured with her very presence. Her chilling grey eyes stared at him with no emotion, her aura a stark contrast to Raphael's corruption. "You're lying," Flame of Winter's gaze bore into Raphael, her patience waning.

Before Raphael could defend himself, she shattered his arm with a gesture, sending him into a wail of agony. His screams echoed across the train, a chilling testament to her power.

Everyone else, the soldiers, the ascenders present, and Luna herself remained dead silent. it was horrifying to watch a scene like this unfold. And yet, it brought Luna some relief, knowing that that bastard felt pain.

Flame of Winter waited for the screams to stop. And when they stopped she continued. "This isn't my first rodeo, dark servant. Now. The truth."

Raphael's resolve crumbled under her icy gaze. "I am the servant of Corruption. My Master sent me to sow chaos and eliminate an anomaly aboard this train."

"What anomaly?"

The infected shook his head with an intensity. "I don't know. My job was to destroy the reactor and let the horde take care of the rest. The anomaly is not supposed to reach the Blood Tower…that's all I was told." Raphael confessed, his voice tinged with resignation.

'Blood Tower? Is that what they call the Crimson Tower?' Luna listened to Raphael carefully. If she wasn't too damn weak at the moment, then maybe she would have given it more thought.

Flame of Winter remained silent for a few moments. Then, without giving the intelligent infected a warning, a white spike shot out of the ground and pierced directly through his heart. "Thank you for the information, dark servant. I would've let you go, but you've caused great harm to my daughter and many of my men are dead because of you. Your punishment will be eternal death."

Once those words left her mouth, his insides started to turn to ice as Flame of Winter's power destroyed him from within. The Ice spread angry poison, carrying a vicious will of its own.

Raphael's laughter echoed hollowly, mocking his inevitable fate. "Eternal death? I hope so. This world was already doomed anyway." His eyes then flitted to Luna, who was watching with a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

"See you soon, you damn brat," he sneered, his defiance lingering even in defeat.

As soon as he said those words, Luna felt a pang of pain in her chest that grew so intense that even her body couldn't fight it anymore. Each heartbeat sent waves of agony coursing through her as if her very veins were aflame with corruption. The brief respite of adrenaline had faded, leaving her vulnerable to the darkness consuming her.

Her vision blurred, edges darkening as her senses dulled. The cacophony of battle around her—the shouts of soldiers, the roar of monsters, the hum of the train's defense systems—faded into an eerie, oppressive silence.

What happened next was a blur...

The world itself seemed to dissolve into darkness. Shadows crept in from the corners of her mind, swallowing her consciousness. She felt herself falling, her body no longer responding to her commands.

However, before she fully lost all her senses, Luna heard her mother's gentle voice say:

"Hold on for now, Lunaris."