The ice groaned beneath Reika's feet as she staggered back, her breath shallow and ragged. Blood dripped from her wounded hand, staining the frozen ground. The cold bit at her skin, but she forced herself to stay focused. She couldn't stop now.
The male Shikiban stood before her—towering, relentless, his presence almost suffocating. His silver hair, like a cascade of frost, and his cold, piercing eyes locked onto hers with chilling intensity. He tilted his head slightly, as if amused by her stubbornness.
"You should have run when you had the chance," he said, his voice cutting through the howling wind. "But you humans… you never learn."
Reika gritted her teeth, tightening her grip on her blade despite the pain. Every instinct screamed at her to move, to act, but fear—real, bone-deep fear—had rooted itself inside her chest. This wasn't like any enemy she'd fought before. This creature wasn't just strong. It was something else entirely. Something she didn't fully understand.
But she didn't have time to think about that.
In an instant, the Shikiban was on her. His speed was overwhelming, too fast for her to track. She barely managed to dodge the razor-sharp ice blade that slashed through the air where her neck had been just moments ago. The force of the attack sent a gust of wind past her, almost knocking her off her feet.
He was fast—far too fast.
Her body moved instinctively, shifting into a defensive stance. Her grip on her sword loosened just enough to improve her reaction time. She couldn't predict his movements, but she could adapt to them. She had to.
The next strike came, and this time, she parried it, the impact vibrating through her arm. Pain flared up, but she ignored it. He was trying to set a pattern, force her into a rhythm. She couldn't let him control the flow of the fight.
Reika lashed out, a feint to his left, followed by a quick pivot to the right. She slashed low, aiming for his knee. He moved back just in time, but she followed through with a spinning kick. Her heel barely missed his ribs. He responded with a swipe of ice, and she was forced to leap backward to avoid being impaled.
He was playing with her.
Reika's body ached, her wounds throbbed, and her breathing was shallow. The cold seeped into her bones, and the exhaustion made every movement feel like it weighed a thousand pounds. But she couldn't stop. She couldn't let this be the end.
Her blade met his again, the impact shattering the ice beneath them. He struck high, and she ducked low, sliding across the ice and aiming for his calf. He jumped, but not fast enough to completely avoid the edge of her blade. A single drop of blood splattered on the ice.
His expression changed—his smirk disappearing, replaced by something darker.
"Good," he said quietly, licking the blood from his lip. "I was hoping you'd last a little longer."
Then, without warning, he lunged at her. The world exploded into chaos. Ice shards shot up from the ground, creating a deadly maze in her path. She darted between the spikes, but one grazed her thigh, another scraped her ribs. She didn't stop. She couldn't.
They met in the middle—blades clashing, steel against ice. The force of each strike sent tremors through the air, and sparks flew as their swords collided. His attacks were precise, deadly. She countered with everything she had—no hesitation, no mercy. It was a fight to the death.
But she knew, deep down, she wasn't going to last much longer. Her movements were slowing. Her wounds were bleeding freely, and the cold had numbed her fingers. Every breath felt like it was dragging her further down. But she couldn't give up. Not now.
Behind her, her comrades were still fighting. They were still alive. She couldn't fail them.
The Shikiban noticed the shift in her stance, the way her once-burning eyes were now clouded with desperation. He chuckled, enjoying the sight of her struggle.
"You still think you can win?" he asked, stepping closer. "You're already on the brink of collapse. One more strike, and you'll be nothing but a frozen corpse."
Reika didn't respond. She just lifted her sword, planting her feet firmly against the ice. She was tired, but she wasn't done. Not yet.
The Shikiban's smile widened. "Then let's end this."
He raised his hand, and the ice beneath him cracked as raw energy surged through the air. A towering spear of ice formed, the temperature plummeting as the atmosphere seemed to shatter. It was a final, devastating attack.
Reika tightened her grip on her sword. This was it. The last chance.
The spear shot forward, faster than she could react, a blinding force of destruction. But Reika wasn't done yet.
Her eyes locked onto the trajectory of the spear. Time seemed to slow. She could see the milliseconds between survival and death, and in that moment, everything clicked. She exhaled, shifted her weight, and moved.
Her sword flashed in the air. A violent clash of steel against ice. The spear shattered, the explosion of frost filling the air as the force sent shockwaves across the battlefield.
The storm swallowed them both.