Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

The dust settled over the ravaged arena, leaving behind a scene of unprecedented devastation. The whole arena was reduced to a massive pit. In the center, Mira and Rayna stood tall as they pressed their weapons against the fallen's necks.

Aelina allowed herself a small smile. That was a better fight than she, or anyone else, could've asked for.

'It's pretty much on the same level as the Elders.' She thought with a growing smirk. Although she expected this kind of power from Mira, the fact that there were three more people of a similar caliber really gave her confidence to face the future head-on.

Now, she didn't have to completely rely on the hope of a single person! Even if something happened to Mira, the others wouldn't be much worse. In fact, in some cases, the others might be better than Mira!

'In about 18 years… I can't even imagine how powerful they'll be. I look forward to seeing the faces on those pompous assholes when their poor disciples get their faces smashed in.' She let out a faint chuckle, looking forward to the future.

However, seeing Mira and Rayna staring at her, she was brought back to reality. Giving a fake cough, she amplified her voice with Qi and announced, "And there you have it! Our finalists–Rayna and Mira!"

"WOOOOO!"

"Holy shit! That was amazing!"

"In all my time I've been a part of the Sect, that was the most intense battle I've ever seen!"

"Mira! Mira!"

"Rayna! Rayna! Rayna!"

The crowd's roars shook the ground as they cheered, not just for the finalists but for putting on such a spectacular display of power. They took pride in the fact that they had such talented people in their Sect.

However, Mira and Rayna took everything in with indifference. This kind of fame was meaningless, especially for the latter. Still, they had to admit that it would probably save them a few future hassles, so they stood there, basking in the glory.

After a few seconds, Rayna turned to Mira with narrowed eyes. "Your next." She said, pointing her dagger at Mira.

Mira chuckled and put her scythe on her shoulder, giving Rayna a relaxed glance. "I look forward to it."

Sparks seemed to fly between their gazes. Mira had to admit, she'd never seen Rayna look so determined before. Usually, she looks like a doll, kind of like how she used to act in her previous lives.

'I guess it makes sense.' Mira shrugged. 'Anyone's blood would start pumping after such an intense battle. I'm sure she's also wanted to test out her strength but lacked a proper opponent.'

"Come at me with everyone you've got. You'll need to." Mira turned around, leaving Rayna with those words.

'I intend to.' Rayna thought, gripping her daggers harder. She wouldn't hand over the title of Prime Disciple to her. She couldn't…

Shaking her head, she left the arena as well.

At least, that's what should've happened.

"Woah! Where do you two think you're going?" Aelina said, creating a barrier around the arena to stop them. She snapped her fingers, and both Nova and Seraphina teleported to her. "The Semi-finals may have just ended, but the Finals just started!"

Everyone was shocked, including the crowd, the Elders, Mira, and Rayna. What was this shifty Sect Master planning now…?

"Did you think I'd allow you time to plan and recover? Nonsense! You should've figured it out by now, but the Semi-finals were more than just a battle between two teams. Now, with whatever strength you have left–Fight!"

BOOM!

As soon as Aelina's words fell, Rayna shot out with a burst of speed. Poison dripped down her daggers as her aura spiked to a level she hadn't shown before. Her eyes turned predatory, and she unleashed her [Petrifying Gaze], hitting Mira's scythe arm.

Everything happened so fast that Mira barely had any time to react. She backed off and created an ice shield in front of her, but Rayna's aura disappeared, only to reappear beside her, next to the arm that was turning to stone.

By the time she reacted, Rayna's daggers were already embedded into the bone, with poison seeping into her system.

'Fuck! She's fast!' Mira cursed, her scythe falling to the ground with a clang, but she wasn't worried about that. She could feel the poison draining her energy and made a split-second decision.

She created an ice blade in her other hand and swung, chopping off her arm at the elbow. Without glancing at her fallen arm, she locked onto Rayna's position, channeled her Martial Manifestation to cover her body, and struck with full power.

Rayna didn't expect Mira to retaliate instantly and was caught off-guard. Mira's fist slammed into her chest with the power of a mountain, caving it in and sending her flying.

"UGH!" She cried as her body crashed into the wall, but she felt death soon after and hurriedly jumped out, ignoring all the broken bones.

Dashing into the shadows, she looked behind her only to see the wall completely obliterated and Mira standing there with the scythe in her other hand.

'Fuck! I almost died!' Rayna muttered, realizing that Mira wasn't playing around. That last attack would've left her without any remains should it have landed. 'What a psycho!'

Now, she started to understand why Mira lacked any pursuers, despite the fact that she made enemies with every turn. 'It was because they were erased from existence.'

"That was a nice sneak attack." Mira's cold voice entered her ears, sending a shiver down her spine. "But it won't happen again."

Mira waved her amputated arm with a light smile, but Rayna sensed the immense malice behind it.

'Shit!' Sensing danger again, Rayna dashed to another shadow before an explosion resounded behind her. She didn't look back and continued to hop around, slowly diminishing her aura until she found a place to vanish completely.

However, Mira just chuckled. "Like a true assassin, huh? Waiting for the right opportunity to strike. But-"

Sweeping her scythe, she made a deep cut in the Earth before she put it away. Leaning down, she gripped the edge of the ground and pushed up. The mountain beneath them shook as cracks spread out around her.

Seconds later, the part Mira grabbed started moving, and then it ascended. Now having a massive chunk of rock in her hand, Mira tossed it up in the air, allowing it to descend back on them like a meteor.

Rayna clicked her tongue in annoyance and leaped out of her hiding spot, not wanting to be crushed.

"Gotcha!" Mira yelled. Before Rayna could react, an ice spear had pierced her side and sent her falling back to the ground.

She ignored that injury and charged at Mira, not wanting to give up control. Rayna aimed her [Petrifying Gaze] at her again, but Mira was ready.

She swung her scythe in a wide arc, releasing Darkness Slashes that she used as a catalyst to turn a section of the arena pitch black. Now that Rayna couldn't see, her [Petrifying Gaze] shouldn't be as effective.

'Though, the environment is more favorable for her.' Mira thought, but it was no matter. With her Soul Sense and other sensory capabilities, it was nearly impossible for Rayna to disappear right before her very eyes.

Just like she thought, Rayna darted through the darkness as if it was her natural environment. She popped out, seemingly from nowhere, and struck.

Mira responded in kind and deflected all her attacks before kicking Rayna in the stomach and sending her sprawling to get back up and charge.

She didn't let up. Rayna knew she didn't need to actually hurt Mira. She just needed her attacks to land, and she could win. On the other hand, Mira needed to respond perfectly.

Mira's soul sense cut through the shadows, tracking Rayna's every move. Rayna, relying on her instincts honed in countless battles, evaded Mira's strikes by a hair's breadth only to counterattack. None of their attacks landed.

Mira then unleashed an [Abyssal Quake], ripping the ground apart and sending shards of earth and ice hurtling through the air. Rayna twisted through the debris, her form a blur as she closed the distance between her and Mira.

Their weapons clashed continuously, with each blow reverberating through the arena. Mira's scythe was a blur of motion while Rayna countered with her [Venomous Shadow Assault], which only seemed to become faster, more powerful, and more potent as time went on.

The fight escalated, each trying to outmaneuver the other. Tapping into her elemental tails, Mira created a whirlwind of different energies around her, turning the battleground into a hazardous storm of 8 different elements.

She even subconsciously integrated 'Destruction' into her attacks, causing chunks of flesh to fly off Rayna for just getting near Mira.

However, she remained steadfast.

The intensity of their battle reached its zenith. Channeling her [Frostbite Requiem], Mira unleashed a wave of icy death that froze the very air itself. Rayna evaded, leaping high, only to come crashing down with her [Shadow Basilisk's Descent], her daggers aiming for Mira's heart.

Mira countered, spinning her scythe in a defensive whirlwind, deflecting Rayna's strike. She then pushed forward, blending martial arts, scythe techniques, and her tails just to deal with her.

Rayna gritted her teeth, bit her lip, and doubled her efforts. Her agility was her greatest asset, and she would use it to its fullest.

Suddenly, her aura spiked again, and she became a blur of motion under the darkness, even in Mira's eyes.

Rayna became a shadow, her daggers finding their mark time and again. But Mira's resilience was unparalleled. Whenever she felt the poison spreading, she quickly froze that area of her body and let her innate vitality deal with it.

Even now, she could feel her arm regenerating. It was slow, but it was happening nonetheless.

The Sect's disciples watched in awe at the sheer magnitude of the battle. The Elders, too, were speechless, realizing that they were witnessing a defining moment in the history of their Sect.

Sensing an opening, Mira unleashed an unstable technique she had come up with on the spot, [Elemental Yin Destruction]. A tempest of ice combined with all her other elements and 'Destruction' engulfed the arena.

Rayna, caught in the storm, struggled against the concept and found herself getting ripped apart.

In a final, desperate move, Rayna channeled all her remaining energy into a concentrated burst of poison, turning the air around her into a toxic miasma. But Mira was ready. With a swing of her scythe, the misty poison parted, leaving Rayna exposed.

With lightning speed, Mira closed the gap and slammed her scythe into her side, sending her straight to the ground. Then, in a fluid motion, she formed an ice blade around Rayna's neck, her other hand shaping shackles of ice that bound Rayna's limbs.

The arena fell silent. Mira stood victorious, her breathing steady, her gaze fixed on her defeated opponent. Now immobilized and at Mira's mercy, Rayna had no choice but to concede.

Aelina saw this and smiled. Without a moment of hesitation, she announced, "And with that, we have our winner and the new Prime Disciple of our Sect – Mira!"