As if she were about to merge into the storm itself, Icelis let her hair whip wildly as she continued to push her authority outward. Her flesh and bone were wind and snow, cold flowed through her veins, and all nearby ice answered her call, turning into thousands of blades that surged forward. Riding the shattered glacier rivers pouring down from the sky, they charged like an army in full assault.
"Ha ha ha…"
What greeted them was only that abomination, something that would regrow no matter how many times it was torn apart, its laughter pouring endlessly from its mouths. A brilliant Magic Array lit up like an orchestral score, layers of interwoven patterns matching the rhythm of the laughter, yet carrying no joy at all, only a sense of wrongness that felt offensive just to witness. Countless massive limbs overlapped as vocal cords vibrated like strings, bones clacked like drums, and the wind howled through holes like bone flutes.
At the top of the enormous and gaudy flesh-flower stood a strange crown of white bone, riddled with holes like a pipe organ. The distorted sound waves it released stripped away layers of frost and stained them black. Petals spread open, revealing a hollow maw that chewed incoming giant ice swords to pieces, while the cold wind cut like blades and severed countless tongues mid-cheer.
It did not matter. Black blood seeped from frozen wounds and fused again into new shapes, bones as stems, fingers as petals, blood vessels stabbing into the earth as it sang out once more in praise of a grand feast. As he claimed, this was art, this was life, a sound meant to shake the soul, something meant to shock all who saw it.
"Look, miss. You came a bit too early. I can only shyly present something as crude as this unfinished work."
Salva, who had literally merged with the surging river of flesh beneath him, spoke endlessly with his first face, every word issued from a different mouth on his body. His second face directed the performance, only to be riddled by an incoming storm of ice spikes moments later, cold seeping into every inch of filthy flesh as its power tangled constantly with black Magic. "A rather rough lady, aren't you…"
From a vine-like tendril, he crawled out again, brushing at imaginary dust on his mimicked clothes and sighing. "Die."
A massive ice pillar fell from the sky and crushed him into pulp once more.
Scenes like this played out across the gigantic flesh-flower at the same time. The small villa had long been ground into debris by colliding glaciers and rampant flesh, and huge cracks split the ground, leaking ominous black fumes. The shockwaves toppled nearby sections of the city wall, and professionals who sensed the danger began evacuating people as fast as they could.
Luckily, this was near the edge of the city, and there were few residents. Icelis had deliberately sealed the battlefield to keep that disgusting thing from escaping, and with constant muttering in her ear about dinner, she held back just enough that there were no casualties. Anyone able to get this close probably was not normal to begin with.
No one wanted to interfere in the clash between the two unknown figures. A flesh-flower rooted in the earth and an ice vortex devouring the sky, terrifying Magic fluctuations and shockwaves tearing the air apart, all of it pointed to at least two Gold Rank beings. In a border city like this, no one dared think they could survive stepping into that battlefield.
"Everyone move away from the battlefield. Do not look back."
The captain spread his voice with Battle Aura, shouting orders while waving his command sword. As for mages, Warrior, or thrill-seeking civilians trying to watch, he had neither the energy nor the desire to care.
On a collapsed tower, Fei'er Li struggled up to a higher section, relying on basic Battle Aura training that gave her a bit of Battle Aura and physical reinforcement. She finally reached the top platform, her fears confirmed. At least the meal had not been wasted, as she was wrapped in a layer of ice protection, though whoever sent her flying clearly had not checked the direction, since she had smashed through several buildings on the way.
Fortunately, they were abandoned ruins. Otherwise, just the compensation alone would have required begging Icelis for more help.
"Being able to fight her at that level, with that kind of look, it has to be the cult. At least a priest," Fei'er Li muttered, fingers whitening as they clenched the stone beneath her.
"That disgusting thing matches the stitched beast priest from the early to mid stages. What was his name again…" She thought about what the cult was doing at this point in time and suddenly understood why that girl had exploded in anger. With some memories restored, she knew exactly why she had come straight here.
"At this time, the cult was prying at Icelis's fragment seal to extract power, and also…"
"…Little sister."
A rough male voice interrupted her thoughts. A coarse hand patted her head, making Fei'er Li flinch and stiffen as she whipped around, glaring fiercely. "Who the hell are you. Why are you so close."
Her words were sharp, though her voice trembled as she looked at the tall man wearing a wolf pelt. She pulled her hand back, fully aware that anyone who could approach silently here was no ordinary person.
"Haha, no need to be nervous. Want a sip of rough liquor? It will warm you up." He pulled a flask from his waist and opened it, the strong alcohol smell making Fei'er Li's eyes twitch.
She knew this kind of drink, infused with plants unique to the Northlands and strong enough to rival medical alcohol, something that had shattered her assumptions about alcohol in Otherworld. "No thanks. Don't change the subject. Who are you, and why are you near me."
"Well, we can't just ignore those two fighting in the city, right. You're close and seem to know things. Tell me what you know, and I'll handle it later." He pointed casually at the shaking battlefield.
Handle it? One was a great spirit fragment and the other a cult priest of a dark god. Who did he think he was? Still, seeing the ice protection on herself and his calm attitude, Fei'er Li relaxed slightly, though she kept gathering magic behind her back.
"This isn't something you can handle. Other than the lord, no one can deal with it. You should leave." "In that case, I really can't go. By the way, that cult and priest you mentioned, what exactly are they?"
He ignored her small movements and took a drink, so casual it startled her again. Had she been muttering out loud? "I was just praying to the God of Light. I even went to the Dawn Church three days ago."
"I know a bit about that cult, but probably less than you. Can you tell me what that spirit has to do with you?" He continued rambling, then added, "We can talk more later. If you can't handle the Northlands liquor, I can prepare fruit wine."
Fei'er Li lowered her head, staring at his boots, feeling like she had been doused with cold water. She looked up and met his eyes directly. "I'll ask plainly. Who are you."
"Didn't you just say it?"
He screwed the flask shut and put it away, then clenched his right hand into a fist and struck out in an instant. A thunderous roar followed as the punch passed her cheek and obliterated a centipede-like monster that had crept close, smashing it into frozen fragments.
"So who do you think I am?" He grinned wildly, sharp beastlike fangs showing as he pulled his fist free. "I'm the damn lord."
"Mmm… that section of the tune has gotten messy. I need to switch to a different score."
Salva felt that a large portion of his artwork had been completely shredded, frozen, and cut off from all connection. To keep everything in harmony, he decisively severed the parts corroded by the cold and rebuilt them into an instrument form suitable for performance. Consistency mattered most, yes, it had to be that way.
The newly constructed Flesh Choir was once again buried deep by rising glacial peaks, crushed into sludge. The tentacles that tried to creep outward were sliced apart, and even the portions that fled underground vanished without a trace. The avatars left scattered within the city were also quietly uprooted one by one, far faster than he expected.
"Now this is a bit troublesome…"
Salva rarely felt a headache like this, facing a stubborn young woman who could not appreciate art. Worse still, he had not brought along any works he was truly proud of to display. Just moments ago, a small trinket he casually made approached an individual that seemed to carry her power, and then vanished instantly.
There were people in this small city that he had not anticipated at all. While his attention wavered for only an instant, more than ten avatars were crushed to death. Salva decided this could not continue.