The hall trembled slightly under the weight of growing magic. On one side stood Ezren, stone magic user and Central Alliance commander. Opposite him stood Rosa, the Blade of Light—wielding a beautiful yet deadly sword coated in glimmering ice magic.
Without a word, Rosa dashed forward, her blade dragging behind her. As it scraped along the stone floor, ice crystals sparked from its tip, creating a glowing trail of frost in her wake.
Ezren's eyes sharpened.
Ezren: "Stone Magic: Stone Pillar!"
A massive chunk of rock burst up from the ground between them. But Rosa was ready—leaping high, she spun mid-air and slashed downward. A crescent-shaped ice slash erupted from her blade, cleaving through the stone pillar like paper.
Ezren's gaze tracked her, but Rosa wasn't done.
Still airborne, she twisted her body mid-spin, performing two more revolutions before launching another ice slash toward him as she descended.
Ezren raised his arm, blocking it bare-handed—stone magic hardening his skin on instinct. But the impact was devastating. The force blasted him off his feet, slamming him hard against the wall.
Dust and frost scattered into the air.
He grunted, trying to stand—but Rosa was too fast. She didn't strike again directly. Instead, she began moving in tight circles around him, almost dancing with her blade, her feet gliding just above the frost-covered floor.
Then she landed, twisting her wrist and pulling her blade backward like a whip.
Suddenly—
Crack!
A shimmering ice rope erupted from the ground, wrapping around Ezren's legs, arms, and torso. It moved like a living snake, constricting tightly. More and more ice began forming, slowly creeping over his body like a frozen cocoon.
Ezren's breathing slowed, his voice muffled inside the growing ice.
Ezren (calmly): "Stone Magic: Earthen Chains!"
With a thunderous crack, the ground beneath Rosa and the surrounding ice burst open. Heavy, rune-inscribed chains of stone erupted upward, latching onto Rosa's legs, locking her in place.
At the same time, chains coiled tightly around the ice cocoon, not attacking Rosa directly—but tightening around the frozen mass surrounding Ezren.
Rosa struggled to move, swinging her blade to cut through the chains on her legs—but they were enchanted and dense with layered stone magic.
And then—
Boom!
With a shattering roar, the chains constricted fully and crushed the ice surrounding Ezren, causing it to crack and explode into shards.
Ezren emerged, breath visible in the cold air, body steaming slightly from the impact and sudden release.
Rosa also tore free, panting, her hair slightly tousled from the effort.
But it was clear now: Ezren's use of the chains wasn't just to escape—it was a distraction. A way to force her into defense, while he strategically broke free from her grip.
They now stood across from each other again.
Their warm breath clashed in the cold air, rising like mist between them.
The real fight... had just begun.
Dawn and Tracey moved apart, creating space so their battles wouldn't interfere with one another.
Dawn stepped outside the shattered doorway.
Tracey took position at the opposite end, keeping Ezren in his peripheral.
Their opponents followed—Rosa to Ezren, and Sana to Tracey.
Ezren clenched his fist, his magic surging.
"Stone Magic: Stone Fall."
A massive boulder materialized above Rosa's head, threatening to crush her.
But she was already moving.
With astonishing agility, Rosa sprinted to the wall, launched herself off it, then leapt to the opposite wall.
Before the boulder even finished falling, she was already on top of it.
She jammed her sword deep into the rock.
"Ice Magic."
Frost surged from her blade, spreading across the boulder like veins of blue.
She whispered—
"Shatter."
The boulder exploded into glittering shards of ice.
Rosa, however, fell with it.
But Ezren was ready.
"Stone Walls: Crush!"
Two massive walls erupted from the ground on either side of Rosa, aiming to flatten her mid-fall.
She twisted in midair—slash, slash—cutting both walls in half before they reached her.
Ezren's eyes narrowed.
She's fast… too fast. Distant attacks won't work.
He charged forward, stone encasing his fists.
Clang!
Fist met blade.
The impact cracked the ground beneath them.
Rosa: "Ice Wrap."
Ice bloomed under Ezren's feet, freezing him in place.
But Ezren roared, smashing Rosa with a punch so forceful it sent her crashing into a wall.
The impact shattered the ice on his feet.
"Stone Creation: Axe!"
A heavy stone axe formed in his hands. Without hesitation, he sprinted and swung.
CLASH!
Rosa blocked with her sword, staggering under the weight.
Ezren smirked.
She's not physically strong enough to counter heavy blows... if I keep pressuring her—
Another swing. Another block.
The axe, glowing with magical energy, pushed her back again and again.
Suddenly, Rosa whispered:
"Ice Zone."
A wave of cold surged outward. A glowing circle formed on the ground, trapping Ezren within it.
The temperature plummeted.
His breath fogged. His muscles stiffened.
"Ice Magic: Clones."
From the ground, several identical copies of Rosa erupted, surrounding him.
Ezren knew which one was real—but the clones moved fast.
He blocked a blow from the left—then another from behind.
A blade slashed across his arm. Another stabbed into his leg. The pain shot up his limbs like fire—but worse, it was cold, numbing.
Snarling, Ezren spun with his axe.
WHIRL—CRUSH!
Shattered ice flew in every direction. The clones disintegrated.
Ezren panted, frost crawling up his skin.
The wounds didn't bleed—they were frozen—but they hurt.
Badly.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move. The ice cracked and shattered from his body.
"Ahh... this really is a cold graveyard."
Rosa smirked.
"Don't struggle too much, Commander Ezren. Just die peacefully already."
Ezren:
"Stone Creation: Dual Axes."
Now one in each hand. He slammed one into the ground.
Cracks raced through the earth.
And in the blink of an eye—he vanished.
Behind Rosa.
But she was ready.
"Not too fast."
An ice wall shot up between them. Ezren's axe slammed into it, cracking it but not breaking through.
Rosa turned and blocked his second axe with her blade, both hands gripping tightly.
Their strength collided—but Ezren's raw power pushed her back.
Then—from beneath them—
"Ice Magic: Spike Rise!"
An ice wall erupted upward, forcing Ezren and Rosa apart.
Rosa leapt back, breathing hard.
She knew: in a physical brawl, she couldn't outlast him.
________________________________________
Then seen shift to Sana vs. Tracey
Meanwhile, Sana lashed out with a barrage of lightning slashes at Ashenfang.
The beast dodged nimbly, and when the slashes connected, he endured them with a grunt.
Sana smirked.
". I'll teach you what real lightning feels like."
Her blade crackled—lightning enveloping its edge.
In a flash, she was behind Ashenfang.
"Lightning Blade Magic: Six-Fold Strike!"
Six arcs of lightning slashed across Ashenfang in an instant.
ROHHH!!
Ashenfang roared, sparks dancing across his scales.
Tracey didn't flinch.
"Let's show her the results of your training with Master Cyrus."
"Ashenfang—Earthquake!"
Ashenfang stomped with his front legs—BOOM!
The ground split and rumbled violently.
"Now—Flame Strike!"
Ashenfang charged forward as the ground trembled with every step.
Sana stumbled, her footing thrown off by the quake.
"Lightning Magic: Sonic Disks!"
She swung her sword, generating several spinning thunder discs.
They shot forward—each one forming a circular ring of lightning.
Ashenfang tackled the first—CRACK!
A shockwave hit him. Then another. Then another.
Each ring slowed him down further. His pace faltered.
Sana's eyes gleamed.
"Lightning Magic: Sword Dance!"
She vanished into streaks of lightning.
She reappeared around Ashenfang in rapid succession—her movements a blur.
To Tracey, it looked like lightning itself danced around the beast.
Then came the voice—echoing, surrounding them.
"Lightning Magic: Lightning Vortex!"
Beneath Ashenfang, a spiraling whirlpool of lightning formed, rising into a vortex.
Ashenfang roared in pain, trapped in the crackling storm.
Tracey narrowed his eyes, He smiled.