The air above Seoul trembled.
Darkness rippled across the night sky, spreading like ink spilled over canvas. Neon signs flickered and went out, casting the city into sudden silence. The rift tore open with a sound like glass shattering, its jagged edges dripping shadow. From its depths, three figures emerged—twisted, monstrous, and hungry.
The screams began instantly.
People scattered down the crowded streets of Gangnam, their voices drowned by the roar of demons. Cars swerved and crashed into each other. Children cried as their parents dragged them into alleyways, searching for any escape.
At the center of the chaos, frost crackled across the asphalt.
Hyejin stood alone, a single figure in white and blue. Her black hair whipped around her shoulders as her aura ignited, a trail of ice blooming beneath her boots. Cold mist rolled across the ground, spreading with every breath she took. Her eyes, sharp and unwavering, never left the rift above.
The demons descended.
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The Enemy
Ravok, the Fang Reaper (Low-Rank). A wolf-like beast with spines of bone jutting from its back, claws dripping with venom.
Skill: Venom Fang Slash — claws coated in poison that melted steel on contact.
Syra, the Blood Dancer (Low-Rank). A thin, humanoid figure whose body dripped crimson liquid that hardened into blades.
Skill: Crimson Waltz — a dance of spinning blood blades that carved through anything.
Vorath, the Glacier Devourer (Mid-Rank). A hulking brute of ice and rock, glowing veins pulsing across his frozen hide.
Skill: Avalanche Breaker — slamming his fists to summon walls of ice to crush his enemies.
Together, they landed on the street, shattering pavement under their weight.
Ravok sniffed the air and snarled, his maw dripping venom. Syra's body swayed, crimson blades clinking like bells. Vorath simply stood, towering like a frozen mountain, his breath a storm of frost.
Irony twisted the scene—Seoul's champion would face demons of ice and blood.
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The First Clash
Hyejin raised her hand, frost swirling into a spear. Her voice was steady, though her heart thundered in her chest.
"This city is mine to protect. You'll leave nothing behind but your corpses."
Ravok lunged first, claws glowing green with poison.
"Venom Fang Slash!"
Hyejin spun her spear, striking downward.
"Glacial Shatter!"
The spear slammed into the pavement, spikes of ice bursting upward. Ravok howled as shards pierced his legs, but he leapt free, leaving trails of venom hissing on the street.
Syra twirled gracefully, her body liquefying into ribbons of blood.
"Crimson Waltz!"
Blades of hardened crimson whirled around her, slicing through lamp posts and cars like paper. The storm of blades rushed toward Hyejin.
The wielder's aura flared brighter.
"Frozen Veil!"
A wall of frost erupted before her, the blades embedding into ice with a screech. Frost spread rapidly along the crimson edges, freezing them solid before they could pierce her.
The shield shattered. Shards of ice and blood rained down, glittering in the neon light.
And then, the ground shook.
Vorath moved.
He raised a massive arm and slammed it into the street.
"Avalanche Breaker!"
The road split apart as towering walls of jagged ice erupted, collapsing buildings as they spread. Entire blocks were buried under cascading frost and rubble. The screams of trapped civilians filled the air.
Hyejin's chest tightened. She couldn't save them all.
But she could still fight.
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Counterattack
Her aura surged, spreading a wave of frost in every direction. The air temperature dropped instantly. Windows frosted over. Breath crystallized in the air. Even the demons hesitated, sensing the sudden spike in killing intent.
"Absolute Zero…" she whispered.
Ice erupted from her body in a dome, slowing the movements of both Ravok and Syra. Their limbs stiffened as frost crept across their bodies. Hyejin leapt forward, her spear splitting into twin blades of pure ice.
She struck Ravok first.
"Blizzard Fang!"
Her blade slashed across the wolf demon's chest, the cut instantly freezing over. Ravok howled, staggering backward as shards of ice spread through his veins. With a roar, he tore the frozen wound open, spraying venom across the ground, but his movements were slower now.
Syra danced toward her, crimson blades raining down.
Hyejin met her head-on, blades of frost clashing against blades of blood. Each strike sent sparks of red and blue scattering across the night. Their dance was furious, elegant, and deadly.
But Hyejin's strikes grew sharper, colder. Syra faltered. With one clean motion, Hyejin drove her blade straight through the demon's chest.
"Freeze."
Syra's body stiffened, crimson turning crystal as frost spread outward. In seconds, the Blood Dancer was nothing but a frozen statue. With a sharp kick, Hyejin shattered her into shards that scattered across the street.
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The Mountain Stirs
Vorath roared, furious at the loss of his comrade. He raised both fists, smashing them down with the force of a collapsing mountain.
"Glacier Quake!"
The ground split open, chunks of frozen earth launching skyward. Buildings crumbled, the shockwave flattening entire blocks.
Hyejin was thrown back, crashing through a storefront. Blood trickled from her lip, but her eyes still burned with fire—or rather, ice.
She pushed herself up, aura flaring again. Her breath turned into mist as she whispered, "Fine. Let's end this."
Frost swirled around her, forming wings of ice at her back. Her entire body radiated killing cold, the street beneath her freezing solid.
Vorath charged, every step shaking the earth.
Hyejin raised her blades, eyes locked on the towering figure.
Their clash split the night.
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The battle for Seoul had only just begun.
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