The surroundings environment quickly shifted as all the snow in a thirty-meter radius melted and becomes water.
Like a turbulent water current, the melted snow began spiraling in the air, forming a miniature vortex as the silhouette of an obscure four-meter tall giant emerge amid a thick screen of water vapor.
The said giant was Hannah's War Soul, a Higher Water Elemental, one of a Lesser Water Elemental's evolution forms.
Its imposing body was large and looked like a golem but was entirely made up of flowing water, with condensed armor surrounding a marble-like core in the middle of its torso.
In less than a few seconds, the Higher Water Elemental is fully taking form, with three streaks of sparkling green light floating around its body irregularly.
The three streaks of light mean that the Higher Water Elemental is a Rank 3 War Soul, while the green color indicates Hannah's Soul Origin Crystal's grade.
Without hesitation, William instantly decided to flee with total effort as he knew full well that he wasn't Hannah's opponent. Staying any longer would be no different than asking for a beating.
"Don't even dream of escaping today without telling me Myah's whereabouts!" Hannah exclaimed. Then, with a thought, she directed the Higher Water Elemental in her mind, 'Restraint him!'
An Elemental War Soul is rare and mighty as they possessed attacks of great diversity and are unpredictable. Not to mention that an Elemental's affinity is exceptionally high in their respective element and is way stronger than average.
Immediately, the Higher Water Elemental moved and transformed its liquid body into a ten-meter-long flood dragon. Its speed was so fast that a visible ripple could be seen in the air as it rushing toward the escaping William.
Wherever the transformed flood dragon goes, the snow melted and became water, aiding its movement akin to a fish freely soaring in the ocean tide.
Feeling a chill down his spine, William was left with no choice but to stay and fight. The situation was dire.
"Come out, Flaming Lion!"
ROARR!!!!
A fiery shadow flashed out from William's necklace, his beast storage tool, with an earsplitting roar.
A Flaming Lion measured up to three-meter tall and about five-meter long with blazing mane stepped onto the snow, three streaks of green light circling its body, and is ready to confront the Higher Water Elemental.
With each step of the Flaming Lion, the cold wintry air began to heat up as if it was summer when the sunray mercilessly scorched the earth.
Feeling a deadly threat, the Flaming Lion quickly opens its jaws wide, revealing a row of razor-like teeth, and condenses spiritual energy as it let out a breath of hot flame toward the Higher Water Elemental.
Boom!
Two profound power, fire and water, swiftly clashed with each other.
After the sound of an explosion, a shock wave was created, sending dense clouds of white water vapor surging and shrouded the surrounding hundred meters.
Boom! The sound of explosion resounded again and again while a gust of wind suddenly swept the place.
The two War Souls didn't stop there but continued to fight, and trade blows one after another, with the Flaming Lion letting out angry beastly roars.
However, the Higher Water Elemental obviously has the upper hand, as it efficiently negates the Flaming Lion's fire breath and burning claw attacks then counters with an even greater force in return.
In the form of a ten-meter-long flood dragon, the Higher Water Elemental is coiling around the Flaming Lion like how a python would choke its prey, slowly suffocate them to death.
The fire affinity of the Flaming Lion was weak, unable to overpower its opponent and vaporize the water away.
As the fight continued and lasting for more than thirty seconds, it's concluding.
The Flaming Lion was barely able to defend itself with no room to fight back at all!
"Damn it! Your War Soul has advanced to the peak of Rank 3 already?" William spoke with a dark expression. His own War Soul was only at the Early-stage of Rank 3, and it won't be able to last for much longer.
'Both of us possessed the same C-grade talent, yet she was always better than me in everything!' William gritted his teeth tightly; as a man who married into his wife's family, the thought of being inferior has always been a thorn in his heart and lowers his dignity in front of others.
Not answering his question, Hannah also makes her move. Dressing in a white dress with silver-colored armor and fluttering blonde hair, she looks like a heroine imagined from an ancient fairy tale.
A Goddess of War!
Then, Hannah channeled the spirit energy in her soul sea and started circulating it through her body before dashing toward William while the Higher Water Elemental occupied his War Soul.
Despite feeling the pain and pressure as his War Soul was wounded. William was fully alert to Hannah's every movement and quickly performed a defensive stance.
He is not a genius. The gap in strength was evident, and one misstep meant it would all be over.
Who knows what Hannah might do in her crazed state now that he has harmed Myah? Thinking of the possibilities, William involuntarily shuddered.
"Hm!" (Hannah)
After covering a distance of more than 50 meters in a few leaps, Hannah drew her weapon from her storage tool, an oversized blade without a handle that looked like a crescent moon. In the hazy mist of water vapor, it glimmers with a chilly radiant.
"Hidden Moon Light!" (Hannah)
"Baleful Sword Strike!" (William)
The two roared out the name of their technique simultaneously. The humming vibration of blade and sword reverberated on with high tension, producing an ear-piercing cry.
Then,
CLANNGGG!!!!
The dizzying sound of metal clashing echoed once their weapon collided, producing countless fire sparks that highlighted their crazed expressions.
'Long ago, a similar confrontation like this was also how we meet each other. But this time, I will show you mercy no longer!'
Following a Boom! Hannah sends William staggering backward one step with a heavy sound of a violent impact and crushing him onto one knee.
The ground under them was cracking, making a considerable size spiderweb-like crater: dusk and broken rubbles scattered everywhere.
The tension in the air was reaching its peak as they looked into each other's eyes.
"Kpufff!!!" Feeling the violent force transpiring through the sword and seeping into his body, creating rampage wherever it goes. William choked out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his face flustered red with veins swelling out violently.
'Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!!!!!!'
William roared inside his mind, one strike was all it takes, and he was already defeated.
'No! not like this!'
After getting a good grasp of his sword, William's eyes turn vicious when he notices that Hannah didn't continue to attack. Thinking that she has let down her guard, he wants to retaliate.
'I can still turn the situation around.' Unable to recall his War Soul to help him, William was desperate.
However, before he could do anything, Hannah indifferently flings the sword in his hand away. She reached out toward William's head with one swift and fluid motion and ruthlessly slammed it onto the ground.
Boom! Then, accompanying the sound of a heavy blunt collision, a few of his teeth were knocked out, leaving a bloody trail.
"Where is my son?" Looking at William's bloodied appearance, Hannah questioned coldly. She didn't just become an Eight-star Master through sheer luck.
The competition is always exceptionally fierce, and during her time as an adventurer, the blood she spilled was not a small amount.
A little torture is nothing to her if it could make him open his mouth and talk.
Boom!
"Where is my son?"
"I...don-"
Boom!
"S-stop! Y-you, we... we can always have another child." Suppressing the humiliation in his heart, William said with great difficulty. He didn't dare say that he has tossed Myah in a river.
Boom!
"Where is my son?"
"Y-you can't k-"
Boom!
"Where is my son?!"
"..."
Seeing that William remained silent, she crashed a healing potion onto his head and continued. Ignoring his wailing and pleading for her to stop.
Boom!
...