THE PAST: 2 HOURS AGO
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Blaze weaved swiftly and silently through the forest, using the night as his cover. After running for 20 minutes, a 20-meter path that cut through the forest appeared in his vision.
Blaze looked around before climbing and hid in a tree by his left. He had instructed Aphrodite to watch over Robin, as he feared that any imprudent actions or harm that came to Robin could result in unforeseeable issues for him. He intended to proceed with caution when dealing with Robin, as he was unaware of Robin's true identity and didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.
Blaze remained hidden in the tree for five minutes until a carriage came barreling down the road. He stayed put until the carriage was right in front of him. Upon scanning the area, Blaze noticed that the carriage was being driven by a single figure, dressed in a black robe and wearing a bamboo hat.
Due to his cautious nature, Blaze took the necessary precautions to ensure that no one other than the driver was present in the carriage, to avoid any sudden danger. However, the darkness of the night made it difficult to ascertain if anyone else was hiding inside. With no other choice, Blaze decided to physically examine the carriage to gather more information and attack right away.
With the grace and speed of a cat, Blaze leaped from the tree and landed with a thud on the top of the carriage. He wasted no time in rolling to the side and lifting the cover of the carriage. After confirming that there were only two black chests inside, he expertly flipped off the roof of the carriage and landed smoothly on the ground next to it. The entire sequence of events took only a few seconds.
The carriage slowly halted and the coachman came down.
"I can't believe someone has the guts to attack Lord Ezra's package," the man with a bamboo hat said in a husky tone.
However, Blaze stood unmoving, like a lifeless statue. His black mask, which he wore to conceal his identity, added to his already eerie demeanor.
"Looks like you're ready to become an enemy of Lord Ezra," the man with a bamboo hat said coldly, before raising his open palm and pointing it at Blaze.
Blaze's mind was a jumble of confusion by the man's action, but he remained composed under his mask. Suddenly, he noticed a strange phenomenon happening in front of him. Vapor swirled in the air in front of the man, and then transformed into a mass of water that quickly turned into a meter-long, sharp stalactite-shaped icicle. The stalactite-shaped icicle faces Blaze with its sharp point. Blaze's eyes widened in shock.
'When can a liquid core do that?' Blaze thought.
Without warning, the sharp icicle was launched at Blaze with deadly speed, traveling nearly as fast as a bullet. Blaze reacted quickly, bending backward with his feet firmly planted on the ground. The icicle grazed the side of his shoulder, its force knocking him to the ground. However, he was able to quickly regain his footing by placing his left hand on the ground and executing a backflip.
The fight abruptly entered a strange deadlock with none of them making a move after the fight strike.
Blaze, still reeling from the attack, took a brief look behind him with the corner of his eye, and saw that the icicle had lodged itself halfway into a tree. The sight of the deadly projectile embedded in the wood served as a stark reminder of the danger he had just faced and how narrowly he had escaped harm. His eyes squinted as he estimated the speed and force of the projectile.
With his brain firing on all cylinders, Blaze quickly stared at the strange man and began calculating how to slay him as quickly as possible. Dodging the shooting icicles was tough but not impossible for Blaze. The main challenge facing Blaze was the possibility of misjudging the man's close combat capabilities or making a mistake in his movements. He understood the gravity of the situation and knew that the slightest error could result in severe consequences. Therefore, he was determined to remain sharp and attentive to every detail.
Without warning, the man opened his both hands and conjured ten icicles in a flash. Blaze narrowed his eyes behind his mask, realizing that his previous strategy of closing in on the man was now useless.
Without hesitation, Blaze quickly made his way to the tree behind him for cover, recognizing the need to protect himself from any further attacks. If he tanked the barrage of the icicles, Blaze was sure he was going to pick the pieces of the flesh. Recognizing the limitations of his current abilities, Blaze knew that trying to navigate through the ten icicles at his current speed would be suicidal.
As Blaze sprinted towards a tree, he heard the air crackle behind him and felt a chill run down his spine. Trusting his instincts, Blaze swiftly dove to the ground and hurled a knife from the wooden pad to the side.
The moment Blaze hit the ground, he rolled into the forest, quickly crawling to the back of a nearby tree. As he hid behind the tree, he caught a glimpse of an icicle embedded in the trunk, mere inches from where his neck had been.
Glancing around, Blaze observed several other icicles in the vicinity, some of which were embedded in trees, while others had shattered into countless pieces on the ground.
Blaze's heart was pounding in his chest as he caught his breath, his mind racing with adrenaline. Slowly, he held his breath, plunging the surroundings into a tense silence.
'This body is not reacting as fast as my mind is working!' Blaze grumbled inwardly at his new problem as he shook off the slight frost on his hair. The previous, near-death icicle brushed past his hair.
The man sneered at Blaze, belittling his abilities. "You think you can take on a solid core Awakened mage like me with your meager power and skills? You overestimate yourself," he taunted, as he began to slowly approach Blaze with icicles floating in front of him, poised to strike at a moment's notice.
'F**k you, Robin!' Blaze cursed inwardly as he heard the man's rank, but he still kept his stillness.
'I guess we have to play dirty.' Blaze's eyes slowly narrowed as he steeled himself. The man was approaching him dangerously.
'3… 2… 1!'
Blaze bolted towards the left and the ten icicles shot at him like unrelenting demons, but he abruptly changed direction and ran in the opposite direction. A sinister smirk hung on his lips as he successfully performed a feint move. Without missing a beat, he deftly pulled out four knives from the wooden pad on his belt and launched them with deadly accuracy, aiming for the man's head, heart, and both hands.
The smile on Blaze's face vanished as he watched the man conjure a thin layer of ice that blocked all of the knives he had thrown, rendering his attack useless.
However, stopping was not an option for Blaze. Blaze hurled two more knives but was still blocked with the same method. He tried it again but his effort proved futile. Blaze finally stopped and hid behind a tree.
His breathing was becoming ragged. Although Blaze's previous efforts to kill the man with throwing knives were futile, he already noticed something – the man couldn't conjure icicles and ice walls at the same time. All he needs is an opening.
After taking a moment to calm himself, Blaze sprang into action once again, dashing towards the left for real this time. As soon as he appeared, the man shot his icicles towards the right in anticipation of a feint, but Blaze had already committed to his new course of action. He hid by the next tree.
Before a second could elapse, Blaze took off towards the next tree, leaving the man with little time to react. Anticipating another feint maneuver, the man fired his remaining icicles in the opposite direction, but it was too late.
With remarkable dexterity and speed, Blaze skillfully incorporated feints and real movements to dodge the incoming icicles, all while throwing knives in rapid succession. He used his unpredictable timing and constantly changing movements to keep the man off guard, never remaining still for more than three seconds at a time. Although the risks were great, Blaze knew he had no choice but to keep moving, using his follow-up movements to force the man to react without thinking.
However, Blaze's keen observation skills soon revealed a problem. Despite his evasive tactics, the man was slowly but steadily advancing toward him, taking three steps closer after every shot. Blaze's body began to betray him as the strain of his exertion took its toll. Despite his remarkable agility and strategic movements, he could feel his strength waning and his movements becoming more sluggish.
The forest around Blaze was eerily quiet, with only the sound of his breathing and the occasional crackle of ice breaking the silence and running footsteps. The trees, tall and imposing, loomed over him like sentinels, their branches heavy with icicles that glittered in the moonlight like diamonds. The air was becoming frigid, causing every breath to hang like a cloud of mist in front of Blaze's face.
The man was also beginning to sweat from the overexertion of his mana, but he kept constricting Blaze's movement space as he moved closer and closer.
Blaze also noticed the trap, realizing that running away was not an option. The man wanted him to run away, but Blaze had other plans. Suddenly, he ran to the right, hiding behind the next tree. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the opening he had been waiting for - the man was in the process of creating new icicles. Decisively, Blaze threw his remaining four knives at the man and switched locations.
But the man showed no mercy. Ignoring the knives, he ruthlessly cast and shot twenty icicles, ten to each side, blocking Blaze's track.
Blaze's eyes widened in horror at the icicles coming from his side, but it was too late. Without a second thought, he dove forward like a spear, but two icicles found their mark, plunging deep into his shoulder where his armor did not cover him. Another icicle struck his mask, knocking it off his face. Blaze caught a glimpse of his knives bouncing off the man's clothes before the force of the icicles sent him flying like a loose arrow from a bow.
'Armor underneath!' he thought as he soared through the air. But when he reached for his wooden pad, he realized with a sinking feeling that he had no ammunition left.
Finally, Blaze crashed into a tree, his back taking the brunt of the impact. He closed his eyes, blood spilling from his mouth as he struggled to hold on to consciousness.