Chapter 225 – The Duchess Assassin vs The Fire Assassin
Chloe Evenhart:
I ran with every ounce of strength I had left, my heart pounding in my chest with worry. I used my control over the water element to dash across the surface without freezing it, creating whirlpools with each step. Ice spheres formed in my hands and were launched into the water, sinking and vanishing into the darkness as I prepared my next move.
The port!
The ship had been destroyed near the port of the underground city beneath the grand city of Evenhart.
I need to reach the port! I have to lure him away from where Kinue is.
"You're dead!" Quinn's voice boomed behind me, seething with hatred. An explosion of water echoed, and I felt the shockwave as he surged forward, using the wind to propel himself like a force of the river itself.
Flaming arrows tore through the air, grazing close enough for their heat to sear my skin. I dodged each one, my movements fueled by instinct and desperation, but the relentless pressure of his attacks was undeniable. He was closing in fast.
"Once I kill you, I'll go after Nathan Evenhart's mother!" he shouted.
A bitter, sarcastic laugh escaped me. "You? Against my aunt? You wouldn't last two seconds." Despite the adrenaline coursing through me, my mind worked overtime, searching for any weakness in his assault.
"Wind Art: Great Tornado!"
Quinn invoked, and a monstrous tornado began to form behind me. The surrounding water was pulled into its growing force, creating a vortex that threatened to consume everything in its path.
"White Explosion!" I shouted. The ice spheres I had launched earlier activated, triggering a chain of simultaneous explosions. Snow from the blasts was sucked into the tornado, overwhelming it and dissipating its force in a blinding display that made the air shimmer with energy.
Taking advantage of the distraction, I increased my speed. Wind propelled my feet, carrying me like an arrow shot toward the port.
Quinn was relentless, combining fire and wind in his attacks, turning the water around us into vapor and chaos. His spells erupted with dazzling flashes, casting flickering shadows across the damp tunnel walls.
For a brief moment, our eyes locked. I saw unrestrained fury and a burning thirst for vengeance in his gaze. This wasn't just a battle of magic and strength; it was personal. And I knew there was no room for mistakes.
The faint light of the port came into view. My body screamed with exhaustion, but my resolve was stronger. I couldn't fail. Not now.
I conjured a sword of ice, and our weapons clashed in a fierce duel.
"I think I'll bring your head as a gift for Nathan Evenhart!" he sneered, slashing at me with his knives.
"Don't you dare speak his name, you scum!" I screamed, landing a kick empowered by a burst of water, sending him flying backward.
Without hesitation, I cast another spell. "Ice Art: Cemetery of Skeletons."
A biting cold surged around us, rapidly freezing the water. From the frozen surface, figures began to emerge—water skeletons solidifying into crystalline ice forms. Dozens rose around me, their edges gleaming like diamonds in the dim light.
At my command, the skeletons advanced toward Quinn, their movements unnervingly swift for their frozen forms. Taking advantage of the distraction, I launched myself into the air, using one of the skeletons as a stepping stone. With a powerful leap, I gained altitude and prepared for my next attack.
Quinn, noticing my movements, shouted, "Great Fire Breath!" A torrent of flames erupted from his mouth, incinerating the nearest skeletons and creating a suffocating wave of heat.
"Great Snow Breath!" I countered, releasing a freezing blast that collided with Quinn's fire. The clash of our spells triggered a massive explosion of steam, shrouding the battlefield in a dense fog, obscuring everything around us.
"Sea Serpent!" I invoked, taking advantage of the cover provided by the mist. A massive serpent made of water rose from the frozen depths, slithering silently toward Quinn. Simultaneously, I commanded the remaining skeletons to press their advance, relentless like an unstoppable tide.
Quinn fought viciously, using fire spells to shatter the ice skeletons, but each one was a trap. Hidden within their icy ribcages were snow bombs, which detonated as they were destroyed, unleashing freezing bursts that shook the battlefield. Explosions of water and snow scattered shards of ice everywhere, making the terrain even more treacherous.
Despite the chaos, Quinn endured. He raised a wind barrier, deflecting attacks and dispersing parts of the icy mist that covered the area. Even so, I could see him faltering—his breaths heavier, his movements more deliberate. The water serpent seized the moment, launching swift strikes from different angles, forcing him to stay on the defensive.
Using bursts of water from beneath my feet, I propelled myself upward, breaking free from the mist. From above, I watched Quinn moving across the frozen surface, dodging relentless attacks while conjuring fire and wind spells to eliminate the ice skeletons still emerging. His skill was evident, but the mounting pressure was taking its toll.
"Ice Ray!" I clasped my hands together, focusing my energy. A white beam shot from my fingers, freezing everything in its path as the air crackled with intense cold. Quinn dodged the attack, conjuring a wall of fire and wind that neutralized part of the ray before it could reach him.
As I descended, I shouted, "Impulse!" Jets of water and wind erupted beneath me, propelling me at high speed toward the port. My landing was far from graceful—I tumbled across the ground, each roll jarring my already battered body. Pain radiated from my left side, but there was no time to wallow.
I pushed myself to my feet, my gaze locking onto the guards rushing toward me, alarmed by the chaos emanating from the ship.
"You! Mage terrorist!" one of them shouted, sword drawn.
"Shut up!" I snapped, steadying myself. "Who's in charge here?" My voice was sharp and commanding.
The guards exchanged confused glances until I spoke the words that only those familiar with the code would understand:
"The black raven emerges at the fall of night from the silent fortress."
Their eyes widened in recognition.
"The ducal authority code… She's a trusted member of the duchess's royal guard!" one of the soldiers murmured, immediately stepping back.
"I'm ordering you to evacuate the area now! Get all civilians out of here immediately!" I barked, leaving no room for hesitation. Before they could respond, I snatched the sword from one of them. "This weapon will be more useful with me right now."
Turning back to face Quinn, I saw him advancing with unwavering fury, his eyes blazing with determination. He was relentless, his very presence thickening the air around him with an oppressive intensity.
I glanced over my shoulder at the guards, who were momentarily frozen with uncertainty.
"Go now!" I shouted again, my voice echoing across the port. Finally, the soldiers began to move, organizing the evacuation of civilians while I braced myself for the next clash.
At least they have some sense—prioritizing the civilians, I thought, tightening my grip on the sword as I prepared for the inevitable confrontation.
Quinn was closing in now, his determination etched into every movement. My body screamed for rest, but my mind knew this wasn't the end—not until he was stopped.
I prepared the spell in my hand.
"Swarm of Blue Eagles!" I shouted, and a massive orb of water split into dozens of ethereal blue eagles, hovering in the air and awaiting my command.
I charged toward Quinn, determined to end this battle once and for all.
He didn't hesitate. "Fire Ray!" he roared, sending a blazing beam of fire straight at me. I sidestepped, creating a cyclone in my hand that sliced through the fiery attack as I pushed forward. The cyclone dissipated his spell, giving me a clear path to close the distance.
Quinn drew a massive sword from his storage bracelet, a smug grin spreading across his face. "This is a Claymore, known as the 'Mage Slayer!'" he declared with perverse delight, swinging the weapon toward me with deadly force.
"I thought you'd stick to your sister's toys," I taunted, dodging his strikes.
The sword slammed into the ground with devastating impact, sending debris flying in every direction.
He belongs to the Transmitter category, and possibly the Emitter category, or he's an exceptionally advanced Transmitter capable of projecting mana outside his body.
I focused on analyzing his fighting style. The combination of his claymore and wind manipulation made him a formidable opponent. I dashed toward him, wielding my sword, and as he attempted to strike, I spun mid-air using wind magic, staying just out of reach. I finished the maneuver with a kick, but he blocked it with a barrier of wind.
"You little pest!" he snarled, frustrated.
I blasted a jet of water from beneath my feet, propelling myself into the air, and immediately followed up with a burst of wind to launch myself directly at him.
"Ice Fist!" I invoked, summoning a massive fist of ice that collided with his claymore, throwing him off balance. Seizing the opening, I hurled my sword at him, propelling it with wind magic like a cannonball. The blade slashed across his flesh, but before he could recover, I reeled it back to me using a chain of ice tethered to the hilt.
Quinn wiped the blood from his neck, laughing. "You Evenharts... there's nothing normal about your family. Now I see. You're not just wealthy farmers. That explains why my sister lost."
He kept laughing, but his eyes burned with insanity. "You've got impressive combat instincts for someone so young. A mere military student would've died facing me, especially with injuries like yours."
He paced back and forth, observing me carefully, clearly waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"This level of training... ignoring the pain wracking your body... Your arm is a mess, and yet your first thought wasn't to flee when you reached the port. Who are you, really?"
I took a deep breath, locking eyes with him. "My family has broken my bones and cut off my fingers... It'll take more than this to make me afraid."
There wasn't a flicker of doubt in my voice.
"No hesitation..." he muttered, his gaze narrowing. "You're one of them, aren't you? A Shadow Child."
"I am," I confirmed.
He laughed maniacally, pointing his sword at me. "That explains everything. A damn human weapon forged in darkness, infiltrating the nobility... That's why my sister died. She would've been better prepared if she'd known. Nikolaus Wolves gave me bad intel—he didn't even know what you were."
Nikolaus Wolves... Nathan was right about the contractor.
"But none of that matters now," Quinn said, his voice brimming with fatal resolve. "I just need to kill you, even if it costs me my life. I don't care if I make it out alive. I'll kill you, even if it means dying in the process!"
With those words, he unleashed a barrage of fireballs, charging at me with reckless abandon.
My response was unwavering. "Know this—I only confirmed it because I have no intention of letting you leave here alive. We're both fighting to the death!"