Lukas swiftly maneuvered through the ranks of ice dragons he encountered on his path. Each creature he passed crumbled to the ground, lifeless. The potent mana he sensed drew him forward, its intensity growing with each step. Simultaneously, he detected Ellice's unmistakable mana signature emanating from the same direction.
"What is she doing there? No, this is bad," Lukas muttered to himself, urgency fueling his movements. He couldn't afford to waste any more time with the dragons. With determination, he pinpointed the exact location of the mana and swiftly teleported there.
Meanwhile, Ghelgath, now inhabiting a teenager's body, continued to conjure ice dragons effortlessly. With a flick of his wrist, each motion birthed a new dragon from thin air.
"Hey, stop it!!!" Ellice's voice, filled with urgency, shattered the cold silence.
Ghelgath pivoted sharply to face Ellice, who wielded two swords crafted from ice, their edges pulsating with an icy aura as she spun them with practiced skill.
"Well, well, well... If it isn't my predecessor," Ghelgath sneered in an unearthly voice. "I always deemed you unworthy of my power. I only chose you to absorb your strength, make it mine, end your life, and then reclaim this body."
Ellice's anger flared. "How could you do this, Arnold?" she demanded, her voice laced with betrayal. Arnold, Lukas's brother and once a revered figure at the Arcane Citadel Academy, now stood before her as an enemy she scarcely recognized.
"I heard you and your uncle betrayed us," Ghelgath retorted, his tone chillingly matter-of-fact. As he spoke, a sharp ice spike erupted from his hand. "Betrayal demands retribution. Death."
With those words, Ghelgath lunged forward with newfound speed and power, intent on testing his enhanced abilities against Ellice's resolve.
The frigid air crackled with tension as Ghelgath, wielding powers far beyond Ellice's comprehension, advanced upon her with lethal intent. His eyes glowed with an unnatural frosty hue, reflecting the malevolent force that had taken possession of Arnold's body. Ellice stood her ground, though her heart raced with both fear and anger.
She brandished her ice swords, their shimmering blades casting an eerie light in the dim chamber. "Arnold, this isn't you! Fight it!" she pleaded, hoping against hope that some part of him remained within the dark entity before her.
Ghelgath chuckled, the sound sending a chill down Ellice's spine. "Arnold is no more, little mage. He willingly gave himself to me as a vessel. Now, I shall make use of his potential to eradicate all who stand in my way."
With a flick of his wrist, Ghelgath summoned another ice dragon, its form materializing from the frosty mist around them. The creature roared, its icy breath freezing the air around Ellice. She leaped aside, narrowly avoiding the dragon's snapping jaws as it lunged at her.
Ghelgath's movements were fluid and effortless, a stark contrast to Ellice's desperate defense. Each strike he delivered was precise and overwhelming, driving her back with each clash of their weapons. Despite her best efforts, Ellice found herself outmatched at every turn. Ghelgath's power was relentless, exploiting every opening in her defense with chilling efficiency.
"You can't stand up to me!" He roared as he spread his arms in the air, a massive iceberg formed above Ellice's head, the size of it so enormous that the sky itself seemed to darken under its shadow. Ellice's eyes widened, her breath catching as she braced herself. The cold radiating from the iceberg was palpable, freezing the very air around her.
But she wasn't going to back down.
"You think size matters?" Ellice's voice was sharp, defiant. She raised her hand, her silver hair swirling in the icy wind as a sphere of glowing frost-blue magic formed in her palm. "Let's see how your iceberg handles this."
With a sharp cry, Ellice thrust her hand forward, releasing a concentrated beam of pure ice energy. It shot toward the massive iceberg with a crackling roar, slicing through the air with intense force. The beam slammed into the iceberg, shattering chunks off its surface, but the monstrous creation still loomed overhead.
She leaped into the air, slashing at the iceberg with her sword at extreme speed and strength, causing the iceberg to shatter as ice chunks fell to the ground. It was a beautiful sight, but this was a battle. There was no time to admire the enemy's spell.
Ellice's breathing became heavy at this point. She couldn't keep up anymore. She gasped for breath and knelt on one knee. The relentless battle had pushed her to her very limits, and she could feel her strength waning with each passing second. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest, and her vision blurred from the strain. She had reached her limit.
Ghelgath laughed as he approached Ellice, his presence radiating an aura of menace and superiority. "You're a fool," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. With a swift motion, he swung his sword down at Ellice. The blade descended with deadly precision, aimed to end her life in one fell swoop. However, as the sword made contact with her neck, it stopped abruptly, unable to penetrate her skin. Ghelgath's eyes widened in surprise.
A shimmering layer of mana enveloped Ellice's body, forming a protective shield that absorbed the impact of the strike. The magical barrier glowed with an ethereal light, pulsating with raw power. Ghelgath stepped back, his expression shifting from surprise to confusion.
"Hmm, how can a mere human like you use mana to this extent?" Ghelgath mused, his voice laced with curiosity and suspicion. He reached out, roughly grabbing Ellice's chin and tilting her face upward, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes bore into hers, searching for answers. "You're a human, but how?" he demanded, his tone a mixture of bewilderment and frustration.
Ellice's eyes glimmered with a fierce determination despite her exhaustion. She refused to be intimidated, even in the face of such overwhelming power. Her breath was ragged, but she managed to muster a defiant glare.
Before Ghelgath could press further, a voice rang out, cutting through the tension like a knife. "Step away from her, or you'll regret ever getting a new body, Ghelgath," Lukas declared, his tone cold and resolute. He stepped out from a swirling portal, his presence commanding and imposing.