I took another step forward, the snow crunching beneath my boots. My dagger, black as night, seemed to drink in the faint light of the ruins. A dark aura coiled around me, shadowy tendrils writhing like vipers ready to strike.
"You carry death in your wake, Serion Veyl," the Mantle Hunter said. "The Mantle demands retribution for those you've torn apart in your pursuit. You've left nothing but ash and ruin behind you."
I tilted my head, my cold blue eyes narrowing. "Retribution? From the Mantle?" A mirthless chuckle escaped my lips. "What does it matter? If the Mantle cared so much about its rules, it wouldn't have let me exist in the first place."
"You are a stain upon this world." The Mantle Hunter's grip on their dagger tightened. "You've defied the will of the gods themselves."
I smirked, my breath misting in the frigid air. "Defiance is the birthright of the strong. Submission is for those too weak to seize their destiny."
Without another word, the Mantle Hunter moved. They blurred forward, the shadows surrounding them exploding outward like a living storm. Their dagger came down in a fluid arc, aimed straight for my throat.
But I was already moving. With a flick of my wrist, the ice around my feet surged upward, forming a crystalline barrier. The dagger struck the frozen wall, shattering a chunk of it but stopping just short of its target.
"You'll have to do better than that," I taunted, my voice as cold as the air around us.
The Mantle Hunter didn't hesitate. They darted to the side, their form melting into the shadows. My eyes darted around the ruins, my senses sharp. The Hunter emerged behind me, their dagger aimed for my spine.
I twisted, my blade—a longsword forged from glacial ice—meeting the dagger in a clash of steel and shadow. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the snow, scattering it into the air like ash.
"Impressive," I said, my smirk returning. "But shadows don't frighten the cold."
With a surge of will, I unleashed a burst of frost from my blade. The ice spiraled outward, jagged shards forming a deadly storm that forced the Mantle Hunter to retreat. They disappeared into the shadows once more, but I remained unfazed.
"Come out, Hunter," I called, my tone mocking. "Is this all the Mantle has to offer? An assassin too scared to face me head-on?"
The shadows thickened, gathering into a swirling mass before the Hunter reemerged. This time, their dagger glowed with an eerie black light, tendrils of dark magic licking at its edge.
"You think you understand power," they said, their voice calm but laced with venom. "But you're nothing more than a parasite, feeding on destruction."
"Perhaps," I replied, raising my blade. "But parasites survive. And survival is all that matters."
We clashed again, a dance of ice and shadow that lit up the ruins with bursts of magic. I fought with precision and ruthlessness, my attacks calculated to exploit every weakness. The Mantle Hunter, in contrast, was a blur of agility and deadly intent, their dagger seeking gaps in my defenses.
But my true strength wasn't just my skill—it was my willingness to do whatever it took to win.
As the Hunter closed in for another strike, I whispered a single word:
"Freeze."
The temperature plummeted. Frost crept across the ground, engulfing the ruins in a web of ice. The Mantle Hunter hesitated for a fraction of a second—just long enough for me to strike.
With a sweep of my hand, the ice surged upward, encasing the Hunter's legs. They struggled, shadows flaring around them in an attempt to break free, but I was faster.
I lunged forward, driving my blade through their chest. The ice around them grew, creeping up their body until they were frozen in place—a living statue of pain and fury.
I stepped back, breathing heavily. I watched as the light faded from the Mantle Hunter's eyes, their dark aura dissipating into the cold air.
"You were strong," I said, my tone devoid of emotion. "But strength without purpose is meaningless."
I reached down, pulling the shard of crystal from the Hunter's lifeless hand. The Echoes within it pulsed faintly, whispering secrets of the Mantle's power.
I smirked. "Another piece of the puzzle."
Without a backward glance, I turned and walked deeper into the ruins, leaving the frozen corpse behind. The hunt for immortality continued—and nothing, not even the Mantle's chosen, would stand in my way.