Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

The aftermath of Nova and Rhea's cataclysmic battle was felt not just within the boundaries of the Battle Maiden Sect's arena but throughout the entire sect itself. 

It had been a long time since two fighters of such caliber had clashed with such unrestrained power. Their battle had set a new standard, one that many disciples now aspired to reach.

Mira, who was now deep in meditation, was interrupted by a soft touch on her shoulder. It was Seraphina.

"Feeling the itch to fight?" Seraphina teased, noticing Mira's earlier restlessness. Although part of her wanted to confront Mira about her earlier spectacle… 

She was too nervous. What if she gets frozen in a block of ice with all her bones broken? Since neither Aelina nor any of the Elders said anything, she figured Talina would be fine. 

'Though, she might have a bit of mental trauma afterward.' Seraphina inwardly shook her head and decided she'd visit the poor woman after the competition. Taking the brunt of Mira's power like that would certainly leave a mark, and she didn't want that to turn into a Heart Demon. 

Mira opened her eyes and stared at Seraphina, who couldn't help but feel uncomfortable under those blood-red eyes. 

'...Yeah. I need to see Talina after this.' She mentally noted.

"Mmhm." Mira nodded indifferently, but Seraphina could see she was about to pop.

"Are you okay?" She asked, and Mira paused before she nodded.

"...My bloodline's a bit agitated. I wish I could just get up there and fight you all at once to get this over with."

"..." Seraphina's face froze, but then she chuckled awkwardly. "...Do you really think you could take us all on?" She asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

Mira closed her eyes and thought about it for a second. She replayed all the fights she'd seen up until now, pitting them against her. After a few rounds of mental simulations, she shrugged. 

"I don't know." She answered honestly before a smirk crept up on her lips. "But that's why it's interesting."

"...I see," Seraphina replied, somewhat satisfied with that response. However, part of her still felt like Mira was being a bit arrogant. They were all once-in-a-lifetime geniuses, okay?! For Mira to say she could beat them all at once was a little much! 

Still, she wasn't bothered by this and smiled. "Who do you think's the strongest so far?"

"Based on pure power alone, Nova," Mira responded immediately. "However, you, Nova, Lyria, and Rhea are close. But there's also a chance for everyone other than Skye to compete for the top position. You're all quite strong."

Before Seraphina could respond, Mira continued, "However, as long as Rayna doesn't fight me before the finals, she'll come in second."

"Huh? You think so? What about Nova? She's looking unstoppable! Rhea was probably the only one who had a chance at defeating her, yet she still lost! With her bloodline, physique, experience, and cultivation, I think she even has a good shot at beating you! Not to mention, Rayna is an assassin. These kinds of tournaments take away her main advantage–stealth!" Seraphina countered, but Mira just scoffed and didn't bother to explain.

What Seraphina said was a good argument, but all Rayna has to do is hit someone one time, and she's effectively won. Her poison, combined with her bloodline, was too potent. With how skilled everyone was at this level, it was nearly impossible not to get hit a single time. 

"Rayna and Nylah! Come to the stage!" Aelina suddenly announced. 

"Just watch," Mira said as she directed her attention back to the arena. Seraphina pouted but did the same.

In the arena, two figures took their positions. Rayna, the infamous assassin with her deadly poison affinity and the equally feared Lesser Shadow Basilisk Bloodline, stood at one end. 

On the other end was Nylah, a disciple known for her Divine Salamander Physique, which enhanced her fire affinity, regeneration, fire invulnerability, physical strength, and more. She was at the 6th Stage of the Soul Transformation Realm, and her weapon of choice – the Flame-wreathed Whip.

The tension in the arena was palpable as the two stared each other down. There was a silent understanding between them: avoid getting hit at all costs. 

For Nylah, a single touch from Rayna could mean the end. For Rayna, a direct hit from Nylah's flame attacks could cause severe damage.

Without hesitation, Nylah was the first to move. If she wanted to win, she needed to take down Rayna quickly. The longer the battle lasted, the more chances Rayna would have.

Using her Fire Affinity, she channeled her Qi and brought forth a torrent of flames from her whip, aiming directly for Rayna. The fire licked the air, causing the arena's temperature to spike and the newly reformed ground to turn into magma.

Rayna, however, wasn't one to be easily caught. 

With the dexterity attributed to her Lesser Shadow Basilisk Bloodline, she melded into the shadows, avoiding the fiery assault. Her movements were so swift and stealthy that even Core and Direct disciples had difficulty tracking her.

To the naked eye, she was practically invisible.

The crowd watched with wide eyes as Nylah tried to control the battlefield. 

With each swing of her whip, flames spiraled and roared, creating walls and barriers to corner Rayna. She also summoned mythical flame creatures like a Phoenix, Salamander, and Dragon, which darted around, looking for any sign of Rayna.

She kept her Soul Sense spread, but she could only see faint fluctuations in the space before it switched to another spot in the arena.

But Rayna was patient. She knew that all she needed was a single opening. Now that she had seen everyone fight at least once, she knew what to do.

'The less I show, the higher chance I have of winning.' Was Rayna's current thought process.

After a series of dodges and evasions, Rayna saw her chance. Nylah, in her urgency to pin down Rayna, left her left flank exposed for just a split second. Rayna lunged, a dagger coated in her potent poison aimed straight for Nylah's arm.

Nylah sensed the danger and tried to move away, but it was too late. The dagger grazed her arm, leaving a thin trail of blood. The poison immediately took effect. Nylah's face turned pale, and her movements became sluggish.

Rayna didn't waste any more time. With a swift movement, she struck again, this time landing a clean hit on Nylah's leg, ensuring her victory.

Nylah tried to retaliate with a final burst of flames, but her energy was waning fast. She collapsed on the ground, the effects of Rayna's poison clearly visible on her face as purple veins protruded from her skin.

The audience was in awe. Even though Nylah had put up an impressive fight, all it took was two hits from Rayna to end it.

Aelina stepped forward, "The winner is Rayna!"

Rayna nodded and waved her hand, removing all the poison from Nylah's body and returning to somewhat normal. Nylah would still need to recover for at least a few days to return to peak condition.

The woman pouted watching Rayna leave the arena, but in the end, she just stood up and bowed before she left as well.

Seraphina, still in her conversation with Mira, turned to her with an acknowledging nod, "You were right. With what she's shown, or lack thereof, Rayna definitely has the highest potential of making it to the finals. As long as you two don't face off before that."

"Hmph!" Mira snorted and closed her eyes again.

The next few battles went by quickly. Mira didn't bother to watch them, as the result was apparent before they even started.

Eden went up against Aria, another Core Disciple who placed 14th on the leaderboard. She was higher up than Rhea! Not that the point system was a good indication of strength, but it did show her experience. 

It was a rather close match, not as close as Nova vs. Rhea, but a lot longer. Aria was too swift on her feet, dodging, blocking, and counterattacking all of Eden's shots. The match got so heated that the barrier had to be taken down as it turned into an ariel battle. 

Eventually, Eden got a few good shots off from her bow and immobilized Aria, giving her the win.

Next up was Everly vs. Althea, who was ranked 19th. That match was nothing less than a slaughter. As soon as it started, Everly went all out and bombed the entire arena, nearly incapacitating both of them, but as her body was stronger, Everly won. 

She tried to take a page out of Rayna's book, just in the other direction. If she used overwhelming power, she didn't have to show off her techniques.

The second to last battle of this round was between Asami and Skye. It was probably the most anticipated matchup so far.

***

[A/N: I'm going to take a poll. Who do you want to win?

Asami

Skye

Vote in the comments!]