Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

However, before the crowd could get too excited, Aelina waved her hand and said. "But, let's not forget about our wildcard!"

That sentence left everyone stunned as they had completely forgotten about that! Mira and Rayna's performances were so great that they didn't think that Celaine could match them!

"Now, Celaine, what will you do? You can either wait for Mira to heal, start the battle now, or forfeit. The choice is yours!" Aelina snapped her fingers, teleporting Celaine to the center of the arena while sending Rayna out. 

The young woman stood there, stunned, but quickly regained her composure. She looked around at the desolation with a solemn expression. 'Tch. What a bunch of monsters.' She mumbled to herself. 

With certainty, she knew she wouldn't be able to produce that level of destruction. Her strength was more controlled and reserved. Her strength came not through absolute power but maximum control. No wasted movements, no wasted energy.

'Since I can't be like Mira, I won't try. I'll take my own path.' That was her thought process, and so far, it brought her success. 

Seeing the state Mira was in, with half her body poisoned and her amputated arm regrowing, now was as good a chance as any to take her down. In fact, she figured there was a 50/50 chance she'd win simply due to how tired and injured Mira was.

'I won't need to fight her in terms of absolute power and can drag her into my domain.' Celaine thought as she contemplated what to do next. 'Now is undoubtedly the best time to fight her. If I wait for her to recover, she'll crush me, but… it doesn't feel right to do that.' 

Before anything, Mira was a trusted friend, companion, mentor, and someone she respected despite all her flaws. On the other hand, she was a ruthless tyrant, and fighting against her in such a state would force her to leave mercy out the window. 

'I don't really feel like losing a limb or dying today.' A shiver ran down her spine when she met Mira's ruthless, blood-red eyes.

Needless to say, her emotions about the situation were complex. 

"You have three seconds to decide, Celaine. Or else, you'll forfeit by default." Aelina said in an authoritative voice.

"Uhhh…" Celaine hesitated, but whether it was fortunate or not, Mira could see through her plight and spoke up.

"We'll fight now."

"..."

"...Are you su-"

"We'll fight now," Mira repeated, not taking no for an answer. "If I really lose to her in my current state, I don't deserve the title."

Taken aback by Mira's insistence, Celaine eventually nodded in understanding. She knew that Mira, even in her weakened state, wasn't going to be an easy opponent. But this was her chance, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally beat her!

"And there we have it! Celaine and Mira have decided to fight right now!" Aelina declared, signaling the Elders to raise the barrier one more time. "This'll be the final match in this century's Prime Disciple Tournament! The winner will take the title and represent the Sect in the upcoming Central Continent Competition! Now, both fighters, to your positions!"

The crowd went wild, watching Mira and Celaine walk to other sides of the arena. 

Feeling the poison's lingering effects and the raw, tingling sensation of her regenerating arm, Mira squared her shoulders and gripped her scythe. 

She knew this wouldn't be a battle of brute force. Against Celaine, it would be more of a test of strategy and skill. Though, it'd be completely different if she were in a better state.

Celaine gripped her saber, her mind racing. She was aware of the rare opportunity before her but was also conscious of the responsibility it entailed. Beating Mira in this condition – was it truly a victory?

'This is a competition, not a friendly spar,' she reminded herself, steeling her resolve.

The Sect Master's voice boomed, cutting through the tension. "Begin!"

Celaine initiated the duel with her [Divine Zephyr Slash] as a swift, wind-empowered strike struck Mira, testing her defenses. 

Mira summoned a shield of ice, but surprisingly, a thin line sliced through it and cut into Mira's skin. Although the injury wasn't deep and hardly made her bleed, it still surprised her.

'She really has improved.' Mira smirked, her excitement rising as she wanted to see just how far Celaine had come. 

Celaine sent a few more Divine Zephyr Slashes, each of which Mira attempted to block, parry, or dodge, but a part of them still struck.

Seeing that she wasn't getting anywhere with this, Celaine transitioned into her [Ancestral Blade Dance]. 

A cyclone of unpredictable slashes that incorporated her unique style enveloped Mira.

Mira countered with her own martial prowess and parried the onslaught with her scythe. Though slightly hindered, her movements were still precise enough to stand toe-to-toe against Celaine in a battle of pure skill.

As the two grew more comfortable against each other, the speed of the fight escalated. Celaine stayed on the offensive, keeping her forms swift, seamless, and unpredictable. All around her was a domain of sharp Saber Intent (Saber Ruler) that tore apart anything that stepped within it.

Mira attempted to unleash her own Scythe Manifestation, but as she was outclassed in that department, Celaine overwhelmed her and chopped it apart. 

Countless small injuries covered Mira's body as dozens of Celaine's attacks cut into her every second. Since there was still poison in her body, her healing had slowed to focus on those problem areas.

Still, this wasn't enough to bring her down.

Recognizing the need to escalate, Celaine knew it was time to unleash the full force of her training and power. Her eyes narrowed, focusing intently on Mira as she gathered Qi for a devastating assault. 

With a sudden, explosive movement, Celaine brandished her saber high, channeling her soul's essence into the blade. The saber glowed, pulsating with raw, unbridled power. This was her [Soul-Shearing Gale] move.

The air around the arena seemed to warp and twist as Celaine brought her saber down in a sweeping arc. A colossal, tempestuous wave of energy erupted from the blade, barreling towards Mira with a howl. The Gale Blade Storm Physique's chaotic energy infused the strike, turning it into a maelstrom of unstoppable force.

Sensing the impending cataclysm, Mira braced herself. Her stance solidified, her eyes lit up with delight, and she summoned a set of ice armor just to take the brunt of the damage. 

However, she knew this was no ordinary attack.

The arena itself seemed to thrum as the [Soul-Shearing Gale] bore down upon Mira, a visible shockwave of energy spreading out from the point of impact. However, the only things to show for it were countless thin yet deep crevices and a bleeding Mira.

"Hmm~" Mira wiped the blood from her mouth and gave a toothy grin. "Did you create that technique? It's pretty good."

Celaine's eyes widened, seeing that Mira had taken that attack head-on yet still stood tall but nodded. "Thanks, but it seems it still needs some work."

The two chuckled before Mira dashed toward Celaine with her scythe raised. With a deadly sweep combined with her Scythe Manifestation, Mira cut through the air and nearly nicked Celaine, only for her to shoot a burst of wind out of her feet and dodge. 

Not wanting her to get away, Mira raised her hand and stomped her feet, instantly turning the arena into an icy tundra. Now, in her domain, she flicked her wrist and sent dozens of chains and spears at Celaine from all directions.

However, Celaine remained calm and adopted her [Sovereign Vortex Defense], a wind-fortified barrier that deflected Mira's retaliatory strikes. The defense, a vortex of saber energy, turned the arena into a battlefield of swirling winds and ice.

As the battle intensified, Celaine prepared her final technique, the [Ruler's Tempestuous Finale]. 

Gathering all her strength and mastery, she unleashed the full might of her saber art. A storm of wind-infused slashes rained down upon Mira, each one resonating with the authority of her Saber Ruler Realm Weapon Endowment.

Mira's red eyes gleamed with anticipation. With a roar, she released a cataclysmic explosion of Yin Fire that clashed against Celaine's attack.

The unleashed forces tore through the arena's remnants, leaving a mess of destruction in their wake. Ice and fire met wind and saber energy, creating a maelstrom of elemental fury that shook the mountain and damaged the barrier.

In the eye of this storm, Mira's scythe cut through the winds like a blade through silk. Despite the exhaustion and poison coursing through her veins, she fought as if she were still at full strength. 

Celaine, for her part, fought with the skill and finesse that had brought her this far. Her saber moved in harmony with the wind, creating countless deadly blades that sought to find any opening in Mira's defenses. 

But Mira was relentless, and her attacks grew more ferocious with each passing moment.

Finally, in a decisive moment, Mira saw an opening. Celaine had pushed her limits and overextended just slightly in her last strike. 

With a burst of speed that belied her injuries, Mira closed the distance between them.

Celaine tried to react, but Mira was already upon her. With a swift, precise movement, Mira's scythe swept forward, the blade singing through the air. Celaine's eyes widened as she realized she couldn't evade in time.

The scythe's blade met Celaine's shoulder, slicing cleanly through her defense. Celaine staggered back, her saber clattering to the ground as she grasped her wounded shoulder, blood seeping between her fingers.

Mira didn't stop there. With a fluid motion, she spun her scythe, catching Celaine's leg and sweeping her off her feet. As Celaine hit the ground, Mira brought the scythe down, its blade stopping just inches from Celaine's neck.

The arena fell silent. The battle was over.

Mira stood over Celaine, her breathing heavy but her eyes still burning with the fire of victory.

"And the winner is Mira!"