Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

Kaius, now on his feet, looked up at the towering titan that Jinlong had become. The transformation was beyond anything he had anticipated, and for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face. But just as quickly, it vanished, replaced by a smirk.

"Well, this is certainly new," Kaius remarked, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. "But do you really think size and power alone can overwhelm me?"

The titan, with Jinlong's consciousness at its core, responded not with words but with a surge of elemental fury. Each of its eight arms moved in unison, conjuring a storm of fire, ice, wind, and earth, all aimed directly at Kaius.

BOOOOOM!

The floor beneath them exploded bits as a beam of power tunneled through the ground. Kaius jumped to the side, frowning. He tried to dash forward, but the sounds of chains clinking resounded in the room, forcing him to stop.

'Tch. Damn seals.' He inwardly cursed, almost forgetting about all the seals on his body and throughout the room.

Suddenly, he sensed danger and looked up, only to see a giant flaming sword descending on him. The heat radiating from it started melting the walls, and the power behind it caused the castle to quake.

"Haaa… I think it's time for you to cool off." He breathed out a gust of air, extinguishing the flames.

Then, as if he were drawing a sword, he placed a hand by his hips and slashed. Although nothing was in his hand, a ripple passed through the air, cutting through space. A thin line of blood formed on the titan's shin before that foot fell to the ground with a thud. However, the attack didn't stop there.

The walls and pillars on that side of the caste were all bisected.

***

"Shit!" Mira sensed immense danger and dove to the ground. The instant her stomach touched the ground, an invisible wave passed through, cutting off the tips of her tails.

"What the fuck is going on?!" She couldn't help but shout, wondering if it was a mistake to head further inside the castle.

***

Mira wasn't the only one who faced such a devastating attack. Everything behind her, whether it be the blizzard, cities, people, mountains, or anything else, was all bisected. Nobody was safe, and nobody could stop it.

For hundreds of kilometers, the attack continued until it eventually fizzled out of existence, leaving the survivors wondering why the people next to them were suddenly cut in two.

Meanwhile, the perpetrator of it all was breathing heavily with sweat beading up on his luscious hair.

'Haah… Tsk! To think an attack of this level takes so much out of me.' Kaius cursed, and for the first time in a while, he truly wished he wasn't sealed in this place.

Normally, days were boring anyway for someone as strong as him, regardless of where he was. There wasn't much of a difference between sitting in a castle, sealed, and sitting in a cave, cultivating.

Rather, it could be said that sitting in a castle, sealed and interacting with interesting opponents every decade was more interesting and enjoyable than cultivating in hopes of making a bit of progress in the next thousand years.

Now that he finally faced a worthy opponent, he couldn't even use a fraction of his power. How could he not be a bit frustrated?

With all the seals placed on him, he couldn't use Qi, couldn't wield any weapons, his physical strength was limited, and any external means were prohibited. Not even Weapon Endowments could be used.

That attack just now was something he created out of sheer force of will, using his soul as a catalyst. Unfortunately, even that was limited, so to create an attack of that level, he had to force himself a bit.

Kaius, panting slightly, locked his icy gaze back on the titan, which was now regenerating its lost limb with a swirl of elemental energy. The titan seemed undeterred as, within seconds, it regrew another leg, its eight faces contorting into expressions of fury and determination.

"You're resilient, I'll give you that," Kaius said, his voice laced with a mix of respect and annoyance. "But this is far from over."

The multi-faced being grunted, "You're right."

"This is just the beginning."

"You've holed us in this place for too long!"

"What haven't we accounted for?"

"Do your best to struggle."

The different faces spoke in disdain as they coordinated their next attack.

The titan raised its multiple arms, each one glowing with a different elemental power. With a thunderous roar, it unleashed a barrage of attacks, sending waves of fire, ice, wind, and earth hurtling toward Kaius.

Kaius, despite his limitations, moved with elegance and precision through the immense power. He weaved through the onslaught, each movement calculated to conserve energy while avoiding the deadly barrage.

As the attacks converged on him, Kaius closed his eyes, focusing his will. He reached deep within, tapping into the very essence of his being. When he opened his eyes, they glowed with a deep, otherworldly light.

With a sudden burst of speed, Kaius closed the distance between himself and the titan. He extended his hand, and despite the absence of a physical weapon, the air around his palm shimmered, forming a blade of pure, condensed willpower.

The titan, sensing the imminent threat, tried to retaliate, but Kaius was too fast. With a graceful arc, he slashed at the titan, the blade of will cutting through the elemental energies as if they were mere smoke.

A deep gash appeared across the titan's chest, causing it to stagger backward. The elemental energies around its arms flickered and dimmed, the connection to Jinlong's will momentarily disrupted.

However, just then, a hand descended from above and smacked into Kaius, sending him crashing into the wall.

"Ugh!" He grunted, peeling himself off the icy wall, and hurriedly dodged as a rain of punches descended on his position. That's when a kick suddenly found its mark, sending him tumbling to the ground.

'This guy…! Ugh! What the hell is this technique?! Why is he so strong?' Kaius grumbled. The being before him seemed like an impossible existence, something that shouldn't exist in this world.

Not just its strength, but the fact that it could wield all the elements so freely, on top of comprising of several different souls… There was simply no way there weren't drawbacks.

'There's no way he can sustain this state forever. He must be trying to end this quickly without caring about the injuries.' If he had to guess, Jinlong wouldn't last long after the duration ended.

Normally, such things were easy to deal with. He could simply run away and let the attacker waste his life giving chase. However, he couldn't leave the castle. In fact, even if it were destroyed, he still wouldn't be able to leave. He was stuck here.

'...I can only dodge so many attacks.'

Just then, his eyes widened when he sensed his opponent wasn't attacking him any longer. Instead, it was looking at the ceiling. In its arms were eight swords made of different elements. Pointing them toward a central point, massive amounts of Qi flowed as an iridescent blade formed before it.

Raising its arms, the titan slashed! The iridescent sword cleaved through the walls, quickly separating the roof from the rest of the building. With a punch, he tossed it away, allowing the sun to shine on them as swirls of clouds, ice, and snow revolved around them.

Dissipating its weapons, the titan raised its arms to the sky.

Boom! Crackle! Tsss! Roar!

Clouds of elements thundered above, congregating into a singular point before the titan clenched its fists.

""Taste the wrath of the Heavens!""

Momentarily stunned by the titan's audacity, Kaius quickly regained his composure. He understood the gravity of the situation; if that attack descended, it would not only severely injure him but also lay waste to the entire castle and its surroundings.

He might be sealed now, but he still wasn't ready for death!

"Bold, I must admit," Kaius said, his voice steady despite the impending doom. "But let's see if you can control such power without destroying yourself in the process."

The titan's multiple faces grinned, a mix of malice and anticipation evident in their expressions. ""Control? Who said anything about control?"" it boomed, its voices merging into a cacophonous echo. ""This is about unleashing everything, about the end of our confinement!""

With a final, thunderous roar, the titan slammed its fists together, and the amassed elemental storm above surged downward, a cataclysmic beam aimed straight at Kaius.

Kaius's eyes narrowed as he focused his will to its utmost limit. With a fierce cry, he unleashed his soul's blade, a beam of pure, concentrated willpower shooting upwards to meet the descending apocalypse.

The collision was monumental, an explosion of light and energy that shook the very foundations of the world. The castle groaned and cracked, unable to withstand the sheer force of the clash. Around them, the landscape was torn asunder, the ground ripping up and the blizzard dissipating into nothing.

Inside the castle, Mira, who had been seeking shelter, felt the world before her literally ending. She knew she had to escape. So, with an agility she didn't even know she had, she darted through collapsing corridors, dodging falling debris and making her way out of the castle.

Suddenly, she heard a series of roars filled with familiar, albeit annoying, words.

"Die for our Lord!"

"Hand over the Holy Relic!"

More beams fell from the sky as Mira's face contorted.

'Fucking hell, are these psycho baldies reading my mind?!'