In reality, the Silvermane Guards were strong.
Having preserved Belobog's safety for years, they were a force not to be underestimated. The only reason the last bastion of humanity still stood strong with dangers around them was because of their vigilance—gallant effort that knew nothing about fear.
And yet, mortality always crept from behind. They were powerful, trained every single day only to experience the harsh condition of the world they were living in.
But they were far from being omnipotent.
Against a force that understood nothing about the concept of death, they became powerless, deteriorated with the thoughts of dying invading their minds. That was just the human nature, forced to kneel in front of something out of comprehension.
Right now, they were facing tens of these inhumane creatures, eyes only looking to destroy any obstacle in front.
Even if they wanted to move, they couldn't.
Even if they wanted to fight back, they were paralyzed.
The grips on their weapons loosened. Bones shuddered with fear.
The smell of iron reminded them of what death would feel like.
Nothing.
It would feel like nothing.
As if the world was just throwing a cruel joke at them….
.
.
.
Bang!
The fragmentum monsters hadn't stopped their advance toward Belobog. They were just like an unstoppable force, powering through every hindrance that blocked their way.
"Fire!"
On the other hand, the Silvermane Guards hadn't given up yet. They assembled everything available at the current moment, risking their lives to stop any of those monsters marching through their defense.
Gunfire erupted.
Shields shattered.
Hammers clanged, discarded.
The longer the battle continued, the less their chance of winning became. They understood that, but at the same time, nothing could be done.
They were in a pinch. Without any proper countermeasure, their lives would end here, the closing curtains for their roles in life.
But no one escaped. Just as what their captain had ordered them to do, they kept standing in their position, feet buried in the ground, holding what would be the last line of humanity.
After all, it was their duty.
For their families, friends, loved ones—until the threats disappeared, they wouldn't run behind their tails, not even as corpses.
Until their last dying breath, they wouldn't move an inch.
Slash!
As they'd accepted their fate, a figure appeared out of nowhere. It floated in the air just like a fairy, but the scythe it was holding painted an image of a death, personifying itself as another human. On its side was a purple-colored butterfly, seeping into the battlefield with such a grace.
The next thing they knew, a number of fragmentum monsters had fallen, lying lifeless in the snow. That sight alone was enough to leave the rest of Silvermane Guards in awe.
That figure turned around before walking towards them. Its steps didn't make a sound. As soon as it got closer, that figure revealed itself as a woman with a purple hair swept away by the wind.
"Any one of you guys is hurt?" she asked. "If so, go back to Dunn and Lynx."
Although it was the first time they heard her voice—let alone seeing her appearance—it commanded authority, one that enveloped them in a sense of security.
On the other hand, she didn't wait for an answer. She turned around again, body facing right at the enemies before dashing forward with no hesitation.
The fragmentum monsters noticed it, but before they could react, the girl had closed the gap in an instant. Although none of them had a face to show expression, their body gesture alone told the others that they were shocked by that sudden development—as if a calm storm had approached them, waiting to bring lives with her.
One of the monsters—human-shaped—swing its weapon at the girl's direction, but it was too high, barely touching her who dodged effortlessly by leaning forward. It even failed to make her blink.
As soon as the chance arose, that was when she commended her attack.
With just a simple motion, she grazed the air with her scythe, swinging it from the far right to left. The blade part punctured through three enemies with ease. When pulling it out, she aimed it at the ground, using the momentum to slice the snow piles and make a smoke screen that hid her presence.
None of those monsters knew where she was. Her movements were impossible to follow with naked eyes, only a blur that vanished from one spot to another in a blink of an eye.
Then….
….It became quiet.
Amidst the cloud of snow, the silence drowned everything. Anticipation hung heavy, waiting to interrupt the stillness that had enveloped the entire battlefield. Every single one of the fragmentum monsters stood in a circle, compiled into one flock. Not even the Silvermane Guards who were observing from a distance understood the scenery unfolding in front of them.
All of a sudden, a scythe appeared from the obstructing snow, placed right before one of the fragmentum monsters' neck. Its sharp edge reflected the monster's head, and with one strong pull, that monster was forced to enter the snow dust, vanished and not to be seen again.
Of course, the other fragmentum monsters sensed that. They didn't let the chance to fade away, but not being able to locate where the opponent was, they stepped towards the last visible threat—the location where the scythe had appeared. As they pushed through the mist, one of them stumbled on something. There, half-buried in the snow, was the unfortunate fragmentum monster—both head and body got severed with a clean cut.
It hinted at the fate waiting for them. Driven by this lurking death, their hands became more steady, positioning themselves in such a way that left not even a single blind spot.
But it was too late.
From their back, the same scythe grasped another victim—a bird-looking fragmentum creature. The blade cut through its body vertically, splitting the monsters into two lifeless parts.
The other monsters turned around, only to see another fallen comrade. Without any emotion, they couldn't feel empathy, but that sight still conquered their instinct, putting a fear into each one of them—especially with the ripper of life herself standing on top of that corpse.
Fright prevailed.
Unable to think with their corrupted minds, they blindly charged at the girl. Fear drove them to survive. There was only one mistake they didn't know.
Their fear was nothing before the girl's eyes.
As the cloud of snow began to disappear, she created another one. This time was even bigger with a stronger swing too—almost as if an avalanche had just happened.
Her movements were graceful, as if she was treading an invisible thin wire with every gentle step. Then, in an instant, she blended with the snow, turning herself into a phantom. All the monsters could see was a purple blur, darting from one place to another.
It was a peaceful chaos, where the hunter turned into the hunted.
From the outside, the Silvermane Guards saw nothing except the fragmentum monsters' body parts scattered everywhere, tossed high into the sky until they obeyed the gravity.
Although their naked eyes couldn't see what occurred within that snow fog, those guards knew it was a massacre. The more the snow dispersed, the easier it got for them to see the corpses of what once had been their foes.
"What are you guys doing?"
While spectating that gruesome yet astonishing scene, they heard a familiar voice calling from behind. The moment they turned around, they saw a man walking with one arm bandaged. Blood was oozing from it, but he seemed to be unbothered.
"C-Captain! Are you okay?!" they asked.
Instead of answering that question, Dunn scanned the surrounding—both the scared and exhausted Silvermane Guards as well as the pile of defeated fragmentum monsters, increasing in number almost every second.
That scenery made him smirk.
"Feeling way better than you lot," he finally answered. "On the contrary, what are you guys doing, letting a single girl fighting all of our battles?"
Dunn made his way to the front of his subordinates. When he did that, the others could see a new shield on his right hand, smaller than before, yet still a weapon, nonetheless.
"Hear me out! The girl who is fighting on our behalf is the warrior from the Underworld!" he said, making sure everyone was looking at him. "Despite that, she still arrived in time, single-handedly taking care of those monsters. We should be ashamed of ourselves!"
His words shot straight into his subordinates' hearts. Those who had dropped their weapons were picking them again.
He noticed that, and without any delay, he continued—shouting louder than before.
"So this is my order! Cover her back! Don't let any of those bastards hurt her. For our pride, protect her with all of your might! Don't call yourself a Silvermane Guard if you can't protect a single girl!" he stopped for a second to inhale. "At the same time, don't die! I prohibit any one of you to die alone. Live for your family, for your friends and for your loved ones. You still have a role for the future of Belobog, so live! Let the fear consume you. Let the danger dances around you. In front of us, they are nothing but an obstacle that we'll break through. Remember, live and win!
Dunn's words echoed across the battleground. It was loud and clear, stealing the attention of other fragmentum monsters as well, which immediately rushed towards the guards.
It was inevitable, but that was within Dunn's plan.
In an instant, the Silvermane Guards roared, letting their voices to shake the snow. Although the cold rendered them to be weaker, the blood that boiled inside them was too overwhelming. A surge of energy washed down their fatigue, turning their worries into strength—and with that power boost, they propelled forward, splitting the snow with their feet and pushing back against the harsh winter wind. Different from before, they weren't in a position, exposing themselves more to the lurking danger.
The girl stopped slashing the enemies, as her attention got directed towards the marching Silvermane Guards too. She let out a snicker.
"What a bunch of rowdy people," she said before dodging an attack coming from her side. She stepped backward with her scythe pointing at the monster—one simple movement that cost the fragmentum monster's life.
In just a few seconds, the Silvermane Guards crashed into their enemies, yet their legs didn't stop. Compared to before, the battlefield had now transformed into a giant pile of mess. It turned into an all-out war, derived from any strategy whatsoever.
However, at the same time, this was their strongest moment yet.
If they could attack. they would.
If they had to defend, they would.
They trusted on their own instincts more than anything, sharpened by their captain's words that still reverberated in their ears.
Against the odd, they were able to turn the tide back. The fragmentum monsters, weakened by the girl's relentless pursuit, struggled to resist the unstoppable strength of their enemies. Even they had no way to turn, being pinched by the force of Silvermane Guards and the ripper hiding among them.
They were doomed, to say the least. The ones lying deceased increased in number every minute.
By this point, everyone could tell that the battle was nearing its end.
However, it didn't mean the Silvermane Guards would achieve the victory they were looking for.
As the purple-haired girl cut her way through the sea of enemies, something flew towards her at a high speed. It came from her side—a sharp, gleaming ice projectile that sliced through the wind like nothing. She sensed it from the corner of her eyes. With a precise and fluid motion, she swung her scythe, cleaving the ice shard into two. The halves went past her, striking two fragmentum monsters who fell instantly.
Her arms trembled, hinting at the force behind that attack. When she gazed at the direction where the ice projectile had been launched, she saw another Ice Out of Space coming towards her. Her heart began to pound faster—not with fear, but excitement fueling her limbs.
With a resolute, she dashed towards the oncoming threat, ready to confront it head-on.
However, that reckless movement proved to be fatal on her part.
Coming from her blind spot was an unexpected attack—a vortex of condensed wind that struck her with a formidable force, knocking her stray from her path. Despite her swift reaction to block it with her scythe, the impact still numbed her senses for a fleeting moment.
From a different direction, another fragmentum monster showed itself. It was a Stormbringer, a four-legged monsters with a body that appeared like a human on one of the end. Its vivid green hue contrasted with the surrounding white snow, marking its presence with every impending step.
Those monsters' arrival created another sense of doom for the fragmentum monsters. Then again, the blaze Dunn had ignited inside them wasn't going to be swept easily by their foes.
The purple-haired girl, however, smirked. Her grip on her scythe tightened while also stretching her neck, twisting it to the side as far as she could.
"This is how a battle should be."
I didn't know how long the time had passed since I arrived in this dark, empty space. It might already be hours or just a few minutes. Nothing I did could show me that, but right now, I didn't need to know.
After all, mother was still sitting beside me—a smile adorned her beautiful and gentle face.
That was all I could ask for.
We'd been talking for quite a while. At the beginning, we were discussing Belobog's future—about the people, walking arm in arm with back on each other's. That was my hope as well as mother's. Hearing that, she smiled, yet I could also see a sense of melancholy behind her expression.
The way her eyes conveyed sadness with a curved up lips….If I could, I would wipe that expression away from her face, yet I didn't know how. That would probably be the wish of my lifetime.
As the conversation continued, we talked about many stuff, ones that weren't even important.
Like that time when she burned food so miserably that it turned into charcoal. We ate them together, and despite not tasting amazing, I couldn't stop smiling.
That one time when she thought I disappeared because I was trying to prank her. She scolded me at first, but it ended with a gentle smile as she placed me right on her lap. I was a child at that moment, but the warmth embrace she did still lingered.
Or even an embarrassing one, like that one time when I wet my bed because of a scary dream. My mother told me that my cheeks at that time were redder than the evening sunset. Even the sausage sold on the streets couldn't compare. I forgot what the dream was, but I couldn't forgive it. I couldn't.
We also reminisced about other things—memories of the past filled with many kinds of emotions.
When she smiled, it brought a smile to my face, too. Her laughter made me laugh alongside her.
That was all we did, but to my heart, it was more than enough. Spending these priceless moments with mother was something I'd always waited for.
Forgetting about my worries.
Forgetting about my problems.
My shoulders had never felt this light before.
Just turning back the time together when our days were filled with laughter and joy, and now, in this calming space, together we had all the time in the world.
Still with a smile, a sentence escaped from my mouth.
"When was the last time I had so much fun?"
All of a sudden, right after those words were out, something appeared on my mind—some kind of picture from a distance. It was a blur, one I couldn't get a hand on. Even when I tried to empty my mind from other thoughts, I couldn't form a clear image.
I looked around, trying to see something that might resemble the view I just had in my head.
"Is there something wrong, Bronya?" mother asked.
"N-no, Mothers," I stuttered.
She smiled again before putting her hand on my head, patting it gently. It was the touch I'd missed so much. I could feel her love with every stroke on my gray-colored hair. What I felt now was comfort, a pure bliss which enveloped my entire body with her kindness.
It was all I need for, as if everything around me didn't matter anymore.
After a while, mother stood up. Her eyes were fixated on something far from the distance.
"What are you doing, Mother?" I asked, still looking up at her.
She just turned around, her eyes staring at me. She stretched one of her hands with palm spread wide.
"Come with me, Bronya," she said. Her voice was as gentle as usual.
"To where?"
"To the place where we can be together." Her smile was ever-lasting, and her eyes shimmered. She was serious. "Forever."
It was my dream to be with my mother, so I took it with no hesitation. As soon as my fingertips touched her palm, a light appeared from the direction where her gaze had stayed before.
"It's time for us to be happy together," mother said.
Then, after her last word, mother walked towards that light with me following from behind. Our fingers were still intertwined against each other.
"That place…, is our happiness?" I asked.
Mother just nodded.
If that were the case, I'd have no reason to refuse it. It was my dream to be with her after all, and with just these simple steps, I could finally achieve it.
But every time I stepped closer, an unexplained weight dragged my legs down. Each step grew heavier. Something kept pulling me away from approaching that light. As much as I tried to, it was impossible to walk even just one step forward.
My mother was looking at me. She didn't let go of her hand, and yet, I still couldn't move.
I didn't know why.
It should've been my wish—my wish to be beside her, no matter where or when it was.
But.
But…..
I couldn't shake off this inexplicable feeling. Within my head, two conflicting thoughts clashed with each other.
As the time passed, a void appeared in my heart—a feeling that I'd missed something.
"But….But what is it?" I questioned myself. "What did I forget…?"
"Control your breath! Yes, yes, inhale and exhale, keep doing that. I will patch your wound. It will be painful, but still stay with me!"
The battle for Belobog hadn't ended yet.
Both fragmentum monsters, seeking to destroy, and the Silvermane Guards, seeking to preserve, fought with all their might. They persisted in forcing back their respective enemy.
As the battle continued, the ones situated in the camp were tending to the wounded, including Lynx. Their number increased every minute, some of them even suffered from a fatal injury. Although there were no casualties so far, it was possible that some of them wouldn't be able to continue their lives as a guard.
But none of them regretted their decision. It was for a better future, even if they weren't going to be there when it turned into reality.
The little girl cast her gaze towards the battlefield. She couldn't see what was happening, but she knew that everyone put their lives for Belobog's victory.
In this current moment, Lynx's job was to ensure that every single one of them could witness the future they were fighting for. It was the burden she shouldered, and the same as everyone else, it was her determination.
"Good luck, everyone…."
.
.
.
Fierce and nimble, yet also refined and elegant in each movement—that would be the perfect way to describe Seele, her purple hair fluttered with the wind.
Her attacks rained down on the enemies, cutting them down one by one effortlessly with just a slice. With her scythe as her dance partner, Seele turned into a merciless whirlwind which sentenced the surrounding fragmentum monsters with a quick death.
To the Silvermane Guards, that scene set a fire of hope ablaze.
To the fragmentum monsters, she was the reflection of death itself, a mirror leading to the afterlife.
Even so, against the two new elite enemies, she had to play it safe. Often she needed to stop on her track, keeping a watchful eye that could be her demise at any moment.
She broke her way through the crowd of enemies before her eyes. Two of them captured her in sight, ready to attack with a downward swing using their long hammer and giant axe. Their attacks were lethal, but only if they could hit her.
Before their weapons reached Seele's head, she quickly swung her scythe from right to left with the monsters' arms in the trajectory, severing their limbs in just one move. Without skipping a beat, she changed the grip she had on the scythe. She also turned her weapon into a position that allowed her to chain another attack—this time from her left to right, aimed at their necks.
It happened in an instant. She dashed forward. Both feet were floating in the air. One second following that moment, those monsters fell with heads severed from their bodies.
Before she could plant her feet on the ground, a different attack struck her from behind. A winged fragmentum hurled at her in a full speed, piercing Seele with a force that could even shatter a moving bullet. Indeed, it was a golden opportunity—a moment when the death itself lowered her guard down.
However, that moment wasn't now.
At a glance, it seemed like a successful surprise attack which rendered Seele incapable of continuing fighting. That would be the outcome that spelt doom not just for the Silvermane Guards, but also for the entirety of Belobog.
Instead, the winged monster just went through the girl's body, as if she wasn't there to begin with. There was no impact or something similar to that feeling. Upon a closer inspection, what should have been a direct hit was an attack aimed at the girl's afterimage. It soon disappeared, becoming one with the surrounding light.
Without being given the time to observe the battlefield once more, the winged-creature felt an immense weight crushing its body from above. Seele attacked it from above, using her weight to crush the monster's body. Once hitting the ground, its body crumbled into many pieces scattered in the snow.
At this rate, none of the normal fragmentum monsters could beat her. Her attacks were too strong and quick for them to follow.
The only ones that got a chance to take her down were the elite monsters, slowly coming closer to the girl.
Suddenly, a barrage of ice needles made by Ice Out of Space stormed right in her direction. They were smaller, incomparable to the size that had almost ended Dunn's life. Still, lowering her guard down, even a second could send Seele to her demise.
Seele spun her scythe just like a wheel, acting as a temporary shield which blocked those ice needles. Some of them were knocked away from the path while the others shattered into pieces smaller than a snowflake. She quickly found where Ice Out of Space was, but before she could move, another attack—this time a high-pressured air bullet from the Stormbringer—grazed against her legs. It didn't cause any pain, just a moment of numbness. That, of course, became the perfect chance for them to assault bring her down once and for all.
The Stormbringer galloped towards Seele with only destruction in its mind. Those who stood in its way, both allies and foes, had to avoid getting stomped by its ferocious movement.
Unable to dodge it completely, Seele devised another plan. She swept the snow with her scythe and created another smoke screen to obscure her enemy's sight. It provided her the perfect opportunity to move out of the Stormbringer's path, concealing her presence amidst the chaos before commencing a surprise attack.
As sensations returned to her feet, Seele stepped aside, but the Stormbringer's wind vortex quickly dispersed the smoke, revealing her position.
In normal circumstances, dodging its attack wouldn't be difficult. But her strategy backfired. Snow from the smoke screen splashed to her eyes, making her blind for just a brief second.
Dodging became impossible.
Relying only on sound, she predicted that the attack would come from her left side, so she planned to block it with her scythe—anticipating the hit that could come at anytime.
The next thing she knew, a tremendous force had launched her through the air. The heavy impact staggered her body as she rolled on the ground and crashed into the nearer tree about ten meters away. Once her back hit the frozen trunk, snow from branches above showered down on her.
For the first time after their resurrection, the Silvermane Guards felt fear. None of them had anticipated that scene—the worst-case scenario that could've possibly happened to them.
Seele got buried under the piles of snow, still nowhere to be seen. The Stormbringer moved closer, trying to end the life of their ultimate threat. With her being stunned momentarily, the monster had nothing to fear. The sooner she disappeared from the world, the better it would be for them—becoming an unstoppable force that would take Belobog down.
One attack.
Only one needed to end the girl's life.
The Stormbringer raised its arm high. With a powerful thrust, it drove its arm into the ground, penetrating the ground and causing the earth to shatter. Nothing could withstand the weight behind that attack, not even Seele.
Stormbringer pulled its arm back, wanting to see the corpse. The dust settled down, fading away from the air, revealing a view which it hadn't anticipated.
Where there should've been a corpse, there was nothing.
Seele had disappeared.
The Stormbringer looked around to find any clue related to the girl's whereabout. Through its naked eyes, Stormbringer could see nothing but an ominous bloodlust coming from behind the tree.
When it noticed, though, the tree was already cut into two by a purple scythe. Its sharp edge almost reached the Stormbringer's legs, yet the enemy reacted in time, pulling its body up to avoid getting crippled.
It was the second time Seele revealed her location, meaning the second time when her death could happen.
The Stormbringer brought its legs down, stomping on the ground as rough as it could to stun Seele from doing any movement. Even one second was enough, but Seele was quick on her feet.
She'd had already vanished. A second after that, she showed herself again. Her scythe was much closer to the Stormbringer's neck this time.
She was adapting at such a fast rate. Although bruises covered her body, she ignored the pain, forcing her limbs to move the way she wanted to. Only by passing her limits could she win.
The Stormbringer swung its arm right at Seele, but same as the fate befalling the winged creature, what it saw was the girl's afterimage. That attack went past the illusion, destroying it amidst the air.
The real Seele used her enemy's blind spots, hiding away while also launching countless attacks. Many times had she hit the Stormbringer's hand, slowly wearing it down until she could see fragments of it flew out.
Then, with one big swing, Seele broke its hand, pieces falling to the snow. She could've dealt the final and decisive attack if not for Ice Out of Space, having approached her when she was still too occupied, tried to punch her. That attempt turned out to be futile as she quickly got away from that spot. The punch created a fracture on the ground, painting the future when she'd failed to avoid it.
Two elite enemies stood before her eyes now. Yet, she felt no fear. She only thought of Bronya.
With the presence of that special someone in her mind, she believed she could handle anything—including the enemies in front of her that wished for her death.
Seele began to move, being the first one to break the tension. She started by using the snow as another smoke screen. Same as the previous one, the Stormbringer condensed the wind into a ball of vortex that would disperse the snow. But, it didn't expect to see Seele revealed herself from the snow screen, charging ahead towards the Stormbringer with no sign of ever stopping. Instead of using it as a cover, she relied on the smoke screen to mask her attack, completely subverting its expectation. She jumped, putting all of her weight on that one attack.
With no time to dodge, the Stormbringer went with the second best option—trying to block Seele's attack with its other hand. In the meantime, Ice Out of Space was creating an ice spear, one that was sharp enough to cut a drifting leaf.
They pinched Seele in a dire situation with their coordinated attack—done just to snatch her life away. She was still hovering in the air, limiting her ability to maneuver around like a phantom.
Even so, without them knowing, Seele was already one step ahead.
It was only after Ice Out of Space had made the spear when terror struck its core.
Its ice spear reflected two girls, both with the same hair, same clothes, same face, and same scythe. They were identical in every way.
They could see two Seele, and not just them. Everyone else from both sides could see them too—two girls floating in the air gracefully, just like a butterfly.
Each time they blinked, the number of afterimages increased. That sight—multiple reapers in the air holding their scythe to slice the lives out of their enemies—cast the biggest fear that these fragmentum monsters had ever experienced.
As the last resort, amidst desperation, Ice Out of Space shattered its ice spear into many ice daggers and sent them to all directions just like arrows. Some dispelled the afterimages while a few grazed Seele's skin, drawing blood and causing sharp pain. But she didn't falter.
Without flinching, she followed through with that attack.
Their luck had run out.
A purple light began to form. Those afterimages combined into a singular glow, connected to the Stormbringer by a neon line.
What happened to it only lasted for a second.
They heard Seele's voice echoing.
"Disappear among the sea of butterflies—" The afterimages moved towards their enemy, swinging the scythe all at one. "—Illusions of the past!"
As they became one, a purple flash appeared, brighter than the color white of the snow. All curious eyes who watched that sight unfolding got blinded for a second before they saw what remained of the Stormbringer.
Albeit mere illusions, every hit that connected felt real, inflicting the same amount of damage as the Stormbringer. Its body, from top to bottom, got reduced into chunks of ice, didn't have any chance of surviving Seele's ultimate move.
One elite enemy was down.
Only one left.
Upon witnessing that quick execution, Ice Out of Space became restless. It launched a punch towards Seele, but before coming in contact, it felt a resistance. Something was blocking its attack.
In front of Seele, several Silvermane Guards stood, using their shields to block Ice Out of Space's hand. They did not budge, summoning strength beyond their limits. One figure, bigger than the others, also stood firm, wielding a shield with his only usable hand.
"Round two!" Dunn said, smirking as sweats poured down, each drop filled with a blazing spirit no storm could breeze.
Just as it began to return its arm back, Seele leapt onto it. Her weight pressed its limb down to the ground. Utilizing it as some kind of bridge, she ran on its surface, leading right to Ice Out of Space's head. The monster, of course, tried to stop her assault, but nothing worked.
She had sealed its fate.
"Let me end your misery!"
Her sharp scythe went through its neck with a single decisive slash. Her attack didn't end there, though. She jumped from its shoulder, spinning midair to face its back. Positioning her scythe above, she used momentum and gravity to strengthen her downward swing—making it impossible to be hindered by anything. As soon as it touched Ice Out of Space's headless body, the edge of her weapon cracked its body, followed by a clean slice until it reached the ground with nothing left to cut.
With their main forces eliminated, the fragmentum monsters suffered from a huge loss. Right now, nothing could stand against Seele, now looking more like a reaper than ever. When they stared into her scythe, they could see their beckoning fate.
She glanced at her foes, surveying the state of this frozen barren wasteland. At this point, no one moved. Between awe and fear, her presence was the embodiment of death. She stretched her neck to the sides, making several crackling noises as her head went left and right.
"I don't know if any of you can even understand me, but don't waste more of my time…." she said in a voice as cold as the dashing wind. Covered with bruises and other injuries, yet she still stood firm with her feet crushing and sinking into the snow beneath. Although her breath froze, the heat of tension burned her spirit with energy. "Someone important is waiting for me!"
She bolted towards her enemies with a swift dash. Her scythe waltzed through the crowd, dancing a deadly ballet that mowed down her foes, one after another.
This battle marked yet another testament to humanity's defiance, led by a girl who couldn't be tamed by a mere destiny.