Journey to Become the Zenith

The Frozen Rain of Ruin

While in mid-air Diana saw that Azriel was about to give her the finishing blow, but before he could do so Diana used magic.

”Ice Coffin!”

The moment the spell was cast, dozens of glowing blue magic circles exploded around Azriel’s body.

An unbearable cold instantly swallowed the battlefield.

CRACK!

A gigantic block of crystalline ice formed around Victor in an instant, sealing him completely inside. Frost spread wildly across the ground while nearby trees froze solid within seconds.

Lane shivered violently despite standing far away.

Clara’s eyes widened.

”What terrifying magic...”

The ice pulsed with dense mana.

Not ordinary ice.

Compressed destruction-level frost mana capable of freezing blood, muscles, even spiritual energy itself.

Inside the frozen prison, Azriel could feel Victor’s body slowing rapidly.

Even breathing became difficult.

Yet—

His grin only widened.

”This feeling...”

He laughed softly inside the ice.

”It’s been a while.”

BOOOOM!

The frozen prison exploded apart less than two seconds later.

Shards of ice scattered across the battlefield like shattered glass.

Diana landed gracefully several meters away, sliding backward across the ground to stabilize herself. Her breathing had become heavier now.

That spell consumed enormous mana.

With her current weakened state, she could not casually throw around destruction-level spells anymore.

Still—

It bought her enough time.

Azriel stepped out from the shattered ice calmly, faint frost covering his black-and-gold jacket. Small cuts had appeared across his face due to the explosive mana pressure, yet his golden eyes looked brighter than before.

”I hope you don’t say I was cheating master. You never said we can’t use destruction level magic.”

Diana spoke while subtly gathering mana again.

She needed time.

Just a little more.

The battle had already consumed far too much energy.

Her current mana reserves were not even one-tenth of what they used to be during her peak as the Death Goddess.

Meanwhile Azriel could see through her intentions immediately.

But instead of exposing it—

He encouraged it.

”Of course you can use whatever you want.”

Azriel casually spun both swords once before pointing them toward Diana.

”Use everything in your disposal, be it destruction level magic, or your race specific skill, use them all and make this battle even more exciting!”

His smile became wider.

Wilder.

Then his voice deepened slightly.

”Then I will show you that even after you use everything you got, victory shall always be mine!”

The moment Diana heard those words—

Her heart trembled.

That sentence...

That confidence...

That foolish smile that looked almost arrogant before battle...

It was identical.

Exactly identical.

Azriel used to say those same words countless times in the past before charging into impossible battles.

Against heroes.

Against gods.

Against armies.

Against fate itself.

Everything overlapped perfectly.

The man before her looked like Victor—

—but in this moment...

She could almost see Azriel standing there again.

For the first time since the battle began, Diana’s hands trembled slightly around her scythe.

”...Very well, master.”

Her crimson eyes sharpened.

”I shall show you everything the current me has got to give!”

BOOOOOOM!

Mana exploded outward from Diana’s body violently.

Her black robe fluttered wildly while crimson Zenith Aura slowly mixed together with freezing mana around her.

The pressure became overwhelming instantly.

Even Lane and Clara struggled to breathe.

The surrounding air distorted.

Then—

Hundreds of magic circles appeared across the sky.

Blue.

Black.

Silver.

Layer upon layer.

The entire battlefield became covered in glowing magical formations.

Azriel looked upward and whistled softly.

”Not bad.”

Then suddenly—

He glanced toward Lane and Clara.

The two women froze under his gaze.

”If this continues normally, you two are going to die from collateral damage.”

Lane blinked.

Clara immediately understood.

High-level destruction magic.

The next attacks would devastate the entire area.

Azriel casually cracked his neck.

”How about we set a barrier first?”

Diana stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly.

”Agreed.”

The next instant—

Diana raised her scythe.

Her Zenith Aura surged violently into the sky.

A gigantic crimson-black dome formed around the battlefield, covering several hundred meters instantly.

Runic symbols flowed endlessly across its surface while freezing mist spread along the inside walls.

The pressure became isolated completely.

No mana leakage escaped anymore.

Lane looked around nervously.

”What is this...”

Diana answered calmly.

”A sealed combat domain.”

Clara swallowed hard.

Even the air inside the barrier felt heavier now.

Azriel looked around approvingly.

”Oh?”

His golden eyes gleamed.

”You’ve improved this technique.”

Diana remained silent.

But internally—

Her emotions were chaotic.

That statement alone proved something terrifying.

Only Azriel should know about that technique.

Only him.

Yet before she could think deeper—

Azriel suddenly disappeared.

BOOM!

The ground beneath him shattered.

Diana’s eyes narrowed instantly.

Fast.

Far faster than earlier.

Victor’s body was adapting continuously.

Azriel appeared directly above her and swung both swords downward simultaneously.

Diana blocked with her scythe.

CLANG!!!

A massive shockwave erupted.

The force cracked the ground beneath Diana’s feet instantly.

Azriel twisted mid-air afterward.

”Blood Moon Fang.”

Both blades suddenly moved in a cross-shaped pattern.

Multiple red sword arcs exploded outward.

Diana instantly spun her scythe.

”Frozen Eclipse.”

An enormous ring of freezing mana burst outward from her body.

BOOOOM!!

Red and blue energy collided violently.

The explosion shook the entire barrier.

Lane and Clara stumbled backward from the pressure.

Inside the storm of mana—

Azriel laughed.

”Good!”

Diana suddenly pointed her free hand forward.

”Glacial Judgment.”

Dozens of giant ice spears formed instantly behind Azriel.

But unlike earlier—

These spears pulsed with compressed destruction mana.

Even space distorted around them.

Azriel immediately sensed danger.

”Now that’s more like it.”

The ice spears fired simultaneously.

BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM!

The battlefield exploded continuously.

Azriel moved like a phantom through the barrage.

Some spears grazed his body.

Some shattered mountains of ice behind him.

One directly exploded beside his shoulder—

CRACK!

Victor’s arm nearly dislocated again.

Azriel clicked his tongue.

”Pathetic body.”

Still—

He kept smiling.

Because he could feel it.

Victor’s muscles were improving rapidly under pressure.

The body was memorizing movement patterns.

Meanwhile Diana finally completed another spell.

The mana surrounding her became unstable.

Dangerously unstable.

Azriel noticed immediately.

”Oh?”

Even he became serious now.

Diana slowly raised her scythe toward the sky.

Thousands of frost particles began floating everywhere inside the barrier.

The temperature dropped so low that even breathing became painful.

Lane hugged herself while trembling.

Clara’s lips turned pale.

”This pressure...”

Diana’s crimson eyes locked onto Victor.

Then—

Hundreds of magic circles rotated behind her simultaneously.

”Master...”

Her voice became soft.

Beautiful.

Deadly.

”Take this.”

The world turned white.

”Icicle Rain!”