Tehmrayn’s armor, from what I remembered, wasn’t just made to protect him from attacks, but it also served as a diving suit for his deep dive trips since underwater pressure was still dangerous for even the strongest. Vitality allowed you to dive deeper before the pressure crushed you, and Wisdom helped you resist areas with high mana concentrations. Both stats helped your deep dive adventures, but biology was still more important.

You wouldn’t expect an ice dragon to live inside a volcano, or… a fire dragon living in the glaciers. Elementally and environmentally, they were unsuited for prolonged living for beings unable to adapt to the local mana concentration and temperature. The same applied for those willing to visit the deep depths, which was why diving suit armors, underwater boats, and specialized diving spells were needed if you weren’t a leviathan, adamantoise, or levianewt.

Merfolk, a general term for all beastmen with merfiend blood, and nagas, snake beastmen who have aquatic capabilities similar to the average merfiend sub-race, all had varying degrees of underwater pressure resistance. However, the general idea was that they still needed diving suits for deep dives.

Made to pressurized air and deep a sheet of water inside the suit, Tehmrayn’s armor was not only meant to ward off magic and steel with quality monster materials, strong alloys, and powerful enchantments, but it also allowed him to do battle against other Water Pantheon blessed in the deep abyss. As such, Tehmrayn trained to counter water mages, fight deep-sea monsters of various sizes, and swiftly move through the currents. His Profile was specialized, but that didn’t mean he was entirely useless on land, as shown when he fought with us in Elyonda and during the first Event Quest. He was one of the first people to gain a unique Job, and, most likely, he was able to develop it faster than I was, since I didn’t really start leveling up until Lady Hestia woke up.

I have known him since we talked when he was in Inkoran-Tazul. We spent evenings inside the Event dungeon, sitting next to our campfire with Priest Kushlek’zar, talking about the Depth Goddess and ways to improve as water mages. He wasn’t a friend, nor did I believe he saw me as anything more than an acquaintance. He probably had some respect for Lady Hestia as fellow Champions, though, as he said, he was used to killing other blessed.

In the depths, friendships could turn into rivalries in an instant. Whether through the influence of their gods “guiding” them with Divine Quests, or through clan rivalries. I guess to the people here, two former allies fighting each other to the death was quite normal.

How barbaric.

He really is—! I tried to take a step back the moment I saw his snake-like lower body unfurl, raising his body up to the ceiling, but I already knew I was too late.

Although Nagas rarely possessed a snake-like head, they were still beastmen. That meant their reptilian features and abilities were genuine, and that also meant their lunging ability was as efficient as that of a snake.

He held his trident up high for one moment, and in the next, his snake tail slithered forward and pounced at me, thrusting his polearm right at my head like a fisherman striking at a shark. [Thought Acceleration] and [High-Speed Calculation] allowed me to read his attack, and with my vastly increased Agility, I should have been able to dodge Tehmrayn’s attack… if he had only relied on his Agility.

Water burst from the carapace-like seams of his armor like a water leakage, shooting his arm forward as if he was possessed by Vifi’s red lightning. The attack struck my face, although, fortunately, my body was already moving backward. I managed to avoid the worst—being decapitated—and was only disfigured by the massive gash, blinding me in one eye in the process.

Urrrghk!

The pain coursed through my body as I bled red due to my elven body. Bone and all the gory stuff leaked out of my head, but the wound was immediately frozen over by ice, encasing my wounds in an icy state that made me look more like an ice golem than a person. At least, that was what I remembered Bethlieranha calling me when I was wounded during a spar with Vifi.

I lost Health and Mana, but what did that matter if the attack wasn’t true? Unlike somebody with flesh and blood, I bled mana, and as long as I had mana in my body, I wouldn’t fall to such an attack so easily!

I pulled out my catalyst and—

Slik! That sweeping sword tore through my thoughts as Tehmrayn’s trident ripped off my left arm, clutching my catalyst, disarming me of my only weapon.

As mentioned, Tehmrayn knew how to fight against water mages. Mages ruled widespread destruction if left unbothered, while a warrior could quickly take down a mage if they got too close. At least, if the mage had no way to protect themselves. This was how my battle with Vifi, Princess Fargryneill, and Estranor would usually end if we got serious.

I might be deemed a “demigod,” but that title still meant nothing if I couldn’t use my powers properly. My ice elementals and my friends may praise however much they wished, but none of that mattered if I couldn’t at least defend myself from Tehmrayn.

I am Aurora’s shield! And you did not kill me in time!

Tehmrayn’s next strike was aimed at my torso. This three-strike combo was proof of his ruthless efficiency, possessing the speed and power to take down any normal mage. Unfortunately for him, it was too slow for somebody who was over level 150 and had skills that allowed my body to turn into ice if needed.

[Dirge of Eternal Ice] explained its effect in a very flowery manner, but it essentially allowed me to freeze anything I touch. Even the air. Even my own blood. This unique skill was my evolved [Cryokinesis]!

As Tehmrayn stopped the momentum of his swinging trident, the blood sprayed from my cut-off arm crystallized and froze the air around. Seeing this, the Naga decided against his initial attack and attempted to whip me with his tail, but only struck the air with an ear-ringing shockwave. He almost struck the air crystals forming around my body.

Too late. Aifli eir Vintral.

Prepared when I cast [Sheer Freeze] on the second Warbringer, [Aifli eir Vintral], or “Fairy of Winter” in Common, finally managed to be cast, sprouting two sets of icy fairy wings on my back, instead of floating behind me like before. The spell used to only serve as a simple air cooler to enter volcanoes and to help Lady Hestia whenever the air around her got too hot. Now, though, it could serve a far better purpose.

Acting similar to an aura release, the spell started to freeze the entire room from the door. It essentially was an aura attack using my true ice mana, in principle. Seeing this, Tehmrayn retreated deeper into the room, stopping him from continuing his assault as he wanted.

“Your trident is quite resilient,” I said, pointing at the blood crystals forming on the weapon. I waved my left arm stump, freezing my blood into a blood-red ice arm, which I used to pick up my catalyst. “The ice mana is spreading, but slowly. Some more and it’ll turn into an actual weakness. Too brittle.”

Yet, Tehmrayn stayed silent.

Every hit Tehmrayn landed activated [Dirge of Eternal Ice]’s [Frost Body], leaving behind bits of my true ice on his weapon. It certainly wasn’t how I should be using the skill, since my Vitality was, relatively, quite subpar compared to my companions. Over 3900 was still far higher than what an average rank A adventurer should have, and mine was also further improved through the [Major Vitality Potion] I ingested prior to this battle, but it wasn’t enough against Tehmrayn and his specialized weapon.

After all, he did maim me pretty badly. I knew I was susceptible to speedy opponents since my glacial wardress still needs time to actually harden the air into air. Vifi, Princess Fargryneill, and Tehmrayn were all too fast to react properly. Just like how we fought the former during our first meeting, prediction and [Foresight] were my friends in this battle.

Hmm? I raised my brow as I saw Tehmrayn turning his head slightly to look out of the window, probably aware we wouldn’t be able to catch up to those two speedsters. My main reason to even stall was gone, and I couldn’t fulfill Princess Wendriosa’s wish any longer since her brother was out of my sight. Then again, I didn’t help de-escalate anything.

“Our reason to fight is gone,” I said as I formed my ice rapier just in case.

“No.” Sadly, Tehmrayn shook his head. “‘This did not have to end this way’ were genuine words. If you had not arrived here, this wouldn’t have to happen. I am duty-bound, sworn in the name of my patron god, to defend the allies of the one he supports. In this Event Quest, Goddess Plesia wishes for two leviathans to rise and join the ranks of the dragons. Yet neither wishes to be the second. The throwaway toy in the eyes of the gods. As such, they have placed their bets on who they want to succeed, and through us blessed, their will shall be done!”

“E-eh? S-so when you stated that you must defend… pardon, allow me to think: you mentioned a ‘Karhalantheel?’” I said, only now being able to register what he had said. He immediately attacked me after he proclaimed who he supported, after all.

“Quasdrakeen Karhalantheel. The daughter of the same Karhalantheel your mistress’s mother slew. The same ancient leviathan I was supposed to stop from breaking through his seals when we first met in Elyonda.”

“… How fickle fate can be.”

“The Laughing Shadow must be watching all of this with joy from within HIS world of shadows. The irony did not escape me, but so what? We are but mere blessed chosen by our gods, even if your reasoning to be here is most certainly due to your connection with the imperial family of Kargryx,” Tehmrayn said. “The Quest I received for Elyonda was from the Depth Goddess, while this one was directly from the God of Tridents. There is no conflict of interest, Tasianna. We have merely become enemies with you supporting your mistress’s older sister. There is no shame in serving somebody, whether they be gods or lieges!”

“So the demonkin are helping her?”

“For personal reasons and also for the money attached to being her mercenaries, yes,” Tehmrayn, surprisingly, admitted. “The reason should be obvious, considering their antagonism, I hope. And, I presume, you understand what her clan name means, right?”

“We already know about her hostility with Empress Melloxtressa.”

“Then why exchange words at this point?” He slithered around the room, looking like he was already analyzing me. He shouldn’t be able to break my [Identity Blocker], though. “‘Our enemy is Aurena’s newest Champion, but trying to harm any of the dragon imperials will only set their sight on us. Only the red dragon is aiming for us, and we wish to keep it as such. Instead, we will target her allies. Your role is to simply facilitate us and give us the time to fulfill our duty.’ Was what I read from their leader’s message.”

Leader? Wait, why is he saying ‘leader,’ instead of saying the second Warbringer’s name? Or just saying Warbringer? Who’s he exactly talking about?

Tehmrayn slammed his trident on the ground as water started forming around him in a ball. Seeing this, my lingering questions vanished from the tip of my tongue as I raised my rapier, causing multiple ice blades to form using the moisture in the air.

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They shot at Tehmrayn, growing in size until they were large enough to pierce a rank C dragon. Little needed to be said about how they devastated the building as the naga “swam” through the air using that water bubble. Although he knew water spells, he was by no means a mage, unless he managed to improve significantly over the two years since we met.

This ability to create this water bubble was done through a [Landed Swimmer] enchantment on his armor, and the [Aquakinesis] needed to manipulate it was done through a catalyst on his trident. Runes and the manatech inside his armor gave him a water propulsion system, while his personal swimming skills were quite proficient. This was the secret behind this movement style and also the building block of what his [Jewel of the Monsoon’s Torrent] Territory would be.

Being in a party with him and fighting alongside him during the first Event Quest was a true benefit, far more than that one time he sparred with Lady Hestia in Elyonda. I knew him well enough, but I wasn’t confident in my knowledge since he also has a unique Job.

Well, then the answer was simple: prevent him from ever getting close enough to hit me, and prevent his range attacks from ever hitting me.

The icy aura around me flash froze the room, forcing Tehmrayn to jump out of the building as my ice blades followed after him. Activating [Elvenize] to release my wings, I followed after him by flapping them.

inflicted on [Ice Fairy, Tasianna Marina Silverpond]

Once outside, I saw Tehmrayn’s water bubble growing larger and larger, suggesting he was starting to release his aura, but wasn’t activating his Territory just yet. Was he afraid I had one now and would activate it? A valid worry, since I was sure mine could overwhelm his purely due to my true ice.

Did Empress Melloxtressa scare him with her true ice when she fought that leviathan, or why is he so cautious?

Themrayn’s Territory created watery golems in the shape of various sea life, and as long as they didn’t exist, I knew he wasn’t preparing to use it. Instead, I only saw him swim inside this water bubble, causing it to twist and turn into tubes as it created currents for him to swim with.

He said his plan was to either kill me or prevent me from escaping. Was Vifi in danger? Who was the leader he mentioned? Those were the two questions I had to find out, but regardless of what I wanted to do, Tehmrayn didn’t seem very impatient about how to handle me. He could bide his time, it seemed.

I cannot use [World-Freezing Winter] here. It would, literally, be too hard to control. Most of my destructive spells cannot be used here due to all the possible casualties. Well, then the choice should be clear.

I snapped my fingers to command the ice inside the building to grow in size until it formed multiple rank B dragon-sized blades. The humongous ice constructs shot at Tehmrayn, slicing and dicing his watery bubble in an attempt to hit him. Every hit causes the bubble to freeze, forcing the naga to cut off any frozen piece and regrow his bubble with more mana.

Unfortunately for him, every frozen water bubble piece could be easily manipulated with [Cryokinesis]. I didn’t need them to stay as blocks, though, so I had them crack up into large pieces before launching them at Tehmrayn with a flick of my finger.

Maktor Baeol. (Icebind Bomb)

The fragments weren’t meant to hit him, but to land in appropriate spots for my [Maktor Baeol] to trigger, bursting the large ice shards into smaller ones. Ice binds held the pieces to my magic circles, and once the spell reactivated, the shards were pulled back to the magic circle, dragging bits of the frozen water bubble with them.

As his bubble slowly lost volume, instead of regrowing it, Themrayn had it burst open, slinging him through the air in my direction. I readied my rapier to intercept it if needed, but also cast [Frost Shield] to protect myself, only for a System message to cause my body to shiver.

Now?

Water exploded from his body as they formed a bubble around him again, but unlike before, sharks, octopi, manta rays, and so many other water golems formed within this sphere. He switched hands, holding his trident to reveal a water spell hidden inside his fist and unleashed his custom spell, [Hydro Pump], at my shield to kill his momentum and shoot himself away from me.

His watery bubble followed him, but his water golems didn’t. Instead, they glared at me as if I were a bleeding fish in the middle of the ocean, and charged at me like a murder of crows. Yes, those golems were immediately frozen upon coming in contact with [Aifli eir Vintral]. No, they didn’t stop.

Understood. Golems are slightly less susceptible to being turned into nothing but icicles. They are, literally, only puppets controlled by mana strings, after all. In this case, Tehmrayn’s Territory is the actual thing controlling them, and unless you use your own Territory, fighting an enemy Territory is simply unideal. Noted for the future… curses.

Vifi’s fencing lessons were turned redundant as the swarm of golems crashed against my frozen wings and [Frost Shield], pushing me against the building. Although my wardress managed to cushion the impact by creating some ice armor for me, the frozen water golems continued thrashing, biting, and ramming themselves against me.

The building was turned into a ruin as the occupants of the taverns rushed out in a panic. I was able to protect myself by causing the golems to explode with [Cryokinesis], but they just swarmed me under Tehmrayn’s commands. It was like a suffocating cascade falling onto my face, leaving me with barely a moment to breathe to survive. Gasping and slashing with my rapier was all I could do as the torrent broke through the floor and sent me flying deeper into the inner city.

He’s forcing me to reveal my Territory! I—what is his plan?

The damage I was taking was nonexistent. In fact, all this ice mana surrounding me was even helping me to recover my lost mana, allowing me to regrow my cut-off arm and fix my face. Themrayn didn’t know all my abilities, just like I didn’t know his, but what I did know was that he was an ambush hunter.

He loved attacking enemies when they were distracted, or by using his higher Agility to launch a quick decapitation, as he did to me. If he was aiming for my life, then… he must be waiting for the ideal moment to end it with one swift attack.

“Remember, there are two styles of the Yok fencing style.” A memory of my time training with Vifi surged through my mind. “The first is my personal style, which focuses on widespread destruction. An antonym of the general style. However, it fits me better since my voltaic lightning allowed me to use the techniques in a manner that other Yok style users cannot. Eventually, I abandoned the original style completely.”

“You’re free styling! Yo, yo, yo!” … I also remembered Lady Hestia trying to make a joke back then, though her Earthen words were hard to understand. R-regardless!

“… Anyway, what matters is that you aren’t suitable for my style. Donut might not have the talents for it, but she is better off focusing on her dragoon training. As such, I will teach you the basics of the Yok style of fencing. As a mage, you are weakest when it comes to close-quarters combat, while the Yok style focuses entirely on dueling. We will remedy your weakness since your ‘rapier’ is essentially unbreakable with your true ice,” Vifi explained. “Although the training will only teach you the basic techniques. I am, honestly, not good enough in it to fully mentor you.”

“Quite modest,” I said, but she shook her head.

“Not at all. I only stayed at the house for two years. That isn’t enough time to become a master of a martial arts style passed down through generations. Not to mention how I stopped practicing it altogether once my adoptive father died. I only know the basic techniques, but in battle, knowing the minimum needed is all you need. Techniques are, not to be rude, merely accessories. To win a fight, you have to know how to fight. The Abilities you gained through battle experiences are what will help you thrive, not some disciplines you learned at home,” Vifi said, looking a bit conflicted as she probably didn’t fully believe what she said at this point. I believed her past self must have spoken at that point, like an unavoidable habit. “In any case, that doesn’t mean learning the basics is useless. Everybody has to start somewhere, and you’re a mage who hasn’t touched physical combat since you started. Even one technique will be enough to save your life when it comes to it, which is why the first Ability I will teach you will be—”

Now! Yok Style Fencing: Ciene!

Tearing off the frozen teeth clutched on my body as the Divine System started directing my body to perform the Ability, I twisted my ankles and let my body drop with gravity, before striking upwards, parrying Tehmrayn’s strike just as it was about to hit my head.

Urrk!

The timing with [Foresight] was perfect, but his blow caused my arm to rattle so much that it stunned me. My Strength was overpowered by his, leaving me wide open, instead of helping me create one for myself.

Thankfully, I wasn’t a warrior.

“You don’t need to beat them in melee. You only need to delay them enough to cast your spell,” Lady Hestia’s words dulled the pain as I cast both [Slithering Frost Serpent] and [Winter’s Golem]. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

My two golems sprang from my prepared magic circles, catching Tehmrayn’s tail before he could escape. Dodging as if using [Yok Style Fencing: Twehsa], I dodged Tehmrayn’s next attack and sliced at his stomach. As my rapier wasn’t a real weapon, meaning it didn’t benefit from the “Attack Power” increase a normal weapon would have, it meant I couldn’t even scratch Tehmrayn’s armor with my measly Strength. A touch, though, was enough to kill.

… If he didn’t have [Defensive Rune: Auracoil] active.

Oh, oh.

I was exactly where he wanted me—close. His auracoil prevented the true ice mana by just enough for him to freely move and expel his Territory around me, creating even more water golems that pounced at me as I tried to recover from my counter. As I was trying to activate my other [Delay Cast] spells, Tehmrayn’s golem also overwhelmed mine by sheer number, like a school of piranhas.

Pinned against the wall once again, Tehmrayn raised his trident, preparing for the final blow. I raised my rapier, revealing the six ice spells I still hadn’t activated. One of them, [Glacial Protection], had already started covering my entire body in an armor of true ice, preparing to take whatever blow was needed to defeat this blessed.

If you wish for a clash, then I shall grant you one! Bow before the Ice Elemental King! Territory Releas—

“Facing our friend there, Adjudicator!”

However, before I could fully unleash my [Dirge of Eternal Ice] to create my Territory, an axe slammed against Tehmrayn’s trident before it could move. The naga and I snapped our heads to the side to see a bulky lizardman in a similar armor to Tehmrayn, although with a few more ritualistic bone adornments.

I didn’t recognize the armor, and his head was completely covered, but I did recognize his axe. After all, it was one of a good deal of equipment Grimnir had prepared during the days approaching our assault on Aureolis to take down the Prince of Envy. Well-made and adorned with his runes, this weapon was fit to become a house’s heirloom, and it was to be given to one of our party’s dearest friends.

“Krim-Slak!” I called as the man’s helmet started to open up, releasing water and steam in the process, revealing a red-scaled carnosilian saurian licking his lips like a bloodthirsty berserker.

“What a way to reunite, Tasianna! But I guess it’s better than any, so we can kick this arrogant naga’s tail.”

“And not through weapons… but through words.”

Krim-Slak, as the defender of Priest Kushlek’zar, would never be far from his eternal partner, Grazlahta, nor his ward. And that voice was all I needed to know that this fight was over. My rapier broke apart, leaving only my catalyst in my hand, as Tehmrayn’s Territory vanished with it. Tehmrayn straightened his back as he knew this battle had ended.

… Although, unlike me, it seemed he already realized the trouble we would soon be in.

“As you said, Saint. I must say, I expected some turmoil, but it seemed your friends and the members of the Kargryxmor clan couldn’t at least keep everything ‘underwater.’ People respected the status quo within the holy city, but outsiders are outsiders. Blessed are blessed. The words of the gods are more important than our laws.” A levianewt woman slowly walked into my view, taking over my attention before I could confirm whether Priest Kushlek’zar was there or not.

My eyes widened when I saw her meticulously decorated robes, which honestly looked like something a human empress would be wearing. The dragon empresses all wore beautifully crafted dresses using their own scales, but they were never elaborate to the point that they became a hindrance for them to walk in. They were made to show off, but not in a grandiose way.

This levianewt, though, was wearing purely ceremonial robes with sleeves, hems, and a cape that flowed onto the ground as if she wasn’t meant to be walking around with them. They would become dirty, especially with how filthy the inner city was with its dirt on the ground and puddles of gray water. Or, you could interpret it as her having no need to worry about them becoming dirty.

“What a mess, and Emperor Eltharion and I still haven’t finished talking through the details just yet. Who will pay for all these constructions?”

The Abyssal Warden of the church of Plesia.

“Now, shall we move to the cathedral? Let Prince Nongramos and Princess Wendriosa finish their business. The youngest and second youngest are already drumming the sounds of distraction for us.”

Ah. Raising my head and perking up my ears, I couldn’t help but agree.

“DJ HESTIA IS IN THE HOUSE! W-wait, what do you mean I have to be more quiet, Sis? This is the entire point of this stream!”

How her voice managed to pierce through multiple floors was beyond me, but that was simply My Lady’s talent.