Dancing on the golden ashes-Chapter 214: Clash of Fire and Ice

I could tell my words had really struck a nerve. The truth, it seemed, hit him harder than I had expected. In a blur, he vanished from sight, disappearing into the air like smoke. I barely had time to react, forcing myself to block to my right. My fire-infused scythe burned brighter than ever, clashing violently with the ice sword as the man materialized out of thin air.

Fire and ice collided with an explosive crack, the sound so sharp, that it split the air itself. The shockwaves from our clash reverberated through the air, and the entire small world around us trembled as if it were being pushed to its breaking point. It felt like the very fabric of reality was crumbling faster now. Was this world even suitable for battle?

"You’re lying," the man growled, his voice full of fury. "He would never do this to us! We are the protectors of this world! Without us, the balance will be ruined, and the world will be plunged into darkness! This can’t be true! He swore to protect this world, to protect it from the fated one!"

His words hung in the air, but I wasn’t interested in his beliefs. I didn’t care about fate or destiny.

I didn’t believe in those things. To me, fate was nothing but an excuse for weakness. I was my own ruler, and I would not let some twisted fate control me.

"I will go against it," I muttered under my breath, my resolve hardening with every word. "And even if I destroy this world, it will be for a reason far more serious than some scripted destiny."

But in my heart, I knew: That will never happen. I would fight with everything I had, and I would carve my own path.

I could see the surprise on the monster’s face as he realized I had tanked his attack. His expression twisted into something ugly, his fury growing as he registered that not only had I withstood his strike, but I wasn’t even sweating yet.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

"Now it’s my turn!" In a flash, I moved like a ghost, the spatial control skill coursing through me. The man didn’t even sense my aura approaching until it was too late. Without warning, I slashed at his back, the edge of my scythe cutting through his ice armor like butter. The wound I left was deep and gruesome, a burn that seared his flesh.

Rage overtook him in an instant. He swung at me, but I was already moving, my body a blur. I dodged effortlessly, a little too fast even for my own control. It was hard to rein in my own power, but the more the battle raged on, the quicker I adapted. The longer I fought, the faster I became, and I could feel the world around me falling into a rhythm.

But then, the atmosphere shifted. A strong frost aura washed over the area, and in the blink of an eye, his armor regenerated. The icy mist around him grew colder, more intense. His eyes turned a deep, bloody red, and his speed surged. I barely had time to react.

I raised my scythe to block, but his increased speed caught me off guard. His ice sword crashed against my blade with a force that sent a shockwave through my body. I was thrown back, unable to withstand the impact, and before I knew it, I was sent flying. The ground beneath me blurred as I sailed through the air, my body spiraling dangerously close to the edge of the world.

I had to regain control. I knew one wrong move, and I would fall into the abyss. And with my current powers, I knew I wouldn’t survive out there.

Suddenly, the man split into what seemed like an infinite number of versions of himself, each one rushing toward me with terrifying speed.

"I can do that as well!" I shouted, determination surging through me. Though I didn’t have an infinite amount of clones, I wasn’t about to let that hold me back. I split into ten thousand versions of myself, each one as real and powerful as the last. The clash began, a flurry of attacks that shattered the world around us with each passing strike.

The battle raged on, skill after skill, power against power, until the very fabric of the world seemed to crack under the pressure. Time itself blurred—I wasn’t even sure how long this battle had been going on. A day? Two? Maybe even a month. There was no end in sight, and it was starting to grate on my nerves. I was beyond irritated.

A small sun flickered into existence in my hand, radiating heat and light. With a fierce cry, I launched it at the man, determined to end this. But the man wasn’t done. A small orb of ice formed in his hand, its cold aura pulsing as he attacked in response. The two forces collided in the center of the battlefield, the impact so intense that it consumed every clone we had summoned. In an instant, we were all caught in the blast.

I could feel the ice swirling around me, trying to consume me, to freeze me from the inside out. The cold seeped into my bones, but I wasn’t the only one suffering. I could sense it—the fire I had unleashed was scorching him, burning his very essence. My flames would turn him to ash, or at least leave him a little more roasted than he would like.

The moment everything calmed down, we faced each other once again, our gazes locked in silent defiance. My scythe hung in the air, eager, burning with the intent to take his life. But even as I gripped the handle tightly, I knew deep down that there wouldn’t be an end to this fight anytime soon. The battle had reached an impasse, and the world around us felt suspended in time, as though both of us were unwilling to give the other even an inch.