Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 202 - Ancient Powers

The skies trembled.

A vast pillar of thunder split the clouds open as Zoro descended from above, wrapped in storms that twisted and lashed out like furious dragons. The pressure alone shattered nearby cliffs, and bolts of lightning lashed the ground, turning rocks into molten puddles. With one hand raised to the heavens, Zoro brought down a colossal streak of lightning that struck the battlefield like the wrath of a god.

Everyone watching from the distant bunkers held their breath. The children, the soldiers, the world leaders—everyone frozen in fear.

"How the hell is Nate supposed to survive that?" someone muttered.

But down on the scorched battlefield, something unexpected happened.

Nate's burning fire aura flickered... and vanished.

His entire body returned to normal. Just a man in torn, bloodied clothes. No flame. No shield. Just him, facing the full might of Zoro's wrath.

Gasps echoed across the world. Cameras zoomed in.

"Is he giving up?"

But then, a spark danced at Nate's fingertips.

Then another. And another.

Crackling tendrils of electricity started wrapping around his arms and legs, crawling up his back, racing across his chest. His eyes lit up with a white-blue blaze.

"Wait..."

A boom echoed.

Nate launched into the air, lightning bursting behind him like wings of raw power.

The world held its breath.

Zoro roared as his own thunder gathered. The two forces raced toward each other, becoming streaks in the sky. And then—

BOOM!

They collided with a deafening explosion that shook the atmosphere. Thunder cracked across the sky, ripping clouds apart. The shockwave shattered the windows of every abandoned building within ten kilometers. Mountains trembled. The bunkers quaked.

Nate was the first to fly out of the storm.

He hit the ground hard, carving a deep crater as rubble and dirt exploded around him.

Zoro hovered above, lightning swirling behind his back like demonic wings. With a wicked grin, he pointed down, and a bolt of purple lightning crashed toward Nate's crater.

The ground exploded.

People screamed.

Smoke covered everything.

When it cleared, they could see a glowing figure rising from the crater—Nate, covered in a cocoon of lightning. It had shielded him, but barely. His arms were bleeding. His breathing heavy.

Zoro appeared in front of him with a gust of wind.

He threw a punch straight at Nate's face.

Nate barely ducked and swung back. Lightning clashed. Sparks flew. They vanished from view—just two blurs colliding again and again, faster than the eye could follow.

Only one person could see it clearly.

Jack.

In the highest bunker, standing beside the world leaders, Jack's eyes tracked every move.

"He's... losing," Jack muttered.

Zoro's fists hit harder. His lightning dug deeper. Nate countered with explosive bursts of fire and lightning mixed, but Zoro danced around them.

Zoro twisted mid-air and kicked Nate in the chest, sending him crashing through a skyscraper. Before Nate could recover, Zoro was already there, slamming him through another building, then grabbing his arm and spinning, tossing him like a ragdoll into the side of a collapsed building.

Nate staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his lip.

He growled and let lightning explode from his body. Thunder roared as he dashed forward, his fists cloaked in golden fire and lightning.

He landed a punch on Zoro's face.

Zoro staggered for the first time.

But then Zoro's grin widened.

Lightning gathered in his palm, and he fired a beam so intense it turned the sky white. Nate dodged, barely. The beam carved through the earth, leaving behind a burning canyon.

Nate came from behind, but Zoro twisted and elbowed him in the jaw, followed by a knee to his stomach. Nate coughed blood.

The world was silent. Watching. Praying.

Zoro grabbed Nate by the neck and launched him into the sky, then appeared behind him and slammed him down again.

BOOM!

The battlefield was reduced to ruins. Fires burned. Craters stretched endlessly. The earth cracked beneath their fury.

Nate got up again.

But barely.

His lightning flickered.

Zoro landed. Calm. Confident. Cruel.

He walked toward Nate slowly, letting his lightning rise with every step. Nate charged again with everything left in him, a burst of flame and lightning behind his back.

Zoro blocked the punch with one hand.

Then punched Nate in the chest so hard, the shockwave destroyed what was left of the city. Nate flew backwards, silent, broken.

He crashed into the dirt, unmoving.

Zoro hovered above him.

With no effort, he reached down, grabbed Nate's limp, bloodied body by the neck, and rose into the air.

The world watched in silence.

Nate was defeated.

"Is this your hero?" Zoro's voice echoed like thunder, dripping with cruel amusement. He stared down at the bloodied and limp body in his grasp. "Pathetic."

Without a second thought, he released Nate's battered form. Nate fell like a broken doll, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. A wave of shock passed over everyone watching from the bunkers, their hearts dropping as their final hope crumpled before their eyes.

Zoro didn't stop. He vanished and reappeared in front of Madison and the others, his presence warping the air around them. The two keepers had already been defeated—Madison, Sera, Bella, Ryder, and Alice had pushed their limits to bring them down. But that didn't matter anymore. Zoro was the only one left, and the one man who could fight him—Nate—was now unconscious.

Fear clutched everyone's hearts.

Alice stepped forward, her armor battered but still intact, the runes glowing faintly. She was breathing heavily, exhaustion creeping in—but she didn't hesitate.

She stood between Zoro and the others.

Madison's eyes widened. "Alice—"

"I'll handle him," Alice said, her voice barely above a whisper. But it was steady. Resolute.

Zoro raised an eyebrow as he examined her. "You're trembling. I can see it. Even you know this is your end."

Alice's hands did shake slightly. Deep down, she wasn't sure if she could control what was sleeping inside her. The power given to her by the old man—the one she'd always fear to unleash fully.

Zoro smirked. "A desperate act of courage. You humans never learn. My master's enemies must be purged. You brought this fate upon yourselves."

He raised his hand as blue lightning surged from his fingertips.

But Alice didn't flinch.

Ice began to swirl around her slowly. The air shifted. Her breathing slowed. Her heartbeat steadied. She closed her eyes for a moment, grounding herself in silence.

When they opened again, they weren't the same. A pale glow replaced the blue in her irises, and ancient runes began forming across her skin, armor, and sword.

Zoro blinked.

"Interesting," he muttered. "I'd like to know how a human came to possess such ancient power. But no matter. I'll crush you all the same."

In a flash, he launched his attack—blazing lightning arcing toward Alice with monstrous force.

Alice moved. Gracefully. Effortlessly.

She dodged the first strike. Then the second. The third sizzled past her ear, but she didn't even flinch. She was calm. Focused.

There was no use being afraid anymore.

If she died, fine.

If she didn't… even better.

She raised her hand, summoning pillars of ice that rose in front of her like jagged mountains. With a flick, she launched them one by one at Zoro. The first pillar was blasted apart by a kick. The second—he dodged with ease.

But the third… hidden behind the second…

Crack!

It slammed into Zoro's side, sending him tumbling across the field. He crashed into the dirt, forming a crater on impact.

The crowd watching from the bunkers gasped.

Zoro stood slowly, brushing dust off his shoulders, his expression unreadable. But then his eyes—those murderous, lightning-filled eyes—locked onto Alice.

He didn't smile.

He was furious.

Alice could feel it. The weight of his rage pressing down on her. But she didn't cower. Instead, she opened herself fully to the ancient energy she'd always kept buried deep. novelbuddy.cσ๓

And it welcomed her.

The temperature dropped again. But this time, it wasn't just cold—it was ancient. Timeless. As if the battlefield had been transported to a forgotten world of ice and spirits.

Alice floated slightly off the ground, her armor now completely covered in glowing runes. Her sword pulsed with energy. The ice around her didn't shimmer—it throbbed with life, with intention.

Even Zoro paused for a split second.

Alice raised her hand.

And said one word:

"Die."

The battlefield trembled.

The runes along her sword flared to life. A wall of frost erupted from the ground, encasing everything in a dome of white. Ice lances formed above, then shot toward Zoro like spears from heaven.

Zoro met them with a blast of lightning, but even he grunted as the cold pushed against him, slowing his speed, choking the energy in the air.

Alice's attack didn't stop.

She hurled spear after spear, wave after wave of glacial fury. Her eyes never blinked, never wavered. The aura around her made even Madison and Bella step back.

Zoro burst from the dome, his armor cracked, his cheek bleeding.

He wiped it slowly, then narrowed his eyes.

This wasn't just a girl with ice powers.

This was something ancient. Something dangerous.

Alice didn't stop.

Her hand lifted again, and a massive glacier formed behind her, spinning with power.