Aesa continued walking across the dead wasteland without hesitation. Every step carried quiet confidence while fragments of frost slowly formed beneath her boots and spread across the cracked black stone.

The death energy saturating the world attempted to push against her aura, but the Ice Dragonborn remained unaffected. Her cold blue eyes never left Nyssara for even a moment.

Several hundred meters separated them at first. Then several dozen. Then only a few meters more.

Nyssara watched her approach with obvious amusement. Her serpent-like eyes narrowed slightly while a faint smile remained on her face.

"So serious," she said softly.

Then she casually raised one hand. Darkness immediately gathered around her palm. Black sparks emerged from nowhere and twisted together into a physical shape.

A moment later a sword appeared within her grasp. The weapon was completely black from hilt to blade. Strange patterns moved beneath its surface like something trapped inside those metal. Even from a distance, the Dragonborn could feel that the sword contained an immense and unnatural power.

Aesa’s gaze hardened. Without speaking, she extended her hand and cold power exploded.

Countless ice particles gathered together and instantly formed a longsword of crystalline blue ice. Frost spread across the surrounding ground while freezing mist drifted around her body.

Neither of them wasted another second.

Aesa suddenly lunged forward. The wasteland beneath her feet shattered.

A blue streak shot across the battlefield.

Clang!

The two swords collided.

A shockwave erupted and blasted away the death energy surrounding them. Ice and darkness exploded from the point of impact while cracks spread across the black earth below them.

Aesa immediately followed with a second strike and continued attacking.

Her sword moved with incredible speed that carried Dragonborn strength and ice energy.

Nyssara blocked every attack effortlessly.

The sounds echoed across the dead world.

For several moments the battlefield became a blur of blue and black flashes as the two exchanged dozens of strikes.

Then Nyssara suddenly moved with a stronger strike. A single swing intercepted Aesa’s blade and an overwhelming force traveled through her arms.

Aesa was thrown backward. She slid hundreds of meters across the wasteland before stopping herself.

Nyssara chuckled. "You will need to use everything you have if you wish to bring me down."

Aesa gave no response. Her eyes only became colder.

The next moment she lunged again and the distance vanished instantly.

Their swords collided once more and another exchange erupted.

Then, in the middle of the clash, Aesa’s Dragonborn power exploded. An enormous wave of freezing energy burst from her body.

Frost raced across the battlefield and air, making the temperature plummeted.

Before Nyssara could react, countless layers of Magical ice formed around her body from every direction. Within a single second, the cosmic predator became completely encased inside a colossal block of ice.

Aesa’s expression remained cold as she watched the colossal block of ice imprisoning Nyssara.

She keeps using her Magic so frost continues spreading across the wasteland while countless layers of Magical ice reinforced themselves over one another.

However, despite the seemingly overwhelming attack, Aesa felt no satisfaction. Instead, a growing frustration lingered in the back of her mind.

She had learned almost nothing.

Nyssara had blocked her attacks, exchanged sword strikes, and allowed herself to become frozen, but none of it revealed the true extent of her abilities. Everything the cosmic being had done so far felt casual and effortless, and playful.

Aesa narrowed her eyes. She needed more.

If they intended to defeat Nyssara later, they first needed information. They needed to force her into using abilities beyond simple clash of sword and Magic attack. They needed to discover how she fought when pressured.

Without hesitation, Aesa raised her hand and unleashed her power again.

The frozen battlefield erupted again. Thousands of ice spears materialized across the sky. Massive glaciers emerged from the air while torrents of ice energy surged toward the colossal prison surrounding Nyssara.

The temperature plummeted even further as the Ice Dragonborn poured more and more power into the assault.

Then the ice shattered.

A deafening explosion echoed across the dead world as cracks spread throughout the frozen prison. Before the fragments could even fall, Aesa launched her next attack.

Entire storms of ice descended from above.

Hundreds of meters of wasteland vanished beneath expanding glaciers. Jagged ice pillars erupted from the ground while avalanches of Magic ice swept across the battlefield. The frozen tide expanded endlessly and buried everything in its path.

Far away, countless undead creatures finally reacted.

Skeletons raised their heads toward the disturbance. Spectral figures drifted from ruined battlefields toward the commotion. Monstrous undead beasts released piercing screeches into the dark sky.

Their shrieks echoed across the world as though they wished to communicate something but lacked the minds necessary to do so.

The frozen storm continued but then, darkness emerged from its center.

Black energy spread outward like a growing wave and instantly pushed back the advancing ice. Massive glaciers cracked apart, ice spears shattered into fragments. Then an entire frozen landscape collapsed under the pressure.

Nyssara stood at the center completely unharmed with dark energy swirling lazily around her body.

A smile appeared on her face. "There you go."

The next moment she disappeared.

Aesa’s eyes widened slightly.

Nyssara suddenly appeared directly before her and swung her black sword.

Aesa reacted at the right time. The Ice Dragonborn leaped backward while releasing another eruption of freezing energy.

Mountains of ice surged up between them and frozen Dragons formed from pure Magic and lunged toward Nyssara while countless razor-sharp shards filled the air.

Nyssara stopped advancing directly. The attacks exploded around her position.

Ice engulfed the battlefield. A massive blast struck Nyssara from the side and finally forced a reaction.

"Guh..." A low grunt escaped her lips. A thin cut appeared across her arm.

The wound was small and looked insignificant. But it existed.

Far away, Erend, Eccar, and Sylven immediately noticed it. Aesa had become the first person to draw blood from the devourer being.

Nyssara’s amused smile grew slightly wider.

"I will get a little bit serious from now," Nyssara said.

—