As Mira and Zehir continued their dance of death, the mountains around them began to tremble. Snow fell from the peaks, and the earth shook underfoot. The force of their battle was reshaping the very landscape.
Mira could feel her stamina waning as she attacked Zehir with the full might of her body, but she couldn't afford to let it show. With a feral grin, she unleashed a blast of icy energy, creating a wall of ice between her and Zehir.
He snorted, shattering the wall with a single punch. As the ice fragments flew through the air, Mira moved like a shadow, darting between the shards, using them as cover for her next attack.
Zehir's eyes narrowed as he tried to follow her movements, but Mira was too fast. She struck like a viper, her scythe slicing through the air, aiming for Zehir's throat.
At the last moment, Zehir caught the blade with his bare hand. Blood dripped down his fingers as he glared at Mira with unbridled fury. "Enough!" he roared, his voice shaking the mountains themselves.
With a mighty heave, Zehir swung Mira around and threw her to the ground. She hit the earth hard, the wind knocked out of her. Before she could recover, Zehir was on her with his sword raised high for the final blow.
At that moment, Zehir unleashed his own movement technique, Dragon's Flight, which allowed him to move with blinding speed and agility, fully utilizing the wings on his back. He darted around Mira, his sword techniques creating a whirlwind of slashes and thrusts, each aimed to pierce her defenses.
However, Mira wasn't someone who would die so easily. Her eyes blazed with defiance, and her bloodline roared within her, matching the rage that Zehir's showed. A vortex of ice, snow, and water erupted around her, pushing Zehir back and giving her the space she needed to get back on her feet.
She shakily stood up, her bones still rattled from that last attack, but it wasn't enough to take her down. A fierce determination burned within her, and she refused to yield.
Her regeneration soon kicked in, healing some of her torn muscles and broken bones. She called upon every ounce of her strength and channeled it into her scythe, which began to glow with an ethereal light.
She watched Zehir jump at her again, his Movement Technique making him even faster. She blocked each attack, observing his movements as she incorporated them into her own fighting style.
As she began to counter his moves, Zehir realized that he had to step up his game.
He then focused his Qi into his sword, manifesting Dragon's Wrath, a devastating sword technique that combined both offense and defense. The sword glowed with an ominous black flame, each strike unleashing a wave of destructive energy.
Mira, not one to be outdone, pushed her scythe manifestation to its limits and called upon the full power of her fox bloodline. A black fog spread out around Mira as the scent of death permeated the area. The ground and air around her were quickly corrupted and decayed as her aura alone 'killed' everything it touched.
The temperature also dropped significantly, with ice crystals forming from whatever air was left. The mixture of ice and death created an odd, still atmosphere that added a layer of danger to the destroyed landscape.
Zehir's eyes widened as he felt the power surging through Mira. Zehir sensed the unique energy within her weapon and began to understand the concept of sword intent, allowing him to harness an even greater level of power.
His own bloodline raged, urging him to match her strength. He let out a primal roar as his body was engulfed in a torrent of black flames, his dragon bloodline reaching its peak.
The two combatants stood facing each other, their auras clashing and intertwining in a violent storm of energy. The ground cracked beneath them, and the mountains trembled in anticipation.
With a shout, Mira and Zehir charged at each other, their weapons raised high. The air crackled with tension as their attacks met, their combined power unleashing a shockwave that shattered the surrounding landscape.
The impact was cataclysmic, and the mountain itself began to crumble around them. Massive boulders tumbled down the slopes, and deep fissures opened in the earth, swallowing everything in their path.
As the dust settled, Mira and Zehir stood amidst the destruction, their bodies battered and bruised. Yet, they were still standing, their will to fight undiminished.
"You're quite strong," Mira said with a bloodthirsty grin.
"I could say the same about you," Zehir replied with a similar smile.
"Am I worthy enough to know your name now, little dragon?" Mira smirked.
Zehir's smile faltered for a second as his hand clenched around his sword. His silver eyes blazed for a second before he calmed down.
'Hahaha! It seems he doesn't like that nickname.' Mira chuckled in amusement. They had just fought an intense battle to the death over the last few minutes, yet that's what he was angry about?
What a weird guy.
Taking a deep breath, Zehir answered her question with a slight bow, "My name is Zehir, Zehir Aporos. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mira."
"I see," Mira nodded, searching her mind for any information about a Zehir, but she couldn't find any.
"I haven't heard of a Zehir before, and certainly not the Aporos family. I wonder what someone of your caliber is doing, hunting little old me?"
"That's not surprising," Zehir shrugged, "You won't find my family unless they want to be found. Anyways, I was hired by some old man from the Unorthodox Faction to hunt you down. Apparently, they didn't like you destroying their branch sects."
"I figured that was the case," Mira calmly nodded, not surprised by that information.
The timing of Zehir showing up was too coincidental for it to be anything else. Still, she was surprised that the Unorthodox Faction was hiding someone this strong and talented within their ranks.
'I guess an organization that has existed for thousands of years has more than a few reasons they've lasted so long,' Mira shrugged. However, she was glad about this.
If there wasn't anyone in this world who could match her strength already, then wouldn't she be bored out of her mind until she eventually ascended??
With people like Zehir around, she can keep learning and growing steadily without stopping. More importantly, she won't be bored on her journey to the peak.
'However,' Mira's eyes narrowed, 'The way he mentioned the Unorthodox Faction was as if he was just an outsider. He also said an old man hired him. So, is he really a part of the Faction?'
Thinking about it now, she had some serious doubts about this. If the Unorthodox Faction could nurture someone like Zehir, why aren't they unrivaled right now?
At least, in the Battle Maiden Sect, only a handful of people could deal with him, and even then, they'd likely lose.
Even the Elders might have a hard time defeating him, should he fight at his full strength.
'That is if he's currently not using his full power right now.' Something that Mira doubted.
Hell, she wasn't using her full-power right now, so how could someone who wasn't much less talented than her be using his?
They were both holding back, hiding aspects of themselves until they felt ready to show them.
As the saying goes, "Trump cards are only trump cards when the enemy doesn't know about them."
Mira wasn't willing to reveal all of her elemental affinities, her Martial Intent, her tails' abilities, her charm and illusion abilities, and even her techniques until she was sure she could kill him.
'Well, it's also not every day that I come across someone this talented. How could I kill off such a great whetstone without using him to sharpen my blade?' Mira chuckled as she stared back at Zehir.
"So, would you like to continue?" Mira asked, "Honestly, I feel a bit bad about killing a genius such as yourself. You're so much more useful to me alive than dead."
"..."
Zehir gazed back into Mira's eyes, the tension in the air growing heavy. They stayed like this for a few seconds before his lips curled up into a smile, and he released a boisterous laugh!
"Pfft-HAHAHAHA! How interesting!" Zehir keeled over at the waist, laughing, "It's quite the opposite for me! You're much more useful dead than alive."
"I see. That's too bad." Mira shook her head as if she felt bad about the thought of killing him. However, the killing intent that leaked out of her eyes told a different story.
"Well, I'll be sure to tell your family that you had a smile on your face in your final moments."
"Good luck with that," Zehir chuckled, giving Mira a cocky smirk.
Without saying anything else, their auras rose once again, and just as they were about to attack, a voice entered Mira's mind, causing her expression to change.
The killing intent in her eyes exploded, enveloping the area in a red hue as she cocked her head in the direction of the Battle Maiden Sect.
