As the group continued their ascent up the mountain, the atmosphere grew heavier with each step. The air was thin, the wind bitter, and the snow crunched beneath their boots, the only sound amidst the unnerving silence of the frozen wilderness. But then, the stillness was shattered.
A low growl echoed from all sides, followed by the unmistakable sound of claws scraping against ice and stone. The group stopped, instincts kicking in as they turned in unison, eyes narrowing at the growing shadows around them.
Twelve ice tigers emerged from the snow in front of them, their fur a haunting blend of blue and white, their glowing eyes fixed on their prey. Above them, three more tigers scaled the icy cliffs, their claws digging deep into the mountain for more grip. Behind them, four tigers moved swiftly, closing in from every direction.
Stiles broke the silence with a nervous chuckle, "...I mean, at least it isn't a yeti?" He offered, though the words were hollow.
SteelArm rolled his eyes, his jaw clenched with frustration. "This... this is exactly what I meant by jinxing us." He said dryly, before slamming his fists into the ground. With a deep rumble, the earth responded, rising in a jagged wall behind them. [Earth's Shield] formed, blocking off the four tigers from behind. The icy beasts collided with the rock barrier, their snarls muffled by the thick stone.
SteelArm turned back to face the oncoming threat. He got into a martial stance, his body tense and ready for the inevitable clash.
Dante sighed deeply, his eyes flicking over to Stiles with an exasperated look. "You just had to say it, didn't you?" He muttered before turning back to the battle at hand. Without missing a beat, he activated [Phantom Materialization], and in a flash of eerie green light, a spectral spear materialized in his hand. The ethereal weapon hummed with an otherworldly energy, its edges shimmering with a soft, sickly green glow, casting an unsettling light over the surrounding snow.
Aria, standing beside them, exhaled slowly, her breath forming a cloud in the cold air. She focused her mind, pushing aside the mounting tension in her chest. With a fluid motion, she unsheathed her katana, the blade gleaming faintly as she took a steadying breath. She stood tall, her posture poised and calm, yet the tension in the air was undeniable.
Stiles let out a resigned sigh, eyeing the approaching tigers. He dropped his bag into the snow, the crunch of it being left behind the only sound for a moment. He reached for his twin blades, his fingers wrapping around the hilts with a firm grip. A surge of energy coursed through him as he activated [Silver's Last Pride], the twin blades glowing with a brilliant silvery crimson light, their power crackling as they hummed with anticipation.
"Alright, let's do this," Stiles muttered under his breath, the weight of the moment settling in.
The tigers growled, their eyes fixed on the group, teeth bared as they prepared to strike. The air was thick with tension, the frost around them suddenly feeling even colder.
SteelArm was the first to move, charging forward with immense power. His massive fists, reinforced with [Colossal Blow] collided with the first tiger that lunged at him. The impact sent the creature flying, its body skidding across the snow before it came to a halt, motionless.
Dante's spear whipped through the air, slashing at one of the tigers that tried to leap at him. The blade passed through the beast's body with ease, sending it disintegrating into a pile of frost and ice. Dante's eyes narrowed, already focusing on the next target.
Stiles darted forward, his twin blades a blur as they cut through the air. Each strike was precise, each movement calculated, as he weaved between the tigers, cutting them down one by one. The silvery crimson light of his blades left a trail of a slight glow as they connected with the beasts, tearing through fur and ice with ease before an explosion came after his strikes.
Aria followed suit, her katana flashing through the air as she met a tiger head-on. With a swift slash, she severed the creature's limb, sending it tumbling backward in a spray of snow and blood before rushing back to her party not wanting to get far without them.
But even as they cut down one beast after another, there were more—more eyes gleaming from the shadows, more growls echoing from the cliffs.
"Shit, we need to keep moving!" Dante shouted over the chaos, his spear flashing as he struck down another tiger. "They'll just keep coming if we stay here."
Stiles nodded, wiping blood from his blades. "Right behind you," he said, his voice steady despite the chaos around him.
As they carved a path through the tigers in front of them and began to sprint forward, more tigers suddenly descended from the cliffs above. The ground shook as SteelArm's [Earth's Shield] finally cracked under the weight of the assault, and with a deafening roar, another twenty tigers surged from behind it.
SteelArm glanced behind him, his eyes widening as the tigers surged forward, moving much faster through the snow than they could. Without hesitation, he stopped and turned to face the oncoming wave. Slamming his hand into the ground, the snow beneath him cracked and shattered as he activated [Earthen Grip] and [Earth's Shield]. Stone hands erupted from the mountain's face, gripping the tigers with deadly force, squeezing them until their bodies were crushed under the immense pressure.
The shield lifted, blocking the remaining tigers' advance for a brief moment, and SteelArm exhaled heavily, his chest rising and falling with effort. He turned back toward the group and immediately began to sprint, pushing forward. Dante, anticipating the need, used [Phantom Replacement] to swap his position with a patch of snow closer to SteelArm, allowing him to catch up much faster.
"Thanks!" SteelArm shouted over his shoulder, the growls of the tigers still echoing in the distance.
"No problem!" Dante replied, his voice cutting through the chaos as the group pushed forward, racing as quickly as they could through the snow.
Aria, gliding over the snow, her steps light and swift. The snow didn't seem to hold her back—she moved across the surface as if it were solid ground, gaining a noticeable lead on the others as they struggled through the powdery terrain.
With a bone-chilling howl splitting the air behind them, Dante's instincts immediately kicked in. His head snapped over his shoulder, and his eyes widened as they fell on the largest tiger he had ever seen. It was massive, easily towering over the others. Its fur was an unnatural shade of icy blue, and its eyes gleamed with a predatory intelligence. The creature's howl reverberated through the snowy landscape, sending a shockwave that crushed SteelArm's [Earth's Shield] as if it were made of paper.
The beast's eyes locked onto Dante, and in that moment, it surged forward with an unnatural speed. The tiger's claws dug deep into the snow, sending ice shards scattering in every direction. It darted through the blizzard-like storm of snowflakes, closing the distance between them in seconds. Without a second thought, the creature leapt toward SteelArm's back, its massive fangs bared and poised for a deadly strike.
But Dante was quicker.
"Not today!" Dante muttered under his breath. He activated [Phantom Replacement], and in a flash of green light, his presence swapped with a distant patch of snow just behind the tiger. The beast landed in the snow, its claws scraping uselessly against the frozen earth as it found itself farther back from the group.
The tiger growled, a deep, guttural sound, but it didn't give up. It immediately turned, its glowing eyes now focused on Dante, but the creature's speed and coordination weren't enough to prevent the disorienting effect of the sudden teleportation. Still, the beast was relentless.
Dante's heart pounded in his chest as the tiger regained its momentum and began to sprint toward them once more, undeterred by the setback. He could feel the strain in his muscles. The cold air was burning his lungs, and his feet were beginning to sink deeper with every stride.
"As much as this is working," Dante shouted, glancing sideways at the others, "if we don't figure out what the hell to do soon, we'll run out of stamina and end up dead due to this damn terrain!" His words were laced with a mix of frustration and urgency. The cold was beginning to take its toll, and their escape wasn't looking much better than it had an hour ago.
SteelArm glanced over, his breath heavy as he nodded, his body showing signs of fatigue despite his endurance. "Dante's right," he said through gritted teeth, glancing back at the beast. "We need a plan. We can't keep running like this."
Stiles, who had been keeping his pace just behind Dante, took a sharp breath. "I've been thinking the same thing," he said, his voice strained. "But if we stop moving, we're done. That thing's not going to let us go."
Dante gritted his teeth. "We'll need to make our stand somewhere we can use the terrain to our advantage. Somewhere that won't drain us even more."
The tiger, now back on their trail and faster than before, was almost upon them again. Dante felt his heart rate quicken, and the icy wind biting into his skin as he activated another [Phantom Replacement] on the beast.
"Over there!" Aria suddenly shouted, pointing toward a narrow, snow-covered pass between two jagged cliffs ahead. "That'll be our spot!"
Without hesitation, the group shifted their course toward the pass, their breaths ragged but determined. The tiger growled behind them, but now, with the cliffs closing in, it would have to fight in a more confined space. It was their only chance.
The air was thick with the sound of heavy breathing as the group raced toward the narrow pass. The wind whipped against their faces, stinging like needles, but the looming presence of the tiger behind them was far more terrifying than the cold. Despite their best efforts to push forward, the massive tiger was closing in fast, its snarls growing louder as it gained ground.
Dante's eyes darted over his shoulder. The tiger was almost upon them, its glowing eyes like twin moons fixed in its predatory stare.
Then, with a thunderous crash, the massive tiger leapt forward, crashing into the snow mere feet away from SteelArm. But it didn't stop there. Behind the lead tiger, a pack of at least seven more emerged from the shadows of the cliffs, their eyes blazing with the same cold fury. They too were fast, agile, and deadly. The mountain pass was about to be a battlefield.
The pack skidded to a halt behind their leader, forming a semi-circle that trapped the group in the narrow corridor. The lead tiger raised its head and let out a bone-chilling howl that echoed across the mountain, reverberating off the cliffs. The sound sent a shiver down Aria's spine, and for a moment, it felt as if the very air was frozen.
"Not good," Dante muttered under his breath, his grip tightening around the spectral spear in his hand.
Stiles glanced between the pack of tigers and his teammates, his nerves beginning to fray. "I don't know how much longer we can keep running. If we don't fight now, we're just dead meat," he said, his twin blades gleaming in the dim light.
The leader of the pack lowered its head, growling softly as it locked eyes with Dante. It wasn't just a fight for survival—it was a message. The beast was sizing them up, calculating, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The rest of the pack mirrored its movements, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger. There was no mistaking it now—their position was precarious, and they had no choice but to fight.
Dante's breath came in shallow bursts. "Looks like it's time," he said, voice cold. "Everyone, get ready. We're not backing down."
The lead tiger howled again, a deafening, guttural sound that rattled the bones of everyone present. The echo seemed to reach into their souls, heightening the tension, making their hearts pound in unison with the feral rhythm of the pack.
And then, as if to signal the start of the battle, the pack lunged forward all at once, their bodies moving like a wave of fury crashing down on the group.
SteelArm, still at the front, raised his hands to the sky. The earth beneath them trembled as he activated [Earthen Grip], sending giant stone hands surging up from the ground to grab and hold the first few tigers back. But there were too many and the pack tore through the barriers with terrifying speed.