Toghon, the most experienced warrior among the Ironhide Sect, frowned as he observed the battlefield. Something about it felt off. The fight was too one-sided. Kazel was cutting through the wolves like a farmer through wheat, his movements precise, relentless, and devastating. Even the Frostfang Alpha seemed wary of him, its golden eyes flickering between Kazel and the rest of the sect members as if reassessing its approach.
Toghon exhaled sharply. This wasn't just talent—this was domination. And that was the problem.
"Batu," Toghon called out, his voice firm but composed.
The Ironhide Sect's head disciple turned, sweat glistening on his forehead from battle. "Yes, Patriarch?"
"Can you handle the disciples?"
Batu quickly surveyed the field. The remaining disciples were holding their ground, though fatigue was evident. However, none of them had taken a fatal wound yet. They could still push forward. Batu gave a determined nod. "Yes."
"Good." Toghon cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowing at the Frostfang Alpha. "Then I'll be joining Kazel. That beast won't go down that easily."
Without another word, Toghon strode forward, his presence like a steel wall reinforcing Kazel's position. He came to a stop beside the young master of the Immortal Sect, gripping his weapon tightly.
"I will assist you, young master Kazel," Toghon declared.
Kazel barely reacted, his stance unwavering, his attention locked onto the towering, werewolf-like beast before them. "Appreciated, Patriarch Toghon," he said, voice calm and measured. His eyes gleamed with anticipation, his fingers flexing around the hilt of his sword. "Tell me, is this beast a Rare-ranked spirit beast?"
Toghon nodded, his jaw tightening. "Yes. And among the worst kind to encounter."
Kazel's smirk widened. His last experience with a Rare-ranked spirit beast had been the Shishi, but he hadn't fought them alone—an uninvited guest had intervened back then. This time, though, things were different. He was stronger now. And the Shishi had taught him things.
"What makes this one particularly bad?" Kazel asked, eyes never leaving the Frostfang Alpha.
"Their kind is solitary," Toghon said, his grip tightening around his weapon. "Yet they command absolute authority over lesser-ranked spirit beasts. The white wolves you've been cutting down? They don't just follow orders—they're an extension of its will. But that's not the real threat."
Kazel arched a brow. "Oh?"
Toghon's expression darkened. "The Frostfang Alpha isn't just strong—it's a predator in every sense. It sees through the cold and the dark as if they weren't there, tracking prey with thermal vision. It senses incoming attacks before they land, reacting before even you can move. And worst of all, It doesn't stay wounded."
His smirking sharp with excitement. "Now that's interesting." (This one is a must have!).
Toghon barely had a second to process those words before Kazel launched forward, spear flashing in the frigid air.
The moment Kazel whispered "Amplify," a raw surge of power exploded from his body. His muscles tensed, his stance deepened, and the cold air around him crackled with the weight of his sheer presence. It wasn't just a boost in strength—it was refinement, a perfect synchronization of power and control.
Toghon clenched his fists as he watched. (This is the infamous 'Amplify'… I saw it back in Scale Dalgona, but seeing it up close… it's something else entirely.) His instincts told him that Kazel was about to do something insane—and perhaps, that was exactly what they needed.
"This is a battle of strength and agility," Kazel stated, rolling his shoulders as the power settled within him.
Toghon nodded. "I will ensure the other white wolves do not interfere. Consider me the offensive support, while Batu and the disciples form the defensive line."
"Fine," Kazel said, his tone casual yet laced with a dangerous edge. "But do not betray me, patriarch."
Toghon met his gaze without hesitation. "I will not. I swear it on my sect and my heart."
Satisfied, Kazel turned his full attention back to the towering beast before him. He took a single step forward, his presence alone causing the snow beneath his feet to shift.
"Let's go then, Frostfang." His smirk was a challenge. "You and me."
The Frostfang Alpha snarled, its golden eyes burning with primal fury. Its claws twitched, digging into the frozen earth. It understood. No more minions. No more distractions.
This was a battle of monsters.
Then, in a flash of movement, brute force collided.
Kazel surged forward, his sword slashing in a deadly arc while his summoned spear thrust forward in tandem. The Frostfang Alpha roared and lunged, swiping its claws with a force that could shatter boulders. The clash sent shockwaves through the battlefield, knocking up snow and ice in a whirlwind of chaos.
Blades and claws met with unrelenting ferocity.
Each strike was a test.
Each movement a declaration.
And neither side was willing to back down.
Kazel's sword met the Frostfang's claws in a violent impact that sent a shockwave through the ground. The beast's muscles rippled beneath its ashen-gray fur, its golden eyes locked onto Kazel with a predator's focus. Kazel, in turn, grinned as his arms vibrated from the collision.
Then—an explosion of movement.
The Frostfang swiped low. Kazel leaped, twisting midair, his spear spinning in his grip before he drove it downward. The beast dodged with unnatural agility, its massive form shifting to the side in a blur. Its claws lashed out again—fast, brutal, precise. Kazel barely managed to block, his sword catching the blow at an angle, sending a jolt up his arm.
"Tch." He skidded back, his boots carving into the snow.
The beast didn't let up.
The Frostfang's long arms gave it reach beyond a normal fighter, and it used that to its advantage. It lunged, one claw slashing in a diagonal arc while the other followed from below. Kazel ducked, but the second claw forced him to roll sideways, avoiding a direct hit but feeling the razor-sharp wind tear through the edge of his sleeve.
He barely regained his footing when the beast twisted its body and kicked.
Kazel's eyes widened as the massive leg crashed into his side, sending him flying through the air. He hit the ground and rolled, the cold biting at his skin. But instead of staying down, he laughed.
The Frostfang Alpha snarled in response, its breath misting in the cold air.
And then they charged.
Kazel met the beast head-on, his movements sharper now, faster. He feinted left, only to pivot mid-step and strike from the right. His sword sliced through the air, barely missing the beast's torso as it twisted in a last-second dodge.
But Kazel was already a step ahead.
His spear shot forward—this time, it struck true.
The weapon embedded itself into the Frostfang's shoulder, drawing a deep, icy-blue blood. The beast howled, more out of rage than pain. With a vicious yank, it ripped the spear out of its own flesh and hurled it at Kazel.
Kazel caught it midair.
With a smirk, he flicked the blood from the tip and twirled the weapon. "You'll have to do better than that."
The Frostfang Alpha's golden eyes narrowed. Then, something changed.
Its body tensed. Ice-blue lines across its fur began to glow.
The moment the glowing blue lines ignited across the Frostfang Alpha's body, the battlefield shifted. The very air became heavier, colder—almost suffocating. The beast took a slow, deliberate breath, its broad chest expanding unnaturally. Then, it threw its head back and howled.
A sound unlike any before erupted from its throat—an earth-shattering, bone-rattling roar that sent tremors through the Northern Peak. Trees groaned under the weight of the sonic force, branches snapping like brittle twigs. The very mountain seemed to shudder, as if bowing before its king.
The white wolves dropped to their bellies in submission, whimpering under the crushing authority of the Frostfang's cry. Even Toghon, seasoned and battle-hardened, found himself forced onto one knee, his body instinctively responding to the overwhelming pressure.
Like a streak of gray lightning, the Frostfang launched itself straight forward, before Kazel could react, a clawed hand clamped around his throat. The beast's legs taut before ascending the sky with a single vertical jump, its body twisting.
Kazel's vision blurred.
Then came the spin.
Like a comet wreathed in blue, the Frostfang twisted midair, using its sheer momentum before slamming Kazel down with earth-shattering force.
BOOM!
The impact sent a shockwave through the ground. The massive tree beneath Kazel split apart, its trunk caving inward as splinters the size of spears shot outward. Snow and debris erupted into the air, clouding the battlefield.
The Frostfang landed lightly a few feet away, crouched low, golden eyes locked on the destruction it had caused. It remained still, its sharp breaths the only sound cutting through the silence, waiting—assessing.
But then—
Rustle.
The beast's ear flicked.
Its golden eyes widened slightly.
A shiver ran down its spine.
Kazel was already behind it.
He stood in the shadows of the wreckage, his face half-drenched in blood—his own. His breath came in steady, measured intervals, and his eyes...
His eyes were grinning.
Without hesitation, Kazel swung his sword in a brutal arc, aiming to take the Frostfang's head clean off.
But the beast reacted.
Instead of dodging back, it crouched low—so low it nearly pressed itself against the icy ground. The deadly blade whistled over its head, cutting through nothing but air.
Then, with a violent snap, the Frostfang kicked off from its position—not with its arms, but with the full power of its legs.
Its knee jerked upward, catching Kazel in the ribs with explosive force.
The impact was immediate—his body launched skyward, flung like a ragdoll against the night sky.
As he soared, his blood trailed behind him in a fine crimson arc, stark against the endless white of the mountain.
And the Frostfang Alpha watched, standing tall, waiting.