Chapter 4: Goddess vs. Demons Part 1
"Battle in the Ice"
Zaphro's POV
We were all stunned. Seriously, another Special AI? Are we some kind of magnet for these boss-tier nightmares?
This time, it was the Ice Goddess—one of the infamous five Special AIs. The others: Fallen Seraphine, Dark Angel, Legion, the PK, and now… this frozen lunatic.
"Guys!" I yelled to snap them out of their shock. They still looked like they couldn't believe what they were seeing. "This won't be easy!"
Almost immediately, the team kicked into motion.
Ayana, Erik, Erenir, and Xavier moved to the backlines, forming our support core. Aryus and Jin shifted into their rear guard positions, shields raised. The frontline was me, Accel, Shion, and Slicer—main hitters and bait rolled into one.
"Accel, Shion, Slicer—form up!"
They joined me quickly.
"Verillion, Gwydox, assist and cover support!" I called out.
"Tch. Like I have a damn choice," Gwydox muttered, floating beside Verillion with his usual scowl. "You guys pick the worst vacation spots."
We didn't have time for an elaborate strategy. I gave Accel the signal—we were the fastest in the party, so we'd go first.
He hurled four cards into the air. They spun mid-flight and expanded into full-size shadow doubles, charging at Amana as decoys.
She immediately fired an Ice Beam at them.
Nice. That gave us a window.
"Dark Rotation!" Accel launched two spinning black cards directly at her.
But of course, she blinked. Literally. One second she was there, and the next she phased below her own spell—dodging the attack entirely.
"A blinking AI? For real?!" I cursed.
"Engulfing Flame!" I shouted, releasing a wave of fire. She leapt back with barely any effort, evading again.
Slicer hadn't moved yet, still observing with Arcanus nearby. I gave him a hand signal—Go now!
Slicer dismounted and activated flight mode. Shion started chanting buffs, and Ayana cast Burning Essence to light up the dark battlefield.
"Lumina," I murmured. Erik added his own flash orb to the sky, glowing brightly above us.
The Ice Goddess stood perfectly still.
"You'll never leave this cursed town!" she hissed.
Suddenly, the ground erupted in jagged ice spikes aimed straight for Ayana's group.
She and Erenir were ready.
"Dark Bloom!"
"Violent Ray!"
Two powerful beam attacks collided with Amana's spell, causing a localized explosion of light and frost. A white mist clouded the air. We held our breath.
Then—BOOM.
Out of nowhere, another Ice Beam surged forward. Milliseconds from impact.
Aryus and Jin dove in front of the support group, absorbing half the blast.
They were thrown violently against the boundary barrier, slamming into it with a sickening thud. Erenir, grazed by the spell, lost about 30% HP. Ayana, Erik, and Xavier managed to sidestep just in time.
"Guys!" Verillion shouted in panic.
Aryus dropped to one knee, gasping as he picked up his shield. Jin was flat on the ground, barely conscious. It was brutal.
This isn't just VR. This was pain, pressure—real danger.
Accel and I moved again. This time, Shion and Slicer joined.
"Regolus Impact!" Slicer's sword glowed with holy light.
"Savage Spin!" Shion followed with a whirlwind slash.
Missed. Again.
Damn it! This AI's reaction time was insane.
I dashed in—fast enough to close the gap and swing my blade. She blocked with her staff. I'd forgotten she was wearing full armor.
"Ignite—Inferno!" I cast a fire field at her feet. She took the hit this time—2% HP shaved off.
2%? Seriously?
"She's got armor thicker than Gwydox's attitude," I muttered.
"Oi. Heard that, asshole," Gwydox growled from above. "You try dealing with this frostbitten witch then."
I tried my own ice skill—no effect. Of course. Ice doesn't work on an Ice Goddess. Stupid.
"Zaphro, jump! Now!" Accel shouted.
I didn't hesitate.
"Way of Binding—Soul Chains!" he slammed a card into the ground. Black chains burst forth and latched onto Amana, pulling her toward the ground.
"Holy Stab!" Slicer swooped in. His blade plunged into her chest, clean hit.
"Vanishing Strike!" He followed with a rapid barrage, hitting every vital point in her armor.
He jumped back, breathing heavily, and collapsed onto Arcanus. That combo drained most of his MP and stamina.
Amana dropped to one knee.
We saw it—7% HP gone.
"Only 91% left... Fantastic," I muttered sarcastically.
She must have millions in total HP.
Ayana focused on healing Jin, while Erenir steadied Aryus.
I called Freyla back—her attacks were useless here.
Suddenly, Amana stood up and blurred. We barely saw it—she was striking everyone at lightning speed.
First Slicer.
Then Shion.
Then Accel.
Verillion threw up a shield just in time. I caught her attack head-on and blocked it.
Thanks to my set, I was immune to ice-based damage. It's our only advantage right now.
"Burning Slash!" My blade ignited, carving a flaming arc across her chest. This time, she felt it.
Still mid-air, I triggered a follow-up skill—"Angelic Wrath!"
A golden explosion burst from my weapon and struck her mid-chest, critical hit.
"Accel!" I yelled.
"Superior Dark Void!" he responded.
A black hole manifested under Amana, pulling her down with immense force.
"Comet Blast!" Xavier yelled.
A burning comet dropped from the heavens, shaking the ground.
"Rainbow Blast!" Verillion added with his ultimate move—a cascade of seven-colored light slammed into her.
Explosions rocked the village. The frost-ridden streets cracked under our onslaught.
Almost time for my Demonic Form…
"Glacial Wave," Amana whispered.
"Papa! AOE skill!" Gwydox warned in a panic.
But it was too late.
A massive wave of freezing energy burst from Amana in all directions. A wall of crystalline frost consumed everything.
Shion. Slicer. Verillion. Accel.
All frozen solid.
I landed hard on the ground, but my armor absorbed the damage.
The rest of them… were frozen, crystallized, like glass statues.
"NOOO!!!" I screamed.
A shockwave followed, shattering the ice around them. Their bodies hit the ground like broken dolls.
I slammed into the boundary wall, the pain flaring in my ribs. I think something snapped.
My eyes darted to my teammates.
Was I dreaming?
Or were they really unconscious?
Only Accel still had a bit of strength left.
Damn it. This is bad.
We're barely hanging on.
And the Ice Goddess was just getting warmed up.