The blast wrapped the imperial city in a shawl of frost, a pale breath that was exactly what Tangxue wanted.

“Water Shift… Dragon.”

Air that had been empty churned into a vast water vortex, and a long dragon of rippling blue uncoiled from its throat.

[Frost Convergence: Ice Dragon]

“Now… no one’s going to interrupt our fight, right?” Qingsheng Tangxue smiled, cheeks flushed like winter plums from spent mana.

“…”

Crimson Goose perched on a nearby pillar, her gaze cool on Tangxue, composure settling like snow after the clash.

‘Something’s off… I’m not this impulsive. Even if I’m dumb, I wouldn’t let Vinoena Qianya slip under my nose due to anger. Is it… that Vampire?’

She ground her teeth and pressed her brow, fury rattling in her skull like trapped haze she hadn’t expected to cloud her wit.

‘It’s too late to catch Vinoena Qianya. I have to end this little shorty fast…’

“The ice dragon’s there so they know I’m fine, and to block your backup. Relax—our duel won’t see a third party.”

Tangxue sprang up, her ice spear sweeping in a crescent of frost toward Crimson Goose.

Crimson Goose tilted her rapier and parried, lazy as a windless pond; calm mattered more now than showy force—she needed one clean kill.

She couldn’t afford to let anger spark and burn through her.

Tangxue kept stabbing with low-power spear forms, a flurry like needling sleet—weak in damage, sharp in insult.

‘She can really endure…!’ Tangxue’s brows knit, and she cut away the distance with a quick finishing step.

“In that case, let’s drop another Iceburst…”

‘Qianya should already be in the catacombs. Qianyue’s fine. I’ll focus the blast on the buildings, yeah.’

Crimson Goose saw the familiar wind-up and her face shifted, a chill threading her spine; back in that blood-shadow labyrinth she had barely tanked this—one more might flatten the whole imperial city.

“This crazy shorty…!”

Her jaw snapped tight as she lunged straight at Tangxue, choosing the blade over worry.

Killing the shorty came first.

Before her breakthrough, Crimson Goose had been a mage-knight, her whirlblade technique the strongest among all princes; after her breakthrough, she abandoned sword arts.

Under absolute speed and power, even perfect swordplay was a paper shield in a storm.

Vampire blood-rage flared on her skin like wildfire; her speed and strength surged by more than several fold.

A few exchanges in, and Tangxue was smothered under the tide; even trading wounds, she came out worse.

Crimson Goose was too fast; Tangxue couldn’t wind up any skill without getting cut off.

Crimson Goose hurled a punch at her; this time Tangxue didn’t slip aside.

“Ice Aegis.”

A clear, ice-blue armor glazed Tangxue again, polished like winter glass—more refined than before.

Fists met, and this time the one who ate the loss was Crimson Goose.

She stared at her ruined right hand, shock cracking her breath; she hadn’t expected a defense like a mountain under snow.

But…

“Let’s see whose hardness wins—my fist or your turtle shell!”

She went hot-headed, proud blood refusing any hint of being overpowered.

A thin ice shell she couldn’t break? Unacceptable.

Her speed and strength climbed another rung, and she finally brought her weapon to bear.

The rapier, slicked with blood-flame, writhed eerie shadows, as if a hungry ghost clung to the blade.

Don’t get hit.

Tangxue felt it in her bones—the stab wouldn’t kill her, but it promised a pain that would gnaw for half a day.

“Die, shorty!” Crimson Goose’s eyes went venom-dark as she charged, blood-flame swelling the blade like a scarlet mirage.

Tangxue trusted her Ice Aegis, yet instinct jerked her aside; that blood-flame stirred old, bad memories, like scars that suddenly itched.

Irritation spiked—this Vampire turned loathsome in her eyes; for no clear reason, she wanted to hack her down no matter the cost.

What Tangxue didn’t notice was a thread of blood-flame needling through her Aegis to kiss her skin.

“Shorty, shorty, shorty… you think you’re tall, huh?!”

Tangxue, blazing, swung her spear into the oncoming rapier—power clashed, and the gap blew her back like a leaf in a gale.

She slammed down and punched another crater, yet no headache throbbed; her mind pulsed with one beat—kill that woman.

[Rageflame Toxin]

Crimson Goose’s weapon carried it; it dragged a mind to zero, turned a fighter into a mad beast, dulled pain, and butchered sensitivity.

It didn’t boost any stats; it lasted long and shaved defense down like frost biting metal.

For warriors it was hell; their will ran thin, and mental toxins took longer to shed.

Right now, Tangxue was locked in that cage.

However…

Someone was going to suffer for it.

Mad Qingsheng Tangxue fought with reckless hunger; to Crimson Goose she looked like a monster—mana deep as a midnight lake, wounds knitting in a blink.

What kind of beast was this? Her recovery outpaced a Vampire’s.

In the last clashes, Crimson Goose had stabbed Tangxue cleanly, heart at least three times, and nearly took her head more than once—useless.

Less than a single breath, and Tangxue was whole again—then the maniac slapped her back for good measure.

Crimson Goose’s wounds, by contrast, healed slow; frost crusted every cut, sealing flesh and choking her regeneration.

Regret rose like a cold tide—had the girl been holding back all along? Her own escalation had birthed a mess.

She was fully on the back foot now; she didn’t dare trade, because every injury cost her more.

Her Blood Reservoir wasn’t infinite; if she drained it, she’d truly die—while the other’s recovery felt bottomless.

“Where the hell are you going, white-haired freak? If I don’t rip every last strand off you today, I’ll swear to eat one bowl per meal!”

“You maniac! Get away from me!” Crimson Goose retreated, fury masked, her steps thin as shadow on ice.

A few trades had carved a shadow into her heart; her wounds still hadn’t sealed.

Her body felt wrong—her joints stiffened, movements jerking like frozen branches.

Was it getting colder by the second?