The shoreline was turned into home field territory for the Fulminare; a raging blizzard, which he moved swiftly within. One glance to Alexander was enough to tell the strong man was being worn down, breathing heavily and moving sluggishly.
'He won't hold up. Neither will I—give me something, please,' he clenched his fist.
[Inability to damage the enemy recognized. Beginning genetic adaptation to formulate offensive evolution.]
The response from the System within him gave him a ray of hope, only to find himself being pursued by the relentless Fulminare again. There wasn't a moment to pause, having to duck beneath a wild thrust of an ice-forged spear.
Again, he threw his fist forward, though pulled back as the air hissed by his head. He stumbled backwards, watching the frozen weapon be pulled away, realizing it came close to skewering his head.
"Are you losing hope? Or simply unable to conjure a new strategy?" Alta softly asked, pulling the spear back, spinning it between his golden fingers.
Another firing of the Mjolnir came from Alexander, though it was promptly evaded by the swift Fulminare. Seven dashed in, attempting to flank the invade before—
The golden figure spun around, delivering a kick right into his side. There was no chance to guard it, only feeling the shin deliver an ungodly amount of force that rippled through his organs.
"Pyuh!—" He spat out both the air in his lungs and the saliva in his mouth.
"You're too predictable," Alta claimed.
The force sent him flying to the right, bouncing off the front of the facility's exterior before landing against the sand.
"Seven!—" Alexander called out.
Any attempt made by the young soldier to run to his side was intercepted by a simple flick of Alta's wrist.
"No," the Fulminare calmly rejected.
A rupture of frost rose, harshly slamming against Alexander's body and tossing him back.
Seven sat on his hands, coughing as his entire body felt like it was in shock. From the point of impact, it felt like a molten ball sat at his side.
"Hhk…!" He coughed and spat out, wheezing for air.
[Genetic Evolution Obtained: Kinetic Discharge]
[EXP: +300] [853/1000]
The synapses in his brain fired, as the cells within his body reconfigured, producing the fruits of their labor. He felt the change, picking himself up to a knee as the Fulminare slowly approached.
"You were a fascinating discovery, Champion of Mankind, however—" Alta declared, raising his hand as another spear returned to his grip.
Just as the weapon was formed, Seven pointed his hand forward as if aiming at the enemy in front of him. At that moment, the residual force coursing through his body coalesced, converting into tangible energy.
The hairs on his arm stood as goosebumps ran over his skin; a buzzing sensation ran over his limb.
Zap.
A current of emerald electricity coiled around his arm, converting at the tip of his finger before firing off. It roared through the air, even catching the elite Fulminare off guard.
"Ngh?!—" Alta reacted, shielding his body with the length of the frost spear.
The verdant bolt shot through the cold handle, colliding with the Fulminare's chest in a spark that cast aside the frost.
"That's more like it," Seven muttered to himself in surprise, staring at his hands as the residual sparks dispersed.
From the right side of the shoreline, Alexander laughed, stuck behind a blockade of ice, yet seemingly having seen it all, "Electricity—?! Didn't know you could do that!"
Across the frosted field of sand, the Fulminare's back was pressed into a brick wall as steam left its chest.
Alta looked down at the bruising left on his golden skin as purple blood dripped from the new wound, "A release of energy…? A hidden weapon? No. This is getting problematic—I won't play around any longer."
The proclamation from the otherworldly warrior promoted both Seven and Alexander to move in from both sides, however—they were too late.
At the raise of his hand, the Fulminare conjured a blizzard that breathed into existence a natural disaster. A cyclone of frost swirled at Alta's position, reaching up into the clouds.
Arriving within ten meters of the Fulminare, Seven found frost forming on his body, encasing him in ice. He quickly stepped back, forcing his body to heat up to melt the ice that held his fingers.
"Alexander! Get away—!" Seven shouted.
As he reached out to his comrade with his words, it was a moment too late—the cyclone expanded. All at once, the unforgiving cold washed through the shoreline and the land around it.
The coldest winter was brought to the canyon, and the sea it neighbored, encasing all in ice. Everything went black for him, assuming at first he lost consciousness, then realizing it was that his eyelids had been frozen shut.
[Drastic decrease in temperature detected. Accelerating heart rate to maximum pace.]
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
Steam poured off his reddened skin as the ice began to melt. It took a few moments before his joints became freed as though a statue moments prior.
"Haaah…!" He gasped for air, clutching his chest as the frost shattered from his skin.
As his eyes opened, the scenery around him couldn't be any different; it was as if he stepped into a winter hellscape. Everything was encased in frost, from the cliffs, abandoned cars, and the roads themselves; a glacial territory.
The release of Alta's power froze everything within a thirty-five kilometer radius, enacting an instantaneous life age. A blast of winter with the reach of an atomic bomb.
Seven looked around, hurriedly moving over as his eyes found his comrade.
"Alexander!" He called out, dragging his fear while his body worked overtime to repel the cold.
As mist left his mouth and steam escaped his pores, he crossed the sleet, finding the blonde-haired man completely still. The frost completely encapsulated Alexander, utterly rendering the man unmoving.
"Careful now. He's been frozen down to a cellular level. If you aren't careful, he'll shatter."
The Fulminare's voice came from behind, forcing the young man to spin himself around. Of course, the one that brought the ruthless winter didn't so much as tremble within it.
"I'm impressed," Alta remarked. "You're still moving. Even Fulminare have been turned into frozen statues in the eye of my Zero Storm."
While it sounded like a compliment, it felt vexing as he shivered, huffing out mist. His entire body itched as if covered by a rash while his body combated the cold with constant warmth.
[Temperature continuing to plummet. Accelerating heart rate to compensate…Cardiac arrest imminent.]
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
As his chest tightened with the desperate march of his heart, he readied himself to clash once more—
THWOOM.
Just as he and the Fulminare approached one another, they paused at the massive quake that shook the land. Beneath the frozen surface of the sea, the buried gateway parted, giving way for what awakened—
The stretch of ice shattered, giving way to the colossus of black steel that ascended. Its towering form brought the air to vibrate, sending hums through the land as it rose from the sea.
A skyscraper in the shape of a man, clad in all black like a knight born of dusk. The mass of metallic ingenuity hummed with the movements of its gargantuan form.
"That is…?" Alta remarked in quiet surprise, staring up towards the technological giant.
The sable monolith's presence cast a shadow over the shoreline as the magenta lights in its form radiated.
["Humanity's Sentinel—Erebus."]