Icebergs melted within the flames, and fire blazed atop unyielding frost.
The ceaselessly alternating blasts of scorching and frigid air inflicted inhuman torment upon the troops both upon and below the city walls.
Fortunately, neither Esdeath nor Eblana took any pleasure in involving common soldiers in their duel. As if by unspoken agreement, they gradually shifted their battleground elsewhere.
Wave and Kurome naturally wanted to follow, but the Three Beasts were no pushovers.
Let it be stated again: these three had remained by Esdeath's side for so long without ever being considered replaceable.
Their strength was far from weak, even among Teigu users. Nyau was instantly defeated because he truly wasn't suited for head-on combat.
As for Daidara, it was even simpler—before Susanoo arrived, Bulat was the strongest frontline fighter in Night Raid.
One was a powerful Teigu user; the other was the strongest among elite Teigu users.
If Bulat hadn't been weakened by maintaining his invisibility and hadn't stabbed his own leg to resist the hypnosis, the outcome of that battle would surely have been very different.
Watching the towering waterspout not far away, Esdeath felt both shock and delight.
She turned toward Eblana, who stood unscathed, and laughed. "I see. You didn't completely vaporize my ice like before, you were saving it for this move."
"Liver is an excellent and powerful Teigu user. Nurtured by you, his mastery of both his Teigu and his martial arts is exceptional."
Eblana nodded plainly, then pointed her spear tip at Esdeath, who now bore several minor wounds. "It seems whether in physical prowess, combat skill, or Teigu compatibility, you are at a disadvantage."
"Ah, you're not wrong."
Esdeath was never one to cling stubbornly to false pride. Both their Teigus were blood-based, both enhanced physical abilities and granted elemental powers.
Yet Eblana's physique was stronger, and her flames posed a severe limitation to Esdeath's ice.
But…
"If victory could be decided so simply, then wars and battles would hardly need to be fought at all."
Esdeath still refused to believe she stood no chance. In fact, her will to survive and her fighting spirit had now peaked.
With her blood boiling fiercely, she poured all her focus and inspiration into exploring her Teigu's potential, desperately seeking the path to the victory she craved.
"Our Teigus are remarkably similar. Both blood-based, both capable of generating elements from nothing. Yet there's one curious difference."
As Esdeath spoke, Eblana didn't respond immediately, instead listening attentively.
"You can use those flames to resurrect the dead, turning them into servants who fight for you. That seems to be an extra ability completely absent from the Demon's Extract—or so I initially thought."
Esdeath's smile grew wilder.
"But that's not it! Compared to your Teigu, which had users centuries ago and was developed to deeper levels, the Demon's Extract has never had a master. That means its potential remains untapped!"
"It seems you've found your own answer."
Eblana wasn't surprised.
Yet, facing Eblana's now-serious expression, Esdeath reined in her grin, becoming calm and analytical once more.
"Correct. To defeat you, to gain the power to oppose your army, I've pushed my Teigu's development to unprecedented heights. But… it's still not enough to defeat you. Not yet, at least."
Esdeath's mastery of her Teigu wasn't without progress.
In the original tale, she later developed three key abilities: Mahapadma, the Ice Calvary, and the Ice Storm.
These three abilities were respectively:
Freezing time and space.
Creating ice cavalry from nothing—autonomous fighters that regenerated when destroyed, far surpassing ordinary soldiers.
Gathering all the stored energy of the ice cavalry and releasing it in one colossal burst, its range enough to cover the entire Empire.
Yes, not just the Capital, but the whole Empire.
In truth, these were the very three abilities Esdeath had now unlocked.
Only now did she begin to sense the overpowered nature of the Demon's Extract—though that 'overpowered' quality wasn't the Teigu's own merit, but rather its perfect compatibility with a master as formidable as herself.
However…
Against that dragon-woman's flames, even Mahapadma might fail to freeze them. The ice cavalry would only wear each other down against her reanimated servants, playing no decisive role in their duel.
As for Ice Storm, without a sufficient stockpile of ice cavalry, unleashing it now would have limited effect.
Given these circumstances, her current situation wouldn't change meaningfully.
Thinking this, Esdeath forcefully suppressed her urge to continue fighting. She had faced Danger Beasts stronger than herself before. Her hunter's instincts taught her how to overcome a mightier prey.
"Then, join my ranks."
Eblana extended a hand.
"Regrettably, our battle isn't over. It's merely on pause."
Esdeath refused.
"I hadn't thought General Esdeath would go back on her word."
"Heh. I may be unable to defeat you now, but unless you can detain me here, our conflict will simply continue until our next meeting."
Esdeath knew her words sounded stubborn, but…
She was too exhilarated.
Overcoming a stronger foe? That long-lost thrill of anticipation, the sheer euphoria of success—it all made her nearly unable to contain her desire to swiftly amass her strength.
"Very well."
Eblana lowered her arm. "When we next meet in the capital, you will have nowhere left to retreat."
"Unlike Minister Honest, when I tame a wild beast, I prefer to grind down its fangs and claws rather than indulge its savagery. It must first learn obedience."
Her words were still far from pleasant, but Esdeath detected a faint trace of displeasure within them.
This actually lifted Esdeath's spirits.
Because Eblana's irritation stemmed precisely from Esdeath ignoring the Minister's orders to remain in the capital, arriving here early instead—which had allowed Esdeath to deepen her Teigu's development and rise to a new level of power.
"You won't have to wait long. When we meet again, we'll see who emerges victorious. Let's both look forward to it."
In slightly better spirits, Esdeath saw no point in further talk. The two turned simultaneously and headed back toward the main battlefield.
The fight between the Three Beasts and Wave and Kurome couldn't exactly be called evenly matched, but it was at least a stalemate.
In the area where Esdeath and Eblana had dueled, several new, powerful figures had appeared—summoned dead via the March of the Dead.
Individually, none were a match for Daidara, but their numbers were overwhelming.
Even with Nyau providing support, the two frequently took significant damage.
Liver's side was noticeably easier. Wave's Grand Chariot was formidable, but Liver was no weakling where water was abundant.
The melting ice mountains provided him ample resources for both attack and defense without strain.
The sight of the two women approaching side-by-side in an oddly harmonious manner left everyone momentarily bewildered.
"Let's go, Wave, Kurome. This probing engagement ends here."
Esdeath paid no heed to the others' reactions, walking directly toward her subordinates.
But Eblana beside her suddenly spoke. "Wait."
As Esdeath turned back, puzzled, Eblana smiled. "Leave the black-haired girl. You may take the other one."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.