The battle erupted with a deafening crack as Permafrost's Grasp raised his hand, summoning an enormous ice spear from the frozen ground beneath him.
It shot toward Vastarael with terrifying speed, whistling through the cold air. Vastarael barely managed to twist his body out of the way. The spear grazed his arm as it buried itself into the ground behind him, shattering into a spray of shards.
And that was only the beginning.
Permafrost wasted no time. With a mere flick of his wrist, the ice beneath their feet surged upward, columns erupting from the ground like the fangs of a beast. Vastarael leapt backward, Calimostria flashing in his hands as he sliced through the incoming spikes, but the effort was grueling. Each strike sent vibrations up his arms, the sheer density of the ice proving resistant even to his sapphire glaive.
The Winter Labor smirked, clearly amused.
"What's the matter, Ascender? Feeling a little... out of your depth?"
"Damn your jokes are cringey as fuck."
Vastarael's breath was coming in sharp, misty puffs as he focused entirely on staying alive. The entire floor—no, the entire domain—was Permafrost's playground. Every inch of it answered his will and every shard of ice a weapon in his arsenal.
Permafrost extended both arms and the ground beneath Vastarael cracked and rumbled. A moment later, the floor itself liquefied into a pool of freezing water, dragging Vastarael's feet into the slush. Before he could react, the water froze solid again, encasing his legs up to the knees. Permafrost was already moving, summoning an enormous frozen hammer, swinging it down with enough force to crush a mountain.
Vastarael reacted in an instant, summoning a Heat Circle, even though it cost him to experience cold. The ice trapping him shattered just as the hammer came crashing down, the impact sending icy shockwaves rippling outward.
Vastarael narrowly rolled to the side, shards of ice slicing into his skin as he came to a crouch. His regeneration kicked in immediately but he couldn't keep relying on that. One hit from that hammer would end the fight.
The Winter Labor thrust his hand forward and suddenly the air itself turned hostile. Razor-sharp snowflakes materialized out of the icy winds, a blizzard forming around them with terrifying speed.
Each snowflake was as sharp as glass, slicing through the air toward Vastarael like a swarm of deadly blades. He spun Calimostria in front of him, the glaive forming a defensive essence barrier as he dashed through the storm. The flakes clinked and shattered against his weapon but dozens more cut into his armor and skin, leaving behind stinging, shallow wounds.
"Your struggles are entertaining," Permafrost mocked, his voice booming through the storm. "But it's futile. This ice... my ice obeys only me. It surrounds you, weakling. It suffocates you. You think your little tricks will save you?"
Vastarael gritted his teeth as he darted behind a pillar of ice for cover. He wasn't about to give Permafrost the satisfaction of a response.
Instead, he focused on his breathing, calming the racing of his blood even as his body screamed from the cold. His sapphire glaive shimmered faintly in his hand, the weapon practically begging to be unleashed. But he couldn't strike recklessly. Every move here was a gamble and every second Permafrost didn't land a blow was a victory in itself.
The pillar he hid behind suddenly exploded, a massive ice spike shooting through it as Permafrost roared with laughter. Vastarael ducked under the spike and rolled away, the cold seeping into his bones as he scrambled to his feet. He could barely hear his own thoughts over the roaring blizzard. The Winter Labor was relentless.
"Run, little prince!" Permafrost called mockingly, his massive hammer slamming into the ground again. This time, a wave of jagged frost surged toward Vastarael, the ground splitting and erupting with frozen shards. "Run while you still can!"
Vastarael leapt over the incoming wave but the motion was sluggish, the cold leeching strength from his muscles. He twisted in midair, barely landing in time to dodge another spike of ice shooting up where he had been about to land. He skidded across the frozen ground, his boots slipping on the slick surface.
This was insane.
Every attack was faster than the last. The Winter Labor was pressing his advantage with ruthless efficiency. Each time Vastarael dodged, a new threat emerged. Spikes, hammers, blizzards and surges of ice all aimed to trap and annihilate him. The floor itself seemed alive, working tirelessly to corner him.
It was like fighting a version of himself, only that he used ice and he used sapphire.
But he kept moving.
Vastarael's mind raced. The cold was beginning to numb his body, his regeneration working overtime just to keep him functional. He glanced around the cage, noting the crystalline structure and the way the ice shimmered faintly under the blue light. It was dense, almost indestructible, but not completely. He just needed time.
And time was something Permafrost wasn't about to give him.
The Winter Labor raised his hammer once more, the weapon glowing with an icy blue aura that radiated pure destructive power. He grinned down at the cage, his eyes gleaming with predatory glee.
"Let's end this farce, shall we? It's been fun, but I grow bored of your squirming."
Vastarael clenched his teeth, tightening his grip on Calimostria. The situation was dire, but he wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot.
The air around Vastarael shifted. Permafrost's Grasp noticed it immediately, his confident smirk faltering just slightly as he gripped his hammer tighter.
Something had changed. Vastarael's eyes were sharper now. The icy winds howled but this time, they didn't seem to rattle him. If anything, it was like he had finally embraced the storm, letting it fuel him instead of hinder him.
For the first time since he became Vastarael Richinaria, he stopped holding back.
The first blow came out of nowhere.
Vastarael surged forward, Calimostria vanishing in the snow behind him, his entire body moving with terrifying speed. His fist smashed into Permafrost's jaw with a resounding crack, the impact sending shards of glowing tattoos flickering across the Labor's face.
Permafrost stumbled back, caught completely off guard, but Vastarael didn't stop there. He didn't even pause to consider his advantage.
His second punch slammed into Permafrost's stomach, lifting the massive being off the icy ground for a brief moment. The shockwave of the hit splintered the ice beneath their feet, cracks radiating outward like lightning bolts. Vastarael's knuckles split on impact, blood freezing instantly in the icy domain, but he didn't care. Pain didn't matter. Injury didn't matter.
Only victory mattered.
Permafrost raised his hammer to counter but Vastarael was faster. He ducked under the swing, grabbing the massive hammer by its icy shaft and yanking it forward with impossible strength.
Permafrost staggered, his grip loosening just enough for Vastarael to plant a knee directly into his chest. The impact sent the Winter Labor flying backward, slamming into one of the ice pillars with a thunderous crash.
But Vastarael didn't stop. There was no calculation in his movements now, no meticulous planning or defensive maneuvers.
This was the Vastarael who had sparred with his mother, the one who knew that trying to outthink a superior opponent was pointless. Against someone like Permafrost, logic and pragmatism were useless. The only way forward was through useless brutality.
And Vastarael had ferocity in spades.
He lunged at Permafrost as he slammed into the Labor again and again. His punches were wild but devastating, each one landing with enough force to send shockwaves rippling through the frozen domain.
Permafrost tried to retaliate but every swing of his hammer was met with Vastarael's sapphire fists. The ice around them began to collapse under the strain, massive chunks breaking away and shattering like glass.
"You're insane!"
Permafrost snarled, his voice tinged with genuine frustration as he swung his hammer in a wide arc.
Vastarael didn't even flinch. He let the hammer connect with his side, the force shattering several ribs and sending him skidding across the icy ground. But even as he tumbled, he was already moving, his body regenerating mid-roll as he launched himself back at Permafrost.
Vastarael grabbed the hammer's head mid-swing. The ice froze his hands, but he didn't care. He ripped the weapon from Permafrost's grasp, tossing it aside like it was nothing.
Permafrost snarled and raised his arms, the entire domain responding to his fury. Massive ice spikes erupted from the ground, racing toward Vastarael in a deadly cascade. But Vastarael didn't dodge this time.
He let the spikes impale his limbs, pinning him to the icy ground. His regeneration kicked in immediately, flesh and bone knitting themselves back together even as the ice tried to hold him in place.
And then he ripped himself free.
The sound was sickening. Permafrost could hear a mix of cracking ice and tearing flesh as Vastarael tore his arms and legs from the spikes. Vastarael didn't hesitate, using the momentum to close the distance between himself and Permafrost. His fist collided with the Labor's chest, the force of the blow collapsing the ice beneath their feet entirely. Permafrost gasped, stumbling backward as Vastarael grabbed him by the throat.
His entire body was brimming with essence.
With a roar, he slammed Permafrost into the ground, the impact creating a massive crater in the ice. Vastarael followed up with a flurry of punches, each one hitting with the force of a meteor. His knuckles bled, the ice cutting into his skin with every hit, but he didn't stop. He didn't even slow down.
Permafrost roared in frustration, his glowing tattoos flaring as he summoned another wave of ice to push Vastarael back. But Vastarael didn't retreat. He only stepped back to prevent himself from dying instantly.
He grabbed the ice as it formed, ripping it apart with his bare hands and using the shattered chunks as projectiles. He hurled them at Permafrost with such force that they embedded themselves in the Labor's glowing tattoos, cracks spreading across his once-pristine form.
Permafrost's eyes widened, his confidence finally giving way to genuine fear. He swung wildly, trying to create some distance, but Vastarael was relentless. He ducked under the blow, grabbing the Labor by the waist and lifting him into the air.
And then he threw him.
Permafrost's massive form hurtled through the air, slamming into one of the ice pillars with enough force to shatter it completely. The Labor groaned, struggling to rise as Vastarael approached him.
"I told you. I'm not holding back anymore. You're an immortal human Divine and I'm an Aeterium. I'm not going to let you win."