'Open CyborgHeart!'
CyborgHeart glowed, allowing electricity to surge inside.
[Charging...]
[HP: 7,119/9,000 Decreased]
But this did nothing to ease Vio's suffering. Taking advantage of the brief moment when the electricity weakened, he raised his leg and slammed it down on Hamim's chest.
The strike was enough to push Hamim back slightly, but not enough to stop him from charging again. However, Vio was faster. A sudden dash sent Hamim staggering backward, giving him no time to spin or summon the wind. The only thing left to do was summon ice.
A massive ice shard erupted from the ground, blocking Vio's path. But he slipped around it with a quick slide across the snow, lifting himself swiftly and heading straight for Hamim.
Slash, punch.
"Buzz!"
Hamim spun after the rebound, but Vio jumped, dodging the attack, and used the ice shard Hamim had created earlier to propel himself forward. The shard cracked under the pressure of his leap, and with a quick punch, Hamim barely managed to raise his sword to block it with its flat surface.
"Boom!"
The metallic surface of the gauntlets scraped against the steel of the sword, and a sliding motion began between them as Hamim suddenly yanked his weapon back.
'He's really good...'
Vio stomped the ground, creating a light tremor, but it was useless. For the first time, Hamim retreated, creating layers of ice on the ground. A giant ice pillar rose, lifting him high above.
'Now that's something new...'
The ice pillar suddenly coiled around Vio like a massive serpent. In an instant, Hamim was behind him. Vio raised his arm to block a lightning-infused slash.
"Slash!"
[Shield Durability: 1,102/2,000]
But this time, Hamim didn't need to calculate his movements. Standing on the crystalline ice that allowed him to move freely around Vio, he swung his sword with expert precision.
Vio struggled to keep up with Hamim's movements, leading to several successful attacks.
[Shield Durability: 909/2,000]
Vio jumped onto some of the ice blocks, but the slippery surface made it impossible to maintain balance. Hamim immediately changed direction, slashing from behind.
"Shink!"
[Shield Durability: 863/2,000]
'Son of a... Damn it!'
Instead of using the ice blocks as footing, Vio decided to return to solid ground. He started jumping to evade Hamim's attacks, most of which kept striking his shield.
[Shield Durability: 741/2,000]
Soon, the battlefield was filled with serpentine ice pillars. Vio used the cracks created by the branching crystalline ice pillars to disappear from Hamim's radar.
Hamim stood there, confused.
"Damn myself!" he muttered, smacking his forehead before glancing around, trying to sense Vio's presence. "Ah, I forgot—he has no spirit!"
Placing a hand on the ice crystal beneath his feet, he prepared to dissolve the ice—only for Vio to drop from above, delivering a downward punch to his back.
"Boom!"
The sudden attack sent Hamim crashing hard against the ice formations he had created himself. The structures shattered, sending shards flying, but that didn't stop Vio. If anything, it fueled his momentum. He continued his barrage without hesitation.
"Boom! Boom!"
Hamim gritted his teeth as sparks of lightning flickered around him. Vio immediately jumped back, landing on one of the ice pillars.
Hamim lifted himself, stopping the electricity from spreading further. Looking around, he realized Vio had disappeared.
"Now, that's not good…" Hamim said, placing his palm on one of the ice cubes. "You're not just going to keep running, are you—"
Before he could finish, a punch struck him from an unexpected angle—back.
A swift wind made Hamim spin around, using a sword to block Vio's punch.
"Clang!"
Vio pushed Hamim, forcing him to take a step back. That step was enough for Hamim to spin, what Vio wanted. Before Hamim could complete his spin, his sword was pulled toward a nearby ice pillar.
"What?!" Hamim's eyes widened.
A brutal uppercut slammed into his jaw, sending him flying. His body crashed through the ice formations he had created.
Vio wanted to rush toward Hamim to finish the fight, but he felt utterly exhausted. He fell to his knees, struggling to catch his breath.
[EP: 93/200]
Too much energy had been drained. Hamim's presence was impossible to sense, hidden by the surrounding ice pillars, their frigid energy reminiscent of Furious Night. Even movement felt slower.
[Agility decreased by 25%]
Unless a certain unused skill came to Vio's mind, pinpointing Hamim's exact location would be impossible.
[Abilities]
Adaptive Scan:
Scans the surroundings, allowing the hero to perceive objects as 3D models, even with closed eyes.
Range: 10 meters.
EP Cost: 2 EP per minute.
Vio's gaze shifted toward the sword stuck against the magnetic cylinder he had placed there on purpose.
'I expected the pull force to be stronger if the sword was targeted. Good thing I thought of that.'
The ice pillars trembled. From Hamim's previous movements, Vio knew that to dissolve them, he had to make direct contact with his hand.
As the ice gradually disappeared, Vio made a light jump to kick the sword, forcing it to fly high into the sky.
Locking onto Hamim's position, he found himself back on the snowy ground—where the ice pillars had finally vanished.
[Agility restored]
Hamim's expression reflected deep suffering.
His gray eyes darted around, searching—of course—for his sword.
Vio smiled.
"Here it is!" Vio said, causing Hamim to look at him nervously.
Then, Vio launched himself into the air, spun with blinding speed, and as the sword gleamed above him, he bicycle-kicked its hilt with the force of a striker aiming for the top corner–-Hamim.
"Boom!"
The sword shot toward Hamim like an arrow.
"Shink!"
Hamim raised his arm, and the blade buried itself into his forearm.
Vio saw the opening he had been waiting for. While descending, he summoned a dagger and threw it straight at Hamim.
Just as Hamim gripped the sword's hilt to pull it out, instinct screamed at him. He turned his head, sensing something incoming, but there wasn't enough time to see what it was. Instead, he lifted his other arm—only for the dagger to pierce it as well.
"Ah!"
For the first time, Hamim let out a pained groan. Unlike the sword, the dagger hurt far more—for some unknown reason.
His entire body trembled, and his mind spiraled into a frenzy. He yanked out the dagger first, throwing it high into the sky.
Vio landed, confusion clear on his face.
He had expected Hamim to throw the dagger back at him, allowing him to return it to inventory and surprise Hamim. But Hamim's action made no sense.
Hamim pulled the sword out as if he were removing it from something ordinary, indifferent to the damage his reckless movement might cause. His eyes were fixed on the dagger, which was still spinning in the sky.
'What the...?'
Vio's eyes widened.
Foam bubbled at Hamim's mouth. His bloodshot eyes burned with hatred—but at what? The dagger.
Hamim clenched his sword tightly, preparing to smash the dagger to pieces.
'Is he joking?'
Arrogantly, Vio smirked and ordered the dagger returned to inventory. But his smirk vanished when he realized—it couldn't be recalled unless it was in his hand.
"shit!" Vio muttered, launching himself toward Hamim.
That dagger—his most prized weapon—couldn't be broken.
With every step, the ground trembled beneath his feet.
Hamim gathered crackling lightning along his sword, aiming at a single point in the air. It was only a matter of time before the dagger fell into range.
Both had their eyes locked on it—one determined to destroy, the other desperate to save.
Given the distance and speed, Vio knew reaching it in time was impossible. His only chance—he focused on the dagger, summoning the inventory screen and sending it racing toward the weapon.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
The sword cut through the air, closing the gap—just as the inventory screen did.
But the dagger was still closer to the sword than the screen.
Electric sparks danced across Vio's joints, pushing himself harder, making the inventory screen rush even faster.
At the exact moment the sword's tip was about to make contact, the inventory screen reached first, swallowing the dagger whole.
Hamim's blade sliced through nothing but space. His attack was wasted—but instead of calming down, his fury turned toward Vio, who was still struggling to regain balance.
Hamim didn't just spin—he charged. Violent winds wrapped around him, shards of ice swirling, like a real storm. In an instant, he was in front of Vio.
"Boom!"
A devastating sword strike slammed into Vio's chest, hitting like a sledgehammer and sending him flying backward.
Vio planted his feet on the ground, but Hamim was in a state of extreme frenzy. He continued attacking without pause.
'What the...?'
Vio had no choice but to raise his arms, shielding himself from the relentless slashes.
Hamim's form became a blur. The speed. The momentum. It was like facing a living tornado. Each strike forced Vio further back.
But what shocked him most—Instead of feeling a single slash, he felt multiple cuts landing at the same time—each coming from opposite directions.
Vio had no idea how to block these attacks. The only option was to keep his arms raised, bracing for whatever came next.
[Shield Durability: 521/2,000]
Every attack weakened his shield further, draining energy quickly. He wanted to deactivate the shield, but he didn't know how much damage he would take if a direct hit landed.
Vio's feet scraped against the ground as pushed backward. He sensed a tall rock wall behind him. If he reached that wall in this state, he'd be trapped.
[Shield Durability: 430/2,000]
'Activate Killer Aura.'
[Abilities]
Killer Aura:
A deadly presence radiates from the Hero's body, lowering the stats of enemies within range by 10%.