Looking at Elaris, it was truly a shame that she wouldn't be able to carry out her plan of deceiving her if she lost. It had been a safe route, and she had even prepared an explanation for why she was using the dagger that had murdered their mother.
'I carry it with me so I never forget that scene'
"It's truly a pity, but..."
Elithia whispered to herself before taking a defensive stance with the dagger in front of her. In the distance before her, Elaris punched the air, causing another distortion of ice. Tightening her grip on the dagger, Elithia concentrated ice magic on its tip and made a descending slash, splitting the distortion apart.
'Since that plan won't work, I just have to make sure I win'
"Bitch, how dare you use one of our mother's techniques with that dagger?"
Elaris appeared behind her. That distortion had only been a distraction. As she remembered her mother using that magic to protect them both from a creature that had entered the castle, Elaris punched Elithia in the face, sending her flying to the left and breaking through a wall.
"I just thought it would be nostalgic to show you that, that way I prove I'm a good sister."
Emerging from the hole in the wall, Elithia moved with speed beyond what she had shown before and delivered a double kick that Elaris barely managed to block in time by crossing her arms. When her arms were struck, the earthquake magic in the boots activated, sending tremors through Elaris's body and cracking parts of her bones.
"Aaahhh!"
Feeling the pain, Elaris was pushed backward, smashing through the opposite wall. Without wasting time, Elithia followed and delivered another kick, this time to the stomach, sending them both crashing through yet another wall. For some reason, the barrier within the castle walls seemed to be weakening, making it easier to break through them. Perhaps the castle had already been struck by an attack too powerful for it to withstand.
'Something bad is happening, but I can't lose focus. If I win, I will be the only possible queen.'
"Your kicks hurt, but I know several people whose attacks are stronger."
While being pushed against another wall, Elaris grabbed Elithia's foot and threw her sister to the ground before launching her upward, breaking through the ceiling and sending her into another room. With a leap, she followed through the hole above, her ice magic condensed in her fist. As soon as she entered the room, she was greeted by a kick to the face empowered with earthquake magic.
'Ice protection'
Elithia saw shards of ice falling from Elaris's face. It seemed she had prepared herself to take that kick. With her fist clenched, Elaris punched Elithia in the stomach. The blow was reflected, sending Elaris flying away, but Elithia was pushed in the opposite direction with even greater force as the entire room froze over.
Feeling slightly dizzy, Elithia placed her hand on her neck and froze the bleeding wound left by Elaris's bite. If it had only been a bite she wouldn't have cared, since the ice protection she placed on her body froze bleeding wounds to prevent blood loss.
'It seems she put ice magic in the wound to stop my protection from working.'
The information about her protection was secret, so she didn't know why her sister knew about it. But because of that she had to use her own ice magic to stop the bleeding. After forming a layer of ice, she moved to the left.
'Even though she bit my neck where there's no armor, the ability should still work and reflect her away from me.'
Her sister was resisting the armor's ability far too well, which was dangerous. Launching herself forward after running, she spun and kicked Elaris. Seeing the attack coming, Elaris crouched and used her unique ability to enhance her ice magic. Placing her hands on the ground, she created ice spikes aimed at Elithia.
'As if that would work.'
Using her own ice magic, the elf queen created an ice wall beneath her feet, defending against the attack. Using the wall to propel herself, she jumped behind Elaris and delivered another earthquake kick to her back. Upon impact, she noticed a layer of ice protecting her.
Elaris slid several steps forward anyway, the impact cracking the ground beneath her feet. Without waiting, she spun and fired an elbow backward, striking Elithia's ribs. The air left her lungs, but Elithia responded with a short punch to the chin that sent her sister upward. In the air, Elaris created ice blades on her arms and rushed forward with rapid slashes. Elithia stepped back half a step, dodging two attacks and blocking the third with the dagger, sparks of ice scattering. Taking advantage of the opening, she spun and kicked Elaris in the chest, launching her into another wall and straight through it like the previous ones.
"Frozen Devastation."
Hearing Elithia's voice, Elaris immediately knew the next attack would be powerful. She rushed forward and grabbed Elithia's arm, using her magic to freeze the elf queen's body before punching, shattering the ice with her sister trapped inside. Elithia was thrown out of the ice, feeling the mana within her body freeze. She looked at Elaris preparing another punch.
"Seismic Movement."
Stomping the ground with force, an earthquake shook the entire area, causing Elaris to lose her balance. A moment later, Elithia once again attempted the attack Elaris had tried to stop earlier.
"Frozen Devastation."
The inner core of her mana heart filled with ice while six magic circles spun endlessly. Suddenly they slowed, releasing a wave of freezing mana throughout her entire body. Pointing both hands forward, she grabbed Elaris's necklace and pressed her palm against her stomach. With a shove, Elaris—and the castle itself, or at least half of it since the other part was already destroyed—were frozen at negative two hundred degrees.
"From the very first moment I saw that necklace, I already wanted it."
Elithia held Elaris's necklace in her hand with a mocking smile as she observed the devastation her own power had created within the castle.
"So I hope you won't be too sad about me taking it."