Frostfire Legacy

Vanessa stood protectively in front of Aster and Cassy, her posture taut, ready to shield them with her own body if necessary. Her fingers twitched at her side, betraying her unease; doubt gnawed at her, filling her mind with questions. Could she really keep them safe?

"Vanessa…" Aster's voice was barely more than a whisper, making her flinch.

She turned to meet his gaze, and his serious expression softened slightly as he gave her a small, firm nod. In that single gesture, he conveyed a silent message—a glimmer of trust that seemed to chase away the despair pooling in her chest. For the first time in what felt like ages, a faint ray of hope flickered within her.

Without a word, Vanessa raised her hand, feeling the rush of energy flow through her as she summoned a towering wall of earth between them and the enemies.

Her hand trembled slightly, the strain of casting a defensive spell without a full incantation weakening the structure. Even so, the wall loomed tall, casting a shadow that swallowed them momentarily. It might not last long, but it was enough for what they needed.

"Now!" she urged, urgency sharp in her voice.

As soon as the barrier was erected, Vanessa turned, her expression hardening with determination. She reached out, grabbing Aster and Cassy around their waists and hoisting them up as though they were nothing more than barrels of wine. They gasped, caught off-guard, but Vanessa didn't pause.

"Run!" she shouted, her voice rough but resolute. She turned on her heel, bolting away from their battlefield.

Their objective—rescuing Cassandra—had been completed. There was no reason to linger in this conflict with Lorelai's faction. As for Magnus's secret orders? They were just that: secret. The details were unknown to all but him and Vanessa, meaning he couldn't openly reprimand her if she failed to carry them out in full.

"Haha! Planning to escape?" Arima's mocking laughter echoed through the air, carrying an unsettling delight. "We haven't even crossed blades yet!"

*SNAP!*

With a mere snap of his fingers, the earth beneath them seemed to lurch violently, sending a shockwave of force through the ground. It felt as though an earthquake had hit, each tremor stronger than the last, making it hard to maintain her balance, let alone run. She gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her footing while carrying both Aster and Cassy. The vibrations were so intense that every bone in her body seemed to resonate with them.

Vanessa glanced back just in time to see her protective wall shatter, crumbling like glass. Her heart sank.

"Damn…!" she cursed under her breath, feeling the weight of her failure settle in her chest. She hadn't expected the wall to last forever, but she'd hoped for more time.

Now they were once again in full view, exposed to Arima's line of sight. Knowing his deadly powers required direct visual contact, she tightened her grip on Aster and Cassy, unwilling to release them to cast another defensive spell.

"My familiars, come out!" she commanded in a desperate tone.

As if responding to her sheer will, dark shapes burst from her shadow, the swarms of rats and bats spreading out around them. Though the tremors staggered her rat familiars, the bats remained unaffected, forming a dark, pulsating cloud that advanced toward Arima. Their tiny, glinting eyes shone with an eerie resolve as they blocked Arima's sight, momentarily breaking his focus.

Seizing the brief opportunity, Vanessa surged forward, her feet pounding the ground as she put as much distance as possible between them and their pursuers. She bit her lip, frustration simmering in her chest. She knew her options were limited. She lacked the space-manipulating skills to teleport them across dimensions.

Her mind drifted to the intricate magic circle surrounding the Dimension Core. She had committed its design to memory, to the point that she could draw it with her eyes closed.

But she didn't have the time or materials to sketch it now, nor was she sure if her mana alone would suffice to activate it. Moreover, teleporting three people instead of one would be far more challenging.

Even as she considered their next steps, her instincts warned her they were far from safe. Just as the ground's trembling began to subside and they gained more distance, a sudden flash of red burst before her, halting their progress in an instant.

"…!"

Vanessa stopped abruptly, leaning back to dodge a vicious claw strike aimed right at her face. She watched the attacker's hand pass mere inches from her, its sharp edges gleaming under the dim light. Her heart pounded as she caught her breath, eyes narrowing.

"Tsk!" she clicked her tongue in irritation.

The attacker wasn't the type to waste time, and he shifted smoothly into his next attack, his movements swift and calculated. Realizing his initial strike had missed, he turned his body with expert precision, gathering momentum as he spun around. His leg came up in a reverse kick, aimed squarely at Aster's face, his expression merciless.

Vanessa's mind raced, heart pounding as she calculated her next move. Every second counted, and hesitation could mean disaster.

"SCRAM!"

With a shout, a powerful shockwave blasted the man, sending him flying like a kite into the distance. His screams echoed, fading into a whisper as his figure turned into a distant star in the dark space.

"Mmph!"

"Haiyah!"

As if trading places with the first one, two more figures appeared. One was a black-haired gentleman in a chic tuxedo, resembling a proper butler. The other was a pink-haired girl with twin tails, her eyes of mystic blue and red glowing fiercely.

Vanessa took a moment to assess their attacks. The gentleman wasn't aiming at her directly but rather at her left hand, which held Cassy. The pink-haired girl, however, was more agile, her attack targeting two places—Vanessa's chest and Aster's neck.

"Back off!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

But given their differences in strength, neither was a real threat. Vanessa delivered a swift kick to the gentleman's chest, the impact reverberating with a cracking sound as his ribs caved in. His body flew backward, rolling along the ground until he came to a halt.

For the pink-haired girl, Vanessa didn't hold back. Using the same leg, she flicked it toward the girl's neck. The force tilted her head at an unnatural angle before she was slammed onto the ground. Vanessa's foot crushed her face, the impact splattering it like a burst watermelon.

"How cruel…" Arima's voice murmured from beside Vanessa, startling her. "But I like that attitude. Unforgiving!"

"…!"

Vanessa was stunned. Arima was supposed to be quite far away, yet here he was, standing right next to her. Even if she had paused briefly, he shouldn't have been able to close the distance so quickly.

In a split-second decision, she tossed Aster and Cassy behind her, crossing her arms and using what little blood she had gathered to reinforce her defenses.

The masked man, Arima, extended his arm, his fist aimed at the center of her crossed arms. Although she tracked each movement as if in slow motion, the entire sequence happened in a fraction of a millisecond—far too fast to dodge.

*BAM!* *CREAK!* *SNAP!*

As Arima's punch connected, Vanessa felt the bones in her arms snap cleanly, as if they were dry branches. The impact went further, sending cracks through her ribs, which bore what remained of the punch's force.

"UGH!"

Vanessa gritted her teeth, bracing her feet against the ground to avoid being blown backward. Despite her effort, she was forced back at least five meters, with Aster and Cassy sliding behind her.

Her arms hung limply now, utterly useless.

Even though she wanted to heal, the blood she'd used as a protective layer had been blown away by the punch, leaving nothing behind. Without that extra shield, she half-believed her entire upper body might've been blown to bits.

"Poor girl…" Arima murmured as he knelt beside the pink-haired girl, Yinfa's remains.

As his hand hovered over her mangled head, something unbelievable happened. An image of a large, ornate hourglass appeared above her, its sand flowing upward from the bottom, defying gravity.

In the next instant, the girl's body began to mend, flesh and bone reassembling until she was whole once more.

*Cough!* *Cough!*

Her eyes opened as she took in a rasping breath, coming back to life.

"BITCH…!"

Meanwhile, the first assailant—the red-haired Lionel—growled as he reappeared. Though he had been blasted away, his injuries amounted to little more than minor bruises, barely needing any healing.

Trailing slightly behind him was the black-haired butler, Sebastian, moving carefully. His expression betrayed the pain he was in, but he didn't allow it to hinder his movements. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, then stopped at a short distance, observing Vanessa and the others.

Almost all their enemies had rallied now, save for Selene's group.

"

Tertie Sirreo Cura!

Great Heal!"

"…!"

As Vanessa tried to think of her next move, Cassy's healing light enveloped her. Her broken arms mended instantly, the pain in her chest disappearing rapidly.

Though grateful, Vanessa couldn't shake the feeling that it was a futile gesture. They were practically facing a one-against-four situation. To escape from this unharmed would take nothing short of a miracle.