(This is going to be a very large action-based chapter. I had to divide it into two parts. My humble request is that if you have the time, please try to read both parts together. That way, you will get the full enjoyment. Also, in this chapter there are many unfamiliar weapon names which might confuse you during the battle. I will make one more request: if you have any difficulty understanding a weapon, please take the trouble to search on Google for the weapon name + Shadow Fight 2. There you will get the structure of the weapon.)
Chapter 12 - Part 1: The Iceland Clash
Scene 1: Silent Voyage
Loryx's Sea - vast, mesmerizing, the kind of ocean that makes you forget for a moment what you're sailing toward. The gentle sound of the water and the soft rhythm of the waves touched something deep. Cutting through those calm swells in perfect time, a metallic ship moved forward.
Rai stood at the helm, one hand on the map and the other on the wheel. A light hum escaped his lips as he steered with the ease of someone who had always belonged on water.
The night was coming to an end. The nearest star of the Shadow Realm began to rise - from this distance, it looked as though it were climbing out of the heart of the sea. The moment it crested fully, Rai could no longer contain himself. He leaped from the control room onto the deck and formed a sword from Shadow Energy - exactly the kind a pirate captain would carry.
He pointed it at the horizon and shouted:
"Sail forth, my crew! That horizon is ours! All the treasures of this sea are waiting to fall into our hands!"
A voice came from behind him.
"Don't you think the treasures of this sea are a bit too valuable for your hands?" Kai said, amused. "And who exactly are you calling your crew?"
Rai turned. "Oh. You're awake."
"If I'd known I'd see this side of you, I would have stayed asleep longer."
"I just couldn't help it," Rai said. "Sailing on the open sea - this is what I enjoy most."
"It really is beautiful," Kai said, looking out at the water. The amusement faded. "But because of what's waiting for us, it also feels poisonous. I still can't understand how we're supposed to win this."
"I don't know what's going on in Shinsei's head," Rai said. "Why can't he see that we're sailing toward defeat?"
He stopped. His tone shifted.
"Don't worry," he said - sarcastically. "We have a ten percent chance of winning."
"And the remaining ninety?"
"The remaining ninety percent," Rai said, "is that we get beaten badly and have to come back."
Kai said nothing. A hollow smile appeared on his face and went nowhere.
Rai returned to the control room. Kai stood alone in the quiet. Then Aya emerged from her cabin, still half-asleep. Rai noticed her.
"Sleep well?" he asked.
"Sleep?" Aya said. "Who can sleep with all this shaking?"
"Fair enough."
She walked further along the deck and found Kai standing still.
"Where's Shinsei?" she asked. "I don't see him. He's usually the first one up."
"I don't know," Kai said. "Go check his room."
She went. Shinsei's cabin door was slightly open, and a strange light was coming from inside. Aya leaned in to look. Shinsei sat in his chair, staring intently at something in front of him that was emitting a soft glow. She hesitated at the threshold - then took one more step to see better and stumbled.
Shinsei was on his feet instantly, the object moved away. He saw Aya in the doorway.
"You should knock before entering someone's room," he said.
"Sorry, Shinsei. Kai was asking for you."
"Go ahead. I'll come."
She left without another word. The curiosity about what was in that box stayed with her all the way back to the deck. In the distance, Rai spotted massive chunks of ice floating in the water. He glanced at the map.
"Everyone get ready! We're almost there!"
Shinsei appeared at that moment, his long beard moving in the cold wind. He walked directly to Kai.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Kai didn't answer.
"I know what you're afraid of," Shinsei said. "Don't worry. Victory will be ours."
The ship entered the cluster of ice formations. Rai steered carefully past each one. Then - a massive ice-covered Gate appeared directly ahead. It was open, and freezing wind poured out of it with enough force to threaten the water around them.
"This is the Gate to Eryth's Iceland," Rai said.
Aya moved to the ship's edge and looked at the open Gate.
"They left it open deliberately - to lure us in."
"We have no choice," Shinsei said. "We must enter."
The ship stopped. Kai, Rai, Aya, and Shinsei disembarked and stepped through into Eryth's Iceland. The cold hit like a wall - bone-deep, immediate, the kind that makes every breath feel like something being taken from you. Thick fog filled the air. The path was uneven, made entirely of ice. Kai's team moved quickly.
As they walked, Shinsei spoke.
"Today we face two bosses and seven Shadow Warriors. The battle will be chaotic - that's our main problem. So Rai and I will go ahead. Kai and Aya, stay behind. When I spot the Shadow Warriors, I'll give a signal. At that moment, Kai and Aya - you stop. Rai and I charge forward and engage the Shadow Warriors. Once all of them are occupied, you two move toward the bosses." He paused. "Are you ready?"
"Yes!" - all three of them, together.
"And in this fight, no mistakes can be allowed. Even a small injury could be devastating for us. Everyone fight carefully." Another pause. "Kai and Aya - fall back now."
They followed the plan, hanging back and trailing Shinsei and Rai from a distance.
"Also, Rai," Shinsei said as they moved, "we need to look as powerful as possible. If the Shadow Warriors think we're the main threat, all of them will come for us."
"So I have to look intimidating," Rai said. "I can do that."
He summoned his Radiumic Kusarigama, which emitted a strange green glow, and began spinning the chain wide. Shinsei expanded the red aura of his Fist of Harm until it radiated visibly around him.
They began sprinting forward.
Scene 2: The First Clash
Iceland was shrouded in dense fog. At its center stood an ice-covered mountain. Inside a well-decorated cave in that mountain, Loryx and Eryth waited. Outside, seven powerful Shadow Warriors guarded them - Tavrel, Morys, Ildar, Varik, Caphen, Daryth, and Falric - each with their weapon in hand.
Then they spotted two figures running toward them through the fog.
"Are they the intruders we've been waiting for?" Morys asked.
"Looks like it," Caphen said.
The two figures suddenly stopped. The Shadow Warriors watched them, confused. Some time passed like this - neither side moving.
"How long are we going to wait?" Ildar said. "Let's attack."
"No," Falric said. "Something feels wrong. I don't think they're alone. The moment we engage these two, the others will come for the bosses."
"I think he's right," Tavrel said.
"Then some go toward them and the rest stay," Falric said.
"How many?"
"That depends on how strong they look." Daryth pointed at Shinsei. "That one with the red aura looks very strong." He glanced at Rai. "I can't say as much about the other one."
"Then Ildar, Varik, Caphen, Daryth, and Morys go forward," Falric said. "Tavrel and I stay here."
"Are you sure?" Morys asked.
"Yes," Falric said, with mild irritation.
They followed the plan. Ildar, Varik, Caphen, Daryth, and Morys advanced through the fog. It gradually thinned, revealing Shinsei and Rai fully.
The two had stopped on Shinsei's order. After standing a while, they watched the Shadow Warriors charging. Rai glanced sideways.
"Should we move forward too?"
"No." Shinsei watched the approaching figures. "When I say now - run left."
"Got it."
They held position a little longer. As the Shadow Warriors drew close, Shinsei said:
"Now."
Rai sprinted left. Shinsei dashed right. The Shadow Warriors became confused mid-charge.
"What are they doing?!" Daryth said, frustrated.
"We can't let them escape," Morys said. He pointed at Ildar, Varik, and Daryth. "You three - after the old man." He turned to Caphen. "You're with me."
They split.
Ildar, Varik, and Daryth caught up to Shinsei. He'd stopped. Just standing - silently, waiting.
"You've run enough," Daryth said. "Prepare to die."
A Heavy Hammer formed from Shadow Energy in his hand. Ildar summoned his Steel Batons. Varik drew his Twin Blades. Daryth swung the hammer first. Shinsei backflipped over the strike - the hammer buried itself in the ice and opened a massive crater. Shinsei landed on top of the hammer shaft and drove a kick straight into Daryth's face. Daryth released the hammer and flew back.
Ildar came in next, spinning his Steel Batons so fast a thick wall of wind formed around him. Shinsei created a Katana and transferred the Fist of Harm's red aura into the blade - but Ildar's wind layer extinguished it on contact. Shinsei looked mildly surprised. The batons struck his katana and the shockwave launched him. Before he could recover, Varik charged with Twin Blades - relentless, no pauses. Shinsei's katana was cracking. He realized he needed distance. He dodged one attack and threw the katana at Varik. Varik blocked with both blades. In that instant, Shinsei slid behind him and delivered a kick using Fist of Extreme Pressure's blue aura. Varik was sent flying several hundred meters.
Ildar reached Daryth and spoke low.
"That warrior isn't trying to kill us. He's only trying to survive. His goal is staying alive, not winning."
"Then we ruin the plan and finish him fast," Daryth said, his smile turning savage. "Prepare your ability."
He raised the heavy hammer. Shadow Energy gathered around it.
"Shadow Ground Slam!"
He drove it into the ice. Strange Shadow Energy fused with the impact - the ice shattered like glass and launched upward in sheets, heading straight for Shinsei. Shinsei understood the threat and called up the green aura of Fist of Absorb.
"Shadow Reverse Sphere."
He clapped once. A sphere formed around him and absorbed the entire ability. Smoke, Shadow Energy, and ice shards filled the area.
Ildar gripped his baton. Shadow Energy enlarged it.
"Shadow Whirl!"
He spun again - a massive whirlwind this time - and charged. The whirlwind struck the sphere and was absorbed. Ildar couldn't understand why nothing was breaking it. As the center of the whirlwind reached the sphere, Shinsei clapped again. The sphere detonated. A massive explosion lit up the area and cleared the surrounding fog entirely. Ildar was launched and defeated.
Shinsei steadied himself. A purple flame-like energy ignited in his left eye.
"Spatial Awareness."
With this, he could sense every movement across the entire Iceland. Who was where. Who was fighting whom.
Varik returned. Both he and Daryth understood they now had to fight differently. Their battle with Shinsei continued.
Morys and Caphen were chasing Rai. Suddenly he stopped and turned.
"Enough running. Let's start the real fight."
"Mist Dash!!"
He touched the spinning Kusarigama blade to the ground. Thick fog erupted instantly and swallowed the entire area. Morys and Caphen halted. The fog was so dense neither could see even themselves.
"Stay alert! Something -"
Before Morys could finish, Rai's blade shot from behind him. Morys didn't turn. He simply extended the sharp end of his Trident, which miraculously entangled with the Kusarigama. The resulting shockwave cleared the fog.
"His reflexes are incredible," Rai said quietly.
Morys yanked his Trident. Rai was pulled forward but recovered. At that moment, Caphen hurled his Silver Spear - it pierced through Rai's Diamond Armor and into his neck. As Rai pulled it out, Caphen used his ice-dash to close the distance and kick. Rai crashed down. When he stood, his wound was healing very slowly - the spear had frozen it. Morys attacked before he could assess the damage.
Rai leaped aside.
"Your speed..." Rai said, looking sideways.
"Where are you looking?!" Morys said.
Shadow Energy gathered in Rai's hands behind his back.
"Then I have to become stronger too."
He summoned his most powerful self-made weapon - Titanium Chained Axes - and charged Morys without another word. Morys met every strike with his spinning Trident. Their clash built a dense layer in the air between them. The ice beneath their feet melted without either weapon touching it. Caphen rushed toward them. Rai realized he couldn't cover both directions. He deliberately let one of Morys's strikes push him back. Morys charged at maximum speed to press the advantage - Rai sidestepped lightly and drove the spiked ball of his Kusarigama into Morys's back. Morys flew several kilometers.
Rai turned. Caphen's Silver Spear was floating in the air, enormous amounts of Shadow Energy gathering around it.
"Shadow Void Eruption!"
The moment before it launched, Rai buried one chained axe into the ice at Caphen's feet and wrapped the other chain around Caphen's leg. He pulled both chains at full force - their positions swapped. Caphen's own ability struck him. The explosion turned the area pitch black.
When the smoke cleared, Caphen lay badly wounded on the ice.
"Is he defeated?" Rai said.
Caphen's body became covered in ice. It exploded - and Caphen stood up, healed but visibly in pain. Rai stared. Morys returned at the same moment. Both Shadow Warriors looked exhausted but hadn't stopped. Their battle with Rai resumed.
Falric and Tavrel guarded the cave entrance. They saw two figures approaching through the mist.
"I knew something like this would happen," Falric said.
They moved forward - Falric with his Sentinel Kusarigama, Tavrel with his Glaive. Kai and Aya readied their Katana and dagger.
"Shadow Warriors," Aya said.
"We have to deal with these two before we can reach the bosses," Kai said.
They charged.
Scene 3: The Struggle Against the Bosses
Aya rushed toward Tavrel. Sensing something, she was about to slow - but Tavrel suddenly closed the distance and swung his massive Glaive blade at her stomach. She blocked with her dagger and was sent flying. Before she could stand, he attacked again. She blocked and was knocked back. The pattern repeated. Finally, when Tavrel came again, Aya leaped and threw her Collapse dagger - enlarged. Tavrel split it with his Glaive, but the explosion wounded him and turned the surrounding ice to vapor. Aya pressed from within the smoke with relentless strikes. Tavrel blocked and counter-attacked. Their battle moved.
Kai faced Falric. Falric threw the sharp end of his Kusarigama and leaped back, then came in swinging the heavy spiked end. Kai blocked with his Katana and pushed forward. But Falric yanked the chain - the sharp end tore back through Kai's chest. Then the spiked end came, cutting through armor. Before Falric could attack again, Kai raised his hand.
"Shadow Clap."
One clap - a massive explosion sent both of them flying. Falric stood in the settling fog and saw Kai already upright, blood running from his wounds, paying it no attention. Kai raised a finger. Shadow Energy gathered there. Falric read the buildup and spread his own Shadow Energy across the ground.
"Shooting Shadow!"
A beam of Shadow Energy shot at Falric.
"Shadow Crystal Frost Shield!"
A thick transparent ice pillar rose in front of him. Kai's beam struck it - the explosion shattered the shield into thousands of shards that sliced through Falric and buried him in a distant mountain face. He stood. His body covered in ice, cracked, healed - weaker, but standing. He charged again. Kai was still healing.
At that moment, Loryx and Eryth came out of the cave - drawn by the sound of the explosions. They took in the scene: Kai fighting Falric on one side, Aya and Tavrel on the other.
"They've arrived," Loryx said.
"So it seems," Eryth said - smiling, but with a trace of irritation. "I still can't believe you ran to me for help because you were afraid of these two warriors."
"How many times," Loryx said through his teeth, "do I have to say I didn't come here out of fear. No one has the power to scare me. But that doesn't mean I'll give my enemies any advantage for free. These people defeated Drexer. They're strong enough that I couldn't rule out them defeating me. That's why I formed this alliance. I can't afford to be lazy and overconfident." He paused. "Now stop standing there and let's move."
Eryth stopped him.
"Hey. What's the hurry? When kids are fighting, adults shouldn't interfere. Let your Shadow Warriors handle it. We sit here and enjoy the show."
"Is something wrong with your head?!" Loryx said. "Our Shadow Warriors fight while we watch?! Whose side are you on?!"
"Think about it," Eryth said. "Do you really think these Shadow Warriors can make a real impact against opponents as strong as us? A few hits from bosses like us would do more than everything they're doing right now. If the intruders are as strong as us, they'll defeat the Shadow Warriors easily. If they win with difficulty, a few strikes from us will finish them. And if the Shadow Warriors somehow win - it's over without us lifting a finger."
"But -"
"No buts. You're scared again, aren't you? Aww. Go on - you don't have to fight. I'll handle them alone. Just sit in the cave with your mouth shut."
Loryx couldn't control himself. He summoned his Naginata and raised it toward Eryth - then stopped. He understood it wasn't the time. He lowered the weapon and stood in silence.
Meanwhile, Kai was pushing Falric back. Falric realized that Kai was growing noticeably stronger with every exchange - time was against him. He used Shadow Step to create distance and turned to face Kai from far away. He spun his Sentinel Kusarigama at terrifying speed, building a storm. Kai was pulled into it.
"I will fulfill my duty with everything I have," Falric said.
He hurled the heavy spiked end into the air. It grew enormous as Shadow Energy poured into it. He yanked the chain downward. The moment it struck the ground, a devastating explosion shook the entire Iceland. The area disappeared into smoke.
Eryth looked at Loryx.
"See? Can your Shadow Warriors do something like this?"
Loryx moved away so he wouldn't have to listen.
When the smoke cleared, Falric lay badly wounded on the ice - he was certain Kai had been finished. He looked through the settling dust. Kai was standing. A sphere had formed around him at the last possible moment, just enough to hold. He dispelled it. The explosion had cost him - blood ran from his mouth. But Falric, in deep despair, began covering himself in ice to heal.
Kai noticed. If the ice formed completely, Falric would recover. He couldn't allow it.
"Shadow Heat Case!"
Shadow Energy formed a cage around Falric, the temperature inside rising to the point where ice couldn't form. Falric's healing was blocked. He was defeated.
On the other side, Aya was having a harder time. Tavrel's speed and precision were pushing her limits, and his attacks carried a poison that slowed her healing. She created distance and directed her daggers from afar using hand gestures to control the field. Then the massive explosion from Falric's last attack shook the ground - and Tavrel felt it. He wondered for a moment what had happened to Falric, whether he'd won or lost, and why he wasn't coming. He decided to end this now. He struck Aya's dagger with everything he had using his Glaive. The dagger exploded. Tavrel was knocked back - but he'd done it deliberately, destroying the weapon with a specific purpose. Aya understood and prepared herself. Tavrel split his Glaive into two blades from the center.
"Shadow Flash!" Tavrel said.
"Collapse Tornado!" Aya said.
Tavrel charged at the speed of light, both blades slicing through the air. But he ran directly into the trap - a tornado of hundreds of daggers appeared around Aya. His speed couldn't be reversed. He drove into it. Countless blades cut through his body. Tavrel fell, defeated.
Loryx looked at the field.
"They've defeated the Shadow Warriors. Should we go now?!"
"Looks like your wish came true," Eryth said. "Let's go."
He began walking slowly down. Loryx couldn't wait - he left Eryth behind and moved toward Aya at extreme speed.
"Why go through all this trouble?" Eryth called after him, amused. "Just teleport."
He spun his fans and appeared behind Kai in an instant.
Kai had been moving toward the mountain when Eryth struck him from behind. The attack shook the air - Kai flew and hit the mountain.
"Surprise!!!" Eryth laughed, then looked back at the fallen Falric nearby. "You rest. You clearly didn't have the strength to defeat him anyway. Useless."
He advanced toward Kai.
Kai stood and used Shadow Step to close the distance. Just as he moved to attack, Eryth teleported and counter-attacked. Kai fell, rose, and looked at Eryth steadily.
"What happened?" Eryth said, with a sharp smile. "Can't beat me?"
Kai knew defeating him head-on would be very difficult. He transformed his Katana into dual swords and used Shadow Step again - attacking with the right sword while keeping the left positioned behind him. Eryth teleported behind him to counter-attack. He ran directly into the left sword. It pierced his chest. Kai immediately pressed it down, pinning Eryth to the ground, and struck him repeatedly. After several hits, Eryth teleported away. Kai turned toward him. Eryth had already healed. Completely.
"So you finally managed to hit me," Eryth said, almost appreciatively. "Now it's my turn."
He teleported in and began attacking with his fans. Kai defended. Their battle settled into an extended exchange - neither one able to finish the other.
Meanwhile, Loryx reached Aya. She had just stopped her Collapse Tornado and was in the middle of healing. Loryx's Naginata connected with her face before she registered the motion. She flew back and hit the ice. Blood ran from her mouth. Teeth broken. She looked up through the pain and saw him walking toward her. In the next instant he was there - she didn't see him cross the distance - and his kick sent her sliding. She groaned but got up. She understood what was coming again. She closed her eyes and dropped flat to the ice. Loryx's next strike passed centimeters above her. She rose immediately.
The entire environment turned pitch black.
"Knives Inversion!"
Countless razor-sharp blades formed from Shadow Energy and rushed at Loryx. Loryx stood still. The blades came. He raised his Naginata and began cutting them apart with a precision and speed so complete the weapon was nearly invisible. Aya watched. She healed while he worked, but Loryx's poison was fighting her - the pain was deep and constant. By the time he'd cut down every blade, he had taken only minor damage. He looked at her.
Aya untied the ribbon from her hair. It fell over her shoulders. She tied the ribbon across her eyes like a blindfold.
"Neural Overclock!"
Loryx understood immediately what she was attempting.
"So you want to rely purely on your senses," he said, with something close to respect. "Let me see how fast your brain can actually get."
He attacked from below. Aya leaped. From above. She bent down. From the left. She stepped back. The exchange continued - attack, sense, dodge, again.
On another part of the Iceland, Rai was fighting Morys and Caphen. All three were exhausted. The ice around them had been raised abnormally high by the intensity of what had been thrown between them. Caphen decided it was time to end it. Rai kicked Morys far. Caphen went to him and helped him up.
"Can you create clones?" Caphen asked.
"Yes."
"Then let's finish this."
Rai charged at them. Morys raised his Trident and ran at Rai - but at the last moment, jumped back instead of striking. Rai was confused.
The sky above them darkened.
"Shadow Glacial Pelting!" Caphen said.
Hail - but nothing like ordinary hail - rained down from the sudden clouds.
"Shadow Cobra's Ambush!" Morys said.
A gigantic serpent erupted from behind Rai. Both abilities struck him before he could react. The area filled with smoke. When it cleared, Rai lay on the ice. Morys's poison had slowed his healing to almost nothing. Caphen's ability had frozen what remained, stopping it entirely.
Rai was defeated.
On the other side, Loryx was still trying to cut through Aya's senses. Despite her reflexes - she was reading even the smallest displacement of air - he had landed many hits. But the poisonous pain wasn't stopping her the way he'd expected. He realized this method was taking too long. He needed precision, not just strength.
He threw his Naginata at Aya. She stepped forward and caught it.
In that same instant, a poisonous aura appeared beside Loryx.
"Shadow Spines!"
Hundreds of spines launched toward Aya. She dropped the Naginata and formed a circle of Collapse daggers around herself.
"Shadow Collapse Sphere!"
A sphere enclosed her - and the Naginata along with her. Loryx's spines hammered the sphere like a storm. Friction shockwaves rolled outward.
Loryx observed the scene.
"Impressive," he said.
A slow smile crossed his face.
"The greatest pain comes when one's shelter turns into their grave."
At his command, the Naginata trapped inside the sphere with Aya exploded. Extremely poisonous smoke filled the sphere from within - slowly weakening her, pulling at her from the inside. The sphere became impossible to maintain. Loryx's spines tore through the moment it dropped. Aya fell. The pain was beyond anything she could hold against. She tried to heal - Loryx didn't give her the moment. He struck her again, launching her into the air. Then he seemed to vanish for two seconds. Fresh wounds appeared all over her body. Blood sprayed upward. He returned to his position.
Aya fell and did not get up.
Shinsei was sensing it all.
Through Spatial Awareness, every fall registered - Rai down, Aya down. Everything now rested on him and Kai. But he still hadn't finished Daryth and Varik. Both were exhausted and injured, but holding. Shinsei was tired too - not beaten, but carrying everything that had been thrown at him across a long fight while simultaneously tracking his students' battles through the eye.
He confirmed it. His team had lost.
He showed nothing in his face. But inside, the weight of it was enormous. There was no other way left. He had to use the final step - the one he had forbidden.
In one motion, he went still and dropped his katana. Daryth and Varik charged to finish it. Shinsei bent at precisely the right angle - their weapons struck each other. He called up Fist of Extreme Pressure's blue aura in both hands and clapped.
The explosion sent both of them flying.
He brought his hands together and drew a long breath.
"Shadow Vocal Bellow!"
The auras of both hands merged as he opened his voice across the entire Iceland:
"Kai, Aya, Rai - all of you. Enter your Ultimate Shadow Form immediately. This is my order. Merge your Shadow Energy with your Soul. Pull all of it into your core - exactly as I taught you."
His voice reached every corner of Eryth's Iceland.
Kai, Aya, and Rai - all three of them defeated and lying on the ice in separate parts of the field - heard it clearly. They remembered the technique they had almost forgotten. They had no certainty it would work. But they trusted Shinsei's final call.
They began.
To be continued in Part 2...