Bite

As the icy remnants of their clash crumbled beneath them, Nyx withdrew her blade and sheathed it calmly, her breath misting in the frigid air. The cold lingered in the atmosphere, a testament to the intensity of the battle that had just unfolded. Nyx's gaze remained fixed on Kisame, who stood a short distance away, his chest rising and falling with deep, controlled breaths.

Kisame chuckled, a low rumble that betrayed no hint of frustration or anger. "You've got some bite in you, I'll give you that," he said, resting Samehada across his shoulder. "But you'll have to do better if you plan on taking down the Akatsuki one by one. You may have survived today, but don't think I'll go easy on you next time."

Nyx's expression remained cold and detached, her Kōrimeigan gradually fading back to its normal icy blue hue. "You seem to think that surviving this encounter was my goal," she replied, her voice unyielding. "I will eliminate you right here."

Kisame's amusement quickly faded, his gaze sharpening as he gripped Samehada more firmly. "Is that right?" he growled, a glint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. "I'd like to see you try." His chakra flared, emanating an aura that made the air around him feel thick and oppressive, like the deep ocean crushing down from all sides.

Nyx's Kōrimeigan blazed back to life, the crystalline pattern in her eyes intensifying as frost crackled beneath her feet. The temperature dropped rapidly, and a thin mist formed in the air as her breath escaped in cold puffs. "You won't live to regret this decision, Kisame," she declared, her voice cold and resolute. "I'll make sure of it."

Without hesitation, she lunged forward, her short blade slicing through the air, the frost trailing behind it like an icy wake. Kisame met her strike with a powerful swing of Samehada, the clash of steel echoing through the forest as the force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling outward. The frost on the ground shattered, and shards of ice flew in all directions.

The two combatants moved with blinding speed, exchanging a flurry of blows that left the surrounding trees coated in ice and chipped bark. Kisame's attacks were relentless, each swing of Samehada heavy and ferocious, while Nyx's strikes were swift and precise, exploiting the smallest openings in his defenses. She was using the Kōrimeigan to anticipate his movements, reading the flow of his chakra and predicting where his strikes would land.

Kisame grinned as he pressed forward, forcing her back a step. "I've fought plenty of swordsmen in my time, but there's something different about you, Nyx," he admitted, his voice filled with dark humor. "It's not just the ice… You've got the look of a killer in your eyes. Reminds me of when I used to be human."

Nyx's eyes narrowed, the crystalline pattern shifting as if in response to his words. "Then you should know better than to underestimate me," she retorted, her chakra surging as she unleashed a wave of freezing air that encased the ground in a solid sheet of ice. "Kōritsurugan: Eternal Frost!"

The temperature plummeted to an almost unbearable level as an aura of absolute cold surrounded Nyx. The ice at her feet spread rapidly, racing toward Kisame like a living entity, seeking to trap him in its grasp. Kisame leaped backward, but the frost followed, reaching out with icy tendrils that snaked around his legs, slowing his movements.

For a brief moment, Kisame hesitated, his eyes flicking down to the ice encircling his legs. In that instant, Nyx moved in for the kill, her short blade aimed directly at his heart. But before the strike could land, Samehada pulsed with a surge of chakra, shattering the ice that held him in place and deflecting her blade with a brutal swing.

Nyx skidded back, her feet sliding on the ice as Kisame's laughter filled the air once more. "Not bad, Nyx," he said, his voice brimming with excitement. "But if you want to kill me, you'll need more than just tricks and fancy ice techniques." He gripped Samehada with both hands, his chakra spiking as he prepared to unleash a devastating attack.

But Nyx wasn't finished. The Kōrimeigan glowed even brighter, and she extended her free hand, forming an intricate pattern of ice crystals in the air. "Kōritsurugan: Ice Mirror Perception!" she called out. In the shimmering surface of the ice mirror that materialized before her, Kisame's reflection appeared distorted, his form blurred and stretched as if caught in a refracted image.

Suddenly, Kisame's reflection in the ice moved independently from his real self, the mirrored version lunging toward him with an attack identical to Nyx's. His eyes widened in surprise, and he swung Samehada to defend, but as his blade clashed with the ice replica, the mirror shattered into countless shards, each piece turning into a frozen projectile aimed at his vital points.

He twisted and dodged with skill that could only come from years of battle, avoiding most of the deadly shards, but a few grazed his skin, leaving thin trails of blood. "Heh, that's more like it!" he exclaimed, his voice brimming with savage glee. "Come on, Nyx! Don't hold back now!"

Nyx stood her ground, her breath steady despite the exertion. "Don't worry, Kisame," she said, her tone as icy as the frost surrounding them. "This is only the beginning." Her gaze locked onto him as she prepared to unleash the full power of her Kōrimeigan, her eyes glowing with an intensity that seemed to freeze the very air around them.

As the last shards of ice scattered across the battlefield, the air around Nyx and Kisame crackled with tension. Sheathing her short blade momentarily, Nyx let her fingers brush against the cold steel, the frost radiating from her touch thickening around the weapon. The Kōrimeigan's crystalline glow remained unwavering, casting an ethereal blue light over her features. Across from her, Kisame stood tall, his eyes alive with the thrill of combat. The heavy mist of his breath mingled with the chilling air, and Samehada grumbled hungrily at his side, eager for more chakra.

Nyx took a single, deliberate step forward, and the ice beneath her splintered and cracked with a resounding snap. The jagged lines shot out like veins across the battlefield, creeping toward Kisame. She moved with a cold determination, raising her hand and twisting her fingers in the air. The ice responded, spiraling upward into intricate, crystalline structures that rapidly formed into jagged spires around Kisame, enclosing him in a deadly cage.

Kisame's grin didn't falter. "You're making it too easy," he growled. With a swift motion, he swung Samehada in a sweeping arc, its serrated scales grinding against the ice, shattering the surrounding spires into a shower of frozen shards. As the debris rained down around him, he launched himself toward Nyx, his powerful legs propelling him forward as he brought Samehada down in a crushing blow aimed at her head.

Nyx sidestepped with fluid grace, the Kōrimeigan reading the flow of his chakra and predicting the trajectory of his attack. In one seamless motion, she drew her short blade once more, the frost covering its surface glinting like polished glass. As she moved to counter, her blade whistled through the air, aimed directly at Kisame's exposed side. He twisted his torso, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike, but the edge of the blade still cut into his flesh, leaving a streak of frostburn in its wake.

Blood misted in the air, crystallizing as it mingled with the freezing temperature. Kisame growled, the wound searing with cold rather than heat. "Impressive, Nyx," he said, voice low and dangerous. "But you'll have to do better than that if you're going to kill me."

Without warning, Kisame drove Samehada into the ground, releasing a pulse of chakra that fractured the ice underfoot and sent shockwaves racing toward Nyx. She leaped back to avoid the initial blast, but Kisame was already in pursuit, swinging Samehada upward in a brutal arc aimed to cleave her in two.

Nyx's eyes flashed, the Kōrimeigan shifting patterns with a shimmering intensity. As the blade came down, she raised her palm and whispered, "Kōritsurugan: Frozen Reflection." An ice mirror erupted from the ground between them, catching the edge of Samehada. The moment the sword struck the reflective surface, its momentum was reversed, and an identical, frozen replica of the blade emerged from the mirror, hurtling toward Kisame's chest.

With a grunt, Kisame spun away, narrowly evading the icy weapon. The ice mirror shattered, and the shards flew in all directions. The jagged edges tore through the air with a shrill whistle, grazing his arms and torso, leaving small lacerations that oozed crimson. His blood stained the frozen ground as he landed a few meters away, his breath coming in heavy bursts. "You're full of surprises," he admitted, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. "But enough games."

Nyx's eyes narrowed as she sensed a shift in Kisame's chakra. The air seemed to thrum with a growing pressure, and she felt the temperature rise ever so slightly—a warning sign of Kisame's next move. With a savage grin, he gripped Samehada tightly, and the sword let out a deep, resonating growl as it absorbed the chakra in the air, swelling in size.

Kisame's laughter echoed ominously. "Time to finish this, Nyx!" he roared, his voice reverberating through the frosted forest. He charged forward, swinging Samehada with both hands, unleashing a tidal wave of raw chakra infused with the energy he had absorbed throughout the fight. The sheer force of the attack tore through the ice-covered ground, sending massive chunks of frozen earth flying into the air.

Nyx responded instantly, her Kōrimeigan glowing brighter than ever as she extended her hand toward the oncoming wave. "Kōritsurugan: Absolute Stasis!" she cried out. The world around them seemed to slow as the wave of chakra froze mid-air, halting in its tracks as if caught in a suspended moment of time. The ripples in the energy, the swirling fragments of ice, and even the dust particles all hung motionless, encapsulated within an aura of chilling silence.

Seizing the opportunity, Nyx dashed forward, her movements swift and precise. She closed the distance between herself and Kisame in a heartbeat, her short blade gleaming with a deadly, icy edge. As she approached, she channeled her chakra into the blade, the frost upon it intensifying. She aimed directly for Kisame's heart, her strike carrying the full weight of her determination to end this battle here and now.

Kisame's eyes widened as he struggled to react, his limbs feeling sluggish in the freezing air. He twisted his body to evade, but it was too late. The blade pierced his chest, sliding between the scales of Samehada and sinking deep into his flesh. The frost immediately spread from the wound, crawling across his skin and freezing his veins solid.

For a heartbeat, all was still. Nyx's hand remained steady on the hilt, her gaze locked on Kisame's as his expression shifted from shock to something resembling acceptance. His grip on Samehada loosened, and the blade clattered to the ground with a hollow thud, the hungry growl of the sword fading into silence.

Kisame's breath came out in a visible mist, his voice barely a whisper. "So… you really had the bite to back up all that bark," he murmured, a faint grin curling his lips even as the frost crept up his neck. "Guess… I'll have to take my leave… here."

Nyx stepped back, pulling her blade free in a single, fluid motion. Kisame's body slumped forward, falling to the icy ground, his skin now pale and crystalline as if he had become a part of the frozen landscape. She stood over him, her gaze unyielding as the final traces of her Kōrimeigan's glow faded from her eyes.

Sheathing her blade, Nyx turned away from the fallen swordsman. The cold still lingered, heavy and thick in the air, as if it were a part of her. With each step, the frost beneath her feet deepened, leaving a trail of white behind her. The silence that followed was not of peace but of finality—an end to one battle, and a quiet prelude to the war that lay ahead.

Kisame had fallen, but the path before her was still steeped in shadows. The Akatsuki would not rest, and neither would she. For Nyx, this was not the conclusion of her journey but the beginning of a long and unforgiving road, one paved with ice, blood, and the echoes of enemies who dared to challenge the storm.