49. Blaze Vs Caroline

Blaze's eyes suddenly contracted with savagery coursing through them.

Making a quick decision, Blaze began a test run on the idea that he had in mind.

With a resolute focus, Blaze clenched his hands into fists, allowing the potent energy of his water mana to trickle through his veins. Without wasting time, Blaze converted the mana to ice. His fist turned pale, losing all the blood flowing freely through them.

Taking off his black cloak, he wrapped it around his right fist which already looked pale like it came out of a freezer.

With a ruthless look through his mask, he slammed a punch on the invisible wall. A faint tremor reverberated through the air, but the unseen obstacle remained stubbornly unaffected. Yet, Blaze refused to be deterred by this initial setback. Instead, he steeled his resolve and intensified the power behind each successive blow.

The ice enveloping the inside of his fist not only hardened its impact but also magnified the vibrations generated by his strikes. Blaze could feel the resonance coursing through his hand with each punch, a sensation that would have made weak-minded people falter. However, he paid no heed to the discomfort, knowing that his very life depended on their success.

As the soldiers closed in on his location, their presence looming ever nearer, Blaze's resolve remained unshaken. With unwavering determination, he channeled his mana once again, this time directing its icy essence into his left hand.

Gritting his teeth, Blaze commenced a relentless assault upon the invisible barrier, his fists becoming a blur of motion. Each resounding punch reverberated through the air, the vibrations intensifying with every strike. It was his left hand, unshielded by any form of material to absorb the recoil, that bore the brunt of the impact. The intensity of the vibrations surged, causing an exquisite agony to course through his hand and spread up his arm.

Yet, Blaze remained steadfast, unyielding in the face of pain. He clenched his teeth tighter, refusing to succumb to the discomfort that threatened to consume him. With each punch, the vibrations cascaded through his arm, a testament to the sheer force he exerted in his pursuit of victory.

After fifteen seconds of relentless pummeling, Blaze launched another punch and felt his hand pass through the barrier. Without hesitation, he leaped through the invisible wall, leaving it behind.

Dispersing the solidified water in his hand, Blaze was met with a painful realization as blood flowed through the cracks like a broken faucet. Acting swiftly, he froze his injured hand to staunch the bleeding.

With a determined resolve, he vaulted over the fence, swiftly making his way back to the safety of the brothel.

He sneaked through the alleys. Aphrodite refrained from joking but focused on scouting ahead for any surprise.

The night became lively all of a sudden, especially the manor Blaze escaped from.

Upon reaching the brothel, Blaze scaled the wall and quietly slipped inside through a window. Once inside, he took off his gloves and glanced down at the back of his palm, choosing not to dispel the ice that still covered it. To his dismay, he observed hairline cracks, resembling the delicate branches of a sprawling tree, spiderwebbed across his palm, a testament to the strain and turmoil that he had endured.

Aphrodite spoke from the side, "Although it hardens your hand, your hand becomes—"

"Brittle," Blaze completed her speech without any emotion. He could feel his bones were about to shatter.

In an instant, the tranquility of the room was shattered as a powerful force crashed through the door, sending it hurtling towards Blaze with a fiery rage. Reacting swiftly, he instinctively dropped into a crouched position, narrowly evading the door's destructive path. Flames licked at its surface, casting an ominous glow upon the chaotic scene.

As the smoke cleared, Caroline emerged from the doorway, her gaze brimming with a venomous intensity that could have felled even the hardest of warriors a thousand times over. Her eyes locked onto Blaze, seething with a potent mix of anger and resentment.

Blaze stood up slowly while holding his left arm.

"What's the meaning of this?" Blaze questioned calmly even though he knew the answer.

"Die!" Caroline's voice echoed with a chilling determination as her hand swung towards Blaze, unleashing a compact yet formidable purple lightning bolt. This bolt crackled through the air with an indomitable speed, akin to a fleeting flash of light.

Blaze reacted swiftly, diving to the side, narrowly evading the lethal trajectory of the lightning bolt. With a fluid motion, he rolled back onto his feet, his arms trembling with fatigue and adrenaline surging through his veins. The purple bolt tore through the cotton fabric behind him, igniting it in a fiery blaze.

Even though Blaze had recognized Caroline's abilities, the sheer swiftness of her casting caught him off guard. The velocity of the bolt surpassed even the rapidity of the icicles conjured by the Ice Reaper, a revelation that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Take this!" Caroline exclaimed, her voice laced with fury. As her other hand swung forth, a bolt of lightning erupted from her fingertips, surging towards Blaze with the force of a crossbow bolt. However, Blaze had learned from his previous encounter and swiftly reacted, evading the bolt by diving to the side and rolling back onto his feet.

With unwavering resolve, Blaze wasted no time. Seizing the opportunity, he propelled himself forward in a sprint towards Caroline. Her hand swung once more, attempting to unleash another lightning strike, but Blaze anticipated her move, evading the attack with a swift sidestep. However, this time, the bed behind him became engulfed in flames, a testament to the destructive power of Caroline's elemental prowess.

In five steps, Blaze was in front of Caroline. However, he was in for a surprises.

Surrounded by a formidable aura of lightning, Caroline's body crackled with electrifying energy, transforming her into an imposing figure. Without hesitation, she launched a fierce punch toward Blaze, her fist enshrouded in a menacing display of writhing lightning, resembling a nest of serpents.

Blaze was too close to back down, so he steeled his resolve, and threw his ice-fused fist to meet hers, even though the aftereffect was dire.

With a ruthless look flashing through his eyes, he met Caroline's punch head-on, his fist infused with the power of ice. The clash between their fists was akin to the thunderous clash of titanic forces.

In an explosive display of power, a shockwave erupted from the point of impact, illuminating the surroundings with a dazzling display of light and scattering sparks of lightning. The sheer force of Blaze's punch sent Caroline hurtling through the air like a wayward arrow, her trajectory abruptly halted by the unforgiving walls of the lobby. Blaze's punch was a display of raw strength.

Yet, Blaze did not emerge unscathed from the exchange. The lightning that enveloped Caroline's punch, while lacking in raw strength, compensated with its destructive properties. It incinerated his cloak, leaving him no choice but to discard it. The electric surge also caused his body to convulse involuntarily, a painful reminder of the potency of the lightning's current. Worst of all, the impact and lightning shattered the ice that was underneath the skin of his fist, resulting in blood trickling over his injured hand.

"Your bones are too brittle, avoid contact with the lightning," Aphrodite advised sharply. However, Blaze kept silent and flexed his arm to shake off the numbness.

Caroline, holding her injured arm from the force of Blaze's punch, rose to her feet with a steely resolve. If she didn't know the gloves she gave Blaze was merely leather, she would have mistaken it for a piece of formidable armor because of the hardness of the punch.

Without hesitation, she allowed the crackling and disorderly dance of lightning to once again envelop her body, serving as both a shield and an extension of her power. With a fierce determination, she charged towards Blaze like a raging bull, her intent clear as she propelled herself forward, preparing to deliver another devastating punch.

However, Blaze proved to be elusive and quick-witted. In a swift motion, he rolled beneath Caroline's oncoming attack, swiftly evading her strike. Seizing the opportunity, he dashed towards the door, positioning himself in the lobby.

Caroline pivoted swiftly, hurling a bolt of lightning towards Blaze. Yet, in a display of uncanny agility, he sidestepped with uncanny grace, causing the searing lightning to collide with the wall, rending it apart and leaving a gaping hole in its wake.

The brothel reverberated with screams as the fire began spreading over the establishment, devouring everything in its path. Yet, Caroline remained unaffected by the desperate pleas for help, her attention solely fixated on reaching the lobby where Blaze awaited her. Without hesitation, she raced through the chaos, her eyes meeting Blaze's calm and unwavering gaze as he stood there motionless, seemingly unfazed by the unfolding chaos.

A deep-seated annoyance gripped Caroline, intensifying her frustration. It felt as if everyone around her reveled in toying with her, manipulating her like a marionette controlled by unseen hands. The realization of her perpetual entrapment ignited a surge of anger within her, causing her eyes to flash with a fiery intensity.

In response to her mounting rage, larger and more potent bolts of lightning surged through Caroline's body. She unleashed her mana without restraint or control, causing the bolts of lightning to flicker and crackle around her, striking the ceiling, floor, and the very fabric adorning the walls. In an instant, fire erupted from her position, its tendrils hungrily devouring everything in its path. Yet, Caroline showed no signs of relenting. She continued to release the colossal purple bolts of lightning, their magnificent display resembling serpents coiled around an ancient pillar, wreaking havoc and reducing the surroundings to ashes. In that moment, she stood as the queen of destruction, an unstoppable force that left nothing but devastation in her wake.

Caroline relentlessly channeled the power of lightning, her energy surging without respite.

In the confined expanse of the narrow lobby, Blaze and Caroline faced each other, their gazes locked in an intense standoff. Although Blaze wore a mask that veiled his expression. The tension in the air was palpable, thick with anticipation and the crackling energy of impending conflict. The cacophony of crackling lightning, roaring flames, and cascading debris from the crumbling ceiling shattered any remnants of tranquility that once graced the space. Amidst the chaos, the piercing screams of terrified customers reverberated, mingling with the charged atmosphere

"She's really angry for real!" Aphrodite exclaimed from the sidelines, like a spectator commenting on a show.