The Beginning Of The End

Surrounded by a raging inferno, the crackling of burning wood mingled with the desperate cries of those trapped within.

The air was thick with smoke, choking and stinging the lungs, while the flickering orange and red flames danced hungrily, devouring everything in their path.

Piercing screams echoed through the chaos, each one a haunting testament to the agony and fear that consumed the night.

The acrid smell of charred debris clung to the air, suffocating hope as the relentless fire roared like a living beast, unstoppable and merciless.

At the heart of the cacophony, amidst the sea of despair, a fierce battle unfolded—though calling it a "battle" might be generous. It was, in truth, a two-against-one assault.

A powerful fist sliced through the air, the wind it generated so sharp that it whipped past the lone man's ear, sending his long hair streaming behind him.

The blow carried no trace of magical enhancement, yet it was precise and fierce enough to shear off the edge of his ear.

"Whoah, that was close. You're a real bug in this world, aren't you?" the man quipped, touching his ear. The minor injury mended itself almost instantly, as though time itself bent to his will.

Before anyone could act further, a baby's cry shattered the tension, cutting through the clash like a fragile yet piercing note.

"Ah, so he has woken up after all," the man muttered, exhaling as if burdened. "I really tried to keep it down, you know." His gaze shifted from his two opponents to the infant cradled carefully in his arms, his expression hovering somewhere between exasperation and amusement.

The man standing before him paid no mind to his casual attitude toward the battle. With a sudden burst of movement, his muscular frame vanished in an instant.

The very next moment, almost faster than the eye could follow, he reappeared behind the lone man, his right hook already swinging with unrelenting fury, his eyes ablaze with rage and madness.

The punch connected—or so he thought. But the satisfying impact he expected never came. Instead, he glanced at his fist, now encased in a thick layer of ice.

"Impossible!" he roared, disbelief etched into his voice.

"Heh, nothing's impossible," the man replied with a faint chuckle, his tone tinged with both amusement and regret.

In the blink of an eye, the muscular man was immobilized, frozen in place as if the ground itself had swallowed him whole.

The man's hand pressed against his opponent's chest, a pulse of icy magic spreading rapidly.

In mere seconds, the hulking figure was completely encased in ice, frozen solid from the inside out.

"Haha, one down!" he laughed, his voice echoing with a mix of triumph and nonchalance.

He then turned his attention to the man standing behind him.

"Hey, you there," he called out, his tone laced with mockery.

"Are you seriously not planning to take this fight seriously? I mean, fine, he's a body cultivator, so I get him going all physical. But you? A mage? Using physical attacks of all things? Come on!" he scoffed, shaking his head in exaggerated disbelief.

"You bastard..." the man growled through gritted teeth, his voice trembling with suppressed fury.

With deliberate slowness, he reached up and removed the pitch-black eyepatch that had concealed his left eye.

Beneath it, an eerie violet glow pulsed, emanating from his exposed iris.

The sinister light spilling from his gaze was unsettling, exuding an indescribable aura that seemed to distort the very air around him.

"Oh, oh! So you're finally getting serious, huh? I haven't fought—" The man's smug remark was abruptly cut off as the oppressive aura of the other washed over him like a tidal wave.

The man with the glowing eye tilted his head upward, his piercing gaze bearing down as though he stood above all else.

The killing intent radiating from his violet glare was palpable, sharp enough to crush the resolve of weaker minds.

It was a mental assault, a low-tier one at that—ineffective against someone like him, though it succeeded in silencing his flippant tone.

"The next time we meet," the man declared coldly, his voice laced with unyielding malice, "if the opportunity arises, it will be your final moment."

The words hung heavy in the air as he vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but an unsettling stillness in his wake.

"Huh? Ran away? How boring." He let out a long sigh, running a hand through his slightly disheveled hair as his other hand rested lazily on his hip.

His gaze lingered on the spot where the man had disappeared, a mix of disappointment and amusement flashing in his eyes.

"I was hoping to see if the current me could go toe-to-toe with this version of 'Eryxis,' you know? Especially now that I've got Hytherion."

He flexed his fingers, the faint glimmer of power rippling through his arm as if to remind himself of what he had gained.

A faint chuckle escaped his lips, though his eyes narrowed as his thoughts turned to the man who had just left.

"Though, if that guy had gone all out..." He shifted his weight, tapping his foot against the cracked ground as if testing its stability.

"I'd probably still lose, wouldn't I? I'd have to use that trump card just to escape." He clicked his tongue in annoyance, the mere thought of such a scenario leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "Feels like a waste."

After a moment of silent contemplation, he tilted his head to the side, a smirk slowly spreading across his face.

The flames around him crackled faintly, their light dancing in his eyes.

"Thinking about it like that, I guess this outcome isn't too bad after all. Heh." He adjusted the cuffs of his jacket, brushing off nonexistent dust as if sealing the moment with a touch of finality.

He let out a breath and relaxed his shoulders, the tension from the encounter gradually melting away.

The faint crackle of dying flames filled the silence, but soon, another sound cut through—sharp and insistent. It was the unmistakable cry of a baby.

Only then did he fully realize, the weight in his arms reminding him of the fragile life he had almost forgotten amidst the chaos.

"Huh? You've been crying this whole time, little one?" he murmured, glancing down at the baby with a mix of surprise and amusement.

The baby's tiny face was scrunched up, tears streaking its flushed cheeks as the cries continued unabated.

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his earlier bravado replaced by a softer tone.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. You're just a baby, after all." His words carried a hint of apology as he adjusted his hold, gently rocking the child in an attempt to soothe its distress.

"Since fate has brought us together, let me show you the first spell of Hytherion's return! Haha!" he declared with a grin, his voice brimming with excitement.

Gently, he knelt down and placed the still-crying infant on the ground with surprising care, his movements soft despite the storm of power swirling around him.

But as he straightened up, his eyes flicked toward the spot where the frozen man had been encased moments ago—and froze.

The ice, once solid and impenetrable, was empty.

"Huh?" The confusion in his voice was unmistakable.

He tapped a finger against his temple, his gaze distant as he replayed the events in his mind. "Let me think... hmm..."

Suddenly, his expression shifted to one of realization, a groan escaping his lips. "Ah! So that wasn't just a mental attack he used back then, was it?!"

He sighed deeply, dragging a hand down his face in frustration. "No wonder people always say Eonir and Eryxis are such a pain to deal with."

His eyes narrowed, his earlier amusement replaced by irritation. "Damn it, that guy being teleported away is going to be a problem too. If it weren't for his kid being my hostage, he'd be an absolute nightmare to handle if he went all out."

He glanced back at the baby, its tiny cries a stark contrast to the tension in the air. A dark chuckle escaped him, his voice low and filled with menace.

"I wonder... will this turn into one of those clichéd seeds for revenge later? Ah, whatever. I'll just kill them all and be done with it."

"Well then… descend, Hytherion!"

With those words, an enormous portal tore open behind him, swirling with an ominous energy that pulsed with power.

From its depths, an overwhelming chill poured forth, carrying a frost so intense that it extinguished every flame in the city in mere moments.

The fires that once raged uncontrollably were snuffed out as though they had never existed.

In areas closest to the portal, the devastation was even greater—structures groaned under the weight of frost and ice, cracking and splintering as the temperature plummeted.

From within the portal, a single massive eye emerged, glowing an unearthly blue.

Its gaze was sharp and filled with a simmering anger, as though it had been rudely awakened from slumber.

"Huh? Is this all I can manage right now? Just an eye?" He frowned, clicking his tongue in mild irritation.

With a resigned shrug, he muttered, "Well, whatever. I haven't fully tamed it yet. Guess I'll take what I can get."

His expression quickly shifted, a dangerous grin spreading across his face. Raising a hand toward the portal, he declared, "Now then, Hytherion, let this world witness your power! Ice Age!"

The portal trembled as a monstrous roar echoed out, reverberating through the frozen streets.

A bone-chilling frost erupted from its depths, cascading outward in an unstoppable wave of icy destruction.

The cold was so piercing that even the air seemed to freeze, the moisture crystallizing into delicate, glittering shards that hung in suspended silence.

No one could comprehend what truly happened in that moment. The city fell eerily silent, blanketed in an endless sheet of frost.

Of the two who bore witness to the event, only one remained untouched by the madness—the tiny baby.

Yet even they, cradled by fate or misfortune, were sealed in ice as the world was consumed by an age of frost and shadow.