Chapter 196: Fire and Ice

"Honestly, do you really think all this is worth the effort?" Strax questioned as they listened to a conversation happening inside the warehouse.

"I don't know anymore... I'm just tired of all this," Cristine said, her gaze weary as she reconsidered her quest for revenge.

"We still need to get the Ginseng, so we have to keep going," Yennifer replied, watching several men below.

"Her information was at least real. But... I still feel like something is off," Yennifer murmured.

"All in due time. We don't have room for mistakes..." Strax said, "Without killing anyone, just steal what we need." Cristine and Yennifer nodded, and once again...

Another operation began.

"I'm exhausted..." Elsewhere, far away, Monica sat on a crate, observing a location.

"I'm impressed that woman attacked here... There's ice everywhere," Samira commented, not a fan of cold things.

With her keen gaze, Samira assessed the situation. "Ice isn't just cold; it's desolate. And this Kryssia... she's a force of nature," she said, her voice filled with disdain. "Why would she do this? What does she gain from causing so much destruction?"

"Maybe she's after something," Beatrice murmured, finally tearing her eyes away from the Auction entrance to look at Samira. "Or maybe she's just showing who's in charge. The Black Association isn't known for being complacent, and someone like Kryssia shouldn't want to waste time—she's a general, after all."

Samira shook her head, seeming to reflect on the implications. "She has her reasons. Even if it means leaving a trail of ice and blood in her wake. Which is... unnecessary, if you ask me."

"You might be right," Monica agreed, her expression somber. "But still, there's something deeper going on here. And I'm not just talking about the desire for revenge or the instinct to destroy. This is personal."

"Personalissimo," Samira shot back, her voice laced with irony. "Just a general who doesn't care about freezing everything around her. It seems we have another 'hero' out there, doing what she thinks is right."

The atmosphere among the three was thick with a silent tension. Monica was conflicted, not just with what she saw but also with what she felt. "Have you ever thought that maybe she's fighting against something bigger? What the Black Association represents? Oppression? Control?"

"And her way of fighting is what troubles me the most," Beatrice replied, her tone more serious now. "Destroying instead of negotiating, hurting instead of healing. That never leads to a happy ending."

"Maybe," Monica said, sighing. "But I can't shake the feeling that we're missing something important in this war. What really matters. What it means to fight."

Samira looked at her, her expression softening slightly. "And what do you think it means to fight? To seek vengeance? Or is it something more complex?"

"I don't know. But I feel we need to understand what's behind each attack. The Black Association may be the enemy, but we can't lose ourselves along the way, in the quest for power like Strax wants... Sure, I'll support him, but if it means these huge risks... I'd rather stay weak."

"If you want to know, I don't like being used as a pawn in a bigger game. I don't like the feeling of being trapped in something I don't fully understand," Samira admitted, her gaze distant.

The three continued to watch the area, but then something happened... Something terrible...

[Warning: Special Danger Level! Evacuate immediately!]

"Quick! Now!" Samira shouted, and the three dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a rain of ice shards that crashed down from the ceiling with a deafening roar.

Kryssia, noticing their movement, advanced with impressive speed. "If you insist on denying cooperation, then prepare for the consequences!" The ice sword sliced through the air, and a shard of ice shot toward Samira.

She dodged with a leap, feeling the chill of the ice nearly graze her skin. "We have to fight, or she won't stop!" Samira shouted, adrenaline heightening her determination.

With her eyes locked on the general, Samira raised her hands and began to conjure her fire magic. "I'll try to distract her. Beatrice, you need to attack from behind!"

"Watch out!" Beatrice cried, noticing a new attack coming from the general.

Ice quickly accumulated around Kryssia, and in a fluid motion, she unleashed more razor-sharp blades. Monica managed to create a simple mana shield, but the impact made her stagger. "Now, Samira!" she shouted, trying to recover.

Samira didn't hesitate. With a fierce yell, she lunged at Kryssia, using all her speed. In a swift movement, she swung her own sword, a blade infused with her energy. The impact vibrated the air, the clash of their metals echoing through the room.

Kryssia turned, surprised by the audacity of the woman who challenged her. "You're braver than I thought!" she exclaimed, but her expression quickly morphed into one of disdain. "But bravery is not enough against the cold of death!"

Samira seized the opening and attacked again, her blade slicing through the air with precision. The two engaged in a deadly dance, with Kryssia attempting to push her back while Samira used her agility to dodge and counterattack.

The space around them transformed into a chaotic battlefield, shards of ice shattering on the ground and a palpable energy filling the air. Monica, still recovering, looked at Beatrice. "We need to do something!"

Kryssia seemed to be in her element, her ice manipulation skills terrifying. Every movement was methodical, and Samira felt the pressure intensifying with each attack.

"I'm going to die..." Samira thought for a moment, feeling the weight of the situation. 'She's a cultivator above Grandmaster... she's not attacking with all her strength... because she wants answers...'

'She mistook us for members of the Black Association...' she murmured. In the midst of their exchanges, Samira sensed it was just... a waste of time.

'He'll be disappointed in me...' She thought of him for a few seconds... 'I'm sorry, my dear...'

"Get out of here!" Samira screamed as her large sword cut through the air, pushing Kryssia back in a surge of flames that nearly melted her blade.

"B-but!" Monica protested, "We don't have time. The three of us will die if this continues... Go to him! Save yourselves!" Samira ordered as she began to let her residual mana spill into the environment.

"Samira, don't you dare!" Beatrice shouted, but Samira simply smiled at her. "Tell him I love him," she said before a massive wall of dense fire sliced through the distance, separating Samira from Kryssia.

[Warning: Run immediately!!]

She read the message with a smile on her face. "The time to run is over, System... Tell him it was good while it lasted," Samira remarked as her body ignited.

She began channeling all her fire into her body, and now... "Supernova," she declared, her form engulfed in flames, her hair turning to pure fire.

"Come on... bring it on," Samira said as her sword fused with the flames.