Chapter 19

Facing off against someone you know is much more powerful than you in every regard is an experience that is difficult to put into words. Your head is in turmoil while your heart is calm as if it has already accepted the inevitable loss you seem destined for. You observe every movement of the opponent, unable to anticipate what the next moment will bring.

Every flick of the finger, every twitch of the eyebrow seems like a personal assault on your well-being, threatening to overwhelm your mental defences and urging you to submit. You find yourself unsure of the strategy you should follow in the upcoming fight, unable to hedge on your bets on either your underwhelming offence or your shaky defence.

I was vaguely aware of the chilling air around me as I noticed that Frost seemed to truly be focused for the first time that fight. The air seemed to shift around him as he manifested his ability and gathered his power, the temperature dropping all around us rapidly to dangerous lows. There was no doubt in any of our minds that this Frost’s arena, his home field and that he could and would shift even the environment around us into his favour.

Frank, it seemed wasn’t one to be fazed though. Despite the fatigue he undoubtedly felt, he fired off an attack towards Frost which was promptly dodged by Frost by a mere sidestep. Frank had anticipated this though as he charged at Frost before his attack had even reached its destination, his palms ablaze in flames similar to the time he had first shown me his abilities.

It was time for me to also take the initiative and I did that as soon as Frank reached Frost with the sole intention of killing him. Frank’s attack was parried by Frost with ease but I wasn’t about to give him the upper hand. I quickly followed up Frank’s attack, swinging my scythe in the air in a neat arc aimed at his neck.

Frost had anticipated my move though, as he ducked below my attack casually, almost as if I was too slow for him. I quickly decided to remedy that though, slowing down time around him. I was hesitant to do this I wasn’t yet able to control who it affected personally. It resulted in Frank also being affected by my ability. It wouldn’t impede his ability to fight Frost as they would be stuck in the same flow of time. But it also didn’t give him much of an advantage when confronting Frost while also impeding my own attacks as I had to time my own attacks perfectly to make up for the different speeds.

We quickly got into a rhythm though, each of us confronting Frost with a barrage of attacks. We developed a pattern where I would take on Frost in close combat, using my scythe and ability to full effect while Frank basically peppered Frost with long-range beams and blasts, forming an effective combination to hold off Frost.

To a casual observer looking in from the outside, it would seem like we had the upper hand, that we had backed Frost into a corner and it was only a matter of time before we broke through his defences and struck the final blow. But the truth was much different and it was scary as hell. We weren’t fooled by his seeming reluctance to attack. He was navigating this fight with complete ease as if he were in a spar rather than a battle to the death.

We had no doubts about the fact we were able to attack him for such long periods of time only because he wanted us to. The tide of the battle could be turned at any possible moment seeming on Frost’s whims. His inaction was infuriating while our own inability to shatter his seemingly impenetrable defences were bearing no fruits.

This weird, almost choreographed battle went on for a few more minutes before it seemed like Frost had finally had enough. And me being the one nearest to him made me his first target. His pace increased in the blink of an eye, almost as if he had negated my very ability. He was in front of me with a burst of speed, penetrating my defence before I even knew what was happening. I was caught in a moment of panic and surprise and he took full advantage, punching me with ice-covered fists. The attack served to launch me across the battlefield while I was nearly knocked out by the pain.

My ability immediately shut down as Frost was almost immediately upon me as soon as I hit the ground. A quick punch to my gut with the same force had me seeing stars and I found myself unable to move. Frank, meanwhile, had caught up to us and struck Frost in his back with the most force he could muster, buoyed by his ability.

Frost was immediately sent flying in much the same as I was a few moments ago. Before Frost could even comprehend the stunning fact that he had been hit, Frank was on top of him again, raining down a volley of punches on him. This sequence of events when Frost quickly retreated, trying to create separation between Frank and himself.

That did not hold back Frank though. Before Frost could gather his bearings, Frank had gathered a large sphere of pure energy in his palms which was magnificently bright and blinding in its appearance. Before Frost even had a chance to look up to the imminent danger he was in, Frank had launched the attack upon him. The attack was too quick for Frost to dodge as the light fully engulfed him. This had me hoping that the attack had done its job and we had seen the end of Frost.

My prayers weren’t answered though, as Frost emerged from the light in a blaze of glory, humiliation and rage written all over his visage. The fact we had somehow managed to land a hit on him made him completely change his focus and temperament. Before Frank could fully regain his bearings after having relaxed somewhat after his supposed killing blow, Frost was in front of him, arms in ice which seemed to end on a sharp edge, almost as his arm was a longsword.

Frank somehow managed to avoid the first attack, with Frost’s blow barely missing him by inches. But he was not lucky the second time around though, as Frost was quick to follow up. Frank had barely had time to watch Frost’s attack before he found pierced in the abdomen by the sharp icicle, his countenance displaying nothing but shock.

He slowly looked down to see where Frost’s hand had penetrated his body before Frost extracted his arm from Frank’s abdomen. The icicle which had been a pure white before was now drenched in Frank’s blood, dripping it all over the ground.

Frank seemed to be struggling to comprehend the sight of the massive hole where his abdomen was supposed to be. He collapsed to the ground in slow motion, almost as if my ability had stopped affecting him. I could only look on his daze as my best friend lay on the ground, his breath coming in gasps and his life visibly living his body.

Before the final breath could truly leave Frank’s body though, he was encased in a tomb of ice, with Frost moving towards me now that he had taken care of Frank.

“Can’t have our friend dying on us now, can we, not while he has yet to serve his true purpose. Did I tell you that my targets needed to be alive for me to steal their powers, the last time you living this defeat? Ice is a great preservative; you’ve got to agree.” Frost said all with a smile on his face as if we were discussing our homework.