Chapter 110: Still warming up

Chapter 110: Still warming up The air crackled with elemental power as Commander Elira faced Whisper, their initial clash sending shockwaves through the surrounding battlefield. Snow and ice particles hung suspended in the air between them, caught in competing currents of elemental energy. *FZZZT-SNAP—BOOOM—tink-tink-tink* "Your command of air is... adequate," Whisper taunted, her form seeming to blur at the edges as she stepped sideways with unnatural grace. "But air is merely the beginning. Void is the ultimate expression—the absence that defines presence." *whssssh* Elira’s response was a concentrated burst of compressed air that sliced through the space Whisper had occupied mere seconds before. The attack carved a deep furrow in the frozen ground, but Whisper had already shifted position, appearing three paces to the left with a subtle displacement of air. *SHRIEEEEK—CHRRRKK—pop* "You mistake speed for mastery," Whisper observed, raising both hands palm-outward. The space between them darkened visibly, light itself seeming to be drawn inward toward her fingertips with a low, ominous resonance. "Allow me to demonstrate true power." *thrummm* The void-tinged air shot forward in rippling waves. Elira countered with a swirling vortex of her own creation, the competing forces meeting with a thunderous impact that sent both warriors skidding backward through bloodstained snow. A nearby tree shattered from the concussive force, wooden splinters embedding themselves in the corpses littering the ground around them. *VWOOM-VWOOM—WHOOSH-WHUUURL—CRACK-BOOOM—shhhk-shhhk—CRACK-SNAP-CRASHH—thunk-thunk* Elira recovered first, drawing dual currents of air into a compressed sphere between her palms. The sphere rotated with increasing speed, creating a high-pitched whine as air molecules scraped against each other with violent intensity. *whir-WHIRRR-SCREEE* "Impressive focus," Whisper acknowledged, her own hands weaving complex patterns that left trails of darkness in their wake. "But fundamentally limited. You work with what exists. I command that which exists between existence." *sssshhhk-sssshhhk* To demonstrate, she thrust one hand forward. The air directly in front of Elira seemed to... vanish. Not displaced, not compressed—simply gone. Elira’s lungs seized painfully as she gasped, finding nothing to breathe. Her concentration broke, the compressed air sphere dissipating harmlessly. *VWOOMPH—hhhck-hhhck—wheeee* Whisper’s void-rimmed fingers closed into a tight fist. "The absence of air is the simplest application," she explained, watching Elira struggle for breath. "But the void offers so much more." With visible effort, Elira forced her hand upward, fingers splayed wide. A desperate surge of wind erupted from below, breaking Whisper’s concentration just enough to disrupt the void pocket. Air rushed back into the space with explosive force, knocking both warriors apart. *FWOOOOOSH—BANG* Elira rolled to her feet, chest heaving as she drew precious oxygen back into her lungs. "You talk... too much," she gasped, gathering her power once more. The wind around her intensified, snow and ice rising in a protective cyclone that hummed with lethal potential. *crunch-crunch—whoosh-whoosh-WHIRRR* Whisper’s colorless eyes narrowed slightly—the first sign of genuine respect she’d shown. "Perhaps," she conceded, dark energy gathering between her outstretched hands with a sinister resonance. "Let our elements speak instead." *vrrrmmm* Twenty paces away, Captain Diana of the Moonlight Kingdom wove through a barrage of stone projectiles, her movements fluid and precise. Each deadly missile narrowly missed as she redirected her body with subtle air currents, leaving afterimages in her wake. *zip-whoosh-zip—fwip-fwip-fwip* Thorne growled in frustration, her gauntleted fists slamming into the frozen ground. Fissures radiated outward in a spiderweb pattern, earth erupting upward in jagged spikes that forced Diana into a desperate aerial maneuver. *WHAM—crack-crack-crack—SHUNK-SHUNK-SHUNK* "Your agility is admirable," Thorne acknowledged, metal spikes extending from her knuckles as she stalked forward. "But air lacks substance. Earth endures." *shing-shing* "Endurance has its limits," Diana countered, gathering swirling air currents around her right arm. The compressed air formed into a gleaming blade that hummed with destructive potential. "As does patience." *whirrrrrr—vmmmmm* She struck with blinding speed, her air-blade slicing toward Thorne’s exposed neck. The earth-wielder barely managed to raise her gauntleted forearm, metal screaming against compressed air as the two elements collided. Sparks erupted from the contact point, both women straining against each other with gritted teeth. *VZZZT—SCREEEECH—tzzt-tzzt-tzzt* Diana disengaged first, spinning away on a self-generated air current that carried her beyond Thorne’s immediate reach. Without hesitation, she formed a dozen razor-sharp air discs, launching them in rapid succession at her opponent. *whoooosh—fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip* Thorne responded by pulling a wall of stone and ice from the ground, most of the air projectiles embedding harmlessly in the improvised barrier. Two discs found their mark, however, slicing deep furrows across Thorne’s armored shoulder and thigh. Blood welled from both wounds, instantly freezing in the bitter cold. *RUMBLE-CRACK—thunk-thunk-thunk—SHHHK-SHHHK—sizzzle* "First blood to air," Diana observed coolly, already gathering power for her next attack. "Perhaps substance is overrated." *whirrrr* Thorne’s expression darkened as she touched her wounded shoulder. "A scratch means nothing," she snarled, slamming both fists into the ground. The earth responded to her rage, trembling violently before erupting upward in a wave of stone, ice, and frozen soil. *BOOM—rrrumble-rrrumble—CRASH-ROAR* Diana leapt skyward, air currents catching and lifting her above the deadly wave. For a crucial moment, she hung suspended, safe from the earthen onslaught—and completely exposed to Thorne’s follow-up attack. *fwoooosh* The earth-wielder had anticipated her defensive move. With practiced precision, she pulled a storm of stone shards from the ground and launched them upward in a deadly cloud aimed directly at Diana’s unprotected back. *crack-crack-crack—WHOOSH* Diana sensed the attack too late to fully avoid it. She managed to twist mid-air, compressing air into a partial shield, but several stone fragments penetrated her defenses. One shard sliced across her cheek, another embedded itself in her upper arm, and a third tore through her lower leg. *vmmm—thwip—chunk—shunk* She landed awkwardly, blood spattering the snow beneath her boots. "Impressive coordination," she acknowledged, maintaining her composure despite the pain. The air around her vibrated with increasing intensity as she gathered her power once more. "But predictable." *crunch—vmmm-VMMM* Thorne advanced steadily, the ground shifting beneath her feet to propel her forward. "Predictability has its uses," she replied, metallic gauntlets morphing into serrated blades. "Especially when it leads to victory." *crunch-crunch-slide—shing-shing* Across the battlefield, Queen Elena unleashed the full fury of her elemental mastery. Three black-robed warriors charged her position, blades raised for a coordinated attack. The queen’s expression remained calm, almost serene, as she extended both hands toward the frozen ground. *shink-shink* The earth responded immediately, rippling outward like liquid despite its frozen state. The first attacker stumbled as the ground beneath her feet suddenly gave way, sinking ankle-deep into suddenly viscous soil. Before she could recover, a stone spike erupted upward, punching through her jaw and exploding from the crown of her skull in a spray of bone fragments and brain matter. *rumble-rumble—squelch—SHUNK—crack-splat*