Black flames rushed forward, bending in the air to pass by the ice crystals that formed to block them. Yet, when they came close to the woman, she raised her hand towards them, releasing a wave of snow that collided against them, drowning them in its mass of white.

Once more I gathered my flames for the next strike, but before I could release them again the icicles around her began to shift, spinning as they locked onto me.

Together they shot forward. Raising my hands, I created multiple barriers, only for them to shatter one after another as the icicles drilled through them. Stepping back, I tried to avoid them, only for them to change their direction, keeping me in their path.

Damn!

Without another choice I released the flames, sending them towards the ice. With a sizzling noise the attacks collided, before both canceled each other out, leaving nothing more than remaining humidity.

Noticing how her icicles didn’t work the woman changed tactics as she raised both hands towards me, releasing a freezing wind filled with sharp ice splinters. Raising my temperature, the whole area around me began to hiss when the heat struck against the cold. But even then, the splinter continued onwards, stabbing lightly into me before they completely melted.

Then, without any prior sign, the storm stopped. Regaining a clear view, I saw the woman again, stepping back through the air just in time to dodge Homura’s claw coming from her side. Just like before each of her step released a growing crystal, that soon shot towards Homura.

The first already flew towards her while she was still in the air, making her unable to dodge. Twisting her body her foot shot around, smashing into the icicle and kicking it past her. Landing on the ground again her agility allowed her to easily dodge the others, as she rushed towards her once again.

I, on the other hand, now that she didn’t attack me, gathered my flames once more. Instead of an exploding orb however I stretched them, making them longer and thinner, just like the spears she used to attack us. Releasing them they shot forwards, striking at the woman.

Only now she looked towards me, feeling my attack coming towards her, simply to create another shield of frost and waiting for it to impact against it. That it did, but opposed to before, where the flames spread on contact, they pressed on a single point, melting through it to continue on the other side.

Barely she stepped aside, the flames grazing at her colorless skin, only for Homura’s claw to lie in wait ready to tear her apart. She tried to raise her hand, before she noticed that it was already to late to blast her away. Yet, when the claw rushed towards her chest she tilted backwards, her entire body falling down to evade the rising claw.

By a hairbreadth the two passed by each other, before another ice crystal appeared beneath the woman, as she pushed herself sideways to get away from her.

“Don’t think you’ll get away!” Homura shouted as she stepped onto the growing icicle to push herself towards her again. Barely could the woman lift her arms in front of her, before Homura was above her, fist cracking down on the icy arms and sending her flying towards the ground.

For the first time the woman touched the ground and before she had another chance to get up back again Homura fell onto her, sending splinters of ice flying all around the two. When the view cleared once more, I saw Homura lifting her hand from where the woman’s head had been, only ice splinter remaining from it, along with the cold, and now still body.

Turning around she grinned at me viciously, as she stepped over the remains. “I smashed her!”

“I see…” Certainly her bestial instincts seem to take over in a fight. Thinking so I looked towards her, when I noticed a light twitch coming from the body. “It’s still alive!”

A spell circle flickered up for a moment, shrouding Homura in a barrier just in time to block a shrapnel shot made from ice as the body exploded. This ice however, instead of simply melting when it came in contact with the heat, backed away again.

Splinter for splinter gathered together, forming the silhouette of a body once more, before her dress followed her example, splitting apart into little snowflakes which then gathered around her body to encase her in a white globe.

My flames rushed forward, striking at the mass of snow. Steam began to rise from it, but before they could push through the snow shifted, reinforcing the strained part. And then, just as the woman finished reconstructing her body, so did her dress as the snow fell inwards to enshroud her.

“I should’ve guessed that she could restore herself.” Homura spoke bitterly. “Why can’t anything in here die just like that!” Once more she rushed forward to slice at the woman.

She opened her icy lips, her voice resounding once more. “I promised him to shroud this world in ice, a never-ending winter.” As she finished cold wind spiked up around us, showering us in a storm of ice splitters.

And before Homura could step near again she was forced to a standstill, as the storm raged even stronger around her, allowing the woman to once again rise into the air.

“Stay here!” When Homura once again began to run without any regards for her body I summoned a barrier around her, leaving it to my flames to protect me from the storm, but after the woman dodged her first strike there was little she could do.

Now, instead of stepping through the air while releasing the ice crystals she let herself be swept along with the wind. Leaving her no chance to follow after her like before. And with her best chance gone the woman used the winds to keep her away from her.

Once more I create fiery spears, shooting them towards her, but the roaring winds threw them of their aim, making them pass by her. When I tried to hit her with an exploding orb however she simply created an icy shield once more. Even taking direct control of the flames did little more, as the shards of ice flying around shredded them again and again before they could reach.

Attacking from afar shows no results, but I won’t get anywhere near her in this storm.

“Homura, can you put her down once more?”

“Not without a proper foothold.”

Out of the snow a series of icicles came. Dodging the first two, I created a barrier to block the third, stopping if right in front of me. Looking at the icicle hold in place I had an idea.

“Leave that to me!” I called out to her, as I began to move closer. Spear after spear crashed towards me while the woman began to float higher and higher to keep herself out of Homura’s range.

“Ready when you are!” She shouted towards me, as she kept herself close beneath the woman.

“Now!”

Once more the woman stopped, floating in the eye of the storm above us. On my shout Homura strained her legs pushing herself upwards, but her jump was far from reaching the woman, making her indifferent towards Homura as she focused on me.

Shifting my body slightly I let a spear pass by my body as I pushed my white arm forward, a circle flickering up momentarily. I disregarded it momentarily, as I focused on the right timing. Opposed to the other spears however, this one exploded, sending shards all over my body.

Pain ailed my body, as it was shredded into, but I kept my focus on the spell, erecting a barrier just beneath Homura. This one however didn’t let her just bypass it, making her land on it briefly, before she pushed herself up once more.

The woman couldn’t even react as Homura was suddenly beside her and with her leg speeding down from above she kicked her down towards me.

“Let’s see you restore yourself after this!” Bringing forth my other hand I released the flickering, black flames in a massive wave, swallowing the icy body completely.