BLOOD PAWN

Yuui's body was trembling as she struggled to push herself up once more. She couldn't even manage to stand fully, her legs barely holding her weight. Her bones felt like they were on the verge of snapping, her muscles screaming in agony with every attempt to rise. Yet, through sheer force of will, she kept moving, even if her body was faltering.

Her breathing was shallow, labored. Every breath felt like a thousand needles stabbing into her lungs. But she refused to stay down, forcing her battered body to continue, her vision flickering in and out of focus.

Meanwhile, Winter stood motionless, watching her struggle. He could see how broken she was, how close to collapse. But then, something clicked in his mind—a moment of hesitation as his eyes darted upward, remembering.

"What about those energy orbs?"

He suddenly realized that Yuui had launched two powerful orbs at the beginning of their clash, and they hadn't exploded. Not yet. The thought sent a ripple of unease through him.

"What happened to them?"

Slowly, Winter lifted his gaze to the sky, searching for them. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted them—still there, still spinning.

The two orbs, which Yuui had fired earlier, hadn't dissipated or exploded like he had expected. Instead, they were floating ominously in the air, just above the spot where Winter had been standing at the start of their battle. But they weren't idle. They were spinning faster and faster, collecting energy—drawing power from the very energy cloud that yuui had summoned.

The orbs had absorbed a tremendous amount of energy, and now they pulsed with a fierce light, radiating with an intensity that was impossible to ignore.

"How did I miss this?"

Winter's crimson eyes narrowed as he stared up at the orbs, a sinking feeling settling in his chest. He had been too focused on overpowering Yuui, too absorbed in his own arrogance. And now, those two orbs, infused with pure energy, were gathering enough power to become a significant threat.

The spinning was accelerating, and the energy swirling within them was building to a critical mass. Winter's blood armor shimmered as he instinctively prepared himself, realizing that these orbs weren't just an afterthought—they were a ticking time bomb.

Yuui, barely managing to stay on her feet, noticed Winter's distraction. Her body was weak, her energy suit barely flickering, but through the haze of exhaustion and pain, she saw the opportunity.

Her orbs. They hadn't vanished. They were still there, and they had been absorbing energy from the very cloud Yuui had created. Yuui's heart thudded in her chest, a flicker of hope igniting despite the agony she felt.

"This... is my chance."

"If he hadn't beaten me down like this… I wouldn't have lost control over my energy orbs", she thought, her gaze flicking to the glowing spheres.

"But now, this is my chance. They may be small, but the energy inside… If I don't act now, it'll be too late."

With every ounce of strength left in her, Yuui raised her head and called out.

"Rico!" (RICO WINTER )

Her voice echoed across the battlefield, cutting through the silence that had followed their brutal exchange. Winter's crimson eyes shifted toward her, his expression still one of cold calculation, though there was a flicker of something else there now—uncertainty.

"You know what happens.... when highly..... energies particles collide..., right?" Yuui shouted, her voice growing stronger despite the pain surging through her body.

Winter's brow furrowed at first, confused by the sudden question. But as her words sank in, his mind raced, piecing together the implications. His eyes flicked upward again toward the orbs still spinning in the sky, absorbing energy at an alarming rate.

"highly energies particles."

The realization hit him like a thunderclap. A collision of two highly energies particles could release a catastrophic amount of energy. And those orbs, despite their small size, were brimming with power—enough to create a tremendous amount of energy if they collided.

"Huge energy..." Winter whispered, his voice barely audible as the gravity of the situation dawned on him. His eyes darted around, scanning the battlefield for any cover, any way to shield himself from the impending explosion.

Panic flashed across his face as he realized there was nowhere to hide. The blood cloud he had relied on for so long was shrinking, its energy already siphoned into the orbs. The ground was scorched, and the sky above them was barren. There was nothing left to protect him.

"I underestimated her... "

Yuui could see the unease in Winter's eyes. For the first time, the confidence, the arrogance he had displayed throughout the battle, faltered. He understood what was about to happen, and she was counting on it.

The sky lit up in a blinding flash as the two energy orbs collided. There was no massive nuclear explosion, but the impact was still devastating—an eruption of power that rippled through the atmosphere. The shockwave was immense, a two times magnitudes greater than Yuui's first energy orb attacks, and the force was enough to send tremors through the ground below.

In the sky, the remnants of Winter's blood cloud were caught in the explosion. The crimson mist, once swirling ominously over the battlefield, was torn apart by the blast. The blood particles disintegrated as they were swept up in the massive energy wave, dissipating into nothing, the sky cleared.

On the ground, the impact was severe. The force of the blast cracked the earth, sending shockwaves that reverberated across the battlefield. Large chunks of dirt and stone were thrown into the air, crashing back down in a chaotic storm. Yuui, though exhausted, was shielded by the remnants of her energy barrier, the shimmering aura protecting her from the worst of the explosion. But even with the barrier, the force of the blast sent her staggering backward, her body barely holding together.

As the dust began to settle, silence fell over the battlefield. The once-chaotic energy of the fight had vanished, leaving behind only a desolate, empty landscape.

Yuui struggled to stay upright, her legs trembling beneath her. Her vision was blurry, but she could still feel the aftermath of the explosion vibrating through her bones. She looked around, her heart racing as she scanned the area for any sign of Winter. But there was nothing—no movement, no ominous presence, only the faint glow of her fading energy barrier.

With a deep breath, Yuui raised her hand, the glow of her energy suit dimming as she channeled the last of her magic.

"Holy Heal," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

A soft, radiant light enveloped her body, and slowly, the pain began to ease. The bruises on her skin faded, and the sharp ache in her chest lessened. Her breaths came easier, the healing magic working to mend her broken body. But even as the spell took effect, Yuui's focus remained on one thing—Winter.

Her eyes darted across the battlefield, searching for any trace of him.

"Was he dead? Had the explosion finally finished him off?"

The ground was scorched, the air still thick with the lingering energy of the blast. But there was no sign of Winter's blood suit, no sign of his red eyes, no sign of him at all.

Yuui's heart raced as she took a cautious step forward, her gaze sweeping over the rubble and debris.

"Where is he?" she muttered under her breath, the unease gnawing at her.

The explosion should have been enough to destroy him, but if there was one thing she had learned about Winter, it was that he was unpredictable.

She walked further into the wreckage, her hand glowing faintly with the energy she had left, ready for any surprises. But even as she searched, there was nothing.

"Is he really gone?"

Her mind raced with possibilities. Winter had always seemed invincible, always one step ahead. Could the explosion truly have wiped him out, or was he simply biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again?

The thought made her blood run cold.