I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

Amongst the various chambers provided for the great family, there was one that was currently occupied by none other than Ciara of the Merlin Household.

She was wrapped carefully in bandages and her head rested on a pillow, her gaze fixed on the dancing flames on the earthen brown walls.

It was dimly lit, a curtain blocking the sun's gentle light but it still suffused through, illuminating the dark shades of the red curtains, causing a shadowy cadence on the walls of the room.

Mystical floating lamps hung at each corner of the room, radiating warmth that banished the cold that had permeated through the window.

The medieval furniture was of the same quality and material as the other guestrooms. But each had an accumulation of different tales over the years etched on their surfaces.

It was configured in a standard arrangement, similar to the other rooms.

A knock resonated through the walls of the room, snapping her from the complicated thoughts that went through her mind and she quickly sat up.

The door opened, revealing a woman with raven black hair and crimson red eyes. She exuded an aura of control and power and her face was laced with apathy.

She held a white ceramic tray, with a pristine ceramic teapot and two teacups, she closed the door behind her and walked towards a chair, placing the tray on the table.

"How are you feeling ?" She asked, her gaze lingered on the tray while her mother watched her silently.

"I-I'm sorry, Mother…I lost". Ciara replied, her voice somber. She fiddled with the hem of her blanket and lowered her gaze from Kira.

A gentle silence filled the room as Kira's eyes swept over her daughter, her lips downturned and a deep sigh escaped her lips. "He was much stronger than anticipated and there were a lot of unprecedented scenarios".

Ciara nodded in agreement. In fact, the number of miscalculations she suffered during the battle was disadvantageous to her calculative mind.

Well, most of his abilities were explained to her on paper but the real, practical experience was something else entirely.

"Still, I put up a fight. I was….satisfied with the outcome….though in the end…". Memories of the sinister, icy feeling she felt as she lost control over her body haunted her thoughts and she shuddered softly.

"He must have wanted me to expand my mana so he could do that in the end". She said softly, confusion etched on her face.

A moment of silence ensued and Kira turned towards the table. She poured some tea into the cups and gave one to Ciara.

"The Jun household has always been a family of mysteries, especially the attributes of their traits. It's one of the reasons why they stand amongst the top three of the great family".

She sat down next to her daughter, her gaze serene, her eyes glinting with intensity as she stared vaguely at the wall.

Ciara looked up to her mother. "We couldn't prove that magic was superior to the sword".

"it's just one battle, Ciara. There will be countless battles that will exist in the future and many opportunities to prove magic is superior to the sword" Her expression turned stern, her brows creased into a deep furrow and dark shadows caused by the magical lamps accentuated the contours of her face.

"However, failure is not an option…and it should never be an option….so let this be your last". Her sharp gaze turned towards Ciara, causing a shiver to climb up her spine.

She gulped, turning away from her mother, her lips curling slightly upwards and her gaze losing focus. "Yes, Mother". She took a sip from her tea, the sweet fragrance filling the air as she enjoyed the feeling of warmth spreading through her body, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

A solemn silence settled in the room as the commotion from outside permeated through their walls.

*****

The battle had reached its final stages or what looked like the final stages.

Darell Silvan in all his princely glory, rested on the pole of his Spear. Two out of his torsos had been destroyed and his chest rose and fell as he gasped for air.

Blood dribbled down his arms and forehead. His armor had been dinted and damaged, penetrating through his alabaster skin. His gaze was hazy but it still sparkled with intensity as it locked on Jane Lucia.

He was in a similar situation, only a lot better. His fatigue was mild at best and his wounds on his golden-like skin weren't as much. Some seemed to be closing up on it's own, glowing a golden hue as it did.

His eyes were sharp and brimmed with divine power and his gaze was locked on Darell Silvan.

Both were stuck at a stalemate and Jane's thoughts were in overdrive as he accumulated the series of the events that had occurred during their battle.

'Hes used it once….does that mean he cant use it again ?' His gaze shifted towards the torso with the harp.

If it weren't for the regenerative abilities of both gods–the Sun god, Apollo and the god of destruction, Shiva he would have been at a disadvantage.

But even with his abilities, he still couldn't achieve the victory he so desperately sought. And time was running out.

He was using the abilities of two supreme gods at the same time and it was consuming his divine mana at a steady rate. He no longer had thirty minutes but twenty and once it ran out, using them would be unavailable for him for some time.

Meaning he wouldn't be able to use them against the final contenders if he were to make it through this round and that was an issue.

'Calling on any more supreme gods would be dangerous and limit the options I have for the upcoming battle…..if I make it to the upcoming battle'.

After all, Jane Lucia wasn't proficient in an attrition battle. He will lose if this goes on any longer and he was sure that Darell thought the same.

Jane was correct, unfortunately. Darell had decided a long time ago to prolong the battle as much as he could.

He could use the harp of life twice in a day for now though It was bound to change if he were to grow stronger in the future. But for now, he needed to abstain from using the second tune until much later

'About thirteen minutes have passed but yet it feels like an eternity…his attacks are too powerful to be handled by a single weapon dharma and I'm forced to use all of it, leaving me at a disadvantage'.

He always prided with his multiple limbs which enabled him to maneuver and strike out with his variety of weapons.

'not to mention, using my abilities of fire and lightning against…whatever gods he's using isn't exactly working well'.

He was the son of the Elven King, known as the Master of all Weapons and he was blessed with that talent.

Only, it didn't seem to mean much before the power of the gods.

He sighed. 'Thinking about it won't help, I need to stall…' A thought crossed his mind when Jane took a step forward.

"I've always wondered !" He quickly said, causing Jane to pause his actions.

Jane stared at him puzzled, his left eyebrow arched, intrigued by what he was about to say next.

"What is it with your stigmas ? you make it seem like there are multiple gods when there's just one, the mother Gaia".

Jane's gaze flickered, his lips curling into a smile. "stalling I see ?" he asked, amusement in his voice.

Darell snorted. "Why would I need to stall ? I have all the time in the world to put you down". He stood up straight, gripping his spear tightly.

Jane's gaze lingered on him for a moment but then looked away. "well, the gods we serve are only the ones that we are aware of". He said when he looked up at the sun. 'well, a little rest wouldn't hurt'. He thought to himself.

"Well, The Lucia Household has a long history. We were once pilgrims you see, and we traveled to different towns, villages, kingdoms, learning their traditions, worshiping their gods and along that line, We acquired divine power". Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

"..." Darell's mind wondered. Knowledge on the histories of the twelve great families was always a secretive matter between the families so learning of this was a rather, surprisingly interesting situation. 'Pilgrims ? that would explain a few things'. He thought when he heard loud footsteps.

He sighed, snapping back to reality.

"Well, that's enough of that" Jane rolled his aching hands as he stepped forward, a spark of resilience in his eyes as dust swirled around his feet- a comical sight of a duel about to take place.

"Then ?" He charged without warning, appearing beside Darell within a second.

Darell clicked his tongue, disappointed by the turn of events. He couldn't stall long enough and now he had to dance to the tune that Jane had set.

He quickly turned, forming a golden dome that protected him from the incoming blow.

It was only meant to cushion the impact as he stretched out his hand.

"Spirit Elf Magic….!".

A golden light shone within the dome as Jane's fist smashed into it, causing the wind to propel and blow Darell backwards.

He grunted in pain but he was fine, appearing on his hand was a brown grimoire, crafted from ancient wood. The kind of wood you wouldn't find in a mundane forest. It held within it mysteries of the earth's foundation.

A golden spear manifested on his other arm as he plunged it into the ground, stopping his momentum. He yelped in pain as blood spurted out of his mouth from the impact.

He looked up and found Jane charging yet again.

His fists glowing red and a blaze of fire blasting out from within.

He couldn't keep on fighting Jane the way he did at the moment, he had to retaliate, holding back meant defeat and thus he summoned it.

The mysteries of the Elven clan, The Grimoire of Gaia.

He glared at Jane, a frenzied glint behind his eyes as he called out in a hushed tone."...Chapter 8– Wind Superposition".