"I Reincarnated But Have No System? You Must Be Kidding Me!"

Austaire's mana-imbued golden sword cut cleanly through Magnus's neck, the mana-heated blade parting flesh and bone as though slicing through parchment.

Shiing!~

His head toppled, thudding against the cold stone floor with a dull echo.

But her lips did not curve into triumph. Instead, her brow furrowed.

'Something's wrong.'

As an awakened experienced knight herself, she had slain many foes, some stronger than her, others weaker.

The moment of a beheading was always the same- shock in the eyes, a frozen scream etched on their face, fear twisting their final expression.

But Magnus was different.

'His defeat came too easy. Like it didn't matter at all'

Her gaze darted to the severed head, still rolling to a stop at her feet. His features bore no fear.

No desperation. Instead, his lips were twisted into a crooked smile, his eyes brimming with mockery, as if death itself was beneath him.

Suddenly the head melted into water, as if the spell that was binding it finally disappeared.

'No way.'

Her instincts flared. Ovan's voice screamed inside her head.

'Behind you!'

Austaire reacted instantly.

She spun, leaping to the side while slashing her sword backward with fluid precision.

Clang!

Hot steel rang against cold steel.

Her golden blade met another, halting the strike inches before it could split her back open.

Sparks danced as she absorbed the blow, and using the recoil, she slid farther away to gain breathing room.

"Now I am certain."

Magnus emerged from the drifting fog, his silhouette cutting through the pale mist as if the cold itself bowed to his presence. His voice was calm, almost amused.

"I only heard rumors, but seeing you leaves no doubt. You're cloaked in a disguising skill… and that Divine Frame of yours is an altered form. You are wrapped in mana that doesn't belong to you."

He stood tall behind her, whole and unshaken, while his eyes glowed with a menacing bluish hue. His flesh had vanished, his body sculpted into jagged shards of ice that gleamed with a cruel light.

Slowly, the shards knit together. Ice thickened, smoothed, and hardened until skin reformed. In the end, his true figure stood once more, lips curled into a wicked grin.

'A body-switching skill…' Austaire's eyes narrowed.

He wasn't just strong. He was a monster!

Magnus's grin widened, savoring her realization.

"Perfect. Then, in that case, you already know where to find that elusive Gregorio, I suppose."

He hefted his weapon- a three-meter blade of bluish crystal. Fragilelooking but hard as Runesteel.

Cold mist poured off it in heavy clouds, the temperature of the chamber dropping with every passing second.

The stone floor began to glaze with frost, the chill creeping toward the chains of the half-dead prisoners slumped in the corners.

"Honestly, I already have an idea who you are behind that veil after you showed those flaming wings.," he continued.

His voice was calm, almost playful. "But I'd rather let my sword carve the truth out of you."

Mana surged through his weapon. The blade glowed brighter, streams of icy vapor swirling around him, spilling outward until the prison was drowned in fog.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Magnus said, his tone brimming with certainty.

Then he moved. A blur of cold steel and killing intent.

'Be careful, he's coming!' Ovan shouted.

Austaire's wings of fire flared open, blazing with golden mana.

"Let's see about that!"

Her fiery wings cracked against the air as she vaulted to the side, her sword burning like a miniature sun.

The chamber was wide enough to give her wings space, but the chains hanging from the ceiling and the bodies of prisoners made maneuvering treacherous.

"Don't run, bitch! You still have questions to answer! " Magnus bellowed, his words carrying in the cold haze.

"Talk to my sword!" she roared back, slashing downward.

Their blades collided with a resounding crash.

The clash of fire and frost lit the dungeon in bursts of gold and blue.

CLANG!~

SLASH!~

CLANG!~

Sparks hissed where ice met flame, steam rising as each element struggled for dominance.

The prisoners stirred, their sunken eyes reflecting both terror and awe. For them, it was as if day and night had clashed before their broken chains.

Magnus pressed forward, his attacks a blizzard of precision strikes. His blade left trails of frost in the air, every swing exhaling deathly cold.

Austaire matched him blow for blow, her golden sword blazing hotter, her shield shimmering with determination. She fought not just with skill, but with defiance, her fiery wings casting radiant light across the frostbitten dungeon.

Night and day. Frost and flame.

But the truth still remains, Magnus's power was pressing her down.

[CHILLING EDGE]

Magnus raised his free hand, summoning dozens of smaller blades formed from ice. They screeched forward, streaks of frozen death cutting through the mist, all from different angles.

[FLAME WALL]

Austaire planted her feet, golden flames roaring from her shield to form a barrier.

The icy swords shattered against it one after another, melting into rivulets of water that hissed as they struck the heated floor.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

But the barrage didn't stop.

They came endlessly, each wave stronger, faster.

Her shield shook beneath the pounding impact. The ground cracked at her heels. She slid backward, her boots skidding over stone slick with frost.

Then her back slammed into the wall.

Her breath hitched. Sweat dripped down her brow, sizzling as it met the golden flames surrounding her.

'This is bad… Auren, please… come back…'

Her voice trembled in her mind, desperation clinging to her every thought.

Magnus's laughter echoed in the fog.

HAHAHA!

"Impressive defense. Let's see how long it lasts."

Another magic circle bloomed at his side, conjuring yet more icy blades. His other hand clenched around his massive weapon, poised for the killing stroke as he advanced through the fog.

Ugh~

Her arms shook. Her fingers were going numb. Mana burned through her veins, draining away with each second she kept her magical wall intact.

She knew her limits, and they were closing in fast.

Only her affinity with fire gave her a sliver of survival. Without it, she would already be frozen solid, another corpse like the prisoners whose bodies were frostbitten and brittle against the walls.

'Princess, he's within range now', Ovan reminded.

Her jaw tightened.

'Alright, let's do this.'

As soon as Magnus stepped into her radius, Austaire poured the last of her mana into her shield.

[SHIELD ROAR]

Shhhii-BOOOM!

A blast of metallic thunder exploded outward, shaking the dungeon walls and rumbling through the castle above. It sounded like a thousand anvils crashing under lightning, a sound no soldier of Austerra could mistake.

The sound from within was deafening, a brutal force that shook the stone itself. And the damage? It wasn't damage at all- it was ruin, the mark of the White Fang's fury.

Its roar tore through the night, carrying far across the fortress, echoing like a beast's proclamation of dominion.

"Enemy!" the distant guards cried. "Alert the knights!"

Armor rattled. Boots thundered.

Within moments, soldiers were rushing through the corridors, the knight-captain barking orders.

"All forces to the western cells! We have intruders in the underground prison!"

Above the dungeon, in his private chambers, King Auborn stirred.

The sound had reached him as well.

The young king was sprawled across silken sheets, three concubines draped around him. The women shrieked as the echo thundered through the walls, panic flashing in their eyes.

But Auborn only smirked.

'Finally, you are here...'

He rose with unhurried grace and wore his silkin royal robes, his voice calm and steady. "Do not fear."

His composure soothed the women, who scrambled to dress as the chamber doors slammed open.

Knights stormed in, clad in armor, their voices sharp with urgency.

"Your highness, forgive the intrusion. There is chaos in the underground prison. Our men- "

"I know," Auborn interrupted, his tone dismissive yet confident.

"I have already expected this."

He lifted a hand, his royal ring gleaming.

Shoom~

His staff emerged, a three-meter relic crowned with a golden phoenix clutching a glowing azure orb that pulsed like a living heart.

The smirk he wore before had vanished, replaced by the cold gaze of a predator.

Enchanted armor shimmered onto his body with a hiss, each plate locking into place as he strode forward.

A dozen knights marched at his side, another dozen mages close behind.

An advisor rushed to his side. "My King, please, you need not trouble yourself with this matter. Allow us- "

"I know," Auborn said again, smiling coldly. "But I want to see her with my own eyes."

The advisor froze. "Her…? Could it be- "

"Yes. That sound belongs only to one individual, it's my dearest sister Austaire." Auborn said. "After all, we share the same blood of my glorious father Aurelus."

The dimensional gate solidified. A knight-commander stepped forward, bowing. "Your highness, let us enter first to ensure it is safe- "

"There is no need." Auborn shoved him aside and stepped into the gate. "The one who should be careful tonight is not me… but Austaire."

...

Back in the dungeon, Austaire gasped for breath.

Before her, the ground was obliterated, a crater fifteen meters wide gouged into the prison floor. Her [Shield Roar] had struck with all her might, pulverizing the cell into rubble.

Magnus's body lay shattered into shards of ice.

But she felt no victory, only dread.

Her eyes widened, disbelief clutching her chest.

"No… impossible…"

From the mist stepped not one figure, but six.

Six Magnus. Each identical.

Each smiling. Each alive.

"Surprise," they said together, their voices echoing across the frozen chamber.

The six raised their blades, cold mist curling around them like serpents.

Magnus was not just a master of ice. He was a master of duplicity.