Chapter 198: Ling: I Am Not the Same Person I Was
Wise looked at Zhongli, his expression solemn. "We've decided to continue the fight. An opportunity like this is too rare to simply give up."
He paused, his gaze flickering with concern for the ancient being's expenditure of energy. "But... I have to ask, can you continue to suppress it, Mr. Zhongli? If the cost is too great, we can—"
Zhongli understood Wise's choice before the question was even finished. He calmly interrupted, his voice a steady, low rumble that put their minds at ease. "It is of no consequence."
His tone carried an absolute confidence that was as solid as the earth itself. "I will first ensure it is thoroughly trapped. You and Ling should use this time to recover. Then, we will fight again."
As the words left his lips, Zhongli's eyes narrowed. A majestic aura, as immense and unyielding as a towering mountain range, radiated from him. He swept his arms out horizontally, his grand robes billowing in a wind that wasn't there.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Four more colossal Stone Steles, even thicker than the last and etched with runes that blazed with a more dazzling light, erupted from the ground. They materialized with perfect precision around the ice-entombed Nikador, forming a sealing array that was exponentially sturdier and more powerful than the first.
Brilliant Geo energy, like chains of molten gold, wrapped layer upon layer around the ice sculpture, completely suppressing and locking down the power within. No matter how the creature's internal energy surged, it could not hope to breach this double confinement.
With Zhongli's assurance, Wise and Ling finally allowed themselves to relax.
They immediately retrieved the rejuvenation pills they had collected over the past two days from their inventories. Though it pained them to use such precious consumables, restoring their combat strength was paramount.
The two swallowed the pills, and a gentle medicinal power quickly dissolved, spreading warmth through their weary bodies. Coupled with the subtle, life-giving energy flowing from Zhongli's technique, their stamina and mental fortitude recovered at an astonishing rate.
Not long after, the siblings let out a long, synchronized breath. The fatigue clouding their eyes had vanished, replaced by a renewed, sharp vigor. They felt even better than they had before the battle began.
"We've recovered, Mr. Zhongli. Thank you!" Wise flexed his wrist, feeling the abundant power coursing through him once more, and offered his heartfelt gratitude.
Zhongli gave a slight nod. "There is no need for such politeness. Remember, once the ice breaks, Nikador may mutate. Its power could be even greater than before. You must remain vigilant."
Seeing that both had already assumed their fighting stances, their eyes firm with resolve, Zhongli said no more. With a gentle wave of his hand, the four new Stone Steles that had reinforced the prison sank silently back into the earth. The suppressive effect of the original grand array remained, however, still greatly limiting Nikador's range of movement and power output.
The very instant the seal loosened—
CRACK! RUMBLE!
The thick, solid ice encasing Nikador's body shattered with a deafening roar! Countless shards flew in every direction like shrapnel.
Just as with the other Nikadors they had encountered, a slightly smaller, dark-golden true body, its form more refined and sleek, tore its way out from the back of the crumbling stone shell.
This one, however, was different. A huge, penetrating void had been punched clean through its chest. Though no blood flowed from the wound, the gaping hole was a shocking sight.
"ROOOOAR—!!!"
The wounded Nikador let out a deafening shriek, waving its single remaining arm in a furious display of might, attempting to intimidate the two enemies who had inflicted such grievous damage.
But Wise and Ling were not the same people they were moments ago. Having stared death in the face and achieved a breakthrough born from desperation, their mindset and cooperation had ascended to a new level.
The siblings exchanged a single, sharp glance, an entire conversation passing between them in an instant. Never again will we be so reckless.
Flames surged around Wise, his Fire-Woven ribbons igniting like two roaring dragons of inferno. He paid no mind to the massive, slow-moving remnants of the stone shell. Instead, his focus locked unwaveringly onto the roaring, smaller, dark-golden true body with the hole in its chest.
"Ling, cover me!" Wise shouted, and a barrage of highly compressed purple fireballs shot forth, streaking like meteors toward the smaller Nikador. In his mind, that gaping wound had to be its true weakness.
Ling didn't hesitate for a second. While she couldn't immediately unleash another ultimate attack of that magnitude, Hyōrinmaru's power had grown immensely since its Shikai release. She swung her Zanpakutō, and blades of colder, more condensed ice shot out, striking the true body with pinpoint accuracy. They didn't aim to wound, but to restrict its movements, creating openings for Wise's fiery assault.
A new battle, centered on Nikador's true form, erupted once more within the confines of the Stone Stele array.
And this time, Wise and Ling's fighting style was visibly smarter, more stable, and far more lethal.
Facing the beast as it roared back to life, Ling's eyes held not a trace of hesitation.
She took a deep breath, gripping Hyōrinmaru tightly with both hands again. The deep incantation flowed naturally through her mind, and her clear, firm voice resounded across the battlefield.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens! Hyōrinmaru!"
An ice-blue glow, even more dazzling than before, erupted from her Zanpakutō.
This time, it wasn't just the blade that transformed. Centered on Ling, an intensely cold aura surged outward like a glacial tide.
Crack! Crackle!
The ground was rapidly coated in a thick, mirror-smooth layer of solid ice. The moisture in the air instantly condensed into a fine dust of glittering ice crystals. A biting cold wind materialized from nowhere, howling as it swept over everything. The chill seemed to penetrate flesh and blood, reaching deep into the soul, bringing with it a creeping stiffness where even thought itself threatened to freeze.
In the blink of an eye, the area within Zhongli's Stone Stele array had transformed into a veritable wasteland of ice.
Standing to the side, Zhongli nodded slightly, the look of approval in his eyes deepening. Ling's rate of progress was exceeding his expectations. Her control over Hyōrinmaru and her resonance with it were improving at a startling pace through the crucible of actual combat.
He even felt that, with the level of Shikai power Ling was now displaying, she and Wise could likely defeat a first-stage Nikador without his array providing suppression.
On the battlefield, the intertwining of ice and fire did not result in the expected cancellation.
This was because Wise's flames were no longer ordinary fire. They were highly condensed purple flames, forged through the power of the Mera Mera no Mi and tempered by his own will. Their purpose was not widespread scorching, but extreme temperature and penetrative power.
Meanwhile, Ling's Hyōrinmaru Shikai focused more on altering the environment, using a wide area of extreme cold to restrict and weaken the enemy.
Thus, a peculiar scene unfolded. Nikador's massive body was subjected to the bombardment of Wise's scorching purple fireballs one moment, only to be enveloped by an arctic gale capable of freezing steel the next.
Violently and repeatedly tormented between these two extremes of temperature, its stone armor groaned under the strain. Cracks spiderwebbed across its surface, and its movements became visibly slower, stiffer. Its attacks lost their frequency and speed, leaving it riddled with openings.
"Now, Ling!" Wise seized the opportunity and roared. His Fire-Woven ribbons danced, condensing a final, massive purple fireball that pulsed with terrifying energy. As the creature's sluggish movements exposed its chest, he smashed the inferno directly into the gaping void.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]