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Rize's ring flashed once more and the shards of ice shot towards Lowen like a hail of frozen daggers. Just as Lowen was about to jump out of the way, again, the ground shifted beneath his feet.

*Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink Schink*

Shards of ice continuously fell for a full minute creating a plum of icy mist that covered the area, entirely blocking the vision of any nearby. As the shards continued to fall, constant screams filled the dome as many goblin soldiers were caught in the crossfire. Rize, however, had no time to worry nor did he care about these weaklings falling before him. Right now his inner thoughts were wavering. When he used this attack, he still didn't know himself if he still wanted to capture Lowen or kill him. Lowen was like himself in the way that just when you thought there was nothing else that could be done, he would pull out a new trump card.

The walls continued to open but had now slowed to a crawl, it seemed that the last of the goblin soldiers had made it here but upon arriving, the sight they saw was terrifying. The last of them had just arrived and they saw their leader raining a hail of frozen shards down onto a small human boy, as well as some of their comrades. The horrible screams they heard turned their expressions pale with fright. As the mist began to settle, they still could hear their brethren shrieking and the cause was quite clear. Three monstrous-looking statues were rampaging about with the sole purpose of slaughtering. Standing over 9 ft tall, with seven arms as well as the head of an ape and a bear, these statues were easily slaughtering through these soldiers as though they were ants. A nearby soldier was picked up by a statue and swung about like a rag doll crashing into other soldiers and dying on impact. While this was happening, another soldier was picked up and simply torn in half armor and all and as his blood flowed like a fountain onto his comrades, another goblin soldier was picked up. Bringing this goblin soldier towards the head that resembled a bear, the bear head opened its jaws wide and encompassed the goblins entire head.

*CRUNCH*

As the bear's jaws slammed shut, a loud skull crushing noise echoed out throughout the chamber and continued as the bear shaped head chewed and gnashed with its rock teeth before spitting the mangled metal, flesh, and bone onto the ground. The goblins that had just arrived had not been affected by Rize's odd power and didn't immediately rush forward like the other soldiers, instead, they ran back to the walls in fear but how could Rize allow his soldiers to flee. Activating his powers, once more he ordered.

"Attack!"

And so they did. Like mindless drones, they attacked and attacked and attacked. At this time the mist had finally settled. Looking over the impact zone, Rize could only see body after body of his own soldiers, each skewered dozens upon dozens of times. The ice had been so cold that any bit of blood that had spilled out, had instantly frozen, changing parts of the ground into small frozen puddles of blood. Rize could not see Lowen's body whatsoever, looking between the mangled skewered bodies of his fallen soldiers and Colt, Colt shook his head, indicating that he didn't sense the presence of Lowen's magic or his mage core. Rize couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief. With Lowen dead, the tide would completely turn and with the combined efforts of Rize and Colt, these statues would fall, securing their victory. As Rize was about to issue another command, that's when he suddenly felt something at his back, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time...DEATH! With no time to turn nor any time to call out, Rize's ring flashed a deep dark blue and suddenly, over 20 crystals along the wall all cracked and splintered at once, turning into dust. A wall of ice over 20 ft in length and width appeared behind him but it wasn't enough.

*Schink*

A sword had entered through his back and out of his lower abdomen.

"DAMN! ALMOST!"

Just as the blade had pierced through Rize, the wall of ice continued to expand, separating Lowen from Rize and the sword from Rize's body by only a few feet. With the sword out, Rize touched his wound and grimaced in pain. His ring glowed dimly and his wound was quickly sealed with a small sheet of ice. He could only use this on the outside of his wound to slow the bleeding. Grabbing a potion from his pocket, he quickly gobbled it down greedily and as he did, his wound slowly began to heal. Because the wall had arisen so fast, it had diverted Lowen's attack slightly, just narrowly missing Rize's vitals. Had Lowen had his sword, instead of one of these swords he had picked up from a dead goblin, he was sure he would have killed Rize right there and then.

Lowen's arm had now been completely consumed by the wall of ice, encasing his sword arm all the way up to his shoulder. Rize wanted to finish him right there but he had just taken a serious wound and could only issue a command to Colt.

"COLT! ON ME!!"

Colt had only now realized what had happened, it had all just happened so fast. Seeing Lowen stuck in the ice wall, it was the perfect opportunity. With a mad dash, Colt smiled demonically and as soon as he entered Lowen's range, Colt swung his mace down, intending to crush Lowen's skull in one blow. Lowen, however, remained calm. He had wanted to use this move only as a last resort, he had hoped to crush Rize when he had least expected it but when he had the opportunity, Lowen hesitated. He still didn't know if his body could handle this move or not, he didn't know if it would rip his arm from his shoulder and that honestly terrified him but the options now were either to risk it or let Colt land a crushing blow atop his head. Both had the potential to kill him, which one was most likely to do so and which one was less. Lowen had to go with the less likely.

As Colt's mace continued to fall towards Lowen's head, Lowen suddenly gathered ki into his free arm. As his ki filled his arm, the blood vessels began to bulge and pulsate violently and the muscles on his arm suddenly expanded, making his arm instantly grow 1.5 times its original size. Both Colt and Rize saw this and their eyes went wide in shock. As Lowen finished gathering his ki into his arm, he curled his fingers one by one and clenched his fist. Pulling his fist backward, it sat next to his waist like a dragon in wait. Rize knew that something wasn't right and before Colt's mace fully came down, Rize had already thrown a wall of ice up between Colt and Lowen but Lowen's fist had already left his side. As Lowen punched out, he roared within his mind.

(SNAKE ROCK FIST!!)

As Lowen's fist traveled toward the wall of ice, the air vibrated violently before exploding outward. The air in front of Lowen's fist was torn asunder and shrieked as though it were being personally attacked. Lowen's fist instantly arrived at the wall and as his fist struck the wall of ice, Lowen's gathered ki rushed forward and erupted at the target in front of him.

*BOOM*

This thick wall of ice instantly shattered and exploded, breaking off large chunks, sending deadly pieces flying through the air, crashing into and killing any goblin soldier in its path. Lowen's fist had been slowed by more than half from this ice but still managed to strike Colt's mace, bending and breaking away several of the metallic spikes on the end of it, sending it flying out of Colt's hand and embedding it into the wall behind him but still, his fist didn't stop. With the last bit of his power, Lowen struck Colt in the center of his chest.

*CRACK*

Colt's chest caved in like someone had used a shovel to scoop some dirt out of the ground forming a hole. Colt's body flew away, arching in the air before he too struck the wall and was embedded within. Colt began to cough violently as mouthful after mouthful of greenish thick blood poured down his front. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take in a single breath of air in and after a few seconds, Colt's eyes rolled up into his head.

After this, Lowen had finally managed to pull his other arm free from the ice but his expression was anything but joyful. Looking at his arm, it dangled lifelessly at his side. After that attack, his arm had returned to its original size but it was now in terrible shape. Pulled from its socket, with each movement an excruciating pain traveled up and down his arm. Not only that, his muscles had been torn and shredded in several places and his blood vessels and arteries bled within his arm, turning bits of his arm a purple hue. The cherry on top was when his fist had bent the spikes on Colt's mace. Lowen could feel some of the bones in his fingers and hand were now broken in several places. His body truly couldn't handle this move just yet.

Rize though, saw this situation entirely different, had he been attacked with that blow just now, he would surely be dead. Looking at Lowen's arm though, a calm washed over him. Even though his second in command was unmoving, with Lowen in this shape, Rize gave a small smile. As the statues and soldiers continued to engage in battle, Rize and Lowen's fight had come to a sudden standstill. With Lowen's fucked arm and Rize's wound still healing from the potion, the two glared at each other hatefully before Rize suddenly spoke up.

"You can't use that attack again, can you."

Lowen stayed silent and immediately went to work on healing his arm. Rize though, took his silence to mean he was correct and with it, his confidence grew.

"You must have just acquired that skill, you clearly have no mastery of it, otherwise, you would have used that on me right when you appeared at my back."

Giving a small nod in satisfaction, Rize figured he understood Lowen but there was one thing he was still curious about.

"How did you avoid my shards of ice earlier?"

Lowen and Rize both looked over where Rize's shards had fallen but the two remained silent. Rize looked over curiously before he noticed some oddities. One of the skewered soldiers who was clearly dead had been moved. Rize hadn't noticed this before but now that he had a moment, he recognized the weirdness of it. Suddenly it all clicked, with another nod in satisfaction, Rize easily uncovered it.

"I get it now, even in that situation when you had fallen to the ground, you were still able to escape death. By simply pulling one of my soldiers over top of you, he was skewered instead of you. Damn, had he not had metal armor on then you'd be pierced right along with him. You truly are desperate."

Rize's mind began to quickly calculate, he held some fear towards Lowen's punch but the way Lowen's arm was right now, Rize quickly came to a conclusion. Lowen only had one more arm, so if Rize avoided that punch once more then Lowen would be all but finished.

(I have underestimated this boy far too much. This child will not become mine and with those statues, damn, this will be troublesome.)

*Sigh*

(Guess I'll have to raise a new army.)

Rize's sapphire ring began to glow once more and this time 100's of crystals embedded in the walls shattered into dust. Lowen seeing this didn't hesitate and picked up another sword ready for whatever came next. Rize seeing Lowen's movements, however, could care less. With one loud shout, Rize roared at the world around him.

"FROZEN DOMAIN ACTIVATE!"