THE ICE QUEEN AND THE ROOKIE

The cold steel of Spectro's mask was the last thing Asimil expected to see. With his eyes closed, he braced himself for the impact, for the buzz of elimination that would end his humiliating participation in the event. The air shifted, and he heard the hiss of the daggers as they descended.

The sound was not that of flesh being pierced, but of a glacier splitting in two. An unnatural, piercing cold swept through the cave, so intense that it made his skin crawl. Asimil's eyes snapped open.

In front of him, just inches from his face, stood a wall of translucent ice, thick and sharp as an obsidian blade. The tips of Spectro's daggers were embedded in its surface, stopped dead in their tracks. And on the other side of the icy wall, a silhouette silhouetted against the gloom.

Era Noelia.

Her reddish hair looked like a frozen flame in the frigid air. Her green eyes did not burn with fury, but glowed with the cold, concentrated light of a distant star. His expression was not one of concern. It was one of pure and utter irritation.

— You're in my way — said Noelia, her voice directed not at Asimil, but at Spectro. With a wave of her hand, the ice wall exploded outward in a shower of sharp shards.

Spectro jumped back with feline agility, dodging the icy shrapnel. — And you are...? Ah, the princess of the Harmonia clan. I've heard of you. Come to save your pet? —

— I don't have pets — replied Noelia, her tone as sharp as the icicles that were beginning to form at her feet. — But you are an obstacle. And I'm not going to let a petty bully ruin my clan points. —

Without further warning, he went on the attack. It was a lethal dance. Spectro was a whirlwind of dark steel, his daggers seeking any opening with devilish speed. But Noelia was the calm in the midst of the storm. Her every move was simple but precise. She deflected blows with instant barriers of ice and countered with spears of frost that forced Spectro to keep moving.

The fight was brief, but of an intensity that Asimil could barely process. They were two predators of a similar level. At one point, Spectro managed to dodge an ice spear and his dagger slipped through Noelia's defense, opening a slight but visible gash in her shoulder. A trickle of red data, virtual blood, stained her flawless cream-colored jacket for an instant.

She recoiled with a hiss of pain and frustration. That instant of vulnerability was all Spectro needed to assess the situation. He paused and let out a soft laugh.

— You are good. Very good. But not good enough to finish this quickly — he said, retreating back into the shadows. — It's not worth the effort. We'll play again, ice princess. —

And with that, he vanished, leaving only the echo of his mocking nickname.

The silence that fell in the alley was heavy. The adrenaline of the battle dissipated, leaving only the trickle of water and Noelia's gasping breath. Asimil, still on the ground, looked up at her, a mixture of gratitude and awe on his face. — You... saved me. —

Noelia slowly turned to him. Relief did not appear on her face. Instead, irritation turned to icy fury. She clenched her injured shoulder, and her frustration seemed to boil over, finding the easiest target. him.

— I told you not to hang back! — he spat, his words hitting him harder than any dagger. — You almost got killed in the first ten minutes of the event! Are you an idiot or do you just like crawling on the ground? You're more useless than I thought! —

The words were like poisoned knives. Each one confirmed Asimil's worst fears. Gratitude soured in his mouth, replaced by the bitter taste of humiliation. He leaned against the wall, struggling to stand, his body trembling with weakness and rage.

— At least I'm trying! — he replied, his own voice surprising him by its firmness. — I'm not like you! I'm not sitting here waiting for everything to be given to me, thinking myself superior to everyone! —

His challenge seemed to infuriate her even more. She took a step toward him, her green eyes alight. For an instant, Asimil saw something beyond rage: a flash of panic, of deep frustration with herself. She was strong, yes, but not strong enough to defeat Spectro without getting hurt. She wasn't strong enough to carry the weight of a weak partner. His weakness only magnified the limits of her own strength, and that was something she could not bear.

— You know nothing about me - he hissed, his arrogance returning like a shield. - Surviving here requires strength, not pathetic attempts. —

He turned around, deliberately and finally turning his back on her.

—  Make a life for yourself. I'm going downtown. — And without looking back, he walked towards the exit of the dead end, disappearing into the darkness of the tunnels and leaving Asimil all alone. Alone, wounded, and abandoned, with the echo of his cruel words echoing in the cave.