Fighting in the Freezing Cold

"A Blizzard Wolf. First time I've seen one."

"You know what it is?"

"A monster that appears alongside blizzards and preys on people. It only attacks when conditions favor it. Essentially the alpha of those Wolves we just fought."

The blizzard intensified further, piling snow onto the wagon.

"At this rate the wagon's going to get buried."

"I'll handle it. Just deal with that thing in the meantime. I can at least provide covering fire."

"Please."

Alexia pulled back to the wagon and deployed a fire barrier around it.

Inside the barrier, the blizzard was blocked and heat held steady.

The wagon would be fine now.

"If we start getting too cold during the fight, fall back inside the barrier. We'll freeze up otherwise."

"Yeah, good call."

Azu pointed at the Blizzard Wolf.

"I'll take the big one. Keep the regular Wolves off me."

Elza nodded, and the two charged out together.

With their alpha present, the Wolves that had fled earlier returned, snapping with renewed ferocity.

Elza swung her mace high and brought it down on a Wolf.

One was crushed under the blow, but another behind it vaulted over the body and lunged at Azu.

Elza held her blood-dripping mace sideways and caught it.

Azu gave Elza a brief glance and a nod of thanks, then accelerated.

"I'll leave them to you."

The Blizzard Wolf fixed its gaze on the approaching Azu and bristled its fur.

Then it threw its head back and howled.

Azu raised her sword to the right and leapt.

The Blizzard Wolf swung its right arm to meet her.

She put everything into the swing.

Four claws met her blade with a piercing ring.

She managed to nick them, but the force overwhelmed her and sent her flying.

She twisted in midair, righted herself, and landed. Then she used the momentum from the landing to spring forward again.

Months of fighting monsters had pushed Azu's abilities higher, but her height and weight remained the same.

She was growing, but not overnight.

Size alone dictated advantage and disadvantage.

And body weight amplified the force of a cut considerably.

Lacking both, Azu compensated by harnessing momentum instead.

No one had taught her this.

As she kept thinking about how to move more efficiently, she'd mastered it before she knew it.

She gripped the sword with both hands and leveled the tip at the Wolf.

If she wanted to make the most of her momentum, a thrust was the answer.

A swing would catch air resistance and bleed speed.

The Blizzard Wolf leapt sideways to dodge.

Impressive agility for something so large. But while airborne, even the fastest monster couldn't change direction.

Alexia's covering fire struck the Blizzard Wolf square in the flank, engulfing it in flames.

The moment it dodged, Azu kicked the ground to brake, landed, and readied her sword.

She faced the flame-covered Blizzard Wolf once more.

She'd confirmed the direct hit, but she hadn't expected that alone to finish it.

Sure enough, the Blizzard Wolf rose.

The blizzard snuffed out the flames, but the impact zone showed clear damage.

A solid hit. The mocking sneer vanished from its face.

Azu checked on Elza. She was holding her own against the pack.

She'd taken down several, but there were too many for her to come help.

Azu exhaled slowly.

Her breath turned to white vapor and disappeared.

The blizzard showed no signs of letting up.

The Wolves had fur to insulate them. They could handle the cold.

But a human body couldn't endure prolonged exposure like this. It was a matter of life and death.

Azu could already feel herself stiffening.

If she waited until she was sluggish to retreat, it would be too late.

The Water Elemental couldn't do anything about the cold, either.

She decided to fight a little longer and then pull back. She raised her sword again.

The Blizzard Wolf opened its jaws wide.

Before she could make sense of it, Elza's voice rang out.

"Incoming magic!"

She barely caught the words. She immediately thought about the distance to the barrier behind her.

Too far. She wouldn't make it in time.

And without knowing what kind of spell to expect, she couldn't dodge recklessly.

Azu poured mana into her sword. She'd have to meet it head-on.

Icicles erupted from the Blizzard Wolf's mouth, sweeping up the blizzard as they flew.

Wide spread. Poor visibility. Dodging in this storm was virtually impossible.

She tracked the incoming icicles and swatted them aside with her blade.

Tiny shards nicked her skin, but she had no luxury to worry about that.

Elza was smashing icicles with her mace, too.

The mace's blunt force shattered them outright, so she came through unscathed.

After the fourth volley, the barrage finally stopped.

The icicles themselves hadn't done any damage, but they also had an effect of chilling the surroundings. The sensation in her limbs was growing numb.

She couldn't fight at full strength like this.

She'd never battled in conditions this brutal before.

When the spell ended, Alexia launched a blast of her own.

Azu used the opening to fall back.

But even kicking off hard, she moved barely half as far as she'd intended.

Elza caught up, wrapped an arm around Azu's shoulders, and ran with her.

Elza's body temperature seemed higher than hers, and a gentle warmth spread through her.

They dove inside Alexia's barrier.

The blizzard cut off instantly. Clean air at last.

Snow that had piled on their heads and shoulders melted, soaking through their clothes.

"I can't put any strength into my hands…"

When she took off her cold-weather gear, her hands were bright blue.

Elza wrapped both hands around Azu's and rubbed warmth back into them.

"It's cold, huh. You did great."

"Thanks."

Yohane emerged from the wagon and handed them both something warm to drink.

Apple vinegar diluted with hot water. He'd mixed in the last of the ginger, too.

"Drink this."

The Blizzard Wolf was plodding toward the wagon.

There was no avoiding this fight.

Azu drained the drink, feeling heat radiate through her core. She clenched and unclenched her fists, testing her grip.

"Let's end this in one push. Fighting for a long time doesn't seem possible."

"I'm counting on you, Azu."

Azu nodded.