Codename: Tsaritsa | A Sequel to "Codename: Childe"

10

"Ack!"

You felt blood trickled down to your jaw.

A pattern of ice flowers form on the ground ahead of you. Your eyes widen with confusion. More ice shards form above. They streak at you. You ready your sword to defend. You soon realise that you can't face it head on after the first shard strikes. Milliseconds before another hits, you push back. The shards don't seem to stop coming. You continually keep pushing back. Another is summoned behind you. A much bigger one at that. It spins rapidly on the air. It suddenly zips at you before you can even think to block another of the previously attacking shards. You jump out of the way. The collision of the shards make an icy explosion upon impact. Blowing you out of the air. You slam onto the ground. You hurryingly get up to the sound of sadistic laughter.

Signora fires darts of ice your way by simply oustrestching her arm.

"The Tsaritsa's benevolence has no place for-!"

You deflect all three and send them back into Signora's direction. She leaps out of the way but is hit by one, striking her chest. This seemed to hurt her a lot. She grunts and clenches onto her chest. You let out a heavy huff and a breathe cloud. The room was as cold as a cryosphere. Your fingertips has gone red due to the cold.

"S-So cold...!"

You noticed Ajax in the corner, looking anxious and watching the battle with undivided attention, and take a deep breath.

Your nose runny and body stiffened, you however clench onto your sword still determined to fight. Signora's frown glowers and glunches at you.
Signora abruptly yet swiftly encases herself in ice. You can't help but question what her next move is. You hesitantly approach the ice, unsure if Signora plans to jump out and strike you unexpectedly. You jab the ice barbarically as you scream and shout to fight the fear deep down.

"Come on, you coward! Show yourself!"

The ice cracks, thrust after thrust. Your arms are getting tired. The ice is really starting to stiffen your body. You focus on a certain point. The ice is beginning to break. With one last hearty battle cry and thrust of your sword, something finally happens. The ice slowly to crack from top to bottom. An blazing aura erupts from within the cracks. You fly back as a result. You look around only to find the area being swarmed in the same menacing aura. Crimson butterflies flutter around in aura's direction. You start to feel warm.

"What...?" you say, as you look around you in shock.

Sparks and embers ignite in the ice's cracks and Signora bursts out from within, all with a new look and intimidating presence. She brandishes her large butterfly-like wings with an elegant outspread with her arms. She ascends into the air and unleashes a storm of her aura, nearly blowing you off your feet.

"Oh you poor, poor thing! Do you realise what you've done to yourself...?! Now, burn to ashes in the sweltering heat of my flames!"

You grimace at the sight of Signora with newfound power. You rush forward with no real plan in mind. Signora raises a hand and suddenly casts it down along with a whip a fire. You're quickly thrown off balance as you try to get out of the way. The whip smacks your arm, giving you a nasty and agonising second degree burn on your forearm.

"Agh! Oh dear Archons..."

You leap back and silently suffer. Signora looks amused. She makes an 'X' with both her arms and whips in the form. You leap even further back. You still try to bare the burn on your arm. You prep yourself before charging in again. Only for Signora to appear in front of you in a smokey mist. You attempt to strike her with influencing your sword in Cryo. She locks weapons with you by using her whip again.