### Chapter 42: Aiming for the Bridge of the Nose (Part 2)
As I fiercely contemplated, I once again stepped onto the Moon Step, holding my breath, squinting my eyes. My petite figure darted through the fog, keenly sensing the movements around me…
No good, there are sounds of wind everywhere. It wasn’t too strong, but it kept “whoosh whoosh whooshing,” making it seriously hard to concentrate. And it’s all dirt… ah, dust got in my eyes!
The stinging sensation in my eyes made me slow my pace instinctively. Just then, “swish—” an air b*llet zipped past from behind me.
I hurriedly dodged to the side, mentally cursing Rect for being a scared turtle.
I can’t stay here any longer…
Time to go up.
Boom—
In a flash, a blue light shone through the dust, and a half-meter-wide ice pillar erupted from beneath my feet, propelling me into the air—five meters, then eight meters… suddenly, my line of sight cleared.
I’m out…
“Whoa whoa whoa!”
“Holy cr*p!”
“Miss Peilo—”
“Frost Order, it’s really Frost Order! Oh my gosh! She can actually use ice to launch herself into the sky!”
“What level of affinity is this?! So scary—”
The crowd erupted in noise, shouting at full volume.
“Go, Peilo—”
Ah, is that Sarah’s voice?
It’s way too loud…
The ice pillar continued to rise higher and higher, finally coming to a stop outside the cloud of dust. I took a deep breath and looked down at the ground below—almost the entire dirt wall was covered in swirling dust, with the howling wind mixing the dirt in a chaotic dance. I couldn’t see a single figure.
With my left eye still irritated, I couldn’t help but rub it vigorously.
…Is Rect really not affected at all while staying in there?
Or could it be that he’s using the wind to block out the dust…
I’ve got to find a way to flush him out.
“Rect! Scaredy turtle!” I shouted while rubbing my eyes, “Are you brave enough to show your green head?!”
The cries around me were so loud, I didn’t even know if he could hear me…
“Such a shameless trick, why didn’t you use it before?!”
“…I’ll take that as a compliment, but it won’t do much. It’s only good for scaring off some low-tier guys, doesn’t cause substantial damage, and it’s tiring… ugh, I’m really exhausted…”
Oh, so Rect heard me.
Did you think I was trying to scare off those low-tier guys or something?
I know where you are!
Blue light sparkled in my eyes again.
Compress, gather… don’t overdo it…
Crack—
Frost erupted in the corner of the field to the south, the frost mist parting the dust to reveal a shower of ice shards.
I didn’t aim for the sound’s last known location but intentionally shot a bit off-target. It wasn’t that I doubted Rect would dodge, but if I hit him, that would be no laughing matter.
After firing, I immediately regretted it.
Thanks to my frustration, I had put a bit too much strength into it…
Is he okay?
But the next moment, Rect’s laughter came from another location.
“Ha ha ha! Now it’s my turn…”
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Air bullets sliced through the fog, accurately flying my way.
“Be careful! Getting hit by those things feels like someone smacking your head hard—it hurts…”
“Hmph.”
I waved my arm, and the ice pillar beneath me began to creak as it extended horizontally into an ice wall from the top side, forming instantly like an overturned umbrella, protecting me at the top of the ice pillar. The air bullets hit the ice umbrella like pebbles tossed into water, making no splash whatsoever.
Head smacker?
I blinked hard… still a bit sore, but it felt much better.
I’ll smack your head!
In the next moment, I raised my right hand over my head, a faint blue glow erupting from my body.
“Oh oh oh oh—”
“Peilo, counterattack! Peilo, counterattack!”
Crack crack crack…
The sound of compressed ice mixed with the crowd’s shouts grew louder from above, like exploding beans, as countless fist-sized ice chunks formed and hung above, threatening to block out the sunlight.
“My goodness…”
“What kind of power is that…”
“Scary…”
The students seemed startled, their excitement sputtering out, and the scene erupted into chaos. Meanwhile, Rect’s panicked shout broke through the dust: “Hey hey hey, no way! That’s cheating…”
Cheating?
Pfft…
I pouted.
“Eat hail!”
As soon as I finished speaking, my arm swung down suddenly.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
In an instant, the sky filled with ice blocks, accompanied by a rushing wind, plummeting like rain into the dust and smashing down onto the ground.
Thud thud thud thud!
The crashes sounded like a drumbeat, so dense it almost created a singular noise in my ears.
Indiscriminate head smacker!
I’ll smash you!
The relentless assault lasted for seven or eight seconds, pounding the dirt-walled region below into a frenzy, scattering the dust, revealing the bluestone slabs underneath, and causing countless ice balls to bounce and roll across the ground, spreading frost and refrigerating the dust around.
Now let’s see where you run…
Huh, where’d he go?
“Peilo, watch your back—”
!
In an instant, the feeling of crisis jolted my brain. I didn’t have time to turn around; the Frost Order inside me whirred into action, and I quickly formed a freezing barrier against my back. Then, with a bang, something hit the ice barrier.
“Ugh, so cold…”
The voice from behind, startlingly close, belonged to Rect.
When did he sneak up behind me…
How did he get up here?!
My heart tightened as I didn’t have time to think further. I jumped high, flipping backward in mid-air, only to see that the ice umbrella had a perfectly shaped triangular hole cut in it, as if sliced by a sharp blade, and Rect’s figure was sliding down the side of the ice pillar, the winds swirling around him, and his clothes flaring out behind him. His right hand glimmered with a hint of cold light, but it didn’t look like he was holding a weapon… a wind blade?
The man opened his arms wide, facing the sky, as if he were a great bird slowly descending. He was remarkably clean, almost unblemished, except for the frost that lightly coated his hair and eyebrows.
Hey!
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Looks like my attack did some damage…
Let’s keep the pressure on!
Deciding instantly, I twisted my body mid-air, head down, and an ice platform formed beneath my feet. With a crack, I stomped it, sending me plummeting toward Rect with the force of the wind.
The cheers from outside reached a fever pitch.
“Wow wow wow!”
Still in the air, the forgiveness-headed man looked a bit panicked as I rapidly approached, though a smile remained on his face.
What’s he smiling about…
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, a gust of air hit me, precisely blasting into my eyes. I immediately felt a stinging irritation and instinctively closed them.
Oh no…
The darkness in front of me made me panic; I spread my palms out and released several streams of ice mist into the air, slowing my descent while gaining a safe distance from Rect. I realized he would certainly take this chance to strike, so I pushed my right palm to the side, releasing another cloud of ice mist, prompting my airborne form to veer to the left. Just then, whoosh—a b*llet whizzed by my ear, soaring toward the height above.
Darn…
This guy really wants to smack my head!
So annoying!
“Wow, quick reflexes.”
Rect teased from below.
The wind hurtled toward me, becoming even more fierce. His control over the wind was impeccable; even as I swayed my head, the sharp gusts relentlessly battered my eyelids, making it impossible to open my eyes.
But I know where you are…
Crack crack crack—
Three ice balls formed and shot downward.
“Uh…”
Rect let out a muffled grunt.
Looks like I hit him…
But definitely not in the nose.
Thud.
That was the sound of his feet hitting the ground; he landed…
At that moment, the wind finally eased noticeably. Seizing the opportunity, I half-closed my eyes and peeked through the dust. There stood a figure, seemingly rubbing his chest… he was only three or four meters away from me.
Opportunity!
In the instant before landing, I flipped my body, blasting ice mist from my palms. My body arced through the air, quickly closing in on the figure, and I delivered a kick.
He sidestepped it.
The next moment, as my feet hit the ground, a punch came swinging towards my abdomen.
Smack!
I caught his fist with my right hand while adjusting my stance, clenching my left fist tightly and swinging it toward Rect’s face peeking out from the mist.
He dodged again, his right fist retracting as he swung his left arm for another punch.
Smack!
I caught it and swiftly threw my next punch.
Smack smack smack—
In just a few seconds, Rect and I launched a flurry of punches at each other, fists flying like the wind. Each one was dodged or caught, and after several exchanges, I, out of breath, realized I didn’t want to be blinded by dust any longer. Instinctively, I began to retreat, but the forgiveness-head wasn’t going to let up, immediately ramping up the pressure, attacking with both fists and feet, relentlessly closing in. The strikes weren’t all that powerful, but their speed was blinding, and with the dust and the wind muddling my judgment, I was becoming fatigued. Frustration bubbled within me, instinctively forcing me to put more strength into my punches.
Whoosh—
A punch exploded through the air, the fierce punch wind echoing beside my ear.
Smack!
Rect caught it again.
But this time, he didn’t look as relaxed as before.
My rock-solid little fist was enveloped in his right palm—though he gritted his teeth and pushed back—he couldn’t stop the blow entirely. He merely faltered for a moment, the forward momentum slightly weakened, but still in Rect’s wide-open eyes… it was rapidly closing in.
Boom!
The punch landed squarely on his face, through his hand.
“Darn…!”
The forgiveness-headed man muttered a quiet curse, clutching his nose before quickly retreating.
And finally, I managed to escape the dust cloud.
“Whew—”
Taking several deep breaths, I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Rect, who was slightly hunched over not far away.
Bullseye!
Though I ultimately had to rely on brute force to get it done…
I had to admit, that guy Rect… in terms of utilizing the Power of Order and battle skills, was indeed far more precise and formidable than I was.
But then again, thanks to the nature of the Frost Order, I was bound by limitations in battles like these, fearful that a careless mistake could cost Rect his life… otherwise, the fight could have ended much quicker.
But conversely, he must have his share of constraints too, right?
Rect definitely had some lethal tricks up his sleeve; unless it’s life or d*ath, there’s no way he’d reveal them.
Moreover, given his fighting style, being in such an open space was itself a limitation for the forgiving-headed man. If it really came down to a desperate fight, he might resort to many underhanded tactics… just like during the battle with Teresa, when he had sneaked through the dark, silently approaching, and with a sword, he’d swiftly slashed Teresa’s throat before she even reacted.
That kind of undetectable yet deadly attack, even now, I wouldn’t confidently say I could escape…
Thoughts raced in my mind as the dust in front of me gradually cleared.
“I’m done, I’m done! I surrender…”
Rect walked over, one hand over his nose, looking utterly pained.
His eyes were slightly red, and he had tears welling up as he spoke in a nasal voice. He blinked at me with a look of puppy-like pity, moving his hand from his nose to sniff lightly, glancing at his palm, then back at me, and as he frowned again in an attempt to say something more—red liquid had already started to drip from his nostrils.
Double trouble.
