Chapter 162: A New Art

Chapter 162: Chapter 162: A New Art

Damon took the opportunity to move forward.

"Caelia, focus on the Hounds. I’ll deal with the Thunderhorns."

Caelia nodded.

She raised both hands, and Ice Elemental Aether surged around her. Several ice spears formed in the air before shooting toward the Hounds.

The beasts scattered, using their speed to avoid the attacks, but Caelia had already anticipated their movements.

She spread a layer of ice across the ground, then raised sharp formations along the paths they were most likely to take.

Two Hounds were forced to leap over the formations, leaving them exposed to Snow’s attack.

Snow lunged forward and struck one of them across the side. Shiro followed with Frost Chains, restraining the second before Caelia finished it with an ice spear.

The others tried to overwhelm them with repeated Wind Arts, but the group had become much better at reading their attacks.

Shiro used Frostbound Sanctuary to limit their movement, while Snow focused on breaking their formation. Caelia supported them with precise attacks, preventing the Hounds from regrouping.

Meanwhile, Damon and Freya were dealing with the Thunderhorns.

The first beast charged at Damon, releasing a burst of lightning from its horns.

Damon shifted aside, allowing the attack to pass before striking the beast with silver lightning.

Freya appeared behind it and unleashed a powerful burst of her own, sending the Thunderhorn crashing into the ground.

The second A-rank beast attempted to attack from the side, but Sylphie intercepted it with a sharp burst of wind.

Damon quickly followed with another lightning strike, forcing the beast to retreat.

The battle continued for several minutes.

The Tempest Hounds were fast and relentless, while the Thunderhorns possessed enough power to threaten even the strongest defenses. However, the group’s coordination had improved, and they were no longer relying on raw strength alone.

Caelia had become particularly effective at controlling the battlefield.

She began using her Ice Arts in ways that Damon hadn’t seen from her before. Instead of simply creating barriers or launching spears, she combined smaller formations to redirect the beasts and limit their available paths.

Damon noticed it immediately.

She was beginning to think more like him.

Rather than reacting to every attack, she was learning to shape the battlefield in advance and force her opponents into situations where her allies could take advantage.

He couldn’t help smiling.

"You’re getting pretty good at this, Caelia."

She glanced toward him while maintaining her control over the ice.

"Are you surprised?"

"Not at all. I’m just wondering how long it’ll take before you start enjoying these battles as much as I do."

Caelia smiled.

"Perhaps I already do."

Damon laughed.

"That’s what I like to hear."

The final stages of the battle were much more decisive.

With the Tempest Hounds gradually eliminated, the remaining Thunderhorns found themselves surrounded. Shiro’s Frostbound Sanctuary restricted their movements, while Snow and Caelia attacked from different angles.

Freya and Sylphie kept the beasts under constant pressure, leaving Damon free to coordinate their attacks.

One of the Thunderhorns attempted a desperate charge toward Caelia.

Shiro reacted immediately.

This time, he used an Art he had kept hidden until now.

"Ice Mirror!"

Several mirrors of extremely condensed ice appeared around the battlefield.

They were smooth and clear, reflecting the stormy surroundings with such precision that it was difficult to tell where the real battlefield ended and the reflections began.

The charging Thunderhorn suddenly found its path obstructed by a floating mirror.

It tried to turn, but another mirror appeared to its side, reflecting the beast’s own image and disrupting its sense of direction.

Before it could adjust, Shiro shifted his position behind one of the mirrors.

The Thunderhorn released a powerful lightning bolt toward him.

The attack struck the ice mirror, but instead of hitting Shiro, its path bent away and redirected toward an empty section of the battlefield.

Caelia’s eyes widened slightly.

"Shiro!"

Shiro remained focused.

The mirrors moved into new positions, forming a series of reflective surfaces around the Thunderhorn. Some were stationary, while others floated through the air, shifting just enough to confuse the beast.

The Thunderhorn charged again, only to find its target seemingly moving between reflections.

It struck one mirror, shattering it into fragments, but Shiro had already moved behind another.

The beast turned toward the new position, releasing another lightning attack.

Once again, the attack was redirected.

Damon’s eyes lit up.

"So that’s what you’ve been hiding."

Shiro didn’t respond. He was concentrating too much on maintaining the mirrors.

The Art was clearly demanding, but its potential was immediately obvious.

It could redirect attacks, obscure Shiro’s position, and create false openings that forced enemies to waste their strength.

And when combined with Frostbound Sanctuary, it could completely change the battlefield.

Shiro raised several more mirrors, arranging them around the Thunderhorn like a maze.

The beast struggled to find a clear path, its attacks repeatedly striking the wrong targets or being redirected away from its intended destination.

Caelia seized the opportunity.

"Now, Shiro!"

Frost Chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around the Thunderhorn’s legs.

The beast struggled, but the mirrors prevented it from finding a clear angle to break free.

Snow dashed forward and struck its exposed side, while Caelia formed a large ice spear above her.

The spear descended, piercing through the beast’s defenses and bringing it down.

The final Thunderhorn roared and tried to charge toward Damon.

But Shiro had already positioned another mirror in its path.

The beast’s lightning attack struck the surface and bent away, giving Freya an opening to unleash a concentrated burst of silver lightning.

Damon followed with his own attack.

The combined force overwhelmed the beast, and it collapsed onto the frozen ground.

The battlefield finally fell quiet.

Damon looked around at the fallen beasts, then turned toward Shiro.

"That was impressive."

Shiro raised his head, looking rather pleased with himself.

Damon walked closer, examining the remaining ice mirrors.

"They’re incredibly condensed. You can use them to redirect attacks, hide your position, and even create false targets. With enough control, you could turn an entire battlefield into a maze."

He looked at Shiro with genuine excitement.

"And you didn’t tell me about this?"