The Cursed: Legend of Neil

Episode One-Part V: Frozen Clash

The pressure in the room had gone dim as both candidates stared at each other. Neil felt sweat trickle down his shirt as his eyes kept flicking from Sandy to the girls.

"Girls," he thought. "Haven’t I had enough with the first set?"

Neil peered forward a little, looking squarely at Delia. “She is difficult to read… it’s like she isn’t even thinking,” he murmured.

“Ummm, Neil,” Sandy whispered, “for how long are you going to keep staring at her?”

Neil scoffed. “I’m only trying to see through her.”

“You meant her inner?”

Dude, Neil had a disgusted expression on his face. “Don’t even go there.”

Silence fell again. This time, the girls looked back at them.

“Hmmm,” Sandy tilted his head a little, observing them carefully.

“What now, Sandy?” Neil asked, frustration creeping into his voice.

“The pale, round-cupped breast girl seems… ghostly. She looks like the Snow Queen in Frozen. But the other…” He tilted his head again toward Jade, his gaze lingering with slightly perverted eyes. “…she’s like… wow.”

Neil rolled his eyes in exasperation. “No wonder you have problems with girls.”

Neil hadn’t finished the sentence when a spear-like ice shard zipped past him, missing by a hair. Neil felt blood rush and fear flood him at the same time. Both turned and stared at the girls, surprise plain on their faces.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Delia began, freezing the atmosphere around them. “I don’t have much time to waste.”

“Wohoo,” Sandy remarked, a grin spreading across his face.

Sliding out a few cards, he slotted one into his gloves. “I like her. What do you say, bud?” He turned to Neil, who had his eyes closed. “Let’s get this over with, ehn?”

“All right,” Neil opened his eyes, revealing his patterned purple irises. “Let’s get this over with.”

Sandy was feeling confident, ready to attack, when he heard Neil whisper.

“Sandy, listen to me.” Neil stared at him. “I will take on Delia, and watch your back while you face Jade.”

“Why, if I may ask?” Sandy questioned.

“With the way I see it, they are both long-ranged skilled fighters. I don’t know if we would win together.”

With those words, Sandy pushed forward toward the opponents, leaving Neil behind. Delia stretched forth her arms, absorbing moisture from the air. The temperature of the room dropped sharply as the moisture began spinning into a frozen orb.

“FREEZING MIST,” her voice came faintly, so quiet that even those nearby could barely hear.

The moisture—now clouds—blasted forward with heavy force. Sandy smiled, showing his white, shining teeth.

“Ice, eh? Guess we’ll be needing some heat.” He picked out a card from his pocket, showing a burning human illustration, and slotted it into his gloves. “FLAMES ON.”

Fire engulfed him, starting from his legs and spreading to his head, making him resemble a torch.

Just then, Neil sensed another blast heading toward him. It was unseen—but not to him, because he could feel it.

Sound usage… that’s Jade’s gift? he scoffed. Perfect.

An impact echoed throughout the room, dust filling the air.

“Another waste of time,” Delia murmured. She began to walk away when Jade placed her hand on her shoulder, halting her in place.

“What?” Delia questioned, barely audible.

“We didn’t get them, Delia,” Jade replied.

“That’s impossible.” Delia turned to see both boys standing unscratched. “How’s that possible?”

Sandy’s expression showed shock, a questioning look at Neil, who was staring at the girls.

“What was that you pulled?” Sandy asked. “I had it under control.”

“Well, you should have listened to me when I told you I had a plan,” Neil replied calmly.

Delia stared at Neil with suspicion. Who is this guy? she thought. She turned to Jade, who was equally surprised that both boys had survived the attack.

“Now I’m keen to know how powerful they are,” Delia said, her cold-whisper voice unwavering. “Aren’t you, Jade?”

Jade let out a faint evil smile. “Sure!” She turned to face Sandy and Neil. “With pleasure.”

“Sandy,” Neil whispered. “Let’s go.”

“But we have no plans,” Sandy queried, uncertainty flickering across his face.

Neil dashed toward the two girls, who moved in tandem.

Professor Hiro was passing the balcony and stopped, observing the scene with mild interest.

“I see… there is an unauthorized match,” he murmured, a small smile on his lips. “I guess I have to see the outcome of this duel.”

A big bang exploded from Sandy and Jade’s attacks. Both stepped back slightly, readying themselves for another strike. Their eyes locked. Sandy moved again, this time swinging around and doing a backflip, landing with one knee to the ground. He placed both hands to his side, conjuring a small burning sphere. Holding it in one arm, he charged toward Jade. She had already positioned her bow on her violin.

As Sandy approached, the sphere grew larger and heavier. He leaped into the air.

“SUPER NOVA MAXIMUM!” he shouted, throwing the sphere.

“SOUND BOMBS!” Jade placed her bow on the violin, playing a melody that let out an invisible spectrum moving at the speed of sound.

Both attacks collided with a massive explosion. The force pushed them away, both landing hard on the floor with a thud.

Neil, on the other side, kept substituting himself with Delia’s ice, steadily closing the distance. Delia would jump back, placing her hands on the ground.

“ICE NEEDLES,” she whispered.

Neil sensed the incoming threat—piercing pillars of snow bursting from the ground in a zigzag pattern. He began hopping backward, dodging the sharp ice. An ice pillar pierced where he had been—but he had already replaced himself with an ice particle he had thrown earlier.

Each time I hit him, he gets replaced by my ice, Delia thought. I guess I have to use a blind attack on him. Besides, he won’t be able to see three-sixty.

Neil sensed danger in her blank expression, but he was ready—he had another trick up his sleeve.

Neil glanced at Sandy, who had regained balance.

“So, you’re tough, eh?” Sandy scoffed. He spat dry saliva, wiped it with the back of his hand, and stared at Jade. He got distracted seeing Neil battling Delia.

“Hey, I thought you said you had my back?” he yelled.

“Sandy, watch out,” Neil yelled in return.

“Now, you’re done for,” Jade yelled.

“HIGH FREQUENCY!” A spiral wave rippled from Jade’s violin as she played. It pushed Sandy to the wall, the force unrelenting, cracking the walls.

Delia tried to keep Neil away from saving Sandy, sending ice spikes at him. Neil watched her face, trying to read her—yet it remained blank, a slate with no emotion.

This is bad, he thought. I’ve got to find a way to save Sandy and stop this girl at the same time.

Neil sped toward Delia.

“SNOW SHURIKEN,” she whispered, clapping her hands. Snow-like shurikens flew fast toward him. She was surprised when Neil disappeared and reappeared among the shurikens until he was close. He threw a punch at her, but she dodged. She repeated the motion, but he held her hand. She hopped, delivering a kick to his stomach—but he pushed her knees down. She tried to counter with an elbow, but he fended her off neatly.

“Damn, this guy is good,” she thought. “It’s like he trained himself in close combat attacks.”

Delia quickly froze her fists and began punching out, but Neil was fast enough to counter. She leaped over him, freezing her hair into sharp blades and swung, but Neil twisted to avoid them. She kicked again, and Neil crossed his arms to block, pushing her back slightly.

“Nice,” Neil said, looking down, slowly lifting his head. “Now, it’s my turn.”

She ran at him again, faster this time, creating mist to obscure his vision. Another fist combat broke out.

Sandy can’t hold on for long, Neil thought. And I can’t get past this girl—it’s like she doesn’t want me interfering.

Neil observed the building cracking around them, aware that any further damage could be disastrous.

I’ve got to think fast, he concluded, then noticed Delia’s ice pillars. Got it.

Although mist filled the room, his vision remained clear.

“Neil,” Sandy’s voice called.

“What?”

“You know, a little help would be nice.”

“Dude, I’m working on it.”

“You better, cause I can hear the melody of my bones in my head.”

“I wasn’t the one who made you get into trouble, mate.”

“But I was saving your ass.”

“Really? How?”

“By looking at your back.”

“Seriously? By looking at my back?”

“Does it matter, eh? Still your fault I’m stuck in this invisible barrier, you know.”

“I need you to hold on a bit… I got a plan.”

“For how long, eh?”

“I don’t know,” Neil said, cutting off further questions.