The Ice Queen’s Game

The wolf's transformation reached its peak as icy shards whirled around it, reforming into jagged spikes along its crystalline spine. Its body pulsed with an eerie glow, the frigid energy within it intensifying. We could feel the cold in our lungs, in our bones.

"No more holding back," Ame said, her voice sharper than ever. Her mismatched eyes locked onto mine and Nyana's. "This ends now."

"Agreed," Nyana breathed, shaking off exhaustion as her flames flared once more.

I clenched my fists. We had to make this count.

The wolf lunged, its colossal form barreling toward us with renewed ferocity. This time, we were ready. Ame vanished in a blink, reappearing above the beast's head, her hands crackling with energy. "Nyana, burn it!"

Nyana didn't hesitate. "Inferno Surge!" she roared, thrusting her hands forward. A wave of scorching flames erupted from her palms, engulfing the wolf's front. The ice hissed and cracked as the intense heat clashed against the frozen beast, steam clouding the chamber.

While the fire melted the wolf's outer layer, I shot forward, using the heat as cover. "Starlight Blitz!" With a final burst of energy, I leapt, fist glowing with a golden aura as I struck straight into the wolf's exposed core.

Ame followed up instantly. "Shadow Nova!" She released a compressed sphere of violet energy right into the wolf's chest, the impact sending a shockwave rippling through the air. The combined force shattered the beast's frozen form from the inside out.

For a moment, the chamber was silent.

Then, with a final, agonized howl, the enormous ice wolf fractured. Its crystalline body split apart in a dazzling display, shards scattering across the chamber like falling stars. The ground trembled, then stilled.

We stood there, panting, hearts pounding. It was over.

A slow clap echoed through the chamber, drawing our attention. We turned to see her—the pink-haired cat girl, lounging casually on a nearby ledge. Her feline ears twitched with amusement as her tail flicked lazily.

"Well, well," she purred, hopping down gracefully. "That was quite the spectacle."

Nyana wiped her forehead, exhaling heavily. "Yeah? You could've helped."

The cat girl smirked, crossing her arms. "And ruin the fun? Please. You handled it beautifully." Her yellow eyes gleamed with admiration. "Not just anyone can take down a beast like that. I'm impressed."

I exchanged a glance with Ame and Nyana. Despite our exhaustion, the praise brought a sense of pride. We did it. We had won.

"Guess we make a pretty good team," I said, grinning.

The cat girl chuckled. "More than that. You're legends in the making."

Before we could respond, she moved—a blur of motion that barely registered before I felt a sharp impact against my ribs. I staggered, barely blocking in time as the force sent me skidding across the floor.

Her movements were fluid, almost dance-like, as she pivoted to face Ame. Before Ame could teleport, the cat girl lunged, her elbow driving into Ame's midsection and sending her crashing into a pillar.

"Stay together!" I yelled, pushing myself to my feet and closing the distance between us.

The cat girl twisted toward me, her gloved hand glowing with icy power. She stepped into her strike, driving her palm toward my chest. I deflected it at the last second, using the momentum to spin and counter with a sharp kick aimed at her knee. She evaded with ease, her movements almost playful as she shifted her weight and swept my legs out from under me.

I hit the ground hard but rolled away before her follow-up strike could connect.

Nyana charged in next, flames trailing her fists as she aimed a rapid series of jabs at the cat girl's torso. The cat girl sidestepped and parried, her movements swift and economical, before countering with a knee to Nyana's stomach. Nyana crumpled, clutching her side but managing to crawl away before the cat girl could press her advantage.

"She's too fast!" I gasped, pulling myself upright.

Ame appeared beside me, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. "We need to pin her down. Astro, bait her into a tight spot."

I nodded, rushing toward the cat girl with renewed determination. I feinted a punch, drawing her attention, then darted back toward a cluster of ice spikes.

"Over here!" I taunted, stepping into her range.

The cat girl lunged, her movements smooth and predatory. At the last second, I twisted to the side, forcing her toward the spikes.

"Now!" Ame and Nyana shouted together.

Flames and energy surged toward her, trapping her in a swirling vortex of heat and light. She spun defensively, deflecting some of the blasts with sharp, precise kicks, but cracks began to spread across the icy armor forming around her.

With a final roar, I charged forward, landing a clean, glowing uppercut that sent her flying into the wall.

For a moment, the room was silent except for our ragged breaths. Then, from the rubble, her voice came—low, measured, and chilling.

"Not bad," she said, stepping forward, her form flickering with icy power. "But I'm not finished yet."

I could feel the weight of her icy aura pressing in, suffocating and relentless.

"You really thought you could take me on?" she teased, her voice light and mocking. "How adorable."

I clenched my fists, forcing back the suffocating panic clawing at my throat. "We're not done yet!" I shouted, but doubt gnawed at me, sinking in like ice.

That's when Ame, ever fearless, pushed herself up. Blood dripped from her lips, her mismatched eyes burning with sheer defiance. "I'll shut that mouth of yours," she growled, summoning energy into her trembling hands.

"Ame, wait—!" I started, but she was already moving, a blur of raw determination as she launched herself at the pink-haired cat girl.

The girl—inhumanly fast, impossibly graceful—grinned as she twisted to face Ame. "Oh, so you still have some fight left? How delightful!"

Ame attacked with everything she had, her fists blazing like a storm of falling stars. "Meteor Strike!" she roared, unleashing a flurry of powerful blows.

But the pink-haired cat girl danced through the assault effortlessly, slipping between strikes with taunting ease. "Is this really your best?" she cooed, sidestepping a particularly fierce punch. "Pathetic."

Ame's frustration boiled over. With a defiant yell, she lunged forward, throwing all her strength into one final, devastating strike. "Shut up!"

The girl's eyes gleamed. "Wrong move, darling."

She retaliated in an instant. Her fist slammed into Ame's gut, stealing her breath and lifting her off the ground. Before Ame could react, the girl spun—her elbow cracking into Ame's jaw—then drove a knee into her ribs with a sickening crunch. The finishing blow came swift and merciless: an axe kick from above, hammering Ame's body into the stone floor. The impact split the ground beneath her. Blood splattered across the ruins.

"AME!" I screamed, my voice breaking as I bolted toward her.

The pink-haired cat girl stood over Ame's crumpled form, shaking blood off her knuckles. "Oops," she mused, smirking. "I think I overdid it."

Nyana's flames flickered weakly beside me, her breath ragged. "Astro, focus! We need to—"

Too late.

The pink-haired cat girl lunged.

Her fist slammed into Nyana before she could react, sending her crashing into the stone wall. Dust exploded from the impact.

"Nyana!" Adrenaline surged through me as I charged forward. The world blurred—just me, my friend, and the monster before us. Energy roared in my fists. "Starlight Barrage!"

I unleashed a furious onslaught, every strike glowing like comets streaking toward her. But she was too fast. Too precise. She weaved between my attacks, her laughter ringing like mocking chimes in the wind.

"Cute," she purred, dodging my final strike with a lazy backflip. "But you'll have to do better than that."

Desperation gnawed at my insides. "Ame, get up!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "We need you!"

Ame groaned softly, her mismatched eyes fluttering open. She tried to push herself up, but her arms trembled, her fingers slipping against the blood-slicked floor. She collapsed again with a pained gasp. "Astro… you… have to—"

The pink-haired cat girl sneered. "Oh, let her rest. She's already bleeding out. It's not like she'll make it anyway."

She flicked her wrist.

The air froze. Ice shards spiraled toward Ame, their edges razor-sharp.

"NO!" I dove toward her, but the shards struck first, shattering against the floor in a deafening crack. Slivers of ice slashed across her open wounds. Ame whimpered, her weak gasp sending a cold jolt through my chest.

"You monster!" I roared.

Nyana, now fueled by rage, erupted in a blaze of fire. "Get away from her!" she screamed, surging forward, flames exploding from her fists. But the pink-haired cat girl merely sidestepped, her movements so fluid, so effortless, it was like she was toying with us.

"Faster, kitty!" she mocked. Then, with a single spin, she delivered a brutal kick to Nyana's stomach. Nyana choked on a cry as she was sent flying.

"STOP PLAYING WITH US!" I shouted, frustration igniting my desperation. "THIS IS SERIOUS!"

The girl turned her sharp gaze to me, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Oh, but the game is just getting started."

She moved faster than I could blink. Before I could react, her fist struck Ame's skull with a sickening crunch.

Time stopped.

Ame's body jerked—then fell limp. Her head lolled to the side, her eyes dull, unfocused. Her chest… still.

Something inside me shattered.

"Ame?" My voice was barely a whisper. Then, louder—raw, broken—"AME!"

The pink-haired cat girl wiped blood off her hand and smiled. "And just like that, your little team is down to two. How unfortunate."

A churning, suffocating mix of grief and rage burned through my veins. "You'll pay for this!" I bellowed, charging with everything I had. My fists blazed with fury, with sorrow, with everything Ame had fought for.

She flicked her hair back. "You're not even a challenge."

In a blur, she dodged. I struck only air.

She appeared behind me in an instant. Her icy fingers gripped my shoulder. A heartbeat later, she drove her fist into my spine. Pain erupted through me as I crashed to the ground, gasping, her freezing aura seeping into my bones.

"Astro!" Nyana's voice was urgent, desperate. "We have to get out of here!"

"No!" I pushed myself up, shaking. "We can't leave Ame! We need to fight!"

"She's gone, Astro!" Nyana's voice cracked. "Ame's gone! If we stay, we're next!"

The pink-haired cat girl's laughter echoed, a twisted melody of amusement. "Oh, don't tell me you're running away already." She stepped closer, her grin widening. "The real fun was just getting started."

Nyana grabbed my wrist, her flames flickering as she prepared to teleport us. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"No! We can't—"

The world blurred.

Heat and light consumed everything.

When I hit the ground again, I wasn't in the ruins anymore. The cool night air of Luminous City filled my lungs, but I couldn't breathe. I couldn't feel anything but the hollow ache where Ame should've been.

Then—

Laughter rang through the sky.

Above us, high above the towering skyline, the pink-haired cat girl floated. Her long hair glowed under the moonlight, her form bathed in an eerie radiance. She spread her arms, an electric storm of icy energy crackling around her.

Her eyes burned with twisted joy. "Welcome to my playground!" she declared. "Ah, yes, finally… revenge is so sweet."

Then, for the first time, she spoke her name.

"I—Nyatasha Kotova Nyanners III, Goddess of Insanity—will finally have my revenge!"

My blood ran cold.

Nyana, beside me, swallowed hard, her hands trembling. Her thoughts must have been racing, but all she managed was a broken whisper.

"Damn it… This was not in my calculations… Okayu, what the hell did you get us into?"