The air at the dock was tense and bitterly cold, a result of Colette's icy aura as she strode forward, her soldiers following closely behind. Her wings were partially unfurled, and her blue-and-white scales glimmered under the faint moonlight. The faint smell of saltwater mingled with the acrid stench of oil and rust, but Colette's sharp blue eyes remained fixed on the crates stacked haphazardly across the docks.
Each of her soldiers carried powerful magic weapons—rifles, pistols, shotguns, swords, axes, and hammers—all enchanted with lethal spells. Their faces were hard and focused, knowing that the slightest mistake tonight could cost them their lives—or worse, Kent's.
As they approached the designated meeting point, a figure stepped out from the shadows, her presence commanding and striking.
The phoenix woman who had sent the ransom letter stood at the center of the dock. Her fiery red and gold feathers seemed to glow, even in the dim light, and her piercing orange eyes met Colette's with a smirk. She was tall and regal, dressed in flowing crimson robes that shimmered with heat, as if they were alive with flames.
"Welcome, Colette," the woman said, her voice sultry and confident. "I've been looking forward to this."
"And you must be Stella," Colette replied, her voice cold and sharp. "I assume you're the one foolish enough to take what's mine."
Stella let out a soft laugh, stepping forward with an almost feline grace. "I'm glad we're starting on the right foot. Yes, I'm the one who took your precious Kent. And, let me tell you, he's even more delightful in person than I imagined."
Colette's claws flexed at her sides, frost beginning to creep along the ground. "You have five seconds to hand him over, unharmed, before I turn this dock into a frozen graveyard."
Stella smirked, unbothered by the threat. "Oh, darling, you misunderstand. I never intended to give him back."
Colette's eyes narrowed, her tail lashing behind her. "What did you just say?"
Stella motioned toward the crates surrounding them. "I'm building something truly remarkable, Colette—a harem of the finest men the world has to offer. Kent will be the crown jewel of my collection."
Before Colette could respond, the crates burst open with a thunderous crash, and dozens of soldiers emerged. Humans, dwarves, fairies, lamias, and other magical beings armed to the teeth with weapons of their own. Their eyes burned with loyalty to Stella, and their stances radiated discipline and readiness.
"Meet my army," Stella said with a smile, gesturing toward her troops. "Each of them is loyal to me, just as Kent will be. You see, Colette, you've walked into a trap. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and I'm not afraid of your icy little tricks."
Colette's smirk returned, colder and more dangerous than ever. "You think this is a trap?" she asked, her voice low and venomous. "No, Stella. This is your funeral."
With a flick of her wrist, Colette's soldiers raised their magic weapons, the air crackling with energy as the enchantments activated. Rifles hummed with elemental power, swords glowed with runes, and hammers sparked with lightning.
"Kill them all," Colette commanded, her voice ringing out like a bell of doom.
Stella laughed, snapping her fingers. Her soldiers surged forward, weapons drawn, and the dock erupted into chaos.
The first clash was deafening. Magic rifles fired explosive rounds that tore through the air, while enchanted swords clanged against axes and shields. Colette's forces moved with precision, their training and superior weapons giving them an edge despite being outnumbered.
Colette herself was a force of nature. She strode through the battlefield with terrifying grace, her icy aura freezing everything in her path. A group of Stella's soldiers rushed her with swords and spears, but she barely acknowledged them. With a single exhale, her frost breath engulfed them, encasing them in ice.
"You thought you could challenge me?" Colette growled, shattering one of the frozen soldiers with a flick of her tail. "Pathetic."
Stella, meanwhile, stayed at the back of the battlefield, watching with a confident smile. She raised a hand, and a burst of flame erupted from her palm, incinerating one of Colette's soldiers.
"Impressive," Stella called out, her voice carrying over the chaos. "But let's see how long your men can hold out."
Colette didn't respond. Her focus was singular: Kent. Somewhere in the chaos, he was being held captive, and she would tear through every single one of Stella's soldiers to get to him.
As the battle raged on, Colette's icy determination only grew stronger. Stella might have started this war, but Colette would be the one to end it—and she would do so with blood and frost.
The dock had become a chaotic warzone, filled with the deafening sounds of magical blasts, the clash of steel, and the cries of the wounded. Colette's soldiers and Stella's forces were locked in a deadly standoff, with each side pressing the other hard.
Rifles imbued with elemental energy fired bright streaks of light, explosions shaking the docks as magical rounds collided with crates and stone. Sparks flew as close-range fighters hacked at each other with enchanted swords, axes, and daggers. The air was thick with tension and the acrid smell of burned magic.
In the middle of the chaos, Colette stood like a beacon of icy fury. Her frost aura radiated outward, freezing the ground around her. The cold only emboldened her soldiers, their morale bolstered by the sheer power of their leader.
With a powerful beat of her wings, Colette took to the skies. She soared above the fray, her towering frame gleaming in the moonlight. From above, she unleashed her frost breath, a torrent of icy wind that froze entire groups of Stella's soldiers in place. The frozen bodies shattered moments later as her soldiers pressed forward, their magical weapons cutting down anyone in their path.
"Stay out of my way!" Colette roared, her voice carrying across the battlefield.
Below her, Stella's forces scrambled to regroup, their formations shattered by Colette's relentless assault.
But Stella wasn't one to be outdone.
The phoenix woman spread her fiery wings, their blazing heat creating an unnatural glow in the darkness. With a single, powerful leap, she launched herself into the air, meeting Colette head-on.
"Enough of this," Stella called out, her voice sharp and commanding. "If you want Kent so badly, you'll have to go through me!"
Colette's sharp blue eyes locked onto Stella, her smirk returning. "Gladly."
The two women clashed in midair, their wings creating powerful gusts of wind that rippled through the battlefield below. Stella's flames roared against Colette's frost, the opposing elements colliding in bursts of steam and energy.
Stella lunged forward, her claws wreathed in fire as she swiped at Colette. The dragoness twisted in the air, narrowly avoiding the attack before retaliating with a blast of frost breath. Stella countered with a wall of flame, the two elements colliding in a violent explosion that lit up the night sky.
"You're strong," Stella admitted, her voice filled with grudging respect. "But fire always melts ice."
Colette let out a low laugh, her wings flaring wide. "And ice can extinguish fire if it's cold enough."
The battle between the two titans was a spectacle of raw power. Stella's flames burned brightly, her attacks fast and unrelenting as she tried to overpower Colette. But Colette's icy precision and sheer strength allowed her to hold her own, each of her frost-laden strikes forcing Stella to retreat.
"You made a mistake taking what's mine," Colette growled, her voice low and dangerous. "And I'm going to make sure you regret it."
Stella sneered, lunging forward with a fiery punch aimed at Colette's chest. Colette caught her wrist mid-strike, the frost spreading from her claws and encasing Stella's arm in ice.
"You talk too much," Colette said, tightening her grip.
Stella snarled, using her free hand to unleash a burst of flame that melted the ice and forced Colette to release her. She used the momentary opening to slash at Colette with her flaming claws, scoring a shallow cut along the dragoness's side.
Colette didn't flinch. Instead, she countered with a powerful swing of her tail, the icy appendage slamming into Stella's midsection and sending her tumbling through the air.
"You think this is a game?" Colette roared, her voice echoing across the battlefield. "You took him! You crossed a line you can't come back from!"
Stella recovered quickly, her fiery wings propelling her back into position. She smirked, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "You're strong, I'll give you that. But you're not invincible."
"Neither are you," Colette shot back, lunging forward with a powerful burst of speed.
The two clashed again, their elemental powers colliding in an explosion of fire and ice that sent shockwaves through the dock. Below them, the battle raged on, but all eyes were drawn to the sky, where the fight between the two mafia bosses reached its climax.
Colette knew she had to end this quickly. Every moment spent fighting Stella was another moment Kent was in danger. She focused all her energy, her frost aura intensifying as she prepared for one final attack.
Stella seemed to sense it, her flames burning even brighter as she prepared to counter.
The air grew tense as the two women faced off, their next clash certain to decide the outcome of the battle.