---
The battlefield was no longer normal.
It had become a twisting nightmare of frozen winds and shattered luck.
Selene floated above like an empress of death, the blizzards around her thickening until even sound froze.
Kai pedaled lazily atop the newly transformed Destiny Engine, trails of golden gears and shifting roads warping reality.
Lian wiped blood from his mouth.
Demist was kneeling, barely conscious.
Jayce had burns and frostbite both on his arms.
Elric was breathing hard, his spell-casting hand trembling.
And Lian himself?
He was pumped.
---
> [ Warning: System Calculations Failing.
Danger Level: Critical.
Advice: Escape Recommended. ]
"Yeah, right," Lian muttered under his breath, tightening his grip on the handlebars of his Photon Cycle.
"If fate says I should run...
I'll break fate."
---
Battle Phase 2 Begins: Frost & Fortune Domain Activated!
---
Selene's Absolute Zero
The temperature dropped to near-unlivable levels instantly.
Their very skills slowed down.
Jayce's slingshot took a full second longer to fire.
Elric's magic circles cracked as they formed.
Even Lian's Photon Cycle felt heavier.
Selene raised her hand — and columns of glacial death erupted everywhere, chasing the team relentlessly.
[Skill Unlocked: Cycle of Frost]
Every 30 seconds, random sections of the battlefield freeze solid.
Touching frozen zones without protection inflicts instant 50% HP loss.
---
Kai's Destiny Engine
Meanwhile, Kai simply smiled, spinning a golden coin between his fingers.
The world... became unfair.
Enemy attacks missed him by accident.
Allies tripped, misfired, or even targeted each other by mistake.
Healing spells went to the enemy instead of friends.
> [ Domain Skill: Reverse Fortune ]
Every 10 seconds, forcibly swap a positive event for a negative one.
This wasn't a battle against strength anymore.
It was a battle against reality itself.
---
Lian's Command
Lian gritted his teeth, thinking faster than ever before.
"Demist, heal yourself with everything you have left!"
"Elric, don't cast complex spells — just flood the field with simple mana blasts!"
"Jayce, go wild — treat it like a comedy show!"
"And me...?"
He twisted the Photon Cycle's handles, activating its newly upgraded Phase-Through Mode.
"I'll handle Kai."
---
Sub-Battle 1: Jayce & Elric vs. Selene the Frost Monarch
---
Jayce cackled as he loaded his grenade slingshot with three random projectiles.
"Let's see if this makes a snowstorm or a fireworks show!"
BOOM!
BOOM!
The explosions went off in chaotic patterns, disrupting Selene's elegant ice spears.
Meanwhile, Elric chanted simplified Mana Barrage spells, flooding the sky with glowing bullets.
Selene scowled for the first time, her robes ripping slightly.
"You dare... tarnish my dominion?"
She unleashed her trump card: Frozen King's Authority.
A massive ice golem rose from the ground, twenty meters tall, roaring with ancient power.
Jayce gulped.
"Uh... guys? We've got a problem the size of a skyscraper."
---
Sub-Battle 2: Lian vs. Kai the Road Warden
---
Lian pushed his Photon Cycle to maximum speed, weaving through the reality-warped battlefield.
Everywhere he went, the roads twisted, bridges collapsed, meteors fell from nowhere.
But Lian's mind was crystal clear.
He used Destiny Crash again — forcing an impossible event:
Kai's engine stalled.
For the first time, Kai blinked in surprise.
"...You're interesting."
He jumped off the engine and charged directly at Lian, fists glowing with golden light.
Their clash shook the golden road.
Lian dodged a punch that would've torn a tank apart.
Kai manipulated probability, causing Lian's wheel to slip — but Lian recovered with an impossible drift.
It was no longer just strength.
It was a battle of willpower.
---
Turning Point: Break the Fate
---
Elric and Jayce desperately fought the Frost Golem, dodging its fists by a hair's breadth.
Demist, barely healed, dragged himself into the fray, swinging his battered axe with one last war cry.
And then...
Lian activated his ultimate skill.
> [ World Splitter Activated — 10 Seconds to Break a Rule of Reality ]
He chose:
"Ignore Destiny for 10 Seconds."
The effects were instant.
Kai's luck manipulation stopped.
Selene's frozen dominion began cracking.
The roads stopped collapsing under their feet.
It was their moment.
THEIR REALITY.
---
Final Assault
Lian rocketed toward Kai, slamming him into a shattered billboard at sonic speeds.
Jayce and Elric coordinated an insane combo: Elric launched a mana cannon, and Jayce shot a grenade into it, supercharging the blast into a Mana Nuke aimed at the Frost Golem's heart.
Demist, roaring louder than ever, cleaved through the Golem's knees, bringing it crashing down.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The battlefield exploded into chaos.
When the light faded...
Selene lay unconscious inside a cracked ice throne.
Kai, laughing softly, gave Lian a respectful nod before fainting.
The Destiny Engine flickered and shut down.
---
> [ Victory Achieved! ]
[ You have defeated the Rivals of the Grand Road! ]
[ Rewards Incoming... ]
---
System Reward Summary:
100,000 Coins each.
New Vehicle Blueprint: Destiny Engine (Miniature Version)
Special Title: Fate Breaker of the Road
Bonus Skill: Frozen Crown's Blessing (Reduce elemental damage by 30%)
---
The mist cleared.
Ahead, the golden road split into three branches, each leading to a new world.
Lian, exhausted but grinning, looked at his teammates.
"You guys ready?"
Jayce wiped his nose, smirking. "Born ready, boss."
Demist cracked his knuckles.
Elric adjusted his broken glasses.
They all looked forward.
Because the Grand Road... was just beginning.
---