Grimm Tales: Rise of the Yokai

Chapter 17 The Snow Maiden

With the raiju dealt with, my friends ran over to join me, but Rin didn't waste any time before attacking.

"Shards of Winter!"

She thrust out her hand, and the mist and snow around her surged forward. Each flake grew into a spike the size of an arrowhead, whistling through the air as they flew right at us.

A wall of ice burst from the sand. I dove behind it, and narrowly avoided getting shredded by Rin's attack.

"We need to think of something, fast," said Jason. "This won't last long."

He was right. Jason's quick thinking had saved us, but only for a little while. He was already straining to keep the spell together. But despite his best efforts, cracks and craters had already started to form, and they were spreading fast.

While we cowered behind it, Rin was focusing her attack on the ice wall, trying to bring it down. The thunderous, relentless pounding of her ice against Jason's sounded like she was strafing the wall with a machine gun.

"Well?" I asked. "Anybody have any bright ideas?"

"We can't just rush her," said Tobias. "She'd rip us apart before we could get to her."

"He's right," said Kora. "We're too easy a target, all grouped up like this. But if we split up, and attack her from all sides, it might give us the advantage."

"And how exactly are we supposed to stop her from attacking long enough to surround her?" asked Sarah.

"Leave that to me," said Kora. "Jason, when I give the signal, break your spell then get out of the way, fast."

Jason nodded, "You got it."

Kora took a few steps back from the wall and braced herself. In moments, her magic power shot into the stratosphere. Energy rolled off of her like heat from a raging fire. And when I realized what she was about to do, I did the most sensible thing I could think of.

I ran for cover.

"Now!"

Jason's icy shield blew apart like it had been hit with a grenade. He turned on his heels and ran as fast as he could.

The force of the spell breaking must have stunned the yuki-onna, just enough for her to stop her attack. That was all the opening Kora needed.

"Alright, bitch, time for round two," said Kora. She took a deep breath, and cried out, "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The plume of fire that followed more than lived up to the name. Kora's spell tore up the beach. The sand melted to glass as the raging flames consumed everything in their path. The intense heat pulled the air from my lungs as everything in front of Kora disappeared, swallowed up by heat and light.

When the flames died away, somehow, Rin was still standing. Her robes were scorched, and her pale skin was the angry red of a tourist who'd never heard of sunscreen, but she was still standing.

"From ice cold to extra crispy. Nice job, Kora," I said.

"Not quite," said Rin.

Kora's fire breath had burned away the veil of mist and snow that had surrounded Rin, but it quickly reappeared. The snow covered her burns like bandages; merged with her robes and repaired them. In less than a minute, there was no sign she'd ever been injured at all.

"Okay, so she can heal herself," said Kora. "That ... could be a problem."

From her place in the center of her spell, Izanami spoke up. "Alright, Rin. Enough games. I think it's time you entertained our guests properly."