Time slowed. Everything became silent — not just from fear, but from spiritual temperature drop. Shisui's eyes glowed icy silver as an aura of ancient cold surrounded him.
He stood, despite his bleeding side, in perfect stillness.
"Cryo Sovereignty: Eternal Frost Domain."
In a sudden explosion of light and chill, a 1-kilometer radius froze over in shimmering, spiritual ice. The traitors' movements slowed drastically. Flames dimmed. Even the sound of clashing weapons became muted, as if the air itself had frozen.
"W-What is this?!"
They couldn't move. Their chakra lagged. Their eyes widened in terror.
Shisui raised a single hand.
"Chrono Shatter Prison."
A prismatic glacial shard erupted and struck the lead attacker. He froze in mid-air — locked in a distorted moment of frozen time.
Then came a mirrored shimmer behind Shisui—
"Mirror Lotus Incarnate."
An ice clone mimicked his slash and burst into heat-seeking shards, turning fleeing assassins into pincushions of frost.
More screamed. One tried to escape.
Shisui whispered coldly:
"Soulfreeze Burial."
A spectral spear of ice formed in his hand. He hurled it — and the assassin fell limp without a mark, eyes glazed over in a coma-like state.
The last traitor knelt. "P-Please! I was only following orders! Lord Velmar of the High Council—he wants the princess dead before the treaty!"
Shisui's vision blurred. Blood loss. Strain. The Cryo Sovereignty's toll was too much for a body not yet used to its burden.
But he saw Irylia — safe, unharmed — tears in her eyes.
That was enough.
He smiled gently. "You're safe… good…"
And collapsed.
Snow continued to fall.