The ice fortress, covered in blue crystals, soared into the sky as if piercing it.
The ice-made spires shone ominously amidst the blizzard.
“This is the Palace of Baeksul.”
Kiara’s voice trembled. Her blue eyes wavered as she looked up at the colossal stronghold.
“Big sister…”
Sylvia tightly gripped my arm as she stepped forward. The spirits whirled around her as if responding to her will.
“I’ll take the lead.”
When the icy gates opened, a chill poured out like a waterfall. Ice knight statues lined the hallways, glaring at us.
Shh—The first ice statue moved. Its ice-made sword glinted coldly.
“Hah!”
Sylvia’s spirits reacted instantly. A fire spirit melted the ice knight.
“That was easy.”
Sylvia smiled brightly. She still didn’t seem to want to let go of my arm.
“I’ll handle all the dangerous things, so don’t worry, Haru!”
From behind, Kiara let out a cold sigh.
We kept advancing. The spirits led the way, dealing with the ice knights. It was an incredibly smooth march.
Then it happened.
Roooar—!
A massive roar shook the palace. The ceiling trembled, and the walls quaked.
“That sound…”
Kiara’s expression hardened. The wolf fur draped over her shoulders began to stir.
When the central hall doors opened, a massive figure emerged. A body made of snow and ice, wings covered in crystals.
“Jabberwock…!”
Kiara’s voice quivered, as if the memories of that day eight years ago resurfaced.
“That day, when you…”
Her shoulders trembled. She gripped her frost blade tightly.
Growl—
Fenrir revealed its full form. The enormous frost-covered wolf growled and stood protectively in front of Kiara.
“This time is different.”
Kiara raised her frost blade.
“It’s not the same as eight years ago.”
A cold determination flickered in her blue eyes.
“Hero and Queen, please go ahead. I’ll take care of Jabberwock.”
“But…”
“It’s fine. This is my fight.”
There was no hesitation in Kiara’s voice. She seemed ready to face her regret-stained past.
Jabberwock roared, spreading its wings.
Fenrir howled sharply in response.
Sylvia tugged my hand.
“Haru, let’s hurry.”
I nodded. Kiara’s resolute gaze was reassuring enough.
As we moved toward the next door, massive collision sounds echoed behind us. The battle between the ice dragon and the frost wolf had begun.
‘This is the final stretch.’
I moved forward, holding Sylvia’s hand. Only the showdown with Snow White remained.
We walked down the upper-level corridor.
With each step, the sound of breaking ice crystals echoed.
“Almost there…”
Sylvia’s grip tightened. The spirits hovered anxiously around us.
When the door opened, the room was filled with ominous energy. The distinct aura of one of the Four Great Demons.
In the center of the circular hall, she stood.
A demon with the appearance of Kiara’s elder sister.
The Frozen General, Baeksul, slowly turned her head. Her icy gaze fixed on us.
“The warmth of humans…”
Her voice dripped with disdain.
“Utterly repulsive, as expected. The way you depend on each other…”
The air froze in an instant. With Baeksul’s gesture, thousands of ice spikes erupted from the ground.
I raised my demon sword. The purple-black darkness gleamed as it slashed through the ice.
But Baeksul only smiled.
“That sword, huh? I owe you from last time.”
Rumble—!
Countless ice spears filled the air.
[Master, this is getting… really annoying.]
The purple-black darkness diligently shattered the incoming ice.
Thunk, thunk, thunk—Baeksul’s ice magic was powerless against the demon sword’s might. But the real issue was the overwhelming quantity.
The ice spears poured relentlessly. For every one cut down, two more flew in. For every two, four more came.
It was impossible to close the distance with Baeksul.
[Ah~ this is so frustrating.]
“Haah… Haah…”
My breathing grew ragged. The more I used the demon sword’s power, the faster my strength drained.
[Master, this isn’t looking good at all.]
“I know.”
Baeksul never allowed close combat. She maintained her distance, unleashing a blizzard of ice storms.
Shh—Each step I took forward brought a rain of ice spears and towering ice pillars erupting all around.
[Hmph, so the famous demon sword is finally hitting its limit? Demon swords are always flashy but hollow, aren’t they?]
[Shut up. What do you know?]
The holy sword, seemingly eager to repay past grievances, taunted the demon sword.
The situation was dire. But I wasn’t worried in the slightest.
I unsummoned the demon sword, “Twilight,” and summoned the holy sword, “Dawn.”
“Queen… no, Sylvia.”
I looked at Sylvia. Our green eyes met.
“Haru, are you ready?”
“Let’s do this, just like always.”
At those words, Sylvia’s ears perked up.
The five years we had spent together came to mind.
The spirits danced as if resonating with the air.
At Sylvia’s gesture, the fire spirit entered the holy sword “Dawn.”
The light of dawn and the red flames intertwined, creating a new power.
“This is…”
Baeksul’s eyes trembled. It was the first time she showed a sign of unease.
“Impossible. How can spirits and divine power…”
But this was something familiar to us.
Perfect harmony is not exclusive to the hero and the saint.
The holy flame surged through the sword’s blade.
It felt as though Sylvia’s hand overlapped with mine. A warm sensation reached me even from afar.
“Let’s begin.”
Sylvia lifted the World Tree’s bow. Green magic enveloped her body.
“Spirits!”
The surrounding spirits began to gather within Yggdrasil.
The Phoenix roared, and the Thunderhawk whipped through the air. The Rock Serpent howled, resonating with Yggdrasil.
The spirits’ arrows rained down, shaking Baeksul’s barrier.
The ice wall began to waver.
“With Haru by my side… nothing to fear.”
With Sylvia’s support, I advanced forward.
The power of the spirits and the light of dawn resonated, and flames flickered across the sword’s blade.
The “Harmony” aspect of my ashen aura perfectly synchronized with the elf’s magic.
The holy power of the sword, my aura, and the spirits’ power combined and exploded, amplifying immensely.
Baeksul relentlessly fired ice spears. The quantity was enough to fill the sky.
Earlier, we were struggling to defend, but now it was different.
Swoosh—
Flames burst from the arc traced by the holy sword. The incoming ice spears melted in unison.
“Then…”
Baeksul’s eyes glowed coldly. A massive blizzard roared.
The world around us turned white. Yet, in this snowy world, the holy flames burned even brighter and fiercer.
Shh—
Wherever the holy sword passed, the blizzard split apart.
Step by step, we advanced, cutting through everything in our path.
“This can’t be…”
Baeksul’s voice trembled. She finally revealed her last card.
A defense shield made of absolute zero, composed of blue ice crystals, enveloped her.
But…
Fwoosh—!
The Spirit Sword struck the shield. Cracks began to spread.
Bang—!
Flames and ice collided, and fragments sparkled in the air.
We slowly closed the distance.
One step.
Another step.
“Don’t come! Don’t come any closer with that warmth!”
Even Baeksul’s absolute zero was powerless before the holy sword’s flames.
“Why is it… so strong? Why is it so warm?”
“Perhaps it’s the power of bonds?”
The distance between us and Baeksul was almost closed. The moment all her defenses crumbled.
It happened in an instant. I unsummoned the holy sword and drew the demon sword.
[Heh, it’s time to repay the humiliation.]
As if already knowing, I repositioned the spirits.
The Earth Spirit grabbed Baeksul’s feet, and the Wind Spirit sealed her movements.
It was perfect harmony.
“It’s over.”
With a single thrust, the demon sword pierced Baeksul’s heart.
The blizzard exploded in a whirlwind. A white world enveloped us.
Boom—!
At that moment, the door opened, and Kiara arrived.
“Hero, I’ve come to help!”
Her words were cut off. Her blue eyes stared at the drifting white snowflakes in the air.
The joy of victory was short-lived.
Her blue eyes darkened with despair.
“What is this…?”
The blizzard gradually subsided.
Baeksul’s body slowly collapsed.
“You promised… you would save my sister…”
Her voice trembled. Cold anger filled her eyes.
“Is this what you call salvation?! Was it all a lie? Did you… deceive me?”
Kiara’s voice quivered. She gripped the Frostblade tightly.
The temperature around her dropped drastically. Her anger turned into a chill that shimmered in the air.
Fenrir growled, baring its fangs.
Then, it happened.
Swoosh—
Someone grabbed Kiara’s hand.
A skeleton made of pure white bone.
A chilling, eerie figure.
“This is…”
The bony hand gently patted her head.
In an instant, Kiara froze. Her hand went limp, and the Frostblade fell to the ground.
“To be patted like this…”
Her voice trembled. Tears filled her blue eyes.
“It was only… you…”
Kiara’s shoulders trembled. After eight years, they reunited. But in this way…
“Sister… you’ve had a hard time.”
The voice that echoed from the pure white skeleton was cold but warm.
Kiara’s voice caught in her throat. Memories of her childhood from eight years ago came flooding back.
The touch that patted her head when she was in pain.
The warmth that comforted her when she had nightmares and cried.
The steadfast back that always protected her.
“Sniff… Sister, is it really you?”
Kiara hugged the skeleton. Her tears fell onto its white bones.
“I wanted to see you in my dreams every night. Just once… like this… I’m sorry. Sister, I… I…”
An emotion, somewhere between joy and sorrow, echoed in her voice. Tears never stopped flowing from the eyes of the protector of the Frostguard, the northern duke, who had always been so cold.
“If only I… If only I had been stronger…”
“No, you did well. Look at how wonderfully you grew, Kiara, into such an amazing wolf. I’ve been watching you all along.”
The skeleton’s fingers patted Kiara’s back. Just like that comforting touch from the nights when she suffered from nightmares eight years ago.
“Now… now I can protect you. I’ll never… never let you go again.”
“Yes, the wolf is not alone anymore.”
The skeleton—no, Kiria—hugged Kiara even tighter.