"My whole life has been filled with failure… but now… I can't fail."
Poul gritted his teeth as he stared at the giant.
"I have not one… but two promises to fulfill."
Step by step, as he walked across the frozen crystal, he saw the giant's expression shift—surprise, confusion.
The giant slowly raised its gaze… until it locked onto Poul.
Its pupils widened.
Flames began to rise.
It clenched its teeth.
Opening its mouth, heat escaped like a burning breath. Its chest expanded—
Then it roared.
A heavy roar.
Like a lion about to lose its territory, ready to fight with everything it had left.
The crystal beneath them slowly melted.
Fire pulsed.
Poul kept walking.
Drops of warm water slid down the massive frozen structure. The flames, once concentrated at the giant's abdomen, began to spread.
"It's getting harder to walk on this…"
His foot sank slightly—ice and water mixing beneath him.
So he accelerated.
Getting closer—
Closer—
Then he stepped forward and launched himself at the giant.
With a roar, an orange glow burst forth.
A confident smile appeared on Poul's face.
A sword and dagger formed in his hands.
A blast of fire erupted from the giant's mouth—
Swallowing him whole.
The giant closed its eyes.
When the flames ceased, it didn't even look—just threw a punch into the smoke.
Impact.
Steam burst outward.
Then—
The giant's eyes snapped open.
Something pierced its hand.
Looking down—
Poul stood there.
His face partially covered in melting ice.
"You really thought I'd die from that?"
The giant's voice was heavy.
"No."
Its lips curled, revealing its teeth.
"I'm… excited for what comes next… false… human."
Poul laughed.
He opened his arms, letting the wind pull at his torn shirt as spikes of ice formed along his back once more.
The giant swung wildly.
Poul leapt, leaving himself open.
The punch cut through the air.
In response, Poul formed fragile ice wings—thin like glass.
With a single beat, he soared above the spikes as they fell toward the giant below.
"Haha… how did I let you throw me around like that? How?!" he taunted.
As he landed, blood ran down his body.
The giant looked up—
And saw something.
Something… blue.
Completely blue.
And it heard laughter.
Its pupils shrank.
"I… don't want to die…"
Fear took hold.
Not just of its mind—
But of its very spirit.
It breathed heavily.
In. Out. Again.
Its confidence… gone.
Its element—its last fragment of pride—began consuming it like rot spreading through a tree.
It screamed.
Not in rage—
But in fear.
In frustration.
In disappointment.
Its body, riddled with holes like shattered stone, was filled with fire trying to hold it together.
And still—
The ice laughed.
"He's laughing at you."
A deep, unfamiliar voice echoed.
"That 'insect'… he's humiliating you. Can't you see?"
The voice continued as flames devoured one of its eyes.
"I will… kill him… no… destroying him would be far more satisfying…"
The giant's voice grew heavier.
Its entire body turned into pure orange flame.
And suddenly—
Everything went quiet.
Poul's laughter stopped.
He descended slowly, his fragile ice wings fading as a calm wind brushed against him.
Half his body was frozen.
In front of him—
A massive orange figure stood.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Did I win…? Is this hell disguised as a fight… finally over?"
Did he turn his back?
Of course not.
He simply sat down.
On blood-soaked ground—old, dry stains mixed with fresh warmth.
Breathing deeply, wincing in pain, he looked at the body before him.
Only then did he realize—
He couldn't feel half his own body anymore.
No fear.
No surprise.
This was the price of the battle.
He stood up.
And walked toward his soldiers.
Freezing any giant that stood in his way.
When he arrived—
He noticed it.
Half his squad… was gone.
"Jack. Status?"
"C-Captain?!"
"Yes. It's me."
Jack stared at him—hope and admiration filling his eyes.
"Listen. You all need to rest. Go up. I'll handle the rest."
Relief spread among the soldiers.
Poul created stairs of ice leading to the top of the wall.
One by one, they climbed.
Before Jack left, Poul called out:
"When everyone's recovered… leave this place. I'll hold them off."
"But… Captain… aren't you coming with us?"
"I will. But half of you already died out there. If you stay… the rest might follow. So go."
Jack nodded.
And the moment Poul turned—
An explosion of flames erupted before him.
A crushing killing intent followed.
"…Damn it."
Cold sweat ran down his spine.
Around him, giants began to flee.
Some collapsed to their knees.
Flames spread everywhere.
The ground became a burning lake beneath the figure rising from it.
Arms outstretched—
Fire coiled around them like serpents, climbing to its neck—
Then piercing into it.
Its eyes opened.
Glowing orange.
Flames wrapped around its body like the armor of a royal knight.
An elegant sword formed in its hand.
Behind it—
A flowing cape.
Blue.
Shifting slowly into cyan.
It stared at the "insect."
Poul stood frozen—
Sweat dripping—
His legs trembling.
"Did I win…?"
He covered his face.
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"…What a joke."
He couldn't stop laughing.
He laughed until he couldn't breathe.
Even as flames approached—
He kept laughing.
Had Hyou Poul gone mad?
After everything he endured…
Maybe madness was the only escape left.
He jumped—
Turning mid-air—
A frozen blade forming in his hand—
But—
Nothing.
Just sunlight over trees.
Corpses scattered below.
Then—
His eyes widened.
The laughter stopped.
Behind him—
Heat.
"I n s e c t…"
A heavy voice.
Smoke drifting from its mouth.
"…How could you be so careless?"
A fist struck his back.
Saliva flew from Poul's mouth as he was launched into the sky.
Even with blurred vision—
He saw it.
Blue flames.
Then—
Pain.
Something pierced his body.
And he was slammed back down.
Cutting through the air, sparks of blue scattered from his body, along with droplets of blood.
The moment one drop hit the ground—
An explosion followed.
The earth cracked.
Dust rose.
And from within—
A lapis-lazuli light emerged.
A presence rising.
The sound of armor echoed.
Poul coughed blood.
His body burned—
And froze—
At the same time.
Still—
He forced himself up.
Hunched.
Ice extinguishing flames, growing in their place.
Through the dust—
Something stood out.
Cold mist escaped his mouth.
His vision blurred—
And he saw her.
"…Ma…ria…"
A flash—
Like a spear of light—
Shot toward him.
Gritting his teeth, he forced his leg to move and threw himself aside.
He fell.
Chest rising and falling rapidly.
Then—
A memory.
His son.
Breaking into his mind like a thief.
His teeth clenched.
Ice rose—
Lifting him—
Like a fallen emperor.
Ignoring the consequences—
He formed two swords.
Lances of ice surrounded him.
And the ice—
Welcomed it.
It began devouring the rest of his body.
Faster.
Relentless.
As if Poul understood—
Without accepting it—
He would never see his son again.
Even if…
He wouldn't remain the same.
The ice spread.
Consuming the last trace of his human warmth.
Until—
He became something else.
"So… you accept me, Hyou Poul?"
The ice itself spoke.
"Yes…"
His voice was cold.
"I accept you… Glaciei."
"Then… become my Emperor."
"If it lets me see him again…"
His empty eyes didn't waver.
"…I will."
And in response—
The ice laughed.