The blue royal knight slashed through the air, scattering the dust in all directions. He looked around—
Then saw a body lying on the ground, completely frozen.
Step. Step.
Heavy footsteps echoed as he approached. Standing before the frozen figure, he raised his sword—
Crack.
The ice shattered.
The knight's eyes widened as his arm was suddenly severed, flying through the air.
A frozen spear pierced the ground nearby.
Crack… crack…
And then—a melancholic laugh.
"Insect… you? No…"
He laughed in disbelief.
Ice began to rise.
Slowly, it lifted its emperor.
Armor formed piece by piece. A blade emerged. Cold mist spread through the air, thick and suffocating. A fractured crown appeared above his head, floating instead of resting upon it.
For the first time—
The elemental giant saw an emperor.
His severed flaming arm, lying on the ground, suddenly reconnected, a line of fire pulling it back into place.
Poul extended his pale arm—white like snow.
The giant stepped back.
His legs—
Freezing.
Gritting his teeth, he roared.
Like a knight ready to face a hundred enemies to protect his king, flames surged violently toward the emperor.
The giant dropped to one knee, something cracking beneath him, and drove his sword into the ground to steady himself.
The emperor, however, simply looked down.
Something warm surrounded him.
Warmer… and warmer with every passing second.
Slowly, he raised his head.
Blue flames.
Everywhere.
He was surrounded.
He took a single step.
Just one—
And part of the inferno vanished instantly.
The knight's sword began to glow, flames gathering into it, as if naturally drawn.
But the emperor walked forward, his empty gaze fixed ahead.
Ice spread across his face.
He felt… calm.
Too calm.
No fear.
No hesitation.
His eyes widened slightly.
A faint, dark smile formed.
Maybe… just maybe… death isn't the enemy… but salvation.
From that moment—
He forgot.
Why he was here.
What he had lost.
What he had promised.
It didn't matter anymore.
Only one thing remained—
He would move forward.
Even if he no longer remembered why.
His sword began to dissolve, breaking into fragments of ice.
In the air, a frozen spear formed.
Poul turned his head slightly—
And saw it.
A reflection.
His own face.
Cracked.
Covered in frost and blood.
His black hair slowly turning white.
He didn't recognize himself anymore.
He ignored it.
And threw the spear.
The royal knight rose, pulling his flaming sword free, and with a clean motion—
Cut it in half.
Step.
Step.
Heavy steps.
Fire followed him like a child trailing behind its father.
He raised his arm—armor forged from flames—
And from the ground, spikes erupted where ice had spread.
Poul smiled faintly.
A dark, quiet smile.
He stepped forward—
And dashed.
Ice surged around him, as if trying to protect the one who had accepted it.
At five meters—
He jumped.
Mid-air, he spun.
Ice gathered into a longer blade than before.
The knight moved his lips—
No one heard what he said.
But the flames answered.
They surged violently toward the emperor.
More hostile than before.
Almost… desperate.
They struck.
Poul cut through them.
Cleanly.
Effortlessly.
Looking upward, he found an opening.
He raised a finger—
And his power surged toward the burning armor.
The moment the ice touched it—
It was pulled in.
Like prey caught in a spider's web.
Poul landed on the knight's armor, his pale feet pressing against the burning surface.
He licked his lips slightly.
Raised his blade—
The giant's eyes widened.
Something pierced his body.
The emperor leapt again.
Flames twisted into serpent-like shapes, rushing toward him.
Wings of ice formed behind his back.
With a single beat—
He rose.
Toward the giant's helmet.
Then—
He twisted his body.
Ice condensed along his forearm, enlarging it—
And he struck.
The knight felt the impact—
And grabbed him mid-air.
The wings shattered.
The grip tightened—
Enough to almost force a scream.
The knight laughed.
A harsh, metallic sound. Not light—like iron being struck over and over again.
"You really thought…"
He laughed harder.
"…you could defeat me like this? How pathetic."
Poul struggled to rise from the dust, letting out a heavy, strained laugh.
That sound alone made the emperor's ears ache.
He stood.
Gritting his teeth.
Pain spread through his entire body.
Even as the ice consumed him—
It didn't take the pain away.
It never did.
He coughed violently—
Then struck his own chest.
"Le-let's…"
A deep, uneven breath.
"…You promised… didn't you? Idiot…"
The crown above him began to glow—
Blue.
White.
The ice armor that had been sustaining him changed—
It deepened.
Spread further.
Even the blood became part of it.
Cold mist rose.
And a royal blade formed in the air.
"I… won't lose."
He stepped forward.
Ice cracked and froze at the same time beneath his feet.
Each step—
Louder.
Revealing his position.
He didn't care.
He roared—
Like an emperor.
The giant swung his flaming blade.
The emperor saw it—
Cutting through the dust.
He raised his sword—
And met it.
Impact.
Hot and cold clashed violently.
The air itself seemed to split apart.
They pushed.
Resisted.
Then broke apart.
Poul held his ground—
But blood slipped from his mouth.
His arm trembled.
In his other hand—
Another blade formed.
The wind howled, trying to move his frost-covered hair—
But failed.
He advanced again.
Leaping forward with force—
His blade began to fade—
And at the same time—
The emperor himself became clearer.
The knight reacted.
A flaming spear formed—
And shot forward.
Poul swung.
The tip met his blade—
For two seconds—
They clashed.
Then—
The spear split in two.
Flames scattered.
His wings returned—
But now they were broken.
Hollow.
Full of gaps.
Incomplete.
His expression—
Empty.
His blade vanished completely.
The force pushed him forward.
He let it.
Guiding his body toward the giant.
The knight rushed in like a beast—
Sword raised.
The air screamed as it was cut apart, leaving trails of fire.
At the last moment—
Poul moved.
Wings beat once.
He closed the distance.
With his elbow raised near his face—
He cut through the flames again.
His blade disappeared.
He looked at the burning knight—
And smiled.
Cold.
Arrogant.
He surged forward again—
But the armor shifted.
Deformed.
His eyes widened.
Something came toward him—
Something strange.
Not sharp like a blade.
Not fast like a projectile.
But solid.
Cylindrical.
That was all he could understand.
It struck.
Collided with his weapon—
And threw him back.
His wings strained—
But couldn't stop it.
Cold air escaped his mouth—
And the object froze mid-air.
Yet even within the ice—
The fire still burned.
"I… told you…"
Poul spoke, his voice low, unsteady—
"…I'm… your weakness."
His eyes burned with a quiet, relentless killing intent.