Hum—
As the Atomic Breath continued pouring from his mouth, the Atomic Furnace operated at tremendous speed, converting every trace of radioactive energy within Fenris into a surging torrent of heat.
The scorching temperature continued rising, and Fenris's body heat climbed with astonishing speed. Blue light from the Atomic Breath illuminated his dorsal spines, while even his cold, vertical pupils began radiating dazzling brilliance.
Heat rushed into his head. Fenris could clearly feel the tremendous recoil pressing against his body, but his absurd weight easily counteracted it. His plump belly jiggled as his thick legs tensed, holding him firmly in place.
His icy gaze swept across the densely packed Frost Giants in the distance. The thought of Wanda still enduring the bitter cold on Earth crossed his mind, and the breath that had already begun to dim suddenly blazed brighter once again.
The raging torrent of atomic energy tore across the sky. By the time it crossed half of Asgard, the beam had expanded to several meters in diameter. As Fenris swept his gaze across the battlefield, the blue-white pillar of light sliced through the Frost Giant ranks like an enormous blade.
Against ordinary soldiers like these, his Atomic Breath was an utterly overwhelming attack.
Even Asgard's incredibly durable ground melted beneath it, leaving behind a trench several meters deep. Wherever the wave of heat passed, the Frost Giants had no opportunity to resist before being vaporized on the spot.
After sweeping the battlefield for dozens of seconds, Fenris finally felt the temperature of his body climbing beyond tolerance. A faint burning pain spread across his dorsal spines, making them feel as though they were about to melt.
Only then did he reluctantly cut off his Atomic Breath.
As the blue beam slowly dissipated, it was as though Death's scythe hanging over the Frost Giants' heads had finally withdrawn its blade. Those who had survived at last gained a chance to breathe.
The eruption of energy on such a terrifying scale left indelible scars upon their minds.
The oppressive presence that had resembled the midday sun gradually faded. Although the surrounding air remained unbearably hot and every trace of cold they had struggled to release had been completely dispersed, the joy of narrowly escaping death—and the lingering terror in their hearts—still made their legs tremble uncontrollably.
One after another, they collapsed to the ground.
The brilliant blue light faded, and Asgard once again returned to its previous gloom.
Everything seemed exactly as it had been before, yet nothing was the same.
The Asgardian warriors who had fought with all their strength on the front line stared wide-eyed at the earth-shattering transformation before them, unable to believe what they were seeing.
The once-invincible Frost Giant army now resembled a pack of beaten dogs. All their former ferocity had disappeared, and a deep trench carved by the torrent of heat held them firmly at bay.
In less than a minute, they had lost nearly half of their elite forces. Many of the survivors had been wounded or maimed, and their morale had collapsed. Only a scant few could still lift their weapons and continue fighting.
Breathing the scorching air caused every Asgardian intense discomfort. At the most dangerous moment, those nearest the beam had been only a few dozen meters away from the light that represented death and slaughter. The slightest deviation would have condemned them to the same fate as the Frost Giants.
Fortunately, the creature's control over his energy had clearly reached an extraordinary level. Despite unleashing an attack comparable to a natural disaster, he had not harmed a single ordinary warrior or Asgardian civilian.
"That's how you kill them!"
The Asgardians stared at the terrified army of Jotunheim in the distance. Their weapons were scattered across the ground, and they had clearly lost all ability to continue fighting.
The situation had been reversed in the blink of an eye. Faced with such an enormous contrast, wild elation instantly surged through every Asgardian heart.
As the shadow of death receded and they recovered from their disbelief, the survivors began cheering at the tops of their lungs.
"Was that our king?"
"Beautiful! A pack of Frost Giants dares invade Asgard and run wild? Did they really think we wouldn't fight back?"
Cheers and cries of celebration filled the air, rising from the crowd in tremendous waves.
Finally, as the blinding radiance completely faded, the distant scene once again became clear.
Everyone craned their necks, eagerly expecting to see the familiar figure of Odin, King of the Gods.
Instead, to their astonishment, an enormous and terrifying black silhouette entered their sight.
A colossal creature more than forty meters tall was racing toward them across the Bifrost on thick, powerful legs. His heavy footsteps thundered in the distance and echoed endlessly in their ears.
The familiar blue light still lingered within his eyes and mouth, making his already fearsome features appear even more savage.
Clearly, the one who had single-handedly shattered the Frost Giants' offensive had not been Odin, as the Asgardians had assumed.
It was this terrifying beast they had never seen before.
"Was that creature the one who saved us?"
"Gulp…"
The crowd instantly fell silent. No one knew who swallowed first, but the sound broke everyone out of their stunned daze.
"Is that a creature from one of the Nine Realms?"
"I've never seen anything like it…"
As Fenris drew closer, he became little more than a black blur streaking across the Bifrost.
"Fenris, hurry and help them! Don't worry about me—I can protect myself!"
Thor was panting heavily as he ran with all his strength behind Fenris. When he saw Fenris glance back at him, Thor immediately forced a brilliant smile onto his face.
He had witnessed everything that had just happened.
The abilities Fenris had displayed in only a few minutes had left him dumbfounded.
Never mind the sudden transformation into this enormous and overwhelmingly powerful form. The horrifying intensity of the Atomic Breath alone—and the fact that Fenris had sustained it for dozens of seconds—was already something Thor could not hope to match.
That much was evident from the heat still pouring from Fenris's body. Vast clouds of steam rose around him, nearly concealing his entire form within the mist and lending him an even greater aura of mystery.
Thor had watched thousands of Frost Giants reduced to ash at close range. Even at the height of his power, it would have taken him considerable effort to accomplish something like that…
At the thought, Thor's eyes filled with admiration and envy. His respect for Odin's wisdom and foresight grew even stronger.
With the battle having reached this point, the remaining Frost Giants had lost their morale and fallen into complete disarray. They no longer posed any real threat to Asgard and would soon be suppressed by its forces.
After taking in the situation ahead, Thor finally released a relieved breath.
At the very least, the disaster could still be undone.
"I'm afraid it won't be that simple, Thor."
Fenris gazed into the distance and suddenly sensed a wave of extreme cold rising from the depths of the temple.
It was a frigid presence countless times more powerful than that of an ordinary Frost Giant. The instant it appeared, the battle that had already become completely one-sided began to reverse once again.
The Frost Giants sprawled across the ground reacted as though their very faith had appeared before them. Casting aside their earlier despair, they rose to their feet one after another.
A tall blue figure emerged from the depths of the temple.
A staircase of ice formed beneath his feet one step at a time, carrying him upward until he stood at a height comparable to Fenris's. Their gazes met across the distance.
Fenris sensed a presence that was no weaker than his own current form.
Laufey suddenly curled his lips into a grin, extended his thumb, and pointed it sharply downward.
"Is that all?"
(End of Chapter)
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