The blue royal knight cut through the air, scattering all the dust. He looked around.When he saw a body lying on the ground, completely frozen, he approached with heavy steps. Staring at the figure before him, he raised his sword—And the ice cracked.
The knight's eyes widened as he saw his own arm being thrown into the air.
An icy spear struck the ground, and the sound of cracking echoed. A melancholic laugh followed.
"Insect… you? No." He laughed in disbelief.
As the ice lifted its emperor, forming armor around him, a sword materialized. Cold mist spread through the air, making the atmosphere even heavier. A cracked crown floated above his head instead of resting on it.
The elemental giant, with his blazing blue armor and cape whipping in the wind, witnessed an emperor for the first time.
His flaming arm lay severed on the ground. Suddenly, a line of fire formed and moved toward the remaining limb, reconnecting the flame.
Poul extended his pale, snow-white arm. The giant stepped back as he noticed his legs freezing.
Gritting his teeth, the giant roared.
Like a royal knight ready to face a hundred men for his king, the flames rose against the emperor.
Falling to the ground and hearing something break, the giant quickly drove his sword into the earth.
The emperor simply stared downward, feeling something warm around him—growing hotter every second. Slowly lifting his head, he saw the blue flames. Looking around, he realized he was surrounded. He took a single step.
With that single step, part of the fiery ring vanished instantly.
The sword radiated fire. The flames naturally drifted toward the knight, as if drawn to him.
The emperor walked with an empty gaze, ice spreading across his face. He wondered why he was so calm, so tranquil, unafraid of death.
His eyes widened as he realized something. A dark smile appeared on his face.
'Maybe… just maybe… death isn't the villain, but the salvation.'
From that moment, he forgot what he… what was it again?
He was here for vengeance. And he would survive because of it.
Even exhausted, he pressed on. His sword crumbled into fragments of ice, which reformed in the air into a spear. Poul glanced sideways and saw the emperor's smile. At that instant, the ice around them cracked.
He couldn't see Poul's eyes—only his black hair, dirty with ice and blood, turning whiter by the second.
He did not recognize himself anymore.
Ignoring it, he hurled the spear at the giant.
The knight rose, pulling out his flaming sword. Seeing the spear coming, he swung elegantly and split it in half.
With heavy steps, he advanced, flames following him like a child following a father. Raising his arm, armor formed from fire. Spikes erupted from the ground where the ice spread.
With a dark smile, Poul clenched his fist, stepped forward, and charged.
As the emperor ran, ice gathered around him, trying to protect the one who had accepted it as his ruler. When only five meters separated him from the royal knight, he leaped.
The giant froze in place.
Poul spun in midair as ice particles formed a long, blade-shaped weapon around him.
The knight moved his lips—no one would ever know what he intended to say. Flames surged toward the emperor, more hostile toward him than toward any other living being.
Poul cut the fire in half with his long blade.
Looking upward, he spotted an opening. Raising a finger, he shot a beam of ice toward the flaming armor. As soon as it struck, he was pulled forward.
The pull was like a spider dragging prey caught in its web. Planting both pale, frozen feet on the giant's blazing armor, Poul licked his lips.
He lifted his icy blade. The giant's eyes widened as he saw his own skin being pierced.
The emperor leaped again. Flaming serpents chased him. Frosted wings burst from his back; beating once, he soared toward the giant's helmet.
He suddenly threw his body backward. Ice gathered around his forearm, thickening, and he struck with a heavy punch.
The giant barely felt the blow but caught Poul in one hand.
The wings shattered.
Squeezing with enough force to make anyone scream, the knight laughed—a harsh, grating laugh full of arrogance. It sounded like metal hammered on metal.
"You really thought…" He couldn't stop laughing. "...that you could defeat me like this?! Pathetic."
Poul tried to rise through the dust, the knight's harsh laughter drilling into his ears.
The emperor stood, teeth clenched, pain coursing through his entire body. Even with ice spreading across him, the wounds refused to heal or ease.
He coughed violently. Beating his chest once, he forced air back into his lungs.
"Le-let's go…" His breaths were broken and shallow. "...She… you promised, didn't you? Idiot."
The crown pulsed with blue light streaked with white. His icy armor, which had been barely maintaining him, strengthened—growing, thickening, even merging with his blood. Vapor rose. A royal sword formed above him.
"I… won't lose." Teeth grinding with hatred, he stepped forward. The sound of cracking ice echoed with every movement.
With each step, the sound grew louder.
Poul did not care. He roared like an emperor.
The giant swung his flaming sword at him.
The emperor saw the fire slicing through the dust. He threw his own sword toward the blazing blade.
The weapons collided. Heat and cold split the air in half.
They were forced apart, wind bursting around them. Blood trickled from Poul's mouth.
His extended hand trembled. In the other, another sword formed.
A violent gust tried to lift his frozen, blood-stained hair but failed. He dashed forward, keeping one blade pressed against the giant's sword.
With enough impulse, he jumped.
His sword faded, and slowly, the emperor's presence replaced it.
Excitement flickered in the knight's eyes. A flaming spear appeared above him and shot toward the emperor.
Poul swung at the spear's tip.
The collision lasted only two seconds—but the spear broke in half.
The fire split. The icy wings returned… but damaged, full of holes, missing feathers. His expression was empty.
The sword vanished completely as the giant's force pushed him forward.
Using that momentum, Poul guided his body toward the emperor.
He hovered in the air, waiting, clutching his dagger tightly as the massive armored being approached like a beast.
The giant neared the human. Throwing his flaming sword back, he swung down at Poul.
The air split, flames leaving trails with every cut. At that moment, the emperor moved—beating his wings toward the giant.
Slashing with his arm shielding his mouth, Poul cut the fire again.
His blade vanished. His icy gaze fixed on the giant. He smiled arrogantly.
Flapping once more, he flew at the burning armor—And when he tried to twist it, the armor warped.
The emperor's eyes widened. Something was coming toward him.
It wasn't sharp like a blade, nor fast like a projectile.
A cylindrical shape—that was the only thing clear. It shot toward him.
It collided with his weapon and hurled him back.
His wings struggled, but it didn't matter.
A cold breath escaped Poul's mouth, freezing the fiery cylinder midair.
Even inside the ice, the fire burned violently.
"I… told you… that I… I was your weakness." Poul's voice carried certainty—and the bloodlust in his eyes radiated like frost.