Northern Grand Duke (10)

Ice ramparts covered in blue crystals soared as if piercing the sky. Spires made of ice shone eerily in the blizzard.

“It’s the Ice Palace of White Snow.”

Kiara’s voice trembled. Her blue eyes wavered as she looked up at the massive fortress before her.

“Unni…”

Sylvia stepped forward, holding my arm tightly. Spirits swirled as if responding to her will.

“I’ll take the lead.”

As the ice gate opened, a chill poured out like a waterfall. Ice knight statues lined up on both sides of the corridor, glaring at us.

Shwiik-

The first ice statue moved. A sword made of ice gleamed coldly.

“Ha!”

Sylvia’s spirits reacted instantly. A fire spirit melted the ice knight.

“Easy peasy.”

Sylvia smiled brightly. She didn’t seem to have any intention of letting go of my arm yet.

“I’ll take care of everything dangerous, so don’t worry, Haru!”

I heard Kiara’s cold sigh from behind.

We continued to advance. The spirits led the way, dealing with the ice knights. It was such an easy advance.

That’s when it happened.

Kuaaaang-!

A huge cry shook the palace. The ceiling trembled, and the walls vibrated.

“That sound…”

Kiara’s expression hardened. The wolf fur draped over her shoulders began to stir to life.

As the door to the central hall opened, a massive form revealed itself. A torso made of snow and ice, wings covered in crystals.

“Jabberwock…!”

Kiara’s voice trembled. It was as if the memories of that day eight years ago were being revived.

“That day… that day, Unni…”

Her shoulders trembled. The hand holding the Frost Sword tightened.

Kreureung-

Fenrir revealed its complete form. A huge wolf with a frosty aura growled, blocking Kiara’s path.

“It’s… different now.”

Kiara raised the Frost Sword.

“Because it’s different from eight years ago.”

A cold determination flashed in her blue eyes.

“Hero-nim and Queen-nim, please go on ahead. I’ll handle the Jabberwock…”

“But…”

“It’s okay. This is my fight.”

There was no more hesitation in Kiara’s voice. She seemed ready to face a past stained with regret.

The Jabberwock roared and spread its wings. Fenrir responded with a sharp howl.

Sylvia grabbed my hand and pulled me.

“Haru, let’s hurry.”

I nodded. Kiara’s determined gaze was trustworthy enough.

As we headed for the next door, a huge crash echoed from behind. The battle between the Ice Dragon and the Frost Wolf had begun.

‘Now it’s the last one.’

I took Sylvia’s hand and moved forward. Only the final battle with White Snow remained.

We walked through the upper-level corridor. The sound of ice crystals shattering echoed with each step.

“It’s almost…”

Sylvia’s grip tightened. The spirits circled anxiously around us.

As the door opened, it was filled with sinister magic. The unique sense of oppression possessed by the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Realm.

In the center of the circular hall, she stood.

A demon who looked like Kiara Unni.

White Snow, the Commander of the Frost Legion, slowly turned her head. Eyes as cold as ice turned towards us.

“The warmth of humans…”

Her voice was laced with disgust.

“How repulsive. That sight of you relying on each other…”

In an instant, the air froze. With a gesture from White Snow, thousands of ice spikes rose from the floor.

I raised my Demon Sword. A flash of purplish-black darkness split the ice.

But White Snow only smiled.

“That sword, huh? I was in your debt last time.”

Kureureung-!

Countless ice spears covered the sky.

[Master, this is a bit… annoying, isn’t it?]

The purplish-black darkness faithfully cleaved the incoming ice.

Peok, peok, peok-

Clearly, White Snow’s ice magic was powerless against the Demon Sword’s attack power. But the problem was the overwhelming quantity.

Ice spears poured down endlessly. If I cut down one, two would fly in; if I cut down two, four would fly in.

The distance to White Snow just wouldn’t shrink.

[Ah~ This is really pissing me off.]

“Haa… haa…”

My breathing became rough. My stamina was rapidly being depleted each time I used the Demon Sword’s power.

[Master, at this rate, you’re gonna be in deep shit.]

“I know.”

White Snow never allowed close combat. She only kept her distance and poured down a storm of ice.

Shwiik-

Each time I took a step forward, ice spears rained down like a storm, and at the same time, huge ice pillars soared from all directions.

[Hehehe, the Main Wife Sword’s here! You were so loud, but is this your limit? That’s how Demon Swords are. Always just flashy on the outside, right?]

[Shut up. What do you know.]

The Holy Sword mocked the Demon Sword as if trying to repay all the humiliation it had suffered.

The situation was definitely not good. But I wasn’t worried in the slightest.

I reverse-summoned the Demon Sword ‘Twilight’ and summoned the Holy Sword ‘Dawn’.

“Queen-nim… no, Sylvia.”

I looked at Sylvia. Our green eyes met.

“Haru, are you ready?”

“Let’s do it like always.”

At those words, Sylvia’s ears perked up. The five years we had spent together flashed through my mind.

The spirits danced as if resonating. Following Sylvia’s gesture, a fire spirit settled on the Holy Sword ‘Dawn’.

The light of Dawn and the red flames intertwined, creating a new power.

“This is…”

White Snow’s eyes wavered. It was the first time she had shown a sign of agitation.

“Impossible. How can spirits and divine power…?”

But this was something familiar to us. It wasn’t just the Hero and the Saintess who boasted perfect teamwork.

Sacred flames surged along the blade.

It felt as if Sylvia’s hand was overlapping mine. I could feel her warm presence even from afar.

“Let’s begin.”

Sylvia raised the World Tree Bow. Green magic enveloped her body.

“Spirits, hear me!”

The surrounding spirits settled on Yggdrasil one by one.

The Undying roared, and the Thunder Hawk swirled. The Rock Serpent howled, resonating with Yggdrasil.

The pouring spirit arrows shook White Snow’s barrier. The ice wall began to tremble.

“With Haru, I’m not afraid of anything.”

Supported by Sylvia, I advanced forward. The power of the spirits and Dawn resonated, and flames flickered along the blade.

My gray aura’s ‘Harmony’ trait created perfect synergy with the elf’s magic.

The Holy Sword’s divine power, my aura, and the power of the spirits combined and amplified explosively.

White Snow relentlessly poured down ice spears. It was enough to fill the sky.

Before, I was barely able to defend, but now it was different.

Hwiik-

Flames erupted along the arc drawn by the Holy Sword. The incoming ice spears melted away all at once.

“If that’s the case…”

White Snow’s eyes shone coldly. A huge blizzard raged.

My vision turned white. But in the white world, the sacred flames burned even more red, even more intensely.

Shwiik-

The blizzard split wherever the Holy Sword slashed. I advanced step by step, cutting down everything in my path.

“How can this be…”

White Snow’s voice trembled. She finally pulled out her last card.

A barrier of absolute zero, made of blue ice crystals, surrounded her.

But…

Hwareureuk-!

The Spirit Sword struck the barrier. Cracks gradually spread.

Kwang-!

Flames and ice collided, and fragments sparkled in the air.

I gradually narrowed the distance.

One step.

Another step.

“Don’t come closer! Don’t come near me with that warmth!”

Even her absolute zero was powerless before the Holy Sword’s flames.

“Why is this… why is it so strong? Why is it so warm?”

“You could call it the power of bonds?”

The distance to White Snow narrowed to right in front of me. The moment all defenses collapsed.

It was an instant. I reverse-summoned the Holy Sword and drew the Demon Sword.

[Hehe, it’s time to repay the humiliation.]

Sylvia had already anticipated it and repositioned the spirits. The Earth Spirit grabbed White Snow’s feet, and the Wind Spirit sealed her movements.

It was perfect teamwork.

“It’s over.”

A single thrust. The Demon Sword pierced White Snow’s heart.

The blizzard raged as if exploding. A white world enveloped us.

Kung-!

At that moment, the door opened, and Kiara arrived.

“Hero-nim, I came to hel──”

Her words were cut off. Her blue eyes looked at the white snowflakes floating in the air.

The joy of victory was fleeting; her blue eyes were filled with despair.

“What… is this…?”

The blizzard gradually subsided. White Snow’s body slowly collapsed.

“You promised… you’d save Unni…”

A trembling voice. Cold fury filled her eyes.

“Is this salvation?! Was it all a lie? Did you… deceive me?”

Kiara’s voice trembled. The hand holding the Frost Sword tightened.

The surrounding temperature dropped sharply. Her anger rippled as a cold wave.

Fenrir also growled, baring its fangs.

That’s when it happened.

Seuk-

Someone grabbed Kiara’s hand.

A skeleton made of pure white bones.

A bleak and cold figure.

“This is…”

The bony hand carefully stroked her head.

In an instant, Kiara’s movements stopped. As if her hand had lost strength, the Frost Sword fell to the floor.

“The only one who stroked my head like this…”

Her voice trembled. Tears welled up in her blue eyes.

“It was… only Unni…”

Kiara’s shoulders trembled. A reunion after eight years. But in this way…

“Little sister… you’ve been through a lot.”

A voice echoed from the pure white skull. A cold but warm voice.

Kiara’s voice was cut off. Memories of her childhood eight years ago flooded back.

The hand that stroked her head when she was sick.

The warmth that patted her back when she had nightmares and cried.

The reliable back that always protected her.

“Heueuk… Unni, is that you, Unni?”

Kiara hugged the skeleton. Her tears fell on the pure white bones.

“Every night… I wanted to see you, even in my dreams. Even just once… like this… I’m sorry… Unni… I… I…”

An emotion that was neither joy nor sorrow was mixed in her voice. Tears did not stop flowing from the eyes of the Northern Grand Duke, the guardian who always protected Frostguard.

“If… if I had been stronger…”

“No. You did well. Our Kiara has grown into such a wonderful wolf… Unni has been watching you all along.”

The skeleton’s fingers patted Kiara’s back. Just like the hand that comforted her on those nights eight years ago when she was tormented by nightmares.

“Now… now I can protect Unni. I will never… never be separated again.”

“Yes. The wolf… is not alone anymore.”

The skeleton, no, Kirua, hugged Kiara even tighter.