Chapter 57

EP.57 Frost Lord

The summer breeze gradually turned cool.

Dusk was slowly settling in.

[Whoosh, whoosh.]

The balloon demon, Heinrich the Glutton, floated in the sky as if he were part of a cloud.

He was looking down at a magic circle in the Ayla Forest. The man with silver hair, whom he had been keeping an eye on, had entered that magic circle.

Heinrich the Glutton had no interest in the Child of Light. The light attribute only filled him with a disgust similar to how humans feel about cockroaches.

However, the silver-haired man was a different story. A plain ice attribute, with no hindrances. His courage in defying the Thunder Deity was commendable, and it naturally stirred Heinrich's competitive spirit.

[Well... blood... he's an obstacle...]

The life-and-death battle with the silver-haired man was his. The man's life was his as well.

After all, he was an obstacle, so he had to be eliminated. The justification was sufficient. He would leave the Child of Light to the other demons. All he needed to do was engage in a bloody duel with that man.

[Kehehehe... hehe... battle... mine... his life... mine...!]

His face, which was attached to his bloated body, twisted, and a bizarre smile spread across it.

Saliva dripped from his mouth like a dog that had discovered delicious food.

[Finally... the time... has come...]

His seemingly powerless balloon body was merely a preparation for storing power. Now, his body was in its optimal condition.

Squeak────.

Various parts of Heinrich's balloon body began to burst, and a murky gas started to spew out like steam.

His body gradually shrank, transforming into a human-like form about 4 meters tall.

The thick buffalo horns, which had been buried in his balloon body, now emerged.

A solid, muscular body. However, flabby flesh hung from his wrists, sides, and ankles like lumps.

「Wind Generation (Wind Attribute, ★1)」

Whoosh───!

Dense wind wrapped around his body, keeping him suspended in the air.

Heinrich the Glutton began tearing off the flabby flesh. A squelching sound, like tearing through layers of paper, filled the air. He clutched the torn flesh in one hand, purple blood dripping from it.

The wounds healed instantly.

The flesh quickly turned black and decayed, merging to form a long spear. The sharp, polished spearhead reflected the remaining rays of the sunset, which had not yet sunk below the horizon.

His sharp features became more pronounced. Heinrich's piercing gaze was directed at the magic circle.

[It's ready.]

A solemn voice echoed through the air.

Boom─!

He pushed off from the air and shot through it toward the magic circle. The sound of a cannon firing echoed, and his speed was like a bullet.

The spot where Heinrich had been was now filled with the late-arriving wind.

[I will undergo the Frost Trial.]

The active skill, [Ears that Hear the Thunder], allowed him to hear any sound, no matter how far away.

Thanks to this, he recited the incantation for entering the magic circle, which he had overheard from Isaac.

Heinrich's body passed through the magic circle etched in the Ayla Forest.

Meanwhile, in the Frost Trial cave.

The blizzard raging through the trial passage had subsided.

Behind the Ice Dragon, the path to the Frost Scythe had transformed into a chilling, abyss-like corridor.

This was due to the man overcoming the trial and seizing the Frost Scythe.

[Welcome, Ice Emperor...]

The Ice Dragon closed its eyes tightly.

A thousand years ago, the Ice Emperor's request came to mind. To suppress the Frost Scythe until a new master appeared.

The Ice Dragon had agreed, wanting to contribute to the Ice Emperor's successor, who would change the world.

At this moment, the intense cold of the Frost Scythe, which had been condensed over a long period, was now in the grasp of a man. There was no longer a need to suppress the Frost Scythe's mana from affecting the islands and seas on the ground.

It was a joyful moment. His heart trembled after so long.

[...?]

Then, the Ice Dragon sensed another visitor. Its reptilian eyes, glowing with a pale blue light, turned toward the approaching intruder.

A 4-meter-tall muscular demon with a black spear, Heinrich the Glutton, was approaching.

He stomped on the ice floor with his large feet, which had long claws, and walked forward, scattering heavy mana.

Around Heinrich's body and spear, a dark green wind, a mix of black and pale green, flowed.

Dark mana. He was undoubtedly a demon.

[Who are you?]

The Ice Dragon's voice was filled with deep caution.

[White Dragon, you look delicious. Your scales, your flesh, they look delicious.]

Heinrich spoke in a monotonous, emotionless voice.

He swung his mana-imbued spear lightly.

「Gale Fang (Wind Attribute, ★5)」 + 「Black Wind (Wind Attribute, ★5)」 =

───────── 「Black Gale Fang (Wind Attribute)」

Kraaaaaang───────!!

A fierce gale swept through instantly.

Like a pack of wolves pouncing and biting, the dark green wind attacked the Ice Dragon in a relentless barrage.

The Ice Dragon's body was cut instantly, but the attack was ineffective.

Only slight scratches appeared on its solid, white jade scales.

[…Impressive.]

Heinrich managed to express his thoughts with his limited vocabulary.

Impressive, but that was all.

The Ice Dragon had been dormant for a thousand years, suppressing the Frost Scythe's cold mana. Now, it lacked the strength to fight.

As the ice began to crumble, the Ice Dragon released it entirely.

It had been a long time since it had walked on all fours, and it felt rather undignified.

[You are stronger than me. But, you are exhausted.]

────── [Grrrrrrr….]

The Ice Dragon bared its sharp teeth, showing its animal-like caution.

Heinrich calmly prepared for battle. To him, it didn't matter if his opponent was a mythical beast or a legend; his greed knew no bounds.

[Your reasons don't interest me. I want your scales and flesh.]

Heinrich, with his black spear wrapped in a dark green whirlwind, leaped toward the Ice Dragon. The ice floor shattered like glass under his feet, and the wind scattered.

「Gale (Wind Attribute, ★4)」 + 「Snake Poison (Poison Attribute, ★5)」 =

───────────── 「Poison Gale (Wind + Poison Attribute)」

Whoosh─────────────!!!!

A violet wind, laced with potent poison, clashed with the [Frost Wind], eroding Isaac's body. Even a single breath of this poison could be fatal.

However, Isaac calmly lifted the Frost Scythe and struck the ground, dispelling Heinrich's [Poison Gale].

─────────── 「Frost Lord's Aura (Ice Attribute, ★7)」

Hwaahhh──────!!

A brilliant pale blue light radiated in all directions.

The magic [Frost Lord's Aura], which repelled all magic directed at the caster, was now active. While Isaac could only handle magic within his capabilities, his level was already far superior to Heinrich's.

The overwhelming pressure of the Frost Lord, the pinnacle of ice attributes, emanated from Isaac.

Heinrich felt a burning sensation rising in his chest. Excitement. Excitement. How long had it been since he faced such a thrilling opponent!

[Kehehehehe───!! Indeed, you are delicious! Delicious───!!]

Kuung───!

Heinrich melted the frozen parts of his body with mana and charged at Isaac with fierce speed.

Just as Heinrich's spear was about to pierce Isaac, Isaac's calm voice echoed through the air.

"More... disappointing than I thought."

Isaac lowered his eyes.

Heinrich the Glutton, a demon who first appeared in the second semester of the first year in <The Magic Knight of Merchen>, acted on his own accord, often appearing as a wildcard in various episodes.

His strength in the game was indescribable.

However, in front of Isaac, who now wielded the Frost Scythe's cold, he was just a powerless weakling.

Isaac extended the head of the Frost Scythe toward Heinrich. A magic circle for [Ice Burst] appeared in front of him.

Just as Heinrich's spear was about to touch Isaac, the Frost Scythe's magic enveloped the demon.

───────────── 「Rapid Freezing (Ice Attribute, ★7)」

Chirrr───────!

The passive skill [Rapid Freezing], which instantly froze everything near the Frost Scythe, took effect. Heinrich's body froze in an instant.

Then, a cold mana explosion erupted from the magic circle in front of the Frost Scythe.

────────────── 「Ice Burst (Ice Attribute, ★5)」

Kwaahhhhhhhhh──────────────!!!

The powerful ice surged forward.

The cold explosion shattered Heinrich's frozen internal organs.

The ice formation extended savagely, trapping Heinrich's damaged body like an exhibit.

By now, Heinrich's body, encased in the ice formation, had become a torso with various parts shattered.

Sssssss─.

The massive ice formation created by [Ice Burst] turned into pale blue powder and scattered.

The lifeless body of the demon lay on the ground, and a silver aura emerged from it, coalescing in the air.

Heinrich the Glutton turned into ash and disappeared.

The coalesced aura flowed into Isaac like cigarette smoke.

For a moment, Isaac's right eye turned silver before returning to red. Heinrich's unique magic [Eyes of the Thousand Miles] was now imprinted in Isaac's right eye.

“...”

Isaac instinctively dissolved the Frost Scythe. It turned into pale blue powder and was absorbed into his body, as if he had a new storage compartment deep within him.

Then, Isaac turned his head toward the Ice Dragon, Hild.

The Ice Dragon closed its eyes, bent its front paws, and bowed its head.

With tears in its eyes, it paid respect to its new master.

[Ice Emperor.]

For the Ice Dragon, this was an incredibly moving moment.

[Thank you, fate, for bringing me back to you...]

Whoosh───.

Suddenly, the Ice Dragon transformed into a pale blue mana form and was forcibly recalled. In its confusion, it even mispronounced its words, saying "thank you, fate, for bringing me back to you...?"

As the Ice Dragon's massive body disappeared, the ice cave seemed unnecessarily vast.

Isaac was sweating profusely, feeling the absurd amount of mana required to maintain the Ice Dragon's summoned state.

He had immediately recalled the Ice Dragon upon feeling the risk of mana depletion after his unique trait [Evil Slayer] was released.

"Damn..."

With Isaac's vulgar exclamation, the ice cave was filled with a senseless silence.