Chapter 25: Defeating the Giant
But even as he faltered, the giant refused to give up. With a strong roar of defiance, he summoned all his remaining strength and unleashed a massive shockwave that sent them both flying through the air.
They crashed into the frozen earth, their bodies battered and groaning with the impact.
The frost giant began to approach them, each booming footstep a tremor that rippled through the frozen earth. His icy eyes, like bottomless glacial pools, glinted with a cruel amusement as he surveyed the two figures huddled at the cliff's edge.
The demon and the mage exchanged a brief glance, both acknowledging the severity of the situation. They knew this was it, the dance of life and death poised on a knife's edge.
The giant struck, his massive fists slamming into the ground with the force of an avalanche. Ice demon, a flicker of ice and shadow, danced away, the frozen wind his shield. Lyra, summoned a barrage of ice shards, each a whispered curse that met the giant's thick hide with a brittle shatter.
Fury etched itself onto the giant's face. He roared, a bellow that sent fissures crawling across the ice, and swiped at Lyra with his massive hand.
She barely managed to dodge, but the shock of the attack sent her tumbling across the ice.
The demon saw an opening and lunged forward, he unleashed a volley of spells, each a shard of winter's wrath, that peppered the giant's body like hailstones against a mountain. The giant roared in pain, but still, he remained undeterred. He lunged, grabbing him in his grip that squeezed the air from his lungs.
The demon struggled, trying to break free, but the giant's grip was too strong. Lyra, witnessing his struggle, dug deep into her reserves of power. She wove an immense spell, an ice ball forged with her anguish.
With a scream, she hurled it at the giant. The frost boulder struck him in the chest, a thunderclap in the frozen silence, and sent him staggering back, releasing the demon from the grip.
But the giant was far from finished. He shrieked his outrage, a sound that rattled the very bones of the earth, and charged at them with renewed fury.
The Ice demon and the mage both looked at each other, "Buff me, help me to make the next attack stronger."
He shouted in desperation of the impending death that loomed over them.
"Frost Cover"
He used his skill and the mage buffed his attack with a spell, her mana combined with the demon's making the skill stronger.
Together, they unleashed a torrent of ice. It was a symphony of destruction, a frigid wave crashing against the behemoth. The air crackled with the raw power of their magic, and the wind howled its mournful song as the Frost Giant was engulfed in a frozen maelstrom.
Slowly, agonizingly, the giant succumbed. His roars turned to whimpers, his movements sluggish, until finally, he stood frozen solid, a statue encased in a crystalline tomb.
Despite the giant being frozen solid in a block of ice, they both knew that the battle was not yet over. The giant was still alive, and they had to find a way to finish him off before he could thaw out and continue his rampage. They needed to ensure his eternal slumber.
The Ice Demon surveyed the giant, looking for any signs of weakness.
"I've got an idea," he said to the Ice Mage. "We need to shatter that ice around his heart."
The Ice Mage nodded in agreement, understanding the plan. She summoned a powerful blast of ice magic, aiming for the ice block. The blast hit its mark, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the entire block.
The Ice Demon took his cue and stepped forward, channeling all his icy energy into a single point. He jumped high and unleashed a devastating punch, hitting the block with all his might. The block shattered into a million pieces.
The force of the blow removed the frost giant's skin around his heart, exposing flesh.
Lyra seized the moment, channeling her every ounce of power into a final, devastating blast. The ice magic detonated in a blinding flash, a supernova within the heart of the frost giant, he shuddered, then collapsed.
Silence descended, heavy with the weight of their victory. They stood amidst the wreckage, their bodies battered, their spirits bruised, but their hearts unbroken.
Victory, a frozen jewel, hung in the air, its glittering facets reflecting the exhaustion and relief etched on their faces. The Frost Giant, once a titan of winter's wrath, lay shattered, a testament to their courage and combined might.
Lyra, her breath puffing clouds in the frigid air, turned to the ice demon, a question lingering on her lips like a snowflake. "You haven't told me your name yet," she said, her voice husky with exertion.
The ice demon, shrouded in the ethereal luminescence of his icy aura, met her gaze with icy eyes. "My name," he rumbled, his voice a deep rasp, "is Shimo Frost."
"I came here alone to defeat the Frost Giant," she said, her words echoing in the vastness. "But without you, Shimo, I wouldn't stand here before a vanquished behemoth."
Shimo, turned away, drawn to the fallen giant like a moth to ember.
She then questioned, "But what brings you to this frozen land?"
Shimo, walking towards the frost giant's lifeless body, replied in his deep, cold voice, "I live here. This land is my home."
Lyra was curious, "Do you reside here alone or with someone else?"
"I live alone," Shimo answered stoically.
Lyra's brow furrowed. "Alone?" she breathed, her eyes scanning the desolate expanse. "In this frozen kingdom, with nothing but the silence for company?"
Shimo paused, his silhouette stark against the pale sky. "Alone," he confirmed, the word heavy with an unspoken weight.
He stood before the giant's head, his hand hovering over the giant. With a whisper, an icy blade materialized from thin air. He plunged it into the giant's head, his face a mask of grim determination.
As he dug deeper into the giant's brain, Lyra couldn't help but wonder about the demon's past experiences.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone