As Dragonzelle Edward, the forward Ruin soldier stationed at the entrance of the cavern, barely shifted, a massive figure descended from the sky and landed upon a nearby colossal rock encased in thick ice. The leathery wings, which had not yet folded, continued to unfold, nearly blotting out the surrounding light. The ethereal, crystalline armor and the wildly turbulent, deep-blue dragon eyes immediately captured his gaze, instantly alerting him to imminent danger. Instinctively, he raised his iron-black straight sword and leaped sideways, rolling and tumbling away from his original stance.
Though the words "Ideal Angel, Adam" still flickered in Crane's mind, and he involuntarily recalled Roscel's description of the Twilight Hermit Order—"its purpose is to revive the original Creator, the high-ranking figure with the 'Audience' path, even the 'Uniqueness'; its members are gathered through a genuine dream that connects the eastern and western coasts of the continent, and anyone whose name is mentioned instantly becomes aware"—he instinctively reacted to the approaching danger. He rolled sideways, swiftly maneuvering into the uneven terrain of the cave, attempting to use the rocks ahead to shield himself from the incoming assault. Yet the surging waves of icy blue light overwhelmed every corner, freezing everything in its path. In the confined space of the cave, no safe zone remained for the attackers. As the surroundings began to turn into ice coffins, a massive gray-blue figure emerged into Crane's sight.
The colossal Grossel silently stepped forward, kneeling on his left knee, bending his waist and pressing the broad, straight sword firmly before him.
With that, a dawn-like light surged up, forming ethereal walls on either side of Grossel, shielding the group behind.
The icy-blue "tide" surged forward, first parted by the vertical sword, then striking against the dawn-light walls!
To Klein and the others, the cave suddenly darkened, then partially regained illumination.
They could clearly see the fire had gone out, and the dim, external light filtering through successive layers of ice became notably faint.
At Grossel's front, every inch of space was now frozen—like a small insect trapped in amber.
Immediately afterward, the great sword planted in the ground began to radiate patches of dawn-like brilliance.
These glimmers converged, enveloping Grossel, and then transformed into a storm of light, sweeping outward.
In silence and stillness, a vast fissure in the ice appeared, spreading all the way to beyond the cave, and Grols's gray-blue silhouette vanished into it. The elven singer Chastas, whose hair had not yet been tied, held her bow and, with no buffer at all, surged out of the cave amid swirling winds. Count Mobert Soloyasde of the Kingdom of Soloman, dressed in an asymmetrical black coat, murmured, "Don't rush. Finally here!" and hurried after Chastas. Meanwhile, the monk Snowman, facing the rock wall, rose and tapped his chest four times, as if drawing a cross: "May the Lord protect!" With a hoarse, dry voice, he stepped onto the cold ice, moving swiftly through the fissure toward the outside of the cave. Kren hesitated not at all, leaving his revolver undrawn and his hands open, and quickly joined Anderson, who clutched his "Death Short Tooth," as they entered the fissure.
Edwina Edwards, dressed in a elaborate shirt, turned to Daniz, who was trembling under the weight of the presence of the high-ranking figures, and spoke softly, without emotion: "You stay here." As she spoke, her pale blue eyes suddenly deepened, and at once a series of roaring winds surged around her, carrying her swiftly outward.
Stay here... Daniz stood stunned for a moment, instinctively glanced around, and saw the rock walls draped in white frost and the fire pit completely extinguished. The cave was silent, with only he present. Daniz's trembling gradually subsided; he opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and could only watch the captain's figure fade into the cave entrance.
Outside the cave, Longzor Edwards, a soldier of the former Ruin, who had just managed to evade the first wave of attacks, saw King Yuris-An lift his wings and prepare to rise into the air, distancing himself from the other extraordinary beings to secure his own safety. He quickly steadied himself and pushed out his left palm diagonally.
Next, he proclaimed in ancient Hermes: "Flight is forbidden here!" Instantly, the immense wings of the ice dragon, which had seemed to blanket the sky, appeared to bear an invisible weight ten to a hundred times its own, making each flap increasingly difficult. The "King of the North" roared in fury, and the powerful wave of sound that surged into Dragon Zeler's ears caused him to sway noticeably. With a deep breath, the vast wings finally lowered, sweeping up the surrounding snow and frost and scattering them into the air. Though it was a struggle, Zeler managed to take flight. At that moment, the "Reckoning Knight" Dragon Zeler's expression grew profoundly solemn, and he uttered once again a sentence composed of ancient Hermes words: "Those who violate shall be punished!" As the words fell, his form leapt upward with a sudden surge, even more swiftly than the high flight of the ice dragon Yurisahn, as if empowered by an unknown force. Clang!
Longzeler unfurled his body in midair, wielding his iron-black straight sword with a stance that ensured a certain, inevitable strike, cutting precisely at the neck of the "King of the North." There, plates of ice-like armor cracked noticeably, spreading slightly outward, yet this did not cause any bleeding or injury to Uriel. The frost giant may have felt no pain at all, its deep blue eyes locking onto Longzeler with a cruel, savage intensity. It then raised its forelimb, and Longzeler, suspended in the air, had nowhere to retreat. At the crucial moment, a hurricane surged, violently pushing the armored "Reaper Knight" aside, so that Uriel's blow struck only the void, producing a burst-like sound and missing its mark entirely. As soon as the elven singer Chastel stepped out of the cavern, she immediately acted, saving Longzeler's life. Then, her hair, once again defying natural laws, spread out dramatically, each strand distinct and glowing with electric currents.
She aimed her arrow precisely at the massive "King of the North" drifting slowly through the sky, and with steady resolve, drew back the bowstring.
The sky instantly grew dim, as if dark clouds were gathering and electric sparks leaping across the air.
Under the influence of the "Judgment Knight," Yurisien, whose flight had been less fluid, suddenly folded his wings and plunged downward, striking Chastas with the force of a high-speed train.
At that moment, the calm, reassuring figure in gray-blue surged forward, intercepting the path of the "King of the North's" dive!
Grosel the giant once again knelt on one knee, inserting his broadsword—utterly beyond the reach of ordinary humans—before him.
A dawn-like radiance emerged, forming an unbreakable, invisible wall.
Thunder! The impact between the ice giant and Grosel erupted like a terrible explosion, shattering the surrounding snow and ice layers and hurling them outward.
Grosel couldn't hold it, and the ball-like ball bounced past, rolling over Chastas's side and crashing into the mountain wall with a loud thud, dislodging accumulated snow and icicles and nearly triggering a snowslide. Yet Yurisahn did not retreat; it simply stopped in place. Its hind legs, having broken the downward plunge, pressed firmly into the ground, its body leaning forward, its neck swaying, and its mouth opening fully toward the elven singer Chastas. Noble Mobet Soloyasda, already near Chastas, quickly extended his right arm and swiftly twisted his wrist. Yurisahn's mouth remained wide open, as though it had forgotten what to do, standing motionless, disconnected from the unfolding moment. Mobet, in contrast, sharply turned his head to the side and spat out a steady stream of ordinary saliva. "Pfft!" The spittle was unremarkable. Seizing the opportunity, the arriving monk Snowman raised both arms as if embracing divine grace.
Then, addressing the elven singer Chastas in a low, ancient Hermes tongue, he said: "The god says, effective!"
At once, the silver-white lightning upon Chastas's hair brightened and surged forth, winding itself around the long arrow.
She released her wrist, and the arrow shot forward.
Thunder! The layered clouds above parted, and a massive lightning bolt descended, striking the arrow.
The arrow became entirely silver-white, as though sent by the thunder god, and struck Thyrissan's forehead with a speed that could not be avoided.
The successive layers of ice crystals dissolved, the dreamlike plates of the armor cracked, and the long arrow pierced the "King of the North," sending him into a deafening cry of agony.
A pale blue blood flowed out and quickly solidified, causing the monstrous dragon's head to shake wildly, its silver-white mane flashing in tumult.
At this moment, Caine and Anderson burst out of the cavern. The "Reckoning Knight" dragon, Zeler, landed and rolled several times before rising again. Grolser also reached out from among the snow, rubbing his head as if unhurt. With so many teammates, I don't need to launch an active attack—I can try to manipulate Yurisun's "Spirit Thread." From what I've observed, it seems to lack half-divine resistance, though certainly stronger than a Sequence 5—still, a 5-meter radius is quite risky. Caine looked at the frost giant dragon and quickly formed a plan in his mind.
PS: To be posted first, then revised.