Poul stared at his hometown with a twisted smile before he began walking toward it.
With each step, memories of his wife's death resurfaced.
The way she protected their son…
The suffering the invasion caused their family — him and Jay —
the taste of failure as the protector of their home.
That insane smile slowly shifted into a hateful grimace, until both blended together.
Turning back toward the soldiers recovering from the previous battle — mud-soaked, exhausted, uniforms torn — Poul observed the ones still in good enough condition to study the battlefield.
'They're irrational beings who rely mostly on brute strength. That makes planning a strategy much easier,' the Ice Hero thought.
He selected the best among them — six in total — and led them to investigate the battlefield.
Using his element, Poul formed an ice staircase leading to the top of the wall.
From there, the view was both beautiful and terrifying.
Houses overtaken by dried blood and overgrown nature…
Giants fighting each other in the distance…
A hollow smile appeared on Poul's face, matched only by his lifeless eyes.
'Calm down, Poul… just calm down. Soon enough, I'll make these animals experience their own hell.'
"Let's keep moving."
The soldiers nodded.
After inspecting everything, they returned to the nearby camp — battered and far more exhausted than before.
Poul sighed deeply and walked to his quarters without saying a word. The others passed along the information he had given them.
"It's best if you prepare yourselves," said the most experienced soldier. "In two days, we'll have another battle."
"How are we supposed to rest?" one asked. "We get attacked nonstop by giants."
The older soldier closed his eyes with a weary sigh.
"I wondered the same thing, but…"
He opened his eyes and smiled.
"…then I remembered we have our captain."
The entire squad felt reassured.
Two days passed, during which Poul personally eliminated every giant foolish enough to approach the camp.
Now, before the battle began, the wind pulled his cloak back as he stood atop the corpse of a giant in front of the gate.
Behind him were the elite soldiers. Above, the rest of the army aimed their weapons. Poul lifted his arm, the wind intensifying around him.
"ATTACK!"
A rain of bullets and mortars flew toward the giants. Some fell; others endured. Dust rose in a massive cloud while Poul's frontline soldiers advanced.
Chaos erupted — and Poul walked calmly through it as his soldiers sprinted past him.
As he entered deeper into the battlefield, he saw his subordinates killing giants exactly the way he had taught them on their journey.
But then he felt it.
A pressure.
Just from that alone, Poul knew it wasn't someone weak — it was someone strong.
Perhaps stronger than him.
He looked upward and saw an orange light forming in the sky.
Cold sweat ran down his spine. His eyes widened.
He began sprinting toward the impact point, firing ice spikes at giants while shouting:
"RETREAT… TO THE GATE!"
His soldiers obeyed instantly.
The orange light descended like a meteor, exploding upon impact.
A blast of scorching steam rushed outward, hot enough to make water drip down Poul's face.
The ground quaked and cracked; smoke thickened as something massive rose within it — something radiating overwhelming aura.
Pale but unyielding, Poul straightened his posture and stared coldly at the giant figure.
With a flick of his hand, Poul formed an ice sword. The other hand remained hidden inside his coat.
Through the steam, a massive burning arm broke forward, the heat so intense that flames evaporated the moisture around it.
Poul dodged, eyes wide, throwing himself sideways while raising his blade in defense — sparks flew as weapon met flame.
Rolling on the ground, Poul quickly raised an ice wall and retreated.
The giant stepped out of the smoke — each stride bending the steam around its body.
Poul felt his entire body tremble.
This giant was stronger than any he had faced — far stronger.
Yet he smiled with confidence.
'I have a promise to keep.'
Gripping his ice sword, Poul dashed toward the enemy — flashes of Jay filled his mind.
A massive flaming sword descended vertically. Poul blocked it.
Part of his blade melted instantly, but he refused to yield.
The giant's eyes widened when he spotted Poul's free hand.
A barrage of ice spikes shot directly into its torso.
The fire dimmed — evaporating in mere seconds.
Landing on the ground, Poul felt a sharp burn spreading through his arm, a numbness mixed with pain.
The giant defended with a wall of fire.
Poul barely had time to breathe when he heard the roar of flames behind him — a fiery trail raced across the ground.
Turning, sweat sliding down his face, he saw it:
A being entirely engulfed in flames.
Fire in its eyes.
Fire in its veins.
As if the creature itself was the embodiment of flame.
'Is he… the child of fire? Or the son of the flames themselves?'
The questions echoed through Poul's mind.
The flaming arm swung at him. Poul dodged on instinct, shoving his head aside and thrusting his ice sword into the giant's burning arm.
Letting go of the weapon, he stared directly at the elemental giant.
"Human."
The giant's voice rumbled.
Its bloodlust surged.
Of course — the reason was obvious.
The Ice Hero himself.
"You're incredibly entertaining," the giant said, a wild smile forming beneath its orange-red flaming hair.
Poul chuckled.
'How am I supposed to organize my squad while fighting this monster?' he wondered as his blade melted completely.
'Yeah… the only way is to hand command over to Jack.'
Jumping back near a collapsed house, he shouted:
"JACK! COMMAND IS YOURS FROM NOW ON!"
"YES, CAPTAIN!" Jack replied.
Turning back to the battle, Poul advanced.
Ice flooded the ground beneath his feet.
Even surrounded by fire — ice melting instantly into water — he pushed forward, the steam rising in dense clouds around them.
The giant forged its flames into the shape of a sword and lunged, swinging with a brutal downward slash.
The moment the blow came down, time slowed in Poul's vision.
Raising his hand, a massive ice pillar erupted from the ground, slamming into the giant's stomach.
Even hit, its fiery blade continued burning fiercely.
Through the explosions and distant screams, Poul stepped forward — each foot rising over scorched earth — until he placed his hand on the giant's face.
"Even with all that power," he said coldly, "you're nothing but a wild animal."
Ice spread across the giant's head.
"I am your worst nightmare… and your greatest weakness."
'How… how can a mere human… do this to me?'
The elemental giant thought in disbelief.