CHAPTER 2
Staring at his hometown with a twisted grin, Poul began walking toward the city. With every step, memories of his wife's death resurfaced — how she had sacrificed everything for their son. The invasion had torn apart his family — both him and Jay — leaving behind nothing but the bitter taste of failure.
His insane smile slowly faded into a grinding expression of hatred. Turning toward his soldiers, who were still recovering from the aftermath of battle — bodies covered in mud and clothes ripped apart — Poul scanned the strongest among them to investigate the battlefield.
'Since those creatures rely purely on brute strength, it'll be easier to find a weakness,' the Hero of Ice thought.
He handpicked six men to accompany him. Together, they climbed the icy staircase Poul created with his elemental power, reaching the top of the fortress wall.
From there, a breathtaking — yet terrifying — sight unfolded. Houses soaked in dried blood, overrun by nature. Titans fighting one another in the distance.
A hollow smile crept across Poul's face as his lifeless eyes fixed on the horizon.'Calm down, Poul... just calm down. Soon enough, I'll make these beasts experience their own personal hell.'
"Let's move!"The soldiers nodded firmly.
After inspecting every corner of the area, they returned to camp — weary, wounded, and caked in dirt. Poul said nothing, heading straight to his quarters with a heavy sigh. The others reported the information he had gathered.
"We'd better get ready," the most experienced soldier said. "In two days, the battle begins.""And how are we supposed to rest?" another asked. "We're attacked by giants every hour!"
The first soldier exhaled deeply, closing his eyes before smiling faintly."I had the same question," he said softly. "Then I remembered... we have our captain."
That single sentence restored their morale.
Two days later, after Poul personally dealt with every giant that dared step into his territory, the battlefield once again trembled before war.
Standing atop the corpse of a fallen giant before the main gate, the cold wind dragging his cape behind him, Poul faced the horizon. Behind him stood the finest soldiers, ready and waiting. Raising his arm as the wind howled stronger, he commanded:
"ATTACK!"
A storm of bullets and mortars rained down upon the giants. Some were struck, others kept charging. Clouds of dust rose as Poul's squad advanced.
While his soldiers sprinted forward, Poul simply walked — calm amid the chaos.
As he entered deeper into the battlefield, he saw his men fighting exactly as he had trained them to.Then suddenly — a pressure. A suffocating, overwhelming presence.
'That's... not just another giant,' he realized, sweat trickling down his spine. Looking up, he saw an orange light descending from the sky.
Cold terror shot through his veins. He ran toward the falling light, shouting at his men while firing shards of ice at the giants nearby.
"RETREAT TO THE GATES!" he roared.
The orange light struck the ground with an explosion that shook the earth. Steam erupted, scalding even Poul's skin. Cracks spread through the soil as the smoke thickened — and then a figure rose within it, radiating a massive, blazing aura.
Even pale-faced, Poul straightened his posture and met the creature's eyes.
With a flick of his wrist, ice formed into a sword in one hand while the other remained hidden inside his coat.
A gigantic, molten arm burst through the vapor. Poul dodged with wide eyes, his blade scraping against the scorching skin, sparks flying. He rolled aside and immediately raised an ice wall before retreating further.
The elemental giant stepped out from the steam, its heat warping the air around it. Poul's body trembled, his instincts screaming — this was far beyond any opponent he had ever faced.
Yet, he smiled.'I have a promise to keep.'
Gripping his sword tightly, he charged forward. Flashes of his son flooded his mind.
The giant swung a flaming sword downward in a vertical arc. Poul met it with his icy blade — it began to melt instantly, but he held his ground.
The giant's eyes widened as Poul's free hand released a storm of frozen spikes, forcing it back. The intense heat around them began to wane — the flames dimming as frost crept closer.
Landing on the ground, Poul felt his arm go numb, his body burning and freezing at once. The giant raised a wall of fire to defend itself.
He barely had time to breathe before a roar echoed — a fiery trail rushed toward him.
Turning sharply, sweat dripping down his cheek, Poul saw it: a creature entirely made of fire. Its eyes blazed like twin furnaces, its entire form born of living flame.
'Is he... the child of fire itself?'
The giant's blazing fist lunged toward him. Acting on pure instinct, Poul dodged, stabbing his icy sword straight into the creature's arm. Steam hissed violently.
"Human!" the giant bellowed.
Its bloodlust surged. It grinned, flames flickering wildly across its hair and limbs."You're... surprisingly entertaining."
Poul laughed faintly.'How am I supposed to command my men while fighting this monster?' he wondered, watching his sword slowly melt. 'Guess I'll have to leave it to Jack.'
Leaping back toward a collapsed building, he shouted:"JACK! YOU'RE IN COMMAND NOW!""YES, CAPTAIN!" Jack answered instantly.
Turning back to his opponent, Poul advanced. Frost consumed the ground beneath his feet, clashing against the inferno surrounding them. The two elements collided, creating clouds of mist.
Within that fog, Poul's eyes gleamed — filled with both fear and killing intent. The giant shaped flames into another sword and charged.
When it swung, everything slowed down for Poul.
From the frozen earth, a massive pillar of ice erupted, piercing the giant's abdomen. Even so, its blade still radiated unbearable heat.
Through the chaos, Poul stepped forward, pressing his hand against the giant's burning face."Even with all that power," he said coldly, "you're nothing but a wild animal."
Frost crawled rapidly across the creature's head."I am your worst nightmare... and your weakness."
'How... how can a mere human do this to me?' the Elemental Giant thought as the ice consumed him.