In ancient times, the most gifted among the Titan Beasts possessed unparalleled potential far beyond that of their own kind. They could easily grow to heights of a thousand meters, or even ten thousand.
Shimo was a primordial Titan Beast, one of the oldest Titans in existence.
If Godzilla, the King of the Monsters, was the universe's favored child, the embodiment of Earth's will, and the planet's chosen representative, then Shimo, herself both a Super Titan and an Alpha Titan, had unquestionably been born to stand at the very top of the food chain.
Her strength was in no way inferior to Godzilla's, and she could even surpass him in size. Combined with her iconic Frost Bite Blast, Shimo possessed the power to freeze an entire planet and plunge the world back into an Ice Age, even while standing less than two hundred meters tall and having yet to realize her full potential.
Powerful.
Incredibly so.
An energy completely unlike that of his other Titan forms surged through Fenris's body. After only a brief period of adjustment, he quickly became familiar with this new form.
The terrifying radiation that had once surrounded him disappeared, replaced by an unapproachable, deathly cold. When Fenris focused his senses, the frigid energy filling every part of his body began gathering together. It flowed lightly into his throat before condensing into a cool, mistlike mass of energy.
"So this is Shimo's Frost Bite Blast?"
The energy felt like an instinct he had possessed since birth, responding freely to his thoughts. The instant the idea arose in Fenris's mind, a cold in no way inferior to that of the Casket of Ancient Winters began to gather.
At the same time, he clearly felt the frigid power circulating through his body and illuminating the sharp, crystalline blue-violet spines along his back.
Unlike the earth-shaking commotion caused by Atomic Breath, the Frost Bite Blast gathered in complete silence, so quietly that there was almost no sound at all.
The brief moment of charging passed in an instant. Fenris, now transformed into Shimo, planted all four limbs firmly against the ground. When his heavy feet came down, the earth itself seemed to tremble beneath him.
"ROAR!"
The temperature in his throat plummeted. The refreshing coolness that had felt so comfortable to Fenris instantly transformed into terrifying cold. A desolate white radiance emerged from within his body, illuminating both his crystalline spines and his brilliant eyes.
With a low roar, a luminous white beam wrapped in overwhelming cold erupted from Fenris's mouth and collided head-on with the white beam Laufey had unleashed through the Casket of Ancient Winters.
Boom!
The two terrifying forces contained almost identical cold, yet their fundamental natures could not have been more different. The moment they collided, all color seemed to vanish from Asgard.
Fenris's transformation had taken place in the blink of an eye. Faced with Laufey's viciously precise attack, he had compressed the Frost Bite Blast's charging time to the absolute limit.
Aside from Laufey, who possessed the greatest strength among them, everyone present, including Thor, had been wearing different expressions. Some were despairing, some resigned, and others excited. Yet Fenris's counterattack came so suddenly that none of them had time to react.
Their vision blurred. Then dazzling white light erupted, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
None of them knew how much time had passed before the light finally began to fade and they could open their eyes again.
"What is..."
"Fenris?"
Thor's entire body had been firmly imprisoned by the jagged ice Laufey had casually created. Even his mouth had been completely stuffed with ice, leaving him unable to speak. Yet the sight before him still made his eyes widen in disbelief.
The fierce, imposing black beast had disappeared at some point.
In its place stood an entirely new Titan with a completely different appearance.
He stood on four legs, and even while remaining perfectly still, he towered over sixty meters tall. A thick tail extended behind him, ending in a five-pronged spear. From head to tail, his total length seemed to approach a hundred meters.
His entire body was pure white. His formerly rough, heavy hide had become layers of overlapping scales that were both visually striking and unquestionably formidable in defense.
Terrifying spikes stretched from the top of his head all the way down to his tail, yet they possessed the magnificent blue-violet color of crystal.
Frost spread visibly beneath his feet wherever he passed, while freezing mist enveloped his entire body. His refined appearance carried the contradictory savagery of some primordial beast. His brilliant white eyes flickered faintly through the haze, adding an air of mystery to his already extraordinary form.
As the two forces gradually dissipated, mist churned through the air. The scattered remnants of their clash became waves of wind that swept across the battlefield, finally allowing Thor to see Fenris's new form clearly.
"He recovered again?"
"And it's another form we've never seen before!"
"Just how many more hidden cards does he have?!"
Hope reignited in Thor's eyes. He abruptly tried to rise, paying no attention to the bloody cuts the sharp ice left across his body. His gaze remained fixed on Fenris in the distance.
The Casket of Ancient Winters had completely countered Fenris before. Ever since the artifact had fallen into Laufey's hands, Fenris had been unable to gain even the slightest advantage against him.
Yet even Loki could clearly see that despite the enormous difference in their strength, their latest attacks had ended in a perfect draw. Neither one seemed to have gained the upper hand.
The strong were strong, and the weak were weak. The gap between Laufey and Fenris had been especially vast.
Either Laufey was an idiot who did not know how to wield his own power, or something extraordinary had happened to Fenris. Otherwise, this outcome would have been impossible.
Laufey possessed enough strength to overthrow Asgard single-handedly, along with an exceptionally precise sense of timing. He was obviously no fool.
Which meant...
Loki turned his gaze toward Fenris's completely transformed body.
One moment, Fenris had been on the verge of death. In the next, despite being utterly countered by the Casket of Ancient Winters, he had somehow reversed the very nature of his power, transforming from a volcano into a glacier.
It was so absurd that no one would have believed it if they had merely heard the story, yet the impossible scene had unfolded right before their eyes.
"He's been mortally wounded again and again, but he keeps getting back up. That bastard really is a monster. Common sense doesn't apply to him at all..."
Loki struggled to open his eyes, cursing under his breath even as the corners of his lips rose uncontrollably.
"If he could do this, why didn't he use it sooner?!"
"He will no longer be so easily suppressed by Laufey or the Casket of Ancient Winters..."
Frigga coughed heavily several times before slowly propping herself up. Divine light flowed through her eyes as she stared unblinkingly at Fenris.
Then she suddenly smiled.
"The Casket's cold can no longer affect him. Laufey's greatest strength comes from the Casket of Ancient Winters. Now that its power no longer counters Fenris, Laufey is about to lose his greatest advantage..."
Frigga had recognized Fenris's condition at a glance during their earlier escape. Loki trusted his mother's judgment completely, and he finally began laughing as well.
"Cough! Cough! Hahaha..."
"Laufey!"
"Laufey?"
(End of Chapter)
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