[For a moment, Cocolia's ice spear danced like the wind, swift as a sudden storm, carving deadly arcs through the air. Wherever the spear passed, only bone-chilling cold remained.]
[Stelle still remembered how she looked during their first meeting at Qlipoth Fort. Now, all traces of her former elegance had vanished. The cold seemed to have materialized her killing intent into tangible frost, enveloping everyone around them.]
"So strong…" Sense's eyes widened beneath his long hair.
So this blonde woman was this powerful.
Not only did she possess close-combat prowess that even most warriors lacked, but she could also cast ice-based magic at will…
Her spear techniques were masterful, though still slightly inferior to Dan Heng's. But in Belobog's freezing environment, that wasn't an issue—her ice magic provided excellent support.
"Sense, can you still claim you could 'kill her' now?" Serie sat on the throne reserved for the Grand Sorceress, resting her chin on her hand with a faint smile. But when she noticed Sense's contemplative expression, her smile quickly faded, replaced by a more serious look.
"You were just thinking about how to kill her, weren't you?" Serie asked curiously. "I'd like to hear your answer."
"Including myself… if we gather three or more first-class sorcerers, I believe it's still possible," Sense replied expressionlessly.
"Hmm, a reasonable answer." Serie's tone was flat. His response neither surprised nor disappointed her.
Sense was a rare sorcerer with exceptional close-combat abilities, which might allow him to counter Cocolia's spear techniques. Coupled with two other first-class sorcerers specializing in suppressing her ice magic, it was a viable strategy.
"Then do you think Frieren could defeat Cocolia?" Serie pressed.
"Well…" Sense lowered his gaze to the pond in the nearby garden, estimating the distance. "At three meters apart, Lady Frieren likely wouldn't even have time to cast a spell before being subdued. But if she maintains a safe distance of over ten meters… I believe Lady Frieren would have the upper hand."
"Ah, by the way, Lady Serie, Seele and the others have already settled things with Cocolia," Sense reminded her.
[On the screen, after a united effort, Cocolia was ultimately defeated, bisected by Seele's blade before rapidly dissolving into shadow.]
["…She's gone." March 7th looked up at the final staircase leading to the northern snowfields.]
[No matter where the stairs led, this was the journey's end.]
[Now, the fates of the Overworld, the Underworld, and Bronya rested in the hands of their four-person team. Seele had expected to feel fear or nervousness, but instead, she only felt a sense of unreality.]
[Perhaps it was because of Stelle and the others. With them, any obstacle ahead seemed surmountable.]
[As they ascended the final steps and pushed open the gates, they arrived at Belobog's northern snow plains—Everwinter Hill.]
[The deeper they went, the more March 7th shivered from the cold. "S-so c-cold! Even with a bit of Trailblaze power, it's not enough to fend off this freezing temperature…"]
[Dan Heng remained as composed as ever. "This means we're getting closer to the Stellaron—the heart of the blizzard."]
[Along the way, they saw countless Antimatter Legion soldiers frozen into ice sculptures, like insects trapped in amber. The Legion likely never imagined they'd one day be swallowed by the cold.]
["But… are these things inside the ice still alive?" March 7th leaned in for a closer look at one of the frozen figures.]
[Suddenly, Stelle crept up behind her and scribbled three crooked characters in the snow, grinning mischievously. "Let's name this one July 3rd."]
[March 7th immediately wiped away the writing and shot Stelle an exasperated glare. "How can you still joke around at a time like this…"]
["Hey, look over there—is that… a relic left by the Architects?"]
[Seele's voice cut through their banter. Following her finger, the group saw an astonishing sight: a colossal mechanical hand resting silently atop Everwinter Hill, so massive it seemed like a behemoth that had abruptly emerged from the endless ice and snow.]
"That machine…"
"It reminds me of the giant Ruin Guard near Devantaka Mountain," Tighnari remarked. "Such awe-inspiring power."
"That Ruin Guard has been studied by numerous Akademiya scholars over the centuries," Faruzan said, shaking her head. "But even now, much of its structure remains beyond our understanding and replication."
"Still, there's one thing we share with Belobog's people—we've both experienced a cultural disconnect of sorts."
"Just as we can't replicate Khaenri'ah's mechanical achievements today, Belobog's people can't recreate the mechanical guardians they built seven hundred years ago—like that machine called Svarog. What a shame."
"As scholars, it's regrettable. But as an ordinary citizen of Sumeru, I don't mind much," Tighnari chuckled.
The Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago was recorded differently across nations. To many today, this fallen kingdom left an impression akin to the mountain-sized Ruin Guard at Devantaka—something to envy and admire.
Why the Seven Archons descended upon Khaenri'ah remains a mystery, but Tighnari suspected it had something to do with the kingdom's unfathomable technology.
Even if we replicated Khaenri'ah's technology, what if it attracted…
Taking a deep breath, Tighnari felt a twinge of relief. At least the Akademiya's research into Khaenri'ah's tech was still superficial.
[As the group traversed a narrow mountain path, March 7th suddenly spoke up, as if sensing something. "What if Cocolia uses Bronya as a hostage…"]
["We have to save her! The Underworld—no, this entire world—depends on her." Seele's reply was firm and resolute.]
[Feeling Seele's determination, the others steeled themselves. Ahead lay the final platform—their last destination.]
[In the distance, Seele could already make out Bronya and Cocolia. Nearby stood a massive mechanical device, its top fitted with a diamond-shaped restraint emitting a faint yellow glow.]
[Bronya clutched her head in agony, as if resisting something. "N-no… stop…"]
[Cocolia's icy voice whispered in her ear, soothing yet insidious. "Don't resist… Bronya—embrace the Collective Will!"]