The thick fog covering half of Snowfall Mountain had been blown away, revealing distant lands I had never seen before.
Far beyond the forests… beyond the ridges of white mountains…
There was something black on the horizon.
I raised my hand and pointed.
"What's… that thing?" I asked.
"Where?" she said.
I pointed harder, keeping my finger locked on the distant shape.
"…Oh. That's a CHAIN."
"Chain?"
"Meh. I don't really have the power to explain it," she muttered. "And I'm kinda lazy. Just watch!"
So I nodded quietly…
and turned my eyes back to the sky— where the Frosthowl and the green sprout continued their battle above the clouds.
High above the clouds, the Frosthowl suddenly dove.
Its massive body cut through the gray sky like a falling meteor flame, plunging straight toward the countless green sprouts rising beneath it.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
For a second, everything felt… delayed.
Like the world itself was holding its breath.
Then— Impact.
