Hiroko noticed something strange. The colossal giant—Ymir—wasn't moving. He stood there like a monolith, his silhouette swallowing the battlefield. Dust swirled around him. The ground trembled not from his motion, but from the sheer pressure radiating off his body.
He's wide open, Hiroko thought, heart pounding. If I don't act now, I'll lose this chance.
Without hesitation, he launched forward, shadow clones scattering around him. His blades glistened in the dim light, but just as his strike closed in—
A flash.
A blinding, searing brilliance tore across the field, swallowing Hiroko's vision whole. It wasn't just light; it was a presence that forced its way into his bones. The giant's body began to glow, armor radiating with divine intensity.
Ymir had activated one of his self-made techniques.
[White Dove]
(Author's Wall Break Shenanigans™)
("Fourth wall—"
Bullshit! Ymir, this is the second time you've broken the wall today.
"Come on, author, let me cook! I need to explain my skill properly!"
No.
"Please?"
No.
??? : "Honey, are you still busy with your novel? Come help me with the kitchen."
"Yessir!"
Alright, fine. Guys, don't roast me—I know the name is cringe, but I couldn't think of anything cooler. So here's the explanation:
[White Dove] – a self-created skill that unleashes a burst of blinding light. It also buffs my body, armor, and weapon, making them lighter and more agile—like a white dove soaring through the sky. No drawbacks. No side effects. Pretty simple, right? Anyway, enjoy.)
The battlefield was washed white. Hiroko shielded his eyes, his instincts screaming at him to retreat.
When the light faded, Ymir stood transformed. His massive body moved like flowing wind, his sword gleamed as though forged from dawn itself. His armor, once oppressive in weight, now shifted with birdlike nimbleness.
"Now," Ymir's voice thundered, "it's time for my counterattack."
He lunged.
The force was overwhelming—Hiroko was struck before he could defend, sent crashing violently into the avatar-figure they'd summoned earlier. The collision rattled his bones, blood spraying from his lips.
"Arghhh!!"
Vulkan and Shiro reacted immediately.
"He's down! Cover him!"
The two darted forward, elemental energy blazing, but their rhythm was broken. With Hiroko incapacitated, their synergy crumbled. They charged disjointed, desperate, and Ymir exploited the chaos mercilessly.
He swung his sword.
A crescent of condensed air ripped outward, a wind blade carrying explosive gusts. It sliced the battlefield apart, hurling dirt and stone into the sky. The shockwave struck Vulkan full on, staggering him. He coughed blood, but his wounds closed quickly under his fiery resilience.
The avatar—already battered—lurched back into the fray. Its cracked armor glowed faintly as if breathing, but Ymir was ready. He snatched Vulkan mid-motion, massive fingers wrapping around his flame-wreathed body.
"No! Put me down!" Vulkan roared, heat flaring in defiance. His flames surged, but Ymir's grip was relentless.
Then with casual brutality, the giant hurled him like a ragdoll into the avatar.
CRASH!
Vulkan's body slammed into the figure's chest, the elemental backlash from its infused lightning and fire biting into his flesh. He screamed, his armor splintering.
Before he could recover, Ymir leapt skyward. The ground split from the impact of his jump. His colossal fist descended, colliding with the avatar's face. The blow resounded like thunder, sending the construct tumbling across the landscape once more.
But Kirishima wasn't done.
His voice roared across the battlefield, thick with determination. "Lightning Serpents—awaken!"
The air cracked. Actual serpents, woven from storm and divine lightning, erupted around him. They surged toward Ymir, massive coils snaring his limbs. Electricity crackled, plasma sparks ripping gouges into the earth.
At last—resistance.
The serpents constricted tighter and tighter, their scales biting into Ymir's armor. For the first time in the battle, the giant was restrained.
Yet Ymir only smiled. His teeth gleamed inside his helmet, his laughter like rolling thunder.
"Heh... this is more like it."
The avatar recovered, rushing Ymir head-on. Its massive fists pummeled his face again and again. Each strike rang out like steel smashing an anvil.
And then Kirishima revealed his trump card.
[Dark Lightning]
A secret technique, honed through countless years of obsession. Lightning so dense it was plasma itself—pure destructive energy, capable of incinerating armies. If the target survived, their body would become a prison of agony, electricity gnawing at their nerves endlessly. But the cost was steep: it devoured Kirishima's stamina at a terrifying rate.
He clenched his teeth. "Take this!"
The sky itself split open as a colossal bolt surged downward, funneling into his hands. With a primal scream, he hurled it straight into Ymir's chest.
The impact shook heaven and earth.
Ymir howled, voice booming like a god's wrath. "Aaaaghhhh!!!" His shout reverberated across mountains, the soil trembling as if alive, cracks splitting wide.
Kirishima's face lit with pride. For once, the giant had screamed. For once, he had wounded him.
But then—horror.
The light faded, and Ymir's armor still gleamed. The scorch marks vanished almost instantly, steam rising from his body.
Kirishima's eyes widened. "No… it didn't work?"
His body froze. Exhaustion ate at him, his arms heavy as lead.
He never saw the blade.
With frightening ease, Ymir's sword cleaved through him.
Kashiiiiing—
SPLAT!
Blood sprayed in an arc. Kirishima's smile lingered faintly as his world went dark. "It's been a long journey…" he whispered before collapsing, body split in half.
"Nooooooo!!!!"
The battlefield erupted in despair. Vulkan screamed. Kirishima's men howled in grief.
Hiroko's eyes widened, his chest tightening with rage—but he forced himself to breathe, to think. Don't lose control. If I do… more will die.
But Vulkan wasn't listening. His fury burned hotter than his flames.
"You bastard!" he roared, voice shaking the skies.
His aura exploded outward. Fire surged around his body like a volcano's wrath, igniting the battlefield in crimson light.
[The Host has found another Boss – Fire Emperor]
[Analyzing Skills… Complete.]
Fire Emperor Skillset:
[Fire King's Armor]
[Meteor Shower]
[Fire Rain]
[Fire King's Hammer]
[Fire Monarch's Blessing]
[Fire Spirits]
[Fire Authority]
[Martial Spirit]
[Red Sun Flames]
[Phoenix Wings]
[Fire Djinn's Armor]
[Lesser Giant's Strength]
[Holy Fire Body]
[Fire Wall]
[Fire Transformation]
[Fire Shifting](Other skills: Common Grade)
Ymir chuckled between labored breaths. His body bore burns, cuts, exhaustion—but his eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Hahh… another boss, huh? This is getting more interesting."
Vulkan wasted no time. He blitzed forward, hammer of flame crashing against Ymir's chest. The giant was actually knocked backward, skidding across the battlefield, earth tearing beneath him.
"Not enough!" Vulkan bulldozed through, a relentless inferno. His flames wrapped around Ymir's armor, trying to melt the steel. But Ymir didn't scream.
Instead, the giant caught him by the head mid-charge. He slammed a fist into Vulkan's face with bone-breaking force. The Fire Emperor's giant form shattered, his body reverting to human size, battered and bloodied.
Ymir's arm smoked, charred by the intense heat. He coughed, his breath ragged, but his grin never faltered.
"You tough bastard… I'm not done yet!" Vulkan snarled, spitting blood.
He summoned his fire spirits.
Dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of burning entities rose around him—phantoms of flame shaped like warriors, beasts, and demons. They charged Ymir like a tidal wave.
Ymir's blade swept once.
All of them died. Instantly. Ash scattered into the wind.
Vulkan's face twisted with rage. He summoned again—fire animals this time, wolves, lions, serpents, all blazing. He roared and led the charge himself.
But Ymir inhaled. His massive lungs filled, then exhaled with hurricane force.
FWOOOOOOOSH!
Like candles before a storm, every flame winked out. The battlefield went dark.
Vulkan's fury reached its peak. "Damn you! DIE!!"
His body ignited once more, the heavens themselves glowing red. He called forth his ultimate art—[Meteor Shower]—stones of fire forming high above, the atmosphere itself bending to his will. Simultaneously, he summoned [Fire Rain], burning droplets beginning to pour.
"This is it! I'll kill you here, monster!"
But before he could release it—
SLASH!
His head separated cleanly from his body.
For a fleeting second, Vulkan's lips curled in a defiant smile. "Underhanded… but fun."
Then darkness.
"Vulkan!! Nooooooo!!!" Shiro and Hiroko's voices cracked with grief.
Blood stained the battlefield. Two comrades gone.
Hiroko's hands trembled. His mind screamed at him to stay calm, to hold onto strategy, but his heart raged for vengeance.
Shiro's expression darkened, eyes narrowed into slits of killing intent.
"That's it," he said, voice dripping venom. "I'm ending that fucker."