The battlefield was scorched, cracked, and soaked in the remnants of fire and lightning. Only two stood amidst the chaos—Hiroko and Shiro—survivors of a massacre that had claimed Kirishima and Vulkan. Rage and grief burned in their eyes like wildfire, but Hiroko's hand gripped Shiro's shoulder, steadying him.
"Let go of me, Hiroko! I'm gonna kill that bastard!" Shiro shouted, fire sparking in his fists.
Hiroko's gaze was calm, resolute. "Calm down, Shiro. If you let yourself be consumed by anger, you'll end up like Vulkan… like Kirishima. Dead."
Shiro's jaw clenched. "So what? We're the last ones standing! We can't lose anyone else. We barely survived that giant, and it's already killed both of them. You expect me to just… stand here?"
Hiroko's eyes hardened. "I know your pain. I feel it too. But if we let rage rule us, we're as good as dead."
Shiro clicked his tongue in frustration, glaring at Ymir, who loomed in the distance like a god above mortals.
"So… what's your plan, Hiroko?" Shiro finally asked, restraining his fury, voice low but tense.
Hiroko exhaled sharply, the weight of desperation heavy on his shoulders. "This… this is my last resort. And I know it's going to be hard for you to accept."
Shiro's eyes narrowed. "Spit it out, Hiroko."
Hiroko's gaze met his. "We combine ourselves with the avatar I created… become one with it. Only then can we stand on equal ground with that giant."
Shiro's anger erupted anew. "If you'd said that earlier, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
Hiroko's calmness didn't falter. "If I'd said it earlier… while all of you were at odds with each other? You wouldn't have agreed. Believe me, this is the only way."
I agree with Shiro on that, Ymir thought casually, watching. Mostly Hiroko is just focused on fighting me. Strategy… he forgot that part entirely.
(Author's Note: You may wonder what happened to the trap Hiroko created. Well… it's useless now. The ninjas assigned to it were forced into battle when the Beastlords appeared, right as Ymir approached the trap. It had to be abandoned. Timing's cruel sometimes.)
Shiro exhaled, biting back another surge of anger. "Fine. If this is the only way…"
Hiroko nodded, and the two began the ritual. They drew a massive circle in the earth, placing the battered avatar figure at its center. Ancient letters, glowing faintly, spiraled around them, forming a loop of power.
(Author's Note: π∆£π€×¥∆—repeat endlessly, if you were wondering.)
Energy crackled, then exploded outward in blinding white light. Hiroko, Shiro, and the avatar's essence merged, becoming a single stream of radiant power.
From Ymir's vantage point, he watched in awe as the figures fused, their form transforming.
[Host has found the final boss – Elemental Shadow King. Good luck, host.]
The light faded. Where once stood three separate figures, now towered a single colossal entity, size doubled to 150 meters. Their aura blazed with every elemental power imaginable.
Hiroko and Shiro's consciousness merged with the avatar, becoming a single unstoppable force. They didn't hesitate. Blitzing forward, they struck Ymir in unison—fist to face, kick from below, teleporting strike after strike. Elements collided with precision, a symphony of destruction.
Ymir staggered. Exhaustion gnawed at him—the toll of killing two of his opponents, plus fighting against four elements at once, was starting to show. But Giants recover quickly. Always.
They slammed him into the ground, sending tremors through the battlefield, then leapt into the sky, gathering radiant energy, preparing a decisive strike.
Ymir recovered in the blink of an eye. He leaped, grabbed the massive figure by its feet, and slammed them to the ground. A kick to the face followed, sending them skidding across the terrain.
Before they could retaliate, they teleported away, forming a safe distance.
"Playing it safe, huh?" Ymir chuckled, shaking off the pain.
He saw them begin to gather energy again—obviously preparing their ultimate attack. He knew this was the climax. So am I, he thought, and I intend to enjoy every second.
The clash began. The first attack struck, but Ymir deflected it. The second hit, pushing him backward, but he surged forward again. Elemental projectiles flew around him—lightning, fire, ice, shadow—but Ymir fought through it, unstoppable.
Something grabbed him mid-lunge—a writhing mass of demonic spirits, summoned to attack him. He swung his sword, tearing through them, killing the creatures in a storm of blood and shadow.
Meanwhile, Hiroko and Shiro poured every ounce of energy into their ultimate—[Elemental Shadow King Starburst].
Ymir watched. So this is it. Let's see how strong your little trick is.
The elemental assault rained down. Projectiles converged in a brilliant spectacle, a storm of fire, lightning, ice, and shadow energy. Ymir sprinted, dodging with the grace of a predator. He deflected attacks where he could, throwing some back at them—but the combined power of the merged avatars absorbed the backlash, nullifying it instantly.
Spirits, hellhounds, ice puppets, lightning familiars, fire beasts—all summoned at once. The battlefield became a chaotic storm of motion and magic.
This is fun, Ymir thought, slicing through fire animals with a spinning slash. Lightning serpents electrocuted nothing but air as he cleared their ranks.
From the sky, the Elemental Shadow King observed, their voice echoing with raw power.
"One attack is all I need."
Ymir grinned. Funny… so is mine.
The ultimate energies converged, a blinding spear of light and destruction aimed straight at him. Ymir leapt into the air, sword drawn, aiming to slash the beam in half.
"Orraaaaaaaahhh!!!"
"Graaaaaaagghhh!!!"
Two titans, clashing. Energy met steel in a cataclysmic collision. The ground quaked, mountains trembled, the sky ignited with light.
The merged form of Hiroko and Shiro faltered under the strain. Injuries slowed them, cracks appeared in their concentration. Ymir exploited the weakness with precision. His sword lunged straight for their core, energy slicing through their ultimate attack and meeting their combined bodies head-on.
Coughing, Hiroko whispered, pain in every word: "You… amazing giant… you managed to kill us… may we… know your name… before we die?"
"Ymir," came the deep, resonant reply.
Shiro's fading consciousness smiled faintly. "Ymir… what a wonderful name."
"We have… one request," Hiroko added weakly, voice shaking. "Please… spare our people… that's all we wish for."
Ymir's gaze softened ever so slightly, though his towering presence still radiated authority. "I cannot promise. It depends… on whether your people will attack me."
"I… see," they whispered, eyes closing, smiles contented despite the pain.
A barrier dissolved. The people watching cried at the loss of their leaders. Panic and grief consumed them, but with their guidance gone, they found themselves leaderless.
"FOR THE CLAN!"
Weapons raised, spirits aflame with vengeance, they charged Ymir en masse.
The battle was far from over.