The Laughing Swordsman

The ice giant stood at roughly twenty feet.

Its body consisted of densely packed ice and vaguely resembled a humanoid.

The ice giant took a step forward.

Its movements were sluggish, but the shockwaves that resounded from its step were alarming.

The demon army was currently in a bad position.

The explosion from the four-horned demon had killed many of what remained.

As though it wanted to seal the deal, the ice giant slammed one of its fists into the demons.

Just the shockwave itself was enough to kill the remaining demons, exploding them like a balloon.

The siege of demons was over.

But now there was a new foe, the ice giant.

It slowly made its way into the village.

Just the shockwaves from its steps had killed countless people.

Even those that hid in their houses.

Mildred frowned.

"That's... not good."

Ned was drenched in sweat but continued casting.

Casting so many spells taxed his mind. The fact he could push through anyway was commendable.

Firebolts landed on the ice giant's body one after another. Chunks of packed ice would break off each time it was hit.

However, at this rate, it would easily get to the palace.

Erin and Alyx hurriedly began casting their own spells.

The ice giant was free to cause devastation within the village. It harvested countless lives.

Ela had reverted into her human form. She was bloodied all over and had her fist clenched.

She was heartbroken over all the dead villagers but was powerless to do anything about it. She could hardly move, much less save others.

Screams echoed throughout the whole village. They were screams of fear, of desperation.

Some people died on the spot. Others got hit by the residual shockwaves, coughing up blood and losing the ability to move.

When the ice golem stepped down, it would flatten the houses and cause nearby ones to collapse.

Once the ice giant got close, Alyx and Erin had finished casting.

Alyx curled her finger, shooting out her spell first.

The ice giant gained a sudden burst of dexterity as though it could recognize the threat the spell posed.

Its arm swung upward and a small chunk of its arm detached, thrown to Alyx's spell.

They collided.

Alyx's spell expanded upon contact, causing the chunk of ice to disappear immediately. However, the ice giant was hardly harmed.

Alyx clicked her tongue.

In front of Erin was a blazing fireball.

She took a deep breath.

Then let it loose.

The fireball expanded rapidly. The devastating force it contained was clear.

Ned's eyes lit up.

Perhaps it would work out?

The ice giant tilted its head back.

After just a second, its head snapped forward. A plume of frost shot out from its face.

The fireball immediately started to slow and shrink. By the time it reached the ice giant, it had disappeared entirely.

Mildred gasped.

"No..."

The ice giant was now just ten meters away from the palace.

Ela, who was on the ground, smiled bitterly.

"Is this how the kingdom falls?"

Apollo stepped onto the ledge of the roof with a smile on his face.

His eyes gleamed.

"Don't worry! It's my job to protect you!"

Alyx smiled bitterly and shook her head. She did not respond.

Ned coughed.

"...Don't worry about it, Apollo."

Mildred had a hand on her heart and let out a mournful sigh.

However, there was an outlier in the group.

Erin's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! You got this!"

Apollo peered over his shoulder to look at Erin. He flashed a wide smile and gave her a thumbs up.

"Just watch!"

Apollo leaped off the ledge.

His clothes fluttered in the wind.

His bokken slowly raised.

Ela looked up. Her eyes bulged out their sockets.

What in the world was this kid doing?

The ice giant swung its fist towards Apollo. It didn't matter if he was just an unassuming kid.

The ice giant was not going to show mercy.

Red scars appeared across Apollo's skin.

Both of his hands clenched around the hilt of his bokken. His knuckles were bright white and his smile widened.

Apollo's bokken flashed, sending a massive blade of wind to the ground. The recoil sent him up a few meters in the air.

The blade of wind crashed into the ground next to Ela.

She covered her face to block the pieces of stone that scattered in her direction.

Ela puffed her cheeks and shook her fist angrily at Apollo.

"Watch where you're aiming!"

As for the ice giant's fist, it brushed by Apollo.

Apollo's hair and clothes violently flapped from the wind produced by its attack.

His bokken stuck into the ice arm below him. Using it as a support, Apollo stabilized himself.

He ran up the arm, slashing the arm behind him as he went.

The width of the ice giant's arm was much longer than Apollo's bokken. Yet, Apollo's slashes cleanly cut through it.

It was as though the ice giant's arm was a carrot and Apollo was a master chef wielding a kitchen knife.

Chunks of the ice giant's arm fell and hit the ground with a crash.

The ice giant was getting anxious.

Its other fist shot out towards Apollo, stirring up gales as it traveled.

Apollo's body heated up like a furnace. Right before the ice giant's fist reached him, he leaped up into the air.

Apollo did a backflip, letting the ice giant's fist pass by him.

He closed his eyes and basked in the wind that blew.

Suddenly, Apollo slashed with his bokken, severing the ice giant's arm.

His feet landed on the ice giant's remaining arm.

His steps made tapping sounds as he traveled further up.

The ice giant's head turned to him and spat out a plume of frost.

However, to its dismay, Apollo was unaffected.

His body was simply radiating too much heat. Before the frost could reach him, it had already melted to water.

Apollo leaped up into the air.

The ice giant looked up.

Apollo's figure blocked the light of the sun.

He was like a looming shadow, contrasted by the rays of the dawn.