The Snow Woman and Slumber
With Ruby, the scorching magic power gathered at the tip of her staff transformed into an incredibly thick torrent of flames, wreathed in spiraling waves, which crashed into the massive dark metal door engraved with grotesque yeti reliefs!
"Boom--!"
A deafening roar echoed through the empty castle, and scorching heatwaves, carrying white vapors from melting snow, Swirl violently in all directions. The heavy metal doors groaned under the onslaught of such violent magic; the panels twisted and warped, finally being blasted open with a gaping hole. The metal at the edges showed dark red traces of melting, and wisps of white steam rose. A blast of cold wind immediately rushed in through the gap, causing everyone's clothes to flutter wildly.
Frieren's silver twin tails billowed back in the hot wind. Her emerald eyes calmly gazed at the still-smoking, dilapidated doorway, her tone flat and even, carrying a hint of doubt purely based on efficiency considerations:
"Doors of this caliber can be easily opened with 'Door-Opening Magic' or even more basic Killing Magic modified into 'Ordinary Attack' spells, saving even more mana."
Ruby her staff, her small face flushed from the large amount of magic she had used, but her emerald eyes were full of pride and excitement. Hearing this, she put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and retorted confidently:
"Oh, that's possible! But it's too light and lacks any impact! Like this—'Boom!' Smash it open with the most powerful magic!"
She waved her little fist, Imitation an explosion, "That way we can tell that coward hiding inside—'We're here! And we're here to wreak havoc on your place!' Isn't that great! Isn't that powerful!"
Frieren blinked, looking at Ruby's serious expression that said, "This is the right way to make an entrance," then at the dilapidated door. She tilted her head and pondered for two seconds, seemingly weighing the pros and cons of "saving magic power" versus "making a grand entrance." Finally, she nodded, seemingly understanding. "... Oh. Indeed."
"Alright, stop chatting at the door, let's go in." Himmel elegantly swung her sword to clear away the billowing dust, her sharp eyes beneath her blue hair gazing into the deeper darkness and chill within the doorway, before stepping inside first. The others followed closely behind.
The view beyond the door opened up dramatically: a circular hall far more magnificent than any of the previous halls, yet also more deathly silent. The hall had no dome, leading directly to the gray sky, from which endless snowflakes fell, accumulating into a thick layer on the ground.
The cold snowflakes swirled silently, draping the dilapidated palace in a serene mask of death. In the center of the palace, a colossal throne, carved entirely from crystal-clear, millennia-old ice, stood majestically. And upon the throne sat a figure.
She was a slender female Demons. She wore a pure white dress that seemed to be woven from ice and snow, the hem of which spread out around the throne like Bloom ice flowers. Her skin was so white that it was almost transparent, blending into the surrounding ice and snow. Her long silver hair, reaching her waist, cascaded down like a waterfall, the ends of which shimmered with a faint icy blue luster.
Her features were exquisitely beautiful, yet possessed an inhuman, icy, and cold beauty. On her forehead, a pair of small, delicate horns, winding like branches of ice crystal, shimmered with an eerie light in the dim light.
What was most striking about her were her eyes—eyes like the purest sapphires, deep and cold, as if containing an ancient, unyielding ice. At this moment, those eyes were calmly watching the uninvited guest who had intruded, a faint, amused and pitying smile playing on her lips.
She gently raised her hand, her slender fingers, seemingly fragile enough to break at a touch, to brush away a snowflake that had landed on her skirt. Her movement was as elegant as if she were attending a courtly tea party. Her ethereal and melodious voice, carrying the scent of ice and snow, slowly echoed in the hall, drowning out the howling of the wind and snow.
"Welcome to my Crystal Ice Hall, a few uninvited guests. Your greetings... are quite enthusiastic, I find it a little overwhelming." Her gaze swept over the door blasted open by flames, her tone unreadable. "I am the Great Demons — the Snow Witch, Monet."
Himmel stepped forward, blocking the crowd, his handsome face displaying an impeccable calm, a mixture of vigilance and chivalrous courtesy. He nodded slightly, his voice clear and firm, as if stating a self-evident fact:
"I apologize for my rudeness, Your Grace. Now, please be frank—we are here to take your life. Be prepared." In her blue eyes lay an unwavering resolve honed through countless battles.
Upon hearing this, Monet's smile seemed to deepen slightly, and a strange light flickered in his sapphire-like eyes. "Is that so... Hero Himmel, and these others... they certainly seem quite formidable. No wonder they've made it this far."
She paused slightly, her gaze seemingly piercing through time, carrying a faint sigh, "But, it's a pity... the ice and snow here have already enveloped countless brave souls like you, who came with dreams in their hearts..."
Before she finished speaking, she lightly tapped her slender finger as if it were a casual gesture.
In an instant, the snow in the entire hall seemed to come alive, surging up like a white tide! The snow was not attacking, but rather rising and converging towards the center at an astonishing speed, forming a huge, thick snow dome, intending to completely envelop and seal the entire group within this extremely cold, icy tomb! The light dimmed rapidly, and the biting cold intensified instantly!
"Hmm! It's Large-Scale Sealing Spell!" Heiter's expression changed, and he immediately recognized the nature of the magic. His booming voice rang out, carrying a warning, "We can't let it completely close! We must break it before it takes shape! Ruby! Use fire magic..."
As he shouted, he habitually glanced at the red-haired little mage in the group, preparing to have her cast a powerful fire spell. However, his words were abruptly cut off.
Ruby remained in the same position, holding her staff, but her face was blank, her large blue eyes empty and lifeless, as if she had lost her focus. She stood there, motionless, unresponsive to Heiter's calls, as if... her soul had been suddenly ripped from her body.
"Ruby!" Heiter was shocked and quickly turned to look at the others.
This sight made him gasp in shock, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head, even more biting than the temperature of this icy palace!
Himmel remained in a sword-drawing stance, his handsome face blank, his blue eyes devoid of their former brilliance, like two stagnant pools. Eisen's battle axe was slightly raised, his bronze face stiff, as if he had turned into a silent sculpture.
Frieren gripped her staff, her emerald eyes half-closed, devoid of any divine light, as if she were lost in the deepest slumber. Lupa and Linié, too, stared blankly, unconscious. Lowell stood quietly to the side, his dark eyes lowered, his face expressionless, as if he had merged with the Frozen air around him.
The entire team, except for himself, had unknowingly fallen into a strange, sudden state of slumber!
Snow Witch Monet, remained seated on her Frozen Throne, her sapphire-like eyes gazing silently down at the massive snow-white dome that slowly closed, enveloping the unconscious crowd. The faint smile on her lips appeared particularly cold and cruel in the dimming light, as if she were watching a meticulously crafted drama come to a close.
"Sleep forever... in this eternally silent ice and snow."