The Ice and Snow Melted Away

Heiter knelt on the ground, his arms trembling violently from overexertion. The light on the ancient Holy Scripture dimmed rapidly, like a candle flickering in the wind. The holy light shield protecting everyone had become as thin as a cicada's wing under the continuous pressure of absolute zero and the heavy snow, emitting a teeth-grinding "creak" sound as it could not bear the weight, and cracks spread like a spider web.

"Bang--!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out as the Holy Light Shield finally shattered completely, turning into countless scattered specks of light that were instantly swallowed by the extreme cold. Heiter groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His body could no longer support him, and he collapsed face down onto the cold snow. His consciousness rapidly blurred due to the dual exhaustion of magic and physical strength. Only a stubborn, unwilling smile remained on the corner of his mouth.

With their last barrier gone, the biting cold, like countless ice blades, instantly pierced the Frozen group. The snow-covered dome closed rapidly, and huge ice shards stabbed down like fangs, casting shadows over the motionless Himmel and the others.

At this critical moment—

Himmel had been standing motionless like an ice sculpture with her eyes closed, moved her right hand, which was resting on the hilt of her sword.

There were no earth-shattering shouts, no dazzling lights and shadows, just the simplest and purest sword strike.

The movements were fluid and natural, as if they had been practiced countless times. The moment the sword was drawn, there was not even a sound of wind; only a highly refined, almost invisible sword aura shot out silently, as if it had severed the light itself.

"Laugh--!"

With a soft sound, like a hot knife slicing through solidified butter, the ice dome, several meters thick and imbued with the powerful magic of the Snow Witch Monet, was cleaved in two by this sword energy, leaving a perfectly smooth, enormous crack!

Sunlight suddenly pierced through the crack, illuminating the dimly lit hall. The sword energy, undiminished in its momentum, swept across the entire hall, striking with unparalleled precision at Monet, who sat atop the Frozen Throne!

For the first time, Monet, seated on his throne, showed a distinct change in his sapphire-like eyes, a flicker of disbelief and astonishment crossing his face.

Her slender, pale fingers unconsciously tightened, gripping the armrest of the throne.

Just before the sword energy struck her body, her figure barely transformed into a fleeting snow shadow, narrowly dodging the sword's sharpness. The sword energy grazed her skirt, silently slicing through the Frozen Throne and a large section of wall behind her, leaving a smooth, mirror-like cut!

"... What?"

Monet gracefully landed to the side, gazing at the cleaved throne and dome, her ethereal voice tinged with a hint of offended solemnity. The sharpness and precision of this sword strike far exceeded her expectations.

Beside Grausam, Grao Sam's crimson pupils also contracted slightly, and for the first time, a clear look of surprise appeared on his usually elegant and composed face. "Unbelievable."

Before Grausam's words could even finish, another unexpected event occurred!

Lowell and Frieren, who had both kept their eyes closed as if lost in a dream, opened their eyes at the same moment.

Lowell's eyes no longer held their usual languor and affability; instead, they held a bottomless, icy chill, as if from millennia-old ice. He didn't look at the cleaved dome; his gaze, like the most precise chains, instantly nailed to Grausam's astonishment.

In the next instant, his figure vanished from the spot like a ghost, not by High-Speed Movement, as if he had merged into space!

Grausam felt a blur before his eyes, and Lowell was already in front of him, so close that he could almost feel the chilling aura of death emanating from the other's breath. He could even see the icy killing intent in Lowell's eyes, and the dark red gleam belonging to an ancient Demon King that flashed deep in his pupils.

"You've really given me a 'good look'." Lowell's voice was terrifyingly calm, yet carried a chilling undercurrent. "I remember now, it's Grao's Grausam, isn't it?"

Before he finished speaking, Lowell had already raised his right hand, fingers together, and casually extended it forward.

"Pfft--!"

A soft popping sound, like puncturing a water-filled air bag.

Grausam lowered his head, looking at the hand that had sunk into his chest. There was no violent burst of energy, no earth-shattering force, just the simplest, most direct, and most brutal physical penetration.

Lowell's hand precisely grasped the heart that was still beating slightly and radiating ominous magical energy, then he closed his fingers and gently squeezed it.

Grausam's expression remained calm, but his crimson pupils instantly lost all their luster, like extinguished embers. His body slumped downwards, turning to ashes before even hitting the ground. With his death, the magical energy that had been lingering in the air, invisibly influencing everyone's spirits, dissipated rapidly like the receding tide.

"If I kill you now, will your miracle still happen?"

At the same time, Frieren's emerald eyes cleared, and she slammed her staff to the ground:

"Flame of Destruction".

It wasn't a blazing, exploding flame, but a silent, pure black flame that seemed capable of devouring all light, shooting swiftly towards Monet, who had just regained his footing, like a living shadow. Wherever the flame passed, even the light was distorted.

Monet dared not be careless. With a few swift movements of her slender hand, several thick ice crystal shields instantly solidified, attempting to block the attack. However, when the black flames touched the ice shields, they did not explode. Instead, they silently corroded and pierced through them like strong acid!

Even more astonishingly, as this "Flame of Destruction" flew toward Monet, the residual heat it emitted—a gentle yet resolute heat that defied common sense—rapidly Swirl out, like the warm sun of spring, quietly Melt away the extreme cold within the hall!

The five people— Heiter, Eisen, Ruby, Lupa, and Linié —who had been almost frozen stiff, began to warm up their limbs. Ruby even unconsciously let out a soft groan, her curled-up body relaxing slightly. Although they were still not fully conscious, their vital signs had clearly stabilized.

"Hahaha... cough cough..." Heiter, sprawled on the ground, felt the warmth and struggled to lift his head, propping himself up on his elbows. Looking at the situation that had been reversed in an instant, despite his disheveled state, he let out a hearty laugh, a laugh filled with the relief of surviving a close call and unparalleled pride, "See?! This is the... true miracle... created by my comrades!!"

The situation reversed in an instant.