Chapter 35

Jagged ice pillars rise like broken swords from the earth. Dozens—if not hundreds—of Knights of Givre stand in rigid formation, eyes glowing pale blue, breath fogging in sync. They wear elegant white armor with frost runes etched into the metal. The arcship lands just beyond the perimeter.

Shizuku
(grinning, cracking his knuckles)
Guess it's time to stretch.

Alto
(deadpan)
Just don’t destroy the palace. Remember, we're trying to liberate Raureif.

Celeste
(summoning a glowing baton of sound magic)
These guys look stiff. I’ll loosen ‘em up.

Berwick
(unsheathing Enketsu)
Make sure they don’t scream too loudly. I have a migraine.

Asche
(eyes glowing)
Mana flow distortion: complete. Let’s begin.

Eris
(gravity symbols orbiting her palms)
I’ll focus on group suppression. Shizuku, cover the front.

Kalt XVIII
(quietly, from behind the group)
So these are my father’s old knights… puppeteered by that frost tyrant.

Shizuku
(turning back)
Then help us get them back. Even frost can melt under the right heat.

The Knights begin charging. The courtyard shakes under synchronized footfalls as dozens of glaives shimmer with cryo-arcana.

Celeste
(slam-clicks a beat into the air)
Alright, Arcana Sound and Support Guard—harmonic formation C!

Suddenly, the rest of Celeste’s guard phase in behind her—uniformed like a marching band fused with spellcasters, carrying staff-instruments. Support sigils surge into the crew.

Celeste’s Guard
(in chant)
♪ Rythmos Fortissimo! ♪

A blast of melodic mana ruptures forward, staggering the front lines of the enemy. Shizuku charges in first, lightning and yin crashing in harmony from his fists.

Shizuku
(diving in)
Sick of the cold. Time to heat things up!

He lands a punch that sends a knight through an ice spire.

Asche
(chains of elemental runes spiraling)
Multi-elemental sync: Ice Dispel + Arcane Cleanse.

The battlefield shifts. Dozens of enemy knights lose their frost control as Asche’s mastery over all mid-tier elements destabilizes their enchantments.

Eris
(casting)
Gravity Pillar: Bloom Zero.

A localized gravity pulse crushes several knights flat to the ground—non-lethally. Berwick follows up with precise, blinding-fast slashes, aiming only for weapons and limbs.

Berwick
(calm)
It’s rude to fight under another’s mind control. Allow me to remove the strings.

Alto
(sighs, then raises his hand)
Guess I’ll finish the center.

He floats forward, star halos igniting around him. With a single point of his hand, a compressed star detonates midair—creating a radiant wave of energy that knocks out ten knights at once without harming the structure.

Celeste
(turning to Kalt)
See? I told you we were efficient.

Kalt XVIII
(watching, amazed)
You’re not just elite soldiers… you’re like forces of nature.

Celeste
(winking)
That’s why I brought the whole band. Support and style.

The courtyard now glows with support spells, suppressed knights, and shattered frost armor. The outer walls have been taken—but from the inner throne room, an unholy cold begins to bleed through.

Eris
(looking toward the palace)
They’re fighting him now… Astera and Lily.

Shizuku
(turns, eyes narrowing)
Then it’s almost time.