Third Person’s POV

"Compose yourself, Princess. Nothing in life is truly lost as long as even a single breath remains within your body."

His words were simple, yet they carried the weight of experience and confidence of a warrior that forced her thoughts to halt for a brief moment.

Before she could respond or gather herself completely, the situation shifted again. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

One of the white-hooded figures, the silent and dangerous one, suddenly moved.

Without warning, he shot forward into the air and headed straight toward the ice golem that had remained standing motionless with the coffin upon its shoulders.

His movement was swift and direct, carrying no hesitation whatsoever.

But just as he closed the distance and came within five meters of the construct, the ice golem that had been completely stationary reacted.

Its massive head turned sharply with a heavy whooshing sound, its crystalline blue eyes flashing with a cold, inhuman gleam that carried no trace of emotion.

In a single motion, it dropped the coffin it had been carrying.

The heavy structure struck the icy ground with a loud, echoing bang that sent vibrations through the surrounding snow.

At the same instant, the golem bent slightly and then launched itself upward with explosive force.

It drew its massive arm towards his back before smashing forward in a devastating punch aimed directly at the approaching white-hooded man.

The air itself seemed to distort under the sheer force of that strike, yet the white-hooded man did not panic.

He remained calm.

With a simple wave of his hand, he drew upon the surrounding ice mana and gathered it instantly into a massive four meter long and three inch thick arc-shaped blade that formed in midair with a sharp, crystalline hum.

The blade gleamed with cold light.

Without delay, it slashed downward to meet the incoming fist of the ice golem.

At the same time, the white-hooded man shifted his body and rose further into the air as he smoothly evaded the direct impact of the golem’s charge.

Then came the collision.

The moment the arc blade met the golem’s massive fist, a violent explosion erupted across the mountain slope.

The impact released a surge of force that shattered the surrounding snow layer and sent thick clouds of white powder and fragments of ice and earth blasting outward in all directions.

The sound echoed through the mountains like thunder, the ground trembled, and the air filled instantly with swirling debris.

Snow, dust, and shattered ice engulfed the area, blinding everyone present and forcing both sides to take cover instinctively as the battlefield was swallowed by a chaotic storm of white and grey.

Just as the explosion erupted and the entire battlefield was swallowed in a violent storm of snow, shattered ice, and roaring winds, the white hooded figure who had taken to the air did not retreat as one would have expected.

Instead, he twisted his body sharply in midair with precise and controlled movements, showing his confidence and experience, before he turned back toward the ice golem and made a heavy punching gesture into the empty space ahead of him.

In the very next moment, he descended.

He dropped from the sky like a falling meteor, his speed tearing through the storm-laden air, and as he came down, a thunderous roar escaped his throat.

The violent winds generated by his descent blasted outward and threw his hood back, finally revealing his face to everyone present.

It was the face of a middle-aged man, his features sharp and chiseled as if they were carved from stone, carrying the weight of countless battles and years of experience.

His head was completely bald, reflecting the dim light faintly, while his piercing, lightning-blue eyes shone with an overwhelming sense of authority and dominance.

The blue shade of his eyes was different.

It did not resemble the cloudy, star filled hue of Arlene’s eyes or that of her aunt.

It was colder, sharper, and more aggressive, immediately making it clear that this man did not belong to the Ice Emperor’s royal bloodline.

Meanwhile, the bald, blue-eyed man did not pay even the slightest attention to Arlene’s shock.

His expression remained fierce and unyielding, and his attention was focused on his enemy as he roared out with a voice that seemed to shake the very air around them,

"Ice Emperor’s Fist!!"

As his voice echoed, the surrounding ice mana surged violently and gathered in a chaotic yet controlled flow above the battlefield.

Within a heartbeat, it condensed into a colossal formation, a massive ice fist that was easily the size of a medium sized carriage, its surface dense and layered with compacted frost and shimmering ice mana.

Without even a moment of delay, the enormous fist descended.

The ice golem, which had only just recovered from its previous clash and lacked direct control from its master at this distance, failed to react in time.

Before it could even reposition itself, the gigantic ice fist crashed into it with devastating force.

The impact was absolute and perfect in its deadliness.

The upper half of the golem shattered instantly and exploded into countless fragments of blue ice that scattered across the mountainside like broken crystals.

Only its lower half remained standing with its two frozen legs embedded in the ground like lifeless pillars.

The shockwave that followed was equally terrifying.

A violent burst of compressed air and ice dust exploded outward and swept across the battlefield, throwing several figures off their feet.

Snow and debris filled the air and forced many to shield themselves or stumble backward under the pressure.

Only a select few managed to remain standing like the green-robed woman, the young white-hooded man, Princess Arlene, and the armored aura master.

As the storm of debris gradually settled, Ivan Froststar’s furious expression slowly faded and was replaced by a calm and almost arrogant composure.

He descended from the air with deliberate slowness, as if he had already asserted complete dominance over the battlefield.

He landed beside the shattered remains of the ice golem, near the intact blue coffin that lay upon the ice.