Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1412 - 481: Ice Crystal Barrier (Part 2)

Gazrian, the 'Ice Sea Giant Demon,' appeared to regain a flicker of consciousness when confronted by this dire threat.

Its three draconic heads let out a simultaneous, furious roar toward the heavens!

A shimmering halo of ice crystals materialized on its massive hide. In a heartbeat, the light expanded rapidly in every direction, forming a colossal Ice Crystal Ball that shielded Gazrian's entire form.

In that same instant, the crimson beams, the falling boulders, and the forest of steel slammed into the crystalline sphere nearly at once.

"Boom! Boom!"

Two massive mushroom clouds erupted in quick succession!

The Federation Sword Saint, Terrio, who had been positioned for the finishing blow, lunged forward. However, he was stunned to see Gazrian standing unscathed as the dust settled.

The Ice Crystal Ball surrounding the demon remained almost untouched. The defensive power of this ice was terrifying; even after enduring three Dawn Killing Moves, it showed no signs of breaking.

"It didn’t break!" Terrio shouted through his communication channel.

"It didn’t break?" Reginald’s face paled in shock!

He was well aware of the destructive force behind his Giant Rock Throwing, as well as the capabilities of Menia and Rein. He had never imagined that their combined assault would leave the enemy completely unharmed.

"Prince Menia, do the ancient texts mention anything about this...."

"The ancient records are silent on this matter, but I believe our strike has forced the enemy to reveal one of its hidden trump cards," Menia replied.

"Furthermore, while manipulating ice energy on this scale might be trivial for the Ice Sea Giant Demon in its prime, it is surely a heavy burden in its current state."

"That is true." Rein nodded while observing the massive Ice Crystal Ball.

The words of the 'Red Queen' Menia matched his own thoughts exactly.

"Hmph, if that's the case, I’ll see just how much this Ice Crystal Ball can withstand." Having not yet made his move, the Federation Sword Saint Terrio took a deep breath.

He refused to believe the creature's defense was truly impenetrable!

A moment later, he transformed into a streak of lightning, charging toward Gazrian.

"Super Divine Cross Slash!"

Two intersecting silver sword lights, spanning dozens of meters, were hurled at the Ice Crystal Ball protecting the demon's body.

It was clear that Terrio’s killing move had become significantly more powerful after he had time to gather his strength.

"Sizzle! Sizzle!"

Unlike the magical explosions of witchcraft, the impact of the Super Divine Cross Slash did not create mushroom clouds. This allowed everyone to witness the silver blades biting deep into the Ice Crystal Ball.

Suddenly, a sharp "crack!" echoed through the air as a cross-shaped fracture split the surface of the massive sphere.

"Did it work?"

"Did he cut through?"

Inside the Ajax Super Giant Magic Statue, Rebecca and the others looked on with joy upon hearing the sound of shattering ice.

After all, the previous combatants—Red Queen Menia and Rein—were both from the Dragon Empire.

This was different.

This time, it was the Federation’s own Sword Saint Terrio who had acted!

More importantly, he had seemingly succeeded!

"It truly takes our Federation Sword Saint to get the job done!" The Elder, who had been silent and oppressed by the atmosphere, suddenly shouted with excitement.

However, Rein felt a sudden wave of dread wash over him.

This was the instinctive warning of his danger perception.

"Retreat immediately! Lord Terrio..."

Before Rein could finish his warning—

Suddenly!

"Crack!"

The entire Ice Crystal Ball exploded outward!

A violent, freezing gale filled with jagged ice shards blasted in every direction!

Sword Saint Terrio reacted with incredible speed, instantly swinging his blade to parry, but his silver sword light was overwhelmed by the relentless swarm of exploding ice.

"Puff!"

In a flash, more than ten shards of ice buried themselves in his flesh, and the force of the icy shockwave sent him flying dozens of meters.

While still in the air, white frost began to coat Terrio’s hair, brows, and skin, rapidly freezing him solid.

This sudden reversal struck Rebecca and the others dumb with shock.

On the Federation Giant Airship, the expressions of the high-ranking generals turned grim.

From the way Terrio was struck down, it was clear he had sustained severe, perhaps even critical, injuries.

If the Federation lost a veteran Sword Saint in this engagement, any victory would be hollow.

That would be a win for the Dragon Empire, not for the Federation.

"Lord Terrio, what is your condition?" Rein blurred into motion, positioning himself as a shield in front of the fallen Saint.

"I’m alright... just a small wound. But I fear I cannot support you as I did before in the coming fight." Terrio stood up quickly, though his limbs moved with a noticeable stiffness.

The blood trickling from his mouth had already frozen into crimson ice.

Terrio could feel an unnatural, piercing cold seeping into his marrow from his skin.

Even for a Sword Saint with a body tempered by a thousand battles, such an invasive chill was difficult to endure.

"The enemy's cold is far too potent; I need a moment to purge the frost from my system," Terrio warned Rein.

...

Meanwhile.

In a secluded corner of the Fadil Mountains.

The girl in dark robes standing atop the witch array became more distinct as she watched the recent surge of energy.

"Oh? They actually managed to force Gazrian out of his ice crystal cocoon."

"These mortals are indeed the cream of the crop, and Gazrian's power has waned significantly after such a long imprisonment; the gap between them has narrowed quite a bit..."

"Still, this works in my favor; subduing Gazrian should be much easier now."

The dark-robed girl gestured, and dozens of black vortices materialized around her.

These swirling portals varied in size, but each seemed to contain something trapped within, with ghostly white shapes churning inside them.

"Go!"

At the command of Hela, the Nether Sea Goddess, hundreds of these black vortices rose into the air like a great cloud, drifting rapidly toward the heart of the conflict.

...

At the center of the battlefield.

While Rein and his allies maintained their guard, a massive cloud suddenly swept in from the Fadil Mountains.

A soft, steady rain began to fall.

Because the weather near the sea was often erratic and everyone was focused on Gazrian, the strange nature of the rain went unnoticed at first.

However, the drizzle quickly intensified into a torrential downpour, blanketing the battlefield in a thick fog.

The sky darkened rapidly. Soon, visibility was reduced to less than ten meters, with only the massive silhouette of Gazrian visible through the gloom.

This sudden change immediately put everyone on high alert.

"This rain is not natural," Sword Saint Terrio remarked, his brow furrowed as he tried to recover.

"There is an inexplicable quality to these raindrops," Rein noted, sensing the water on his palm and sharing his thoughts through the link.

"You are right. This rain—and those clouds—appeared far too suddenly."

Suddenly, Rein felt a freezing presence rushing at his back.

He spun around and saw a blurry white figure with indistinct features emerging from the rain, barely seven meters away.

The entity reached out with pale, claw-like fingers that radiated a deathly chill.

It was clearly attempting a sneak attack.

The moment Rein spotted it, the creature didn't flinch. Instead, it lunged forward like a white bolt of lightning.

"Slash!"

A silver arc of light cut through the air.

The white entity was cleaved diagonally from its shoulder to its waist!

It let out a piercing shriek, its body roiling like disturbed mist. Rein's sword had caused it pain, but it hadn't destroyed the creature.

The figure snapped its head up, glaring at Rein with a look of pure, venomous hatred.

"Is this... a spectral foe?" Rein narrowed his eyes, analyzing the situation.

He withdrew the Hardened Fine Gold Longsword, allowing it to coil back around his arm as a metal strip. Then, he reached out again, and the Radiant Bar instantly transformed into a new Knight’s Longsword.

A brilliant white light flashed.

"Slash!"

This time, the creature met its match. Like a shadow struck by the morning sun, it dissolved into nothingness in an instant.

It didn't even have time to cry out!

"It really is a spectral foe!"

Seeing the effectiveness of his radiant weapon, Rein confirmed his suspicions.

...