Seeing the two demons appear, Rowe's heart surged with excitement.
Unlike other beings, whose morality might vary, demons were fundamentally different. For most sentient creatures, traits such as kindness, integrity, and humility were nearly universal ideals—even if rarely upheld. Frost Giants, for example, were mortal enemies of Asgard, yet their definitions of goodness and evil weren't entirely alien to that of the Asgardians.
Demons, however, were born of vice. Their very existence rejected virtue. They thrived on sin, fed on corruption, and loathed all that was pure. The only form of control over them came through binding contracts—usually those sealed with dire consequences.
Most demons resided in a realm known as "Hell", a place seldom found in the observable universe. Asgard had clashed with Hell's forces in ages past, so it wasn't surprising to see demons aiding the Frost Giants and trolls.
As the distance between the two sides closed, Rowe's Holy Light detection flared—the divine pointer swaying violently between the two demonic signatures.
He gripped his shield in one hand, warhammer in the other, then launched his assault.
Judgment!
The Hammer of Judgment surged forward, trailing a brilliant arc of holy light. It struck one of the demons in the shoulder—slightly off-center—but that alone was enough. The sin radiating from the creature ignited a violent reaction with the holy magic.
BOOM!
Light exploded outward, engulfing the demon in a searing blaze. The unholy creature didn't even manage a scream before its form disintegrated into ash under the power of the Holy Light.
Heimdall blinked, stunned. "That spell—"
Rowe smirked and clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, Heimdall. Don't tell me you're only noticing now."
Without waiting for a reply, he darted toward the second demon.
That one, however, had clearly witnessed its companion's fate. Overwhelmed by fear, it turned and bolted, unwilling to face Rowe's divine wrath.
But before Rowe could give chase, a hulking troll stepped into his path.
"DEATH!" bellowed the beast, slashing down with a massive machete.
Wall! Rowe invoked the flame enchantment on his shield. Instantly, fire blazed to life around the blood-red shield. The troll's strike was stopped cold, flames erupting outward and scorching the creature's arms.
"AHHH!" the troll screamed, stumbling back, blade slipping from his grasp.
Rowe wasted no time. He raised his hammer, and—
Holy Light Strike!
Verrigan's Fist exploded with both flame and divine radiance. The troll attempted to evade, but its arm caught the full impact. Bone shattered, muscle tore, and fire raced up its hairy arm, searing flesh and fur alike.
It staggered away, howling, but soon four more trolls lunged in from the flanks to swarm Rowe.
In the hands of a paladin, the shield was more than defense—it was a weapon. With years of training and divine empowerment, Rowe wielded it masterfully. Even against four foes, he held the upper hand.
The trolls flinched from the fire and divine light, attacking clumsily under pressure. Rowe beat them back, step by step.
Then—"AARGH!"
A pained cry rang out. Brunnock had been slashed across the shoulder by a troll's jagged blade, blood spraying from the wound.
Rowe's eyes narrowed. He slammed his warhammer into the ground.
Sword of Justice!
A glowing energy blade burst from beneath the troll's feet. Blood exploded upward as the creature's leg was impaled and shredded by divine force. The troll collapsed, shrieking.
Brunnock wasted no time. He brought down his blade, cleanly severing the troll's head.
But Rowe's moment of distraction was costly. The remaining trolls seized the opening, unleashing a coordinated barrage of strikes.
Shield of Light!
Divine energy flared from his shield, combining with the artifact's natural resilience to form a glowing barricade over a meter wide. Troll weapons slammed into it, sending cracks through the holy energy, but the shield held long enough.
With renewed focus, Rowe struck. He launched a flying kick into one troll's chest, sending it sprawling. Then he pivoted and brought the hammer crashing into another's chest. Even through armor, blood sprayed, and the creature dropped.
His allies followed up, finishing off the wounded.
With both Rowe and Heimdall in the mix, their squad fought far beyond its rank. Victory was near.
But then—tremors.
A contingent of Frost Giants stormed in from the flank. Leading them was a towering, long-haired giant cloaked in freezing mist, channeling pure ice magic.
Frost Giants possessed divine affinities, typically tied to their frigid homeland. This one was no exception.
With a flick of his hands, the long-haired giant conjured a volley of ice spikes and launched them at Rowe.
Whoosh!
CRACK—CRASH!
The already-weakened holy light shield couldn't take the barrage. It shattered into fragments of fading light.
But Rowe had anticipated it. Even as the shield disintegrated, he moved—dodging aside and launching another Judgment strike.
The frost giant conjured an ice wall to intercept.
BOOM! Holy fire and light tore through it. The wall exploded, sending shards flying. The giant stumbled back, saved only by a last-second ice armor enchantment that blunted the full impact.
He wasn't out for long.
Before he could recover, Rowe charged, closing the distance in mere strides.
Panicking, the frost giant conjured an ice longsword and swung defensively.
CRASH!
Verrigan's Fist smashed into the sword, shattering part of it into ice dust. But the blade began to regenerate—ice magic stitching it back together rapidly.
They clashed again, blow after blow, hammer against ice. Rowe forced his weapon toward the giant's face, but the longsword held—for now.
Then the frost giant's body glowed. Ice magic surged, spreading in waves across the battlefield. A massive fan of ice expanded behind him, chilling the very air.
Rowe's eyes narrowed. He summoned his flame affinity.
Instantly, his entire form ignited in divine fire. Red and gold gave way to blinding white-hot flame. Heat radiated outward, pushing back the frost aura.
The battlefield split in two—one half a blazing inferno, the other a frozen wasteland.
But divine power is not equal. And away from their icy homeland, Frost Giants weakened.
Bit by bit, the fire advanced.
Sssss—
The giant's icy flesh began to steam. Melted water ran down his armor. Despite his efforts, the fire proved too much.
Rowe stepped forward, divine wrath burning in his eyes.
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