Chapter 104:The Precarious Situation
The flames flickered wildly as Kael’s screamed faded into the cold night air. The Red Knights swallowed their fear, but the weight of his mad grin still pressed down on them like an invisible force.
Baret was the first to regain his composure. His voice was hoarse but steady. "Reiner... tell us everything. We need to know what we’re up against."
Reiner inhaled deeply before speaking. "It started with the storms." His fingers dug into the dirt as if reliving the nightmare. "A blizzard, unnatural and relentless, covered the North. At first, we thought it was just an extreme winter, but then... we saw them."
Handel frowned. "Them?"
Reiner’s voice dropped lower. "The Ice Men. Towering figures made of frozen znow, their eyes glowing a deep, deathly blue. They weren’t just monsters. They were sentient." He exhaled sharply.
"They moved like soldiers. Their bodies, immune to blades, reformed when cut. They shattered only when exposed to fire—but in that storm, we had none."
Kael’s grin faded slightly. "And their leader?"
Reiner hesitated. Then, with an almost reverent fear, he spoke. "The Ice Devil."
A hush fell over the camp. Even the howling wind beyond their circle seemed to grow still, as if the name alone had frozen the air.
"A monster... no, a demon." Reiner’s knuckles turned white. "It controlled the blizzard, shaping it into its weapon. The beasts and monsters were merely its pawns. The northern raiders bowed to it. Even the Ice Men followed its will."
Gare clenched his jaw. "A being that commands nature itself... How do you fight something like that?"