Heimdall rushed to report the news, and the main Asgardian force quickly retreated, leaving only Hela with fewer than a hundred elite warriors to serve as the rear guard.
Facing the overwhelming onslaught of ice bear cavalry thundering toward them, Rowe's scalp tingled, and he instinctively gripped his weapons tighter with both hands.
Earlier, three of the four colossal Polar Ice Beasts had been slain by the Berserker units. The last remaining beast now charged, unleashing a blood-curdling roar.
"Roar—!" The beast opened its cavernous maw, the sound a monstrous echo that shook the battlefield.
Hela's expression turned icy. With a flick of her wrist, her dark green longsword glowed, its light fusing seamlessly with the blade's edge, radiating a devastating power.
"Cha!"
The sword shot directly into the mouth of the Polar Ice Beast and emerged from the back of its skull, spraying a torrent of blood.
"Boom—!"
The beast's towering form collapsed just before reaching Hela, its fall causing the earth to quake.
"Kill!"
The ice bear cavalry had arrived. Clashes erupted immediately as the vanguard collided with Hela's force.
Rowe, thinking quickly, returned his warhammer to the Sanctified Codex space. He stepped back, drew his staff in his left hand, and prepared to cast Judgment Hand with his right.
Judgment Hand!
Golden radiance surged as Rowe pointed at an incoming ice bear cavalryman.
The warrior staggered, dazed, only to be immediately decapitated by an Asgardian ally. Blood sprayed into the frozen air.
Judgment Hand!
Another enemy fell.
Judgment Hand!
Another was slain.
The more Rowe used the spell, the more fluid and powerful it became. He felt like a divine enforcer channeling the might of Archimonde—though he knew full well the cost. Just like in World of Warcraft, such powerful strikes drew serious attention. The moment he used Judgment Hand, the battlefield lit up. Enemies instantly zeroed in on him.
Several jagged ice spears shot forth from the frost giant lines, all hurtling toward Rowe.
They were launched with precise aim and blinding speed—too fast to evade by normal means. Just when they were about to strike, a sword glowing with dark green energy zipped through the sky like a homing bird. With a spinning slice, it shattered the ice spears into powder.
Crash… The fragments rained down, sparkling like frozen dust.
Rowe let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
His Divine Shield remained unused—barely.
Still, in these chaotic skirmishes, while Judgment Hand was undeniably effective, it also made him a beacon for enemy fire. Dangerous didn't even begin to cover it. With only two fragments of Divine Shield left, Rowe couldn't afford to take reckless chances.
Cautiously, he inched closer to Hela, angling his movements to keep her between himself and the frost giants.
Sensing this, Hela glanced over her shoulder briefly, said nothing, and then turned back.
Was that… permission?
Rowe blinked, then nodded internally. He interpreted her silence as tacit approval.
With no shame, he positioned himself directly behind her, extending his finger past her shoulder to resume casting.
Judgment Hand!
Judgment Hand!
Judgment Hand!
With pinpoint precision, Rowe eliminated multiple frost giants, most of them squad leaders. His relentless assault caused disarray among the enemy ranks.
Judgment Hand!
Rowe launched another beam, this time saving Ander, who had been fending off two bear cavalrymen and was on the verge of collapse. Then Rowe stopped, breathing heavily.
He had exhausted nearly all his Holy Light reserves—only enough remained for three, maybe four, more spells.
He knew he had to conserve it. Without it, he wouldn't survive.
The battle intensified.
The remaining Asgardians fought with desperate valor. But they were hopelessly outnumbered. Their ranks thinned rapidly.
Within minutes, only about thirty Asgardian warriors remained, most of them wounded and barely able to stand.
Suddenly, the frost giant attack ceased. Their formation split down the middle, opening a path.
Riding a towering ice bear, Laufey emerged, his presence commanding and ominous. He looked down upon Hela and the remnants of Asgard's rear guard.
"Surrender… or die," he said coldly.
Hela's grip tightened on her sword. "Asgardians do not surrender," she replied icily. "We die with honor."
Laufey sneered. "Hela, daughter of Odin… I never intended to kill you. You are simply sending your loyal soldiers to die in vain."
For the first time, Hela's hand trembled slightly.
She turned to face her warriors. Her voice rang out: "Now, I give you permission to surrender. If any of you wish to live, step forward. Witness the death of Hela Odinsdottir."
The cold wind screamed through the silence.
Not a single warrior moved.
After a moment, Hela added, "Or… we meet again in Valhalla."
"For Asgard!" one soldier cried, voice defiant and clear. Like a spark, it set the others ablaze.
"For Asgard!" they roared in unison, thirty voices thundering as one.
Laufey's face darkened. "Very well…"
Without warning, the Asgardian warriors raised their shields, forming a battle wall. Spears glittered with runic light as they hurled them straight at Laufey.
"Boom!"
The spears exploded in midair, transforming into searing spheres of light—miniature suns blazing with divine flame.
Caught off guard, Laufey was swallowed by the light.
Hela moved without hesitation. Her sword reappeared in her palm and launched itself into the light with a sharp whistle.
Crack!
Rowe's eyes widened.
When the light faded, Laufey stood unharmed, Hela's blade caught in his hand. Shards of ice clinked to the ground.
Crash…
Only then did Rowe notice the translucent layer of enchanted ice armor encasing Laufey's body. Invisible before, the shield was now partially melted. Even Hela's sword had only chipped it.
Though Laufey was untouched, his mount had not been so fortunate. Its eyes were scorched, and it collapsed with a wounded cry.
"Hmph." Laufey grunted and hurled Hela's sword back. It struck a nearby Asgardian, piercing shield and heart alike.
"Take Hela alive. Kill the rest," he ordered.
"Yes!"
The frost giants surged forward.
Rowe gritted his teeth. He couldn't hesitate anymore.
He raised both hands, palms glowing. "Retreat!" he shouted.
Blinding light burst from his palms—brighter than any sun—as it engulfed the frost giants.
Blinding Light!
The front line of giants staggered, momentarily blinded. Their formation broke as chaos erupted.
Hela blinked in surprise but reacted instantly. "Retreat!"
Without wasting a second, the remaining Asgardians turned and ran. The frost giants, still disoriented, failed to regroup in time.
Laufey's expression turned thunderous. He raised a palm, summoning a familiar relic—an ice-blue cube emanating lethal cold. The same artifact that had destroyed the Sun Mirror.
"Boom!"
An arctic beam tore through the air, vaporizing half of the fleeing Asgardians.
Those who survived scattered, driven by pure survival instinct.
"Pursue them!" Laufey roared.