Conquering His Cold Heart

"Don\'t worry Ryuu I\'ve got your back." Jessie replied in a playful tone before taking a step forward towards a specially prepared platform just for the two of them. There were no signs of fear or trepidation in her face or demeanour instead she was excited and felt a fire in her veins that she hadn\'t felt since her youth.

A wide smile grew on her lips as she absorbed the surrounding mana like a starving child, preparing a grand welcome for the enemy commander.

The platform prepared for the two of them was lined with magic devices that aided in accumulating and enhancing mana on an individual level rather than for large groups, this way the two of them would be able to endure a battle of attrition against a B-rank monster with almost unreal mana capabilities and that\'s before the monster stampede.

Thanks to the influx of mana corruption the ambient mana in the air was far higher than normal. Though it was rather chaotic this didn\'t affect high rank monsters as much as sapients in fact under such circumstances a frost monarch would see their spells become even more powerful and their mana regeneration grow.

Without the prepared war machines and magic devices, the forces of Furano would be at a clear disadvantage.

Ryuu smiled after hearing her response and with his limbs trembling from excitement, he joined her on this platform and began accumulating mana.

Lord Frostine arrived in front of the treeline in a grandiose manner, his aura stretching forth so as to draw the attention of the sapients fighting for their very lives. He wanted to pressure them further, make them feel despair and weaken their resolve.

The other B-rank monsters followed closely behind him making for a very impactful display. Present were the three rindars, the B-rank poison herald as well as another 5 entry level B-rank monsters, 3 of which were newly unveiled and anxious to join the battle. Many exhausted soldiers couldn\'t help but grow weak in the knees upon seeing this line-up.

However, before Frostine could get too cocky Ryuu and Jessie attacked in earnest, summoning some of their most powerful 4th circle spells with excellent synergy.

A fire bird made of azure flames appeared above Ryuu while a great earthen salamander manifested before Jessie. The two mana lifeforms roared out before flying and leaping towards Frostine respectively.

"Tsk!" Frostine clicked his tongue in annoyance, wanting to enjoy the spoils of his entrance for a little longer.

"[Ice obey my will, form into a mighty serpent and strangle my foes with freezing majesty, wrath of the ice serpent]" Frostine chanted the aria for spell he used earlier to take Tarok\'s left arm. In response to his words a massive ice serpent was summoned and launched itself at the azure firebird and earthen salamander, generating a massive explosion of sound and colour as they collided.

"Do not falter, stand strong and protect what lies behind. Your families, friends, innocent children, the citizens of our mighty empire!

Fight on and we will be victorious!" In response to the magnificent confrontation of 4th circle magic Douglas roared out at the top of his lungs, his words infused with his weighty and noble aura, inspiring the soldiers who were gradually faltering at the arrival of Frostine and the other B-rank monsters.

"Soldiers of the Northrend empire, loyal members of the frost wolf battalion! Your enemy is before you, rend them apart in the name of the emperor!" Hamon followed with his own speech, greatly rousing his soldiers and creating a shift in the battlefield\'s momentum causing Frostine\'s face to warp in anger.

He felt belittled as though his grand existence was nothing but a passing breeze. He wanted to blow apart these foolish soldiers and strike fear deep in their hearts, but Ryuu\'s and Jessie\'s magic took up his attention.

A full strong 4th circle spell cast by powerful B-rank mages with no regard for holding back while also enhanced by magic devices and 4th star magic staffs was not something even, he could take lightly.

"You three and you join the fray and teach them fear!" With a threatening look Frostine glared at the three rindars as well as the most injured entry level B-rank monster. Beings that were failures and deadweight in his eyes.

The youngest rindar trembled from head to toe in fear while the second rindar frowned and looked towards the eldest, the most powerful and talented among them.

However, the powerful umbrella that the two of them could shelter under was no more. Their eldest brother, the former commander of the monster stampede\'s forces was nothing more than a thorn in Lord Frostine\'s eyes. Even in his peak condition their brother was nothing compared to Frostine and now that he was missing two arms and lost most of his defensive scales the eldest rindar held no leverage.

The eldest rindar knew that Frostine was sending him and his siblings to their deaths and it filled him with fury but there was nothing he could do. The weak have no say in the monster world, just like the many D and C-rank monsters he sent to their deaths he was now in the same boat.

With a clenched jaw and balled up fists the eldest rindar looked at Frostine with an aggressive glare but backed down almost instantly the moment Frostine stared back. He had no options; his death was certain.

"Haaaaaaaaa very well as the lord commands." With a defeated tone the eldest rindar bowed his head and walked forward alone. Arguing against Frostine would only see him die quicker and pointlessly, at least if he joined the battlefield, he could erase some regret.

All of his pent-up anger towards Frostine and his situation smoothly transferred towards the one that put him in this situation, the gnat that relied on the protection of Hamon to deprive him of his third arm and started him down his path of demise.

With furious fire in his eyes the eldest rindar focused on the young dungeon core dashing to and fro to protect the frontline, he had found his target.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Frostine\'s gaze drifted over the remaining two rindars and the other B-rank he ordered forward. His tone was filled with unveiled threat and the B-ranks not ordered forward either looked on in a gloating manner or let out sighs of relief.

Fearing that they\'d be struck down then and there the two rindars and the other B-rank monster made their way forward with anxious steps.

Frostine chuckled in derision before focusing back on his magic contest with Ryuu and Jessie.

"Chaylen bring our personal forces into the direct fray; I want Furano\'s frontline decimated after this wave." Frostine spoke to an upper C-ranked spirit monster that was one of his kin.

"Understood Lord Frostine." Chaylen performed a light bow before moving to take command of their spirit monster forces.

Frostine then looked toward the B-rank poison herald.

"Have your forces move out as well, harm as many of them as you can regardless of the cost." He spoke with that threatening tone once again, it was clear that like the other B-ranks he only really cared about his own forces.

The B-rank poison herald frowned in displeasure but was powerless to disobey, he sent the order down through one of his own subordinates and a moment later swarms of poison heralds and spirit monsters that were adept in magic took to the battlefield.

Frostine didn\'t care about the rindars in the slightest, but the poison herald was a different story. Even though he also failed in his mission and sported a plethora of internal injuries thanks to his face off against Hamon he was still useful as were his subordinates. Poison was a really annoying thing to have to deal with while also fighting for your dear life against unsurmountable foes.

With the worry of poison the forces of Furano would be under even more pressure but more than that the poison heralds would ensure that their reserves would be completely spent by tomorrow.

Frostine looked up at the sky that had been lit by with the magic device [solar dawn] not so long ago as well as the confrontation between his ice serpent and Ryuu and Jessie\'s firebird and earthen salamander.

"I wonder how long you can hold out. Desperation will only take you so far. Once Valend comes tomorrow your end will be nigh and we\'ll be free of this insufferable urging." Frostine grabbed his forehead as he spoke, the mutterings of his instincts constantly whispering in his ear, ordering him to kill and decimate the southlands\' towns and cities, Furano most of all.

Frostine had been alive during the previous monster stampede but even then, when he was weaker, he wasn\'t ensnared by the corruption and stayed within his territory, ignoring the happenings of the outside world. This time however not only was he a proud and powerful frost monarch ensnared but so was a frost giant as well as something even greater.

A frightening change that left him rather unsettled but powerless to do anything about. Only when the mission was done or when their strongest leaders were defeated would this crusade end.