Dungeon of Niflheim

“Master the casualties on our side are escalating quickly. The ice walls are no longer effective, sporting dozens of gaps created by the twin headed polar bears and polar werebears..... I think its time to sound the retreat.” Nanna spoke with frustration as she and Loki were left in command of the overall forces. Frost, Kiba and Findlay had only been in battle for roughly 15 minutes, yet the defences were already crumbling, she felt guilty and ashamed. A few tears were even forming at the sides of her eyes.

“Haaaaaaaaa don’t feel upset Nanna you did very well, this battle was always going to end in a full retreat so don’t look down on your efforts. You informed me of the situation at the correct time so I’m very proud of you.” Frost comforted Nanna who was on the verge of tears with a gentle tone and expression, his heart nearly breaking as he heard her sobs.

“.....mmmm” Nanna wiped her eyes and groaned cutely in understanding. Loki at her side grabbed his sister’s hand and smiled trying to ease her worry while Maya held onto her chest unable to endure the cuteness being emitted by the two children.

“Nanna please sound the retreat, Findlay, Kiba and I will take care of the ursa immediately and follow the arranged plan. Have the bestial corps focus on carrying the dwarves to safety, they should be faster than the bears..... we’ll take care of the rear.” Frost once again returned to his authoritative tone when giving Nanna her orders.

“Understood master, I’ll start the retreat immediately.” Nanna nodded her head with determination and gripped her brother’s hand hard before releasing a siren like sound throughout the first section, the agreed upon signal for a full scale retreat. Following the siren was her voice acting in her capacity as commander.

“All forces retreat to the secondary defence zones, bestial corps focus on carrying the dwarves to safety, Master, Findlay and Kiba will take care of the rear, move out!” Nanna mimicked her master’s tone whenever he commanded the dungeon’s forces, the role suited her quite well, she’d make a fine commander when she grows up.

The soldiers still in the thick of battle, firing their arrows and magic into the rampaging horde and or fending off their attacks when their ice wall supports crumbled tensed upon hearing the siren. Frustration and disappointment clear in their eyes, but nonetheless they followed Nanna’s following order, ignoring the bears before them and promptly retreating.

Most clambered down from the ice walls and ran deeper into the dungeon, whereas the remainder had to be rescued by the bestial corps. The frost wolves, ice wolves and coeurl pups dashed into the thick of the battle, squaring off against the dozens of remaining bear monsters, allowing those pinned down to evacuate to safety. Dwarves with injuries were forcibly picked up by the bestial corps with their jaws and tossed onto their backs. They would save as many of their forces as possible, utilising their superior speed to out manoeuvre the bears.

.....

The ice spitting spiders as well as the dismantling teams’ great frost centipedes also appeared to aid in the retreat. Frost had them fall back away from this battle for this exact moment, fully refreshed and ready to hold back the tide.

The frost revenants who guarded the bottom wall and the large gate within it looked at one another and nodded. As one they all swung down their great swords with intense ferocity grievously injuring the bears that were before them, pushing them back. Next the lesser yuki-onnas bombarded these bears with their magic, not holding back in slightest, killing a couple. Next the frost dwarven quarrellers fired their ballista bolts killing another three before painfully abandoning their ballistae. These war machines would inevitably be destroyed by the rampaging bears as they were too heavy to carry to safety.

With the front cleared the revenants swiftly shuttled through the gate following after the lesser yuki-onnas and the frost dwarven quarrellers. They would act as the rear guard, assisting the bestial corps in the retreat.

Despite the madness of the battle this retreat happened almost seamlessly, within 30 seconds more than 75% of Frost’s forces were en route to the secondary defence zone, leaving a mad contingent of bear monsters fruitlessly chasing after them, spreading out as they did. The others that were left turned towards Frost, Findlay and Kiba as they were now the nearest enemies.

“Kiba let go of the ursa and take command of your bestial corps! Findlay you handle these interlopers while I finish off the ursa!” Frost roared out his commands, no more taking the safe approach he was going to end this and end it now.

“Yes master!”

“Garoowwww!” Findlay responded with a wild smile after knocking away one of the ursa’s swipes whereas Kiba rendered apart the ursa’s back and neck one last time before promptly taking to the skies, readying himself to swoop down to whatever area needed him most.

Thus Frost was the only one left standing before the ursa, his glaive in hand and ice chakra covering his entire body like plate armour, a very dignified and inspiring appearance.

“Huuuuuuuuu” Frost released a deep breath and closed his eyes. He focused inward and ignored the roars of the nearby monsters, the scent of blood and iron, the vast amount of killing intent being sent his way and even the impending swipe from the ursa. Frost cut himself off from the world as he delved into the vat of divine energy that slumbered within his body.

Time seemed to slow as Frost’s aura subtly filled his body and made its way out, covering his flesh, clothes and then the area around him. His aura instead of expanding further to affect those around him instead rapidly thickened, becoming denser and more intimidating, as though it was a tangible existence.

The massive ursa was in too much of a frenzied state to notice the change in Frost’s demeanour, the only thoughts within its mind being ‘Kill!, Destroy!, Devour!’ Just like many other times before the ursa swung out with its right foreleg, its claws opened up in an attempt to carve up the elf like foe standing before it.

However if the creature was in control of its faculties the moment it felt the change within Frost its instinct would immediately scream for it to run, that this wasn’t a foe it could beat, instead it would be the one killed and then devoured.

Just before the Ursa’s claw was about to reach Frost, Frost opened up his eyes, their silver colour now sparkling from the infusion of divine energy. His half step 4 star glaive slashed out silently aiming to block the ursa’s paw.

Schwing! Squelch!

With his divine aura in full effect, coating his body and weapon Frost was able to exhibit much greater strength. Without even having to use his skill [claw of the ice wolf] or even use the wind engraving the glaive’s blade sliced through the ursa’s paw like it was simple raw meat, severing three of its fingers without effort and rebounding the remaining parts. Frost for the first time in this battle was going all out, he would no longer lose in a contest of physical strength.

“Time to end this.” Frost swung his glaive in the air, removing the blood stains that it just acquired. This new state he was in was incredibly draining and difficult to control but when in use his physical abilities were magnified.

It wasn’t just training with his glaive and researching the high earth rank cold flame that he did over the past couple of weeks no, his aura was also sufficiently trained. Maya taught him the true methods in how to fight with aura, methods that were vastly improved whenever he also accessed the divine energy slumbering within him. Covering one’s body and weapon with aura was in fact a high level technique normally only capable by high level B-rank fighters, Frost’s innate talents continued to shock Maya, her young master was truly gifted.

“Rooooaaaaaarrrrrrr!” The ursa that currently looked like some kind of undead monstrosity given the amount of wounds covering its body roared out in fury, unaffected by the severed fingers and claws it slashed out once again with the same paw.

Frost however wasn’t going to simply wait there and do nothing; he was on the clock for multiple reasons. With impressive speed Frost vanished from his spot and out of the ursa vision causing its slashing paw to cut up nothing but the air and snow dust.

It looked around desperately for its prey but couldn’t find Frost.

Schwing!

Suddenly the ursa felt itself falling, it tried to stop itself like the many other times it felt itself buckling but this time something was different.

“You may be able to ignore your wounds and blood loss, forcibly standing back up regardless of the pain that should be felt however that only works if you still have a limb to stand on.” Frost silently appeared upon the ursa’s back as it gradually started to tip leftwards.

The moment Frost vanished from the ursa’ sight he appeared beneath its lumbering frame -another blind spot- and targeted the beast’s left hindleg. He and Findlay had already left some pretty gruesome wounds there, so much so that the bones were showing but so far they were unable to fully sever it.

That however was no longer a problem.