The battle on the ground was just as fierce as the one in the skies.
Those who specialize in close-quarters combat had been arranged to intercept the incoming horde, preventing them from getting anywhere near the walls.
"Die, you monsters!"
"Eat shit!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"POWAAAAAAA!!!"
The soldiers were fearless. With the intensity of humanity's fighting spirit, corruption can't get a hold on them, even with demons around.
Fists, swords, spears, halberds, lances, daggers—all sorts of cold weapons flashed with cold lights, tearing through demon flesh. Shields, barriers, barricades, and traps sprung up to protect the brave warriors too, in addition to the supporting spells cast from the nearby wall.
"Hmph!!!"
BOOOM!!
A huge cloud of dust erupted after a direct confrontation, followed by a loud clash of steel. The earth cracked, and the figures that clashed felt themselves sinking down for a bit, but neither was affected. Their steel continued struggling at each other while their eyes coldly regarded the opponent.
It was a man against a demon lord. The Demon Lord was of the Capra Demonkind; strong, swift, and ruthless in his strikes. The demon was at least 9 feet tall with a humanoid torso and thighs, the head and lower body of a bull, and a lizard tail. It wore a skull helmet and used a pair of handheld axes made out of demon bones.
This Capra Demon was as strong as a 5th Change Planar Traveler Realm superhuman, but the man it struggled against was certainly no pushover.
The man had deep bronze skin and a large and bulky frame. He's six and a half feet tall, wearing bulkier armor that looked like it was made of stone. Aside from this ridiculously heavy armor, the man had no other defenses. Instead, he held a huge and long waraxe with both hands as he struggled against the Capra Demon.
His wine-red eyes coldly regarded his opponent, and he also wore a vicious grin on his face as he stomped forward to push the demon back with sheer raw strength.
Snort!
The capra demon was dissatisfied, but it couldn't be helped. It bent its body and flipped backwards to evade the follow-up attack from its opponent. Just from that short struggle, the Capra Demon understood that it couldn't compete with its raw strength against this human. Therefore, it could only resort to other tricks to kill; this time, it relied on speed.
Swoosh!
She just killed three Demon Lords in a row with her glacial spears, and the ice explosion killed at least dozens of stray animals instantly too.
Just like Garrick, Isabella was also one of the handful of people who greatly benefited from the Origin Energy Storm.
She now possesses something called the 'Glazed Snow Physique', which practically tripled her strength and potential instantly. It amplifies the freezing effect of any ice-based skills or techniques she uses and doubles the hardness of the ice she condenses.
It also increased her natural affinity to an unprecedented degree, allowing her to comprehend the profundities of the Ice Laws with twice the results from half the effort.
Isabella reached the 3rd Change Planar Traveler Realm, just like Garrick. Her changes speak volumes, considering that she could now fight Garrick into a draw. She has also long surpassed her foster mother's expectations for her.
Swoosh! Crack!
A shadow suddenly appeared behind her. It was a ghost holding a dagger aimed at her skull. However, before it could even realize what was going on, it had already turned into a frozen statue, despite its ethereal form. Isabella didn't even bother looking at the poor stray.
As she took a step forward, the frozen statue changed into the shape of a snowflake, which was then thrown into the nearest clump of demons, exploding into shards of icicles that caused a chain reaction of freezing and explosion.
Such control over the ice element was rare, even in the army. Coupled with her transcendental looks, it was inevitable that she would pluck the heartstrings of heroic men.
But because she was often seen with Garrick, a rumor spread within the army that the two of them were in a relationship, which was not true. It's just like that since they were of the same academic batch.
She often spars with Garrick to sharpen her skills, but beyond that, their relationship was nothing more than friends.
Isabella didn't bother correcting them, though. Garrick was apparently a perfect fit for her, according to public opinion, saving her the trouble of dealing with suitors. Garrick straight up doesn't care about the rumors at all; he might not even be aware of them because he's too focused on becoming stronger.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Isabella condensed more glacial spears that shot towards large clumps of strays. The cold indifference on her face was hidden behind the veil she wore.
Deep down, she felt nothing but pure disgust and hatred against demons. And with this current act of theirs, mercy towards their kind was not on her list of considerations.
She raised her delicate arm to the skies, and behind her, a massive snowflake appeared, radiating a diamond gleam. With a snap of her fingers, the giant snowflake dispersed into a silver mist that crept forward.
Everything it touched was frozen in body, mind, and soul. It didn't matter whether they were swallowed by the silver mist or just touched by it accidentally. If even a particle of that silver dust makes contact with a demon body, it will freeze them completely.
Those ice sculptures were then turned into more snowflakes that flew all over her surroundings, leaving a trail of frost behind them. As she continued with her duty, she wondered...
'Will Cedric show up soon? I wonder how strong he has become since the last time I saw him...'