Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

188  Fighting the Matriarch

Henry, Leier, and the five dwarf elders stood atop the pile of Ice Giant corpses, side by side, facing the Matriarch. The creature was massive, at least ten times higher than a human, and her presence loomed over them, radiating a pure, ancient feeling. Her icy form crackled with the energy of centuries, and the air around them seemed to be even more cold, as if threatening to freeze the blood coursing through their veins.

"What's the plan, descendant?" - Mani asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to sound strong. She was Mani, the bold and fearless, yet even she couldn't stop her hands from shaking as she gripped her hammer tightly. The others were just as tense, but they held their ground, knowing there was no turning back. They had to fight and kill this beast. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Henry didn't waste a second with words. He tightened his grip on Caelum, feeling the sword's spirit humming with eager anticipation for the thrill of the battle ahead. Without hesitation, the king activated the Sunfire Steps and dashed toward the Matriarch. His speed left a trail of melting snow behind him as he moved like a blur. The Matriarch's cold eyes seemed to be able to follow his every move. As he closed in, she lifted her foot and slammed it down, causing sharp ice spikes to burst from the ground, as if the earth and ice itself obeyed her will. Henry twisted and dodged, narrowly avoiding the deadly spikes coming out of the ground beneath him. When he couldn't evade, he used Caelum to slice through the ice, the purple flames covering the blade cutting cleanly through the transparent and freezing spikes. Behind him, Leier and the dwarves exchanged determined glances and charged at the Matriarch, without looking back.

In the blink of an eye, Henry reached the Matriarch's heel and swung Caelum with all his might - "Solfire Cleave!" - he shouted in his mind. The purple fire on the blade flared as it connected, but to his disappointment, it barely left a scratch, only chipping the thick ice covering her skin. "Dodge! Liege!" - Leier's voice cut through the freezing winds. Henry reacted instinctively, leaping back just as the Matriarch's massive hand crashed down where he had been standing, sending snow flying everywhere and leaving a deep crater. Above them, the sky rumbled ominously. Yngvi summoned all his strength and determination, his hammer crackling with silver lightning snakes - "I'll fry ye, cursed creature!" - he roared as lightning fell from the dark clouds, aimed at the Matriarch's head. The creature howled in pain as a chunk of ice fell from her forehead, allowing them to see those lizard-like blue eyes.

Leier and the dwarves saw their chance and climbed the Matriarch's leg, attacking her calf. They attacked again and again but the ancient ice was nearly impenetrable. They managed to chip away small fragments, but it wasn't enough to even cause a scratch on the creature's skin. Leier and Mani kept attacking as the other three dwarves took their chances to attack another position.

Henry watched from a short distance, his mind racing. "Come on, don't ye want to eat that?" he muttered to Caelum, urging the sword's spirit to help. Suddenly, a surge of mana flooded his body, stronger than ever before. Caelum wasn't just using his mana, it was feeding him with power, sending raw energy coursing through his veins like fire. With that new power, he cold no longer bothered him, and his vision sharpened. He could see the energy flowing through the Matriarch's blue veins, identifying weak points in her icy armor. In that state, he felt like a god, invincible. He could see everything.

"Aim for the joints behind the knee!" - Henry shouted, his voice carrying across the battlefield. At the command, Leier and Mani responded immediately, climbing higher, determined to take down this ancient creature and free the valley. Mani swung her hammer with all her strength, and Leier followed with precise and rapid strikes. Unlike before, their combined attack worked,a thin stream of blue blood began to trickle from the Matriarch's knee. But as the blood touched their weapons, it froze instantly, the ice spreading rapidly up their blades. It seemed to want to consume their flesh and souls.

"Let it go!" - Mani yelled, realizing the danger of the blood. She kicked Leier away, but before she could also get away, the Matriarch powerfully shook her leg, like a kick, sending Mani flying through the air. The dwarf crashed into the mountainside with a sickening thud, disappearing into the snow.

Leier quickly got to her feet and retreated from the Matriarch's reach, her eyes desperately searching for Mani, spotting her unconscious and bleeding body on the other side. However, there was no time to worry about her wellbeing. The situation was extremely dangerous.

At the sight of his sister, Yngvi clenched his teeth and gripped Skybreaker tightly, his breath ragged after summoning the lightning. Fury burned in his eyes as he launched himself toward the Matriarch, the hammer emanating an ancient and overwhelming presence. Recognizing the silver lightning, the Matriarch let out a deafening howl and hundreds of sharp ice spikes erupted from the ground, filling the air as they hurtled toward the small man.

The other three elder dwarves, sensing the danger, immediately moved to protect Yngvi. They positioned themselves in front of him, swinging their hammers with precision and agility. Their attacks shattered the incoming spikes, preventing any from reaching their chief.

"Yngvi!" - Henry called out, his voice cutting through the chaos - "We need to throw her off balance!" - Without waiting for a reply, he activated the Sunfire Steps, throwing himself to the creature, like an arrow.

Enraged by these persistent ants, the Matriarch roared with fury. She raised her massive arms and slammed them into the ground with earth-shaking force. The impact sent a wave of ice surging outward, threatening to freeze everything in its path. Henry reacted swiftly, leaping and twisting midair and slashing through the freezing wave with Caelum's purple fire. He cut through it with ease, like a sword splitting the whole sea with a single slash. On the ground, Yngvi swung Skybreaker, the hammer's power shielding him and the other dwarves from the deadly ice. Together, they managed to hold their ground against the Matriarch's assault.