The soldiers of the Shadow Legion all looked virtually identical, their appearance somewhat resembling that of Japanese ninjas.
Han Shaoqing had equipped each of them with a suit of Nano Vibranium Armor, greatly enhancing both their offensive and defensive capabilities.
The armor also allowed them to withstand extreme cold and heat, fly through the sky, dive beneath the sea, and even fight in outer space. Combined with their dark-energy weapons and black hole grenades, every one of them was terrifyingly powerful.
It could be said that each Shadow Soldier possessed combat power no less than Iron Man's in Avengers: Endgame. In certain aspects, they were even superior.
However, the Shadow Legion had only recently acquired their Nano Vibranium Armor and were still unfamiliar with its capabilities.
That was why Han Shaoqing intended to let them practice against the Fire Giants.
Besides, the Fire Giants weren't exactly innocent victims.
There were only one hundred and eight Shadow Soldiers—not many in number—but they possessed true immortality.
Unless struck by attacks on the level of dimensional gods or demon gods, they could not be permanently destroyed.
And even if they were killed, Han Shaoqing could simply summon them back from the darkness.
Compared to the Shadow Legion and Esdeath, however, the Fire Giants vastly outnumbered them.
Just those that had already climbed onto the surface numbered in the tens of thousands, forming an endless crimson sea.
As for how many still remained beneath the molten lava underground...
No one knew.
Han Shaoqing remained completely calm.
He casually found a comfortable spot to sit down.
Several Shadow Soldiers immediately acted as attendants, serving him tea, pouring drinks, massaging his legs and shoulders.
It was luxury fit for an emperor.
Esdeath, unlike Han Shaoqing, had no interest in relaxing.
She charged straight into battle, flying dozens of miles away to engage the endless waves of Fire Giants.
Yes—flying.
And not with the aid of the Nano Vibranium Armor.
She was flying through her own power.
It was one of the abilities she had gained after obtaining Qingxue.
Esdeath originally came from the northern frontier of her world, a member of the Partas Tribe—a hunting people who specialized in slaying Dangerous Beasts.
As the chief's daughter, she had undergone rigorous training from childhood.
At a very young age, she was already fighting vicious Dangerous Beasts, developing extraordinary combat instincts.
Even when facing weakened prey or enemies attempting to flee, Esdeath never hesitated.
She always delivered the killing blow without mercy.
She was a born hunter.
The only thing she lacked was a normal understanding of emotions.
It wasn't that she lacked feelings.
Rather, the way she expressed them differed greatly from ordinary people.
That was a direct result of her upbringing.
On the northern frontier, the relationship between hunters and Dangerous Beasts was simple:
Eat...
or be eaten.
Esdeath thoroughly enjoyed battles where both sides fought with everything they had.
She was obsessively devoted to becoming stronger.
Because weakness meant becoming prey.
The strong ruled.
The weak were consumed.
That belief had been ingrained into her since childhood.
She viewed love in much the same way.
She had always been the one who made others submit.
Originally, she had wanted to conquer Han Shaoqing through sheer force of personality.
Because deep within her soul, Esdeath possessed an overwhelming sense of self.
That nature was extremely difficult to change.
The only reason she now obediently followed Han Shaoqing was because she genuinely liked him...
...and because the gap in their strength was simply too vast.
Otherwise, Esdeath would undoubtedly have tried to tame Han Shaoqing and make him her partner instead.
Though somewhat unwilling to accept it, Esdeath remained perfectly rational.
She obeyed Han Shaoqing's commands without question and carried them out unconditionally.
In her eyes, the weak had no right to question the strong.
Of course...
That only applied to Han Shaoqing.
As for everyone else—whether they were the Aesir gods of Asgard or the Fire Giants before her—
She regarded none of them as worthy of notice.
Charging through the ranks of the Fire Giants, Esdeath rampaged across the battlefield without restraint.
Her attacks were swift and decisive.
The Fire Giants, who would have been terrifying opponents for ordinary people, couldn't withstand even a single exchange against her.
"Very good."
"Keep coming!"
After cutting down dozens of Fire Giants in succession, Esdeath leapt high into the sky.
She unleashed countless icy spikes that scattered like celestial blossoms, instantly skewering nearly a hundred Fire Giants around her.
Dodging a giant flaming spear, she dived downward and placed her hand directly upon a Fire Giant's head.
Had it been an ordinary person, their hand would have been roasted long before touching the giant's skin.
Esdeath, however, showed not the slightest fear.
"Freeze."
The instant she made contact, an astonishing surge of freezing energy erupted from her palm.
In the blink of an eye, the Fire Giant was sealed inside solid ice.
Since ancient times, fire and ice had always opposed one another.
Whichever was stronger would prevail.
Clearly...
Ordinary Fire Giants were no match for Esdeath.
"You insignificant Midgardian!"
"You dare challenge the Fire Giants?"
"Kill them!"
The Fire Giants roared in fury.
Among the Nine Realms, humanity was regarded as one of the weakest races.
At least, that was how the Fire Giants viewed them.
Humans were an inferior species.
Being defeated by the gods of Asgard was one thing.
That they could accept.
But losing to mere humans?
That was the greatest humiliation imaginable.
"So these are the mighty Fire Giants?"
"They're nothing special."
Esdeath was an incredibly proud woman.
Being looked down upon for no reason did not anger her in the slightest.
During battle, she possessed perfect control over her emotions, maintaining absolute calm at all times.
"Then let me show you my newest technique."
Shing!
Esdeath slowly drew Qingxue.
At that very instant, the surrounding temperature plummeted.
The crimson sky was instantly swallowed by dark storm clouds.
Moments earlier, the oppressive heat had threatened to dehydrate everything in sight.
Now...
Frigid winds howled.
Snow began falling from the heavens.
By her own power alone, Esdeath had changed the climate of Muspelheim.
It was enough to demonstrate just how much stronger she had become.
"Rule the world with military might—Qingxue!"
With Qingxue's Shikai released, an overwhelming wave of freezing energy erupted outward, capable of freezing all creation.
At the same time...
Eight colossal ice dragons materialized.
Their crimson eyes glowed ominously.
After releasing deafening roars in unison, the dragons swept across the battlefield.
Wherever they passed...
Everything froze.
Even the Fire Giants, elemental beings born of intense heat, were utterly powerless to resist.
They froze into countless ice sculptures.
Before long, Muspelheim, once a blazing inferno, had transformed into a boundless frozen wasteland.
The very landscape of the realm had been rewritten.
Anyone arriving now would probably believe they had reached the Arctic.
The indiscriminate attack spared no one.
Not only the earth and the Fire Giants—
Even the Shadow Soldiers battling alongside them were frozen solid.
Only Han Shaoqing remained completely unaffected, leisurely eating and drinking as though nothing unusual had happened.
As for the Shadow Soldiers...
There was no need to worry.
They were undead.
Even after being frozen, they could simply use their shadow-like phasing ability to pass through the ice and emerge again.
It would merely take a little time.
"You damned fools!"
"You cannot stop Ragnarök!"
"I shall wield my blade and destroy Asgard!"
Within the endless frozen landscape, a blazing sword burst upward from beneath the earth, shattering the ice.
Immediately afterward, immense flames erupted.
BOOM!
Like a volcanic eruption, a colossal pillar of fire shot into the heavens.
Then...
The five-meter-tall Fire Giant Surtur emerged from the molten depths of the planet, wielding the Twilight Sword while riding atop a blazing fire dragon.
-------------------------------------
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