After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

"...I really hope that people in China can use these things too."

Sirencino sighed.

After poking the hard surface of the magic screen with her finger, she gestured towards the distant blizzard:

"But then again... the demon's abilities do seem a bit strange... even when there's not a single cloud in a certain area, it can still mimic a blizzard... and the snow fog that obscures visibility seems to have appeared out of thin air..."

I have a feeling that the demon's abilities are indeed a bit too powerful... After all, logically speaking, if a demon can really defy the laws of physics and create "coldness," wouldn't that mean that if we capture this Ice Calamity alive, the factory's crucial "cooling" problem could be solved?

"...Let's put aside the question of whether our current emperor wants to capture the Ice Calamity alive or just kill him...Kino, do you really think this demon can solve the factory's heat dissipation problem?"

"Of course! The biggest problem we found after visiting the factory in Isgard was [heat dissipation], wasn't it? We had to use a lot of ventilation equipment there to ensure that the temperature inside the factory was suitable for normal human work. With the Ice Calamity, some buildings that can provide a lot of production capacity but don't have any ventilation equipment in their design can also come in handy..."

"I think this is just your wild idea... After all, how are we supposed to control that kind of monster? It's much more practical to just keep researching new technologies... Huh? Is it... moving?"

The sirens chattered amongst themselves, and it was then that they noticed signs of activity in the distant blizzard.

It seemed to be taking a cautious, small step forward. But that small step was enough.

The Ice Calamity seemed to have been forced into the trap by some external force. This rendered the [luring target] that Kino and the others had painstakingly set up useless, and also made them hold their breath.

If it takes just three more steps forward, it will be in the pre-set position of the already deployed joint missiles... If it takes another ten steps forward, the Titanogrey will have ample time to launch a pursuit after it gets up...

But for some reason, the Calamity of Ice, like a middle-aged man who realizes there's an icicle stuck in the door of his toilet, stopped just before stepping into the trap.

The blizzard remained fixed in its original position, forcing the combined missiles, which had been poised to launch, to retreat back to their original positions. The Listeners, who were preparing to control the Titan Golems in battle, were like balloons that had been inflated and then suddenly burst, and could only sit back in their original positions, listless and anxious, waiting for the Ice Calamity to continue its activities.

So, what exactly is the Ice Calamity afraid of?

The people of the United Nations looked at each other in bewilderment.

As for the stagnant Ice Calamity, the most important reason why it dares not move forward is naturally related to the Titan demon's [instinct].

As a race specializing in combat, demons have more or less relied on instinct to fight.

Through instinct, they can easily dodge attacks that would otherwise be impossible to avoid. Similarly, through their instinctive danger reflexes, they also have a high probability of avoiding paths that would otherwise be dangerous...

Take the present as an example.

Although the Ice Calamity couldn't understand why it felt so dangerous from the seemingly safe forest floor in front of it.

But one thing is certain: he had absolutely no need to risk going forward.

Just as the Ice Calamity, under the pressure of the crisis, decided to "choose a new path forward," a telepathic connection from his own kind forced him to remain there.

...

Through telepathic communication, the Ice Calamity likely knew just how dangerous the situation in the Demon Realm was.

A group of corrupted demons, resembling their own kind, are constantly destroying the environment within the Demon Realm.

The Demon Realm, which was originally a place where all demons or demon-like races could live in harmony, has now become a honeycomb briquette full of holes—a terrifying being known by its own kind as the Roman Demon is wreaking havoc on the environment of the Demon Realm for its own selfish desires.

In a situation incomprehensible to the Ice Calamity, the Roman demons, in their sole purpose of annihilating their opponent, actually committed an act akin to destroying their own Great Wall.

"...They fought each other...and even turned on their own people to destroy each other..."

This is the first time I've ever discovered toxins within a demon's body... I never imagined that the sole purpose of a demon evolving to possess toxin-containing flesh was to poison demons that consume the flesh of their own kind...

Not only that, they even tried to attack the Mother Nest and the Heart... I roughly know they want to take over the entire Demon Realm, but if they could unite as one, I would give them the whole Demon Realm... What are they?

What you can't steal, you destroy on the spot... Even the closest allies will fight each other if they set their sights on the same thing, and may even develop into mortal enemies over trivial matters...

That's terrifying. That's absolutely terrifying.

My last kind... come quickly.

I need you... otherwise, that devil Roman will destroy us all.

The pleas of his own kind forced the Ice Calamity to proceed as planned.

He never imagined that the Demon Realm here would be in such dire straits—and, to the point of fratricide? What was going on?

There have been instances of demons fighting each other. But whether it's simply for training or for competing for food, primal demons don't kill their own kind; at most, they injure them and stop when they're done.

So... what did you say to me, my fellow clansman?

We demons have evolved poisonous flesh.

Was it all to poison our own kind?

What kind of hellish joke is this?

If the Ice Calamity had a mouth that could speak, it would probably be laughing its head off.

But it was definitely not a joyful laugh; it was an extremely bitter and desperate laugh.

This was unprecedented in demonic history. Their own kind had actually found a truly terrifying bomb for the demons...

Never mind.

Forget it.

As long as I can hold out until I reach that Demon Realm... then everything will be alright.

Now is not the time to let instinct take over. Instead, let the urgency of your own kind guide you...

I have to take that step.

"...roar..."

The Ice Calamity has taken that small step that had previously stalled.

He then took another big step forward.

He stepped into the valley of the monster forest, at the very moment the permafrost domain expanded outwards.

The Ice Calamity detected the presence of some [meat chunks].

Those were human-shaped chunks of flesh—were they soldiers lying in ambush here?

The Ice Calamity controlled a blizzard to create hailstones, which were then hurled at the location of the flesh. But just when the Ice Calamity thought the enemy blocking its path was nothing special, an unexpected event occurred.

First, a blinding light appeared in the distance, followed by a surging wave of magic.

Before the Ice Calamity could react, a club-like object, trailing a trajectory composed of numerous enchanted arrays, hurtled towards him at high speed.

Ice Calamity instinctively judged that this might be a new type of weapon that humans had developed—but he also knew that with his size, there was absolutely no way he could dodge such a high-speed attack.

Instead of trying to dodge, he decided to try to withstand the attack with his own resources—just as the Ice Calamity was preparing for the missile attack, the tremors surging from underground distracted him.

"roar?!"

Along with the missiles that rained down from the sky, they appeared before the Ice Calamity.

It was a huge human figure wielding a stick, rising from the ground.

This terrifying behemoth, composed entirely of stone and earth, was even larger than some smaller Titan demons. The club it wielded was so crude that, in the Ice Calamity's understanding, it was not a weapon that humans would use.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that humans are completely incapable of using such a weapon—just as the Ice Calamity was stunned by this, the missile struck his domain.

There was no intense pressure from the Bayer Zans war machines firing as expected, nor was there an overwhelming magical attack from an elven mage casting a spell.

Ice Calamity felt as if a huge hole had suddenly appeared in his domain, like a punctured balloon. When he came to his senses, he was shocked to find...

His own permafrost domain had turned into a terrifying mass of flesh and blood.

The literal meaning.

The blizzard turned into chunks of meat falling with the wind.

The hail turned into fragile bones.

Even the cold air turned into foul-smelling pus the moment the missile hit.

"roar?!"

This is how the same thing?

The missile that pierced the permafrost was ricocheting repeatedly upon impact with the ground. Each ricochet turned the frozen soil into flesh and blood. It didn't seem like something that would explode, but in some ways, it was more dangerous than anything that could...

What is going on here?

Do the humans and elves on this continent use this strange magic?

The Ice Calamity watched helplessly as the missile launched in front of it, then looked up as it soared into the sky, finally exploding into a cloud of blood—even the smoke from the explosion itself was transformed into flesh and blood.

What is going on here?

It pulled its feet from the frozen earth, now covered in flesh and blood, and a heavy, pungent smell of blood filled its nostrils. It could sense that the flesh and blood here were far more nutritious than the forest itself.

But it couldn't understand how the humans here did it.

Even demons can't turn ordinary soil into flesh and blood in such a short time. How did they manage to do it?!

Fear of the unknown forced the demon to take a step back. But before he could reach safety, a light appeared again in the distance, telling him something.

It was all too late.

......

"The first missile successfully penetrated the Ice Calamity's domain... but posed no threat to its main body. The second missile, after adjusting its firing parameters, is now firing towards its main body, but we cannot guarantee that this missile will also hit its target!"

“I understand. Let the Titan Golem advance in sync. If we can’t weaken the Ice Calamity’s actual combat power with missiles, at least we can get the Golem close enough... ideally, close enough that it can no longer use its [Domain] to hinder our advance.”

As the second missile, trailing a magical contrail, flew towards the blizzard area where the Ice Calamity was located, Yang Hao issued orders to his army through the magic network while also exchanging solemn glances with his wives.

Undoubtedly, the Ice Calamity's previous stagnation and sudden actions revealed a side of the demons that was previously unknown... but their fundamental purpose cannot be forgotten—their most important objective for this trip was to kill the Ice Calamity directly, rather than capture it alive.

However, this makes it crucial to determine whether the second missile can directly hit the Ice Calamity's body...

If the missiles could hit the Ice Calamity's body and inflict some physical damage on this powerful demon, then Titan Golem's actions would be much easier.

But conversely, if the missile just misses by like the previous one... then it doesn't really matter.

...Placing all hopes on a single bet is not Yang Hao's usual practice—but now, he has to admit that this is all he can hope for.

Watching the Titan Golem move slowly on the magical screen, and seeing the second missile streak its tail as it crashed into the frozen domain of the Ice Calamity, Yang Hao's heart also jumped into his throat.

The missile hit its target, causing a violent explosion around the Ice Calamity—but the explosion did not cause direct damage to the Ice Calamity, nor did the Sirens' flesh magic seem to have seriously injured it.

From the perspective of the flying golem, Yang Hao only saw the ice on Ice Calamity turn into a pile of minced meat and then be casually thrown away... In other words, as long as there is no direct contact, the Sirens' flesh magic cannot spread?

Yang Hao fell into deep thought. And just as Ice Calamity was attacked, Titan Golem finally broke into Ice Calamity's domain and rushed to its front at top speed.

It raised its club and slammed it down on the Ice Calamity, which was lying prostrate on the ground. Just then, Finn spoke up: "Too fast."

"The speed is too fast... Titan Golems can easily fall to the ground due to their weight and speed... But on the other hand, if it hits this time, Ice Calamity will lose most of its life even if its head doesn't explode."