A cold, murderous gleam lingered in the Wolf God's pupils. Pain seared through his body like knives carving into flesh, yet he forced himself to endure it. His frame trembled, his breath ragged, but he refused to extinguish the flames and ice still devouring him.
He didn't dare.
Zenkichi's gaze was locked on him with sharpness. The Wolf God understood perfectly: the instant he attempted to suppress the torment raging over his body, Zenkichi would seize the opening and strike without mercy.
Another blow like that would cost him more than just strength. It might very well kill him.
"What… what should I do?"
His mind raced frantically, searching for answers. He could not move, could not extinguish the frost and fire that ate away at his flesh. These were not ordinary flames or common ice—they were extraordinary powers, far beyond the natural world. Ordinary methods could not hope to remove them, and his own mastery offered him no solution.
Desperation gnawed at him. His body, already battered, seemed ready to collapse entirely.
"I'll help you."
The voice cut into his despair like an unexpected reprieve.
From the side, two figures appeared. He recognized them instantly—Laufey, the so-called King of Soldiers, and Loki, the trickster god himself.
The two moved in unison, and in a single moment, the devouring powers vanished from the Wolf God's body. The flames and ice dissolved, compressing into two streams of pure energy. The essences flowed toward Loki and Lafitte, absorbed directly into their hearts.
The Wolf God's pupils shrank.
He finally understood why they could remove what he himself could not. His eyes caught the glint of a cube in Loki's hand, its surface glowing with unfathomable power.
The Cosmic Cube.
"No wonder," he muttered, stunned. With such an artifact, it all made sense.
But his moment of revelation ended quickly. His gaze shifted back to Zenkichi, and his tone hardened, fierce and unyielding.
"It seems one of us must die today."
"That one," Zenkichi replied coolly, "is you."
His words carried no hesitation, only certainty. Each syllable cut like a blade. For though the Wolf God had been freed of the frost and fire, the damage remained. His body was ravaged, skin blackened and blistered by burns, flesh cracked with deep frostbite. The proud aura he once radiated was gone, replaced by the stench of decay and weakness. He stood like a figure at twilight—his prime extinguished, death looming over him.
The Wolf God clenched his fists, rage flickering in his voice as he spoke again. "This earth is special. I did not wish to cause unnecessary harm to it, so I held back a portion of my true strength." His expression twisted, pain mixing with grim determination. "But now… now you will see the full extent of my power!"
The ground rumbled faintly beneath his words, as though the planet itself trembled at the weight of his vow.
And yet, Zenkichi stood unmoved, his presence as steady and merciless as the sun burning above.