257
[Fierce Battle]
"It's an honor, Your Highness Byrest, to have heard of my name," Forseti said calmly.
Simultaneously, more layers of ice in the vicinity shattered, revealing hundreds of Frost Giants, imposing and filled with murderous intent.
"Your Highness," among them, General Grimir approached Byrest with a serious expression.
"General Grimir, take your forces and go capture Hela alive," Byrest commanded. "Leave Forseti to me; I will handle him swiftly."
Grimir nodded without a word, swiftly leading a large troop towards Hela's direction, leaving only two teams of Frost Giants with Byrest.
A chill ran through the hearts of all Asgardian warriors.
With twice their number in enemies and facing a second-order divine power, the disparity in strength was daunting.
Moreover, without the Sun Mirror here, the Frost Giants had the environmental advantage.
Forseti knew most of the soldiers behind him were on the verge of freezing, nearly fleeing for their lives.
Fortunately, Byrest was weighed down by guilt and restrained by the Holy Light; otherwise, he might not have the will to fight now.
Byrest had only recently awakened to his second form. As a lesser second-order divine power, Forseti felt he stood a good chance, especially bolstered by the Holy Light and the Lightforged Symbiote.
Aura of Benevolence!
Holy light emanated from Forseti, enveloping the surroundings. The Asgardian warriors felt a surge of warm, healing energy coursing through them.
Empowered by the Holy Light, the Asgardian warriors regained their fighting spirit, no longer casting fearful glances around for escape routes.
The manifestations of Holy Light varied, each possessing unique attributes, yet they shared a common trait: the punishment of evil. The Aura of Benevolence, though not overwhelming, carried the power to mete out justice.
Sensing the Aura of Benevolence, Byrest frowned. He glanced down and noticed wisps of smoke rising from his body, as if the Frost Giant was near flames.
"What's this?" Byrest looked at Forseti's Holy Light, sensing its hostility towards him.
Glancing at the other Frost Giants, he realized they weren't affected as negatively.
This power was targeting him specifically!
Realizing this, Byrest's expression hardened.
"Do you understand why the Holy Light targets you?" Forseti asked.
"Holy Light?" Byrest questioned.
Forseti continued, "The Holy Light targets evil. Any sentient being committing evil faces its retribution."
"Hmph, retribution? Is that all?" Byrest scoffed.
"Of course not," Forseti said.
Before he could finish, Venom surged forth, enveloping Forseti and transforming him into the Lightforged Symbiote Warrior in an instant.
Holy Light Spear!
After the transformation, Forseti's aura shone even brighter, akin to a humanoid light bulb, dazzling in intensity.
Gripping Rivendell's Sword with both hands, Forseti charged forward.
"Attack!"
Rivendell's Sword slashed fiercely, met by Byrest's blade.
Their clash sent both staggering back—Forseti two steps, Byrest one.
Though Byrest held the advantage in strength, his arm steamed white, and the ice armor covering his skin melted slightly, scorched by Rivendell's Holy Light.
While the melted ice armor quickly regenerated, the blow shattered Byrest's earlier contempt, fixing his grim stare on Forseti.
"Attack!"
At the same time, soldiers on both sides engaged, swords clashing and sparks flying.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Asgardian soldiers fought valiantly, each soldier facing multiple enemies.
Forseti glanced sideways, extending his fingers.
Hands of Reckoning!
Three ethereal hands emerged, briefly stunning a Frost Giant, causing it to turn towards Forseti.
Seizing the opportunity, Asgardian warriors struck, beheading one of the Frost Giants.
The other two managed to evade with their comrades' aid, but not without injury.
As Forseti prepared for a fourth strike, Byrest charged with his blade.
"Clang! Clang!"
Their blades clashed repeatedly in rapid succession.
Byrest soon felt the full force of the Holy Light's retribution.
Frost Giants wore ice armor to shield against damage. The stronger the Frost Giant, the more resilient their ice armor.
When Forseti first encountered Laufey, his attacks barely scratched the Frost Giant.
As a second-order divine power, Byrest's ice armor should have been impenetrable to Forseti's current strength. However, under the influence of the Holy Light and the Lightforged Symbiote, this was not the case.
Byrest was notorious for his tyranny. In Laufey's absence, he had intensified his malevolence, accumulating grievous sins that the Holy Light would not forgive. Any strike infused with Holy Light would bypass his defenses.
Thus, in battle, whenever Forseti's Rivendell's Sword struck Byrest, it shattered his defenses. Byrest's defensive advantage proved futile against Holy Light-infused attacks.
While Forseti maintained an offensive edge, Venom provided resilience, while the continuous healing of the Holy Light ensured rapid recovery from injuries.
Consequently, the battle between a second-order divine power and a first-order divine power reached a stalemate.
Battles raged around them, growing increasingly dire for the Asgardian soldiers.
The healing effect of the Aura of Benevolence was insufficient to counterbalance their numerical disadvantage. Within moments, four Asgardian warriors fell.
The Frost Giants suffered four losses as well, three falling to the Hands of Reckoning.
Witnessing their soldiers teetering on the brink of annihilation, Forseti swiftly moved to the center of their formation, filling the gap.
Sword of Justice!
"Attack!"
Byrest swung his blade to block, but staggered backward, momentarily disoriented by the onslaught of the Holy Light Spear.
Seizing the opportunity, Forseti wielded his sword deftly, wielding one in each hand—his right and left hands simultaneously striking in a diagonal direction before him, targeting a dozen Frost Giants.
Radiant Flare!
A dazzling light erupted from his fingers, enhanced by the Lightforged Symbiote Venom, creating an even more blinding effect.