Amidst that blizzard, three gargantuan shadows were steadily moving.
“I never thought Mahahogg would choose to stay cooped up in Frozen Hell Castle and refuse to ever come out again.”
A raspy voice echoed from a frost giant with the body of a centaur.
“That Mahahogg has always been a lazy wretch,” another voice replied with a sneer. The speaker was a frost giant in the form of a massive owl, its eyes glittering with cold indifference. “Pathetic as he is, being locked away forever is only fitting.”
The centaur giant grumbled with a dissatisfied expression. “But I don't like it—him choosing to abandon his kin like this.”
That giant was named Centnir.
“Abandon his kin?” The giant owl chuckled darkly. “Hmph… or perhaps… you’ve simply become afraid, because now there are only three of us left, not four as before.”
Its sharp eyes glanced at the other with disdain.
That owl giant was Garhogg.
Those words instantly ignited Centnir’s rage, especially as he sensed another pair of eyes watching from not far away—the figure of a woman with ice wings, moving silently through the storm.
“Shut your mouth, you foul-beaked bird!” Centnir bellowed, his eyes burning with fury. “You’re just a narcissistic fool who thinks he’s superior to everyone else!”
Garhogg let out a low laugh, his voice cold and mocking.
“Oh… in front of Harpnir, you actually dare to shout at me?” He tilted his head slightly, his piercing gaze boring into the other’s weakness. “A coward like you should truly go back to guarding Frozen Hell Castle alongside Mahahogg instead.”
The female frost giant named Harpnir began to grow annoyed with their endless bickering. She halted her movement before turning her head back, her icy gaze sweeping over each of them.
“Now… I’m starting to envy Nifflhogg,” her voice was colder than the winds of Niflheim. She paused for a moment before continuing in a flat tone. “Before this, he killed both of you… over and over again. How truly enviable.”
Nifflhogg was the name of another of their siblings—a frost dragon, and the strongest and most cruel among the eight frost giants born from the creation of the god H?er.
Then, Harpnir’s voice turned fierce as she barked, “The two of you… are truly annoying.”
This simple act by Harpnir caused Centnir’s body to freeze. Fear surged through his spine, beyond his control.
Meanwhile, Garhogg silenced himself immediately. He knew well that among the eight siblings, Harpnir was ranked third… or perhaps fourth in strength. Therefore, she truly possessed the power to kill them.
“Graaa…”
Suddenly, an unnaturally low growl broke through the blizzard.
The three of them stopped dead in their tracks. Harpnir, as the group’s leader, slowly raised her hand slightly—a signal for the other two not to move… and not to make a sound.
Then, a figure gradually emerged from the veil of snow.
It was clearly taller than the three monsters. Even as the blizzard raged, that dark shadow stood towering, its sheer size unmistakable even through the storm.
While everything remained still, only the sound of the storm continued to howl.
But then—
Something beyond her expectations happened.
Garhogg suddenly soared into the sky, letting out a distorted, high-pitched shriek.
“Gizeeee—!”
Anger flared in Harpnir’s chest even more than before. That big-mouthed owl wasn't just making noise—he was going to get them all killed again.
However, Harpnir did not let anger cloud her judgment. She raised her hand and cast a spell instantly.
The air in front of her condensed into ice before forming into numerous sharp stakes, hurtling toward the gargantuan shadow with the speed of a hail of bullets.
But before the ice stakes could reach their target—six grey magic circles appeared simultaneously.
They aligned precisely in front of that figure, rotating slowly and acting as a defensive wall. All the ice stakes slammed into those rings before shattering into shards of frost, as if attacking an impenetrable fortress.
A split second later, a surge of pressure pierced through the magical fortress from the grey magic circles, rushing toward Harpnir with incredible speed.
She had no time to defend herself. Harpnir’s chin was struck squarely by that force.
The impact vibrated through her entire body, snapping her head back. Her whole form was sent flying backward as if weightless.
In the fraction of a second before her consciousness faded—from the corner of her eye, Harpnir still saw the shadow of her attacker.
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That thing was a human. Clad in blue attire, with long hair standing upright like a frozen flame. And it was that small right fist… that had toppled a monster like her in a single blow.
And that—was the last thing Harpnir remembered before everything went dark.
The sound of the blizzard continued to howl, dragging Harpnir back to consciousness. As she glanced to her left, the first image that appeared in her blurred vision was the form of a monster supporting her.
It had six arms, and above those broad shoulders—three heads were looking down at her.
Harpnir recognized it instantly. “A… Ashuran…!” she breathed weakly before frowning slightly. Did you save me?
One of the monster’s three heads grinned. “Oh… you’re awake, Harpnir.”
Ashuran—the six-armed, three-headed monster. One of the siblings born within Frozen Hell Castle just like her, and one of the few Harpnir accepted.
Harpnir’s eyes could barely stay open, but she continued to ask, “Did you kill that human with the flame-like hair already?”
Ashuran let out a low chuckle, the laughter from his three heads overlapping strangely. “Hmph… if one were to kill that guy,” he said slowly, “you’d probably have to go down on your knees and beg Nifflhogg yourself.”
Then, Ashuran raised one of his arms—pointing ahead. Harpnir instinctively followed his gaze.
Amidst the blizzard, a gargantuan form loomed.
A giant monster stood there, his body towering like a mountain of ice. On his shoulder, Garhogg clung tightly—devoid of his usual arrogance. Meanwhile, Centnir crouched at his feet, as if they were long-time acquaintances.
“...Jóson,” Harpnir whispered the name. She recognized him immediately, for Jóson was also one of her eight siblings—and the one with the largest body among them. Thus, the gargantuan shadow they had feared earlier… could have been no one else.
Ashuran chuckled softly again. “I didn't have you look at that stupid giant.” His voice turned serious. One of his six arms rose before pointing slightly lower. “Look closely… at his left palm.”
Harpnir strained her eyes to follow that position. And finally—her gaze caught something. A figure stood there.
The human with hair standing upright like a flame, wearing dark blue clothes. His body stood firmly on Jóson’s palm, as if that place were merely ordinary ground.
Harpnir’s heart skipped a beat for a reason she didn't know.
“That guy… who is he?”
Ashuran chuckled low in his throat before replying, “He is called Xuxin.” He paused for a moment to refine the definition he was about to give: “And he… is Jóson’s master.”
Harpnir instantly fell into thought.
Master… of that stupid giant?
To her, Ashuran was one of the strongest among the eight siblings. The strength of the six-armed, three-headed monster was second only to that cruel frost dragon—Nifflhogg.
As for Jóson…
Despite having the largest body, because of his stupidity, she was confident that with her magic, she could stand above this fool. She placed herself in the third rank among the eight siblings.
After a moment of contemplation, Harpnir spoke of that human, “That guy knocked me down in a single punch.”
Ashuran laughed softly before speaking nonchalantly, “He can knock me down too, though not with just one punch.”
This answer from Ashuran surprised Harpnir greatly. She was silent for another moment before asking further, “Are you also his slave?”
“I don't know…” The ferocious Ashuran now looked like a well-trained, obedient monster.
“What does he want from you and from that fool Jóson?”
“He says he is the Doom Star's Nightmare. Now he wants to go to Asgard because a certain Frost Giant King told him that the god Baldur is the Doom Star,” Ashuran replied with what he knew from traveling with this master and disciple duo.
“To get to Asgard, you have to fly up. You guys don't have wings. No matter what you do, you’ll never get there,” Harpnir, who had been to that heavenly realm before, informed them.
“Hmph. That’s why I brought them back here, hoping to run into you or Garhogg,” Ashuran revealed his intent—that he was now cooperating in the mission to lead Xuxin to Asgard to face the god Baldur.
“A plan like this… that fool Jóson could never have thought of it.”
“Before this, the master and disciple went to many high mountain peaks, hoping to have Jóson extend his arm to send his master to Asgard.”
“Foolish… truly fitting for Jóson,” Harpnir laughed coldly.
“So, will you help? Fly them to Asgard or not?” Ashuran returned to the main purpose of their meeting.
“In Asgard, there are many heavenly warriors. Moreover, each of them possesses formidable skills,” Harpnir spoke of this, but she still refrained from telling the story of how the four of them had just died and returned to be resurrected at Frozen Hell Castle because of the new group of Valkyries in Asgard.
“If it’s about skill, that human… perhaps even Nifflhogg might lose to him.” In his life, Ashuran had known defeat only twice: once to that cruel dragon, and another time to Xuxin.
“True. If they can conquer Nifflhogg, they can force that dragon to take them to Asgard as well.” Harpnir was not a monster with a heart to help others achieve their desires. Her nature was to be intensely envious of others' success.
“What? You’re thinking of taking them to face Nifflhogg?” Ashuran made a disgruntled face, for deep down, even he felt fearful and uneasy at the prospect of facing that evil dragon.
“Ashuran, or do you not want to see Nifflhogg’s defeat for once?” Harpnir had always envied Nifflhogg for being the strongest. If this human, Xuxin, could successfully conquer that evil dragon, it would be immensely satisfying.
“……” Ashuran fell silent to think.
“I will lead you to Nifflhogg and watch the battle that will unfold,” Harpnir proposed the plan she was creating.
“If Nifflhogg wins, we will all be killed by him right there,” Ashuran assessed the event that might occur if the winner wasn't Xuxin as Harpnir hoped.
“We’d just have to be resurrected at Frozen Hell Castle once again. For me, it’s worth the risk,” Harpnir revealed her firm intention.
Ashuran was silent for a while. One of its three heads grinned, while another narrowed its eyes as if imagining something.
“Resurrection…” it murmured slowly, its voice laced with a darkness too deep to fathom. “This thing… if that Nifflhogg could taste it for once, it would be good.”
In Ashuran’s life, only two had ever brought him down, and one of them—had never known the word ‘defeat.’
Just the thought that such a being might be made to fall… was enough to awaken a certain feeling within him. A feeling akin to expectation and hunger.
Harpnir looked at him before offering a slight smile. “That’s more like it…” she said softly. “Only you and I are truly like monster siblings.”
Not because of a bond.
Not because of loyalty.
But because they both possessed hearts that craved chaos equally.
Ashuran chuckled low in his throat. “Fine, I will cooperate with you.” All three of his heads turned to look at Xuxin before continuing, “But how can you refuse not to take them up to Asgard now?”
Harpnir laughed softly, her voice as icy as a winter wind cutting through bone. “It’s easy.” Her gaze shifted to Jóson’s form with disdain. “Just look at that stupid disciple who is so enormous.”
Her ice wings fluttered slightly. “How could I possibly fly him there?” She paused for a moment before revealing a smile laced with cunning. “Or will his master… be willing to abandon this stupid disciple here?”
Those words were not merely a question; they were a test.
Ashuran instantly narrowed all three pairs of eyes. He understood the true meaning.
“You’re going to give the reason that…” he said slowly, “only Nifflhogg can carry Jóson’s body to Asgard, right?”
“I don't spend my days lying like Lokan. That dragon truly can carry that fool Jóson’s body to Asgard,” Harpnir replied, referring to Lokan, who was known as the eldest brother with a nature that loved lying and deceiving most among the eight of them.
She didn't want to help Xuxin deal with the Doom Star.
She wanted the satisfaction of seeing the battle between Xuxin and Nifflhogg.
She wanted to dictate the direction of this chaos.
And above all—she wanted to see something break.