[Ice Barrier]
The Frost Giants caught in the blinding light stumbled into a state of blindness one after another, instantly losing their combat effectiveness as they swayed in panic.
Immediately, Forseti extended his fingers again, unleashing several Hands of Reckoning.
Those Frost Giants not affected by the blinding light were struck by the Hands of Reckoning, halting their advance and turning towards Forseti with fury.
With their numbers limited, Asgardian soldiers roared in anger and charged at Forseti.
The formation of the Frost Giant soldiers was thrown into chaos; most were blinded, allowing the Asgardians to swiftly dispatch many of them.
Seizing the opportunity, the Asgardian soldiers attacked the blinded Frost Giants, quickly eliminating seven or eight enemies.
Combined with those restrained by Forseti, the momentum shifted as casualties mounted on both sides.
Byrest quickly recovered from his daze and led several Frost Giants to surround Forseti.
The pressure on Forseti intensified; he quickly invoked a King's Blessing upon himself. A flash of golden light enveloped him, summoning forth the mighty Holy Light Armor that covered his entire body.
Perhaps due to the Venom, the King's Blessing Armor now appeared sturdier than before, albeit at a greater cost. Forseti felt his mana instantly depleted upon its appearance.
The King's Blessing had a time limit; if the battle dragged on, the situation could turn against him.
"We must end this quickly!" Forseti thought, sweeping his sword as the golden light surged.
Blessed Sword!
The Blessed Sword specialized in direct, powerful strikes, nearly impossible for nearby enemies to dodge.
Though less effective against mobile foes, the King's Blessing bolstered its potency.
The Sword of Blessing swept along a spiraling trajectory, beheading two Frost Giant soldiers instantly, blood spraying.
The remaining three Frost Giants sustained serious injuries.
Byrest dodged hastily but was grazed on the shoulder by the Blessed Sword. The Holy Light flared, unleashing a sudden burst of punishing power that seared through his ice armor, leaving scorched flesh.
Byrest cried out, hastily channeling power to repair his damaged armor.
Capitalizing on his distraction, Forseti closed in, brandishing Rivendell's Sword. Another Holy Light-infused strike followed.
"Attack!"
Byrest parried but was stunned again, swaying under the impact.
Forseti followed with another blinding light, directly aimed at Byrest's eyes, rendering him sightless.
Caught in this double bind of blindness and dizziness, Byrest's combat effectiveness plummeted. Forseti pressed the advantage, forcing Byrest into a panicked retreat.
"Clang, clang!"
With swift parries, Forseti landed a blow on Byrest's abdomen with the Holy Light Sword.
"Ah!" Byrest cried out in anguish as the Blessed Sword pierced through both ice and physical armor, leaving a charred wound oozing blood.
Seeing this, three Frost Giant soldiers rushed in desperately, heedless of their injuries, attacking Forseti.
Focused on defending critical areas, Forseti took several hits in quick succession. Although wounded, the Lightforged Symbiote and Holy Light Beacon healed him instantly, leaving no trace of injury.
The three Frost Giants slashed wildly, but their strikes met no resistance.
Forseti's relentless assault focused on Byrest, relentless as a tempest. Another Sword of Sanction stunned Byrest yet again after a dozen exchanges.
After several more exchanges, Byrest bore multiple bruises and bleeding wounds. His ice armor shattered repeatedly before it could regenerate.
Sword of Justice!
Forseti plunged his sword into the ground, conjuring the Sword of Justice beneath Byrest's feet.
"Boom!" The Holy Light erupted, sending the already staggering Byrest hurtling to the ground.
Forseti charged forward, Rivendell's Sword raised high, aimed at Byrest's face with the force of a mountain split.
At this critical juncture, Byrest's body froze, a thick layer of ice instantly forming, more than ten centimeters thick.
"Boom!"
Forseti's strike failed to penetrate the thick ice armor.
Ice Barrier?
Forseti recalled a signature ability of World of Warcraft mages: Ice Barrier.
The ice thickened to half a meter, encasing Byrest in an impregnable block of ice.
Forseti slashed repeatedly, but the ice remained unyielding. Byrest's defense was formidable.
Changing tactics, Forseti turned to eliminate the remaining Frost Giant soldiers.
Before the King's Blessing expired, the three wounded Frost Giants were no match for Forseti. He dispatched them swiftly with three strikes.
Surveying the battlefield, four Asgardian soldiers and four Frost Giants remained locked in intense combat, stalemated.
With Forseti's intervention, however, the deadlock shattered instantly.
Golden-clad Forseti, Rivendell's Sword sweeping, joined by several Asgardian warriors, swiftly dispatched the remaining Frost Giant soldiers.
Now only Byrest, the lone Frost Giant, remained on the field.
"Commander, what are your orders?" Brunnok panted, striking Byrest's ice with his shield, but barely chipping away the surface.
Forseti pondered briefly, then retrieved a few chunks of Ice Polar Beast meat from his pack.
Sensing this, Venom emerged eagerly, devouring the meat in one gulp, its energy revitalizing Forseti's stamina and mana reserves.
The recent battle had been draining. Though many of Forseti's injuries healed instantly, the toll on his reserves was evident.
With his sacred mana depleted and physical strength exhausted, Forseti needed swift recovery.