When you face a giant, remember that even the smallest pebble can strike with great force.
Unknown:
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"Who are you?" Yuno demanded, her voice cutting through the icy air like a blade.
She stepped forward instinctively, placing herself between the stranger and Amel.
Despite the frost radiating from the woman's form, Yuno felt no true cold, no immediate danger—just the overwhelming otherness of her presence.
Behind her, Amel remained silent, his dark eyes locked onto the figure before them.
His expression was unreadable—a blend of awe and suspicion.
His lips pressed into a thin line as though he were trying to measure the weight of her existence.
The woman's faint smile didn't waver.
Her silver eyes glimmered with an otherworldly light, as if they held the entire fury of a winter storm within them.
The air around them grew sharper, heavy with frost, yet neither Yuno nor Amel felt the chill.
This wasn't cold born of the environment. This was her essence, the very fabric of her being.
"Me?" she said, her voice smooth and distant, carrying the echo of a howling blizzard. "I am Ymir."
"Ymir?" Yuno echoed, her tone flat, laced with disbelief.
Her pink eyes narrowed, the fiery symbols within them glowing faintly as they flicked over the woman.
Before Yuno could press further, Amel's voice broke through the tension like a sudden gust of wind.
"She's lying."
Yuno didn't need to look back or question him.
Amel's instincts had proven sharper than logic more times than she could count.
But instead of outright dismissing the woman, Yuno tilted her head slightly, her arms crossing in a stance that was equal parts defiance and composure.
She let the silence hang heavy in the frosty air, her unwavering gaze bearing down on the stranger.
"Go on," Yuno said finally, her tone measured, deliberate. "Convince me."
The woman—this so-called Ymir—arched a brow.
For the first time, her expression shifted, an almost imperceptible flicker crossing her face.
Was it amusement? Irritation? It was impossible to tell.
"Convince you?" she repeated, her voice softening just enough to hint at offense. "Do I strike you as someone who lies for amusement? My name is Ymir."
"And yet," Yuno replied, her voice calm yet cutting, "you wear it poorly."
The snow woman's confidence wavered for a fleeting moment, confusion flickering across her icy features.
There was something in Yuno's tone—something too sharp, as if she knows her—and that made her hesitate.
Yuno narrowed her pink eyes, the fiery symbols within them glowing faintly, a dangerous gleam dancing in their depths.
But rather than push for an outright confrontation, she allowed a faint smirk to curl her lips, her demeanor turning calculated and predatory.
"We've traveled for months to meet Ymir," she said, her voice deceptively calm but laced with an unspoken threat.
"So you've found her," the snow woman replied, spreading her arms with a flourish that radiated self-assurance.
"And we heard Ymir is a giant," Yuno added, her tone casual yet threaded with steel.
The words hung in the icy air like the edge of a blade, sharp and unavoidable.
The snow woman faltered, her once-confident stance stiffening, as though the frost around her conspired against her.
"That's—"
"You're not him!" Yuno interjected, her voice cold and unyielding, slicing through the tension like a shard of ice.
The silence that followed was thick, the weight of unspoken accusations pressing down on all of them.
"Well," the snow woman said at last, her voice calm yet faintly defensive.
Her silver eyes betrayed a flicker of unease despite her composed expression. "A giant can come in many sizes." She offered a faint, self-assured smile. "Maybe you heard wrong. But I am Ymir."
Yuno tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharpening like the edge of a blade poised to strike.
"Ymir the Frost Giant, huh?" she echoed, her tone now carrying an unmistakable edge. "Funny thing—because I met Ymir once."
The snow woman's smirk faltered, if only for a heartbeat, before she masked it with an air of icy indifference. "Is that so?"
"Yeah," Yuno said, stepping closer, her presence radiating quiet intensity, pressing against the snow woman's as if testing her resolve. "It was a long time ago. Before you were even born."
That struck a nerve.
The snow woman's expression hardened, her silver eyes narrowing dangerously. A crack appeared in her composed façade, her voice now tinged with frost.
"Lady, you need to get your facts straight," she snapped, her tone biting like the winter air. "I've never met you before. So stop lying."
"Oh, I'm lying?" Yuno shot back, her smirk razor-sharp, slicing through the icy tension like a blade.
"Then why don't you tell me—what's your real name? Oh, wait… let me guess. Uzrul Netherheart, perhaps?"
This time, the snow woman faltered completely.
Her silver eyes widened, and her jaw tightened ever so slightly.
The frost that once radiated confidence now seemed fragile, like a brittle mask on the verge of cracking.
The air around her grew eerily still, heavy with an unspoken unease.
"How…" she began, her voice barely a whisper, trembling under the weight of the accusation.
Cracks formed in her once-impenetrable tone. "How do you know that name?"
Yuno's gaze darkened, her smirk fading into a look of icy resolve.
Her voice dropped into a low, deliberate drawl, every word imbued with unshakable certainty. "Because I met your father," she said coldly, her words cutting through the stillness like a blade drawn from its sheath. "The real Ymir."
She now remembers whose magic it was. I guess the bastard still lives.
The snow woman's composure shattered like frost under the first rays of sunlight.
Her silver eyes darted between Yuno and Amel, wide with shock, as though searching for an escape or an explanation.
Instinctively, she took a step back, her bare feet leaving no trace in the snow, as if even the ground beneath her had turned against her.
Before she could muster a reply, a sound erupted—a laugh, deep and thunderous, shaking the very air.
"Gha ha ha ha ha!"
The laugh was primal, deafening, and impossibly loud, as though it came from the heart of the earth itself.
It rolled across the frozen wasteland, reverberating off the ruins and filling the atmosphere with an overwhelming presence.
Then, the ground began to tremble.
Cracks spidered out from beneath their feet, jagged lines splitting the frozen earth like fractures in glass.
The rumbling deepened, a sound ancient and immense, as if the land itself were groaning awake from centuries of slumber.
From the crumbled ruins of the palace, something began to stir.
A colossal figure rose from the depths of the earth, stone and debris cascading from its form like water off a mountain.
Towering above the snow-covered landscape, the giant emerged—a living monument to a forgotten age.
His sheer presence swallowed the light, casting the land below into shadow.
His skin, weathered and cracked with the passage of eons, gleamed with a golden hue, glowing faintly with intricate runes that pulsed in rhythm, like the beat of an ancient and colossal heart.
His belly, which has perfect abs but is still immense, brushed against the clouds, parting them effortlessly as though they were mere mist.
Each movement carried the groan of the earth, his massive limbs shifting with the weight of centuries.
The ruins crumbled further beneath his steps, powerless to withstand his rebirth.
And then came his laughter again, booming and full of life, shaking the snow, the ruins, and the very atmosphere.
It was a sound that carried no malice, only pure, unrestrained vitality—a reminder of his immense and unstoppable power.
"Ah! The little one thinks she knows better than her old father!" the giant bellowed, his voice a thunderous mix of mirth and mockery.
"Lost the argument, did she? Serves her right for underestimating you!" His laughter erupted again, a storm rolling across the heavens, shaking the earth beneath them.
"Father!" the snow woman whined, her icy composure shattering into a childish pout as she glared up at the towering figure.
At the edge of the ruins, Yuno Araba stood tall, her pink hair glowing like embers against the fading light.
The fire symbols in her eyes burned brighter, locking onto the colossal figure with a gaze that held both familiarity and confidence.
A small, knowing smile played on her lips, undisturbed by the chaos swirling around her.
Beside her, Amel shifted uneasily, his grip tightening on his shirt.
His dark eyes flicked between the behemoth and Yuno, disbelief etched into his furrowed brow.
"You called him your friend?" Amel asked, his voice low but tinged with incredulity.
"Yes," Yuno replied with a soft laugh, her tone calm yet resolute.
"An old, stubborn friend." She stepped forward, raising a casual hand in greeting. "Ymir, it's been centuries. You've gotten… larger."
The giant squinted down through the dissipating mist, his booming laughter quieting into a wide, toothy grin.
"Yuno Araba!" His massive hand swept through the lingering clouds, parting them effortlessly as he crouched low.
The motion stirred gusts of wind that rippled through the snow, nearly toppling Amel.
"You haven't aged a day!" Ymir's deep voice carried a note of fondness as his silvery eyes shifted to Amel.
"And who's this little twig of a companion? He looks like he might snap in a stiff breeze!"
Amel stiffened, his jaw clenching as he met the giant's gaze with a glint of defiance.
But he stayed silent, wisely choosing not to provoke a being whose smallest gesture could flatten him.
Yuno chuckled, her laughter light and unbothered, as she rested a reassuring hand on Amel's shoulder.
"This is Amel, my newest companion," she said warmly, though her tone carried an undertone of authority.
"And don't be rude, Ymir. He's my benefactor. And trust me"—her smile widened, a playful gleam in her fiery eyes—"he's much tougher than he looks."
Ymir raised a skeptical eyebrow, leaning closer until his massive face loomed over them. "Is that so?" he rumbled, his grin shifting into one of curiosity.
"Well, little man, if Yuno vouches for you, I'll take her word for it. But you'd better prove her right!"
Amel exhaled slowly through his nose, his gaze steady as he met Ymir's towering presence without flinching.
"I don't need to prove anything," he said firmly, his voice calm but resolute. "But I won't let her down."
Ymir threw back his head and roared with laughter, the sound rolling across the ruins like thunder. "I like this one, Yuno! He's got fire in him. Let's see if it burns bright enough to last!"
Yuno smiled, her fingers tightening gently on Amel's shoulder as if anchoring him to her calm confidence. "Oh, he'll last, Ymir. I'd bet my life on it."
The giant laughed again, the sound gentler this time, like distant thunder rolling across a calm sky.
"We'll see about that. But tell me, Yuno, why have you come to disturb an old man's slumber?
Surely it's not just to scold me for my daughter's poor debate skills."
"Father, you're embarrassing me!" Uzrul snapped, her icy demeanor cracking as frustration seeped into her voice.
Yuno's smile faded slightly, replaced by a grim glint in her fiery eyes. "This isn't just a casual visit, Ymir. We need to talk."
Ymir's jovial expression shifted, his eyes narrowing as he picked up on the weight in her tone.
Without hesitation, he straightened and pushed himself off the crumbled ruins.
His massive form leaped over the remains of the walls and landed with a thunderous crash, shaking the earth beneath them.
Snow exploded into the air, a blinding white cloud rising around them.
"Whoa there!" Amel exclaimed, shielding his face as a fierce gust of wind rushed upward from the impact.
"Father, you're going to cause an avalanche!" Uzrul scolded, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
"Ah, don't worry," Ymir said with a casual wave of his massive hand. "I'll shrink down."
To their astonishment, his colossal form began to shift and compress.
His towering figure shrank, the sheer mass of his body condensing until, within moments, he stood before them as a man of ordinary height.
Now dressed in a tailored three-piece blue suit, his appearance was strikingly human.
His skin was fair with a white complexion, his blue eyes gleamed with an unsettling sharpness, and his brown hair was neatly styled.
The glowing tattoos that once etched his skin were hidden beneath the fabric of his suit, yet the aura around him remained.
It was stiff, unyielding—like the faintest misstep could provoke a deadly response.
"He's much more powerful than that god," Amel murmured, her gaze steady on him.
But he was also stunned. "Wait—you could always do that?"
Ymir grinned, a mischievous twinkle lighting up his now-human features. "Yep."
Amel could only manage a flat, "Okay," still processing the transformation.
Ymir chuckled, turning to Uzrul. "Uzrul, why don't you take our guest and show him around the kingdom?"
"Yes, Father," Uzrul replied, her composure slipping back into place. She motioned to Amel. "Come, little man. I'll show you our kingdom."
Amel hesitated for a moment before starting to follow her. His steps were slow, his gaze flicking back to Yuno. "You knew her from the beginning, didn't you?"
Yuno's eyes softened, and a faint smile tugged at her lips. "Yes," she said, her voice carrying a quiet warmth. "I'm probably her godmother."
"I see," Amel murmured, digesting her words.
He gave a small nod, turned, and followed Uzrul, questions swirling in his mind like a storm.
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