Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Green Frost Maiden

The girl transformed by Zhuang Xiaoyuan was a charming figure, reminiscent of a French porcelain doll. Draped in a green cloak raincoat adorned with rabbit ears, she carried a white rabbit plush in her left hand. She was the Frost Maiden, Yuki, the fourth in the Tree of Life sequence in the world of Date A Live—known as the Hermit.

"Ugh... it hurts so much. So many people have died. Please, no more pain, let no one else die..." Crying, Zhuang Xiaoyuan rose from the ground. A faint chill emanated from her, mingling with the ambient air to create a mist; within this spreading fog, the rain-soaked earth began to freeze and crystallize.

"Ah-ow!" Noticing that a strange girl had appeared where the person she had struck earlier had been, the earth-boring demon let out a menacing roar, its path undeterred as it rushed southward—clearly under someone's command.

"We can't let you go that way. Arise, Frost Puppet." As Zhuang Xiaoyuan's resolve to fight awakened, her original personality began to reassert itself, displacing the sorrowful influence of Yuki. Her tears ceased, though the torrential rain overhead showed no sign of letting up—in fact, it grew heavier.

Now in a petite form, she stretched her small right hand from beneath the green cloak and struck the ground, calling out the name of her ice angel, Frost Puppet.

A giant puppet rabbit burst from the earth, appearing before Zhuang Xiaoyuan. She wiped the tears from her face with her right hand, then leaped onto the back of the Frost Puppet, plunging both hands into the control slots on its back.

"Ha~" As her hands entered the slots, the Frost Puppet seemed to awaken. Its eyes glowed a vivid red, and icy mist billowed from its mouth. An even fiercer chill radiated from both Zhuang Xiaoyuan and the puppet, freezing not only the ground but even the towering buildings in pure white crystals.

Even the warriors of the vanguard, watching from afar and powerless to intervene, found themselves forced to quickly retreat from Zhuang Xiaoyuan's cold aura. Though they wished to help her, they could not even stand against the earth-boring demon, and now the chill unintentionally unleashed by Zhuang Xiaoyuan made it impossible to approach, forcing them ever further back.

"You can't advance any further. Ice Lance!" Controlling the Frost Puppet, Zhuang Xiaoyuan pursued the earth-boring demon. Under her command, the dense rain suddenly converged, forming sharp ice spears that shot straight at the demon.

With a series of crisp impacts, the ice lances struck the demon's tough carapace, causing little harm; yet the shattered ice began to spread across its back.

Transformed into Yuki, Zhuang Xiaoyuan's attacks now carried a unique chilling power. Even when not directly damaging, the cold would cling to the enemy, inflicting freezing, slowing, and stiffness. However, against the earth-boring demon, these effects were minimal.

"It seems the effect is faint. Let's try this." Zhuang Xiaoyuan commanded the Frost Puppet to leap, using the walls of the nearby buildings to gain momentum and accelerating instantly, soaring above the demon's back. The puppet opened its maw, lined with sharp teeth, toward the demon below: "Frost Roar!"

A blue beam erupted from the puppet’s mouth, striking the demon’s back. Where the beam touched, thick ice rapidly spread, enveloping the demon within seconds and halting its charge southward, sending it sprawling to the ground.

Landing nearby, Zhuang Xiaoyuan perched atop the Frost Puppet did not smile at her victory. Instead, her expression was grave as she conjured another ice spear, aiming it at the demon's head.

Just as the spear was about to strike, the ice encasing the demon suddenly shattered. Its slender tail lashed out, deflecting the ice spear intended for its head.

With a furious howl, the earth-boring demon broke free and lunged toward Zhuang Xiaoyuan—though its speed was noticeably reduced.

"Frost Puppet," she murmured, frowning. There was never any luck in this battle. Having tried several methods without fully halting the demon, now only one move remained. Everything would have to be left to fate—or perhaps, to the guardians.

Gently calling to her angel beneath her, Zhuang Xiaoyuan steeled herself and directed the Frost Puppet to charge the demon: "Once more, Frost Roar!"

Blue light gathered again in the puppet’s mouth, and at the instant the Frost Puppet and the demon collided, it unleashed the beam. This time, the ice spread even faster, thanks to the direct contact.

Yet this freeze could not contain the demon for long. Though it halted the demon temporarily, it could not stop its momentum. With considerable impact, the half-frozen demon crashed into the Frost Puppet, nearly flinging Zhuang Xiaoyuan off its back.

Fortunately, she had prepared; before she could be thrown, she tightly hugged the puppet, her hands gripping the control slots securely. Thus, carrying Zhuang Xiaoyuan on its back, the Frost Puppet staggered back several steps, while the demon’s half-frozen body pressed tightly against it—now in close quarters.

"I suppose this is as far as I can go. The rest is up to you. Wen Hui, hurry back. Absolute Zero Storm." The cold swirling around her began to spin, mist swirling, rain spinning above. All moisture and chill, under her command, whirled rapidly around her.

As the rotation intensified, vapor, mist, rain, chill, and shards of ice converged, forming a colossal frozen storm around Zhuang Xiaoyuan. The storm soared skyward, bursting into the city, isolating the humans outside from the demon within. Zhuang Xiaoyuan and the earth-boring demon were sealed together inside the storm of ice.