When Skadi realised that his ice armour was shattered, he struck the ground in anger. The floor of the arena trembled again, and spikes of ice flew towards Simo. But Simo was not still. Even in the storm, he continued to move silently, strategically planning his every step.
"How far can you go, mortal, fighting so illegally?" shouted Skadi. His eyes scanned the arena for Simo's whereabouts.
Simo was like an invisible ghost in the white mist. He muttered as he dodged Skadi's attacks:
"I'm not running. I'm waiting. Every hunter waits patiently."
---
Simo's rifle went off again. This time a chunk of ice broke off Skadi's knee. It wasn't just physical damage; it limited Skadi's mobility.
"Can a god be injured?" said Simo in a mocking tone. "So you can bleed, too."
Skadi's pride was hurt. He threw his spear before kneeling to the ground, the ice spear travelling at great speed towards Simo. But Simo, with a hunter's intuition, anticipated the attack. He threw himself to the side, and the spear stuck in an iceberg.
---
Skadi stood up, wounded. "Mortals like you always make the same mistake. You think you can defeat a god. But we are immortal!"
Simo was silent for a moment, then replied with a slight bow of his head:
"You may be immortal. But only the living know how to fight. Survival instinct does not belong to you."
Simo raised his rifle again, but this time he didn't aim directly at Skadi. The bullet from his rifle struck the huge icicle behind Skadi. Pieces of the icicle fell on Skadi, rendering him immobile for a moment.
This was the moment Simo had been waiting for. He silently stepped in front of the enemy, pointed his rifle right at Skadi's heart and spoke in a cold voice:
"To be a hunter is to wait for the right moment. And when that moment comes, one shot is enough."
His rifle exploded and the ice armour on Skadi's chest broke completely. The victory of a man over a god echoed throughout the arena.
---
Skadi fell to the ground, but before he died, a slight smile appeared on his face. "Humans are truly terrible creatures. You can even hunt a god out of fear."
Simo lowered his rifle and walked silently towards Brunhilde. "This war is not for you," he said in a calm voice. "I fight to survive. I always have."
The applause echoing in the arena
proved once again the power of humanity and the little
mini.
---