Thor let out a thunderous roar. Raising Mjölnir—the war hammer as tall as a man—he brought it crashing down. The thunder god, clad in rough-spun garments, faced another giant man.
Brushing back his tangled golden hair, Ymir, the primordial giant, caught the hammer with a single hand.
Then he laughed.
“Hahahaha!”
Ymir’s foot shattered the cobblestones like a driven stake. His upper garments had been torn to tatters, revealing his muscles pulsating like mountain ranges.
The colossal figure swung his fist. Thor blocked it with Mjölnir, yet the force drove him backward. Where his feet dug into the ground, scorched marks the width of his stance were left behind.
“…How dull. I should never have created you.”
Those bulging eyes swept slowly over Thor and his companions. He seemed to have already lost interest. His gaze drifted aimlessly, searching for his next meal—adventurers to devour.
Thor rested Mjölnir upon his shoulder.
“Heh! No denying it, you’re strong. Damn strong. But…”
Jangle.
Chains slithered through the air with a metallic hiss. Ymir flicked aside the incoming axe with his left hand. Yet in the same instant, a cyclone of magic burst forth from the blade.
Ymir’s eyes widened. He ran his hand across his left palm. There was no wound but a faint numbness lingered.
A woman’s voice cut sharply into the fray.
“Well now… even by outrageous standards, that thing’s something else.”
With a sharp tug of the chain, Adventurer Mia caught her axe as it came whirling back to her hand. Felix stood nearby, staff raised, ready to unleash magic at a moment’s notice. Uru, the god of the hunting, had taken position atop a building with his bow drawn. His brown eyes scanned the surroundings with unwavering vigilance.
These two gods and two mortals formed the force now standing against Ymir.
The other raven warriors were relaying messages throughout the city, while Safi—the dwarf smith—struggled within the temple to contain the spreading destruction.
Thor cracked his neck with a heavy pop.
“…Humans can be quite formidable, isn’t it? And you, Ymir—you don’t seem nearly as monstrous as you were in the age of myth.”
Ymir said nothing. From the arm his hung carelessly at his side, a bracelet of ice glimmered coldly.
“If you were truly fighting at full strength, you would have split the lake, devoured the city, reduced everything to ash then strolled away without a care.”
The primordial titan had lowered his gaze, but at last he lifted his head.
Uru suddenly raised his voice.
“Damn it—there’s an adventurer nearby!”
Ymir looked down the alleyway. Stone paving shattered beneath his feet as he broke into a run. Smashing through walls and houses alike, he charged straight toward the approaching adventurer—toward what seemed, to him, nothing more than food.
Felix bit back a curse.
“…The warning hasn’t reached the other adventurers in time! It seems some of the townsfolk managed to evacuate, but…!”
Even so, they had no choice but to pursue.
Thor and the others fought while guarding the city, yet Ymir’s mere presence was a threat—one that devoured the very skills of the adventurers. The fundamental conditions of the battlefield favored their enemy.
Leaping into the overcast sky, Thor hurled his hammer, Mjölnir.
“Ymir!”
Mjölnir struck Ymir two blocks away with a thunderous crash. Uru leapt through the air, Mia and Felix held securely in his arms, and they descended upon the battlefield that had already shifted once more.
“…Hmph. To think you would interrupt my meal.”
Five adventurers lay sprawled on the ground. Mia’s face drained of color. Perhaps among them were familiar faces from yesterday’s dungeon expedition.
Ymir lifted a golden glow clenched in his right hand to his mouth—and chewed with unmistakable satisfaction. He had devoured their skills.
“Thor, I find myself agreeing with you.”
“Huh?”
Ymir narrowed his eyes.
“Humans are not without their amusements. Skills were originally fragments of divine power, scattered among the world. Yet when humans bear children, train, and hone those gifts, the flavor changes—ever so slightly. And lately, I have realized something else…”
His gaze shifted to Mia and Felix.
“I prefer rare skills. The ones that still retain a trace of divinity. They make my power grow. But… you two seem as though you would offer a rather pleasing taste as well.”
Fingers like stacked logs pointed toward them.
Terror must have seized their hearts.
Their opponent was the first living being in the world. Even the earliest gods had been born from Ymir’s creation. To consume his creations and return them to his own body might have been only natural for a titan of such magnitude. The gods—and the skills they had scattered across the world—had once been part of his very flesh.
Ymir pressed his right hand against his chest.
“…My heart as well.”
A heavy boom rolled in from the direction of the lake.
Mia and Felix exchanged a firm nod, then glared up at Ymir.
“Rion is fighting.”
“Yes. Leaving everything to a mere boy would do nothing for our pride.”
The youth carrying the horn had become a pillar of resolve for them all.
A grin tugged at Thor’s lips.
“…He’s already a true hero, isn’t he?”
Around the white tower by the lake, a rainbow had somehow wound itself into a spiral—like a staircase of light. Even now, the boy must have been making his way toward the tower.
Freyr, who stood in the way of Freyja’s awakening, was a formidable god—shrouded in mystery and power alike.
But humans inherits and grow. And they did so faster than the gods ever expected.
“Alright—let’s go, you guys!”
Thor charged forward.
Gods, giant, and humans clashed once more, their blows meeting again and again as the battle resumed.
◆◆◆
I ran toward the harbor.
As I passed a squad of warriors, I shouted word of Rata’s assault and urged them to send a messenger to the temple at once. The furious cries of adventurers and the guttural roars of monsters grew louder with every step.
A dreadful thought brushed my mind.
—That this might become like the Eastern Dungeon of the royal capital, where monsters had burst beyond containment and reduced the city to ruin. But when I rounded the corner and reached the harbor, the reality before me far exceeded anything I had imagined.
“…A wall of ice?”
What filled my vision was a towering barricade of frozen crystal. It stood at least two stories high, stretching wide to either side as it shielded the harbor from the lake beyond. When I focused and invoked the blessing of the God of Hunting, countless presences revealed themselves on the far side of the barrier—monsters, packed densely together.
If that was the case… then this was no mere wall.
It was an icy fortress.
“…Incredible.”
Thanks to the Golden Flame, the scenery streamed past me in a blur.
A narrow opening had been left in the ice rampart—just wide enough for a bridge to cross. Beyond it lay the heart of the battlefield.
The coin at my chest trembled, and Solana’s voice rang out.
『The wall… it’s Loki’s magic.』
“Loki’s…?”
『Yes.』
The sheer magnitude of divine power made my throat tighten.
I sprinted up the base of the bridge.
Above, streaks of blue light rained down in relentless volleys of magic. Sigris was there as well, leading fighters into the fray. Then I spotted a familiar adventurer swinging a stone hammer.
“Rion!”
“Ah—Lloyd-san!”
It was Lloyd of the Stone Hammer—the very man who had delved into the hidden area with us.
“Just now… Nils—!”
That was all I needed to hear. I drove my legs harder, racing across the bridge. Kelpies surged toward me, and blue-winged sirens swooped low—but Sigris struck them down from the sky before they could reach me.
“Giiiii!”
A massive sahagin, easily over two meters tall, lunged into my path. I slipped past the swing of its club. I had never seen a monster like it before.
“I wish I could fly… it would make this so much easier.”
『With this many monsters, even the sky wouldn’t be safe. You have no way to conceal yourself.』
She was right. Even if Solana carried me, there were flying creatures out there. All it would do is exhaust her strength.
In any case… I am almost there.
The tower loomed ahead. It’s enormous. Its white outer walls were now wrapped in shifting bands of rainbow light. The closer I drew, the harder it became to tilt my head high enough to see the top.
Fifty meters… no, perhaps even a hundred.
I had never seen a structure this tall. Judging its true scale was impossible. It pierced the overcast sky like a colossal pillar holding the heavens aloft. A seven-colored rainbow spiraled around it, winding upward like a vast celestial staircase.
『…It’s reminiscent of the Rainbow Bridge, Bifrost.』
“B-Bifrost…?”
“It’s the bridge that connects the heavens to the mortal world. When the ground is overrun by monsters, Odin and the others would drop it to protect the realm of the gods.”
I climbed the rainbow slope. No monsters dared follow. A protective barrier along the shimmering path repelled any attack. From dozens of meters above, I looked back over the city.
“Incredible….”
The lake and the city were divided by the icy wall. Openings were rare—only at bridges and canal exits. Perhaps it was designed that way to concentrate attacks in predictable locations, making defense easier. My father had said something similar once.
Far in the city’s heart, heat waves and lightning churned violently.
“The power of the gods….”
Those words escaped my mouth, barely audible, as I stood overwhelmed.
Even those fragile syllables seemed to falter. Solana caught me before I stumbled.
『The gods are regaining their strength. The Horn of Awakening, Gjallarhorn, was sounded only yesterday. Any weariness from your journey is nullified. And above all, it’s daytime now.』
“I see…”
The Blessing of the Sun, Sunlight of Awakening, revealed itself. Through gaps in the thick clouds, warm sunlight pierced the gloom in fleeting beams.
Thanks to the ability to prolong the lifting of divine seals, the gods could now maintain their full power far longer than before.
『Even so, Loki has pushed things far too recklessly…. He’s overused his magic.』
Within the coin, Solana’s expression seemed grave.
『It looks as though he’s pouring in even the magic necessary for his own existence. Thor too. He must be giving everything to protect the city.』
In the distance, blue light flickered again. Inspired by Sigris, the adventurers pressed back the monsters once more.
『The valkyrie, a battle maiden, is a god who leads humans in war. This is her true form.』
I remembered the dungeon where Sigris had been.
The Northern Dungeon of the royal capital. Dark halls, called the Chapel of Shadows, had been infested with skeletons, wraiths, and other undead. Yet the key was the humans—the sheer number of people present had allowed the gods to act through them.
Those warriors, led by the battle maiden, were known as Einherjar. Now, Sigris seemed to command the adventurers with every ounce of effort, as if settling a past regret.
『Awakening, huh…』
I climbed higher along the seven-colored path. The city below had shrunk to a toy-like size; people looked no bigger than the tips of my fingers.
『.…Still, there are so many mysteries surrounding Freyr. Why is it that, despite being the same god, Freyr remains unaffected by the seals? He could come and go from Odis Temple, where the orbs are kept without any issue….』
At last, I reached the end of the rainbow.
A pristine white wall stood before me, its doorway yawning wide. Carved into the arch above were intricate patterns, ornate enough to rival any masterpiece.
“Solana.”
『Yeah』
Scattering golden light, the goddess leapt from the coin and into the open air.
From here, we would enter the tower together. It was better if we faced whatever awaited inside as a pair.
Solana’s expression was stern.
I clenched both my hands tightly, then forced a smile. Even the goddess allowed a faint softening of her expression.
Her golden hair fluttered in the wind.
“I understand. You and I—we are running together, just the two of us.”
Solana pressed a hand to her chest.
“Do not worry, then. Even if the other gods are distant, I will protect the faithful as a goddess.”
“T-then….”
I stretched up slightly, meeting the gaze of the floating goddess.
“I’ve grown stronger too, I’ll protect you, goddess.”
“Eh?”
Solana’s eyes widened. The golden light that surrounded her seemed to shimmer, and perhaps—just for a moment—her cheeks colored faintly. It was the kind of expression you might call “wide-eyed”, but somehow it confused me. It was a look I had never seen before.
Then, abruptly, Solana turned her face to the side.
“I see…”
Did I say something strange?
I had only meant that, like Lu pushing me forward before, I wanted to be of help to a goddess too. But no matter how I tried to meet her gaze, she wouldn’t quite look at me.
“I-It’s nothing.”
“But—”
“I said I’m fine! Y-you sometimes…. you make me uneasy.”
She kept her face turned away as she spoke.
There was no way it was truly “nothing”. I could tell, just from the faint narrowing of her eyes.
“I-I… don’t understand it myself…”
The goddess shook her head vigorously, and at last faced me again.
“I’m sorry, I let my heart falter.”
And then, once more, Solana smiled at me.
“You are admirable. Let us move forward.”
“Yes!”
We stepped forward side by side, entering the tower where Freyr awaited.
The interior was magnificent, almost cathedral-like. Magical stone lamps cast a pale, steady glow across the deepest chamber.
A figure stood there.
Freyr turned to face us.
“Hoh~, so you’ve come.”
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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