It felt as though my heart had frozen solid.
Down below, beneath the city wall, my little sister was in Ymir’s grasp. An awful, helpless sound escaped my throat.
“Aah…”
I broke into a run. The great wolf, Fenrir, blocked my path, forcing me back and preventing my reckless charge. Solana tried to unleash a beam of light at Ymir, but Freyr leapt in from the side and cut it apart.
“Gods…!”
Thor hurled Mjölnir.
In the temple courtyard stood a woman in a black robe.
A grin spread across her lips. And in the next instant, the World Serpent, Jormungandr, appeared.
Its undulating coils intercepted the hammer. Near the main gate, an innumerable horde of monsters was holding Heimdall back with suicidal ferocity. The God of the Horn swung his sword, cleaving giant soldiers in two, but monsters were pouring over the walls and into the temple like a waterfall.
It was like trying to stand alone against a raging flood.
A desperate plea slipped from my lips.
“S-someone…!”
Felix-san, Mia-san, and Safi.
The dwarf Bari-san and Lloyd-san, the Stone Hammer, had also appeared on the castle wall. But they were far away. My companions were going in the opposite direction from me and Lu.
Ymir shouted.
“I’ve got it! My heart…!”
Even though my sister was just a short jump away, Ymir was closer to Lu than anyone else! His giant body, over two meters tall, lifted Lu high into the air with one arm. My head felt like it was going to explode as I watched my sister flail her arms and legs in her priestly robes.
Run, run.
Run past this wolf!
“Haa!”
I dodged the wolf’s claws and slid down the castle wall at the last moment. In that instant, a sharp pain shot through my head. I had been slammed to the ground. I instinctively understood that Fenrir had swung its front leg.
“Rion!”
Freyr’s sword came down upon Solana. Above and to my side, the goddess was slammed into the top of the wall. Fragments of stone rained down around her.
At this rate… we couldn’t even coordinate. Through my pain-blurred vision, I saw light envelop Lu’s body.
Ymir opened his mouth wide. He’s going to devour the skill <Miko>—the Power of Creation itself.
“No…!”
In desperation, I unleashed a gust of wind from the spirit Sylph.
Ymir did not so much as budge. He was like an ancient tree rooted deep in the earth.
But—
Something changed. Ymir suddenly grimaced. Then his expression twisted into something horrifying. Fire blazed within his eyes, and his roar shook the air.
“You!”
I pushed myself up from the ground and stared at Ymir.
Fenrir, who had descended to the ground, also widened his great golden eyes. The giant wolf muttered darkly,
“You rat…”
For a moment, I thought I heard a tiny, chittering laugh. The form of Lu was enveloped in icy mist and began to distort. Then a small creature slipped from Ymir’s hand.
It was—
a rat.
I whispered in disbelief,
“…Rata?”
The rat— Ratbone Rata that had been imprisoned within the temple—let out a dry, crackling laugh.
“Oh Ymir! Oh Great Creator! Ratbone Rata has at last managed to take a little revenge upon you!”
Ymir’s enormous foot came down and crushed the rat. Rata dissolved into light. Ymir inhaled the floating particles of light into his mouth and chewed them with a look of disgust.
『Oniichan!』
I heard Lu’s voice.
It came from the Great Tower of the temple, from the exit opposite Ymir. Lu stood there beside Pauline-sam, smiling at me. We had to be dozens of meters apart, and yet my sister’s voice sounded perfectly clear, as if it were speaking directly inside my head.
『I’m all right.』
“Lu… was that… Rata just now?”
『Yes. Freyja-sama knew there was a power there that might be useful, so I used it.』
Lu smiled. A strangely mature smile, her mouth twitching from both sides.
Something’s off. Lu is afraid of monsters. And she is not the kind of girl to “use” someone else as a substitute.
“What’s wrong?”
Lu kept smiling.
『Oniichan, Gods, Pauline-sama and the others, everyone I care about is safe. No matter how this battle turns out—』
My sister tilted her head.
『It’s all alright now.』
A chill ran down my spine. It wasn’t the kind of fear that froze me instantly like before. It was a fear that gradually drained the warmth.
Lu…
Something seems to have changed. I had always sensed my sister’s anxiety. But I always believed that if I could protect her, if I could protect her to the very end, no matter what, everything would be alright.
But why is my body trembling so much right now?
Ymir let out a roar of rage from his massive body.
――OOOOOOOOOOOOH!
Ymir’s fine robes billowed violently, tearing apart and scattering in the wind. At last, the giant raised his massive, muscle-bound right arm toward Lu.
I ran. I wouldn’t let it happen again.
Something—something felt as though I had realized it too late, but—
“Wake up!”
An explosive inferno born from combining the Wind Spirit, Sylph, and the Fire Spirit, Salamander, erupted forth.
Ymir didn’t even bother raising a barrier. He took the blast head-on with his body.
Using the 『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting 』 and Hunter’s Footwork, I erased my presence and slipped directly in front of him.
Then I awakened my next skill.
| Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Medicine』 has been activated. 【Sigris’ Spear】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅a ranged support. The magical effect is channeled into the spear, delivering it to the target. |
| Skill 『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』has been activated 【Mjolnir】 ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Borrows the legendary war hammer from the God of Thunder. |
I infused the spear with the power of Thor’s hammer. This way, even if Ymir leapt backward, I could still pursue him. Gripping the long shaft with both hands, I swung with all my might and brought a bolt of thunder crashing down upon Ymir’s colossal body.
“Haa!”
The power of two skills combined.
Ymir erected a barrier to block it. The gigantic foot took half a step back.
Solana’s voice rang out.
“Rion!”
| Skill 『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』was used. 【Will of the War God】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅When facing an enemy stronger than oneself, it increases the power one’s blow. |
Even after using the skill, the impact was so strong that it felt like my body would explode. My boots dug into the ground as I braced himself. My bones creaked, and I involuntarily screamed.
But even so, I had to protect Lu. I would feel guilty towards father if I could not do so.
Ymir’s giant arm swung through.
Leaving a footprint on the ground, I slid back three meters. Yet, I didn’t fall. Right behind me was Lu.
“Oniichan.”
Without turning around, I spoke.
“It’s okay. Stay back. I’ll protect you… no matter what it costs.”
Even if I died here, that was fine. The moment I decided I would no longer run from being a Hero, I had already accepted that possibility.
Don’t shake.
Don’t you dare shake now.
I spoke again.
“Here I come—”
I raised the Sword of the Daughter of the Sun.
But just as I was about to bring it down, Ymir moved. A gigantic hand clamped around mine. Golden eyes looked down upon me.
Ymir grinned. It was the smile of someone looking upon a meal he was about to devour—a smile that trembled with genuine delight.
“Rion! Get away from him! You… you’ll die!”
Held back by Freyr, Solana shouted at the top of her lungs. The other gods couldn’t reach me either. Fenrir, the World Serpent, Jormungandr, and the monsters flooding the temple were blocking every path.
I pushed against Ymir’s hand and shouted,
“Wake up!”
In an instant, Ymir leaped backward.
“Huh?”
My mind went blank.
Immediately afterward, I was thrown backward. Where Ymir had been, a spear was stuck in the ground. A long, dark shaft and a forked spearhead. Magical runes, densely inscribed on the shaft, glowed faintly. The spear soon crumbled into pieces.
Behind me, Lu spoke.
“Odin. I’ve made up my mind.”
A raven cawed.
The raven circled above the temple.
“Lu…?”
My sister’s face was a mix of tears and laughter.
“I’m sorry.”
A gigantic claw grabbed Lu’s body.
——I understand.
The voice of a man echoed in my head, a voice I vaguely recognized.
A familiar face flashed through my mind—the face of the antique shop owner. The image was seared into my memory. A giant eagle, with one wing several meters long, was cradling Lu in its lap.
The pure white priest’s hat fell from my sister’s head.
I cried out.
“Odin…?!”
A gigantic eagle snatched Lu into its talons and soared into the sky. Higher and higher it climbed, at an impossibly fast speed. In moments, it had become no more than a tiny speck.
“Lu…!”
Then Heimdall’s voice rang inside my head.
『Go after her, Rion! Together with Solana!』
Ymir stood motionless, staring up at the sky.
『The royal capital was originally a place close to the Realm of the Gods, the heavens themselves! Right now, if you follow that eagle—follow Odin—you can reach the Celestial realm!』
“But if I do that, then what about the ground here…?!”
A great cheer suddenly rose from beyond the walls. Leaping over, Loki and Uru entered the temple.
“This is a hell of a mess!”
“…My apologies. We were too late!”
The gods spoke over one another as they arrived.
Breaking through a ring of giant soldiers, Heimdall finally emerged. He planted himself directly in front of Ymir.
“I can hold him here a while longer. Trust me.”
He smiled despite his face being covered in wounds. Sigris arrived as well, casting yet another massive healing spell over the entire temple—perhaps for the twentieth time or more. Her golden hair streaming behind her, Solana descended nearby.
The battle on the ground was not over.
But above us, a path to the heavens had just opened.
“Solana!”
“Yes!”
I held the goddess’s hand and glared at the sky where the eagle had fled. The sky was bathed in twilight. At the same height as the clouds, there was a single point of rainbow-colored light. Far above, a rainbow formed a ring. Inside the ring, instead of the colors of the sunset, a clear blue sky was visible. It was like a rainbow gate opening in the sky.
I pointed there.
“There it is!”
Towards the rainbow gate opening in the sky, I flew with the goddess.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next
