I stepped down from the rainbow bridge, Bifröst, onto the snow-covered plain. The sky was still dark, not yet touched by dawn.
The sun had already risen over the royal capital, but perhaps sunrise came later this far north. Or maybe Ymir’s invasion—the one that had stained the heavens with eternal twilight—was affecting even this distant land.
There was still no sign of the sun here.
A knife-like wind cut across the tundra, slipping through the gaps in my cloak and armor.
“Is everyone here?”
I looked back over my shoulder. A sea of white breath drifted through the air like steam.
“Mm.”
“Right here.”
Voices answered from the crowd.
Nearly a hundred adventurers had joined us as reinforcements for the battle against Ymir. Mia-san shivered, her red hair trembling as she wrapped her arms around herself.
“It’s freezing! This is way worse than winter in the capital!”
Felix-san nodded in agreement.
“If the gods hadn’t strengthened us with their magic, we’d be too cold to fight at all. As expected of an uncharted frozen wilderness.”
Within the Kingdom of Asgard, there were still regions that even adventurers had never successfully explored. The tundra stretching across the far north was one of them. Ymir and the others had abducted Lu and were waiting for us somewhere within this desolate expanse.
I pointed toward a hill in the distance.
“Let’s advance to the top of that ridge. Stay low, just in case.”
The adventurers’ expressions were tense.
Everyone could feel it—the presence of some overwhelmingly powerful monster lurking nearby.
Eventually, we reached the top of the hill. Through the swirling veil of snow, a vast palace slowly emerged from the white haze.
“…The Frost Palace.”
That was what Odin had called Ymir and the others’ stronghold.
At its center stood a massive structure resembling a temple. A grand staircase descended from its entrance all the way to the snowy plain below. At the foot of the stairs, rows of enormous stone pillars stretched straight toward us, as though inviting visitors into the palace.
There were monsters guarding the temple, too. On the right side of the grand staircase stood the gigantic wolf Fenrir. On the left was the enormous serpent, the World Serpent, Jörmungandr. Giant soldiers, orcs, and the flame demon hound Garm stood before them, forming a defensive line.
And yet, something about the scene felt strange.
There was a path open directly through the middle. Not a single monster stood in front of the grand staircase, leaving a clear route straight toward the palace.
“…That’s a hell of a place.”
I agreed with Mia-san’s muttered comment.
Even though the temple in the distance had to be three or four hundred meters away, it was so enormous that it looked far larger than the span of my outstretched hands. The adventurers didn’t say a word, but I could tell they were just as overwhelmed.
Perhaps countless monsters had gathered here once upon a time. Monsters as massive as Surtr, the Flamebone Giant, perhaps.
I called out to everyone.
“Let’s go.”
Keeping an eye out for traps, we descended the hill and moved forward. We passed through a collapsed section of the walls—probably where the old gate had once stood—and entered the area lined with rows of stone pillars.
About a hundred meters from the monsters, I stopped.
I drew a deep breath, filling my lungs with the freezing air.
“Ymir! We’re here!”
I shouted.
Then I raised the Heart of Frost and Flame high, showing it to the assembled monsters.
“This contains the power you’ve been seeking! The heart Ymir has been searching for—the Power of Creation—it’s all right here!”
The army didn’t move. My voice simply faded into the silence.
“If you want it, then fight us for it!”
I tightened my grip around the heart.
“But if you refuse to come out—I’ll destroy this heart!”
We were wounded, but so were our enemies.
That much was clear from both Odin’s assessment through the Water Mirror and my detection with Wild Heart. Fenrir’s magical power had weakened. So had that of the World Serpent, Jörmungandr.
But Ymir had consumed an enormous amount of magical energy in the Celestial Realm—the glowing orb that had been created for the purpose of Creation. She had eaten nearly half of it.
Even for Ymir, it would take time to convert all that energy into her own power. And that meant that, if we gave her enough time, not only would her wounds heal, she would become even stronger.
Time is on Ymir’s side. Which is why I had to play a little game of leverage.
I raised the Heart of Frost and Flame that Lu had left behind for us. It was the very item our enemy had spent a thousand years searching for. I intend to use it to draw them out into a decisive battle.
“You kidnapped Lu and Freyja, and now you’re waiting for your wounds to heal and your power to build back up!”
I held the heart high.
“But if you drag this out, we’ll destroy this heart without hesitation!”
I shouted with all my strength.
“The Power of Creation—you’ll never get your hands on it!”
It was a gamble.
If Ymir no longer cared about the Power of Creation and only wanted to focus on killing the gods, then our entire plan would fall apart. He could simply remain deep inside the palace and wait for us to come to him.
But there is still hope.
If Ymir really wanted to buy time, he could have fled anywhere in the world. Instead, he had stayed here in one place, almost as if he is waiting for us. That meant there is something he wanted us to bring to him.
The air trembled.
A strange premonition, one that seemed to shake my very soul, quickly spread across the entire world.
—OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!
A tremendous war cry rang out from the palace.
Fenrir answered with a howl, while the World Serpent, Jörmungandr, let out a low hiss toward the sky. The army roared as well.
It was a chorus of monsters.
My skin prickled. For the first time, it truly sank in just what we were doing.
We were challenging creatures straight out of mythology—without the gods at our side.
And then there came Ymir’s voice. If anything, he sounded even more powerful than before…
Clang.
Armor rattled behind me.
Someone had started trembling.
I placed a hand on the short sword at my waist and took a deep breath.
I fixed my gaze ahead. And then I noticed a shadow approaching.
“That person….”
Against the dawn sky, golden hair fluttered in the wind.
It was Freyr.
The god of betrayal was still wearing the tattered remains of his clothes. All that was left was a shirt and a pair of leather-reinforced trousers. With his outfit reduced to such simplicity, the hilt of the sword at his waist stood out all the more.
Freyr clapped his hands.
“An excellent speech.”
With a faint smile, he extended one hand and pointed toward the temple.
“Allow me to show you the way.”
I raised an arm, stopping the adventurers who were about to move forward.
“Show us the way?”
“I’ll lead Rion alone to Ymir.”
Freyr’s smile never faltered as he glanced toward Mia-san and the others.
Mia-san gripped her chain axe and snorted.
“Sounds an awful lot like a duel.”
“That is what Ymir desires. He likely doesn’t want either monsters or adventurers interfering when he takes possession of the heart.”
“Even so…”
Mia-san turned around.
The adventurers behind her were staring coldly at Freyr, not a single one lowering their guard.
Felix-san stepped forward.
“Even if you tell us not to interfere, we will. There’s no way we’re going to let Rion fight Ymir alone.”
“Your opponents are the monster army. Once you’ve broken through their ranks, you can go and help Rion.”
A ripple of unease passed through my heart.
I made my decision.
“All right.”
“Rion—”
“It could be a trap, but if they want the heart, then their request itself isn’t particularly suspicious. Besides…”
I remembered the war cry from moments ago.
“Confusing us and buying time could be exactly what they’re trying to accomplish.”
Felix-san’s eyes widened as he realized what I meant.
I slipped the Heart of Frost and Flame back into my pouch and let my cloak billow behind me.
“Let’s go. Lead the way.”
I parted from the others and headed across the snowy plain.
We crossed the stone pavement dusted with a thin layer of snow and approached the monster army.
Fenrir stood to the right of the grand staircase. The World Serpent, Jörmungandr, stood to the left. Low growls rumbled from the monsters gathered around them.
As I began climbing the stairs, both the giant wolf and the enormous serpent lowered their heads deeply. As if responding to them, the heart inside my pouch gave a heavy thump.
Perhaps the army was paying its respects to the heart of their leader.
As I climbed the stairs, I called out to Freyr.
“Freyr. Where is Lu?”
Using the gods’ power, I searched the surrounding area.
There were countless red lights—the monsters—below us. And deep within the temple, there was one presence that was abnormally powerful.
Then I sensed something else.
The faint breathing of a human.
It was weak, and I couldn’t pinpoint its exact location, but it was probably Lu.
“As expected of you.”
Freyr spoke as he continued climbing the stairs.
“If you’d stubbornly refused to come to the temple, I would have had no choice but to use Luisia as leverage.”
“…And now?”
“You can rest easy.”
Freyr was standing about five steps above me.
He stopped there and held out a golden necklace.
“My sister’s divine artifact—the necklace Brísingamen. For now, I’m borrowing its magical power to restrain Luisia.”
Freyr looked far up the grand staircase.
Three pillars as massive as ancient trees stood in a row. Behind the shadow of the pillar on the far right, I thought I could just barely make out a faint green glow.
“To release her, you’ll need this necklace. And when you and the monsters clash, Luisia will need to protect herself from the tremendous backlash of that battle. Having a divine artifact with her should give her some reassurance.”
Freyr slipped the necklace away and drew his sword.
A cold gleam shimmered along the blade.
“Rion, we once managed to avert the end of the world. But do you know what I think is truly cruel?”
I didn’t answer.
I lowered my stance and drew my short sword.
“It’s never ending.”
Freyr continued.
He raised his sword straight toward the sky, and with his face lowered, I couldn’t see his expression.
“Was I right? Or was I wrong about everything? What was different between you and me—between you, and Luisia? I want to settle all of it here. Once and for all.”
He brought his sword up to shoulder height and pointed the tip directly at me.
He was the original wielder of the Swordsman skill. The god from whom countless swordsmen and their skills had descended must have struggled with these questions for an incredibly long time. His unwavering stance and piercing gaze seemed to contain all the doubts he’d carried until now.
“…I’ll deliver the heart to Ymir myself. If you win, take the necklace with you.”
Freyr smiled.
His clothes and body were battered and torn, yet somehow, he looked more at peace than I had ever seen him.
“Become the ending I’ve been searching for.”
Freyr lunged.
I summoned the blessings of the goddess—and of everyone who had entrusted me with their power.
| Skill『Sun’s Divine Protection』was used. 【Golden Flame】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Improves physical ability. Further effect for a limited time. [+] Effect increased by the goddess’s magic. |
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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