Author: Yume Neiji

The raven, messenger of Odin, flew high above the battlefield.

Below, the temple was surrounded by a black tide. The creatures swarming toward it were individual monsters, yet they pressed together so densely and surged forward with such ferocity that they looked like a single, enormous wave.

At the beginning of the battle, a thousand defenders had been stationed on each of the temple’s four sides, forming layer upon layer of defensive lines. Now, only a few thin ranks remained before the walls.

Against the monsters’ mounting momentum, those defenses were little more than a sheet of paper. Indeed, in many places, the enemy had already reached the walls. The fiercest assaults were in the south and the east.

In the east, Ymir—who had been battling Heimdall—had forced the god back and was advancing toward the walls.

In the south, the World Serpent, Jormungandr, had rammed itself into the fortifications. The path carved out by the great serpent had become a road for the monsters. Thor had clearly fought desperately to stop them; even now, the ground was scarred with blackened craters that still smoked.

——I’ve seen this sight before.

A strangely familiar scene unfolded beneath the raven’s eyes.

The raven heard the voice of its master, Odin. It tilted its wings and flew further.

With the lines broken in two directions, the monsters now had the upper hand in the remaining northern and western directions. Sigris, Loki, and Uru were desperately trying to prevent the front lines from collapsing.

——The balance has been broken.

Odin declared.

There were several reasons for this.

First, the disparity in troop numbers. Tens of thousands of monsters had appeared on the hills from the rift in the sky and from the dungeons in the east, west, north, and south of the capital. Furthermore, Ymir’s roar had doubled their power all at once.

The enemy’s strategy had been a good one. Perhaps it was instinct rather than planning, but great numbers of monsters had focused their attacks on the gods.

It was the gods who had borne the responsibility of holding back the true threats—the monsters capable of collapsing an entire front in a single stroke, such as Ymir and the World Serpent, Jormungandr.

And the humans, already fighting at the very limits of their endurance, had been unable to shield the gods from the monsters’ interference.

As a result, the collapse of the battle began with the gods being pushed back. Ymir and Jormungandr were set free. The mighty monsters shattered the walls, and the delicate balance of the battlefield was broken.

―—However…

The Chief God’s thoughts came to a halt.

―—The monsters, too, were at the end of their strength.

Around the city walls, the ground was beginning to turn white. Ash. The monsters that had exhausted every last ounce of their power were vanishing one after another into white ash. Those whose strength had been wrung dry by Ymir died within moments. Not even a magic stone remained behind.

And still, the voices of humanity had not fallen silent.

―Everyone, to the walls!

―Hold the monsters back!

―Endure it until the gods return!

The offensive led by Ymir would not last much longer.

After the wolfbone Hati and the others had been driven back, Ymir’s side had realized they were at a disadvantage. Their sudden, all-out assault was proof that they could not afford a prolonged battle.

They had gambled everything on a swift, decisive strike—breaking into the temple and seizing Luisia. If they could reclaim the Power of Creation, Ymir would become even stronger. He might even gain the power to devour the entire range of hills.

At Odin’s command, the raven flew toward the Temple of Odis. The Chief God had sensed the surge of power rising from underground.

——The skill, 『 Miko 』, is awakening.

While Ymir and his forces assaulted the walls, Odin had been attacking something else entirely. Luisia’s heart.

——I can only hope she reaches the correct conclusion before this battle is decided.

At that very moment, the hammer Mjölnir crashed down upon the head of the World Serpent, Jormungandr, which now lay motionless. The great serpent let out a final scream and vanished.

Meanwhile, Ymir, the wolfbone Fenrir, and Freyr had already breached the city walls. The smaller monsters that had used the serpent’s body as a bridge were electrocuted and tumbled into the moat.

But Fenrir shattered another section of the wall, creating a makeshift path. And through it, the monsters continued to pour into the fortress without end.

——I’m waiting, ‘Power of Creation’!

While monsters and humans were at war, only the chief god’s plan was progressing smoothly.

◆◆◆

Ymir kicked up the castle wall.

The cries of monsters filled the rolling hills as far as the eye could see. It was more of a scream than a cry of joy. Yet, the monsters, following Ymir’s orders, were drawing their magical powers to the limit and charging onto the castle wall.

Ymir turned his head and suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia. The hills were stained red. The shadows of monsters covered the ground, and beyond the haze, he could see the city of humans. He was sure it was the place called the ‘Royal Capital’. The center where the royal castle now stood was the center of humanity and gods even in the age of myths.

What was different now was that there used to be a bridge to the heavens—the Rainbow Bridge Bifrost. Now there was nothing there, only the castle spire piercing the sky. Even so, Odin must still be in the heavens with the Norns, the goddesses who deliver messages.

“I’ve returned to the same place.” That was what Ymir thought.

A thousand years had passed, and yet they were repeating the same thing all over again. Bathed in a crimson glow, the interior of the temple was stained red.

“Let’s go.”

The Primordial Titan took a step forward. He would bring an end to the world that should have ended long ago.

Overwhelmed by the hunger that consumed every corner of his thoughts, Ymir licked his lips.

“Freyr!”

Ymir roared.

The blond man came to his side, cutting down an adventurer who stood in his way.

“Hold this place. I’m going below.”

Freyr nodded. Unlike the monsters, he had not been driven into a frenzy. Though, dwelling within a human body, he had lost many of his divine abilities, such as the power to fly.

Keeping his sword at the ready, Freyr spoke,

“We don’t have much time.”

The gods would soon come flooding back to the temple. In the sky, Ymir could already see Thor and Heimdall approaching, having driven back the monsters they had been fighting.

“Then I’d better hurry.”

Ymir snorted.

He could smell it. Within that exceptionally tall tower—the Great Tower—lingered the icy scent of the seal…and the presence of his own heart.

Then a sharp voice called out to him.

“Ymir!”

The boy wielding the horn—Rion—was shouting from the city wall. Together with the Daughter of the Sun, he glared at him.

“Kuhahaha!”

Ymir swung his arm.

The forehead of the wolfbone Fenrir slammed into the boy. Rion was hurled into the opposite wall. A long howl rang out. The great wolf, together with its pack, moved to intercept the boy and the goddess.

“Now then…”

Descending the castle walls, he headed towards the Great Tower.

He passed by the cathedral, filled with screams, trampled over the flowerbeds, and stood at the entrance to the Great Tower. With a single swing of his right arm, he shattered the rune-marked defensive wall, tearing the warrior group that stood in his way into rags. He devoured their skills as if they were an appetizer.

“A Swordsman, huh? Not good, a miss.”

Licking his lips, Ymir descended the stairs.

“Ymir!”

Solana’s cry echoed emptily.

Ymir descended to the basement. He turned his head left and right.

(Footsteps)

There was only one person, clearly frightened and anxious. It seemed they had sensed he had entered and were heading for another exit.

Ymir knew that buildings like this usually had two exits. His breath was visible. Here lay the source of the sealed cold air—the ‘Frost Orb’. I felt an especially strong cold in my left hand. The handcuffs on that girl, Luisia, gleamed as if resisting.

“How troublesome.”

Flames wrapped around both of his arms. The power had originally belonged to the Flamebone Surtr. Having devoured an identical orb back in Flocia, he had also gained a resistance to sealing.

“Later… I’ll devour the orb here as well.”

Wiping his mouth with one massive hand, Ymir pressed onward. The sound of suppressed breathing and hurried footsteps reached his ears. His prey was fleeing in terror.

A sadistic pleasure unlike anything he had ever known filled the giant with satisfaction. After making his way halfway around the corridor, Ymir came to a stop. A room with the musty scent of age lay before him.

“…Books?”

Apparently, it was a library.

Humans were incomprehensible. The idea of preserving something through words was beyond Ymir, a being who knew only how to devour. Through a gap in the bookshelves, he caught sight of a pair of feet clad in temple robes.

Ymir walked straight toward them. With a sweep of his arm, he smashed one bookshelf after another. Shattered wood and burning pages dissolved into particles of mana, which Ymir greedily consumed.

A page fluttered briefly into view before he stepped on it. Its illustration depicted the Chief God Odis raising his staff, sealing away the monsters, and celebrating his victory. Ymir continued onward.

At the back of the room was a staircase. The girl, breathless from fear and exertion, must have stumbled.

The distance between them had closed. The narrow spiral staircase was so tight that, if he stretched out his hand, he could almost reach her.

Ymir did just that. His fingers brushed the edge of her robes, but the girl fled upward.

He followed.

Then they emerged outside, bathed in red light—

where the girl stood surrounded by a pack of wolves and giant soldiers.

“Lu!”

It was directly beneath the section of wall where Rion was fighting. The Sun Goddess noticed him as well, but it was already too late.

Ymir’s enormous hand shot forward and seized the girl by the chest, lifting her into the air.

“Return it.”

Ymir’s eyes burned with hunger.

“The Power of Creation… and my heart.”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com

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The basement of the Great Tower of the Temple of Odis.

Pauline stood in the room where the Frost Orb was enshrined. Luisia was beside her. The orb, about two meters in diameter, emitted a white light from its centrally recessed base. Frost covered the orb, and their breath was visible in the cold air.

Luisia shivered.

“Something’s coming.”

A monster’s roar echoed even underground.

Pauline knew it was the roar of Ymir, the primordial titan. The wrath of the creator, terrifying all living things. Pauline held her hand over the orb and infused it with magic.

The light and cold intensified, and Pauline pulled her cloak closer.

“Are you alright, Luisia?”

Rion’s little sister clasped her hands together as though in prayer.

She nodded over and over, her small body trembling.

“…Oniichan…”

The faint whisper tightened Pauline’s chest.

Outside, thousands of adventurers and the knights defending the royal capital were fighting for their lives. Among them was Luisia’s brother, Rion.

Pauline had commanded dungeon expeditions many times before. But those had only ever been on the scale of a single party. To bear the weight of thousands of lives—to shoulder the fate of the entire world—was a pressure so immense that it made her want to faint.

Even now, people whose names she did not know were falling in battle to protect the temple. And on top of that, Luisia carried an even greater fear. She’s only twelve years old, a girl who had lost her father at a young age. To now face the possibility of losing her brother as well…

There could be no words for such anguish.

――OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

A tremendous roar shook the air.

Once again, the voices of Ymir and the others echoed through the walls. And this time, they were closer.

The light of the sacred orb flared as though crying out in alarm. Heavy, earth-shaking footsteps reverberated from every direction. Pauline could vividly imagine it—the monsters surging toward the temple.

What had become of the adventurers on the ground?

Had they all fallen, their bodies piled high outside, with the monsters now marching over their corpses?

Fear was all that came to her mind. She tightened her grip on her staff and endured.

If I tremble here, then what kind of Commander am I?

Luisia clutched the sleeve of Pauline’s ceremonial robe tightly.

Forcing herself, Pauline returned a smile.

“It will be all right. The gods are—”

The ground suddenly shook.

The orb’s light flickered wildly, and both of them lost their balance and fell.

Dust rained down from the ceiling. Bricks tumbled from the walls and clattered across the floor. From the upper levels came a chain of shouts and screams. Then the door to the room burst open, and one of her aides rushed inside.

“The city walls have been breached!”

Pauline nodded quietly, summoning all her self-control.

“Is that so? Please give me an accurate report.”

“Yes! They haven’t entered the temple yet. However, the monsters have grown unusually powerful. There are also reports that Ymir has breached the front lines…”

The monsters’ voices drowned out her hearing.

Pauline shook her head.

“They’ve entered. However, this is the source of the sealing chill. If the gods and the main force are safe, we have a chance of winning if we can hold out.”

The group members nodded and returned to the surface.

Luisia’s voice trembled.

“Then…!”

Hugging her knees, her eyes wide with pity.

“Where’s my brother…?”

Luisia clutched the front of her dress tightly. A green light slowly filled her eyes.

“It’s my fault.” She never spoke the words aloud, yet Pauline could see them forming on the girl’s lips.

“I have to become stronger, after all…”

Luisia repeated the words to herself.

A green radiance gathered in her chest, illuminating the entire room.

“I have to…!”

Then a voice echoed within Pauline’s mind.

It was the voice of the Goddess of Fertility, Freyja.

—Luisia.

The tone was calm, as though she had already resigned herself to what was about to happen… and accepted it. Even now, an immense reserve of mana slumbered within Luisia. Because the divine power that Goddess Freyja had once carried away from the heavens still remained inside her.

The problem was that Luisia had never learned to wield it. The control of mana was like a floodgate. Within Luisia lay a vast spring, but the amount of water she could release at any one time had always been limited by the narrowness of that gate.

But what if that gate were suddenly thrown wide open?

Then the skill <Miko> would become exactly what its name implied. Luisia would no longer be any different from the gods themselves.

“…Luisia!”

Pauline called her name sharply.

The girl’s sky-blue eyes were steadily turning green. She’s drawing upon the gods’ power in such overwhelming quantities that, for the first time, Pauline was no longer certain that Luisia would ever return to normal.

A dreadful thought flashed through her mind.

Had the Chief God, Odin, been waiting for this all along?

Waiting for a girl with the power of creation to learn the terror of monsters… to grow stronger and stronger… and, in the end, arrive at the same conclusion he had.

Still on her knees, Luisia’s lips trembled.

“My big brother has always been the one protecting me… so…”

Tears welled in her eyes.

“I don’t want anything terrible to happen to him anymore!”

Then Luisia cried out.

“I don’t care about heroes or the horn…! If my brother dies, then none of it means anything…!”

Tears, illuminated by a green light, slid down Luisia’s cheeks. The light intensified, and Pauline was thrown back. The frost on the floor shattered, swirling into the air like a blizzard.

Coughing, Pauline stood up.

“Lu…Luisia?”

The girl, enveloped in green light, lowered her chin slightly in response to Pauline’s question.

Pauline gasped. Her eyes were wide open, yet there was no tension in her mouth or cheeks. Her green eyes turned towards Pauline.

“…Luisia?”

Even when Pauline repeated the question, Luisia showed no reaction. The noise outside was still palpable. Voices of monsters and people rained down from the ceiling. Without even moving an eyebrow, Luisia slowly raised her hand to the surrounding walls.

The girl extended a finger and pointed to the wall in front of her.

“Over there…”

Luisia turned her green eyes toward Pauline.

“I think there’s… something there that I can use.”

She was pointing toward the eastern side of the underground chambers.

To where the monster—the ratbone, Rata—was being held.

“It looks like the enemy has finally played all of its cards. If we can endure this, then we still have a chance to win. And even if we can’t…”

Luisia left the rest unsaid.

Then she smiled.

“Shall we go?”

It was a smile that made the muscles in her cheeks tremble. In that expression, she looked strikingly like Freyja. And to Pauline, it was both reassuring… and terrifying.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com

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I ran east with the goddess. It was early morning, and we were heading towards the sun, yet the light was the color of a sunset. The whole world seemed to have gone mad; it was terribly eerie.

Fenrir the Great Wolf fled, bathed in a bright red light.

“Solana, let’s drive him away and join Heimdall’s battle!”

“Yes!”

The ranks of adventurers stretched for more than ten layers to the front lines. I dashed through them using the speed of ‘Golden Flame’.

I reached the front lines.

A thunderous roar, like lightning, grew louder as I advanced.

Heimdall and Ymir were clashing swords and fists. The aftershocks of their power tore up the surrounding earth, and skeletons that carelessly approached were blown to pieces.

“Heimdall!”

I raised my voice.

His face covered in wounds, Heimdall grinned.

“So, you’ve come!”

“Yeah!”

Ymir’s colossal fist slammed into the ground. I ducked low and slipped beneath the spray of earth and stone that erupted into the air.

“Gah!”

A kobold that rushed at me was cut down with my short sword. The monsters from the Eastern Dungeon weren’t even a challenge anymore!

The eastern front, filled with veteran adventurers, was already pushing the monsters back in several places.

Solana spoke in a low voice.

“Before we join the fight, be on your guard. Ymir is not an enemy to underestimate.”

“I know. Loki said so too—that the enemy might have some kind of scheme—”

Then it happened.

The air trembled with a sharp, violent shudder. A chill crawled through my entire body.

“W-What…?”

A wall of sound crashed into us. Ymir was roaring at the heavens. Instinctively, I bent low. If I hadn’t, the sheer pressure of it felt as though it would have blown me away.

Solana stepped in front of me and wrapped her arms around me protectively.

“This is… some kind of magic is flowing!”

The cries of monsters grew louder from all directions. An adventurer’s voice reached my ears.

―W-what is this?!

―The monsters I defeated are…

A cry of panic, almost a shriek. Even without using the blessing of the God of Hunting to detect it, I immediately knew something was wrong.

The monsters that had been defeated and are turning to ash rose one after another, resuming the battle. An adventurer was grabbed by a goblin with only one arm, and was swallowed by the wave of monsters, screaming.

―H-help—!

He desperately tried to suppress his fear. Goblins, kobolds, orcs, fire-beasted kobolds, water-horse kolbies, and giant soldiers. Type and size didn’t matter. Anything that had even a small piece of body left is being resurrected.

“Gu, ga…!”

I looked back over my shoulder.

The kobold I had cut down moments ago was standing again. It had switched the dagger to its left hand—probably because its right arm had turned to ash. Staggering unsteadily, it lurched toward us.

“…I-it came back to life?”

“No. I believe it is something else entirely.”

A sharp gleam flashed in Solana’s golden eyes.

“This… is not resurrection. It is something far more dreadful.”

The kobold charged.

“G… GRAAAAH!”

It sounded less like a battle cry and more like a scream of agony.

I have to put it out of its misery—

The thought flashed through my mind, and I swung with all my strength, slicing through its torso. This time, it was a killing blow. The body split cleanly in two and dissolved into pure white ash. Then I noticed something even stranger.

The kobold had dropped nothing. Not even a drop item—no, not even a magic stone, which monsters always left behind.

“Solana… what does this mean?”

“When monsters die, they leave behind a magic stone. Even in death, they retain a small amount of mana. But judging by what we are seeing…”

Her expression darkened.

“Ymir has ordered them to squeeze out even that last remnant of power.”

I was about to ask, For what?

But the answer was obvious.

“The magic stones…! Monsters always retain enough mana to form one, even after death…!”

A magic stone—the thing every monster inevitably left behind after dying. In a sense, it was the very core of their existence. And even that final reserve of mana… Ymir was forcing them to give it up.

Solana fixed her gaze upon Ymir, her eyes narrowing.

“He’s inflicting even more suffering upon monsters on the brink of death and forcing them to fight for a few minutes longer!”

The tide of battle was shifting once again. After retreating farther behind Ymir, the wolfbone Fenrir stood perfectly still, watching us.

Then Heimdall turned and shouted:

“Rion, get back to the walls!”

A chill ran through me, as though an icicle had pierced my spine.

That’s right…

The corpse of that monster is still there—

“Hurry! Protect your sister!”

The monsters that had already been slain surged toward Heimdall once more.

The front lines were being swallowed by a great black wave. The battlefield had already been stretched to its limit, and now all the enemies we had fought so hard to defeat were joining the fray again!

“B-But…!”

“Go! Do not mistake what matters most!”

I ran towards the castle walls. The vow to protect them at all costs now feels heavy.

“…I’m counting on you.”

From behind me, the roar of Ymir bringing his fist down echoed.

◆◆◆

For the first time in his life, the God of Hunting, Uru, experienced something utterly unthinkable.

In the middle of battle, he had nearly dropped his bow.

――OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

Ymir’s roar thundered across the battlefield. It was the cry of the Primordial titan—the Creator himself—a voice that made every living thing tremble. Not only humans, but even the monsters ceased fighting for a single instant. Perhaps it was like flinching at the crash of thunder. No living creature could completely deny such instinctive fear.

“—Ah!”

Uru snapped back to his senses. He lowered his gaze, raised his bow, and searched for the one person he had been tracking until moments ago.

There was no sign of him.

His brow furrowed.

“…Freyr, where have you gone?”

He must have concealed his presence to coincide with the roar. The god Freyr now resided within a human body. If he completely sealed away his divine power, he could disappear among ordinary people.

Uru had been on guard for that possibility. Yet Ymir’s roar had stolen his attention for the briefest moment—and Freyr had seized that opening.

“Of all mistakes…!”

At that moment, cries erupted from the ground. Near the city walls, Hati—who should have been dead—had risen once more, leaning upon his staff.

“G… Ga… Grr…!”

Once, he had possessed a towering frame over two meters tall, but his entire left side was already gone. Everything below one knee had turned to ash as well. To say he had stood up would be inaccurate; it was more as if he had merely dragged himself upright. The center of his forehead had caved in deeply, and from his left eye to beneath his jaw, an entire portion of his face was simply… missing.

One half of his face remained, its mouth split grotesquely to the ear. The other was a hollow ruin, with only a solitary eye left behind.

That vacant gaze stared fixedly at the city wall.

“Gah…”

And yet, Hati still used magic. Obeying the command of his Creator, he raised cries of agony and terror and swung his staff.

“Resurrection…!?”

Uru loosed a flurry of arrows.

Even as divine arrows pierced both eyes, his chest, and other vital points, Hati did not cease his spellcasting.

A chill spread through Uru’s chest. It was like looking at a marionette. There was no will left in it, no awareness of pain—only a thing driven onward by fear.

Mia and Felix were still nearby, but neither the chain-axe nor their magic possessed enough power to completely obliterate Hati’s shattered body.

“Gih… Gah… Kaaah!”

The final struggle of a legendary monster.

Ordinarily, Hati would have vanished and left behind an enormous magic stone. Instead, every last ounce of the power that should have formed that stone was being converted into magic. The defenders on the wall had likely believed the sudden assault was already over.

And then it came.

Flames, boulders, and ice rained down in a torrential storm.

Shouts and screams erupted in succession.

The giant ballistae the dwarves had only just reset and the golem cores placed along the battlements were destroyed one after another.

“Ga… ah… ahh…”

After unleashing the last destruction of his existence, Hati finally collapsed.

He did not turn to black ash. He became white ash. His eyes remained wide open, and his twisted tongue protruded from his mouth, a final testament to the agony he had endured.

A hoarse whisper escaped Uru’s throat.

“He… forced them to fight until the very end of their lives… through terror?”

A shiver ran through him.

The relationship between the Primordial titan and the monsters…

It was one of absolute domination and absolute subjugation.

“…This is bad.”

Uru thought to himself, directing his thoughts towards the gods.

“I’m sorry, I’ve lost sight of Freyr. Judging by the atmosphere, a fierce counterattack is coming!”

Uru gritted his teeth. His plan was to lure the enemy into a trap and gain an advantage in battle. However, now that Fenrir and his men had been repelled, the defenses in front of the city walls were weakened. Perhaps the gods themselves had been lured in.

◆◆◆

The man, covered in blood and mud, blended in among the wounded returning to the city walls. Perhaps because he had pushed himself too far, his vision was blurred and his footing unsteady. As he staggered, someone caught him by the shoulder.

“…You look terrible. Here, lean on me.”

The man gave a small nod.

“Ah.”

His body was caked in mud. His blond hair had lost its luster, and the smell of blood clinging to him stung his nose. Though, in truth, almost all of it was someone else’s blood.

Borrowing the other party’s shoulder for support, he walked toward the walls like just another injured soldier. Then, before long, the roar of a monster echoed from the direction of the battlements.

It was Hati, driven mad with terror. Burning through the last remnants of his life, he unleashed a wild barrage of magic upon the walls. The events unfolding exactly as planned, the man narrowed his eyes.

“…Poor thing. Still, thank you for serving as a sacrifice, Hati.”

Not even a magic stone would remain after his death. Even the mana that should have endured as the core of his being—his magic stone—had been converted into spells and hurled away.

The agony must have been unbearable.

Setting one’s own body aflame would probably have been less painful. With a faint smile, Freyr wiped the mud from his face.

“I suppose it’s my turn now.”

His sword flashed once. The adventurer who had been lending him his shoulder collapsed to the ground. Stepping over the corpse, he moved on.

He had already reached the base of the city wall.

Columns of black smoke rose from the battlements, the aftermath of Hati’s magic. Freyr lifted his eyes to the temple’s great tower.

“My sister is in there.”

Concealing himself beneath mud, hiding among the wounded—there was nothing divine or noble about such conduct. Even so, for his sister’s sake, he would endure any humiliation, commit any atrocity.

A smile spread across his mud-stained face.

Then he broke into a run.

“You—you’re Freyr?!”

The shout came from an adventurer who must have known him back in Flocia.

Freyr showed no mercy. He cut the man down without a second thought. And kept running. Uru, high above, spotted him. Arrow after arrow came raining down on him.

But this—this was his greatest opportunity. The arrows he could not deflect buried themselves in his back. Even so, he never slowed. The city wall loomed before him.

Then he began to climb.

Archers. Giant ballistae. The dwarves’ golems.

Freyr cut down what little remained of the wall’s defenses, one after another, praying that someone—anyone—would follow through.

――OOOOOOOOH!

This time, it was the roar of the World Serpent, Jormungandr.

Its colossal body swelled even larger with mana until, for a moment, its head rose higher than the temple’s great tower itself. Though it had been losing its battle against Thor, this monster, too, had likely been forced to squeeze out the very last of its strength.

Standing atop the wall, Freyr drove his sword into the stone battlements. Mana poured into it.

Then he shouted with all his might.

“Here! Come here!”

Mjölnir crashed into the great serpent, drawing a spray of blood. Yet as though it felt no pain at all, Jormungandr hurled its massive body against the city wall. Already weakened by Hati’s magic and by the mana Freyr had poured into it, the wall finally gave in beneath the World Serpent’s charge.

It collapsed.

Using the serpent’s enormous body as a shield, the frenzied horde of monsters surged toward the temple through the breach. Far in the distance, Ymir had broken through Heimdall’s defense, leading countless resurrected monsters in his wake.

Toward the hole torn open by the serpent, Ymir and his army advanced.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com

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