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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