Category: Hazure Skill “Alarm”, jitsuwa fūin kaijo no nōryoku deshita. Ochikobore no shōnen wa, nemuri kara sameta megami-tachi to yasashī saikyō o mezasu

It was the second day after Flocia had been defended.

The temple, though still bearing the damage of the attack, buzzed with activity. Not only the Raven Warrior Corps, but temple staff and adventurers alike carried crates and barrels, helping prepare for our return to the royal capital.

Through the gaps between robed priests and armored adventurers, a pair of green-tied pigtails bounced energetically. It was Safi weaving back and forth. Finally, she puffed out her cheeks and spoke, her face full of exasperation.

“Honestly! We just got to Flocia, and now we’re already heading back!”

She crossed her arms, still pouting, then pointed toward a stonemason along the wall.

“You there! Watch that wall! The tower that collapsed the day before yesterday must have hit the outer beams out there!”

Though her body looked no older than a five- or six-year-old, she made orders like a seasoned adult. The adventurers stared in mild exasperation, while the stonemasons nervously returned to their work.

Safi shook her head with a huff.

“…These buildings are barely patched up. Honestly, if we had just one more day, we could’ve repaired them properly…”

Leaving half-finished work behind seemed to bother her a lot. The stonemasons kept shaking their heads at the child who somehow gave such precise instructions, their confusion growing with every command.

The secrets of the myths, the existence of dwarves and gods—these truths had only reached a few adventurers so far. Yet the craftsmen obeyed without question, perhaps because Safi’s crossed arms and determined glare carried an authority far beyond her size.

I stopped in my tracks, holding my own load, genuinely impressed.

“So… she really is a master, huh…”

In Alvis, she had led the Safi Squad—truly a skilled engineer of remarkable talent. Her dark eyes sparkled as she noticed me, and with a small, awkward hand she scratched her nose.

“Sorry. I know the situation… You’re the one in the biggest hurry, aren’t you? I’ll hurry too.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been spaced out this whole time, haven’t you? Always looking north… don’t trip over your own feet!”

With a quick steps, Safi dashed toward the forge. I followed after her, deciding to help with the cleanup.

Indeed… she might be right.

Perhaps it was the aftermath of the fierce battle. My mind still felt strangely hazy. To have defeated the god Freyr, to have driven Ymir from Flocia—those echoes of the fight still lingered, heavy and vivid in my chest.

Yesterday had been spent re-examining Flocia’s dungeon and checking whether any enemies still lingered in the city. All the while, my body seemed to move on its own, carried by some strange, lingering energy.

Perhaps having fulfilled its purpose, the Lake Tower and the bridge that had thrown the city into chaos had, after the battle, quietly sunk back into the water. The projection of the goddess Freyja that had sustained the dungeon—and Freyr himself—were no longer in the dungeon. In contrast to their dramatic emergence, the tower and bridge had returned to the lakebed with a calm, almost secretive silence.

I loaded the blacksmith tools onto the cart waiting in the courtyard.

There were still things I needed to recall.

By yesterday, I had managed to establish a line of communication with the Odis Temple in the Royal Capital, using the Frost Orb. And there—

“…Lu.”

A quiet voice escaped my lips.

As I was about to head back into the temple, I ran into Mia-san. She’s lifting an object as large as a small child with one hand easily.

“Hey, Safi… are we bringing this back too?”

From the cargo bed of the wagon, the green-haired girl poked her head out.

“Of course. Just make sure it stays separate from the other supplies.”

Mia-san and I exchanged glances, blinking in surprise.

“…That’s a cage, right?”

“Yeah. And it’s got something inside.”

The cage was about the size of a small basket. Inside, a rat is sleeping. It was roughly the size of a palm, its fur gray and soft. Its eyes were tightly shut.

Safi spoke as she secured the blacksmith tools onto the wagon bed.

“I caught it with the blacksmith shop’s rat trap…! It’s weak, but it shows traces of magic. It might even be some kind of monster. I want to study it properly, so it’s in a special cage.”

Mia-san and I both twitched our mouths in disbelief.

So when she said “rat trap” before… she wasn’t joking.

Mia-san brushed back her red hair and set the cage down on the ground.

“Wait… we’re actually bringing this all the way back to the Royal Capital?”

“I hate leaving things unfinished. The healers have cleaned it up, and it’s fully quarantined. Besides… I can’t help being curious about this little rat.”

Safi tilted her head, staring intently at the cage in the wagon bed.

The gold coin trembled, and then Sigris whispered.

『There’s no trace of disease or curse coming from this creature…』

For some reason, Sigris’s voice had grown hesitant.

『I… am a little curious as well. Perhaps it really should be examined.』

In the end, we decided to add an extra wagon and bring it all the way back to the Royal Capital.

It would have been easier by boat, even with the extra cargo, but the return journey would be over land. Since we would be traveling upriver to the capital, a horse-drawn cart would actually get us there faster.

Once preparations had settled, I looked up at the northern sky from the courtyard. That was the direction Freyja’s projection had vanished toward.

Felix-san approached me, his narrow eyes squinting further as he offered a small, amused smile.

“The triumph is at last upon us. It was quite the fierce battle.”

I tilted my head, and Felix-san chuckled softly at my expression.

“They’re both quite interesting—Safi and Mia.”

“…Huh?”

“.…Perhaps I should be straightforward. Even in their own ways, they’re trying to cheer you up.”

Hearing that, I turned back to Safi and Mia-san, still fussing over the little rat.

Felix-san continued, his voice calm but knowing.

“…I understand. You’re concerned about your little sister, aren’t you?”

I froze for a moment, then lowered my head slightly.

“It seems… Lu has fallen asleep.”

Yesterday, I had spoken with Pauline-san using the revived Frost Orb. She told me that a pale green light had also appeared over the Royal Capital. The light had burst in the sky, raining magical power down upon the city.

According to the princess, just as the light faded, Lu’s body had been wrapped in a soft radiance. My little sister had closed her eyes as if to sleep and she had not woken up since.

I clenched my fists tightly, thinking of my skill, Alarm. It felt as though I alone could wake up Lu—using the power I possessed as someone who could awaken anyone, anywhere.

“…I…”

The words faltered. Could I truly protect her?

Such ominous doubts crept in like a draft through a crack whenever my attention wavered.

Preparations were finished. The courtyard gate swung open. As we stepped out with the wagon, a sense of exhilaration swept away the anxiety lingering in my chest.

“We’ve been waiting for you!”

The adventurers of Flocia had come out to greet us. People were even on the second floors and rooftops of buildings.

Up ahead, carrying a massive stone hammer—

“Lloyd-san… Melissa-san…?”

“You said you were heading back.”

The adventurers who had fought alongside us were going to escort us out of the city. Lloyd-san, the one with the hammer, slapped my back with a hand the size of a small shield and broke into a broad smile.

“Thank you for the horn!”

Every adventurer turned toward us, smiling. They all knew—it had been me who sounded the horn from the tower.

Unexpected words of encouragement.

Everyone spoke at once.

“It was Rion who went to the tower!”

“And then we heard the horn from the tower… it felt like you were cheering us on.”

One by one, they thanked me. The adventurers gathered around the Odis Temple, seeing us off as we prepared to leave.

“You’re amazing!”

“You’re chasing that light, right?!”

“Come back again, okay?!”

Wrapped in their voices, we pressed onward.

Even merchants drawn by the commotion, and adventurers in guild uniforms, had joined the crowd.

—Could it really be that this boy conquered that tower!?

—He’s the savior of the city!

—What level could he possibly be?

—I-I have to offer thanks as a guild…!

The adventurers all stepped aside, pushing the crowd back to clear a path for the wagon.

Lloyd-san’s voice rang out.

“We’ll be here, guarding the city for you, hero.”

My chest burned with warmth.

I climbed into the wagon and waved at them.

“Thank you so much!”

Laughter erupted from the adventurers—clearly, they thought it was my line to say. I didn’t fully understand what was happening, but my face and heart felt hot all at once.

From the gold coin, Solana’s voice echoed in my mind.

『Humans truly are remarkable. Your courage has been passed on to them as well.』

The goddess must be smiling.

『I… I am proud of you too.』

Hearing the goddess’s words, my eyes grew a little misty. Perhaps it was because I’d felt a trace of my father in her voice.

The wagon rattled steadily onward. Straight toward the royal capital, where my little sister slept.

“Let’s return to the Capital.”

This time, the words sank firmly into my chest. There was no use in dwelling on fear. The path would never open unless we faced it head-on.

Leaving the city we had protected in the hands of its adventurers, we departed Flocia behind us.

Mia-san repeated it loudly, her voice ringing clear.

“Right! To the Royal Capital!”

Safi, Felix-san, and the rest of the warrior corps joined in, their voices rising together in unison.

“Now, to the Royal Capital!”

As the wind blew through, the driver whipped his horse.

Let’s go home and see my family.

◆◆◆

From the heavens where the gods dwell, Odin gazed down upon the mortal world.

The two ravens he had sent to the earth pierced through the lingering clouds below and, cawing loudly, returned to rest on his shoulders.

Odin squinted one eye as he surveyed the land. Beneath waves of silver hair, his remaining right eye looked profoundly weary.

It was an eye that had watched over the earth for a thousand years, ever since the age of myth.

“…At last, they are assembled.”

Odin murmured to himself.

“The Power of Creation, the magic… and the hero who should carry them to the next stage.”

He continued in a low voice, staring intently at the world below, as if trying desperately to shape something in his mind. Yet for the weary Lord God, there was nothing left to see.

To wield the Power of Creation, one must imagine—to envision what one truly desires. But the Lord God no longer possessed that strength. To form a vision from thought—that was now beyond the reach of Odin’s heart.

“Please… you two siblings. Shape the vision with your own will, in my place.”

At last, Odin closed his remaining eye.In the depths of the god’s mind, a single tree—woven from strands of magic—loomed faintly, hazy yet unmistakable.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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By the time Rion had brought his battle with Freyr to its end, the struggle between Thor and his companions and Ymir still continued.

The storm had already passed. Golden magical power was raining down along with the midday sun. It was the Sun’s blessing—the Golden Flame. The radiance did not strengthen only Mia and Felix, who fought at Thor’s side, but also the gods themselves—Uru and Thor—infusing them with renewed power.

Thor lifted his gaze toward the tower that rose from the lake. Bathed in sunlight, the white tower stood proud and unyielding, as though proclaiming its victory to the world.

The Thunder God’s lips broke into a fearless grin.

“Rion has won huh.”

The tower upon the lake had always contained an immense wellspring of magic. The clash between Rion and Freyr had, in truth, been a battle for dominion over that very power.

And now, the magic of the sun poured down across all of Flocia. The outcome of the final struggle was unmistakable. Solana, who had chosen to stand beside Rion, must have taken the tower’s power upon herself.

Before Thor and the others loomed a colossal figure. Ymir leapt back, putting distance between them, his bored gaze lifting toward the shower of radiant magic cascading from above.

Thor drew Mjölnir back over his shoulder, the great hammer humming with gathering force.

“Then I guess it’s our turn to show them what gods can really do!”

He hurled it. The hammer, wreathed in lightning, crashed against the barrier of magic. Sparks burst outward in a violent spray, and the alleyways trembled beneath the roar.

Ymir—the primordial titan—charged forward without hesitation. The mere force of his movement tore up the cobblestones and shattered the surrounding walls. Crimson-black flames coiled around his hands, shaping themselves into claws that lashed out, carving a fresh gash across Thor’s cheek.

The Thunder God threw back his head and laughed.

“Heh! Looks like you’re finally getting warmed up too!”

Uru loosed his arrow. It twisted and veered through the air with impossible freedom, streaking toward Ymir’s face and joints from shifting angles. A chain axe came whistling in at the same time, while a blast of ice magic surged forth to follow.

Ymir stepped back, widening the distance. His eyes settling with faint curiosity upon the two humans—Mia and Felix. Both had surpassed level thirty. Skilled, certainly—but even so, their nerve was enough to make Thor click his tongue in admiration.

“You stand before me without trembling. For a human you…”

Ymir had only just muttered those words when a voice rang out from the direction of the lake.

―Odin

Thor froze, his hammer raised high. Ymir, too, halted his descending fist. A violent gust tore between god and giant, whipping dust and debris into the air. When the haze of earth and smoke began to settle, both of them turned their eyes toward the lake.

Thor let out a cry.

“Freyja…?”

Beyond the rooftops, in the stretch of sky above the lake, the figure of the goddess Freyja appeared.

Even separated by several city blocks, she towered high enough to command the heavens. It could not be her true form—rather, an immense projection, a vision magnified across the sky. From the radiant image of the goddess Freyja, her voice descended like falling light.

―Stop Odin

The Thunder God muttered under his breath.

“…Stop him?”

From the heavens, a spear came hurtling down. It was Odin’s divine weapon. The projected figure in the sky was pierced clean through. The illusion’s face twisted in pain as the spear tore across it.

Thor drew in a sharp breath. Only Ymir reacted at once—his massive body turning toward the lake.

“I see…. So that’s how it is!”

The titan’s foot struck the ground like a driven stake.

Then he ran. Walls and buildings were smashed aside as though made of paper; fences burst apart beneath his charge. He made straight for the harbor, carving a path of ruin through the city.

Thor bellowed after him.

“After him!”

Thor shot upward into the sky, lightning trailing at his heels, while Uru lifted Mia and Felix in his arms and leapt after him in a single bound.

From above, they saw it clearly: between the harbor and the lake stood a towering wall of ice. No doubt the work of Loki.

Ymir did not slow down. With the full force of his charge, he drove his fist into the frozen barrier. It shattered in a thunderous crash, splintering apart—and through the broken gap, he threw his head back and opened his jaws wide toward Freyja’s phantom in the sky.

Cradled in Uru’s grip, Mia and Felix cried out.

“Is he trying to eat it!?”

“N-No way…. right? Something that enormous?!”

Uru growled low in his throat.

“That’s exactly what he is. The first giant of the world.”

From within Ymir’s gaping maw, a tornado was born. The spiraling vortex tore into Freyja’s apparition, gouging through it. Part of the magic sustaining the illusion twisted violently, ripped free—and was dragged straight into the titan’s mouth.

With a heavy snap, Ymir’s jaws slammed shut. He chewed. A pale, young-grass light leaked between his teeth, flickering from the corners of his lips.

Thor let out a strained groan.

“He ate it!?”

Mjölnir came hurtling back, only to be caught and halted mid-flight by a barrier of magic conjured in an instant before Ymir.

“Exquisite. As expected—the taste of a god is altogether different.”

Thor’s eyes widened.

A crack had split across the ice bracelet that bound Ymir’s right arm.

“Freyja’s magic restored his strength!”

Or perhaps this had been Ymir’s true purpose in coming to the city from the very beginning. Devouring the Frost Orb. Laying waste to the streets. Those acts may have been no more than diversions.

If Freyja were awakened, there would be a chance, even if it’s only for a moment, to feast upon a portion of her immense power. And had Freyr triumphed over Rion then all of Freyja’s magic might have been swallowed whole by the primordial titan.

The ice bracelet fitted around Ymir’s right arm shattered into glittering fragments. He rolled his shoulder slowly, as though testing the limb’s freedom. The shackle fastened by Luisia remained only on his left arm now.

“…Denied my full course, but it doesn’t matter.”

Ymir stepped in toward Thor—and simply threw a punch. Thor raised Mjölnir to block. The impact blasted him far into the distance. He tore through the harbor like a thunderbolt in reverse until at last he crashed into a warehouse wall and embedded there before sliding to a halt.

“Tsk!”

He clicked his tongue. Blood streamed down from his brow. Had the Golden Flame not been raining its blessing upon the gods, the wound would have run far deeper.

Ymir stood with the lake at his back. His massive form cast a long shadow as he surveyed them all—Thor, Mia and the others, and the adventurers who had gathered at the commotion—with a cold, contemptuous gaze.

Even though it was Ymir who was being cornered, it was Thor and his allies who felt the tension tightening around them. Adding to the danger, the harbor was already crowded with adventurers.

“Reinforcements?!”

“We’ve got to help!”

“Everyone! Once you’ve driven off the monsters in your area, come here!”

Thor bellowed, his voice booming like thunder.

“Stay back!”

The command reverberated with the force of a storm. Felix narrowed his eyes and barked his own instructions.

“Approaching recklessly will only increase casualties! Do not get close to this monster!”

People were arriving from deeper within the city as well.

About ten men stumbled out from the alleyways, their movements clumsy, their eyes wide and darting in panic. They seemed less like reinforcements and more like prey fleeing some unseen threat.

Mia brushed her red hair back and arched her brow sharply, sensing the anomaly.

“River bandits.”

The veteran’s instincts spoke clearly. Uru, the god of hunting, let out a sharp whistle.

“Could be. Their panic, the way they move—it’s all suspicious. If they’d merely been chased by a mercenary squad and wandered here by accident, they wouldn’t be aiding Ymir like this.”

Ymir raised his massive right hand toward the sky, clenching the red-black flames that writhed like living things within his grasp.

A grin split his face. Then he swung his arm.

The flames cascaded over the bandits who had charged forward. Screams tore through the air as the men writhed on the ground. The fire seemed almost sentient, crawling, seeking entry through nose and mouth, devouring them alive. The adventurers who had gathered now formed a tense line around Ymir, a fragile cordon bracing against the titan’s power.

Every eye widened, every body froze. The acrid stench of burning hair and gear hung heavily in the air.

“…G-Gah!”

Soon, the bandits’ movements froze unnaturally. The red-black flames had not vanished—but still, the men rose to their feet. Their eyes burned with a wild, unearthly light.

“G-g-g…!”

Foam bubbled from their mouths as they let out sounds that were neither moans nor cries, something between the two. With stiff, awkward motions, they drew swords and axes.

The red-black flames clung to them like hair, twisting their forms into grotesque shapes—humanoid versions of the fire giant, shrunk forcibly to human size.

Ymir toyed with the fire in his palm, a broad grin of satisfaction on his face.

“It’s been a long time. But as I thought, those who bear ill hearts are far easier to twist into monsters.”

Thor froze, realization striking him like lightning.

In the age of myths, the titans had always multiplied their enemies by turning living beings into monsters. Goblins were once fallen little folk. Skeletons and draugr were twisted humans, warped beyond recognition.

Felix’s voice trembled, nearly a scream.

“…He turned them to monsters!?”

Thirteen creatures shrieked in unison. An abnormality unlike any other: humans transformed into monsters under Ymir’s will, now joining the primordial titan. The adventurers were already being swallowed by the chaos.

In the crumbling morale of the city, sheer numbers mattered little. Not even the gods could guarantee they would protect all humans from such an onslaught.

The only exceptions were Mia, standing firm with her chained axe, and Felix, gripping his staff with unyielding determination.

“The boy is doing his best.”

“Yeah. And we’re still seniors, after all!”

Behind Ymir, a green light flickered.

The watery curtain that had projected Freyja’s illusion recoiled all at once into the lake, cascading downward in a deluge. The sheer volume of water created a mist that, for a moment, blanketed the harbor.

Thor tilted his head to the sky.

The green glow—surely Freyja herself had risen into the air, flying northward.

And from above, magic began to rain. Like snow out of season, radiant light fell upon every human, bathing them individually in its brilliance. The ancient goddess’s gift seeped into the bodies of the adventurers.

Mia was the first to notice.

“This….!”

The red-haired adventurer ran her hands over her body, now glowing with the goddess’s magic.

“I’ve leveled up…!”

It seemed that the goddess, possessing immense magic, had left a portion of her power behind as she ascended northward. The amount of energy was probably equal to thousands of monsters. And because it had poured into the mortal world, the same effect that had happened to Alvis was occurring here as well: a side effect of leveling up for the adventurers caught in the moment.

As the mist began to clear, Felix shouted.

“With this, we can—!”

The sound of a horn cut through the air.

As if pushing them onward, Thor, Mia, and the adventurers all turned their gaze toward the Tower of the Lake. The horn’s echo came from there.

Thor let out a low, reverent breath.

“Rion…!”

The horn had not been sounded to awaken the gods. It was meant only to stir the hearts of humans. And yet, the side effect of the level-up, combined with the horn’s call, ignited a fire within the adventurers.

In that instant, the Horn-Blowing Boy became a hero among mortals. Even the god of war stirred. The heat in his chest erupted into a roar that spilled forth like lightning.

“Let’s go, you lot!”

““““Yesss!!””””

The adventurers of Flocia echoed the cry. The very air quivered, and for the first time, their resolve pressed against Ymir itself. Thor led the charge. The adventurers followed, a surge of courage driving them to push the giant from the city toward the lake.

“Hmph!”

Ymir leapt backward of his own accord, a living mountain of power retreating in preparation for the next strike.

“The direction the ‘double’went is north. I know where to my heart—my ‘Power of Creation’ is.”

From the lake, the head of a colossal serpent emerged. Its vertically slit, enormous pupil fixed Thor in a cold, unblinking glare. Ymir mounted the serpent’s head.

Any pursuit from the harbor was halted by his magical barrier.

The giant body hid in the snake’s mouth and leisurely left the port.

“The location has been decided. Now, let’s begin the race.”

◆◆◆

I gazed down at the lake from the now-quiet tower. To the south, the World Serpent Jörmungandr was fleeing across the water. I lifted my lips from the awakening horn, the Gjalhorn. Even I could still feel the lingering pulse of the level-up it had granted.

Level—33.

Even after Freyr had escaped, I had continued to bathe in the magic left behind by Freyja-sama’s projection. And I had heard the voices of those leveling up in response.

As if driven by our cheers, Jörmungandr sank beneath the waves. For a moment, we had been on the back foot. Yet the city, the traps Freyja-sama had left, and that lingering magic… I think we had protected them all.

From below, the sounds of joy still echoed.

“Looks like the sound reached them.”

There was no way I could run down to save the people in time. All I could do was give them courage—through the sound of this horn, which had saved us from countless crises before.

—Don’t give up!

That had been the horn’s call, filled with both encouragement and prayer.

“Rion.”

Solana smiled at me. My chest warmed as if the sun itself had been born inside me. Her gaze was so bright, so dazzling, that I felt a little embarrassed. And yet, she—she was the one who shone like the sun itself, the goddess of light.

“You’re no longer just a fledgling hero. You’ve truly become a hero in your own right.”

From the tower, we looked out across all of Flocia.

—I heard the horn!

—The message was true…

—The Horn-Blowing Hero really exists!

Come to think of it… there had been a message like that back in Alvis. Solana stepped beside me and opened her arms toward the city.

“This city is safe now. They’ve seen the gods up close, been inspired by heroes. The orbs seem to have been restored. Next time monsters come, they won’t fall so easily. Humans learn. Humans grow.”

I drew in a deep breath. My eyes met hers and I felt certain that our resolve was the same.

“Let’s go home, Solana. The next battle will surely be in the Royal Capital.”

It would be a struggle over Lu.

The Power of Creation, Freyja-sama, the goddess who holds the key to myth, and the enemy’s position is now clear. All of it was within the circle of my most cherished family.

The now strong Lu had protected me here in Flocia.

Then it was my turn. Just as my little sister had grown stronger, I too had surely changed.The storm has stopped, the monsters have left, and the spring sunshine is shining down on Flocia. It’s as if the sun is blessing us with its victory.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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I was looking down at the scene from the tower —no, I was looking up. The storm clouds had been pushed aside, and the lake below shone under the bright midday sun.

Bathed in that light, Freyja-sama’s enormous projected form rose from the water.

Enormous. Truly, impossibly enormous.

Only her upper body—above the chest—emerged from the lake. According to Solana, her magic was projecting the rest. Indeed, if I focused carefully, I could make out Freyja-sama standing on the lake itself. That was her true body, and the massive figure stretching across the air was a mirage.

But still—

“This… she’s so huge!”

I’m sure my eyes must have been wide as saucers.

Freyja-sama faced the city, revealing a beautiful profile. Her cascading golden hair tumbled like a waterfall and her shoulder was shrouded in mist. If Freyja-sama were to embrace the city with both arms, she might be able to reach the western and eastern ends of the harbor. The mirage beneath her shoulders gradually blurred and vanished near the lake’s surface.

Before I knew it, the city’s clamor had grown faint. The Golden Flame had rained down, yet I couldn’t believe the fighting was completely over. Still, the adventurers of the city were all captivated by the goddess.

—Odin.

The words resonated across the lake. The surface rippled. Though the tone was quiet, I could feel the wind carry it.

—Stop Odin.

I caught my breath.

I remembered the first time I had met Freyja-sama in the Flocia dungeon. Back then, she had appeared only as a “replica,” a projection delivering a message. Now, she was repeating that same beginning.

—Stop Odin.

The words repeated, and my heart nearly froze.

Stop…Odin?

“W-why…?”

I steadied myself, bracing against the wall.

Calm down. Think.

The seal on the lowest floor of Flocia dungeon had been incredibly strong. Strong monsters existed there, so it made sense that the seal would be strong too.

But… could it also be said that Odin-sama didn’t want anyone to hear Freyja-sama’s message?

—If my voice reaches you, it means the people are fighting the monsters, still protecting this world even now.

—But Odin… he no longer truly wishes for that.

—He does not even care.

Her voice continued, vibrating through the air itself.

—That is why I fled, bearing the power of creation.

Fled?

Freyja-sama…. has such power?

Questions churned in my mind. It was as if the mud settled at the bottom of a pond had been stirred, rising and swirling—concerns I had postponed, doubts I had pushed aside, all spinning in my chest.

—To redo the end of the world is to start again from the beginning.

—I wanted everyone to see humans, to know them, to love them…

Her clear blue eyes were downcast, filled with sorrow.

Kyaa kyaa, kyaa kyaa—the ravens cawed overhead.

A shiver ran through me. Solana looked up at the sky. Freyr narrowed his eyes. Even I felt an extraordinary presence pressing in. Then Solana swooped toward me, floating in front as if to shield me.

“Something… is coming!”

Freyr muttered.

“Time to stop this, I guess,”

A streak of light cut across the sky like a shooting star.

Thanks to my skill-enhanced vision, I could see clearly—it was a spear. A two-meter-long spear pierced through the massive mirage from behind, crashing into the lake below.

Ice cracked and rippled across the water’s surface. The mirage writhed in agony. The real Freyja-sama, who had been on the lake, floated upward as if escaping the ice. I followed her movements with my eyes, squinting against the bright sky.

“From… the sky?”

When the seal had covered the world, spears had been hurled then too. By that logic… this must be Odin’s spear.

The clouds parted to reveal a clear sky.

And beyond it, the god—Odin-sama—watched us.

He did not want us to know something.

Red-black flames swirled through the city. The ice walls separating the harbor from the lake were shattered. Even from the tower, I could make out a figure standing in the rift of the ice—Ymir.

The wavering mirage and the primordial titan Ymir faced each other. Something like a tornado erupted from the giant. The mirage’s shoulder was gouged and shattered, green light being drawn into Ymir.

Solana’s voice trembled.

“She… absorbed the magic…?”

Odin and Ymir. These two presences were blocking Freyja-sama’s message from reaching the world.

“Solana!”

“I know! But from here… we can’t—!”

The goddess ground her teeth. I, too, could do nothing from atop the tower.

Even the gods had just finished a brutal battle!

—This is as far as I go.

The massive mirage thinned, then vanished entirely.

The droplets of water that had floated in the air fell back to the lake all at once. Within the cascading curtain of water, the young-grass-colored light twinkled faintly.

The magic that had spread across the lake returned to Freyja-sama. The fading mirage cast a glance toward me.

—Then… until we meet again.

She shot upward toward the hole in the clouds, leaving a trail of green light behind her like a comet.

“W-where…!?”

I shouted, but there was no answer. The young-grass-colored glow stretched steadily in a single direction.

North.

“No way… a replica…?”

Solana murmured, her eyes fixed on the trail left in the sky.

“This might be a replica as well! Its magic was immense, and it even had a faint semblance of will…”

“…So it’s not the real one?”

I pressed the question to the goddess.

But a certain premonition settled in my mind. Freyja-sama had begun her message with the exact same words as the replica I had awakened at the bottom of the dungeon. And even her voice, when speaking, had been slightly… different. It struck directly into my mind, a subtle resonance unlike any other god I had known.

Solana looked up at the sky and drew her own conclusion.

“…Surely, she’s returning to her true form. There’s simply too much magic for a mere replica to contain.”

The trail of young-grass-colored light spread across the blue sky like ripples. The same shimmering magic poured down over the city of Flocia. The departing replica seemed almost like a giant bird, flapping its wings as it drifted northward.

And that was the direction I had come from.

The words escaped my lips before I could stop them.

“T-the royal capital…?”

Could the real Freyja-sama be in the royal capital?

Of course, just because the replica was heading north didn’t guarantee it was bound for the capital.

Yet in my heart, something tugged insistently.

“…Ah.”

A flash of Lu’s smile passed through my mind. My heart pounded. Something that could truly be called truth, and something terrifying—was pressing dangerously close.

Freyr coughed by the wall, opening his mouth.

“…Your little sister… she could wield the power of creation.”

Solana flew cautiously over to Freyr. I felt as if someone had struck my head—I was dazed, barely aware of my surroundings.

“That’s right… the 『Miko』skill, come to think of it—”

How could she possibly use the power of creation, bringing matter into existence with magic?

To create something from nothing was Odin’s exclusive ability—a divine prerogative. Yet Lu had been able to wield it. And Freyja-sama had told us through her message that she herself had fled with the power of creation.

Freyr stared at me. He has been searching for his sister. Perhaps he even reached the royal capital.

I’m sure my voice trembled as I whispered, “…You said Lu is naturally receptive to magic, right?”

“Yeah. The original meaning of Miko is… one who can host [the divine].”

Lu’s body was naturally suited to harbor magic. The reason she had felt unwell in the royal capital all this time was because she had been sensing the presence of monsters from the nearby dungeon. And the ashes of the giants scattered within the dungeon had further affected her, weakening her body.

That’s right. Lu is naturally receptive to magic.

Unconsciously, my hand had been touching what gods themselves often dwell in—my golden coin.

Even a god can inhabit something. My thoughts surged forward like a runaway horse—no matter how I tried to rein them in, they wouldn’t stop!

“The power of the Miko skill…”

Come to think of it, it made sense just from the name of the skill.

“The power of Miko… is it… the ability to host a god…?”

Once I reached that thought, the answer became clear. Solana nodded.

“…I hadn’t realized the possibility either. But now, that seems the strongest explanation.”

The goddess paused, her golden eyes glittering.

“The power of Miko… is not ‘creation.’”

I lowered my head and met Solana’s gaze.

“Yes! Because she hosts the god who fled with the power of creation, she can wield the ability of ‘creation’ through the Miko skill…!”

I remembered the moment Lu awakened her skill. She had been performing a sort of seal release.

Just like the first time Solana had been freed from the golden coin. Lu’s Miko skill had manifested, allowing her to touch the god within—and that was why she could use the seal-breaking power.

“Then… the real Freyja-sama’s location is—”

At the edge of my vision, Freyr’s eyes dropped to the floor. He had always cared so much for her sister, yet now, he seemed strangely indifferent to the awakened Freyja-sama.

He must have known. He must have already been certain of where his sister, Freyja-sama, truly was—perhaps the moment Lu created the orb.

“The real Freyja-sama… is inside Lu?”

The enormity of the thought left my throat dry as dust. I wanted to speak, but the words caught, refusing to form. Freyja-sama had taken the power of creation—and now it dwelled within Lu.

What had happened in the thousand years since the seals had blanketed the world?

The myths told by the gods, and the myths that remained in the kingdom…

The events hidden in that hundred-year gap between them must be connected.

“Solana!”

“Yeah!”

I met the goddess’s gaze and called out, my voice strong.

“Let’s go back—to the royal capital!”

Our next destination is where Lu waits for us. At that moment, Freyr’s hand moved beside Solana.

Sparks flew as sword met magical barrier, a sharp ringing sound echoing across the tower.

Squinting with fierce eyes, Freyr spoke.

“…Then, Rion.”

He was barely alive. How he still had the strength to swing a sword was too incredible. His breathing was ragged, yet the blade he held steady toward me did not waver—and it was unsettling.

“Luisia is a sister to both you and me. To both of us, she is the only one… yet her body is one. Between you and me… we will never truly understand each other again.”

It would be safest to restrain him.

But the moment I stepped forward, a thunderous sound erupted from below. Through the gap in the wall, I saw the lake roiling. A massive tail slammed into the water. Its jet-black scales were the same as the great serpent we had seen in Alvis.

The name must be—

“The World Serpent… Jörmungandr…?”

Freyr stumbled back toward the shattered wall.

—Ooooooooooooo!

The roar of Jörmungandr shook the tower to its foundations.

Solana sent a beam of light toward Freyr, and I summoned the winds of the sylph to try to slow him, but he avoided everything. Through the gap in the wall, he fell backward.

“…Then, Rion!”

With that shout, Freyr was swallowed by the serpent. The massive creature dove into the lake.

Solana clicked her tongue in frustration.

“He got away…!”

Red-black flames rose across the city of Flocia. The final enemy, Ymir, still lingered in the streets. Jörmungandr lifted its enormous head toward the harbor, looming over the city like a living mountain.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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A blinding flash scorched my eyes. Silence followed. Or perhaps my ears had been shattered by the thunderous roar of the attack, leaving me unable to hear a thing.

My sight and hearing had both declined. And yet, strangely, I did not panic. Perhaps it was because I could still feel the goddess close by. The coin clung to my short sword, and Solana’s presence rested warm and certain against my palm.

Gradually, my senses returned. First came the sound—rolling thunder, and the steady drumming of rain. Cold water struck my cheek. Startled, I looked up. Through my hazy vision, I saw a jagged gash torn across the ceiling.

“…Solana?”

Her name left my lips just as another raindrop splashed against my face.

My senses were fully back now.

A great crack split the tower’s ceiling, and beyond it loomed churning thunderclouds. The Sword of the Daughter of the Sun indeed has power beyond reason.

The gold coin peeled away from the short sword.

With a bright, chiming ring, it bounced and the goddess sprang forth.

“I’m right here, Rion.”

Solana rose lightly into the air and swept her gaze across the tower.

It wasn’t only the ceiling— the opposite wall had been blown apart as well. And there, slumped against the crumbling remains, lay Freyr. Rain poured in through the breach, striking his wounded body without mercy. His beautiful golden hair was blackened with soot, so ruined it was hardly recognizable.

Just to be certain, I reached out with the Blessing of the God of Hunting. There’s a faint breath. He is alive. But there is no sign that he would stand up again.

Solana drifted toward him.

“…I will keep watch over Freyr. For now—our concern lies elsewhere.”

Solana pointed toward the great mass of ice at the far end of the hall.

In this place that resembled a cathedral, it looked at first like a goddess’s statue frozen in crystal. But the figure within was no statue. She’s a true deity. Freyja-sama—the Goddess of Fertility who had bestowed greenery and bounty upon Flocia.

Imprisoned within the ice, her flowing golden hair, her downcast eyes, the green-tinged dress that seemed caught mid-billow—she was preserved exactly as if she might stir at any moment.

I turned back to Solana.

“I’m doing it.”

“Mm!”

Swallowing hard, I stepped forward.

Rain seeped into every wound across my body, stinging as it went. Lightning flashed, illuminating both me and the frozen goddess in stark white brilliance.

Inside my pouch, the awakening horn—Gjallarhorn—began to tremble.

“…Ah.”

I stood before the ice.

A chill radiated from it, sharp and absolute. Goosebumps rose at the nape of my neck—an instinctive shiver at the sense of what was about to happen.

I drew out the horn and filled my lungs.

Then I blew.

—Wake up!

The sound echoed. The note of the divine instrument cleaved through wind and thunder, cutting across the storm as it rang out around the tower.

A crack split the ice. The fracture widened, spreading in branching veins. As fissures formed before Freyja-sama, her closed eyes slowly opened. Her blue gaze was distant at first—unfocused. Then, little by little, it found me.

“Freyja-sama?”

At my call, her lips curved.

It was a faint smile, the corners of her cheeks lifting ever so slightly—quiet, delicate… breathtakingly beautiful. For some reason, the image of my little sister rose in my mind—Lu—wearing that same gentle smile.

The ice began to shatter.

Light gathered across Freyja-sama’s entire body. It swelled from within then it burst outward, and every last shard of sealing ice was blown away. A wind tore through the hall—fierce beyond measure, yet strangely warm. Power the color of young spring grass drifted through the air, wrapping around me like an embrace.

Freyja-sama rose gently into the air and descended toward me.

She reached out and laid her fingers upon the horn in my hands.

—Rion… and Heimdall.

Her lips, shaped the words.

The horn blazed with blinding radiance. From somewhere far beyond the heavens, a roar thundered down.

—WOOOOOOOOOOO!

A voice echoed in my head.

『Let’s go! O righteous boy! Sound my divine instrument!』

It was a voice so loud it almost ringed my ears. Heimdall-sama is a bit—no, maybe he’s more than a bit loud…!?

“Y-you’re the god of the horn, after all…!?”

I forced more air into the horn.

Sound and magic rippled outward, making the very space tremble. Its tone rang bright and jubilant, as though blessing the entire world. As waves of young-grass-colored magic spread, Solana raised her voice. Her golden hair and divine garments streamed in the rushing wind.

“Freyja’s power has been released! The Seiðr magic placed upon the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, has been undone!”

The green light surged upward through the shattered ceiling, climbing high into the sky. It pushed the clouds aside as it rose.

Like a colossal flower blooming. A blossom of clear sky opened within the thunderheads. Midday sunlight poured down through the rift above. Bathed in gold, Freyja-sama and I stood facing one another.

Then—

From the corner of the chamber, a voice spoke.

“…Guu—”

Freyr’s eyes fluttered open to narrow slits. His body was ravaged with wounds and he looked unable to move.

“…So I have been defeated.”

“I told you. Even if he hesitates. Even if he weeps. This child will still move forward. A gentle strongest is far stronger than one who is merely strong.”

Solana spoke softly.

Freyja-sama nodded quietly and smiled. She extended her pale hand to Solana who was standing a distance away, and poured light green magical power into her. The immense magical power that was said to be in the tower must have belonged to Lady Freyja after all.

As Solana received the power, her body took on an intensifying golden glow. She looked at me in surprise.

“Rion. If you have this much magical power, what will you….?”

I was startled. I hurried to the gap in the wall and looked outside.

The sunshine had not yet reached the cityscape visible from the tower. Everyone was still trapped in the storm, still fighting. On the bridge, countless monsters yet remained. Farther beyond, in the city of Flocia, crimson-black flames and lightning still clashed violently.

I looked up at Freyja-sama and made my wish.

“I want… to save everyone!”

Freyja-sama gave a quiet nod.

She raised her hand toward Solana, who stood some distance away, and poured forth magic the color of young grass. So the vast power said to lie within the tower… it had been Freyja-sama’s all along.

Bathed in that energy, Solana’s golden radiance intensified. She looked at me in astonishment.

“Rion. With this much magic…!”

She pointed toward the bridge, where the Medicine God Sigris is still fighting. The implication struck me so hard I nearly dropped my dagger.

“Don’t tell me…!”

“Yes! You, the humans, helped us! Now let us devote our power to you in return!”

I closed my eyes and unleashed the gods’ skill to its fullest. The magic required would be beyond imagining. After all, the one I meant to aid this time was not a single person—but the entire city.

Skill『Sun’s Divine Protection』has been activated. 【Golden Flame】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Improves physical ability. Further effect for a limited time.

Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Medicine』has been activated. 【Valkyria’s Spoon】…… Recovery. Consumes magical power to expand the range.

Through Loki’s power,【Duplicity】, the blessings of the gods could now overlap. Blessing of the Sun strengthened physical prowess through the Golden Flame. Blessing of the Medicine God expanded the healing reach of Valkyria’s Spoon.

“Sigris!”

When Solana’s voice rang out from the tower, even Sigris, fighting atop the bridge, seemed to notice. She shot upward into the sky. All the while, the clearing sky spread, and the sunlight glinted off her blue armor.

Sigris reached the upper air—and then swapped her spear for a spoon. Solana, wrapped in young-grass-colored magic, basked in the sunlight, her radiance growing brighter with every passing moment. She smiled at me.

“Thank you, Rion. This battle… it’s all thanks to you.”

From her outstretched hands, she sent golden magic to Sigris. The light settled into her spoon. As she lifted it, it seemed as though she were scooping up the sun itself. With the voices of the two goddesses chanting in unison, the blessings rained down.

—All warriors, arise!

For Flocia, it was like a divine rain, breaking through the storm to pour down its grace. The Golden Flame, scattered from the spoon across the city, imbued every adventurer who fought there. Slowly, here and there, the tide of battle began to turn.

It made sense. Even I, a fledgling, could wield it to battle monsters ten levels higher than myself. This was a blessing of unimaginable power.

Cheers rose from all around. Monsters on the bridge, monsters trying to swim up the canals—all were being pushed back by the adventurers. Even in the city, the thunder had grown more intense. Perhaps even the gods themselves had been enhanced by the Golden Flame.

Humans and gods, fighting side by side.  I looked down on such scene from the tower. My heart burned so fiercely I could hardly move.

“T-this… this is incredible…!”

On the bridge, in the canals, throughout the city—the battles were coming to a rapid close.

Freyja-sama, without me noticing, appeared beside me. She smiled gently.

“Thank you. But I have one duty I must fulfill.”

“…Huh?”

She floated upward, then leapt from the tower toward the lake. Even the gods would have blinked at that sight.

From above, the cawing of ravens echoed.

Kyaa kyaa, kyaa kyaa.

Two crows circled the sky, their cries almost as if they were shouting, “Stop! Stop!”

Freyja-sama had reached the center of the lake. The storm had been pushed back by her magic, leaving only a gentle breeze rippling across the water’s surface. The lake itself was soon bathed in the young-grass-colored magic. She stretched her arms wide to either side. From above, it looked as though the green magic spread like ripples, filling the entire lake.

Then, the water itself began to rise, swirling upward in unison. It lifted all the way to the height of the tower where I stood—probably ten stories above the ground.

I couldn’t help but gasp.

Because before me, in the air, appeared Freyja-sama’s colossal form—a size so immense that if she stretched her arms, she could almost bridge the city to the dungeon island.

When you are truly overwhelmed, your mouth falls open, and words fail.

Solana furrowed her brow, sensing the gravity of the moment.

“…This is—”

Along with the gentle breeze, I felt the life force of the water itself.

“With an unfathomably vast magic, she’s reflecting her form in the water… like a mirage.”

Every adventurer fighting in the city must have seen this sight. Merchants, sailors, every single person—everyone must have caught a glimpse of the goddess, magnified to unimaginable scale.

A shiver ran down my spine. This—this was the first time her true divine form had appeared.

—I am Freyja, a goddess of ancient times.

—I bring a message to you all.

Freyja-sama began to speak, her voice descending from the massive form visible from every corner of the city, carrying a weight and authority that was impossible to ignore.

From the top of the tower, both Solana and I stood frozen, unable to look away.

Only Freyr, with his calm, unwavering eyes, continued to watch Freyja-sama silently, as if absorbing every word.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Freyr, the God of Fertility, remained calm.

The effect of Awakening extended to his mind, allowing him to process the battlefield with perfect clarity.

First—Solana collapsed a massive pillar.  Second—Rion disappeared into the swirling dust.

As long as he remembered their positions moments ago, it was trivial. Freyr was already a master swordsman among gods, capable of easily surpassing even the Swordmaster skill. If he combined that with the power of Awakening, he could seize the initiative in any situation, no matter how chaotic.

Freyr lowered his sword to mid-stance, the tip pointing downward. He deliberately left his head exposed, baiting an attack.

If he charged, a cloud of dust would move. Rion would also make noise as he moved, due to the rubble he had scattered. All Freyr had to do was wait.

“Wake up!”

That voice reached his ears.

Freyr braced himself—but no attack followed.

A lure, perhaps?  He thought. The direction of the voice gave him a clue to Rion’s position.

Gradually, the dust began to clear. Freyr’s eyes widened—not with surprise, but with exasperation.

“Freyja, huh.”

The figure of his little sister, Freyja, floated a dozen steps ahead.

It’s a magical illusion, no doubt about it. His mind is telling him so. Perhaps because the real Freyja lay sealed in ice nearby, the imitation was flawless.

A bitter smile tugged at his lips.

“So… this is your plan?”

Disappointing. Was he trying to confuse me by revealing my sister? Or perhaps he was trying to anger me?

Either way, it was meaningless.

Freyr held his stance. Nothing had changed.

Time dragged on.

Freyr frowned at the phantom’s expression. Though seemingly blank, her gaze was fixed unwaveringly on him.

Looking at his sister’s blue eyes, a single question flickered in his mind.

—What would Freyja-sama think of you, right now?

Perhaps he remembered Rion’s words because his sister and the boy shared the same blue eyes.

He laughed off such stirring of the heart. The answer to that question had already been decided.

Rubble shifted on his right. Somewhere already cracked must have collapsed. Freyr intended to check with his eyes alone. Yet, as if pulled by some invisible thread, he turned his whole face towards that direction.

The moment he looked away from the gaze of the one he had sworn to protect, the fate of the God of Fertility was sealed.

◆◆◆

Step forward.

The resolve slipped out like a sigh, falling between my clenched teeth.

Skill 『God of Mischief’s Divine Protection』 was activated. 【Genie’s Trick】……. A magic that creates illusions.

Using the power of the water spirit Undine, I raised a wall of water—and on it, with Loki’s blessing, I projected an illusion.

An illusion of Freyja-sama.

Creating magical illusions is normally extremely difficult, but by projecting it onto a water surface, as Loki had once done, even I could manage it. I hid behind the illusion, taking advantage of how the water bent and refracted the scenery, making me invisible from Freyr’s perspective.

I waited for the moment.

Freyr would surely look away.

He diverted his gaze for only a fraction of a second. That was enough. Now, I would use the next skill to expand this chance.

Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting』 was activated. 【Hunter’s Step】……. Move unseen, leaving no trace of one’s presence.

Don’t notice, don’t notice me…

I told myself as I closed the distance.

Freyr reacted though. A thrust of godlike speed shot toward me.

“Hah!”

I slipped past the blade and leapt straight into Freyr’s chest.

“Y-you…”

Freyr’s eyes darted. He was shaken.

I pressed forward.

“You’re lying.”

“What?”

My short sword and his sword clashed with a sharp ting. But I didn’t step back. Now that I had leapt in, this was my only chance.

“You claim there’s no hesitation! Then… was training me, adventuring with me, was all of that a lie too!?”

Through Seiðr magic, Freyr had sealed his memories. Yet the expressions he wore when he trained me, when he fought alongside me—they felt real. Even this god must retain some fragment of his divine kindness.

He cut downward. I followed, chasing the wide opening he left.

“Tell me! What happened? Why are you our enemy?!”

Fire sparked in Freyr’s eyes. His slash grazed my cheek.

“If someone is precious… you can’t do things that would hurt them!”

“…Childish reasoning.”

I understood Freyr’s anger. Even I would have been deeply unsettled if someone had dragged Lu into a fight as an enemy.

My chest ached. The desire to protect family was probably the same for him as it was for me. I reversed my grip on the short sword, moving into a preparatory stance. I met Freyr’s eyes.

“Then… why did you look away?”

“—!”

I could feel the god’s emotions erupting.

After a slash, his sword—once flowing sideways—snapped forward, swung with raw force straight at me. A god striking down a powerless human.

Exactly what I had been waiting for.

A sword approached from my left. I spun my body, deflecting it.

“What—!”

With a high-pitched clash, the sword of the Fertility God Freyr was knocked aside. Even if he didn’t release his weapon, his torso was left completely exposed.

I had practiced countering swords countless times. This was the technique I excelled at most.

Using the momentum of my spin, I swept aside his horizontal slash. Against Freyr, whose Swordsman skill was original, I needed to bait the movement—but I had done it perfectly.

I had provoked him, drawing out a raw, forceful strike.

Freyr’s body faltered.

His eyes widened in disbelief. As if asking, —You read me?

I tilted my chin, meeting his questioning expression.

“…Yes.”

Because we were brothers in the same way, I understood why he was angry. I realized that somewhere along that adventure, Freyr and I had reached a point of understanding.

That was why I could play this game of strategy.

I could read this god—my brother.

“S-Sor—”

My chest ached, and those words nearly slipped out.

For Lu’s sake, the sister I wanted to protect, I pressed forward, pushing aside the brother who was likewise trying to protect his own sister. With a clear ching, the gold coin shot out of my pocket. I thought I saw Freyr’s eyes follow its intricate patterns.

“…What a face you make, hero.”

Freyr’s whisper.

It was the face of the adventurer I knew—Nils. The voice echoed in my mind, speaking as a god, yet with a familiarity I recognized.

And the words continued.

“You swore, didn’t you?”

Yes.

“You made your decision, didn’t you?”

I lifted my chin.

“Then move forward! One who feels no pain cannot be called a hero.”

The final words from the adventurer who had once been my mentor.

“Endure it. And press on.”

With the pain, my resolve ignited. Even through tears, I knew I had to take the next step. The power I wielded was borrowed from the gods—but my determination, my heart, that had to be my own.

Skill 『Sun’s Divine Protection』 was activated. 【Sword of the Daughter of the Sun】…… Imbues the Daughter of the Sun in a weapon.

“Solana!”

『…I know, but you sometimes say the most impossible things!』

The gold coin I had launched clung to the short sword, merging with it into a single weapon. We are now at a distance too close to dodge.

Golden light spilled from the dagger, streaking straight toward Freyr.

『A gentle strength, huh…』

It felt like the god muttered these final words.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Bathed in a radiant golden light, Freyr fixed his gaze on me.

An unsteady breath slipped from my lips. The light surrounding my enemy bore an uncanny resemblance to my own 『Alarm』 skill.

There was no mistaking it—it was my father’s skill, the one forever etched into my memory.

“…My father’s… skill?”

It was called 『Awakening』, a power that unleashes the user’s latent potential in a single, explosive surge. It was the very ability that had elevated my father to the ranks of a heroic adventurer.

Adventurers who surpassed level fifty, like my father, were rare. Across all of recorded history, their number barely reached a hundred.

I tried to recall what my father had been fighting in his final moments.

A chill pierced straight through my core, as if an icicle had been driven into my chest, threatening to freeze me from the inside out.

“Then….. Ymir killed my father.”

“Indeed. Ymir devoured your father’s skill—and then bestowed it upon me.”

Freyr’s lips twisted into a triumphant grin.

“This is not ‘Awakening.’ In the end, it wasn’t a skill capable of breaking the dungeon’s seal. Still, a power that ‘releases one’s dormant strength’ seems to carry at least enough influence to keep its bearer from being put to sleep by the seal. Thanks to that, I was able to travel just as you did.”

A god should have been affected by the seal. And yet, Freyr had come and gone from the Temple of Odis as he pleased. Without Solana’s light of awakening, even Thor and the others would hardly have been able to step outside.

In this case, there must have been some way to resist the seal. And that way was—my father’s skill, 『Awakening』.

“B-But…! If you had that kind of power—”

“You mean, you, as his son, should have noticed it within the dungeon? The awakening skill that Ymir granted me was, at first, only a fragment of its true strength—a kind of insurance. Between Ymir and myself, we safeguarded that precious power which could resist the seal. And after devouring the orb, Ymir transferred the skill 『Awakening』 to me in its entirety.”

So the light I had seen being passed between them in the Orb chamber was really the glow of a skill.

Freyr slipped a necklace from within his cloak. Once dulled by soot, the divine relic now blazed with a brilliance sharp enough to dazzle the eye.

“The divine treasure of Freyja—the necklace Brísingamen—lost nearly all of its power while I remained in the guise of Nils. Had the relic protected me from the seal, the other gods would surely have sensed it.”

Freyr murmured, “Such a pity.”

He readjusted the grip on his sword.

A gust of wind slipped through the window, whistling softly as it sent a chill crawling down the back of my neck. Until now, I had layered the image of my father over Nils—over the person standing before me. But at last, that image sharpened into something unmistakably real.

I had admired him. I had wanted to become an adventurer like him. And now, that very dream stood in my way.

The swordsmanship of the god Freyr… and the skill of my father, Rutger—the heroic adventurer.

How was I supposed to win against something like this?

Each second stretched, every moment drawn out until it felt suspended in time. It was a prison of thought.

Suddenly, a shout rose up.

Gaps yawned between the walls of the topmost floor, and through them I could see the city below. Outside, a storm raged. Furious winds howled beneath a sky split by thunder and rain. Sigris scattered flashes of blue light as she fought. Loki hurled spell after spell, while the lightning flaring deeper within the city must have been Thor and Uru.

The adventurers were also desperately trying to fend off the monsters, being pelted by the heavy rain.

Everyone was fighting.

And I—I was the key to it all.

Freyja-sama, slumbering within the tower, possessed a vast and immeasurable well of magic. With Alarm, I could release that power—turn her into an ally.

I tightened my grip on my short sword. Planting my feet shoulder-width apart, I lifted my gaze and met Freyr’s eyes head-on.

“…It seems you’ve found your answer to my question.”

Everyone was fighting, believing in me. It had been my own decision that led us here—the choice to protect my little sister. That resolve had drawn countless others into this battle as well.

So I shouldn’t be afraid.

I shouted.

“Freyr!”

If my opponent is a hero… then I would simply have to become one too.

“I will—defeat you.”

Freyr smiled.

Then he stepped in.

A slash flashed toward me like a bolt of light, and I threw myself sideways to avoid it. Even with the Golden Flame at my command, it was a razor-thin escape.

“Wake up!”

From the crystal set in my short sword, the wind spirit Sylph burst forth. Freyr deflected the blade of wind with his sword and kept his distance. At the edge of my vision, a golden radiance flickered.

“Rion!”

Solana loosed a beam of magic-laden light. Freyr darted in a zigzag, evading the strike as he ran.

He closed the gap between us.

“Ugh!”

The short sword I raised on instinct caught the blow. The scent of death brushed past me, and a shudder ran down my spine.

“Is that the end?”

Freyr stood behind me.

A kick followed. Even through my cloak, armor, and every layer of gear, the impact rattled my spine with searing pain. I was sent hurtling toward the ground.

Solana to caught me before I hit. The goddess threw up a barrier of magic to block the follow-up strike.

“Heavy Thrust.”

—But the second stab landed precisely in the same spot in a heartbeat. The barrier shattered like glass.

Solana cried out.

“Get away from me!”

She shoved me back.

However, Freyr pivoted in an instant and surged toward me again. There was no mercy in his assault—no pause for even a breath. It was an overwhelming offensive.

No. I couldn’t afford to lose.

“Hah.”

If I had any chance of winning, it lay in maneuverability.

With his long limbs, Freyr was just a fraction slower than I was when it came to resetting his stance after an attack. It was a tiny opening—but the only one I had.

Terrified as I was, I forced myself to watch the thrust carefully and slip past it at the last possible instant. Marking each step with precision, I circled to Freyr’s right.

I reversed my grip on the short sword.

“Still too slow.”

My passing slash was caught with effortless ease. Steel rang against steel.

He reacted to that?!

Even Solana’s attacks were brushed aside without difficulty. And when we tried to widen the distance, he simply sent blades of magic flying after us, leaving no gap to exploit.

I clenched my back teeth, fighting down the tremor threatening to overtake me.

“…My father’s… power?”

At last, a sliver of distance opened between us. I ran—no, fled—trying to steady my breathing as I went. But my chest felt crushed, too heavy to draw in air.

“You’re a god, and on top of that you’re unleashing your full latent strength—what kind of situation is this?!”

Blades of magic came hurtling toward me.

If I slowed even a little to dodge, Freyr would chase me down without effort. A broken laugh slipped out—half sob, half hysteria.

Then the deluge began again. His relentless assault poured over me like a waterfall. The keen edge of his sword moved almost gracefully, as if dancing through the air—yet each stroke shaved away at my lifespan with merciless certainty.

And it wasn’t only the blade I had to fear. The original form of the Swordsman skill held an endless array of variations: sweeping leg strikes, blows from the hilt, grappling techniques—options branching out without limit.

Keep your distance!

My instincts screamed so—but the instant I reacted, he read me, and a thrust came towards me.

Dodge it!

A split-second reflex, a deadly sweep of the leg in real combat.

Relying on cartwheels to evade, my body was covered in scratches. Solana’s attacks didn’t even faze him. It felt as if his eyes were everywhere—not just behind me, but throughout the very space around me.

—Can I really win?

My resolve began to melt.

At the edge of my vision, I glimpsed Freyja-sama, sealed in ice. My movements had slipped almost entirely into instinct; fear and panic tangled together in my mind, yet my body stubbornly avoided fatal strikes.

Perhaps… the training with Nils back then had prepared me for this, leading me to these rolling evasions.

When I finally rose, Freyr was standing directly in front of me.

“Ah!”

A push against my wrist—Lu’s gauntlet deflected the slicing edge aimed at me. For a moment, Lu’s form overlapped with Freyja-sama’s image.

Before I knew it, I was purely on the defensive.

This is not enough. I am  not fighting just to survive—I am fighting to win.

“Solana!”

I signaled to the goddess, and a flash of light streaked across the battlefield.

Freyr dodged—but I tilted my short sword, letting the dazzling golden glow wash over the blade. The reflected light must have stolen his vision, if only for an instant.

I pointed toward the pillar. Solana understood immediately.

“Got it!”

The golden light struck the pillar. With a roar of dust and debris, the stone column toppled toward Freyr.

I had held him at bay with the flames of the fire spirit Salamander, but of course he would have dodged. The unstable footing worked against me as well.

Still, I melted into the swirling dust. This bought me more time to stay hidden from Freyr.

“Solana, aim for the gold coin!”

I steeled myself and took the gamble.

I would—trick Freyr.

Using the very lessons this person had taught me: the art of maneuvering and deception.

Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Medicine』 has been activated. Achievement unlocked. A new ability has been granted.

Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting 』 has been activated. Achievement unlocked. A new ability has been granted.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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I stepped into the tower alongside Solana.

The white walls stretched inward as far as the eye could see, every surface pure and immaculate. Despite being a structure over a thousand years old, the craftsmanship and decoration were so majestic that I felt as if I had wandered into a grand cathedral.

Thick pillars soared high above, vanishing into the ceiling. On either side, staircases wound endlessly upward, folding back upon themselves in a spiral.

With a heavy thud, the entrance closed behind us.

I walked with the goddess. The white floor beneath us was unlike anything I could imagine—its material, its polish, entirely foreign. Here and there, small holes resembling drains punctuated the surface. Straight ahead us, a circular podium awaited. Near it stood Nils—or rather, the god of abundance, Freyr.

“I’ve been expecting you.”

We stopped roughly ten meters away, and Freyr smiled.

His narrow eyes flicked between Solana and me. The dull gold of his hair now shimmered like ripe summer wheat.

“…We’ve come to awaken Freyja-sama!”

I cast my gaze around the chamber. There was no ice in sight. Perhaps Freyja-sama was sealed on a higher floor.

I drew my short sword and lowered my stance.

“God… please step aside.”

Freyr turned his back to me, walking toward the podium.

I hesitated, caught off guard by the deliberate display of an opening.

“This tower was built and hidden by our faithful. Even if ruin cannot be avoided, my sister Freyja alone must escape to the heavens. That was the purpose of creating a tower of this magnitude.”

There was something almost wistful in his tone.

When I first saw the tower, a rainbow had stretched skyward. That must have been the Rainbow Bridge, Bifrost—the bridge to the realm of the gods.

Now that I think back, even when I first came to Flocia, I saw light beneath the lake. That light marked the tower sealed beneath the water I guess. The key to lifting the seal had always lain at the bottom of the lake.

“That is precisely why the defense mechanisms exist.”

Freyr turned to face us.

“Like this.”

I hadn’t seen him draw the sword.

From the tip already in motion, a blade of raw magic shot toward us.

“Solana!”

I shoved the goddess out of the way. Freyr raised a necklace in his left hand.

“In the name of the God of Abundance! Raise the barrier! Open the floodgates!”

The entire tower vibrated. From floors far above, water came crashing down in a blinding torrent. Jets of water erupted from the drains beneath our feet like a fountain.

“W-water…!?”

This… A water attack!

Freyr stepped onto the podium. Slowly, the platform began to rise.

So it was a lift all along.

“Rion, let’s pursue him!”

“Yeah!”

Solana and I tried to move together, but some invisible force pushed us back. The water had risen to my shoulders when I fell. The tower echoed with the groans of Sahagin and little water drakes—they’d been drawn up along with the flood.

Solana pressed her hand against the empty air.

I couldn’t see it, but… there was a wall.

“This is a barrier of magic. It prevents passage.”

The magical barrier separated Solana and me. I had to climb alone, and she had to climb alone. I scanned my surroundings. A staircase wound endlessly up the wall, folding back on itself in a spiral.

The path existed—it wasn’t impossible.

Solana called out.

“Rion!”

Through the transparent wall, she pressed her palm against it. I matched her hand with mine, our eyes meeting for a brief, grounding moment.

“See you at the top!”

And then we parted.

I climbed the stairs as fast as I could, determined to reach the top before the goddess. The water surging from below pressed on my chest. The spot I had just left was submerged, and monsters swam in the flood. Of course, some of them had climbed the stairs too.

“Gyaah!”

A Sahagin thrust its trident forward. A small water drake unleashed a jet of water. I dodged each attack and unleashed my own.

“Thunder God’s… hammer!”

Lightning streaked through the two monsters. Even at this distance, the god’s blessing remained with me. Naturally, so did the Golden Flame.

The water pressed closer, urging me onward.

“Solana…”

The transparent barrier prevented me from joining her on the other side. The staircase spiraled up in short folds, never allowing passage to the opposite side of the tower where Solana climbed.

Golden light danced above. Watching me and thinning out the monsters in her path, the goddess is also ascending.

“Goddess…”

She was always there, like a gentle sun at my side. Yet a slicing attack skimmed across her shoulder. I looked up. From the ascending lift, Freyr was launching his assault.

Heat flared in my chest.

“Ku!”

I scolded my legs. There was no time to falter!

Ahead, a massive Sahagin blocked the way. Nearly three meters tall, it wielded a club like a stone pillar. It occupied the landing at the turn of the stairs.

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.

With Thor’s courage guiding me, I drove the enemy back. Using the enhanced Thunder God’s Hammer, I struck down the massive Sahagin.

I moved my legs and raced to catch up with Freyr’s ascending lift. To keep Solana from being struck, I dashed faster. Soon, I reached the same height as Freyr.

Kicking off the staircase, I leapt.

Since his attack is going through, there was no magical barrier between him and the goddess!

Freyr, who had been aiming at the goddess, turned his body toward me.

“Twin Slash!”

The moment I landed on the lift, twin slashes came from both sides.

If I fall, I would plunge straight into the water teeming with monsters below. I didn’t block the strikes. Instead, I weaved under them, sliding close to the floor as if swimming through the air.

“Ha!”

Freyr’s upward-sweeping dagger was met by my sword. A high-pitched clang echoed.

“Not bad.”

Freyr commented, raising an eyebrow.

In a swift motion, he switched his stance and swept at my legs.

“Kuu…”

I fell. But fortunately—toward the side where the goddess waited.

“Thank you, Rion,”

Dodging the flurry of slashes, she soared upward. At the same moment, Freyr reached the topmost floor of the tower.

The space resembled a grand temple, with rows of massive pillars rising into the ceiling. Tall, narrow gaps in the walls let the wind stream through. Outside, a thunderstorm had finally begun.

The sound of water striking against the walls echoed all around.

“Hmph… a tie, huh.”

The humid wind whipped through Freyr’s golden hair.

Lightning illuminated his profile, sharp and divine.

Why does my chest sometimes tighten on windy days?

Freyr stood upon the lift-like pedestal, and what I saw behind him stole my breath away.

“Freyj-sama…”

Far more beautiful than any likeness, and exactly as I had seen her in my dreams. The goddess lay sleeping, encased in ice. I felt heat and tremors from the pouch at my side, and I drew the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn.

The horn trembled and blazed with fierce light, as if eager for the encounter, for the liberation.

It was as if I could hear the goddess herself shouting: “Use me!”

“Yes… that’s right…”

I had come all the way to Flocia to unleash the true power of this horn.

But when Freyr raised the necklace, the horn fell silent.

“…The horn has been sealed by Seiðr magic. This tower is the stronghold of us siblings, skilled in Seiðr. You will not be able to use it unless you defeat me.”

Freyr continued, voice calm but resolute.

“If I win, I will claim this horn. And if I feed it to Ymir…”

His gaze shifted to the ice behind him.

“With his awakening power, we can lift the seal on Freyja.”

Solana shouted at him,

“What about Freyja’s will? Even if she awakens, will she cooperated with the monsters?”

“None of that concerns you.”

Freyr answered so, his smile unbroken.

I have questions I want to ask as well.

“Your sister… Freyja-sama, what would she think of you now?”

Freyr did not answer. No further words could pass between us.

Because at that moment, golden light began to envelop Freyr’s body.

I recognized it. Memories connected the dots. The shadow of my father, overlaid onto this person, passed clearly through my mind.

“『Awakening』…?”

At last, I understood what Ymir had handed to Freyr in the chamber where the orb was.

“Do you remember now? What defeated your father?”

Skill『 Awakening』.

Freyr spoke the name of my father’s ability aloud.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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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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The adventurers of Flocia had joined the fight as well.

Some set out by ship toward the dungeon. Others crossed the bridge to investigate the tower. Others remained near the harbor, reinforcing the city’s defenses. All of them possessed skill worthy of the name adventurer, and none lacked courage. Even so, the anomaly unfolding within the city was something that left everyone utterly shaken.

“W-what the hell is that!?”

On the bridge, the adventurer known as Lloyd of the Stone Hammer felt the same shock.

Thick clouds blanketed the sky, racing overhead at an alarming speed. With no walls to shield it, the bridge took the full brunt of the gale.

Then came the thunderous roar riding in on the wind. The roughly thirty men guarding the harbor with him all turned at once, staring back in disbelief.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with his comrades, Lloyd held his breath.

“T-the temple….”

The tower of the Odis Temple burst apart. The uppermost floor was blown away, and the ensuing explosion thundered across the lake. From where they are, the city’s towers were no bigger than a finger, yet the disturbance was unmistakable.

At the top of the tower, pure white frost and blazing red heat collided, each struggling to overwhelm the other. 

The mythic clash of fire and ice held Lloyd spellbound.

Then, without warning, the light vanished.

Though it was strange that such a faint noise could carry across so much distance. Lloyd cleary heard the sound of something shattering.

“.…What was that?”

A bad feeling crept over him. Every instinct he had honed as an adventurer screamed that something was terribly wrong.

Another person, carrying a greatsword spoke up. She was known as “Melissa of the Azure Greatsword”.

“Should we head back to the city?”

Both she and Lloyd were among those who, together with Rion and the others, had ventured into the dungeon’s hidden area. Because of their proven record of fighting side by side, they had been entrusted with guarding the bridge.

Lloyd stroked his chin, thinking for a moment.

Their group stood about ten meters from the bridge’s starting point. Their role was to serve as a living wall should monsters attempt to cross the bridge. But if something abnormal was happening within the city itself, then perhaps returning really was the right call.

Command had been entrusted to Lloyd. 

He had to decide—stay here, or send someone ahead to scout.

“Hmm….”

Suddenly, a human figure shot past them at terrifying speed.

Lloyd cried out and recoiled.

“Whoa!”

It was over in the blink of an eye, a single instant of crossing paths. A retreating figure with flowing blond hair vanished beyond the far end of the bridge.

“N-Nils….?”

That was what it looked like but he couldn’t be so sure. It was like the wind itself. The sight tugged at his attention, but he couldn’t afford to focus on it alone.

One of their companions pressed an ear to the ground.

“.…I can hear it. It’s coming from beyond the bridge.”

Barry, who possessed the Thief skill, had questionable behavior, but he was highly capable when it came to reconnaissance.

“A horde—a whole horde! They’re coming across the bridge!”

The white tower at the center of the bridge stood easily fifty meters tall. Its massive base completely blocked the view of the far side.

Lloyd fired back a question.

“Monsters?”

“M-most likely….!”

Lloyd, too, could sense a presence from beyond the bridge.

The adventurers began speaking over one another.

“The warrior order was supposed to be scouting the dungeon ahead of us, right?”

“What about the sailors? They should be checking around the base of the bridge….”

Lloyd crossed his arms.

“.….We’re the ones meant to stand here in case they get through. Don’t panic.”

Before long, the floating ships raised red flags one after another—a signal proclaiming an emergency.

Monsters emerged from behind the tower.

Sahagin, kelpies, small water dragons. Creatures of the dungeon surged forth across the water and onto the bridge. By then, their cries and pounding footsteps echoed everywhere. Their numbers kept growing. Some clawed their way up from the surface of the lake onto the bridge, until it seemed as though the entire span were being swallowed by a black tide.

The adventurers grew unsteady.

“No way…. why all of a sudden?!”

A shadow passed overhead. Lloyd looked up, narrowing his eyes.

“A raven?”

The bird flew away.

Almost as if dropping by, two human silhouettes descended from the sky. 

The adventurers stared, mouths agape.

Monsters?

Lloyd and the other elites instinctively braced themselves. But their astonishment was the same. The two figures came to a halt in midair. One was a man wrapped in a black robe. The other was a woman, armed with a spear and clad in blue armor.

The floating man smiled with drooping eyes and raised a single finger— as if to say, I have something important to tell you.

Even with monsters closing in, his presence was impossible to ignore.

A voice slipped from Lloyd’s lips.

“…What is that?”

Flame flickered to life at the man’s fingertip. As he toyed with the red heat between both hands, the fire swelled in power. With a sweep of his arm, the blaze scythed across the bridge and the water’s surface, cutting a hundred meters in one stroke.

The woman followed, hurling her spear and skewering five small dragons at once.

“Wha—?!”

Even Lloyd was left awestruck.

Then the woman’s voice rained down from above.

“Everyone! What you saw bursting from the temple tower was the light of a seal breaking!”

Light streamed down through a break in the clouds, illuminating the woman’s blue armor. Hair the same color danced wildly in the fierce wind.

“The power that sealed the monsters within the dungeon has weakened! It will take some time before they can be sealed again!”

She paused then continued,

“And, another powerful monster has appeared within the city itself! We ask that you hold the line here and stop the monsters coming from the lake!”

Though the adventurers were noisy by nature, strangely, no one spoke up with a question.

Lloyd was the same. The cadence of her voice was almost identical to the all-encompassing messages of the god, Odis-sama.

Struck by its solemnity, everyone stood dazed, as if entranced. Yet the armored goddess—there was no other way to describe her—set the adventurers’ hearts ablaze.

Lloyd recalled being called a hero from the sky. It felt as though he had wandered into the world of myth.

At last, the man in the black robe, who had remained silent until now, gave a casual shrug.

“By the way, please leave whatever’s happening in the city to my friend. Don’t worry, he’s outside the norm too.”

He closed one eye and struck a playful pose. Given the power they had just witnessed. With the two of them wiping out the monsters, such words carried undeniable weight.

“W-who are you people?”

 Lloyd asked, his voice trembling.

The armored goddess smiled.

“For now, you may call me the Valkyrie. It’s been a long time since I’ve fought alongside so many people…”

Her blue eyes lowered slightly, as if gazing back on a distant past.

“It’s time, warriors!”

From the sky, the Valkyrie leveled her spear at the horde of monsters.

The adventurers were stirred to action. They met the oncoming waves of monsters head-on atop the bridge. Even the creatures crossing the lake focused their ferocity on Lloyd and the others as they raised their battle cries.

Perhaps it was also due to Lloyd’s skills, as the vanguard, he meant to draw the enemy’s attention.

Laughter echoed across the sky.

“Hahahaha!”

Up in the air, the black-robed figure had turned upside down, laughing uproariously.

“As expected of a Valkyrie. You really are good at leading humans.”

The unfettered god of mischief, spread both hands toward the lake.

“Then allow me to show you what the god of magic can really do!”

　　　　　◆◆◆

I descended from the tower of the Odis Temple.

Kicking off the stone pavement, I rushed toward the harbor. My battered body had regained its lightness.

We had already split into three groups.

First: Thor, Uru, and Mia-san and the others were engaging Ymir directly.

Second: Loki and Sigris had flown to the bridge and should be aiding the adventurers in holding the line.

From the harbor came the groans of monsters, while from behind the temple thunderous booms echoed, like lightning striking the ground.

I had fallen behind the others because I waited for my shoulder and leg wounds to fully heal under the effects of the White Flame.

I have to hurry.

Just moments ago, we had been in a hopeless situation. Ymir had arrived at the tower, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if we’d all been wiped out there.

But Lu had saved us. She hadn’t just pushed the enemy back by creating a magical orb—she had driven ice into Ymir herself. If Freyja-sama were to awaken here and grant us her immense power, we could deal an even harsher blow to the slave traders.

Of course, that was only if we could overcome Freyr, the goddess’s younger brother.

That made the final group—the third—me and Solana. Our destination is the tower on the lake. The fate of Flocia rested on the shoulders of the two of us, the goddess and me.

『Does it hurt?』

Solana asked from atop the gold coin, checking the wounds on my shoulder along with my short sword and equipment.

“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

The raven warrior’s robe fluttered wildly in the strong wind. Along with it came the presence of countless others.

My hunter blessing skill detected an anomaly.

“—!”

I twisted my body, narrowly avoiding the volley of arrows.

From the shadows along the street, a tall, imposing monster emerged.

Rata.

“Where are you headed?”

From the surrounding buildings, bandits raised their bows, aiming straight at me.

I didn’t respond. I took a single step forward. Frost began to creep over Rata’s body.

“Oniichan, are you really leaving me behind?”

The voice that rang out was Lu’s.

He had transformed again.

Perhaps it was a deliberate tactic to unsettle me. If this had been me just moments ago, if it had been the me who had been utterly overwhelmed by Freyr, I would have lost my focus again.

Rata had come to drive a wedge of despair into my heart before the decisive battle.

―Your little sister won’t survive!

Such a wedge of despair.

But I already knew Lu’s strength. That’s why I would grow stronger too.

I couldn’t afford to lose here, not to my own weakness.

“Hoh~”

Rata’s eyes widened in surprise.

I didn’t look away from “Lu”.

If your heart is strong, if your conviction is true, there’s no need to look away.

“Wake up!”

From the gauntlet on my right hand, I awakened the water spirit, Undine.

Water gathered from the nearby channels, and then I switched to the fire spirit, Salamander, in my left hand.

“Pii!”

The spirit’s flames caused the water to explode into steam. Thick clouds of vapor swallowed my vision. With this, even the enemy archers wouldn’t be able to aim.

I kicked off the ground and charged straight through the blinding mist. As I closed in, Rata—still wearing Lu’s face, gaped in shock.

“…To think you could use such underhanded tactics—!”

Rata dispelled his transformation. He tried to retreat. In Lu’s body, quick movements weren’t possible.

“They say a man can change in three days apart. Just what on earth have you gained in just this instant?!”

Rata extended their claws and caught my thrusting short sword. But he was rattled, while my resolve was set like steel.

Using Lu like that—

I would never forgive that!

“Lu… I won’t let you fall into their hands!”

“…Kekeke. But soon, you will face the rest of your family as enemies as well.”

I shrugged off their counterattack and slipped in close, plunging my short sword into his chest.

“Gyaaa…!”

Frost enveloped Rata’s body. For a brief, dazzling moment, he shone—and then vanished. The alley was empty, no trace of him remained.

The bandits who had raised their bows noticed Rata’s absence and scattered in a panic. I scanned the area with my hunter blessing, but it seemed the danger had passed.

“…Is it over?”

A narrow escape. Perhaps he transformed. He abandoned his damaged body and assumed a smaller form.

But the coin trembled in my hand.

『 I think we definitely dealt a serious blow. Though, I suppose there was no need for me to step in this time.』

“Ah!”

I couldn’t help the thought crossing my mind. If I’d fought alongside the goddess, perhaps the outcome might have been different.

“Don’t worry. It was precisely because you moved so swiftly that you were able to catch them off guard.”

Hearing her words, I broke into a run. The closer I got to the harbor, the louder the sounds of battle became. The tower on the lake now shimmered with rainbow-colored light.

The rainbow seemed to spiral around the building, like a stairway ascending into the sky.

“Let’s hurry, goddess!”

I raced toward the lake.

—Soon, you will face the rest of your family as enemies.

Rata’s words were ominous, far too foreboding. But for now, there was only one way forward.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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I had always thought miracles were the work of gods.

But what Lu was doing… it felt like the very same thing.

The Frost Orb lay shattered. The traces of its magic, even the lingering light that had filled the chamber, had been sucked into Ymir’s mouth. Only the pedestal remained. Yet Lu hovered above it, her form faintly translucent. She gently extended her hands downward.

“Skill 『Miko』”

Her sky-blue eyes, wide and unblinking, shone with a divinity that made the back of my neck tingle.

“Ability… ‘Creation’…!”

A faint, lingering white glow hovered in the air. It gathered beneath Lu’s hands. Fragments of light joined together—one, then another—until they formed a tiny sphere about the size of a fingertip. A faint smile curved at Luu’s lips.

It was as if she already knew exactly what she was meant to do.

Beneath her hands, the shattered sacred relic began to weave itself together once more. It wasn’t being repaired—it was being reborn, newly created.

“Gods…”

At her words, the deities hovering above reacted.

“Y-yes,”

Even Loki appeared shocked. The gods extended their palms toward Lu, offering light—or perhaps sharing their very magic.

My body trembled. Not from cold, not from fear.

From her movements, I felt a sacred beauty, as if she were stitching together stars themselves.

A low, rumbling growl echoed nearby.

“Grr…!”

It was Ymir. His face twisted in a savage snarl, the flames that cloaked him radiating the full terror of a monster king. He raised his massive arm—intent on crushing the orb and Lu together!

“Wake up!”

From my short sword, the wind spirit, Sylph, surged forth. But even against the sudden gust, Ymir didn’t budge an inch. The gap was impossibly small but I threw myself into it with everything I had.

“Hah!”

I slammed down the Thunder God’s Hammer, and Ymir staggered back a single step.

I planted myself squarely in front of him and Freyr.

Behind me is Lu. If I didn’t protect my little sister now, I wasn’t her brother.

“I won’t let you pass!”

The short sword I thrust forward didn’t waver. My gaze stayed locked straight ahead.

A cold wind drifted in from behind. Glancing back, my vision was filled with a blinding white light. A fist-sized orb—no, larger than the original—appeared on the pedestal.

The Frost Orb.

Freyr’s eyes widened.

“…Even beyond expectations.”

He let his sword fall loosely, his voice betraying his astonishment.

“Just as I saw in the capital! So it was there all along!”

Memories scrambled through my mind, stirring countless thoughts.

Freyr might have been in the capital.

The enemy slave trader who had appeared there—one had been in Alvis, the world serpent Yor; the other had attacked my home.

Could that person… have been Freyr?

But… what is this person really searching for?

My thoughts spun in endless circles. I felt like I was on the verge of grasping something, yet it slipped through my fingers. Elusive as clouds, yet unmistakably close, there was something I could call the truth pressing near.

The strengthening wind cut through my thoughts, chilling me to the bone.

Lu pressed her lips together, and the white light flared even brighter. Cold air raced past me from both sides, crashing into the titan. Ice particles danced in the gusts.

Ymir opened his mouth.

“The seal… I have already devoured it! Do you think it will work again?”

His colossal frame was shrouded in red-black flames, a protective barrier against the cold.

Step by step, he advanced toward the pedestal.

I had no intention of backing down.

Planting my feet firmly, I shouted.

“Bring it on!”

Ymir swung his massive arm upward.

“Oniichan!”

A signal from Lu. Thor shouted.

“Rion! Fall back! Leave him to us, the gods!”

But now—there was no time to heed their words!

I entrusted myself to the Golden Flame, and met Ymir’s strike head-on with my short sword. The impact felt like my body might shatter into pieces. A crack ran across the floor beneath my right knee as it hit. Flames scorched my arm and cheek, searing pain tearing through me.

“…Creation!”

Lu’s voice rang out.

In that instant when I held back the blow, cold coiled around Ymir’s arm.

“Ugh!”

A groan came.

It’s unmistakably from the primordial titan.

Around his arms glowed a brilliant white shackles of ice. Chains had been conjured, binding both of his massive arms.

“…Your…. creation!”

The colossal figure leapt downward, ripping the icy chains apart. The shattered chains scattered into shards of light before vanishing into the flames. Yet the cuffs that remained on his wrists survived, still glowing. The flames wrapping his arms clashed violently against the icy bracelets.

Ymir ground his teeth.

“…They won’t disappear. I’ve been… bested, it seems.”

Even an enemy like him had surely poured tremendous power into breaking the orb.

And into that moment of weakness—Luisia awakened her power.

The remaining ice cuffs on his wrists were surely sapping Ymir’s strength.

“This—”

I exchanged a glance with Solana, who hovered in the air. The goddess gave a slight nod.

“The tide has turned.”

She spoke.

Ymir’s face, carved like solid rock, twisted into a smile. A savage grin, as if he were savoring the crisis.

“…Time for a little appetite adjustment, perhaps.”

From the top of the tower, Ymir surveyed the city of Flocia. His crimson tongue flicked across his lips.

“Freyr”

“…Yes, I understand.”

I couldn’t fully grasp the meaning of their exchange. All I could see was Ymir holding his wrist—the one still bound by the ice shackle—toward Freyr.

From that hand, golden light flowed—soft, pale, and yet unlike anything I had ever seen—moving toward Freyr.

Ymir cast a brief glance in my direction.

“Even among the creations you’ve raised, this one is exquisite. Make the most of it.”

Freyr nodded, producing a necklace from his left hand. He seemed to whisper a prayer over it.

Ymir’s massive finger swept toward the lake.

“You… go to the tower. I will devour the city.”

The flames cloaking his colossal body flared even brighter. Even with the ice shackles binding him, his power was still overwhelming.

The cold of the orb clashed with the titan’s heat wave. The battle of fire and ice recalled the myths—how, in the empty void before the world existed, fire and ice had given birth to the first titan.

Ymir calmly surveyed us, as if judging the results of his creation. With the tower broken and walls gone, he stepped back toward the edge of the room. The fierce wind from outside whipped his blond hair and flames around him.

And then, slowly—he toppled outward.

“Then… farewell.”

The gods unleashed their attacks.

Loki’s magic and Uru’s arrows rained down on Ymir’s position.

Freyr cut them all aside. His body glowed with the same golden light as before. The radiance, strong and awakening, felt familiar—as if the body itself had come alive.

“Father…?”

The shadow I had long cast over him—Nils—passed through my mind.

Why… now?

Breaking through the dust, Freyr leapt to the roof outside.

Loki’s voice rang out.

“Ymir is heading for the city! Freyr’s going to the tower by the lake!”

From the distant rooftop, Freyr shouted.

“Rion! Take the horn and follow me! We’ll meet at the top of the tower… on the battlefield of Valhalla!”

Freyr’s blond hair whipped in the fierce wind as he ran toward the lake. The necklace in his hand sparkled, reflecting sunlight streaming through the clouds.

I couldn’t keep my eyes on him for long.

The enemy was below the tower.

“Ymir…!”

Peering down, I saw him standing there. A faint glow surrounded him—golden, but ominously weak. Straining my eyes, I noticed the warrior order and adventurers lying defeated. And from their bodies, light was being drawn out.

The glow slowly converged toward the titan.

A sound escaped my lips.

“Is he… trying to devour their skills?”

A chill ran down my spine.

The golden light—it must be the “light of skill” stolen from people.

Ymir opened his massive mouth. He intended to consume the skills of the fallen. It was terrifying, revolting, and my scream tore through my throat.

“No!”

Thor’s hammer slammed into the ground at Ymir’s feet like a bolt of lightning.

A laugh, deep and rumbling like an earthquake, shook the sky.

“Bold to try resupply in front of the God of War!”

Thor’s red hair whipped wildly as he dove down.

“Rion, leave Ymir to me!”

“I’m coming too!”

The God of Hunting, Uru, followed. The deity in hunting garb landed beside me from above.

“Freyr has the necklace of the sacred relic—Brísingamen! It’s the master key to the dungeon’s functions! Who knows what he might do. He could even unleash the monsters from the dungeon!”

Uru added, his brown eyes fixed on Dungeon Island, shrouded in haze beyond the lake.

“From a scout’s perspective, it seems a large number of monsters have awakened. The shattered orb’s influence is not zero.”

I gulped.

“So the dungeon monsters are… enemies too, then.”

“Exactly. We gods must protect the city—from Ymir and from the dungeon itself.”

Uru leapt from the tower in pursuit of Ymir.

Solana approached nearby.

“I’ll go with you.”

“…Yeah!”

We had to follow Freyr.

I turned back toward the tower’s interior, shouting to the remaining companions and gods.

“I’m going after Freyr! Freyja-sama should be at the lake tower too.”

If I awaken the gods and sound the horn, we might be able to drive Ymir and the others off… maybe even defeat him.

“Everyone else, protect the city!”

Loki and Sigris hovered above. And in the tower were Mia-san, Felix-san, and Safi.

I met each of their gazes. Below, Thor and Uru must already be locked in battle with Ymir.

“Oniichan, you’re going, aren’t you…?”

Lu’s translucent form floated down to the floor. She had clearly used a tremendous amount of magic; her breath came in short, ragged gasps. Her face was hard to read through the glow, but surely her cheeks were flushed bright red.

I healed my wounds with the White Flame and smiled at her.

“…Thank you, Lu. That was incredible… really incredible.”

I wondered what kind of power my little sister truly possessed. There were still so many unknowns—but there was no doubt she had poured everything she had into helping.

Lu straightened her back, proud.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

“Huh?”

“I said I’d get stronger and wait for you. Did I… manage to be of some help too?”

Tears welled in her eyes.

If Lu weren’t a form woven from magic, I would have pulled her into a hug without hesitation.

Her eyes glistened, shimmering with unshed tears.

“Because I want you to come back… I did my best.”

“…Yeah.”

I would return to the Royal Capital—no matter what!

I had something precious to protect. To keep this child from sorrow, I strive to become a strong and compassionate adventurer.

Not just strong. Not just kind.

Both, together. Only then could I truly protect what mattered most.

“Lu… you’re strong. You’ve really grown strong.”

My heart blazed.

I turned my back to my sister and gazed out over the lake, where the White Tower loomed.

“I’m coming.”

I declared it.

—The questions would keep coming, one after another.

In a moment of defeat, Freyr had said that to me.

Now, I felt I could answer. Whatever the question, and whatever answer it demanded.

—What is truly important?

It’s not letting this child be saddened.

That’s why I will return, and I will not betray my own resolve. To come back through the front doors with my chest held high.

“Solana, let’s go!”

I kicked off the floor and leapt outside. A storm of wind roared toward me.

But now… it was a tailwind.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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