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

Even from deep underground, he could feel the battle begin.

Beneath the Grand Tower of the Temple of Odis lay a circular underground complex. At its center was the chamber housing the Frost Orb. Corridors branching around the outer ring connected to countless small rooms. In one such forgotten chamber stood a cage. Inside it lay a single rat.

It was Ratbone Rata, one of the monsters. Ordinarily, he would have been a major combatant on the battlefield above, fighting against the humans. But since he was captured during the battle of Flocia, he was confined instead.

Sensing the stir of magic in the air, Rata slowly opened his eyes.

“…So it has begun.”

The fur that had once covered his body in gray had lost all color, turning pure white. The underground levels of the Grand Tower were close to the Frost Orb. The chilling power of the seal constantly seeped through the area, weakening the rat’s body day by day. There was no pain. Even so, Rata could feel his life gradually slipping away.

“Hmph… If I can live long enough to witness the outcome, then perhaps surviving this long will have been worth it.”

His whiskers twitched as he muttered the words.

Rion and the others could have killed Rata before the final battle began. The boy before might have hesitated to kill a creature capable of speech. But after the Battle of Flocia—especially after driving back Freyr—that kind of naïveté had vanished. Even when Rata had disguised himself as the boy’s younger sister, Rion hadn’t been fooled. He had attacked without hesitation. That was why Rata now found himself imprisoned here.

The gods had likely spared his life in part because they knew he was no longer a threat. It was also true that he had revealed certain pieces of information regarding Ymir. His master would never forgive such a betrayal. There was no place left for him to return to.

“…Ymir.”

Rata ground his teeth together.

He was curious about the outcome of the war, and for that reason he had never begged for a quick death. If possible, he wanted to witness one of two sights: either the gods’ defeat, or the downfall of that titan. Either outcome would bring him a measure of satisfaction.

Rata snorted.

Magical energy was flowing in through the gaps around the sealed door. That was probably what had awakened him. It was an immense power of abundance—so vast that even his weakened body began to recover the moment it touched him. Then he caught a scent he recognized.

His golden eyes flew wide open.

“Why, this is… this is perfect!”

It was a scent he knew all too well from his days as a slave trader. The smell of human sweat born from doubt and distrust. The previous apocalypse had ended in a sealing precisely because such distrust had proven fatal.

As the magical energy continued to swell, Rata let out a low, rumbling chuckle. The image of the young girl he had once impersonated drifted through his mind.

“…The more she worries for her family, the more desperately she seeks power. Without even realizing it, she’s drawing out even more strength from the Freyja dwelling within her.”

Even Luisia’s transformation was probably part of the Chief God’s design.

For now, all Rata could do was listen and wait. The growls of monsters still echoed in the distance. And mixed among them were the screams of the living.

◆◆◆

“Eeeeeek!”

Atop one of the towers along the city wall, the dwarf Safi let out a shrill scream.

“W-why are they charging in all of a sudden?!”

Even though everyone had expected the attack, the battle had erupted into chaos all at once. Monsters such as Fenrir, Wolfbone Hati, and Jormungandr the Bone Serpent tore through the defensive lines the humans had painstakingly assembled as though they were nothing.

Near the walls, Rion and the others had already shifted to the desperate task of holding Fenrir back.

Operating a massive ballista mounted atop the battlements, Safi loosed another bolt into the distant hordes. Behind endless ranks of goblins and kobolds waited towering giant soldiers, humanoid monsters standing well over three meters tall.

She stole a glance to the south.

There, beneath thunderclouds swirling overhead, Thor and Jormungandr were locked in a violent struggle. Lightning and the colossal serpent’s tail crashed against one another again and again, gouging great scars across the rolling hills.

“…Everyone’s fighting.”

She swallowed hard.

Then a deafening roar erupted directly ahead of her. A clash between overwhelming magical powers. The shockwave alone was enough to send both monsters and humans flying.

At the center of it all stood the combatants responsible—The Primordial Titan Ymir, and the god Heimdall.

Ymir calmly caught the sword Heimdall brought crashing down with a magical barrier.

Human soldiers maintained a defensive perimeter around the battle from a distance, but the monsters—rallied and emboldened by Ymir’s presence—were slowly forcing them back.

“Safi-dono!”

One of the dwarves pointed down toward the base of the wall. A head of golden hair raced across the battlefield. Sunlight flashed off a gleaming sword.

“—Lord Freyr!”

As if in response, a piercing gaze locked onto Safi.

Seeking his sister—Goddess Freyja—Freyr charged toward the city wall, intent on climbing it. Their eyes met. Safi caught her breath.

At that very moment, a rain of arrows fell directly in front of her.

“Whoa there. That’s as far as you go.”

It was Uru’s bow.

Uru’s arrows blocked Freyr’s advance. Having been spotted by the gods, Freyr quickly retreated, putting distance between himself and the wall as he blended back into the ranks of the monster army to avoid attacks from above.

A triumphant cheer rose from the northeast.

The humans, inspired by the battle maiden Sigris, had driven back another wave of monsters.

Nearby, a formation of mages led by Loki unleashed spell after spell, blasting down the flying monsters attempting to descend from the sky.

“So this is Ragnarok….”

Bathed in the crimson light of the sun, humans and monsters alike fought with everything they had.

Praying for the safety of her comrades, Safi activated another golem and hurled it down from the wall into the battlefield below.

◆◆◆

Thor rested the great hammer Mjölnir across his shoulder, which was as broad and solid as a mountainside.

“Haven’t we had enough of looking at each other’s faces by now?”

The God of Thunder flashed a fearless grin as he looked up at Jormungandr, the World Serpent. Its head towered more than ten meters above the ground. The enormous golden eye fixed upon him was enough to drive an ordinary person into panic simply by standing beneath it.

The serpent was even larger than when they had met in the mining city of Alvis.

Thor tilted his chin upward.

“Let’s make this the last time.”

At some point during their countless exchanges, Thor had been knocked to the ground. His opponent hadn’t escaped unscathed, however. Smoke rose from numerous wounds scattered across the black scales where they had collided with Mjölnir.

“Hah!”

Thor hurled Mjölnir. Wrapped in lightning, the golden hammer slammed into the serpent’s flank before arcing back into Thor’s waiting hand.

The air itself trembled as Jormungandr’s voice rumbled down from above.

“…You’re as troublesome as ever.”

Blood dripped from the corner of the serpent’s mouth as it glared at him.

“During Ragnarok, in that mine, and even a thousand years ago! You always stand in my way…!”

“Hah! If you stopped coming after us, I wouldn’t have to.”

“That is impossible. Because we—because monsters—were created to be this way!”

The great serpent opened its jaws.

A cloud of dark, murky miasma burst forth from between its saliva-slick fangs. Where the poisonous haze passed, the grass withered and died instantly. Had any ordinary humans been nearby, they would have been wiped out with a single breath.

“Poison…?!”

Thor dodged the initial blast, but moments later his vision blurred, and he dropped to one knee.

“Throughout our battle, little by little, I’ve been mixing poison into my breath and spreading it through the air. After coming so close to death, I learned a few new tricks.”

Its crimson tongue flicked in and out, tasting the air.

“Things seem to be turning in our favor over there as well.”

The World Serpent’s gaze shifted toward another battlefield—

The clash between Heimdall and Ymir.

◆◆◆

Ymir’s fist came crashing down.

Heimdall caught it with his sword.

The impact tore through both of them.

Heimdall’s black hair and Ymir’s golden locks whipped wildly amidst the howling winds and billowing clouds of dust.

“Ghh…!”

The one taking the greater damage was Heimdall.

He had never faced blows this heavy—strikes like massive war hammers. Even with all his strength, his feet were driven into the earth, and the shock rattled him to his very core.

As the dust slowly settled, Ymir’s figure emerged.

His fine garments remained almost completely untouched, not even bearing any noticeable damage. In contrast, Heimdall’s crimson armor was dented and warped in numerous places.

Ymir strode forward with unhurried confidence.

“You have done well.”

Time and again, Heimdall had brought his blade down upon Ymir’s magical barrier.

Yet its impregnable defense refused to break.

The monsters’ advance was equally overwhelming. As though their master’s fury had spread to every one of them, they surged toward the walls with heightened ferocity.

At one point, Sigris had joined the battle near Heimdall’s position, rallying the human defenders.

Even so, the monsters’ morale remained superior. Goblins, orcs, kobolds, and giant soldiers. Even kelpies and hellhounds of flame raced across the battlefield. With bloodshot eyes, they charged forward like a living tidal wave. To make matters worse, the rift Ymir had torn open in the sky had yet to close. From that gap in space, monsters continued to pour forth endlessly. As if the supply would never run dry.

The time when the solar eclipse should have ended naturally had long since passed. Yet the sun remained obscured. There was no hope of winning simply by holding out until the eclipse ended. The only path left was to defeat the monsters head-on.

Ymir spoke.

“I will devour everything. Step aside.”

Heimdall narrowed his cool, composed eyes.

Raising his sword, he laughed.

“Hah hah! We’re only just getting started over here!”

He would not give up.

The inspiration granted by the horn’s call still burned within his chest.

As the God of Awakening, he was accustomed to inspiring others.

Being inspired himself, however, was a rare experience.

Who would have thought that a young boy’s courage could set his heart ablaze to such a degree?

Heimdall raised his sword to shoulder height and leveled its tip at Ymir.

“Haaah!”

His thrust shot forward like lightning.

Ymir met it by raising a magical barrier with his left hand.

A bracelet glimmered around his wrist. The metal flashed briefly as it caught the light.

“…Ymir. It seems you still haven’t managed to break that ice shackle.”

The restraint was still fastened around his left arm. It was the very shackle Luisia had created in Flocia and placed upon him.

“Interesting, isn’t it? Humans possess powers that even we gods do not fully understand.”

The moment Heimdall spoke those words, a disturbance arose in the rear lines.

For the first time, Ymir’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

The rear guard—which should have been vastly outnumbered—had begun pushing back the enemy. The monster commanders, including the Bone Wolves, were being driven back.

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

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A raven soared across the twilight sky. The sun was shrouded in shadow, leaving only its outer rim visible—a radiant ring of gold. It blazed with fierce light, defiantly resisting the encroaching darkness. By all rights, it should have been early morning, the moment just after sunrise. Yet the rolling hills were bathed in the fiery hues of a burning sunset.

The walls of the Royal Capital glowed crimson, as did the Temple of Odis, standing apart in the distance like a solitary island—the stronghold of the Raven Warriors.

How nostalgic…

The ravens, messengers of Odin, heard the words of their master from the heavens above. Far below, hordes of monsters clashed violently against the defenders’ lines. Tilting its wings, the raven circled lazily through the sky.

The heroes who are to be guided into the next world will reveal their worth even more clearly in this battle. Their master had dispatched his ravens, his loyal servants, to every corner of the earth. The seals that had bound the monsters beneath ice were weakening on a global scale.

The solar eclipse had diminished the seals’ power. And Ymir, having consumed the Frost Orb, was at this very moment releasing magic that further loosened the seals within every dungeon. Monsters poured forth from dungeons in all four directions, flooding the land and battling the knights defending the capital’s walls. Rion and his companions, together with the thousands gathered at the temple, would have no choice but to fight through the coming apocalypse to the very end.

Monsters were awakening one after another across the land. The war between monsters and humankind was being fought not only at the royal capital, but throughout the entire kingdom—and even beyond the borders of the Kingdom of Asgard.

The fate of the world rested upon this battle, reaching even lands that Leon and his companions had never seen.

As the raven flew along the battle lines, a gigantic wolf suddenly crossed the front.

—Oh?

Even the All-Father seemed intrigued.

—So, Wolfbone moves first.

A colossal wolf, as large as a hill, raced across the crimson-stained fields. Surrounded by lesser wolf monsters, it slipped effortlessly through the defensive formations with astonishing speed.

The raven turned its wings toward the temple.

Four defensive armies, each numbering roughly a thousand warriors, guarded the temple from the east, west, north, and south. High above them floated the gods—Thor, Heimdall, Loki, Uru, and Sigris—ready to support the front lines.

Yet the divine power of Solana, Daughter of the Sun, was nowhere to be found among them. She appeared to be waiting in reserve at the rear, together with the young devotee who served her.

The voice of the chief god carried a note of amusement.

—I see…

The raven flew deeper into the formation, toward the temple itself.

Upon the walls were stationed the dwarves’ massive ballistae, adventurer archers, and ranks of mages. But in front of the walls, across a stretch nearly thirty meters wide, the formation was unusually sparse.

Numerous gaps had been left open with deliberate care, as though inviting the enemy forward.

—The swiftest monsters will slip through the defensive lines and make straight for the temple.

—So that is what they are anticipating.

Fenrir, the Wolfbone, and Freyr, the God of Fertility. There are limits to how effectively formations can defend against such powerful and swift enemies.

Therefore, they made a decisive move.

They created a gap in their formation in front of the city walls. Within that space, Rion and his men would intercept any enemies that charged in. The idea was that if the enemy’s swift attack would devastate the rear, then they shouldn’t have concentrated their formation there in the first place.

It was a gamble, placing Rion and the other main adventurers in the rear to guard against the enemy’s swift attack. This increased the burden on the front lines, but that’s probably why the gods were waiting in the sky.

In fact, Thor was about to descend upon Jörmungandr, the World Serpent, and Heimdall was about to descend before Ymir on the ground.

—The forces are evenly matched.

The chief god declared.

—Therefore, whoever defeats either of their main forces first will have the advantage.

Because the now-free main force could head to the next battlefield to provide support.

The ravens cawed once more and rose higher. It looked down on the battlefield, watching the heroes fight.

First—its path was that of the Wolfbone Fenrir, which was cutting down the enemy formations as it advanced.

◆◆◆

The chains flashed, scattering sunlight as they rattled through the air.

Before the temple walls, Mia swung out her chained axe, sweeping aside the charging wolves. Any that survived her assault were swiftly dealt with by Felix’s blazing firebolts.

Reeling the axe back with a sharp pull of the chain, Mia curled her lips into a fierce grin.

“Ha! Just like we thought—they came charging in right from the start!”

Most of the monsters had been halted by the gathered soldiers and adventurers. Along the front line stood the Sentinel Golems brought by the dwarves, serving quite literally as living walls.

Yet some creatures ignored all obstacles and pressed onward toward the fortress. One of them was a gigantic wolf standing well over five meters tall—

Fenrir.

“So we meet again.”

The enormous wolf lunged forward, jaws gaping wide.

Mia and Felix leapt in opposite directions. Fenrir’s fangs snapped shut with a thunderous clack, biting only empty air. Even passing by the beast was enough to unleash a violent gust that threatened to sweep them off their feet.

“This thing’s insane!”

Mia clicked her tongue in frustration.

“Hmph!”

Fenrir twisted around with startling speed and fixed its gaze on the walls. Dodging the arrows and ice projectiles raining down upon it, the great wolf sprinted through the deliberately created gaps in the defensive formation.

Mia and Felix immediately gave chase after the monstrous wolf.

“…Just as we expected, the enemy has already chosen its main assault force.”

“Yeah. That’s exactly what’s happening.”

The swift giant wolf, Fenrir.

And the World Serpent, Jormungandr, whose immense size allowed it to crush soldiers and knights beneath its coils.

Neither could be compared to ordinary monsters. The enemy likely numbered in the tens of thousands, but creatures of such overwhelming power would never advance in step with goblins and kobolds. They would always surge ahead of the horde.

The battle was divided into two fronts.

On one side, vast numbers of adventurers and soldiers fought to repel the endless waves of monsters. On the other, Rion, Mia, the gods, and the strongest warriors faced the titanic monsters that could brush aside entire defensive lines as though they were nothing.

If the former was a battle of attrition—a struggle where victory would take time to decide—then the latter was a contest of lightning strikes, where the outcome could be settled in an instant.

If, for example, Jormungandr burst through the defenses at the very beginning and smashed the temple walls, the entire defense could collapse in a single stroke.

No matter how many adventurers and soldiers they gathered, it would all be meaningless if they failed to withstand the devastating charges of the strongest monsters.

That was precisely why Mia and the others had prepared a plan.

“—Fenrir’s yours, Rion.”

A small figure leapt down from the great tower and landed directly in the giant wolf’s path.

Against the swift Fenrir, they would send warriors just as swift: Solana and Rion.

That was the essence of their strategy—

To match each known enemy powerhouse against the ally best suited to counter it.

Felix narrowed his eyes even further.

“So far, everything is proceeding according to plan. Lord Thor is engaging the World Serpent Jormungandr. Heimdall-sama, who has fought Ymir before, is confronting him once again. Uru-sama, whose tracking abilities are unmatched, is handling Freyr. And Hati the Wolfbone should be dealt with by the gods as well.”

Running a hand through her crimson hair, Mia tapped the handle of her axe against her shoulder armor. There was always the possibility of unknown enemies appearing. Still, there was no reason not to make use of the information they already had.

In a lower voice, she added,

“Though I doubt it’ll go that perfectly.”

At that moment, a chill crawled down her spine.

Killing intent.

Mia spun around.

A towering humanoid monster stood behind them, looking down upon the pair.

Felix’s expression stiffened.

“Mia, don’t tell me you just had to say something like that—”

“How is this my fault!?”

A hulking figure, well over two meters tall, stood before them draped in rough, tattered cloth. Its staff bore a wolf-shaped ornament at its tip, and its mouth was split all the way to its ears. Slowly, grotesquely, those jaws spread open.

A low chant seeped from between rows of jagged teeth.

“…Wolfbone Hati.”

The incantation continued.

Mia and Felix instinctively stepped backward.

The flaw in their strategy was obvious—

No matter how carefully they planned their match-ups, the enemy was under no obligation to cooperate. The battle would not unfold exactly as they wished. Hati had likely ridden on Fenrir’s back—or used some similar means—to cut straight through the battlefield and reach this point.

Felix glanced toward the sky.

“The gods aren’t coming. They may be occupied on other fronts… or dealing with Freyr.”

Mia clicked her tongue and raised her chained axe.

Then—

“Get down!”

A voice rang out from behind them. Arrows and blazing firebolts rained from the walls toward Hati’s massive frame. But every single projectile was stopped by a magical barrier. Hati drove the butt of its staff into the earth.

The ground beneath Mia and Felix suddenly lurched.

“Whoa—!?”

Chunks of rock tore free from the earth and rose into the air before being hurled toward the walls. Cries of alarm erupted along the battlements, followed by the thunderous sound of shattering stone and timber. Fragments of destroyed giant ballistae rained down from above.

Hati opened its grotesquely split jaws.

“Caw!”

Around the giant’s body, spheres of fire and ice materialized. One after another, they slammed into the fortress walls. The runes carved by the dwarves blazed brightly, as though screaming under the strain as they struggled to absorb the impacts.

Felix’s composed features twisted with alarm.

“To unleash attacks of that magnitude against the walls from this distance…!”

A mage’s strength was measured by power and range.

The monsters of the mythic age surpassed all standards in both. Twisting its torn mouth into something resembling a grin, Hati raised its staff toward Mia and Felix.

The corner of Mia’s mouth twitched. It wasn’t funny. And yet, somehow, she felt like laughing.

“…And here we are, just ordinary adventurers.”

The levels that represented an adventurer’s strength were thirty-four for Mia and forty-two for Felix. Unlike Rion, they did not have a goddess like Solana fighting at their side. Nor were they blessed with multiple divine gifts. The boy who had once been a rookie adventurer was now racing ahead, striving to become a hero beyond the reach of those who had once guided him.

The Crimson Axe in Mia’s hand glimmered faintly, as though encouraging its wielder.

Leaning on his staff, Felix extended a hand toward her.

“It seems we’ll have to become heroes in this battle as well.”

“…Yeah.”

Mia tightened her grip on her axe and grinned despite herself.

“Guess we don’t have much choice.”

Mia tightened the chain around her right hand.

She exchanged nods with Felix, who stood to her left.

She had trained with this narrow-eyed wizard, whom she initially disliked, several times, avoiding his gaze each time.

“Now—I won’t lose!”

She glared at Hati.

“Your wolfbone Skol relatives gave me a hard time. It’s time to settle the score!”

◆◆◆

A heavy boom echoed across the battlefield, and the ground trembled beneath my feet.

Beside Solana, I faced the gigantic wolf. I flicked my gaze to the right for a moment. In the distance, Mia-san and Felix-san were engaged with another powerful foe—most likely Wolfbone Hati.

Floating in the air, Solana crossed her arms.

“We really do seem to have a connection with wolves.”

The great wolf Fenrir stared at us, breathing heavily. The beast was larger than a house. Its mere presence pressed down on me like a physical weight.

“…And in the end, you chose neither to join the monsters nor to flee into the new world—”

Fenrir bared its savage fangs in a grin. Each tooth, slick with saliva, was as large as a sword.

“Yet you still stand against us, fighting to protect people who have absolutely nothing to do with you.”

As it spoke, Fenrir began circling around me.

Slowly.

Patiently.

Like a predator stalking its prey and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The sight made my skin crawl. Every instinct in my body screamed at me not to let my guard down.

“The ‘pack’ you speak of seems quite different from our own.”

Keeping my short sword at the ready, I never took my eyes off Fenrir. The giant wolf fell silent after that. The sounds of fierce battle echoed through the sky, and the ground continued to tremble beneath our feet. Yet the standoff between Fenrir and me was eerily quiet.

Focus.

Right now, I felt like I could hear even a single drop of water falling.

Fenrir let out a lone howl.

That must have been the signal as shadows rushed in from all directions—the wolves that had broken through the battle lines. They leaped at me, claws and fangs bared, intent on tearing me apart.

“Wake up!”

Explosions of flame erupted around me.

From the crystals embedded in my equipment, I summoned the wind spirit Sylph and the fire spirit Salamander.

“Woof!”

“Pii!”

I combined two types of spirits using Loki’s blessing, “Friend of the Spirits.” When wind fed the flames, what would have been ordinary fire transformed into a raging inferno. The wolves blasted away by the explosion turned to black ash in an instant.

From the gauntlet on my right arm, I summoned Undine, the water spirit, as well. Water surged up from the moat and rose into a makeshift wall that I sent rushing toward Fenrir.

“…So you truly intend to win, do you? Just because you managed to defeat Freyr—”

If our forces were evenly matched, then I couldn’t afford to lose my own battle either.

“Of course I do!”

As if answering my shout, Fenrir sprang toward me.

Thunderous crashes echoed from every direction.Everyone was fighting out there too—I was sure of it. And so would I!

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

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The day of the apocalypse had arrived.

The morning was unnaturally quiet. Thanks to the habits I’d picked up working as a wake-up caller, I woke at my usual early hour. But something about the dawn felt wrong. The atmosphere was stiff and tense and not a single beast or bird made a sound. It was as if some strange force had spread across the entire world, pressing down upon every living thing.

I quickly pulled on my boots and changed clothes before stepping out from the temple tower. After washing my face at the well, I checked each piece of equipment in order—short sword, armor, gauntlets, pouch, knee guards. Finally, I pulled the gold coin from my pocket.

Even within the dim morning light, the coin gleamed softly, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as though the engraved goddess was smiling at me. From the war horn hanging at my pouch, Heimdall’s voice called out.

『The morning of destiny has come.』

A cool breeze swept across the temple grounds. I lowered my chin and clenched the gold coin tightly in my hand.

“—Yeah!”

After finishing a light meal and warming up, I crossed the courtyard now crowded with even more tents and ran up toward the city wall. Slowly, the morning sun rose over the horizon. The armor of adventurers and knights lined across the gentle hills glittered brilliantly beneath the sunlight.

I narrowed my eyes.

“…So many people came.”

Those words slipped from my lips before I realized it.

Tens of thousands gathered around the royal capital. Thousands more standing here to defend our temple. An unimaginable number of people and gods had united to clash against the monster horde.

Goosebumps rose along the back of my neck. Because this scene looked exactly like the legends of the Age of Myth. Soon, a thousand years of history would finally receive its answer.

Had sealing the enemy away merely delayed defeat… or had it truly bought humanity a future?

The temple grounds had become bustling before I even noticed. Adventurers led by Mia-san and Felix-san moved swiftly into position, while dwarves like Safi hurried to their assigned places along the walls and moat. Lu had probably already evacuated beneath the great tower housing the Frost Orb. Mother, drawing upon her experience working at the clinic, would remain inside the cathedral serving as a field hospital. The earth itself seemed filled with fighting spirit.

Surely tens of thousands of eyes throughout the royal capital were fixed upon the rising sun, watching carefully for the slightest sign of change.

I focused my senses and waited for the moment to come.

The gold coin trembled faintly inside my pocket.

Then the goddess’s voice whispered softly.

『It’s coming .』

Because we had prepared ourselves for this, I answered without hesitation.

“Yeah.”

The sun had risen completely. A small part of its edge was missing. The dark, missing area expanded, as if being gnawed away by a giant mouth.

A murmur arose on the hillside.

The participants in the battle had been informed of the eclipse and its purpose: to weaken the gods. Yet, the unrest was so profound, surely because the sight of the sun being obscured seemed to foreshadow the end.

Heimdall called out.

『Rion. 』

The gods within the coin spoke one after another, their voices encouraging me.

『This time, I’ll fight until the very end』

Thor declared.

『Me too… until the end.』

Sigris seconded.

『Naturally, I shall too. This time, we will protect life.』

Uru added.

Loki spoke last.

『Fufufu… our preparations are flawless as well. A solar eclipse is, at its core, a perfectly natural phenomenon caused by the moon’s influence. There is no need to fear it… yet.』

Just as Loki had said. The sun dimmed, and the entire world was dyed in a burning crimson twilight. Soon, a dark shadow completely swallowed the sun. The last remaining rays shone with sudden brilliance, like the final flicker of a candle before it died.

And then—

The sun vanished from the sky. The world became wrapped in the color of dawn before sunrise. Silence blanketed the hills. Even the sound of someone coughing from hundreds of meters away echoed strangely loud through the stillness.

I glared upward.

In the place where the sun had once been, a pale ring of light remained suspended in the heavens. Like a hole torn open in the world itself.

—Creeeak.

Cracks spread across both sides of the glowing ring. The fractures widened rapidly, splitting farther and farther apart until it looked as though a colossal tear would rip straight from the zenith of the sky to the horizon itself.

My breathing grew ragged.

One after another, monsters descended upon the hills. The howls of wolves. The roaring of the writhing World Serpent. And the cries of countless monsters merged together, filling the air with sounds that resembled both jubilation and rage.

Everyone at ready below—on the walls, across the battlefield—must have been hearing the same thing. That was exactly why I had to blow it.

『—Let’s start. 』

At Heimdall’s voice, I took out the Gjallarhorn, the alarm horn.

Skill『Alarm』 was used. 【Master of the Horn】 ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Fully unlocks the power of the horn.

I blew the Gjallarhorn, the alarm horn. The sound spread throughout the world.

Skill『Alarm』was used. Executing 【Unseal】.

A curtain of light danced in the dark sky. It was an aurora woven by the magic of the gods. The horn, resounding throughout the world, awakens the gods sleeping in each labyrinth. And I will borrow their power—their magic—to face this current crisis.

Countless points of light appeared above the horizon.

“…!”

The gods burst forth from the gold coin and the war horn.

Heimdall. Thor. Loki. Uru. Sigris. And Solana.

Beneath the shimmering aurora overhead, countless rainbows stretched across the distant sky. Every seven-colored bridge converged above me. Streams of multicolored magic poured into Solana. The gods who had awakened far away were lending their power to this battlefield.

“Let’s go.”

As the goddess swept her arm through the air, light spilled once more from the fading sun. It was as if the sun itself had regained a fragment of its strength. The darkened heavens brightened slightly, shifting into the deep colors of twilight.

The sky burned.

The earth burned.

And beneath that blazing world, we stood face-to-face with the invading monsters.

“Go!”

I raised the war horn high.

“We’ll drive back the monsters—drive back the apocalypse itself!”

Then I blew into the horn with every ounce of strength remaining in me.

Not only for the gods—

But to rally everyone fighting here.

We will win!

As though answering the cry of the horn, thunderous cheers erupted throughout the Royal Capital.

A colossal serpent advanced. A gigantic wolf charged across the hills. And behind the endless monster army, I could clearly see the figure of the primordial titan—Ymir.

Then the armies of humanity and the gods collided head-on with the monstrous tidal wave.

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

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In the Age of Myth—

Burning magic and freezing magic collided within the empty void, giving birth to the primordial titan, Ymir. The sun itself was a crystallization of that ancient burning magic. Even now, it continued to pour the warmth that became the source of all life down upon the world.

And a solar eclipse was the moment that sun was obscured. When the sun darkened, humans and gods alike weakened. Meanwhile, monsters grew stronger.

According to the gods, humanity and the divine had originally been shaped primarily from warm magic when they were created. We absorbed that same power from sunlight and transformed it into vitality. In fact, Solana’s Light of the Sun’s Awakening granted the gods the strength to resist their seals precisely by drawing upon the magic carried within sunlight itself.

That was why Ymir was waiting for the eclipse. Because when the sun waned, the magic sustaining the gods would weaken as well. And in that fleeting moment of opportunity, he intended to carry out a massive teleportation.

The world-wide message that had descended upon us had already foretold the great invasion of monsters—the coming apocalypse. Odin must have realized Ymir’s intentions long ago; that was why he had been able to predict the day of the eclipse and declare exactly when the end would arrive.

“—Hup.”

Lost in thought, I hauled another crate of supplies toward the Odis Temple.

Ever since our journey into the Blood-red sunset wasteland, time had passed in the blink of an eye. Now, the day Ymir would attack was only three days away. Carrying the wooden crate in my arms, I climbed the stairs leading up the fortress wall.

The spring sunlight had already grown almost unbearably warm. Across the rolling hills, flashes of armor and weapons glittered everywhere. Echoing battle cries rang through the air as knights and adventurers practiced formations in preparation for the coming war.

“—Shield wall, ready!”

“—OOOH!”

The answering roar filled the air with strength.

Listening to it, I turned my gaze southeast.

A long procession of wagons and people stretched toward the Royal Capital’s walls. They were probably villagers from nearby settlements. With the entire region soon to become a battlefield, the evacuation effort was entering its final stage.

“Rion!”

A group of adventurers preparing outside raised their hands toward me. I waved back before carrying the wooden crate into one of the towers built into the wall. Inside, the place had been transformed into a dwarven workshop.

Bari, leader of the white dwarves—the Aalvs—accepted the crate from me with a smile.

“Our thanks.”

When the dwarves opened the box, fist-sized magic stones were packed tightly inside. One of the black dwarves—the Dwergs—crossed his thick arms.

“Make sure you protect your little sister!”

“Yes. You all stay safe too!”

Leaving the tower behind, I ran along the top of the wall.

Just then, another wagon passed through the gate below. The courtyard had completely changed. Barrels and crates were piled everywhere, and temporary tents had been erected across the grounds.

There was a reason so many supplies had been gathered here. It was already public knowledge that Ymir’s target was this temple.

The Frost Orb housed within the warriors’ headquarters was the keystone maintaining the seal. If the orb were destroyed, monsters would pour out from the labyrinth beneath the royal capital itself. There was no way Ymir would ignore such a target, so reinforcing the defenses here was the logical choice.

But there were still truths we couldn’t reveal publicly.

Ymir’s true objective.

The fact that Freyja—the goddess herself—resided within Lu, along with the power of creation. That ability was far too dangerous. If the truth became known, Lu would inevitably be dragged into endless conflict and political struggle.

Part of me felt guilty for hiding it. Still… no matter what happened after the war, I wanted to protect Lou from becoming the center of the world’s attention.

The gold coin trembled, and Solana’s voice echoed from within it.

『So the time has finally come…』

A strange feeling suddenly washed over me, and I turned around.

Lu was standing there in her priestess robes.

“Oniichan.”

“Lu.”

“…Can you come with me for a moment?”

After signaling apologetically to the others working nearby, I followed after her. We stopped behind the cathedral, in the same place where everyone had once trained together.

Lu spoke quietly.

“The final battle’s almost here, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

Her eyes wandered uncertainly.

…What’s wrong?

“Oniichan… when the time comes, I’ll protect everyone.”

Her words trailed off there. Then she narrowed her sky-blue eyes slightly.

“Freyja-sama… at this rate, she’s going to disappear, isn’t she?”

My eyes widened in shock.

Lu lowered her chin gently.

Freyja’s existence had been a secret shared only between me and the gods. We had told the princess, yes, but I couldn’t imagine she would have revealed it to Lu. Because once the truth was spoken aloud, it felt like a burden too heavy for her to bear.

“…Lu.”

“Don’t apologize. I know you and the others were trying to protect me by keeping it secret. But… lately, I’ve started noticing changes in magic power somehow.”

“I see…”

“…I’ve been holding back during my magic training recently. So I don’t put too much strain on Freyja-sama.”

The ringing clang of dwarven hammers echoed nearby. Orders from adventurers rose through the air. When I looked up, I saw the Medicine God Sigris soaring across the sky, trails of light from his spear following behind him. The gods were watching over everyone’s preparations like that.

“…Sometimes I think about it.”

She spoke as though forcing the words out from deep inside herself.

“Why did Freyja-sama choose to enter a human, even though it was so dangerous? I think… she wanted Odin to see this.”

Her gaze drifted toward the bustling temple grounds.

“All of us trying so hard together like this.”

For my sake.

For a moment, I felt as though those words had slipped from Lu’s lips without sound.

Her hand was clutching tightly at her chest.

“Does it hurt?”

Shaking her head, she replied,

“No. I’m scared.”

Lu lowered her gaze.

“I… think I might understand Odin’s plan.”

A chill ran down my spine.

She gripped her left arm with her right hand and bowed her head.

“Oniichan, if you never came back….. it would hurt so much. I’d be lonely. And if that happened… then I think I can understand Odin wanting to run away to another world together with everyone he loves.”

Then she looked up and met my eyes directly.

“But… I also know that isn’t the right answer.”

For a long moment, we simply stared at each other. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder. Whenever Lu had been sick… whenever we’d fought as children… I’d always understood her just by touching her like this.

But now…

It felt as though she was thinking about something beyond my reach. Something different from me. Her feelings no longer flowed clearly through that simple warmth between us.

Then Lu smiled.

“No matter what happens… this time, I’ll protect you, Oniichan.”

“Lu…?”

Panic slipped into my voice.

“I’ll protect you too! No matter what happens—no matter what it costs!”

“…Thank you.”

Lu smiled again.

It was the first time I had ever seen a smile that looked so close to tears. My chest tightened painfully, and before I could stop myself, I pulled my little sister into my arms.

“…Everything will be alright.”

“Yeah…” Lu murmured softly.

All we need is wait for the end of the world to come.

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

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The vast chamber of the dungeon lay in absolute silence.

I took several shallow breaths.

Calm down.

The power the enemy had obtained was far beyond anything normal—so overwhelming it threatened to crush my composure. But moments like this were exactly when the basics mattered most. I spread my feet shoulder-width apart and consciously lowered my center of gravity. My breathing came not from my chest, but from deep within my abdomen.

A power capable of tearing through the world itself.

My eyes fixed on the rift floating in the air before us. If I looked away from it now, victory would forever remain out of reach.

Solana’s voice trembled as she spoke.

“So it’s the power to rip through the world, open a hole in it, and pass through to instantly travel anywhere… In effect, teleportation.”

The Medicine God, Sigris, nodded with a pale expression.

“And if the monsters under his command can pass through those openings as well, then he can send them anywhere.”

“I see…”

Shaking his brown braids, the God of Hunting, Uru, narrowed his sharp eyes.

“That explains why he abandoned a stronghold like this dungeon so easily. No matter where he is, he can simply tear open the world and send an army of monsters straight into the Royal Capital.”

From the rift in space, a chilling wind whistled through the chamber. It resembled the freezing air that had once blown through the Great Void before the world itself had been born.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“Then… they can attack from anywhere.”

The princess had already begun rallying support within the Royal Castle, gathering adventurers and strengthening the city’s defenses in preparation for war. But if the enemy truly possessed a power like this, then Ymir might suddenly appear inside those defenses without warning.

Even this very moment wasn’t safe. There was always the possibility that Ymir and a horde of monsters could emerge here in an instant and attack.

A sudden question surfaced in my mind.

If they were truly that powerful… then why hadn’t they attacked already?

Were they gathering strength? Building an army?

Trying to ease the tension tightening my chest, I took another deep breath.

“…We still don’t have enough information.”

Loki snapped his fingers sharply.

“Then let us recreate Ymir’s form here once more. Just as Luisia requested.”

Loki closed one eye and glanced toward Lu. My little sister gave a small nod before turning her sky-blue eyes toward me.

“There’s something I noticed.”

Once again, the walls and ceiling began to glow faintly. Particles of light rose from the floor and slowly gathered together, reconstructing Ymir’s figure.

This time, the illusion remained perfectly still. Even motionless, his body of over two meters tall radiated overwhelming intimidation.

“Here!”

Lu ran toward the projection and pointed at Ymir’s left arm.

Seeing my little sister standing so close to that monstrous figure was terrible for my heart… Pulling myself together, I looked toward the massive arm she indicated.

A bracelet was shining there.

“This! It’s the bracelet I made back in Flocia!”

Together, we moved toward Ymir’s projection, surrounding the motionless figure.

Solana let out a low murmur.

“So it’s true…”

The icy bracelet reflected the goddess’s face as she leaned in for a closer look.

I tried to organize my thoughts.

“Wait… Lu put that on him during the battle in Flocia, right?”

“Yeah. It was originally a pair of shackles, but…”

In the battle that followed soon after, the shackle on the right side—and the chain connecting them—had been destroyed. Which meant only the left half remained, hanging from Ymir’s arm like a bracelet.

In other words…

For some reason, Ymir still hadn’t been able to destroy that remaining shackle.

Lu clenched both fists tightly.

“Ymir still hasn’t managed to break it. Which means… there must be something within us that even the enemy can’t destroy!”

Her hair swayed as she looked straight at me with unwavering eyes. I scratched my cheek awkwardly. It was true—we still didn’t know why Ymir couldn’t break the left shackle. But perhaps Lu was right. Maybe there really was something we possessed that even an enemy like him couldn’t crush… something beyond his power to overcome.

The fact that Lu could still find hope in that possibility was incredible in itself.

“Right, Oniichan? I’m right, aren’t I?”

Before I realized it, I was smiling.

“Yeah. Ymir may be strong… but I’m sure we’re not going to lose either.”

My voice echoed across the vast chamber far louder than I expected. Even I was surprised by how strongly it rang out.

…Was that just forced bravado?

Still, it was far better than hanging my head in despair.

Heimdall burst into laughter.

“Ha ha! Exactly. The enemy certainly appears overwhelming, but…”

His cool eyes narrowed slightly.

“There are still unanswered questions. Ymir’s world-devouring power—hm, calling it teleportation would be simpler. If he can truly use it freely, then yes, it’s a terrifying threat. But it’s more natural to assume there are limitations.”

Heimdall pointed toward the rift in the air.

“The most likely explanation is that even Ymir consumes an enormous amount of magic power to perform these transfers. If he is conserving his strength for the final battle, then it would explain why things remain quiet for now.”

Solana slowly spoke up.

“About that… I believe I may have discovered why Ymir plans to attack three weeks after the battle at the Royal Capital.”

Startled, I looked back at the goddess.

Solana gave a faint, self-deprecating smile and shook her head.

“More accurately… perhaps I should say I remembered. As the Daughter of the Sun, I should have realized it much sooner.”

She placed a hand over her chest.

“Everyone, close your eyes. I want to show you the memories of us gods.”

I exchanged glances with Lu, Mia-san, and the others.

Then I closed my eyes.

Solana’s voice echoed directly inside my mind.

“I will now show you a scene from the distant past. From the Age of Myth… the battle in which we were defeated.”

Something appeared within the darkness behind my closed eyes.

Flames.

A single spark spread in an instant, illuminating the world around it. Before I knew it, I was floating high in the sky, gazing down upon a land consumed by war. Looking around, I saw Lu, Mia-san, Felix-san, and Safi nearby. The gods floated slightly below us, all of them staring down at the battlefield beneath.

This was—

The war from a thousand years ago.

The battle between gods and monsters… the battle they had lost. The beginning of everything that had led to the conflict we now faced. Perhaps because we were viewing it from such an impossible height, I couldn’t distinguish individual soldiers or monsters fighting across the green hills below. The human armies and the monster hordes looked instead like massive waves crashing against one another.

Sometimes the waves collided and pushed each other back. Sometimes one side shattered and was swallowed whole. Then suddenly, the world darkened.

Lu whispered softly.

“…Night?”

“No,” Solana answered from below us. “The sun.”

The goddess pointed toward the sky. The sun that had illuminated the hills was slowly being devoured, piece by piece. Until, at last, it vanished completely. Darkness like deep night fell over the land, and the monster army seemed to surge forward with renewed ferocity.

Solana spoke quietly.

“…That was the moment my mother—the Sun Goddess—was struck down by the monsters. I inherited her role afterward, and eventually the light returned… but for a time, the world was swallowed by darkness.”

This must have been when Solana had been sealed away inside the gold coin. So if the Sun Goddess disappeared, even the light pouring from the sun itself became distorted…

“In the previous apocalypse, the enemy targeted my mother first. The magical power radiating from the sun strengthens all living beings. Just as my Light of the Sun’s Awakening awakens gods and dwarves alike… the enemy sought to destroy the sun before anything else.”

Solana floated upward slightly until she was level with us.

Her gaze slowly swept across everyone present.

Then the goddess spoke.

“They’ll do the same thing this time.”

“…You mean they’re targeting you, Solana?”

I cut in immediately.

“Then we’ll protect you no matter what.”

“W-what!? N-no… that’s not what I mean.”

Solana shook her head quickly, her cheeks faintly red. Lu suddenly leaned forward, while Felix-san kept awkwardly clearing his throat beside her.

“Ahem… Anyway. For some time now, I’ve felt that something about the sun has been… strange. So I’ve been observing it in secret.”

Come to think of it, there had been moments when Solana disappeared from the gold coin for a while. Several times, she had mentioned being worried about “the condition of the sun.”

“I’ll explain it plainly. Soon, the light of the sun will weaken. The monsters are waiting for that moment. In other words, the reason the apocalypse is set for three weeks from now… is because the day the sun weakens has already been decided.”

I tilted my head in confusion.

But aside from Thor, the other gods all nodded as though they understood immediately.

Mia-san spoke first.

“…There’s really a day like that?”

“There is. It’s the solar eclipse.”

Solana answered.

I’d heard about it before from Father. Very rarely, there came days when the sun appeared partially swallowed away. During those times, magical power became unstable, and adventurers were warned to act with caution. According to scholars, eclipses could supposedly be predicted in advance to some degree… though whether that truly counted as prophecy, I didn’t know.

“…In the past, the enemy targeted the sun first. And the sun itself sometimes waxes and wanes like the moon. As the Daughter of the Sun, I should have realized the connection immediately…”

Solana lowered her gaze with a bitter smile.

“Perhaps… I simply lacked the courage to look back on the past… Pathetic, isn’t it?”

Little by little, the burning hills spread beneath us began to fade away.

Before long, we found ourselves back within the vast chamber of the dungeon. The freezing wind still blew from the crack in space, yet now I could also feel a warm breeze drifting in from somewhere beyond.

Maybe the winds outside the labyrinth had changed direction.

“Alright. Let’s organize what we know.”

I took a breath and continued.

“Ymir can teleport together with huge numbers of monsters. But doing so consumes an enormous amount of magic power.”

Loki lightly clapped his hands.

“…And when the sun’s light weakens, monsters grow stronger instead. Many monsters are vulnerable to the magic of the sun. Just as cold magic and burning magic once clashed in ancient times, opposing forces always exist in this world. If the power of the sun diminishes, then the opposing force—the magic that strengthens monsters—will naturally intensify.”

Loki raised a finger as he continued.

“More importantly, the seal covering the world is still functioning. Since the gods created that seal, if the sun weakens and the gods themselves weaken as well, then naturally the seal will temporarily weaken too.”

At those words, everything finally clicked into place.

I lowered my chin slowly.

“So transporting massive armies requires huge amounts of magic power… That’s why Ymir is waiting for the solar eclipse, when they’ll be strengthened.”

Now the logic was clear. They would wait for the eclipse, empower themselves through the weakened sun, and then use that amplified strength to send countless monsters near the royal capital in a single move.

That was Ymir’s strategy.

Heimdall smiled.

“Now that we understand the enemy’s plan, the answer is simple. Even when the eclipse comes, we must prevent any teleportation inside the capital’s walls.”

Loki had already folded his arms, deep in thought.

“Hm. If we pour all our magical power into the Frost Orb that controls the seal, I believe we could at least block monster teleportation around the royal capital and the warriors’ temple. We can leave the construction work to the dwarves, of course…”

“…It’ll be difficult, but not impossible.”

Safi answered while twirling her hammer.

Yeah. We’d achieved what we came to the dungeon for. We finally understood how the enemy intended to strike.

I looked toward everyone and called out firmly.

“Let’s head outside.”

Careful not to let my voice shake, I still forced strength into my words.

“We’re going to win!”

Together, we left behind the dungeon known as Blood-Red Sunset. As I gripped the war horn in my hand, I made a silent vow within the dungeon where Father had lost his life.

I will protect what you entrusted to me.

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

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The deepest part of the dungeon was a circular hall. The ceiling was shaped like an inverted bowl, soaring high above. A three-story tower could easily fit within this chamber. Those who had arrived first were waiting along the walls.

Mia-san, Felix-san, and the gods—Thor, Loki, Heimdall—stood in a loose formation. Safi, the dwarf blacksmith was a little distance away. Looks like she is already beginning to examine the floor. Behind them loomed a large pedestal, accessible by stairs. The upper section jutted toward the center of the room like a promontory. This was likely the control point for the divine artifact in the chamber—or perhaps, the chamber itself was the divine artifact—the Yggdrasil Water Mirror. On a bridge-like section that stretched into the air, several magic stones had been placed atop a platform.

As I scanned the room, Lu suddenly leapt into my chest.

“Oniichan!”

She pressed her face against me, letting out a deep, shuddering breath.

“…Thank goodness.”

Her sky-blue eyes wellep up in tears as she looked up at me. The floppy hat of a novice priest drooped, almost sliding off her head.

“I’m fine. Sorry for making you worry.”

I smiled at Lu. She shook her head and stepped back, then spoke.

“T-the god… Freyr was here, right?”

For a moment, her eyes seemed to glow green—the same color as when Freyja first awakened. I froze in surprise.

“…How do you know?”

“Freyja-sama told me.”

“I-I see…”

I could only nod, overwhelmed. Freyr’s words echoed in my mind.

—Freyja will soon be absorbed by Luisia.

Honestly… it was hard to believe. But after everything I’d seen of the Skill: Miko, it carried an undeniable weight.

“Oniichan?”

I snapped back to attention. Next to me, Solana quietly shook her head. It wasn’t the time to tell Lu about Freyr; the impact on her would be too great.

A sharp tap echoed through the hall.

The dwarf blacksmith, Safi, rested a hand on the floor and spoke.

“Shall we get ready?”

Safi seemed to be examining the floor with her golden hammer. Occasionally, she struck the ground with it. Each time she did, the floor around her glowed, and magical runes floated into view.

I lowered my chin.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

I cast my gaze toward the center of the room. There was a vertical rift, about the length of my arm, suspended in midair. From the far side of the room, Thor raised his voice.

“Rion, that’s what we’re looking at, huh?”

“I think so. It’s very similar to the rift I saw in the capital. This must be where the monsters came from.”

I could feel the tension rising in everyone around me.

“If we investigate this, we should be able to figure out the kind of power Ymir currently wields.”

Of course, the rift in the capital had been several times larger. A bear-like monster, bigger than a carriage, had been able to slip right through it. The force Ymir used to send monsters into the city was likely one of the first mysteries we needed to uncover.

Solana floated into the air and approached the tear.

“Hmm… there’s evidence that something enormous tried to close this rift. It was probably much larger when it first appeared.”

The faintly open crack in the air let a chill wind flow through. Solana’s blonde hair fluttered in the cold gust.

“…But this wind… it carries a magical presence I feel like I’ve sensed before.”

The goddess placed a finger at her lips. With his black robe billowing, Loki also descended from the ceiling.

“If we investigate, we’ll know immediately.”

W-when did he get up there…?

His droopy eyes glinted as he snapped his fingers. The magic stone on the pedestal along the wall glowed with a soft blue light.

Loki turned to stand beside me, looking at Lu.

“Luisia. Are you ready?”

My sister’s expression was tense, her lips pressed tightly together.

“…C-can I really do this properly?”

“It’s simple. With your current self, you can do it.”

Lu took a few steps forward. She stopped at the center of the room, just a few meters away from the tear in the air.

“L-Lu…!”

I didn’t want her standing in such a dangerous spot. I tried to rush past her, but Loki’s robe blocked my way.

“Loki!”

“Quiet for now. Trust in your sister’s efforts up until now.”

Lu extended her hands forward. A green light gathered there, as if threads of pure radiance were being woven in her palms, forming something new. The air itself trembled slightly.

This is…

“Her heartbeat?”

Thump, thump.

The light in Lu’s hands pulsed in rhythm with the sound. Gradually, the glow intensified, spreading all the way to the high ceiling. And with each beat, the light shimmered, subtly swaying. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I don’t think any of the gods, nor Mia-san and the others, could look away either.

Solana murmured, almost in a whisper.

“So… the ‘Power of Creation’… it was once part of Ymir.”

The magic runes etched into the room began to faintly glow. Particles of light rose from the floor and ceiling, converging in front of Lu.

And then—a figure appeared. A towering man, over two meters tall.

I couldn’t help but gasp.

“Ymir…!”

Just as I had seen in Flocia, the primordial titan appeared before us. But unlike that time, the fear that had sent chills down my spine was absent. Somewhere in my head, I understood. This was an illusion created by magical power.

Even so, my throat tightened.

Golden hair flowed richly. Even over fine clothing, the sheer strength of his massive frame was evident. His twisted mouth revealed ferocious teeth. Even knowing this titan—the one who had created everything—was merely an illusion, his presence was so overwhelming it pinned my feet to the floor.

Loki spoke.

“The ‘Yggdrasil Water Mirror’ has the ability to reproduce things. Yggdrasil—the World Tree—should hold the magical imprint of Ymir from this place. Using that, and with a part of Ymir—namely, the ‘Power of Creation’—as a catalyst, it calls forth this projection.”

His words raced through my mind like a sudden torrent.

I must have had my mouth open in shock.

Looking toward the wall, I saw Mia-san’s eyes narrowed to slits, equally stunned.

“…I see. So, what you’re saying is—?”

Felix-san rubbed his eyes.

“…Using the artifact’s functions, it’s reproducing the scene from when Ymir was here. This way, we can see, in one glance, exactly how Ymir created the rift. It projects the very moment Ymir tore open space as an illusion.”

An illusion of Ymir, created by magical power.

Step by step, Ymir advanced toward the center of the room. Then, opening his massive mouth, he bit into the air. Where Ymir’s bite struck, a large vertical crack split the space. With a creaking sound, as if ice itself were groaning, the rift widened further and further. Eventually, a massive gap over three meters tall yawned open, like a pitch-black mouth. It was as if a gateway to another world had opened.

We all held our breath.

Ymir lingered for a moment, then stepped into the void.

Then the illusion vanished.

The rift left in the space gradually shrank, eventually settling perfectly over the remaining fissure that still exists today. Before we knew it, the scene had finished replaying. The cold wind blowing through the crack whistled, chilling us to the bone.

Lu lowered her arms, sweat dripping down her forehead. I rushed forward to support my sister’s trembling body.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… I’m fine. I was just scared.”

I think it took me quite a while to even find my voice.

“That just now—”

Solana took over before I could finish.

“I’ve never seen power like that before. It looked as if it disappeared into that void…”

Heimdall stepped forward.

Crossing in front of us, he fixed his gaze on the rift in the space.

“…He might have… eaten it.”

I frowned, confused.

“Eat what?”

“This world itself.”

My brow furrowed.

Heimdall, in the calm, calculating expression of a strategist, scanned the surroundings.

“This world was created by the ‘Power of Creation.’ From nothing, it was brought into existence. And Ymir… he possesses that ‘Power of Creation.’ That is why he attempts to devour both gods and humans alike.”

I remembered the battle in the blood-red sunset, where my father had been. Even then, Ymir had said: “The world created by me… I shall return it to me once more!”

And in Flocia, it had already devoured temples, sacred jewels, and countless divine artifacts.

I stared at the rift that still exhaled icy cold. This chill… I’d felt it somewhere before. Solana reached toward the crack in the air, her hand stretching out as if to touch it.

“…! This… this is just like the cold before this world was born. Back when it was still just a vast void.”

A memory surfaced in my chest.

When Solana and the others had shown us the battles of the mythic age. It was the scene before the world was formed by the Power of Creation. There was nothing—just cold magical energy and heat-laden magical energy. Other than that, only emptiness stretched endlessly. A true void in the literal sense. I recalled that nothingness as I felt the cold wind blowing from the rift in the air.

Loki clapped his hands.

“…I see. I understand now.”

He spread his hands and shrugged, but the seriousness in his drooping eyes was clear.

“So Ymir made a ‘hole’ in this world. A hole here, and a hole where he wants to go. Pass through the two holes, and you can travel instantly, regardless of distance.”

Safi tilted her head, unsure.

“…I don’t really get it, but… does that mean Ymir is making some kind of tunnel that only he can pass through in the world?”

“A tunnel, huh… yeah, that’s close enough. But—”

Loki hesitated, as if weighing how much to explain.

“…In Ymir’s case, the ‘holes’ are almost touching. You could call it instant teleportation. That’s because what lies between them is the pre-creation void—before the world existed. Concepts like big or small, far or near, don’t even apply there. As a result, it’s effectively instantaneous.”

Loki’s words left a lot unclear. But I understood a little. After all, calling forth monsters in the very heart of the capital wouldn’t be possible any other way.

The dungeon was filled with monsters Ymir had created. He probably turned ordinary creatures into monsters and sent them through the rifts into the city.

Solana let out a low hum.

“Power to devour worlds and make holes…”

World-devourer.

A titan capable of consuming humans, gods, skills, everything… the sheer scale of power he’s wielding is unimaginable.

—Could we really defeat him?

A gust of doubt swept through my heart.

But—

“Lu…?”

When I looked up, my eyes met Lu’s. My sister was staring at me.

“It’s okay.”

Lu placed her hand on her chest and smiled. For a moment, I felt like I saw something indescribably intense on my sister’s face.

“Oniichan.”

Lu turned her back to me and pointed to where Ymir’s illusion had been.

“I just realized something.”

My sister asked to make Ymir’s illusion appear again.

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

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Our footsteps echoed through the dim dungeon. I moved along the right-hand wall, Freyr along the left, with Solana between us, keeping a careful watch on him. I never imagined that, in a situation like this, I would actually be having a conversation with this man.

Stay calm. The goal was simple: exchange information. I decided to start by stating the facts.

“Freyja-sama… has already awakened.”

Freyr tilted his head slightly from the opposite wall.

“But—”

He cut me off.

“She cannot appear in the open like the other gods, can she?”

I stared back at him, surprised.

His lips twisted into a faint smirk as he shrugged.

“If it were Odin, perhaps he would. Your sister, Luisia, seems to be both a person and a cage for my own sister, then.”

…Better speak carefully.

I had no idea how much he might already know or suspect about the Skill: Miko. I couldn’t afford to slip and give him more than necessary. Freyr’s blue eyes fixed on me, sharp and unyielding.

“…And… she seems well?”

I could answer that one easily. Somehow, it felt like a genuine question, not just a test.

“Yes.”

“I see.”

Freyr’s expression remained carefully neutral, but behind that mask-like smile, I thought I caught a glimmer of real relief.

We continued exchanging information. I spoke of Freyja, while Freyr shared a bit about Ymir and her followers. It seemed the main base was no longer here—Ymir had long since moved far to the north.

Solana tilted her head.

“The north…”

In the kingdom of Asgard, there lay a barren tundra to the far north. It was plausible that Ymir and the others had hidden there. After all, neither the warrior corps nor adventurers had yet discovered the gathering point of the monsters.

“How did they get to a place like that?”

Freyr let out a soft chuckle.

“Ah… that’s why you came here, isn’t it? Once you reach the end of the dungeon, you’ll understand soon enough.”

He paused. A wind brushed against his cheek.

Thanks to his divine blessing, his senses were sharp—he could tell it was a wind coming from outside.

“…We’ve come quite far.” he muttered.

Then, as if to conclude the conversation, he started walking again.

“By now, my exit is close. It seems this is where we part ways.”

There might be some hidden passage that Ymir and his followers used as a base. Even Freyr wouldn’t want an endless march through the dungeon, constantly risking running into the gods.

“Go on. The Yggdrasil Water Mirror is just down the stairs from here.”

I called out to his retreating back.

“Freyr…”

He didn’t stop. But before we parted, there was something I had to ask.

“…Why are you on the enemy’s side?”

“I already told you,” he replied.

Freyr kept moving forward.

“To retrieve my sister.”

“The sister you speak of… is Freyja. The one I’m trying to protect is Lu. We can cooperate to defeat Ymir, and once it’s all over, we can each return to our families.”

Solana looked at me, surprise written across her face.

“Rion…”

By now, there was no way I could think of him as an ally.

Still, I wanted to understand—down to the deepest reason—why he had to fight. I was already ready to point my short sword at him. All the more reason to ask.

“I’m sorry, Solana. But I need to know,” I said.

Right now, Freyja resided within Lu. It was almost a seal, a side effect of the Skill: Miko, but the original purpose had been to contain the Power of Creation. And because Ymir was a threat, Odin desired that very power.

In other words—if Ymir were defeated…

Then, Freyja could be returned to Lu, the Power of Creation restored to Odin, and both Freyr and I could finally be with our families. In theory, there was hope.

Freyr stopped walking. He didn’t turn his back to me, but his sharp, slit-like eyes glanced over his shoulder.

“…Ymir cannot be defeated. Most likely, the gods will fail again.”

“That… can’t be!”

“There is no time.”

He added, slicing through my words like a sharpened blade.

Solana stepped forward, demanding an explanation.

“…Time?”

“Think about it. Do you imagine it’s easy for a god to dwell within a human?”

Freyr withdrew a flask from his pouch and drank water. I found myself momentarily lost for words.

“That is to say…”

“There is a price. Just as I had to take on a body to resist the seal, Freyja is now gradually being absorbed into Lu—becoming one with her power.”

Both Solana and I caught our breath.

“…Does that mean Freyja will eventually disappear?”

“One body cannot house two awakened minds indefinitely.”

Freyr replied.

I remembered something he had said before: “My sister is two, but she has only one body.” Now, I understood. That was what he meant.

I pressed further.

“Are you sure? Freyja never said anything like that herself.”

“I speak from knowledge and preparation. It would be a burden to your sister—so she would never say it. But… I can feel her magical power slowly changing.”

Freyr’s sharp eyes fixed on the reddish-brown walls ahead. Perhaps Lu was somewhere beyond them.

“When she was under the sleeping seal, I heard her words. And there, I learned of Odin’s plot.”

I exchanged a glance with Solana.

Freyja had stolen the Power of Creation from Odin and fled. A fragment of her immense magic had been hidden in the Flocia dungeon as a copy of herself. At that moment—surely, she had called out to her brother Frey, who had also been sealed in the same dungeon.

“…Even back then, my sister had already steeled her resolve. And yet she fled, carrying the Power of Creation with her.”

A shiver ran down the back of my neck. The gentle smile I had seen in Flocia came to mind.

“My sister chose the path of dwelling within a human, to protect humanity.”

A goddess who had acted for the sake of others, even at the cost of her own being.

“I will protect Freyja at all costs. Even if it goes against her own resolve.”

Freyr’s eyes turned toward me, swirling with a storm of emotions: sorrow, loneliness, love, and anger.

Words caught in my throat. But I tried anyway—

“Freyr… you mean—”

I struggled to form the sentence. “…You want to take Freyja away from the humans?”

Freyr’s eyes widened. We held each other’s gaze. He shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“…Perhaps. In the end, I cannot forgive a sister who valued humans over gods.”

With that, he walked away, vanishing quickly from sight as he headed toward the upper levels of the dungeon.

I turned to the goddess beside me.

“…Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

We descended the nearby staircase.

Freyr’s words had been true. The destination, the Yggdrasil Water Mirror, lay straight ahead from the stairwell.

The chamber was bowl-shaped, and the other gods, Mia-san, and Lu had gathered there already. The room was cluttered with empty barrels, broken crates, and sturdy cages. But the most striking feature was the rift at its center. Like cracks in pottery, fissures ran across the chamber. From them, icy winds poured in, chilling the air.

“The same as the rift in the sky over the capital…” I murmured.

Heimdall’s eyes narrowed as he studied it.

“Progress has been made. There are clues in this dungeon.”

The method of investigation seemed already decided. Safi, the dwarf blacksmith, and Lu stepped forward.

Meanwhile, I replayed Freyr’s words to myself, the words weighing heavily on my chest.

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

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Freyr and I pushed forward, driving back the monsters in our path. Using my ability, Golden Flame, I sliced through a leaping wolf. Even in the middle of combat, I couldn’t let my guard down—not with a god like him around!

“…Freyr!”

I shouted.

Before I could finish, Freyr had already cleaved another giant serpent in two. Solana moved between us, keeping a careful watch in case an attack came our way. From the side, another wolf lunged. I slid under it, spun, and cut it down as we passed each other.

“Why… are you even here?!”

At last, the onslaught paused. I exhaled in relief and wiped the sweat from my brow.

It seemed that wild animals had originally made their homes in this partially collapsed dungeon. Ymir had twisted them into monsters, leaving them behind as a warning—or a trap.

Freyr wiped the blood from his blade and gave a wry smile.

“I am not a monster. That is why I was not included in Fenrir and Hati’s coordination. Moving as I please is easy enough—but a traitor? They have a harder time.”

He didn’t seem even slightly winded. I was sure each of us had taken down more than ten monsters, yet Freyr moved as if he were simply on a leisurely stroll. Since he wasn’t a monster himself, he, like us, became a target for their attacks.

Solana crossed her arms and glared at him.

“…So Ymir’s forces aren’t entirely unified.”

“Exactly. They followed us deliberately… to better gauge Rion’s strength.”

He continued, his voice calm but teasing.

“I had hoped, if possible, to get your sister back… but that was rather bold, even for them.”

A chill ran down my spine. I was glad Heimdall had been assigned to guard Lu.

“Have they… been convinced?”

“…For the most part.”

I replied, though whether they truly accepted it was another matter entirely.

If Lu were ever truly in danger, one of the gods would find a way to break through the dungeon walls and come to her aid. It would be a last resort, of course—one that would collapse the layers of the dungeon and erase any trace of Ymir’s schemes—but it was a contingency that had been prepared.

For the same reason, it would be unwise to fight Freyr in earnest here. At the Tower of Florsia, I had already caused massive damage to walls and ceilings. If a battle of that scale erupted in the dungeon, our mission to investigate it would be ruined.

Solana spoke up.

“Rion, right now—”

“I understand.”

From Heimdall’s perspective, not knowing how one is attacked also meant not knowing how to defend. Even if adventurers or knights were gathered in the royal capital, Ymir’s evolving powers would dictate the formations and strategies needed. That was why I couldn’t strike. And with so many gods present, Freyr couldn’t initiate an attack either.

The man smiled as if he could see right through my hesitation.

“Hehe… you’ve reached a conclusion, haven’t you?”

His calm, teasing demeanor made me bristle. Even though we’re trapped here together.

Freyr waved one hand lazily, almost to emphasize the point.

“Don’t glare at me like that. Life-or-death battles… you’ll get plenty of those at the end of the world.”

Of course, I couldn’t take his words entirely at face value.

Maintaining Golden Flame, I kept my distance from Freyr as we moved forward. Solana stayed between us.

I advanced along the right-hand wall, Freyr along the left. It looked like a party moving cautiously through a dungeon, but there was no way I would ever call this man an ally. I was furious—furious at the one who had targeted Lu and betrayed the gods.

Eventually, we emerged into a vast hall-like chamber. In the shadows ahead, red glimmers indicated the presence of monsters.

“Enemy.”

Solana whispered, pointing forward.

“—Yeah” I muttered.

I crouched low. Freyr angled his sword to the rear-right, ready.

From the darkness, a massive creature emerged.

“Fugoo! Fugoo!”

Its form was undeniably that of a boar—yet colossal, easily five meters long. A grotesque, overgrown boar, its body as massive as a cart.

Twisted, goat-like horns jutted from its back, and across its forehead were three human-like mouths lined horizontally. Each gnawed its teeth violently, radiating pure rage. Its eyes burned bright red, and steam-like breaths hissed from its flaring nostrils. Four massive tusks jutted from its mouths—two pointing straight up, the other two forward—ready to gore anything in its path.

Near the massive boar, smaller boars with bloodshot eyes scurried. Perhaps they had once lived here as a family.

Solana lowered her gaze, a shadow of sorrow crossing her face.

“…How pitiful.” she murmured.

The goddess bit her lip, struggling with the sight.

“These are the same kind of monsters that appeared in the Royal Capital. Ymir was here, distorting ordinary beasts, blending them, and turning them into monsters for practice.”

Had other monsters long ago been born this way as well?

I turned to Freyr, seeking answers.

“…Freyr. What exactly was Ymir doing here? How did he send these monsters to the capital?”

The man’s narrow eyes curved in a mocking grin.

“Am I obliged to answer?”

Before I could respond, the massive boar charged.

Its target is me. Perhaps its primal instincts had judged me the weaker of the two.

“Hah!”

But I wouldn’t back down. I leapt to the side, evading its tusks, and plunged my blade into its thick, bristling hide.

“Bugooh!”

With a groan, the massive boar toppled, gouging the ground with its twisted back horns as it skidded in a sharp turn.

The three mouths on its forehead opened wide. Long, razor-sharp tongues shot out, writhing like tentacles, slicing toward the ground like blades. I was ready. With a swift motion, my short sword severed the longest tongue before it could strike.

“Wake up!”

From the gauntlet on my right hand, I summoned the water spirit, Undine. The mermaid-like spirit glared at the monster, and in an instant, water erupted from the ground beneath it.

“Subterranean water huh.”

Freyr commented with interest.

The boar stumbled as the jet of water struck its flank. I darted beneath its jaw.

Skill 『God of Mischief’s Divine Protection』activated. 【Friend of Spirits】…… Draws upon the power of spirits.

This skill allowed me to combine the powers of multiple spirits. I paired Salamander, the fire spirit, with Sylph, the wind spirit.

“Pii!”

“Woof!”

The two spirits leapt into the air, swirling wind and fire around my short sword with every strike.

“Gah…!”

Flames fanned by the wind rode my blade, erupting into an inferno. The massive boar was lifted, its body consumed by the explosion of fire and wind at its throat. The monster’s life seemed to end in that instant.

“…I’m sorry.” I muttered.

They had once been ordinary beasts, living here peacefully. Watching them vanish into black ash made my chest ache.

Freyr’s battle was over as well. A few magic stones lay scattered at his feet. He had likely taken down the smaller boars too.

Suddenly—a flurry of wings.

I shouted.

“Here comes the next wave!”

A swarm of monster-bats surged toward us, like a dark cloud blotting out the air.

Solana rose into the air, moving forward.

“…Rion.”

A signal: temporarily ease Freyr’s guard.

“Yeah, please!”

Solana swung her arms, releasing a wave of golden light that washed over the bats.

Their eyes had been glowing a furious red, wild with aggression. The instant they were bathed in light, black mist hissed from their bodies.

As the glow faded, the mist dispersed. The bats’ violent glare vanished. Circling the ceiling, they returned to the depths of the dungeon.

Freyr blinked, clearly surprised.

“…You turned the monsters back into ordinary creatures?”

“Indeed. Though those whose bodies were too twisted, or who had been monsters for too long, could not be saved.”

Solana narrowed her eyes as the bats vanished into the dungeon’s shadows.

“They could still be helped. When Ymir was creating these monsters, they were likely nearby and affected by the transformation.”

I found myself thinking about the goddess’s power. Her healing White Flame could cleanse even curses—it could undo the abnormal magic that twisted these creatures.

Solana smiled at me.

“In the past, this would have been impossible. I think it is because our bond has grown.”

“…Yeah!”

Freyr’s blue eyes widened. Thanks to his Blessing of the Hunt, even the smallest whispers were audible to him.

“Growth, you say? To this extent…”

After that, we continued quietly through the dungeon. The monster attacks had subsided for the moment. Only the sound of wind whistling through the corridors echoed endlessly.

As we moved along the opposite wall, Freyr murmured softly.

“…So… Freyja has awakened, has she?”

The sudden words caught me off guard. Perhaps the reason this man had followed us into the dungeon was simpler than I had assumed.

“I see…”

“…Shall I tell you a little about Freyja-sama?” I offered.

“There are questions I want you to answer as well.”

“…A bit of negotiation, then. Very well.”

In that strange, tentative flow, our exchange of information began. The dark corridors of the dungeon echoed with the footsteps of Freyr and me.

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

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Just as Rion and the others had dashed into the side tunnel, their companions were disappearing into the dungeon as well. The dwarf blacksmith, Safi, blinked rapidly. Darkness stretched out in every direction; she could see nothing.

“…Is anyone there?”

She whispered, almost afraid to break the silence—and in response, a dim, hazy light flickered into being before her eyes. And emerging from that glow was a face—pale, with drooping eyes that gave it an unsettling air.

“Hey there!”

“Ahhhhh!”

Safi screamed. Loki, clad in a flowing black robe, laughed quietly at her panic.

“Well, well! I didn’t expect you’d be so easily startled.”

“Lo-Loki…sama—!”

Tears welled up in Safi’s eyes as she glared at him, but Loki remained unbothered. Slowly, he made small orbs of light hover around him, illuminating the area in an instant.

“Looks like everyone else ran off into a different side tunnel.”

“Huh?”

Safi  looked around. All she could see were walls of red earth and scattered rubble. There was no ally in sight—just Loki. Her face paled further when she realized even the boy with the horn—Rion—was nowhere to be seen.

“W-where’s Rion? And…Luisia’s not here either.”

“Don’t worry. Luisia’s being protected by Heimdall as she escaped, and Rion has Solana with him.”

A sharp pang pricked at Safi’s small chest. She shook her head violently, trying to cast out the intrusive thoughts.

“Y-yes! Then… I can relax.”

She forced herself to say. Even the god Loki didn’t tease her this time. Perhaps turning his back was his own peculiar way of showing kindness.

“Everyone’s safe—Mia, Felix, and all the members of the warrior corps. Though… there are a few unexpected guests.”

He added, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.

“But…it appears that they don’t intend to cause a commotion for now. Rion has leveled up, and with so many gods wandering the dungeon, they have to be cautious.”

Loki continued, folding his arms and resting a hand on his chin. A faint, intrigued smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“But to think he’d lock himself in with us! Coordination is clearly not their strong suit. He’s not a monster, so in a dungeon, he’ll be prey as well. It must be difficult for the God of Harvest.”

Safi  tilted her head, puzzled.

“What are you talking about? Unexpected guests… who do you mean?”

“Nothing to worry about. Harmless, for now, I suppose,” Loki replied with a casual shrug.

Then, from deep within the dungeon, a low, menacing growl echoed. Safi ’s face went pale as she stumbled backward.

“There are monsters.”

“Ymir himself doesn’t seem to be here anymore, thankfully.”

Safi  lowered her chin. The Primordial Titan carried a presence all its own—a weight and aura that even she could sense. And yet, that presence was absent here. And precisely because Ymir could not be felt from the outside, they had risked venturing into the dungeon. Of course, there were traps to worry about—but information on Ymir was necessary. Only two weeks remained until the end of the world, and yet they still had no idea how she had managed to send monsters into the Royal Capital.

Loki continued, his tone calm but deliberate.

“If Ymir had been here before, he would have practiced twisting living things to create monsters.”

“Monsters… like the ones that appeared in the capital square?”

“Exactly. Fenrir and Hati, the ones out front, were likely stationed here as guards. But judging by the scene, Ymir no longer considers this place important. Calling us here when he abandoned it was probably just a light reconnaissance—to measure our strength, nothing more.”

Safi  tilted her head, frowning. She had thought she’d die when the vertical shaft collapsed.

And he calls that “lightly”?

“Even if left alone, this was where Ymir first appeared. He probably expected someone would investigate eventually.”

With that, he began walking toward the source of the low, menacing growl.

“Y-you’re going that way? I—I don’t want to!”

Safi  protested.

“Hehe… then trust in the escort of a god, little blacksmith.”

Loki said, his voice teasing.

Before she could react, Loki scooped Safi  up into his arms. Floating effortlessly, he drifted deeper into the dungeon, carrying her into the unknown.

◆◆◆

A glint of steel cut through the dim light. The wolf that had lunged at Heimdall was cleaved in a single strike.

“Grrr—”

The creature’s pained growl lingered for a moment before it collapsed to the ground. In an instant, its body turned to black ash, crumbling away until nothing remained but a small magical stone that rolled across the floor.

“Enemies are cruel indeed.”

Heimdall muttered, frowning. He brushed blood from his blade and spoke deliberately.

“A mere beast… twisted into this form, turned into a monster.”

The wolf had been almost ordinary—except for its bloodshot eyes, its elongated, jagged fangs, and above all, the hateful growl that marked it as something far beyond a natural animal.

“To see my old home so thoroughly despoiled.…”

Heimdall murmured, shaking his head and letting his dark hair fall around his shoulders. Sheathing his sword, the golden embellishments still gleamed proudly even in the dim light.

Behind him, soft footsteps approached. Dressed in her priest robes, Luisia followed hesitantly, keeping her distance as she trailed after Heimdall.

“W…was that… a monster?”

Luisia’s voice trembled. Perhaps this was the first time she had seen even a small magical creature. Heimdall simply nodded.

“Yes. It is a monster—but not an ordinary one.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Most likely, the wild animals that originally lived here have been transformed into monsters.”

The wolf Heimdall had just cut down had already turned to black ash and vanished. Monsters require a flow of magical energy through their bodies. The moment their consciousness is lost, the flesh can no longer sustain itself.

“The Primordial Titan… twists living things into monsters. Even if it has lost the power of creation, it seems that as a creator, it retains the ability to corrupt and distort life itself.”

Luisia gasped.

Heimdall sensed her limits. Kneeling down, he brought himself level with the twelve-year-old girl, his dark eyes calm but serious.

“…It’s frightening, isn’t it? Tell me, will you keep your eyes closed until we reach our destination?”

At nearly two meters tall, Heimdall could easily carry Luisia in one arm as they moved.

Startled by the large hand extended toward her, Luisia shook her head quickly.

“I’m fine. Even you and Oniichan are moving through this place!”

She pushed gently against his hand and added,

“…Freyr is probably somewhere inside the dungeon.”

“You can sense that?”

“Freyja-sama within me tells me.”

Luisia answered, pressing a hand to her chest.

“When I was attacked… if he had been carrying me, it would’ve been… difficult, I’m sure.”

Heimdall was surprised twice in quick succession—first that she had noticed Freyr, and second by the bravery in her voice.

A soft green glow of magical energy enveloped her small frame. Through practice, Luisia had learned to channel Freyja’s power. Her growth was astonishingly fast, as though her consciousness were beginning to merge with the goddess herself.

“Skill Miko….”

Luisia spoke over him, eyes bright with determination.

“The next time that person shows up… I’ll have something to say myself!”

Even so—Luisia seemed entirely serious about scolding Freyr. Her sky-blue eyes shone with unyielding determination.

“Ha… ha ha ha!”

Heimdall laughed, a sound that burst like sunlight through the gloom.

“W-what is it?”

Luisia asked, startled.

“No… it’s marvelous! It seems there is a warrior within your heart as well.”

Heimdal replied, narrowing his eyes with amusement.

Rising to his full height, Heimdall added,

“I apologize. I will not underestimate you again. Please forgive me.”

Luisia returned his smile. Side by side, a young girl and a god began to move through the dim dungeon.

“You were the one who created the ‘Frost Orb’ even in the fertile city of Flocia, and bound Ymir’s hands, weren’t you?”

“Yes”

“…Indeed, you are remarkable.”

A low, distant groan reached them, carried on the wind. The monster’s growl was long and drawn out. Its echoes bounced through the vast dungeon, making it impossible to pinpoint its origin—but somewhere, perhaps, their companions were fighting against it.

“Oniichan.”

Luisia pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the steady thump of her heart—thump, thump—as if to reassure herself.

—If the time comes…

The whispered thought brushed against Heimdall’s ear.

“Luisia…”

Heimdall began to speak, but then shook his head.

Her slender shoulders trembled, a fragile battleground between fear and courage. Her longing for her family seemed to straighten her small frame, giving her a quiet strength. He needed to get her back to her companions—and to her brother—without delay.

“…Let’s hurry to our destination. While the Yggdrasil Water Mirror remains, we should be able to reunite with the other gods.”

And perhaps, at that place, the secret of Ymir’s power would finally be revealed.

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

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A massive wolf. That was the thought that came to me.

From the bottom of the chasm, we looked up at the creature standing on the upper ledge. It was enormous. Its forelegs alone were taller than an adult human, and from its back to the ground, it must have been at least five meters. Fur as pale and icy as moonlight covered its entire body, and its blood-red maw and gleaming white fangs were grotesquely vivid.

Fenrir—the giant wolf who had introduced himself—scanned us with golden eyes that reminded me of the moon.

“I am the chief of the Wolf Bones.”

His voice echoed through the vertical pit like a rolling drum.

There was another monster. A man descended from Fenrir’s back. His upturned eyes and jagged mouth brought to mind the monsters we had faced in the royal capital.

—Wolfbone Skoll.

Though this man from Fenrir’s back didn’t wear armor or wield a hammer, instead clothed in rough robes and holding a staff, he gave the impression of a mage—or perhaps a priest.

He spoke his name.

“I am Hati of the Wolfbones.”

I quickly exchanged a glance with Mia-san. She brushed her red hair back, her mouth twisting in a grimace.

“Damn… relatives of that monster, huh?”

The massive wolf Fenrir let out a deep, resonant howl.

“Well then, I have introduced myself. Gods, heroes… and you? Will you not give your names in return?”

The monsters’ eyes were fixed squarely on me. There was no choice but to stand tall.

“I am Rion.”

And with that, I drew forth the golden coin.

“Alarm!”

A brilliant burst of golden light erupted. From the coin and the horn, every god allied with us manifested. Fenrir squinted, a wicked smile curling his massive muzzle.

“What… a sweet and familiar presence…”

Solana appeared to our right, Heimdall to our left, each taking their stance. As the god of awakening drew his blade, the sun caught it, making it glitter with dazzling light. With the sun goddess nearby, the power of awakening surged even stronger.

Heimdall’s gaze was cool, his lips curved into a calm smile.

“There’s no need for formal introductions between us, is there?”

He chuckled, a low, amused sound.

“Kuku… indeed, you are quite right.”

Fenrir opened his massive jaws and exhaled deeply. Dust and dirt swirled around us, kicked up by the sheer force of his breath. The stench of blood and iron seemed almost to reach us.

“Fenrir!”

I raised my voice.

“…In the royal capital, we heard the distant howl from the west!”

“That was me. I brought you here for two questions I wish to ask.”

The colossal wolf’s voice rolled downward like thunder.

The other monster—Wolfbone Hati —stepped forward, positioning himself to shield Fenrir. Fenrir continued speaking from behind him.

“Why do you fight?”

For a moment, the question didn’t make sense.

“…It’s obvious. If monsters were to overrun the world, that would be the end, wouldn’t it?”

Fenrir’s throat rumbled, clearly unimpressed.

“Yes… hmm, indeed. But you should already be aware of Odin’s schemes.”

A wave of caution rippled between us.

Clearly, even the monsters knew of Odin’s schemes.

I scanned my surroundings carefully. If someone had shared Odin’s plans with them, there was only one person it could be. And that person might still be here.

“…Uru?”

I whispered.

A voice echoed in my head.

『I hear you, Rion.』

『Yes… his presence is here.』

God of Hunting Uru held his bow in the air, eyes sharp and unyielding as he kept Fenrir and the others in check. Only his voice resonated in my mind.

『Other monsters’ presence, too.』

『Something unpleasant is stirring among the creatures around you.』

If the enemies had summoned us here deliberately, danger was inevitable.

I activated my skill to detect the surroundings. Multiple side passages branched off from the chasm’s bottom, leading further into the dungeon. Beyond the darkness, a multitude of red glows shimmered.

The monsters’ magic radiated even to this far point, unmistakable and ominous.

『Still, there was no sign of Ymir.』

『This was likely a former stronghold, once used but now abandoned.』

That alone brought a measure of relief. If Ymir were here, we would have needed to retreat immediately.

Lu touched my back.

“…Oniichan.”

I smiled at my little sister’s whisper.

“It’s fine. As planned, Heimdall will keep you safe.”

“…Yeah! You be careful too, Oniichan.”

While exchanging words with Lu, Wolfbone Hati grew impatient. He slammed his staff into the ground, sending the entire chasm trembling. Stones rained down from the walls.

Fenrir howled.

“We are the Wolfbones! Wolves hunt in packs!”

The massive wolf fixed us with his gaze.

“You are a strong pack. A strong pack could ignore weaker packs and move toward a new world. Why do you not do so?”

Pack… he meant a party, perhaps. The gods, and we, were growing stronger by the day. And Odin had plans to bring the gods and “heroes”—adventurers strong enough to stand alongside them—to a new world.

Fenrir let out a mocking growl from deep in his throat.

“There is such a place, isn’t there? A new lair for the strong.”

I met the great wolf’s gaze without flinching.

“We won’t be going there.”

I would not leave this world—not the world I had lived in with Lu and the gods. Just as my father had handed me the horn, someone had to protect it, and someone else would inherit it in turn.

“…Hmph.”

Fenrir growled. His golden eyes rolled slowly, as if disappointed, though the sound carried a subtle respect.

“Very well, then. Let us proceed to the second question.”

Those golden eyes widened.

We braced ourselves.

Here it comes!

The great wolf lifted his head and howled toward the sky.

—Uooooooooooooh!

The entire chasm trembled with the sound. Beside him, Hati drove his staff into the ground, anchoring himself.

Fenrir bellowed.

“Let us see the extent of your strength!”

Safi leapt up to the level of my head.

“This is bad! They’re trying to collapse the whole chasm!!”

A chill ran down my spine. In an instant, a blade of pure, honed magical energy cut through the air from straight ahead.

“Ugh.”

I met it with my short sword. The blade of magic dissipated harmlessly, but had I reacted a moment later, it would have surely cleaved my neck.

The attack came from straight ahead.

Where there had just been a wall, rubble now gave way to a yawning darkness—and someone stepped forward.

I drew in a sharp breath.

“…Freyr.”

The God of Fertility—and of betrayal—stood there, eyes drifting past me to fix on Lu. A faint, unsettling smile curved his lips.

Lu’s face paled.

Those eyes weren’t looking at her. They seemed to pierce something within her. The gaze ignored Lu herself entirely.

“Heimdall… please.”

I called on the god to protect Lu and positioned myself to block Freyr’s view. All the while, the chasm continued to crumble beneath our feet.

Freyr crouched slightly, ready to strike at any moment.

“…Solana, can you lead everyone out of the hole safely?”

Solana nodded.

“Alright. But if we do that, we won’t be able to investigate the dungeon… or find any clue about Ymir.”

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

If we retreated, we’d gain nothing.

Then… there was only one choice.

The collapsing vertical shaft seemed connected to the dungeon after all. Gaping side tunnels yawned open here and there. Our companions smiled at me, ready.

Mia-san hefted her axe with a clatter.

“Let’s do this, Rion.”

“I’m in too.”

Felix-san, staff in hand, gave a firm nod.

Lu’s voice rang out, determined.

“I… I can’t just keep running away!”

I raised my voice, projecting over the rumble of falling rock.

“Everyone! Follow the gods—take the side tunnels and get to safety!”

It was as if our decision had been the signal. From above, magic rained down like a torrential storm. I caught a muffled shout from Hati somewhere in the chaos.

Ancient spells echoed through the shaft, eerie and oppressive.

Dust and debris swirled, thickening with each moment. My vision narrowed, and through the haze, I noticed movement ahead.

“—!”

Reflexively, I raised my short sword—but Freyr’s blade struck it instead. He had rushed straight at me.

“Impressive reading.”

Freyr had clearly fixed her aim on me.

Through the dust, Lu’s voice reached me, calling out, fading with the distance. So did everyone else’s. This blinding storm of debris and magic—an obstacle meant to scatter us. The gods and our companions had each vanished into separate side tunnels, fleeing the chaos on their own paths.

“Ugh!”

From above, a massive boulder tumbled down. The collapse was accelerating! Between Freyr and me, a streak of golden magic flashed across.

“Rion, this way!”

Solana grabbed my hand.

I tumbled into one of the side tunnels with her, fleeing the choking cloud of dust and debris. We ran deeper and deeper, pressing on through the dark dungeon. In the pitch-black maze, Solana’s guiding light was a lifeline, showing the way forward.

“…Solana, do you think we’re safe once we reach here?”

“Mm.”

The collapse had lasted far longer than I expected. Perhaps Fenrir and Hati had intended to seal off the entire place with their combined power. It made sense—they were blocking what was essentially the shortest path to the heart of the dungeon. Trapping us in there would be tactically sound from their perspective.

Minutes passed, maybe even ten, before the roar of falling debris finally ceased.

“Hoh. You….”

I crouched slightly.

It was the worst possible situation for me—but, fortunately, this meant he hadn’t gone after the others yet.

“…Freyr.”

I spoke, and the god of harvest smiled faintly. From his tall frame, he drew his sword and held it loosely in a ready stance. As always, there was no opening, no flaw in his posture.

“So… you entered the same side tunnel as I did.”

Our swords were raised.

Solana, Freyr, and I stared each other down.

A rustling brushed past our ears.

Solana shouted.

“—Rion, monsters!”

“Yeah!”

A shadow blackened the ceiling above. On closer inspection, it wasn’t a shadow—it was a swarm of countless bats.

“Gigii!”

“Ggiggig!”

“Kii!”

Their screams pierced our ears.

The bats charged. Freyr and I sliced through them in perfect synch, our timing uncanny—perhaps a residue of the times we had adventured together. Once the swarm was repelled, I hastily turned back to Freyr—but he just gave a wry smile and lowered his blade.

“…The monsters Ymir left behind… they’ve awakened at Fenrir’s howl.”

Freyr shrugged.

“What will you do? I’d prefer not to engage in a fight-to-the-death here. Therefore… a ceasefire—and we aim for the exit together—how does that sound?”

I exchanged a glance with Solana.

Looks like this Blood-Red Sunset Dungeon was about to become a very unusual kind of challenge.

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

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