Category: Hazure Skill “Alarm”, jitsuwa fūin kaijo no nōryoku deshita. Ochikobore no shōnen wa, nemuri kara sameta megami-tachi to yasashī saikyō o mezasu
We immediately boarded the carriage and headed for the Royal Capital.
This was the location where the next god would awaken. The sacred object that indicated this location, the “Water Mirror of the World Tree Yggdrasil,” was located in the Western Dungeon.
The temple we were in was outside the Royal Capital’s walls, in the northeast direction. To reach the dungeon we were aiming for, we would have to go all the way around the capital’s long walls.
It might be past noon by the time we arrived.
We had a light meal, I made the gods return to the gold coin in my pocket and then we prepared ourselves. As I jumped into the carriage, another person got on from the opposite entrance.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
From the carriage door, Safi appeared.
“S–Safi?”
“What? I should at least check how that sword I gave you is holding up. And besides…”
She tapped a finger against her head. The small hat she wore bobbed, the black feather tucked into it swaying lightly.
“I need to test this little thing’s effect, too.”
Safi handed me a hat of the same design.
“Don’t break it.”
“O-oh, I won’t…”
Soon after, the carriage set off. Inside, it was just the three of us—Felix-san, Safi, and me.
The coach passed through the temple gates and sped toward the Royal Capital. Beyond the windows, the Eastern gate of the city wall came into view—the very place where, only a month ago, I had fought Skoll.
From the outside, the entrance to the Eastern dungeon looked repaired, once again open to adventurers as though nothing had happened. The surrounding buildings told another story though. They are burned down to their foundations, with only charred pillars left standing like grave markers. The massive scar carved into the city wall was still visible too, likely from when Skoll smashed the gate with his great club.
『.…The wounds run deep huh.』
At Solana’s voice, I lowered my chin. Perhaps the goddess too was remembering that battle.
“Yeah.”
The Eastern gate receded into the distance.
After a time, Felix-san spoke.
“The Adventurers’ Guild hall suffered damage as well, but thankfully there were no casualties among their ranks. With the tyranny of Gideon gone, the Eastern district has, in fact, grown more peaceful. However….”
Felix paused, resting his hand thoughtfully on his chin.
“How should I put it… the adventurers’ trade—particularly around the western dungeon—has shifted somewhat. Well, once we arrive, you’ll understand soon enough.”
I tilted my head, puzzled.
The carriage made a wide arc around the city walls, and before long, the Southern Gate came into view. We hadn’t entered through the Eastern Gate earlier, precisely to avoid the risk of a familiar guard peering inside the carriage. After the battle with Skoll, our family was said to have left the capital, seeking shelter with distant relatives. It would take more explaining if someone recognized me.
Once the gate was cleared, the sound of rushing water reached my ears.
The Southern district of the Royal Capital lay close to the canals. Every so often, the carriage passed between rows of buildings, and through the gaps, I caught glimpses of the flowing current. It made me recall the time I’d walked that same canal road with Mia-san.
“Eh?”
We passed through the main avenue, drawing closer to the western side of the capital. This area should have been bustling with adventurers as always.
Well, it was still bustling—but something felt off.
The noise and commotion hadn’t changed, but the adventurers themselves had. Their gear, their expressions… it’s different. Some wore heavy furs, some carried enormous axes the likes of which I’d never seen in the city. Others went about lightly dressed, bows strung across their backs, the kind of archers that were just as rare here.
It just didn’t add up…..
The monsters in the capital’s dungeons were predictable. You don’t need a massive axe unless you are to fight giant ones, and you won’t rely on bows unless you faced long-ranged beasts. Neither of those monster types existed here.
So why—?
“What’s with you!? That’s why northerners are such a—”
“Look who’s talking! You sound like some country bumpkin from the South! You newcomer!”
The reason for this argument, or rather the angry shouting, became clear. By my side, Safi tilted her head from side to side, frowning at the unfamiliar scene.
“What do they mean? The equipment, sure, but…”
“They’re not from the capital. They’re all from outside…”
From the harsh tundra in the north, people who must have come from the very edge of habitable land. And from the warm and fertile south, travelers who had crossed half the realm to be here.
I had been running around the city countless times as an errand boy, but never had I seen so many from so far away.
And in contrast—the adventurers I was used to, the ones of noble birth, the familiar faces of the capital—they were nowhere to be seen.
I blinked, once, twice, trying to take it all in.
“W-why…?”
“You recall the message the gods sent to everyone, right?”
I move my gaze away from the window and look up at Felix-san, who is sitting across from me.
“…The message about a ‘Hero’?”
——When the apocalypse is overcome,
——the heroes shall be blessed by the gods.
It seems this message was heard in the Royal Capital as well. As a result, the word ‘hero’ came to be associated with many adventurers.
“The events in the mining town of Alvis are also the subject of rumors in the Royal Capital. Of the giant snake that appeared, and how it was defeated along with the horn. And…”
Felix-san rubs his arm.
“The immense magical power used to defeat the monster caused many of the surrounding adventurers to level up.”
In the wake of that battle, all of us—Felix-san, Mia-san, and I—had grown stronger.
My own level had risen from level twenty-two to twenty-six. Mia-san had advanced to level thirty-two, and even Felix-san, who’s already formidable, had reached level forty-one.
It’s said that once you climb high enough, gaining further levels becomes exceedingly difficult. The body can only absorb so much magical power—the so-called “growth limit”—and the closer you get to it, the harder each step upward becomes. Which was why the others were so astonished.
Though if I were to be honest, the fact that I had jumped four levels in one stroke was hardly less strange. And yet, it wasn’t only us. Even adventurers who had merely witnessed the World Serpent from a distance found themselves empowered, their levels raised by the unleashed surge of magic.
“I’ve heard the same phenomenon occurred during the battle with Wolfbone Sköll. But at that time, the range in which the magical power was released was much smaller. And most of the adventurers had been directly engaged in combat, making it difficult to distinguish from an ordinary level-up.”
I gazed out at the boulevard.
Liveliness. Yes—that word fit the bustling streets, teeming with travelers and new faces.
“The chief god had sent message twice already. And twice, a great hunt has truly come to pass. Such things must have stir the ambition of adventurers.”
“And so…”
I murmured.
“Indeed. One might call it… the great migration of adventurers.”
I swallowed hard, a shiver racing up the back of my neck.
“In search of the next big thing, skilled adventurers began their journeys to become heroes. And the Royal Capital, being a key transportation hub, became overflowing with such travelers.”
A tale of a monster appearing on the frontier and the hero who defeated it. It must have ignited the spirit of adventure that lay dormant in the Kingdom of Asgard. Investigating dungeons and repeating the same thing every day. Instead of that life, adventurers set out on a true adventure.
『I wonder how much of this is Odin’s plan.』
Solana murmured something under her breath, but it was not something I could easily grasp.
The gold coin vibrated again, and I could hear Thor’s voice.
『Having so many adventurers must be Odin’s trump card. He’s been distributing skills for 1,000 years and creating teachings to help us dive into the dungeon, so he could use them as a fighting force in times like these. If that’s the case, then this situation could be seen as his way of sending us reinforcements, or… is it another plan?』
I clutched my gauntlet tightly.
No matter what era comes, I will survive and return to my family. And then I will solve the mystery of Lu’s power.
“Well, we’ve arrived.”
Felix-san signaled for the carriage to stop.
We looked up at the entrance to the Western Dungeon.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
The white robe of the temple fluttered wildly with each of Lu’s stride. My younger sister walked steadily ahead. Her white robe flutters but somehow—mysteriously—her little hat never once toppled off.
“Honesty, Gods are annoying at times. Mu!”
Lu pouted.
“They are always, always dragging Oniichan around! I want to see you too!”
I probably should have scolded her for the outburst, but instead a wry smile tugged at my lips.
The new blessing that Solana had granted me—the Sun’s Awakening Light, has power that extended the duration of lifted seals, and astonishingly, it even worked on the gods themselves. It wasn’t permanent, of course. But for several hours they could walk freely under the sky. For deities who had been bound for so long, it must have felt like a long-awaited chance to breathe the outside air again.
“Thor-sama is always teaching you rough things! And Loki-sama, he just teases you! Sigris-sama even made you drink some kind of weird medicinal bath! And Uru-sama… he talks to birds and animals and— it’s kind of scary!”
Uh-, such terrible things were being said about them….
Ever since they had been able to step outside again, Thor and the others had removed the veil of mystery that has been covering them.
“T-they really are amazing gods, you know?”
“…I know. I even heard some of it from you, Oniichan. But still…”
Lu puffed out her cheeks, sulking in earnest.
“You’ve only just come back, and now you don’t even get to rest.”
“Oh”
I realized. Lu was worried about me.
“I still think Solana-sama is the best! I mean, I was shocked she turned out to be a goddess, but…”
Lu spun around, her eyes shining.
“I’m still cheering for you, Oniichan!”
The gold coin in my pocket gave a sudden vibration.
“…Goddess?”
The coin only trembled again, the way it always did when she was on the verge of saying something. I tried calling out to her, but no reply came.
Come to think of it, ever since we’d gone to see Safi, Solana had been strangely quiet.
“…Is something wrong?”
『…N-no, nothing at all.』
As I tilted my head in thought, I noticed my mother approaching from the front. She was dressed in the same white temple robe as Lu, with two other women in identical garb following behind her.
“Good morning, Mom.”
Before I could say more, Lu quickly stepped forward, her expression shifting into a proper, formal one.
“Good morning, Mom. Melinda-san, Mariela-san.”
She recited their names smoothly, then went right on.
“I’ve already replaced the old magic stone lamps in the temple. I also looked at the vegetable garden, and since the frost has stopped falling, the mana grass is doing well. And also… ah, Pauline-san was looking for Mariela-san earlier.”
During her time at the temple, Lu had been working diligently alongside our mother. I’d always known she was a hard worker despite her frail health, but… knowing she’d only just recovered from two years of illness, I couldn’t help but worry.
I bit back the urge to say, “Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“If there’s anything else that needs creating, please let me know!”
She raised her voice cheerfully as we passed Mom and the others, then she turned to smile at me. Her braids swayed, almost as if they were waiting to be praised.
“You really do seem like a proper temple attendant now.”
“Right?!”
Un… she really had brightened up.
That word ‘creating’ she mentioned must have referred to the skill she’d awakened.
“I’ve been practicing with Pauline-sama, making all sorts of things. As long as I have a mana stone, I think I can create just about anything now.”
We crossed the plaza of the warrior corps’ base that is surrounded by high stone walls. The place Lu led me to was a towering structure called the Great Tower. It was so spacious that the word “fortress” came to mind. It’s an imposing huge building with five floors.
“This way.”
She guided me up the stairs and into a small chamber. Inside, there was only a single desk and two chairs. What caught my eye, though, were the ornaments laid neatly upon the table. There is the statue of Odis-sama, the spear-bearing chief deity. A finely crafted horse caught mid-gallop. And an apple so fresh and lifelike I almost believed it real until I picked it up.
“I made them.”
Lu said proudly.
“…All of these?”
“That’s right. Hehe, while Oniichan is away, I practiced so I could get used to handling my magical power.”
Skill: 『Miko』; Ability: 【Creation】. The skill that resides within Lu is a special one that allows her to create matter from magical power. It’s the very ability that created the world.
“I wasn’t very good at it at first, though.”
Lu pointed toward a small box set on the floor. Inside were trinkets as well—though their finish was a little rough compared to the ones displayed proudly on the table.
“And… I wanted to show you these too—”
She trailed off as she slipped out of the room. A moment later, she bustled back in, carrying a pair of porcelain cups in her hands.
“I baked some sweets! Oniichan, will you eat with me?”
Her thoughtfulness made my chest tighten with quiet joy.
“Thanks Lu.”
I helped her prepare the tea. There was even a device in the room for heating water with a magic stone. Normally such tools required delicate control, but when Lu held her palm over it, the stone obediently warmed to just the right temperature.
“…You really are amazing, Lu.”
Life in the temple, learning to wield a new Skill—none of it could have been easy. And yet, the way she calmly heated the water, her profile that’s lit by the glow of the magic stone, she looked completely at ease.
“I told you, didn’t I? I’d get stronger and wait for you. You’ve had it even harder, Oniichan.”
Soon the steam began to sway in the cool air. I bit into one of the cookies she’d baked, washing it down with the warmth of the tea. Ever since we’d returned to the capital, everything had been so frantic for weeks that I hadn’t had a moment like this—to simply sit and talk with my sister.
“I want us to come back to the capital like this again, with Mom too…”
The words slipped out before I could stop myself. And the moment I heard them, I realized I shouldn’t have said it.
“Yeah…”
Lu’s response was also lackluster.
“Returning to the royal capital” is easy to say, but it was difficult for Lu. After all, the enemy might be trying to steal my sister’s skills.
That careless topic cast a shadow over the table.
The fine furnishings, the sweetness of the tea—none of it could quite hide the way both of us were remembering our old home located in the east of the royal capital. By the time the cups had gone still and the tea no longer gave off steam, I heard the sound of footsteps climbing the tower stairs.
“So this is where you were.”
It was Felix-san. His already narrow eyes squinted further as he tilted his head slightly. Beneath his black hair, the coronet on his forehead caught the light with a glint.
“Rion-san, forgive the suddenness, but… could you come to the Western Dungeon?”
The Mirror of Yggdrasil, the sacred water-mirror, was housed there.
I set down my teacup and rose to my feet.
“There’s been a reaction from one of the divine relics. A new god has been detected.”
“I’ll go!”
I glanced toward Lu. My sister met my eyes and gave a firm nod.
“It’s alright. Go on, Oniichan.”
“We’ll finish our talk another time.”
I gave her hand a tight squeeze before following Felix-san down the tower stairs.
Far away, somewhere within the depths of the world, another god was awakening.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
The small hammer was raised. With a straight hand, it struck the red-hot short sword.
Clang!
A satisfying metallic sound. I let out a sigh. My breath drifted in the chilly air. First thing in the morning, I was captivated by the work of the dwarf blacksmith.
The sound still lingered in my ears. Before it could fade, the small hammer struck again.
I forcefully tore my gaze away from the dwarf blacksmith, Safi, and her work.
The room of the Odis Temple in the Royal Capital had been remodeled into a “workshop” by the dwarves. A forge fueled by magic stones, a bellows to pump air, hooks with various weapons hanging from them.
I stood among the equipment, watching as my weapon was being reborn.
“Huu…”
The blacksmith, Safi, lifted her face from the anvil. She wiped the sweat from her brow, looking up from her short height.
“I said you could watch, but… don’t you ever get bored?”
“Ah, s-sorry…”
I guess it must be distracting.
I was about to leave, but Safi hastily shook her head. Her dark, round eyes trembled.
“N-no, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m grateful to you, so… feel free to watch as much as you like.”
Smiling, Safi turned back to the anvil. Placed on it is my blue crystal short sword that I had been using for ages. It had been through many fierce battles, and I’d even attempted something as reckless as hitting a flame titan. That’s why Safi suggested repairing it.
The red-hot short sword now had its crystal removed. It’s exciting, as it felt like new power was being pumped into it with each hammer strike.
“…I’m truly grateful to Rion. No matter what we dwarves make or do, it’s never enough to make up for the debt we owe you.”
As I listened to the satisfying sound of the hammer, I was reminded of something that happened not long ago.
We had returned to the royal capital. It was now the fourth day since we returned from Alvis, and around 20 days since the battle at the mining town. A lot had happened up until then.
The journey to the mining town of Alvis was to “awaken” the dwarves. But there was also the magic engineer who had sent reinforced golems to the royal capital. The dungeon in the mining town itself was a mining site for the “titan ashes,” which could break the seals that covered the world and unleash monsters.
Even now, I can hardly believe we made it back alive. In the very end, we fought Flamebone Surtr, who tried to burn the entire world to ashes.
“…Everyone in the dwarven kingdom of Alfheim thinks of you as a hero too.”
“N-no, not at all…”
I quickly waved my hands in denial.
“If it weren’t for the dwarven kingdom, we never could have defeated Surtr, and besides—”
I touched the gold coin in my pocket. Somehow, it felt lighter than usual.
“The one who really saved everyone… was Solana.”
The seal that covered the world— beneath it, even when dwarves were “awakened,” they would soon turn back into silent stone statues. It was the goddess—Solana, who saved them.
“‘The Sun’s Awakening Light,’ huh. I’ve heard it so many times I’ve memorized it by now.”
Safi gave a wry smile and paused her work. She had been at it since morning, and her green hair clung to her forehead with sweat.
“The principle goes like this, right? You draw magical power from the sun hanging in the sky and make it so that the dwarves’ unsealing never ends—almost permanently.”
According to the goddess, Safi’s body looked as though it was wrapped in a film of magical energy.
If the seal covering the world was a kind of ‘coldness’ that froze everything, then the dwarves were protected by the sun’s ‘warmth.’
“A letter came earlier, too. The dwarven kingdom of Alfheim is doing well. The dungeon has been reopened to adventurers, but the dwarves seem to be hiding themselves skillfully.”
The dwarven kingdom ended up hiding in the bottom of the dungeon. There were supposedly many passages and entrances in the dungeon, but since they were originally built by the dwarves, they could apparently be resealed.
Some adventurers also spotted a giant monsters. Naturally, they were curious about the dungeon’s secrets, but Felix-san handled things well. As a result, the Raven Warriors were not allowing anyone to enter the unexplored area.
“Haa~…”
I let out a long, long sigh. I collapsed onto the shelf in front of me.
Safi was shocked, still raising her hammer.
“W-What’s wrong?”
“…Yeah… I thought, this has become a really big deal.”
A global message that came from the sky, and the subjugation of a colossal monster that seemed to respond to it. The Raven Warrior Corps was deeply involved in both incidents. That’s why, in the mining town of Alvis, the corps was tasked with restoring order amid the confusion.
The golem engineer, a man named Ganis, and the lord who had allowed him free rein were to be held accountable for their crimes. The raven warriors likely used that as leverage in their negotiations as well.
The revival of the dwarven kingdom of Alfheim and the restoration of the Raven Warrior Corps standing. If I were to summarize the results in the mining town by force, that’s what it would amount to.
“Isn’t that great? The mysterious adventurer who defeated a colossal monster. Appearing with the awakening horn…. Who is he really? Doesn’t it sound just like a storybook?”
I gazed up at the ceiling. The glimmers of light here and there came from magic stones embedded in the pulleys and cranes.
What we had gained as allies was the dwarves’ craftsmanship and engineering. Besides Safi, about ten other dwarves had come from their kingdom. They weren’t here at the moment, but they were the ones who had remodeled this entire room. Incidentally, there was even a fabric sign hanging at the entrance. Apparently, it’s called a noren. Written on it were the words “Safi Group”. One of Safi’s apprentices had worked hard to prepare it.
Just like I said earlier, between the goddess and the dwarves, it really feels like I’ve wandered into a story.
And then there’s that word—hero.
“Yah!”
Safi brought her hammer down on the red-hot short sword with a sharp strike. The final sparks danced around for a moment before returning to the blade. She gripped the short sword with a pair of smithing tongs and plunged it into cold water. Then, as she pressed the blade against the rotating whetstone, it regained its luster—almost like magic.
“—Alright, that’s enough for today!”
I received the blue crystal short sword. This weapon had truly become my partner now. It felt perfectly natural in my hand.
“Go swing it somewhere and see how it feels. If anything’s off, I’ll fix it up again.”
“Thanks.”
“Fufu, just wait. With dwarven skill, I’ll make sure you get the best armor possible, too!”
Safi squinted one eye shut and turned back to her work.
“…So, Rion, do you just like watching this sort of thing?”
“Yeah. I think it’s amazing… and kind of calming.”
Safi froze.
“C-calming…?”
“Yeah. More than anywhere else, really.”
A resounding clang! rang through the workshop—loud enough to make me flinch. It seemed Safi had struck the anvil by mistake, hard enough to make sparks jump.
“I-I see! So that’s how it is!”
“…Well, it’s just that, anywhere else…”
Before I could finish, voices called out from the workshop entrance.
—Rion, where are you?
—Come spar with me!
—Or maybe talk magic with me instead?
—I’ve got a new herbal bath ready for you…
I’m pretty sure my shoulders jumped a good inch hearing them.
“Oniichan, where are you?”
The next voice made me answer before I could stop myself.
“Lu!”
I clamped my hands over my mouth.
—Uh, too late.
I heard the sound of a large group of people—Gods, I mean, rushing in from the entrance.
“There you are, Rion!”
A massive palm slammed into my back.
It was Thor, the thunder god.
Then came Loki, Uru and Sigris. Each of them took turn to jostle me around.
Thanks to Solana’s new power, the Sun’s Awakening Light, the gods could now stay outside the gold coins for far longer.
Not forever because the seal still held them but enough to change everything. And as a result—well, this is what happened…
“Rion!”
The chorus of voices echoed at once.
Well, I was being fought over by gods. To be honest, part of the reason I’d been hiding in Safi’s workshop was to escape from exactly this.
“Oniichan, here you are!”
This time it was Lu who appeared at the workshop entrance. She wore the familiar white vestments of the temple, her chestnut braids swaying beneath her soft, flat cap.
“Oh.”
My sister turned her gaze to Thor and the others, smiling sweetly.
Wait… are the gods backing down from her?
“I’m borrowing Oniichan. You’ve all been hogging him nonstop… I waited four whole days after we came back, you know?”
“B-but, today we were supposed to spar—habits are best corrected early—”
“Ex-cuse-me?”
Thor instantly choked on his words. Lu took my hand and tugged hard.
“Come on Oniichan! There’s something I want to show you!”
Her sky-blue eyes sparkled with energy.
Seen off by Safi, I let my sister pull me out of the workshop.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
The cheers and smiles of the dwarves warmly filled the hall. The white dwarves flitted through the air while the black dwarves on the ground clapped their hands. Our companion, the dwarf blacksmith, Safi, was also overjoyed at their reunion after 1,000 years.
“…But…”
Felix-san suddenly spoke up. His narrowed eyes were hard to tell from a smile, but he was looking down, seemingly in deep thought. His coronet glittered beneath his black hair.
“The revival of the dwarven kingdom is without a doubt a tremendous gain in terms of strength. But…”
But, what?
Brushing dust from her red hair, Mia-san raised an eyebrow.
“What is it? Supplies? Negotiations with the lord? That kind of thing?”
That’s what I thought too.
After all, there were matters to confirm—the fact that titan ashes had once been mined here, or that a golem master might have been involved. As a member of the Raven Warriors, Felix-san was probably concerned about such shady dealings in the dungeon.
“That’s part of it, and…”
A gust of wind whistled down through the crack in the ceiling. The sun was out and spring was near, yet the morning breeze still carried a chill.
Hunting God Uru let his brown pigtails sway as his eyes narrowed.
“…Felix, I think you have good instincts as a scout. We gods feel the same way.”
It was Thor who picked up the conversation, nodding gravely.
“I thought the same thing when we fought the World Serpent. ‘What’s Odin planning to do about all this commotion?’ I wondered.”
I blinked in surprise. Sure, we knew monsters were lurking there, and we’d defeated them… but still—
Thor’s crimson eyes locked on me.
“Think about it, Rion. Part of the dungeon collapsed, and a serpent that huge crawled out. Have you ever heard of such a thing happening before?”
I shook my head hard. If a monster like that had ever emerged from a dungeon so close to town, it would have been a major incident.
“—Ah!”
That was when I finally understood what Thor had been trying to say.
A major incident had just taken place in the mining town of Alvis—and not long after the trouble at the Eastern Dungeon near the capital.
“…When you say ‘commotion,’ you mean the world itself beginning to fall into chaos?”
The gods each gave a small nod in unison.
Sigris, the God of Medicine, planted her spear on the ground and spoke first.
“Rion, the world as it is now—in the Kingdom of Asgard—has kept the true myths hidden. That the gods nearly lost. That they covered the world in sealing ice to postpone defeat. And on top of that, they maintained a fragile peace.”
Memories of everything I had been taught since childhood flashed through my mind.
—The Odis Temple, said to oversee the dungeons. The nobles who received divine skills from Odis-sama himself.
“Of course, I don’t think everything was going smoothly. But even so, I believe the world was stable. As long as people believed in the myths, even if they were false, they would be protected.”
Sigris spoke up. Felix-san suddenly looked up hearing that.
“…Yes, that’s right. If that many monsters appeared, it wouldn’t be surprising if everything that’s been said about the dungeon up until now would be called into question. If things went wrong, the authority of the temple and the royal family would be shaken, and in turn, the entire kingdom would be destabilized… is that it?”
At that moment, we felt like the air was shaking. We snapped our heads upward as if jolted by an unseen force.
To all adventurers
That was the chief god, Odis-sama—no, Odin-sama’s second general message.
◆◆◆
At the river that flows at the foot of the Alvis mines.
One tributary flows into the town of Alvis, providing river transport for metals to the royal capital. The other diverges away from the town of Alvis, snaking through the mountains before finally reaching the northern plains.
Just now, a woman in a black robe emerged from the river. Water dripped from her chilled body, her pale hands gripping a tree and pulling herself up. Finally, the woman reached the shore and exhaled. Perhaps because her body was so cold, her breath didn’t come out with white breath.
Then the sound of hooves came.
“Hahaha! What a shame!”
The man who arrived on horseback was dressed in fine attire.
“Rata…!”
“I’m relieved you survived. Losing you right after Surtr would have been… troublesome, to say the least.”
From atop his horse, Rata extended a hand toward Jor.
“Where the hell did you go…?”
Jor glared at the shrewd merchant with thinly veiled resentment.
“Oh, now, let’s not call it desertion, shall we? For the sake of my honor, I must remind you—combat isn’t my line of work. Rata is a master of trade, a whisperer of secrets, and a handler of uh-… delicate transactions I could say. I’m the one who runs the slave operations, remember? You, on the other hand, wouldn’t even know how to read the first stroke of a ledger.”
Dripping with water, Jor dragged herself forward inch by inch. Like a black serpent that slithered past, a wet trail marked the ground behind her.
“…So? Did you get it?”
“Yes. I slipped in under disguise and borrowed Surtr’s magic stone. Once Ymir-sama consumes it—his power to break the seal will awaken.”
Still, it came at a cost.
Rata glanced toward the mountain, visible through the gaps between the trees, and gave a small shrug. The roar from earlier felt like a lie. The mountain peak now stood quietly, bathed in the soft light of morning.
“Well then, shall we go? The Raven Warriors aren’t fools. I heard hoofbeats not long ago.”
“…Tsk.”
Dragging her body forward, Jor gripped the horse’s side with her pale arm and hauled herself up behind Rata.
“…Hurry up and go.”
“Wait a moment.”
As Jor looked puzzled, Rata pointed to the sky above.
◆◆◆
To all adventurers.
The words began in the same way as the general message I had heard some time ago.
My skin broke out into goosebumps.
A monster bringing about the end of the world has appeared in the mining town of Alvis.
But there is no need to fear any longer.
With the sounding of the horn, heroes have arrived, and they have triumphed over the powerful monster.
Heroes…?
Those words sank into my heart.
Mia-san and even Felix-san, who is usually cynical, were listening intently to the message. There is something about this god’s voice that stirred reverence in all who heard it.
Adventurers, use the skills you have been granted.
Defeat the monsters.
So that you may become heroes.
Go forth and become heroes.
Those words—left behind by the antique shop owner… no, by Odin-sama—flitted through my mind.
When the apocalypse is overcome, the heroes shall be blessed by the gods.
The message ended there.
It had echoed through the clear sky, and surely, it had resounded across the world in the same way.
For a single moment, there was silence. Then, from far off in Alvis, cheers could be heard.
“H-heroes?”
I couldn’t help but mutter.
Solana floated up. She closed her eyes and listened to the cheers that were ringing out from her ears.
“I see.”
The goddess’s gaze wandered into the sky, as if searching for something.
Thor crossed his thick arms.
“So, that schemer had two goals in mind.”
Raising his firewood-like fingers, Thor addressed us.
“First, we need to win the initial battle, which means defeating Flamebone Surtr. He’s the source of the titan ashes, and he’s a powerful monster, too.”
Perhaps Odin-sama had been planning this development from the moment we boarded the carriage to Alvis—or perhaps from the moment we heard the dwarves’ voice in the western dungeon.
This thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Thor pointed his chin to the sky.
“And there’s one more thing…listen.”
The cheers of the adventurers echoed through the heavens. Even without the blessing of the Hunting God, I could hear them from far away, all the way in Alvis.
I stroked my goosebumps. The feverish groans made the screams seem like a lie.
“Everyone… they are not scared anymore?”
“Kukuku, well, isn’t that simple? Because they heard the voice of a god, they’ve come to believe that even the appearance of monsters is part of the gods’ will.”
It may be just as Loki said.
The people of Alvis witnessed the moment when the World Serpent, Jormungandr, disappeared.
—The moment when the mythical monster was defeated.
The message also announced that the terrifying monster that had shook the earth had been defeated.
“I can sense their strong trust in god even now. In fact…stronger than before.”
Solana spoke.
The adventurers of this town may be thinking this right now. A world unlike any before, a world like a heroic tale, has begun.
For instance, harvesting magic stones worth hundreds of gold coins from towering monsters. Or adventurers, even those without noble blood, being recognized by the gods for their achievements. Or seeking strength through rare materials and items never before seen. A world overflowing with such opportunities.
“Hmph!”
Thor snorted through his nose.
“In short, by awakening creatures straight out of the mythic age, parading them around, and having us strike them down in spectacular fashion, he’s fired up the adventurers. Word of today’s battle will spread—far beyond the royal capital.”
“B-but… why? Why would Odin-sama do something like that?”
Thor did not answer that.
I lifted my gaze to the clear blue sky.
Most adventurers dove into dungeons to fight monsters and claim magic stones as resources. But, of course, many also sought to make a name for themselves.
“…One thing’s for sure—Odin has no intention of returning the kingdom to the safe, stable world it once was.”
The words from the divine message lingered in my ears—hero and blessing. A blessing awaits the hero who survives the apocalypse.
But what lies… beyond the apocalypse?
“A hero huh…”
The words he muttered softly seemed to be carried away by the passing wind.
◆◆◆
A plump old man walked through the increasingly bustling town of Alvis at an unhurried pace. The backpack on his back shook with each of his steps. The antique dealer slowly looked back toward the mine.
“Hohoho. The apocalypse――there isn’t much one can carry beyond the apocalypse.”
The old man shook his backpack as if it were heavy.
“Tools, people, and skills.… You can’t just pack everything up and take it with you like what I can do with this old back of mine.”
He turned slowly into a deserted alleyway.
“Until I decide on my next journey and what I’ll bring with me—I’ll leave the treasures of my creativity to you.”
The old man dissolved into the hustle and bustle of the sky, leaving behind a raven’s feather.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
This advance chapter is sponsored by Riellyster-san. Thank you so much for your support. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧ .
Flamebone Surtr’s defeat had a secondary effect on the entire monster side. Serpentbone Jor was the one most affected.
――Damn it!
Its massive body writhed in rage. The heat emitted by Flamebone Surtr resisted the seal that froze monsters. Now that that heat was gone, the cold from the seal was closing in on the Great Serpent Jormungand.
――I can’t maintain my body. No! I’ve come this far…!
Leaving a roar in the pale sky, the World Serpent Jormungandr vanished.
◆◆◆
The instant Mjolnir crashed down upon Surtr’s head, a sharp cracking sound rang out. A fracture split across the titan’s molten face, then spread in jagged lines across his blazing body. Heat shimmered from the cracks like escaping spirit of fire.
With a death cry that shook the cavern, the Flame Titan began to crumble.
――Impossible…. impossible!
His massive throat released one final roar, so loud and violent it felt like a wall of air slamming into me. I instinctively shielded my face with my hand covered with gauntlets. I felt like I was being blown away.
――Oooooooohh!
A cry of pure hatred and fury echoed as Surtr’s body shattered. Along with Surtr, who was collapsing, I fell from the height of the attack.
“Sorry, but we can’t let ourselves be burned again!”
From the wall, a white dwarf darted through the air, catching me before I could crash to the ground. Together, we drifted down in a slow, controlled descent.
With the defeat of Flamebone Surtr—the keystone of the battle—the tide shifted instantly.
The monsters that had flooded the dungeon were cut down one after another by the combined might of the dwarves and the gods. Even the colossal serpent outside seemed to shine with a burst of light and vanished altogether.
“Let’s push through!”
What happened after that—to be honest, I can barely remember.
I just knew we fought. Gods, dwarves, and us—all together—we dealt against the remnants of the monster horde. With Surtr gone, no more creatures poured through the gates. The onslaught had ended and only cleanup remained.
I fought on in a daze—summoning the spirits, shielding Safi, driving myself forward even after the golden flame finally flickered out.
Then finally, I collapsed onto the stone floor. And only then, only as I lay there, staring up at the rift in the ceiling, did I realize it was over.
The sky beyond had grown pale—morning light is now shining through. It seemed as though time had passed without me noticing.
I tilted my head and looked around.
Felix-san, Mia-san, and Safi were all collapsed in a similar position. None of the gods were left the room. Remnants of magical power sparkled in the air, as if floating in the starry sky.
“…Awake?”
The words came from a small, delicate figure at my side. My vision was still blurry, but as my eyes cracked open, I caught the faint shimmer of thin, translucent wings. One of the white dwarves was watching over me.
――Take them to the surface.
The voice of the Dwarf King echoed faintly, and at once, the white dwarves began carrying us upward. Before long, they set us down on a platform overlooking the main square. Most of the colossal ballistae had been shattered. Only wreckage remained line up across the stone platform.
In the pale light before dawn, countless small figures stood there, gazing at us in silence.
The white dwarves, with slender frames crowned with delicate wings and long, pointed ears, stood there barely chest-high to me. Beside them were the black dwarves. They are of similar height, yet stockier and more solidly built.
All of them are small, but their appearances varied—their clothing, age, the tools they carried. One wore a blacksmith’s apron, another a cloak, another in gleaming armor.
On the platform where we stood, there were perhaps thirty of them. Yet as I glanced around, I saw more of them. They are watching from balconies, ledges, and stairs carved into the cavern walls. There must have been a hundred of them—or maybe more.
“Kingdom… of dwarves…”
I couldn’t help but murmur.
“…Mm.”
Safi stirred as well, slowly rising from where she had been laid, her gaze turning toward the gathered dwarves.
For a moment, she said nothing—her reaction caught somewhere between disbelief and awe.
A chill morning wind slipped through the rift in the ceiling, stinging my skin, still raw from the heat of battle.
“…E-everyone…”
Safi’s voice faltered again and again, as though the words simply wouldn’t come. Safi, the dark dwarf blacksmith, was surely older than me—yet in this moment, she looked like nothing more than a child.
“…Has it been so long? No, wait—”
One of the dwarves stepped forward, standing directly before Safi. His face was older than hers, far more weathered. If he were human, he might have been around forty.
A trimmed beard framed his jaw, his skin was tanned, and a burn scar ran along his cheek. He wore a blacksmith’s apron, and though small, his limbs were thick and sturdy. He’s another dark dwarf blacksmith, just like Safi.
…Is he her mentor?
Suddenly, the man dropped to his knees with a sharp motion.
“Uuh… Forgive me, Safi-dono!”
Safi scratched her cheek, looking awkward and unsure how to respond.
“I knew they’d accused you… that they’d put you to sleep! But I thought—if it was to protect you, then maybe….. And so, I went along with it…”
H-hold on. He looks older, clearly experienced—yet Safi… outranks him?
“I-it’s fine.”
“But still…!”
One by one, both the white and black dwarves lowered themselves on one knee before Safi. Not with the same intensity as the first one, but their words all carried the same weight.
“We heard everything from His Majesty.”
“We should’ve trusted you. But in the end… after sealing you away, we carved the protective runes with our own hands. We swore we’d guard you till the end.”
“Yeah… you’re incredible.”
“Not only did you preserve our technology, but you even brought gods to our aid…!”
Safi blinked rapidly, her dark eyes darting from one dwarf to the next.
“Eh? Eh…?”
Her lips quivered with confusion, as if she didn’t know how to handle such praise.
Watching her, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Then, Mia-san broke the heavy air with a bold voice.
“…So, what was actually going on here?”
“Ah! Uhm, well…”
Safi’s green hair bounced as she turned toward us. It was clear now that the dwarves hadn’t truly betrayed anyone, but the details were still a mystery.
“The truth is… the dwarven kingdom of Alfheim didn’t betray anyone at all. They only pretended to submit—to lure the enemy into a trap.”
Safi began explaining the path her people had chosen.
As it turned out, the dwarves had never truly turned their backs on the gods or on humankind. They had only feigned allegiance to the enemy, drawing them deep into the palace where the tables could be turned.
Mia-san’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Heh…. No, wait. So, the first floor of the dungeon being buried under all that soil—that was part of the plan back then?”
Even I hadn’t thought that it went that far. My jaw dropped open in surprise as well.
“Amazing….”
“The slope above the mine felt strangely steep, didn’t it? That was because the soil and rock from there were used to seal off the palace entrance.”
Safi puffed out her chest, clearly proud of her homeland’s ingenuity.
“But….”
This daring plan had been set in motion ages ago—a desperate gamble by the dwarves. Yet, the fact that Safi had been locked away alone…. that part had been born from their lingering doubt.
The title of Ten Blacksmiths was granted only to the most exceptional craftsmen. Safi, the sole dark dwarf among them, was mistrusted. They feared that she’ll betray their kind.
Thoughts like,
If her unparalleled skills were to fall into enemy hands….
If the plan to lure the titan were to be exposed….
Both risks were simply too great for them. Thus, they put Safi to sleep.
The fact that Safi had studied even the techniques of the white dwarves, striving to become one of the Ten Blacksmiths, had not been in vain though. For when the monsters truly drew near and all of Alfheim rose to fight, everyone united—this time, to protect Safi.
The gold coin trembled, and the voice of a god echoed forth.
『I see.』
“Loki…?”
『Fufufu. Don’t worry. Gods will be resurrected once their magical powers return. As you see, I’m already fine now. Solana’s existence is in no danger as well. 』
Relief washed over me, and I let out a sigh of relief.
But the god’s voice continued.
『There’s a protective magic at work here. Originally, it was meant to guard against titan….yet it also shielded the dwarves through their long slumber. Some, like Safi, must have awakened under Surtr’s heat. However…』
I could already imagine the rest of what he was about to say.
『They lacked the awakener spell and the horn. Nor did they wear a ring, one that could resist the seal, like Safi. Most of them should have turned back to stone almost at once. But…. I guess a small group awakened early and used the water mirror to call for us. 』
Loki’s explanations could be difficult to follow at times. Perhaps it was because he was the god of mischief, but when he wasn’t being playful, his thoughts always seemed two or three steps ahead of mine.
Then his tone grew thoughtful.
『However, if that’s the case—』
『Rion.』
This time, it was Solana’s voice that came from the coin.
Warmth flooded my chest in an instant. I pulled out the coin case. The goddess engraved upon the gold coin that’s catching the pale light of the whitening sky smiled softly.
“Thank goodness. Are you all right now?”
『Yes. Not quite at full strength but the air here is thick with magical power. We should be able to step outside again. 』
Of course, I had no reason to hesitate. I held my hand over the gold coin.
“Wake up!”
Light flared, and the divine presence sealed within burst forth.
Solana emerged first, her hair and eyes glowing with the brilliance of the sun. Beside her, Thor shook out his crimson hair and stood tall, while Loki in his black robe offered a graceful bow. Uru leapt lightly atop a ruined great ballista, his brown braids swayed as he moved. Lastly, Sigris planted her spear on the ground and bent her waist with a far deeper courtesy than Loki.
“Gods!”
A ripple of awe spread through the gathered dwarves.
“They truly fought alongside us!”
“White dwarves, black dwarves…. and even the gods themselves…”
Amid the rising voices, another one resonated—not through our ears, but directly within our minds.
It was the voice of the Dwarf King.
――Thank you, Safi. And my gratitude as well to the god…. and to the boy who wields the horn.
A faint radiance began to gather in the air. Slowly, a figure took shape, suspended as though floating above the platform. The Dwarf King appeared.
Just like when I met him in the throne room, he looked like a beautiful young boy. His white hair and thin wings were divine. However, perhaps because he was created by magic, his figure is transparent, the scenery behind him was visible through his appearance.
――Thanks to you, I was able to fulfill my final duty.
The dwarves around us spoke in turn.
“…We’ll have to part ways for a while.”
“Yeah. But if the gods will watch over Safi, we can rest easy.”
A chill of unease rippled through me.
Their tone… it sounded far too much like a farewell.
Safi blinked her dark, wide eyes. Startled, she hurriedly asked,
“…Your Majesty, everyone… what do you mean? We finally drove off the monsters and reclaimed the palace after a thousand years. From now on, we can stay together—!”
The Dwarf King chuckled and stroked Safi’s head. But his hand slipped through, never touching Safi.
――Safi. There’s a “seal” that covers the world, right?
Safi looked up in surprise.
With the “Alarm” and the horn, I can get the god out of the gold coin. But even such a god cannot stay awake for long. Now, the dwarves have awakened, freed from their long seal. But just like when we had first found Safi, they were in the form of a stone statue….
“We will eventually turn to stone again.”
“Mm. The cold is already setting in. We won’t be able to resist it for long.”
――Even though the seal has been lifted, my body, which was on the throne, has long since turned back to stone.
――I cannot return to a body that has become stone.
――My consciousness, my very magic, has been transferred entirely into this mechanism’s jewel.
The Dwarf King gave a faint, wistful smile.
I reached into my pouch and drew out the awakening horn—Gjallarhorn.
“Uh.…”
I regret having taken it so lightly.
A seal covers the whole world. Even an awakened god must eventually return to the gold coin. If a dwarf can no longer withstand the seal, he will turn to stone. Even my Alarm skill isn’t omnipotent.
Safi stepped forward and raised her voice.
“W-wait a moment! Then why am I okay…?”
The red jeweled ring on Safi’s finger sparkled, scattering a sharp glint across the cold air.
“I see…”
A ripple of realization spread through the gathered dwarves and gods alike.
“That ring…”
Loki murmured. His eyes narrowed with keen interest.
“It is no ordinary trinket. Perhaps it’s a relic. One crafted to shield its bearer from the sealing magic itself.”
Safi looked down at her hand, then back at the Dwarf King, her voice trembling.
“T-then… that means I can stay awake because of this ring? That’s the only reason…?”
The Dwarf King nodded slowly, his form already faint at the edges like mist.
Safi stared at the ring, and the Dwarf King quietly lowered his chin.
――The Ring of Protection.
――A ring of such power could ultimately be made for only one person— for you.
The dwarves exchanged glances, wry smiles tugging at their lips. A mixture of resignation and pride shone in their eyes.
“The craftsmanship is the work of the white dwarves, though the black dwarves lent their hands as well.”
“To keep the gem secure, we first had to refine the alloy properly.”
Another dwarf added.
“…If only we had joined our efforts sooner…”
This ring, brimming with power, had been entrusted to Safi by these people. They wanted to believe in her even though a small doubt lingered that she might betray them. Yet beneath it all was the truth—their desire to protect her, their genuine intent to keep her safe.
Conflicted feelings. As Loki had once said, even the gods and dwarves were a little complicated.
The dwarves gathered around Safi, who stood frozen in disbelief. One by one, they shook her hand, patted her shoulder, offered words of encouragement. The embraces seemed reserved for those closest to her.
I watched the scene alongside Mia-san, Felix-san, and the gods. My chest tightened painfully, and I realized I was gripping the armor around my torso. There had barely been enough time to say proper goodbyes to so many.
Soon, the morning sun streamed in through the rift in the ceiling. Normally, I would have cherished this hour—the sun rising to banish the night and begin a new day. But now, it only served as a cruel reminder: time is running out.
“Mm…”
The dwarves began to slump, one by one.
“…It’s time, isn’t it?”
Gradually, their arms and legs turned to stone.
Safi pressed her lips together, tears pooling in her eyes, yet she continued to look forward. Even the small smile of the Dwarf King began to fade.
――Farewell, master blacksmith of the black dwarves. You’ll be parting ways with me forever, but with the others, it will only be temporary.
But that won’t change anything for Safi. She’ll be left behind again.
“.…Isn’t there any other way?”
I thought deeply.
Safi had struggled so much to get here, and now she’s finally meeting her companions. Even after using the Alarm, for them to part ways now felt unbearably sad.
“Rion”
Solana touched my hand.
“You think so?”
I nodded my head.
The goddess’s aura was different from before. Her voice was stern, and the dwarves who were turning to stone, Safi, and the Dwarf King all looked at Solana.
“Then… I want you to rely on me. You’re my believer, and we’ve made a vow to be the ‘kindest’ and ‘strongest’.”
The goddess closed her eyes tightly. She gripped my arm so tightly that it seemed like it would leave a mark.
“Even in the battle with Surtr just now… I couldn’t truly protect you—”
Golden light began to wreathe Solana’s body.
“And even before that, in that frozen forge… In front of the dwarves turned to stone, I could not be the strength you needed…!”
I recognized that light immediately. It was the same radiance that had poured from Solana when she was gravely wounded by Surtr’s flaming sword. Back then, that light had entered me, strengthening my protection.
“I want to be a god worthy of you as you grow. So I…!”
Solana closed her eyes, so tightly it seemed almost painful.
“That’s why, me too!”
It wasn’t only me who regretted having no power. Even Solana felt that frustration. And in that moment, I cherished her—our goddess—far more deeply than I ever had before.
“Understood, Solana.”
She was trying to answer me, and just that intention warmed my chest, compelling me to speak my wish aloud.
“Solana! A mere Alarm won’t be enough against the seal. So… please, lend me your power…!”
I had defeated Surtr. But that alone… defeating him with sheer strength wasn’t enough. I had come here to save my comrade, to save Safi.
A golden light shone within both Solana’s chest and my own. It was the same light that had appeared when I fought Skoll in the Royal Capital and received the Sword of the Daughter of the Sun.
“Hoh… the bond between Rion and Solana… has grown, hasn’t it?”
Thor stroked his jaw as he spoke.
“…Is it just me, or has Solana’s bond grown faster?”
“Right?”
“It’s heartwarming.”
While Uru, Loki, and Sigris exchanged words among themselves, the goddess seemed to flush a deep red.
“Mm… ugh… this feels… weird.”
Solana murmured. She cleared her throat, still glowing as she did so.
Thor folded his arms and chuckled.
“Haha! Solana is the youngest, and she does not yet wield the power of a motherly god. But… that only means she can grow faster.”
Those big eyes looked down at me, as if to say: Rion, join her.
The awakening horn, the Gjallarhorn, that I had taken out of my pouch was glowing faintly.
“Rion?”
I smiled at Safi, who looked anxious.
“Wait for me.”
I blew air into the horn. Let’s sound the horn of victory at dawn in Alvis. Together with this morning sun!
Skill, 『Sun’s Divine Protection』was used. ————————————————————— 【Sun’s Awakening Light】 ……Use the power of the sun to make the seal permanently removed.
“Hoh? This is…”
Loki’s eyes widened.
“Interesting! A combination of 【Alarm】 and 【Sun’s Divine Protection】huh. An ability based on my 【Duplicity】skill! The target might be limited, but still… this is remarkable!”
Sunlight streamed in through the rift in the ceiling, filling the entire hall. The light enveloped each dwarf, restoring their bodies that had begun turning to stone.
Each of them stared in awe as flakes of stone fell away from their hands.
“Rion.”
Safi looked at me, tears welling in her eyes.
Cheers erupted all around. This wasn’t a reunion shadowed by the expectation of parting, like before. This was truly, genuinely, a reunion.
Safi was caught up in the throng of crying and laughing of the dwarves. As they patted her on the shoulders and stroked her head, the dwarf blacksmith also began to cry loudly.
A smile tugged at Mia-san’s lips. She wiped her eyes and then she gave a hearty slap to Felix-san’s back who stood beside her.
The light of the skill “Alarm” spread. Golden magic flowed throughout the mine. Even the dwarves hidden deep underground would awaken before long for sure.
“—I never imagined you’d be awakening not gods, but the entire kingdom of dwarves.”
Felix-san smiled at me as he patted my back.
“…Rutger-san would be so proud if he could see you now.”
The morning wind swept through the vast chamber. Seeing the cheers of the dwarves who had survived a thousand years, and the smile of Safi, the dwarf blacksmith, I felt a warmth of happiness rise within me.
Lu… Mom...
Maybe… I’ve become a somewhat worthy adventurer.
I’ll definitely tell my family about this adventure when I get home!
“Rion.”
“Un…!”
Solana and I nodded to each other.
“The gods’ awakener… your first job was a success.”
We continued to watch the demigod dwarves that come back to life.
In the dungeon, now free of monsters, the voices of joyful reunions echoed continuously.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
This advance chapter is sponsored by Riellyster-san. Thank you so much for your support. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧ .
Perhaps it was because I had just exchanged sword techniques with Flamebone Surtr, but I found myself remembering my training with my father.
Back in the early days—the very first time I ever held a sword.
This sharp, cold hunk of metal had felt terrifying to me. I couldn’t even imagine it being pointed at me in a dungeon. Father could face blades every single day without fear and I thought it was beyond amazing—I felt more than just respectful.
“Father… aren’t you afraid of fighting monsters?”
In my memory, Father patted my head. I was only about ten at the time, so his palm completely covered my head.
“I’m afraid of course.”
“Thenwhy do you go out to fight?”
Even as a child, I understood that being an adventurer was dangerous work.
Father looked up, a little troubled, and smiled.
“Everyone’s afraid. All of us. The old man across the street, the miller next door, and me, too. Everyone’s scared of monsters.”
“Then….”
“Wrong. It’s all because of that.”
Father looked straight into my eyes.
“If everyone’s afraid, then someone has to do it. That’s why I choose to be that someone.”
Because he understood fear, he could feel how frightened everyone else was too. And yet, he would force that fear down and keep moving forward.
I remembered now—that was the kind of man my father was.
Even in the “Blood-Red Sunset”, during that final battle when he challenged Ymir, perhaps it was that same will that carried him forward.
“Of course, there are a few people who aren’t afraid from the start.But those who feel fear, yet still steady their trembling and step into battle is something more. That’s what we call courage, don’t you think?”
It’s precisely because I’m scared that I step forward. Perhaps stepping forward despite the fear is truly what we call “courage.”
As a child, that was what I believed.
It was around that time I began my training with Father.
“A sword exists for that very reason.Every part of a weapon is designed with ways to defend and fight.”
The guard to catch the enemy’s blade. The sharp tip for thrusting. The pommel to balance its weight—and sometimes deliver a strike.
“Even a sword has a hidden hammer. Find it.Practice and knowledge—someday, they’ll be what saves you—”
“Rion.”
Father called out to me. His voice gradually became more and more shaky, bringing me back to reality.
I felt like I’d been tapped firmly on the shoulder.
◆◆◆
“Rion!”
As he called out to me, I found myself collapsed against the wall. In front of me was Solana.
My heart nearly stopped at her appearance.
“S-Solana….?”
The goddess had lost everything from her right shoulder down to her left hip. Her body had shrunk so much, and from that severed line, golden light leaked out.
Solana smiled, her face pale white.
“Thank goodness. Don’t worry—you’re safe.”
“S-Solana, you’re…”
“I’m fine. Gods don’t possess physical bodies. I just wanted to protect you first.”
She smiled as she said it.
There was no way such a wound wasn’t painful. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes.
From far away came the growl of Flamebone Surtr and the howls of monsters. Both were terrifying—but what hurt more was seeing Solana so gravely injured.
“Don’t make that face. I told you from the very beginning, didn’t I? I want to be a god who stands by your side.”
And then, she added softly,
“I’m glad I was able to protect you. But now…. I need to rest for a while.”
With those final words, Solana burst into light. The golden flames surrounding her seemed to flare brighter for an instant—as if she had used the very last of her strength to keep her divine blessing alive.
From the short sword I clutched tightly in my hand, a gold coin flaked off.
Clink. Even now, the sound was cool and clear.
Solana, who had become a sword of light, must have served as our shield as well. That’s why she had been hurt so badly.
“Uu…”
Fear and helplessness churned together inside me. My limbs wanted to give out, but the heat burning deep in my chest lashed at them like a command.
Stand!
Stand up and take your stance!
“Are you all right?”
A shadow fell across me—it was the god, Loki. Behind him, Mia-san, Felix-san, and even Safi came rushing over. All of them looked badly wounded. Mia-san clutched her left arm, while Felix-san’s right arm was seared with a terrible burn.
If Solana hadn’t thrown herself in front of us to protect us—
The mere thought sent a chill crawling down my spine.
I wanted to use my healing abilities, but the medicine god, Sigris, was still busy up above, protecting the dwarves. Besides… I had the feeling I should conserve my mana for now.
With the chain still clenched between her teeth, Mia-san asked,
“Rion, can you still fight?”
“Y-Yes…!”
No room for hesitation. It was time to start over.
That towering figure, nearly twenty meters tall—sways in the heat haze ahead. We have to close the distance again, from the very start. The monsters were back as well. Surtr’s flames had melted the frost of the seal, calling monsters to this floor like moths to a torch.
And beyond them loomed the true threat—Surtr’s weapon, the sword of certain death.
“That blade… it is the weapon of the Flamebone Surtr. Some call it the Bane of Branches—others, the fabled Laevateinn.”
Loki folded his arms, his eyes narrowing to slits.
This was the titan who had once tried to burn the world to ash. If we fell here, the dwarves would be annihilated. The fire would spread, first to Alvis, and then to the Royal Capital itself.
I remembered the vision Solana had once shown me—the myth of fire swallowing everything. The fear of seeing Lu, of seeing Mother, engulfed by those flames… That no longer felt like a distant nightmare. It was drawing closer.
——Ooooohh!!
Surtr roared.
The horde of monsters surged forward in a frenzy, fangs and claws glinting in the infernal light.
Then—thrum!
A volley of enchanted bolts and arrows thundered down from the colossal ballistae. In an instant, the front lines of the horde were reduced to ash, clearing a narrow path toward the flame titan.
Stone sentinels—guard golems—charged into the remaining monsters, locking them in brutal combat, straining to hold the corridor open for us.
“This….”
An unfamiliar voice echoed in my head—the words of the Dwarf King.
—We dwarves shall pour all our magic and mechanisms into this battle as well!
Was he watching us from somewhere?
Along the wall, a crimson jewel glimmered faintly. From above, ten more humanoid figures descended—additional guard golems joining the fray.
—You’ve found a weakness, haven’t you?
I lowered my chin in a firm nod.
Our target was the weak point we had discovered—the Golem cores embedded in Surtr’s knees. The flame titan’s lower legs were prosthetics of stone and earth. Once we shatter the cores, he would no longer be able to stand.
My resolve solidified. It was no longer simply “I mustn’t lose.” Now it had become, “I want all of us to win—together.”
“Here I go! Cover me!”
At my shout, Mia-san and Felix-san responded in perfect unison.
“Got it!”
“All right!”
I dashed forward. The distance was only fifty meters. With the Blessing of the Sun—the Golden Flame—I could have covered it in an instant if there weren’t monsters swarming the path.
The opening that the dwarves had blasted open was already filling up with creatures, their numbers threatening to close it off completely.
Chain axe, magic, and the guard golems fought to hold the passage for even a moment longer. A blast of fire from Garmr streaked past me from the side, just as Surtr raised his blazing sword high.
“—!”
I barely managed to dodge. The wave of heat alone must have seared all the way to the opposite wall. I could only hope the others had escaped the swing as well.
—But that wasn’t all!
“Rion! Dodge!”
Mia-san’s scream proved all too true.
After the downward strike, the blade swept sideways, a great scything arc meant to reap me where I had dodged. Flames carved across the floor in a wide, fanning sweep.
“Wake up!”
Safi’s inscription of “jinrad” flared to life. A sylph burst forth, whipping up a gust of tailwind behind me. I dashed forward, leaping onto a nearby golem as if it were a stepping stone, then vaulted high to clear the sweeping blaze.
Only thirty meters left!
I sprinted through the open space, the floor beneath me glowing hot—hot enough to scorch my boots if I faltered for even a moment.
“GROOOOAAAH!”
Two massive figures loomed before me, each nearly eight meters tall—Flame Giants. They clasped their hands together, ready to crush me like an insect. I stepped aside, first left, then right, but pain flared sharply from my wounds. I gritted my teeth and endured it.
The goddess had borne far worse—surely I could as well.
Only ten more meters!
I dove through a gap in the magical wall.
“One down!”
As we passed each other, my short sword slashed across the golem core in its knee.
“Second one—down!”
Flamebone Surtr staggered, the titan reeling backward, eyes wide with shock. Perhaps the speed I’d gained from the goddess, and the spirit exceeded even its imagination.
Its massive head dipped low, exposing its weak point. I called upon the blessing of the God of Thunder, aiming for the vital spot—Surtr’s head itself.
——You wretch!
Surtr drove its blazing sword deep into the ground. Right beneath me—its target. I had forgotten the risk.
He was planning to lure me in, pull me close enough that I couldn’t escape, and then get me caught up in the explosion of the Flame Sword, Laevateinn.
Felix-san shouted, casting a spell.
“Rion! Over here!”
My body moved before my mind did. I kicked off the ground, sprinting—not toward Surtr now, but away from it.
Run, run, run!
Twenty meters away, my companions waited. The guard golems had gathered to form a makeshift wall. A chain suddenly whipped out from behind it with a metallic clatter.
Instinctively, I grabbed hold of it. Mia-san gave a hard yank, pulling me behind the wall to safety.
“Ice Wall—!”
Felix-san chanted, reinforcing the wall of the guard golems with a layer of frost magic. Safi swung her hammer, striking the constructs and blessing them with “Blessing”, bolstering their strength further. Loki’s divine power joined in, weaving additional protection.
Then, the Dwarf King’s voice rang in my head:
—I shall channel the jewel’s protective magic as well…!
And then—like the world’s very end—the second blast of cataclysmic flame erupted.
◆◆◆
Thor, the God of Thunder, and Jormungandr, the World Serpent, had exchanged countless blows, their battle climbing through one peak after another of ferocity.
Yet the tide was one-sided.
Fangs. Venom. A tail that lashed like a living pillar. Thor parried each strike with Mjolnir, yet his body bore the price—wounds piling one upon another.
Dawn now had begun to pale the sky. The God of Thunder’s form was smeared with blood and mud, while the Serpent’s massive body gleamed with a dark, ominous sheen—two figures, stark in their contrast.
——How delightful…
The World Serpent’s golden eyes curved like crescent moons as a low, throaty hum rolled from its throat. Raising its scythe-like head, it leveled its gaze with the floating God of Thunder.
——You’re shielding the city… the mines… making sure I don’t destroy them. It makes your movements so very easy to read.
All around them, trees lay toppled, the earth scarred and torn. It was painfully clear where the two had clashed. Had anyone looked down from above, they would have seen how the trail of devastation crept steadily farther and farther from Alvis—away from the city, away from the mines.
If the serpent were to leap into the streets, countless lives would be lost. That was why Thor, even as his wounds multiplied, threw his body into the fray, forcing the monster back, cutting off its path.
——And yet… you still haven’t unleashed your full strength, have you?
The serpent laughed, its cavernous maw flashing crimson.
——Is it because of the seal? Or… are you waiting for something?
Thor’s face remained unreadable. From the thunderclouds gathered on his back came a fierce wind, whipping his red hair in wild strands.
Behind him, from a fissure carved into the mountainside, fire suddenly erupted. It was Surtr’s fire.
Thor’s eyes widened as he spun around. Behind him, the serpent gaped its monstrous jaws, a hideous laugh echoing through the night sky.
——A pity, really, that the boy with the horn was burned to death… But in this situation, he’d only have gotten in the way sooner or later, don’t you think?
From the fissure in the mountain, flames erupted like the blast of a volcano. Thor slowly shook his head.
“Hmph!”
He raised his broad palm toward the serpent, and lightning surged from the thunderclouds gathered upon his back. The roar of countless bolts, braided together into a single blinding torrent, shook the very air. Most of the strikes crashed into the ground, throwing up a wall of dust that veiled the serpent’s gaze.
When the haze cleared, Jormungandr fell silent. The distance between them had widened. Thor had retreated—pulled back, deliberately.
——Now, of all times… you are retreating?
The World Serpent knew well the god who stood before her. The war god who had fought her countless times—never once had he lowered his head, never once had he yielded ground. Yet now, battered and torn from shielding the mountain and the city, he drew back toward the mines… with pride blazing in his eyes.
“I told you, didn’t I?!”
Thor’s booming laughter rolled across the pale dawn sky—mirthful, defiant, exhilarating. Even as he stepped back, he raised his mighty hammer high.
“Never underestimate humans! No matter how small their bodies, no matter how many times they fall—”
He jabbed his left thumb hard against his chest.
“—here beats a will larger than any of us!”
From Thor’s chest, a crimson light began to shine.
◆◆◆
The vast chamber had fallen silent.
Darkness loomed—perhaps because the heat had shattered the magic lamps. In the dim glow, the towering form of Flamebone Surtr floated, wreathed in fire.
——How come?
His voice echoed through the scorched air.
——Why are you not reduced to ash?
I stepped out from behind the charred remains of the guard golems. In the end, Surtr had sacrificed both knees to lure me into striking distance. Yet even his ultimate blaze had failed to consume us.
I coughed, my throat burning. The heat was so intense, it was a wonder I could still draw breath. There were probably countless reasons why we’d survived.
Firstly, because Solana had clashed with his flaming sword, draining its force. Because the dwarven guard golems had stood as a wall for us. Because Loki and the Dwarf King had poured their magic into shielding us, and Felix-san and Mia-san had helped me escape at the last possible moment.
And perhaps—just perhaps—the fireproof cloak I’d saved for this moment had done its job. The hem was curled and scorched, but it had held on, though barely.
——Our flames… the flames strong enough to burn the world to ash… and yet it cannot burn a tiny human like you?
I glared up at that massive face. The tears gathering in my eyes weren’t only from the heat.
“No! It’s because everyone helped me! The gods, the dwarves, Mia-san, Felix-san. Everyone protected me! That’s why—!”
The terror of fighting with everything I had finally caught up to me. But I shouted at the mythic titan before me.
“I’m not alone!”
—That’s why I won’t lose!
——Oooooooh!
Surtr’s flames flared again, heat roaring through the cavern.
At that moment, the dungeon shook. From the rift in the ceiling, a crimson light poured down—
The very same glow that now burned within my chest.
“Rion!”
Thor hurled his massive golden hammer toward me. It blazed above my head, then shattered into light. Power rained down on me. The divine, overwhelming might of the God of Thunder himself.
——I walked away from my battle with the World Serpent for this. Now show them, hero.
With a deafening crash, the serpent’s body slammed into the rift from the other side.
——Surtr! Be careful!
Kneeling, the Flamebone Titan glared down at me, his eyes seething with rage.
The serpent’s voice echoed through the cavern.
——Thor did not retreat to distract me! The war god’s true aim… was this boy all along!
——To think he would actually entrust Surtr’s defeat… to a mere human!
At this moment, it struck me. —Our enemy had never even imagined I could stand against Surtr. That arrogance, that miscalculation, had brought us to this moment.
I stepped forward, Thor’s divine power flooding through me, as the voice of the god resounded in my head.
Skill, 『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』was used. Achievement has been unlocked. ———————————————— A new ability has been granted.
Skills are born from the bond between mortals and gods. If that’s indeed the case… then deepening my connection with Thor must have awakened this new power. Just like the sword of the daughter of the sun had been born because of my bond with Solana back in the Royal Capital.
I stand before the colossal monster, Flamebone Surtr. Just as Thor, the god of war, once faced off against many titans, and beings greater than himself.
I now face this towering foe with the same resolve. That same will strengthened the bond between us. The red light burning in my chest burns hotter—even hotter than Surtr’s infernal flames.
Skill, 『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』 ————————————————————— 【Will of the God of War】 ……When facing a foe far greater than oneself, the power of each strike is amplified.
With the 【Golden Flame】 from the Sun Goddess’ blessing and the【Will of the God of War 】from the God of Thunder’s blessing burning within me at once, I took a step forward.
A single leap is all it takes to rise before Surtr’s massive form.
“Oooooh!”
Surtr roars, spreading a barrier of magic before him.
Snap! A tiny, almost anticlimactic sound—like fingers clicking—cuts through the heat.
It came from the side. Both Surtr and I turned to look there.
—Floating in midair was Loki.
“You didn’t think you could forget about Loki, did you?”
Surtr’s eyes went wide. His enormous head snapped toward the figure floating beside his massive shoulder—a black-robed sorcerer, the god of mischief himself.
“In times of peace, we even learned magic from you titans.”
Loki said with a thin smile.
“I know your technology. I know how it works.”
Surtr, enraged, swept his massive hand toward him. However, Loki’s body sheared away. Chunks of darkness peeling off as though he were unraveling.
“Well, well… for me to play the sacrificial fool. Not my usual style, but…”
With his form fading, Loki turned his eyes toward me and grinned,
“Please… No—I entrust this to you, Rion.”
The magic barrier that had begun to form shattered like mist. No fortress remained. No monstrous guardian stood to shield the battlefield’s heart—Surtr himself.
I felt the tailwind of Sylph’s breeze at my back, driving me forward through the air in a straight line. The crimson light burning in my chest grew brighter, hotter with every passing heartbeat.
With Solana, the image in my mind had been a sword. But now, what I see is a hammer.
Surtr’s burning face loomed closer, the heat so fierce it stung my nose, threatened to sear my eyes right out of their sockets.
Magic power poured around me like rain, on the verge of awakening into something greater—no, it had to awaken. Everyone had given me this chance. I couldn’t waste it.
But—
『…Your compatibility… may not be enough.』
Thor’s voice, heavy with regret, echoed in my mind.
“No way…!”
The divine power he had granted me refused to take shape in my hands. It poured down upon me, only to scatter like mist the moment I tried to grasp it.
Then Loki’s voice followed, sly and unhurried.
『Perhaps… it’s because your bond with Solana is truly special. Your aptitude for manipulating magic… is only so-so, after all.』
Maybe I simply lacked the talent to seize this chance. Well, of course I did. I was born with a useless skill, a dropout from the start, not a hero like my father.
And now—of all times—my own weakness was dragging me down…!
Thor’s voice thundered in my mind.
『Rion—imagine it anyway! My strength—my hammer!』
“I–imagine it…?”
Magic was imagination—the power to give shape to one’s will. Loki had once taught me that. So I focused, pouring everything I had into that single thought. What rose in my mind was a memory—training with my father.
I could almost feel his large hands guiding mine, showing me how to do it. With that image burning bright, I shifted my grip on the short sword. I grasped the blade itself. Trusting the silver gauntlet to shield my fingers, I turned the weapon around so the guard pointed upward.
A cross-shaped short sword flipped this way became the shape of a hammer. A stance meant for killing strikes—a technique normally used with longswords to bludgeon the enemy with the guard.
With a hammer now clenched in my hands—even if only in imagination—I could feel it. I could believe I was truly holding Thor’s great hammer.
The silver gauntlet my little sister had given me felt reassuring. It didn’t just protect my fingers. It was as if Lu herself was there—her small hands covering mine, whispering: “Oniichan, you can do this.”
——Burn… I will burn you to ash!
Surtr’s colossal face loomed right before me.
But I refused to give in.
What I lacked in magical talent, I would make up for with the strength of my memories—my family’s bond. My throat strained to its limit as I shouted the name of the weapon I had borrowed from the God of Thunder himself.
“Mjolnir!”
Skill, 『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』was activated.
Mjolnir –the legendary war hammer, granted by the God of Thunder.
The reversed blue crystal short swrod erupted with lightning, blazing brighter and brighter until a massive hammer took form around it.
With a deafening shout, I swung Mjolnir down upon the doomsday titan.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
From the rift carved into the mountainside, Thor, god of thunder, burst out into the night sky.
His gaze fell downward—where the writhing form of a colossal serpent sprawled.
Behind the mountain stretched a vast forest, with a river winding along the ridge line. Trees snapped and the ground shuddered as the creature dragged its immense body forward, water spray and dust erupting in its aftermath.
Slowly, the serpent raised its head, towering high—its height alone rivaling that of a giant-class monster. Counting the length that slithered along the ground, it was surely even larger than Flamebone Surtr.
Hovering above, Thor stroked his chin, the eyes of a war god measuring the serpent’s size.
“Fifty meters, if it stretched straight? No—closer to a hundred…?”
He snorted. It’s pointless. He had realized there was no meaning in trying to measure it.
“You always did grow stronger with magical power, didn’t you…?”
The seal that once bound the world must have kept that trait suppressed.
Like where Thor, god of thunder, turned his magical power into lightning—
Sigris, the god of medicine, transmuted it into healing—
And Solana, the goddess of the sun, transformed it into light—
This creature poured it all into sheer size.
Resting Mjolnir across his shoulder, Thor gazed down upon the serpent.
“It’s been a long time, World Serpent Jormungandr.”
From the shadowed forest below, golden eyes glared up at him. Thunderclouds gathered around Thor, the hammer’s surface came alive with crackling blue arcs.
——Yes… far too long.
The World Serpent purred. Its voice echoed heavily throughout the area, like an earthquake. Even from the distant city of Alvis came cries of terror—they had seen the monster’s emergence.
Thor’s mouth tightened.
(Just how did Odin intend to end this?)
Thor questioned in his mind.
——Before the Seal, I never did get to finish our battle.
“…Yeah”
The rising gale whipped through Thor’s crimson hair. Before the seal had blanketed the world, Thor and Jormungandr had clashed many times.
“By now we’re surely tired of each other’s faces. Or does a thousand years apart make the sight feel fresh again?”
Jormungandr shook its vast body in laughter. The eerie rumble stirred the midnight forest, and with a great rush of wings, birds scattered far into the distance.
——Hey, Thor… you may be fine, but what of the mortals in the dungeon?
The serpent’s crimson tongue flickered, taunting him.
——While they face Flamebone Surtr—without you, their strongest god—can they truly endure?
Thor kept an expressionless face . As a god of war, he is well aware of his opponent’s tactics.
The World Serpent had revealed itself only to feign interest in the city, baiting a lone god strong enough to oppose it into stepping outside—so that the battle within the dungeon might still tilt in their favor.
In other words, it was a diversion.
And then, once outside, it tried to distract him by making him worry about what is happening inside.
——Mortals are small, weak… and greedy, like serpents themselves.
“Hahaha!”
The thunder god’s laughter split the serpent’s ploy apart.
“I used to think the same. Truly, seeing it thrown in my face by an enemy is enough to make me loathe the thought.”
Thor tightened his grip on Mjolnir and leveled it toward the massive serpent.
“Small? Weak? They may look like it—but don’t underestimate them.”
Thor’s red hair swayed in the storm. The God of War glared at the serpent with wide eyes and raised Mjolnir.
“That boy—he may grow into something far beyond what you imagine.”
(Or rather… he’s already on the midst of it.)
Thor added the thought under his breath.
“Answer me, hero…”
Jormungandr coiled its massive body, its tail snapping like a whip. Waiting for it was the hammer wreathed in thunder.
“I’ve trusted them to hold against Surtr. And, we’ve learned something —we learned to fight side by side.”
◆◆◆
Flamebone Surtr rose to its full height. The golems behind him fell from the impact, and we saw them get crushed by the giant’s foot.
Even from here, the heat seared at our skin—I thought my nose might burn away. Running forward, we all pulled the hoods of our fireproof cloaks lower.
When I looked up, the titan towered nearly twenty meters, like a colossal tree reaching to the sky.
“…The more I look, the more absurd it seems.”
Felix-san muttered, and I couldn’t disagree.
We had forced our way through the hordes of monsters, pressing closer to Surtr than I’d thought possible. But he is still too big.…
“Wake up!”
I called upon Sylph, the wind spirit, and then I hurled wind blades at Surtr. However, all they managed was to scratch the surface of its pillar-like leg.
Even Mia-san’s chainaxe clanged uselessly off the titan’s hide.
“Felix-san, what about your spells!?”
“I am casting them but their effect is weak.”
Right now, the only ones managing to land real attacks on Surtr were the dwarves. From the platforms circling the chamber, ballistae and spell-cannons kept unleashing volley after volley. Yet even their bombardment broke again and again upon the titan’s shimmering barrier.
We kept running in a wide arc, careful not to interfere with the dwarves’ assault.
If Surtr was the “fortress,” then the dwarves were the siege force with their many engines and device. That made us the raiding party, circling and waiting for the opening.
——Hooooo!
Surtr roared. The entire dungeon shook, and the sound made my eardrums feel like they might burst.
“W–what!?”
Safi staggered, only to be caught in Loki’s arms.
“…Hmm.”
The god narrowed his eyes.
“Looks like it’s Surtr’s turn to go on the offensive.”
The flame titan lifted one of his colossal leg high.
——OOOOOH!
It was only a single stomp. And yet, that alone sent a furnace wind surging through the chamber.
I hastily awakened Salamander, and the gods Loki and Solana wrapped their protection around me. Even so, the raging storm of heat blasted away the Garmrs and wave after wave of golems.
The merciless destruction sent chills down my spine.
“H-he’s striking his allies too…?”
“If they mattered to him, he wouldn’t let people mine ore straight out of his body in the first place!”
Mia-san was right.
Whether we liked it or not, this proved what we were up against was no person, but a monster.
Surtr’s crimson eyes blazed. The titan raised his fist high, then brought it down upon one of the platforms. A colossal ballista shattered into fragments, its debris falling alongside the dwarves who had manned it. Even Sigris and Uru, who guarded the platforms, couldn’t shield them all.
Surtr’s booming laughter echoed.
——Born of fire, return to fire!
The collapsing platform seemed to fall in agonizing slow motion.
Safi screamed.
——OOOOOH…
Surtr rumbled low in his throat, his enormous face twisting into a grin. When his jaws parted, I glimpsed jagged fangs, glowing red-black like molten iron. Even now, terror threatened to make me shake.
I slapped my own cheek.
Get it together. Don’t look away.
If I falter here, then surely, not just me, but my companions, the dwarves, Lu, and even Mother would all be swallowed by fire.
“Please… Uru’s blessing—!”
Calling on the Blessing of the Hunter God, I stretched my senses with magical detection.
“…T-there has to be some weakness…!”
That’s when I noticed something strange. At first, I thought it was only the heat and tears warping my vision. But no—there, near Surtr’s knee, gleamed a red light. A light eerily similar to a golem’s core. But before he had stood up, I was sure nothing like that had been there.
“S–Safi…”
Still held in Loki’s arms, Safi wiped her tears away.
“What is it?”
“There’s a magical reaction in Surtr’s knee. It looks almost exactly like a golem core…”
Her eyes widened—then blinked, as though some forgotten memory had just stirred.
“Come to think of it… when I arrived here, there was a golem master. I couldn’t figure out why he was there, but now…?”
Something clicked in my mind as well. That Incarnation of Rage we had fought earlier.
If one could forge a giant golem, then maybe—just maybe—a titan’s very body parts could be built the same way…?
“Rion, don’t stop running! Treat it like any other giant-type monster!”
The voice of a senior adventurer snapped me back to my senses.
“R–right!”
I forced my legs to move again.
Surtr hurled a fireball. Towering pillars of flame roared up around us, scattering fleeing figures in every direction. Flying rubble tore a gash across my cheek. Without the dwarves’ covering fire, even attacks like this would have crushed us in relentless succession.
Through the gaps between the explosions, we caught glimpses of him—
“…Around the legs, the flames seem weaker?”
Mia-san’s words earned a quick nod from me.
“Yes. There, it almost looks like it’s made of soil and stone…”
“Ah!”
Safi suddenly cried out.
“…The legs—it matches that spot. At the very beginning, that giant’s feet were bound in sealing ice. And then… one leg still had an ancient ballista bolt lodged in it, from ages ago…”
Safi pressed a hand to her lips as she murmured.
“Could it be… they reinforced the injured leg with golem technology?”
Loki narrowed his eyes, agreeing. Even in a moment like this, he raised a finger as if lecturing.
“Mmm, I see. The grievous wounds he suffered from the dwarves before the sealing never healed. So, with his flesh missing, they patched him up with soil and stone using golem technology.”
Odin’s seal had been dragging Surtr’s legs down all along. A wound sustained a thousand years ago, kept under the seal—perhaps not even a monster’s regeneration could mend it.
“Uh—let me sort this out…”
The truth lined up in my mind.
A golem core was reinforcing Surtr’s crippled leg with stone and earth. Both legs had been pierced by the dwarves’ great ballista bolts—this was, in effect, a kind of prosthetic limb. That was why, once he stood upright, the Blessing of the Hunt God had reacted.
And Safi had seen the golem engineer. If it was for emergency measures like this, it all made sense.
“We… we might’ve found his weak point!”
Circling behind Surtr, I fixed my eyes on the golem cores.
Just as I thought—both his knees glowed with a crimson light. If we destroyed them, even that colossus would surely falter. Standing on two legs was the same weakness for giants as it was for us.
That was when Mia-san suddenly pointed straight upward, her face gone pale.
“Y—you’ve got to be kidding me!”
Surtr’s fist was already raised. The ground shook under his forward step. Loki and Felix-san hurled spells to deflect the blow, but stopping it outright was impossible.
The fist came down.
The floor bent like liquid under the impact, launching all of us into the air. The goddess stepped forward, spreading her arms to shield us. Her golden hair streamed straight back in the scorching gale.
“H-here it comes, Rion! The magic shockwave—!”
Together with Solana, we were blasted high into the air.
“Wah—!”
We must’ve been launched a good ten meters up.
Yet we didn’t crash into the walls or floor. The fall was strangely gentle. That was when I saw them—pale dwarves with delicate, feather like wings. White dwarves, catching us in their arms, softening our descent. One by one, they lowered us gently back to the ground.
“Th-thank you…!”
I called out in gratitude, but the white dwarves only gave a small nod before gliding back to the platforms.
I turned again toward the flame giant.
Surtr had dropped to one knee, coiling himself like a spring, gathering strength.
My chest pounded. His movements had stilled—and that made it feel like the perfect chance. His knees, his weakness, were pressed firmly against the ground, hardly shifting at all.
My heart raced like a drum.
Was this a chance—or a trap?
“Solana!”
I chose to gamble.
The blast had hurled us far away, leaving thirty meters between us. At that range, only one option had the power we needed.
Solana’s golden eyes flared as she nodded.
“I understand!”
Skill, 『Sun’s Divine Protection』was used. Sword of the daughter of the Sun has been created. ―――――――――――――――――――― 【Sword of the Daughter of the Sun】 ……The daughter of the Sun imbues herself into the weapon.
The goddess sank into the blue crystal short sword in my hand. The gold coin leapt from my pouch, fusing with the blade. The light-forged sword—the same that once felled Wolfbone Skoll —blazed to life, its radiance surging upward until it nearly brushed the cavern’s ceiling.
――Oooohhh!
Surtr roared.
Even as he knelt, Surtr pressed his massive palms together. Between them, fire swelled—gathering and thickening until it surged outward into form. It turned into a blade.
A sword of flame.
“—!”
That sword of flame caught the Sword of the Daughter of the Sun head-on.
The clash rang like the tolling of giant bells.
In the vast chamber, golden sparks and red-black embers scattered in showers so blinding they stabbed at my eyes. Goddess and giant, light and flame—locked in equal measure. Their magic was evenly matched.
What tipped the balance was skill.
Still bracing against the divine blade, Surtr rose slowly to his full towering height. His burning weapon slid upward against mine, then he twisted it in a swift, fluid arc. It was a technique called “Maki otoshi,” in which one releases his sword from the sword lock and launches a counterattack.
My opponent was so huge that it was foolish to compare to him. After all, Surtr’s strength and technique could not be pushed back!
——Oooohhh!
With a roar, he wrenched the blades apart.
——Burn, and turn to ash!
From a sweeping stance, Surtr’s flaming sword scythed across, aimed to cut us all down.
I raised the Sword of the Daughter of the Sun as a shield, bracing to protect the others.
“Rion!”
“Solana—protect everyone!”
I couldn’t hold my ground. My feet lost contact with the ground, and in that instant the heatwave struck me like a hammer.
I was blown away.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
The moment we stepped out of the temple, I used my skill, Sun’s Divine Protection, upon Mia-san and Felix-san. Golden flames wrapped around them so we could chase after Safi faster.
Entering the dungeon from the far side of the mountain, the Horn of Awakening, Gjallarhorn, lit up at once. No doubt it was the dwarves’ way of guiding us, pointing towards where our true destination lay.
I blew the horn in the passage which stirred the mechanisms far ahead of us. Maybe everything was done just in time. We are now standing here protecting Safi.
“Rion…!”
The dwarf blacksmith wiped away her tears.
This reminded me of Father somehow, and so I forced myself to smile, nodding as firmly as I could—trying to look dependable.
“It’s all right now. We’re all here—together.”
At the front, Thor the God of Thunder stood like a wall, followed by Loki, Uru, and Sigris—the four gods forming our vanguard. A step behind them, Solana hovered close to us. Mia-san readied her chain axe and Felix-san leveled his staff. We held our formation on the dungeon floor.
But that’s not all. We got allies above as well. The vast chamber rose like a hollow cylinder, ringed with multiple tiers of platforms. Mounted on them were heavy ballistae and arcane engines and every weapon are trained upon the enemy.
Yes—the enemy.
All we had to do was look up to understand the scale of what we are about to face.
Pressed against the far wall, loomed the massive form of Flamebone Surtr. Even in kneeling posture, the flame titan’s body made the “Incarnation of Rage” or the “Flame Golem” we had fought before look small. If he stood to his full height, I think he would easily near twenty meters.
And at that same level, standing with folded arms as if enjoying the spectacle, was a woman cloaked in black.
“Well, well… it’s been a while, hasn’t it, horn boy?”
I took a deep breath. I readied my blue crystal short sword and crouched down. Step by step, I repeated the movements I had learned.
“How’s your little sister these days?”
Cutting through the tense silence of the great hall that’s in a deadlock, came her gloomy voice.
So it really was her!
As I had thought, she’s the slave trader who had shown up in the Royal Capital. But I am not someone who would falter at her taunts.
I pressed my lips shut and met the woman’s gaze head-on.
“Your little awakening skill is quite marvelous. I’d dearly love to have such a gift for myself… But tell me, your sister also have something unusual, right? Some delightful power of her own, isn’t it?”
My body almost instinctively took a step backwards.
The sound of her voice was vile, coiling through the chamber like a great serpent, prickling at my instincts with a primal warning.
“Have you release some kind of seal inside her? As though… there’s something else living within?”
Lu’s face flashed across my mind.
The first time she’d used her skill, Creation, she’d seemed shackled, as though bound by invisible cuffs.
“Right, I thought so. Fufufu.”
Had she sensed my hesitation?
“But, is it really okay for you to be here? You see, no matter where she’s concealed, a brother who loves his sister will always, always find her…”
Brother…?
What is she talking about?
“You are not the only one who has the right to call that child ‘little sister’ you know.”
I felt my stance waver, the short sword trembling in my grip. The most important thing to me—my family—had been spit out with malice.
“W–what are—!”
“Rion!”
Solana’s voice cut sharp at my side.
She was pointing into the darkness where a flicker of crimson had begun to bloom.
“G-garmr’s fireball!”
Safi’s shout tore through the chamber.
Damn it! I let myself get distracted!
The blazing sphere, birthed from the maw of the hellhound, streaked toward us like a falling star.
“Fufufu. Really now… you’re playing fire before a god huh.”
With a snap of his fingers, Loki smothered the fireballs in mid-flight. The flames vanished as though they had never existed.
And with that, the battle resumed.
From the walls, the dwarves’ contraptions unleashed their fury. Arrows and bolts rained down with bursts of magic, searing the horde of monsters. But no rain of steel could stop them all—those too swift or too fierce, tore through the barrage fire. However, each that broke the line found themselves engulfed in Loki’s conjured flame. They were incinerated before they could close the distance.
This was a battle between two massive armies. A scale I had never seen before.
At that moment, a sound came. Chains jingled, heavy and merciless, they start slithering across the stone like iron serpents.
“To reach Surtr, we first have to carve our way through this horde of monster.”
Mia-san narrowed her eyes at the titan waiting fifty meters ahead.
The colossus living flame crouched with arms crossed before its chest, gathering power. Looking more closely, streaks of red and black, writhing like curses, is rising from his body.
“…That looks like the same effect as the titan’s ashes, doesn’t it?”
At my words, Felix-san lowered his staff and peered ahead with his far sight.
“Most likely. He’s undoing the seals on the creatures around him.”
My throat tightened, a hard swallow escaping.
The monsters kept coming—more and more pouring through the dwarves’ defenses, heedless of the bolts and fire raining down. Even with the awakening horn and the gods at our side, I couldn’t really lean on their protection forever.
Because in the end, I would still have to face Surtr.
I tried to summarize the situation.
“So, in other words—”
“Until Surtr falls, the monsters will be endless.”
Felix-san finished my words for me.
Mia-san groaned.
“Ugh, that’s just brutal…”
I didn’t say it aloud, but I felt the same.
Thor looked back at us and laughed.
“It isn’t just the monsters.”
Thor’s great eyes lifted to the black-robed woman standing on the high platform.
“Surtr’s loosening those seals for something bigger—something far worse.”
As if in answer, the flame titan uncrossed his massive arms. His right hand rose, fingers spread out toward one of the platforms—the one mounted with a great ballista.
“Everyone, move!”
Safi’s cry echoed.
From Surtr’s fingertips burst a blazing sphere of fire, a miniature sun hurled straight at the dwarves’ defenses. It struck before the ballista, exploding it in a thunderous bloom. Dust and smoke roared outwards right after.
—However, two figures intercepted it. Uru, God of the hunt, and Sigris, God of medicine. They soared up together, erecting a wall of magic that shielded the platform from ruin. Hovering in mid air, the gods braced for another strike.
Surtr exhaled in fury. His breath was molten heat. The wave of it searing even across the chamber where we stood far from him.
“…Protect the dwarf. Break through the monsters. And strike Surtr down. That’s it.”
Thor’s words made me clench my jaw. I nodded back.
The dwarves turned their artillery on the titan, launching bolts and spells. Surtr was ready though. A red-black barrier spread before him, knocking every shot aside.
It was like a castle siege.
With the dwarves focused on the titan, the monsters swarmed free. The ground shook. Golems thundered forward. Golems, Garm, and even rock worms closed in on us, shaking the ground.
“Ya!”
Solana thrust both hands forward, a burst of golden light exploding from her palms. The force hurled a golem and the hellhound Garmr together, slamming them into the far wall in a tangled heap.
Thor’s hammer struck, scattering foes like dry twigs. Loki’s magic flared as well. The cascade of fire and darkness pushed back the enemies. If viewed from above, it might have looked like a surging black wave colliding with the gods and breaking apart.
“Amazing…”
I could only stare in awe.
The dwarves’ ingenious weapons. The gods’ overwhelming power. Beyond them all, the apocalypse embodied by the flame titan Surtr, towers above the swarm. And we—mere humans—were in the very heart of it.
“Rion!”
Solana turned toward me, her smile is small but radiant.
Heat surged through my chest.
“Everyone—forward!”
I shouted. We advanced, cutting a path through the black tide of the apocalypse.
Monsters came without end.
A Garmr lunged at us with its fangs but I dove beneath its jaws, stabbing it in the throat with my crystal short sword. Against a rock worm, I wake up the wind spirit. Its wind blade cut through the worm’s armored carapace, cutting it in half.
“Haah!”
Mia-san’s axe rang against a golem’s stone hide. The crimson runes carved into her weapon flared, blasting a part of its hide into shards. With the glowing core exposed, Felix-san’s ice magic speared through, freezing and shattering it.
“Gooaaaaah!”
A massive four-legged creature approached, letting out a particularly loud roar. Its horns were ablaze, a Muspelheim Aurochs—commonly known as the “Fire Bull.” It’s a mid-boss of the Alvis Dungeon. A nightmare in its own right. Head lowered, horns aglow, the beast charged straight at us, its bulk the size of two wagons barreling side by side.
“Haah!”
I lunged forward, lightning crackling along the blade in my hand. With the Thunder God’s Protection, lightning flowed into my crystal short sword. My weapon blazed, and I brought it down in a flash of stormlight.
“Grrrhh—!?”
The fire bull’s horn met the strike head-on—only to be blasted back as if struck by a thunderbolt. Its massive body swayed through the chamber, toppling down several golems.
“D-did the horn do this…?”
The gods’ power is stronger now.
To think that even a dungeon mid-boss could be flung aside in a single strike is simply amazing.
Felix-san and Mia-san stared at me, equally astonished.
A shiver of exhilaration ran through me.
“Come on, everyone! Forward!”
No matter how many monsters rose against us, we would keep pushing through.
――So, you’ve come this far huh.
The voice rolled like distant thunder, shaking the air itself.
Surtr’s eyes flared crimson, casting their light down upon us. Just the weight of that gaze felt like it could have crushed us outright.
If mere sight could kill, we’d all be gone.
“…Very well.”
From a platform above Surtr’s head, the black-robed woman stepped forward.
She drew back her hood. Long black hair, twisted and coiled like serpents, tumbled free. Her red lips curved into a mocking smile.
“Now that Surtr is fully awake… perhaps it’s time I joined the fray.”
Right after she said that, the air around her surged with a murky glow. It’s red and black, resembling the ashes of the titan. It is now rapidly gathering around the woman.
“Boy with the horn.”
She spoke. Her voice is filled with cruel amusement.
“Let me name myself properly. I am Serpentbone Jor, one of the monsters birthed by Ymir-sama.”
The woman looked down upon us and spoke.
“Behold—the World Serpent, Jormungandr.”
From her body, a foul, tar-black vapor erupted, streaming upward through the rift torn in the ceiling. It surged out into the open night sky. And then, under the pale light of the moon, it appeared.
Black scales. Golden eyes. A maw of crimson.
I forgot to breathe.
The serpent was so enormous that it completely covered the night sky visible through the rift. Its girth alone looked as if it could barely squeeze through the Royal Capital’s main gates. Its length? Impossible to fathom. Yet every fiber of my being knew—it was colossal beyond reckoning.
I know. It’s a creature that could coil itself around castles, around fortresses, and crush them as though they were toys.
“Serpentbone…”
I remembered the mural. The one I had seen in the Southern Dungeon near the capital. It spoke of the lieutenants born from Ymir’s bones. From the bones of both of his arms, an enormous serpent had been created.
“T-this is…”
I couldn’t help but let my voice slip out.
Above Surtr’s blazing form, the rift gaped wide, and through it the serpent’s face gazed down.
――Well then… while you’re all busy fighting Surtr, perhaps I’ll pay a visit to Alvis.
The massive eye curved into a crescent shape.
The serpent withdrew its head from the rift, turning its gaze toward the distant city. Faintly—so faintly we could still hear them—rose the screams of its people, already sensing the encroaching horror.
――You never imagined, did you? That two lieutenants of such magnitude would stand against you at once.
A streak of red light burst upward, hurtling towards the rift.
Lightning exploded against the serpent’s scaled face.
“…So it was you.”
Thor had thrown Mjölnir.
The hammer returned to his hand as he rose into the air, hovering within the vast chamber. His eyes locked on the serpent’s.
The World Serpent glared back at him.
――Last time… the twilight of the gods ended without our battle reaching its end.
“Hmph. The same is true for me.”
The thunder god’s and the serpent’s voices reverberated off the high stone vaults.
Then Thor’s gaze fell upon me.
“Rion! Leave the outside to me. The inside—”
I raised my short sword high in answer.
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
Thor smiled. Like a brief moment of sunshine on the rocky mountain, his face quickly returned to that of the stern god of thunder, but it was undoubtedly a smile. And in that fleeting moment, I felt the same red light burn within my chest, just as it burned in his.
“…Thank you. You’ve become a fine warrior.”
With that, Thor flew through the rift, out into the night.
Outside—the Thunder God against the World Serpent Jormungandr.
Inside—us against Surtr.
Two monsters of the apocalypse. Both ours to face.
“…Father must have been afraid too.”
But he had chosen nonetheless—chose to protect.
I made my decision too.
I hesitated and spent a lot of time thinking about it, but I’ve finally found the answer. So now, I am moving forward.
――Then, come.
Flamebone Surtr also rose, along with a wave of heat.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
This advance chapter is sponsored by Riellyster-san. Thank you so much for your support. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧ .
Safi disappeared from the temple chamber. She must have headed toward the deepest level of the Alvis Dungeon alone.
I stood frozen in the empty room. Through the open window, the night wind howled. The distant mountains were stained red by a pillar of light rising from their slopes to the sky. The echoes of a great roar still lingered in the air.
“I’m going after her!”
I dashed down the stairs and out into the open.
From the temple’s high platform, I looked down over the city—and despair struck me. Crowds of people were moving about, preparing for the coming battle. It was like a mild panic had seized the streets.
To find Safi who’s like a small child in all this is impossible…!
“W-what should I do…?”
My head felt like it was splitting open.
What should I do?
Regret clawed so harshly at my chest that it was so unbearable.
At this moment, I heard the sound of many footsteps behind me. Mia-san, Felix-san, and the Raven Warriors must have rushed out, drawn by the commotion.
“…..You lost sight of Safi?”
Felix-san’s grimaced.
“It was our oversight. The windows weren’t supposed to open, but we underestimated the strength of a black dwarf.”
At that moment, a sudden lightness filled my heart. Like when, in the middle of a raging storm, you pass through a break in the clouds and the wind and rain ease for just a moment.
—Go ahead!
My heart was shouting at me.
When we parted ways with the dwarf king, I hadn’t been able to hear that voice. But now was different. I had hesitated once—I wavered, worried, unable to make up my mind.
So this time, I lift my head high, steady my breathing, and puffed out my chest.
“Let’s go after Safi too.”
The words I spoke clashed against Felix-san’s frowning face.
“…It’s too dangerous.”
And from the coin came another voice—Thor’s.
『He’s right. If the dwarves truly betrayed us, there may already be traps waiting there.』
A flood of thoughts surged through me. Felix-san and Thor are both right. They’re saying that such scenario is “more certain.” Outside the dungeon, we could muster an army. On the other hand, inside the dungeon, there might be traps, and the number of people is limited.
No reasoning of mine could overturn that truth. And yet, as those arguments spun through my head, other images broke through.
Safi, her face lit with laughter as sparks danced in the forge. Black dwarves and white dwarves, side by side, their hammers rising and falling in unison.
Could I really sweep all of that away with just that single word—betrayal?
No. That warmth, that fragile hope, was something I could not discard.
“The lowest level of the dwarves’ dungeon isn’t just a den of monsters—it’s the place where their true power lies dormant. And… that’s why we came here with the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, isn’t it?”
I reminded myself of our original purpose. We had anticipated the threat of monsters. Even so, we came to rouse the power hidden within the dwarves’ dungeon.
“…..Which means, this argument will simply go in circles.”
Felix-san planted his staff on the ground. His gaze fixed on me, checking my resolve.
“Rion. You say you believe in the dwarves. We, on the other hand, cannot. And the facts we have witnessed in the dungeon—they all seem to point towards the dwarves betrayal.”
“But the guard golems fought against the giant golems. The great ballista was aimed at them as well. And… I’m certain, when the Dwarf King looked at my horn, he was about to say something—something important.”
Felix-san pressed his lips together.
The coin trembled in my hand, and from it Thor’s voice boomed like thunder.
『Just that?』
“Yes. Just that.”
『Feeble. Compared to the giant-forged weapons… and the scene of their dealings, your claim is nothing.』
His voice resounded in my head with such authority that, if I let myself slip for even a moment, I would crumble beneath it.
“S–Still… it comes down to this. Whether the dwarves’ technology stands with us or against us—we’ll know once we pursue Safi. Once we reach the lowest level and break whatever was sealed there…!”
『Hmph! In other words, it’s just a gamble.』
Thor spat the word as if it were an insult.
『If the dwarves truly betrayed us, then the gamble is lost—and so are we. If they had not… then the trap and technology they left behind may become our ally.』
Such exchange of words stopped there. Silence pressed in on us, so heavy that it felt like it would crush my chest.
『Rion. Will you drag your comrades… this entire city… into such a gamble?』
I might have just made enemies of both the gods and the Raven warriors. But—even so, I have to say this. If we were speaking of comrades, then Safi is one as well.
“T-then… believe in me.”
Felix-san’s mouth fell open, as if he had taken a masterful counter blow he hadn’t seen coming.
“B-belive in you…?”
“Yes. I believe in Safi, in the dwarves. So believe in me.”
For a long moment, no one spoke. I had already laid bare the voice of my heart. And when I thought about it, perhaps it was very simple.
To declare, “Even so, I want to believe”.
All the evidence before us screamed betrayal. But if no one gave voice to belief—if I didn’t—then who would? There’s never such a thing as helping someone without risk.
“…In other words, what you want to say to us—the Raven warriors—is simply this: ‘Follow me.’”
For a moment, I nearly flinched. But when put that way, he wasn’t entirely wrong.
“I see. Hmm..…”
Felix-san took a step back, lifting his gaze toward the night sky.
“With the defenses as strong as they are now, if we hedge our bets… at the very least, a reconnaissance mission would be warranted.”
A soft chuckle escaped him, his shoulders shaking.
W—was he… laughing?
Perhaps sensing the change in the wind, Thor spoke,
『But that would mean—』
『Thor.』
『Stay quiet, Solana. You’re far too lenient with your followers. Listen well, Rion. What you’re really saying is—』
Once again, the coin trembled.
『Why not let him?』
It was Loki who spoke.
『Loki, you—!』
Thor roared back.
『Thor, you’re looking at this the wrong way. You and Felix speak of safety—of a battle you cannot easily lose. Rion is different. His way is riskier, yes… but it’s a gamble to win. To gain new allies and turn the tide. That’s the choice he’s offering.』
Thor faltered, unable to reply at once.
The coin trembled again, and in a flash of light, a miniature Thor wreathed in thunder burst into the open. Loki answered in kind, slipping free of the coin as well, fire curling around his form.
Between me and Felix-san, the two gods faced each other—one clad in lightning, the other in flame, their glares colliding like weapons.
“…Loki. I thought you doubted the dwarves as well.”
“Oh, I still do,” Loki sang back, almost lazily.
“Doubt is part of the risk. But even so—”
At the corner of his eyes, Loki glanced at me.
“Never making a mistake—that’s not the mark of a hero.”
Something in his tone caught me off guard. For all his usual tricks and mischief, in that moment he sounded sincere—as though he were truly praising me.
“It’s about choosing. About deciding. And you said, believe in me. …Very well. I will. You’re the kind of man worth calling a friend.”
With those words, his form unraveled into violet light and slipped back into the coin.
『Rion, I believe in you—just as you believed in me.』
Solana’s voice followed, and warmth bloomed in my chest, as though I had stepped into sunlight.
Then came the others in turn.
『I agree』
Uru, the hunting god voiced out.
『Nor have I any objection. After all, it will be Rion who awakens such power.』
Sigris, god of medicine, also added.
Thor lingered the longest. Hovering above us, he raked his broad hand through his red hair. His face contorted like a thundercloud, he’s still wrestling with himself.
“Aah, damn it!”
He shook his head like a man who couldn’t bear another moment of it.
“…Felix of the Raven Warriors. Is the city’s defense prepared?”
Felix inclined his head, staff in hand.
“It is an adventurers’ city by nature. Even if monsters spill from the dungeon, I can promise you we won’t see the chaos of the royal capital. Whether that’s enough to satisfy the Thunder God’s eye, I cannot say though.”
Thor let out a long, heavy breath that seemed to drain the storm from his chest.
“…Very well. But if you descend, every last one of you will use the Golden Flame. And should the tide of battle turn against you, you will withdraw to the defensive line without delay.”
“Yeah. Actually… that was my plan from the start. If we invoke the Golden Flame here and rush in, we can catch up to Safi.”
Meaning, it would be Felix-san, Mia-san, and me at the vanguard.
With the Blessing of the Sun mirrored through the blessing of the Medicine God, I could extend it to the others—but only two at a time, the strain of magic would allow no more.
Thor’s eyes widened at that.
“Ku… hahahaha! So that’s it—you really had thought this through!”
Once his mind was made up, Thor threw back his head and roared with laughter.
“Then onward!”
With that final command, he returned into the coin in a blaze of crimson light.
I fixed my gaze on the distant outline of the mine. The earth-shaking roar from before had ceased, and even the fiery glow seemed to be settling.
But this… this felt like the calm before the storm.
“Let’s go—”
The words caught in my throat as I noticed someone climbing the slope toward us.
It was a stout, elderly man.
“Eh-hoh… eh-hoh…”
He wheezed with every step, his face half-hidden behind a bristling beard. His back was burdened with a mountain of gear that swayed with his breathing.
At last, he reached the crest of the slope and came to a halt.
“Eh…?”
I faltered, caught off guard. Because I had no idea why—why someone like him would be here.
“A-antique dealer…san?”
It was the same old shopkeeper of the antique shop I’d met back in the capital.
If the word fate meant anything, then he was the one who’d started it all. After all, it was the coin he gave me that led to my meeting with Solana.
When his eyes found us, the antique dealer narrowed them with a gentle smile.
“Well now, was this the right place to evacuate to, I wonder? Ho, ho…”
He chuckled sheepishly, then tilted his head at us in recognition.
And in the shadows behind him, I thought I caught a glimpsed of a pair of ravens flitting past.
My voice caught in my throat.
Since that day in the capital, I’d thought I would never see him again. To meet him here in Alvis—of all places—was beyond belief.
“W-what are you doing here…?”
Felix-san took a step forward.
“Are you a citizen? The evacuation is—”
Before he could finish, two ravens alighted on the old man’s shoulders.
Something is different.…
His smile was as gentle as ever, the thick coat and heavy rucksack the same as back then. And yet—his eyes. They weren’t the eyes of a simple shopkeeper. They pierced straight through me, fathomless and ancient, as if they had watched the skies for a thousand years.
This presence….
A pair of raven…?
Solana’s voice quivered from within the coin.
For an instant, I saw the emblem of the warrior order in my mind—the Raven Warriors, their cloaks embroidered with two black ravens.
『…Hn? I didn’t notice before, but—you’d descended here all along, haven’t you?』
Loki’s words pressed the realization upon me, and before I knew it, I had whispered,
“O-Odin-sama… is that you?”
The antique dealer tipped his chin slightly.
“It seems the coin has served you well.”
It was he—the one who had placed Solana’s sealed coin into my hand. If he is Odin, then even that act of generosity suddenly made sense.
“Use the power of awakening. You carry it within you. And remember—awakening requires the sun.”
The coin case in my palm grew hot.
“Solana. Your faithful believer has grown so much. You must respond to him, must you not?”
『Odin, you…』
Solana’s voice wavered.
“Now then.”
Odin tilted his gaze skyward.
“Wait! There’s still so much I want to—”
“Not now. Another time. For now, Rion… go on. Become the hero you are meant to be.”
With those parting words, Odin vanished into a scatter of raven feathers.
A tremor shook the ground. Deep within the mines, the Flamebone Surtr raged.
『Rion』
“Yeah!”
I nodded to Solana and then I activated the blessing of the Sun. Golden flame cloaked me.
I’m off.
—To rescue a comrade. To save Safi.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
The sound of the horn echoed through the vast chamber.
Golden magical energy filled the air. Along the platforms encircling the hall, massive ballistae began to shed their rust in an instant, and the dwarves who had been turned to stone breathed life once more.
“Rion…!”
Safi could hear it clearly now.
He is coming. Even now, he is running, drawing ever closer to this place. Several of the massive ballistae immediately came to life, their enormous spearheads turning toward the titan, Surtr.
“Stop that dwarf!”
Serpentbone Jor shouted.
From directly behind came Surtr’s roar, and all around, Safi could sense the golems and monsters surging towards her.
She’s still fifty meters away from the red jewel embedded into the wall.
She threw aside her blacksmith bag, keeping only the hammer, and sprinted forward.
Could I cross that short stretch before the monsters closed in from both sides?
Safi’s heart is pounding. A boulder entered the edge of her vision to the left—if she hadn’t ducked, the thrown rock would have crushed her skull.
(—This way, Safi! Your magic!)
The dwarf king’s voice continued to call from the crimson jewel by the wall. She understood instinctively. That jewel was the power source feeding many of the great ballistae. But it wasn’t enough yet—it has not to set the whole mechanism in motion.
Thirty meters left.
“Grrrrrrr!”
The roar of a beast and the sound of claws running over rock came.
“G-Garmr…?”
Red light flared on her right. It was Alvis’s watchdog, spitting flames.
“Gah!”
A fireball launched, bursting just behind her and blasting her forward. She landed in a miraculous roll and then she pushed into another sprint.
Ten meters left.
As if to tell her it wasn’t the end, a huge hand reached from the side—it was an enemy golem.
“Golems, to me!”
From a high platform, a fat magic engineer shouted.
—However, a different armored golem, smashed the attacker aside.
It was a guard golem.
Guard golems are part of the defensive mechanisms the dwarves had left behind. The melting of the ice must have brought them back to life as well. A giant bow ballista on the upper platform is now also firing spear-like arrows to stall the advancing monsters.
“E-everyone…!”
The crimson jewel is now right before Safi’s eyes.
Behind her, the hellhound Garmr’s flames burst again. Riding the blast, Safi leapt and brought her hammer down on the red jewel.
“Blessing!”
It was a technique for pouring magic into an object. The crimson jewel flared brighter, magic spilling forth in a torrent.
(—Thank you.)
She heard the dwarven king’s voice.
The white dwarves had left the mechanisms, and a black dwarf had carried them into the present.
“I-I know it’s a little late to ask, but… is it you, Your Majesty…?”
(—I had been channeling my magic and consciousness into this jewel. The same way a god once did for that horn.)
The awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, that Rion carried with him was said to be the vessel that the god Heimdall had lodged his own soul in. In the same way, the dwarven king must have imbued his soul into this jewel.
For what purpose? Probably to keep its magical power alive.
(—We didn’t have enough magical power… but with your Blessing— the mechanism will begin to move.)
From the crimson jewel, an enormous surge of magic burst forth, racing along the walls. All across the great hall, magical runes flared to life like a field of stars, and Safi understood at once.
“…..This entire hall… it’s a single, massive tool.”
Yes, it’s a cage of some sort— it is meant to lure in the enemy and set the stage for the final confrontation.
In the dazzling light, she thought she felt a small hand gently stroking her head. Along with the magic, an ancient vision passed through her mind.
The scene in her head was of an age long past.
◆◆◆
It was likely a chamber within the royal palace. The glow of magic stone lamps was far brighter than anything in the dungeon it had become, and the white walls still bore clear patterns from that time.
Gathered in the room were dwarves—
Safi realized these were the ten blacksmiths of the dwarven nation, Alfheim. All of them were white dwarves with delicate wings and long ears. One of them was the dwarven king himself.
It seemed that all ten blacksmiths had been summoned except for Safi.
The king then started speaking.
“A messenger came from the titans and the monsters. If we submit to them, they claim they will spare us even through the End.”
At the king’s words, the blacksmiths exchanged troubled looks and muttered to each other.
—A messenger came?
—Telling us to submit?
—But we cannot win!
—The dwarves’ technology, the technology to create something will be used for destruction…
A sharp pain ran through Safi’s chest.
There was no doubt—this was the moment when the dwarves decided whether or not to submit. It was possible that before Safi or the majority of the dwarves even learned of it, the tide of war had already turned drastically against them.
The nation’s Ten Blacksmiths were the pride of the realm, representatives of all craftsmen. In Alfheim, where one’s strength was measured by skill, they were the ten most accomplished of all.
After some time spent in quiet but heated discussion, the white dwarves reached their decision.
“…..We will lay a trap.”
The king declared.
From a face still youthful as a boy’s, his voice rang with resolve.
“To submit to the monsters to survive… is no true survival. It is the same as being dead.”
Little by little, their plan began to take shape—
They would lure the enemy’s general, the Flamebone titan Surtr, into the palace itself. Then they would strike him down with the great ballistae and the guardian golems.
Afterwards, they would bring down the entire mountain to bury the palace forever.
Their aim was clear— to ensure the monsters targeting Alfheim were destroyed beyond any hope of return. And secondly, to survive the enemy’s inevitable counterattack.
If they buried the palace beneath the earth, it might be possible to make the world believe the dwarves had perished along with their foes.
Of course, the cost would be steep. Many warrior dwarves would fall in the battle to come. But dwarves were born to live underground. Even if the palace were smothered in rock and soil, its deepest levels would not collapse.
There, those unable to fight could be hidden away, to endure in the dark through long years until at least some remnant of their people could emerge again.
“The problem is….”
The king paused.
“It’s Safi—one of our own Ten Blacksmiths.”
At those words, the blacksmiths lowered their eyes.
“We cannot allow even the slightest risk that our plan reaches enemy ears.”
A pang of pain tightened in Safi’s chest. She wanted to shout “I’d never betray you!” to them. But the weight of the blacksmiths’ reply crushed her voice in her throat.
—We would like to trust her.
—But we cannot!
—Would a dark dwarf truly resist the enemy’s offer to ‘make her one of them’?
The king’s gaze was steady.
“Safi’s skill surpasses even the other dark dwarves. If she were to learn our stratagem and then yield to the enemy, our greatest craft would be placed in the monster’s hands.”
And so, she was excluded from the plan.
The one whose betrayal would hurt them most would most likely be from a black dwarf, the one who’s most likely to betray. History bore that fear out— dark dwarves, enamored with power, had more than once turned against their kin.
“An excellent blacksmith is also worthy of passing on his skills to future generations. For those two reasons, we cannot involve Safi in this.”
He looked around the chamber.
“Until the battle is over, we will put her to sleep. The chamber will be guarded with our strongest runes and a ring to seal it.”
Pain knifed through Safi’s heart. What the vision had shown her was a memory far too bitter to bear.
“I’d never do such a thing!”
She cried out. But her voice could not reach the past.
—Agreed. There is no other way.
—Even between blacksmiths, some secrets must be sealed.
—When the fate of the realm is at stake, a dark dwarf cannot be trusted lightly…
They had agreed to put her to sleep. Her skill was acknowledged, yet her blood branded with the shadow of betrayal, made them wary.
Untrusted because of the crime of her race’s past, Safi was left to slumber.
◆◆◆
—The plan was for the white dwarves and the ten blacksmiths to carry out their plot alone.
—With the battle approaching, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to trust the black dwarves.
“I—, If only I could help…!”
Preparations proceeded with the white dwarves at the center. The black dwarves weapon blacksmiths were only a selected few, less powerful than the ten blacksmiths, and were kept under supervision.
However, it seems that in the end, all the dwarves would participate. Once the battle actually began and those who fought and those who fled deep underground split into groups, they would tell everyone.
From the dwarven kings’ perspective, this was probably the greatest risk. The fear of rebellion. Keeping the secret from Safi only postponed the same risk.
But the black dwarves…accepted the white dwarves’ request. Not a single one defected to the titans, and most chose to fight.
―As long as it meant Safi could survive.
―Yeah. She’s still young…
―I’d always thought it was presumptuous of a black dwarf to aim to become one of the Ten Blacksmiths, but how, how…
When the black dwarves found out that Safi had been sealed away first, it seemed their bond had only strengthened. They must have thought that Safi, now one of the Ten Blacksmith, was worth preserving for future generations.
The original plan was to lure monsters into the palace, fight them, and bury them, resulting in many casualties.
By that time, the reason for putting Safi to sleep first had changed from “fear of betrayal” to “protecting” Safi herself ―the youngest of the Ten Blacksmiths.
“This…”
Safi’s eyes began to tear up.
The giant weapons that she had seen in the frozen forge, and the scene of the betrayal in the throne room. It was probably a scene where the plan to lure the titan had been left unfinished.
“It’s too late now…!”
I had been sealed away alone for 1,000 years. Safi’s anger and relief were in conflict, and she couldn’t put it into words. Hot lump of blood just spilled from the corners of her eyes.
Jor shouted from the high platform, her black robe swaying.
“That’s right! Your defeat is certain!”
“Aaaaah!”
The golem approached. A blade of wind pierced its feet.
“Safi!”
A voice called out from the hole in the wall.
Rion, holding a horn in his hand, looked down at Safi. He must have come from the hole in the passageway leading to the lift. Behind him were Mia, Felix, Solana and Thor —the gods themselves.
They jumped down from the hole and rushed to Safi. The gods and adventurers protected her from the army of monsters.
“Sorry I’m late.”
Rion said as soon as he rushed over.
Thor, a giant god over two meters tall, shouted, his red hair flying.
“Haha! Surtr, a giant, a puppet, and a demon dog! That’s quite a generous gesture!”
Safi, still crouching on the ground, looked up at the boy with blurred vision.
“…Why did you come?”
Rion hesitated for a moment.
“I’m sorry, I said I would trust you. When the Dwarf King asked before…I didn’t have the courage.”
“But,” Rion continued.
He pulled out a coin purse tied with a leather cord. It was the trinket Safi had praised as the most heartfelt when they first met.
“I remembered. I said, it wasn’t about the black dwarves or anything like that… I’m going to trust you Safi.”
Rion held out his hand to Safi.
Safi timidly took it. His hands are only slightly bigger than hers, but she felt that they are so warm. His sky-blue eyes warmed her heart.
(—Safi, who is this boy?)
The Dwarf King’s voice echoed from the red jewel.
“He is Rion. He is called the god’s awakener—he’s my… my comrade.”
(—I see)
The Dwarf King replied.
“I’m surrounded by monsters. But now, I’m no longer scared.”
Safi muttered.
——Boy, Rion. Please use that horn once more.
——The jewel’s magical power is sufficient. Now is the time for you to truly awaken it.
Rion nodded and put the horn to his mouth.
The horn resonated.
There was movement on the upper floor of the cylindrical hall. The sound of gears driving. What had seemed to be a stone wall caved in, opening up to the left and right, kicking up dust. Hidden inside were even more giant bow ballistas, or weapons that fired magic or iron balls.
——Everyone, fire!
The dwarves’ traps, awakened by the horn, began attacking Flamebone Surtr and the monsters.
The approaching monsters were fended off with Thor’s hammer, Loki’s magic, Uru’s bow, and Valkyrie’s spear.
Solana, the daughter of the Sun, stayed close to Rion and seemed to be strengthening the Golden Flame that resided within the party.
“…Amazing.”
Safi muttered.
Ahead, Flamebone Surtr stood like a fortress. Perched on the platform above it was Snakebone Jor, her face twisted in agony.
Dwarfs, gods, and humans. These three, once separate, now faced off against the Titan of the Apocalypse.
——It’s not too late!
Safi also raised her head and glared back at Flamebone Surtr and Jor.
“Wake up!”
Rion shouted in final force, and the ceiling of the great hall shifted. The existing crack widened, and falling rocks and earth crushed the monsters.
A new wall opened, and a giant arrow pierced the monster.
The crack in the ceiling widened. The moon was still high in the sky. Safi saw a pair of ravens there.
A hooded old man peeked quietly from the crack.
The old man narrowed his eyes at the sight of the dwarves and gods fighting together, then he gently closed one eye and dissolved into the darkness, leaving behind a raven’s feather.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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