Episode 35/Chapter 4: Great War (4)

TL: Tsubak

ED: Julsmul

The wooden boat advanced. Tae Ho, who was looking out before the shaking boat, saw that there were green words in front of him.

There were already dozens of ships of others legions gathered in the dock. He could also see the ship of Idun's legion that had departed first.

"It feels like the dock is full."

Adenmaha blinked and said, and Tae Ho agreed to it. It was the first time that so many warriors had gathered in this place since he'd entered Valhalla.

It felt like they would number to more than a thousand even if he counted them at a glance, and Tae Ho soon realized that there were two more docks in this place.

The lowest and inferior-ranked warriors were being led by the Valkyries and moving in order. Adenmaha took out the order Heda had given her and checked where they had to go.

"Wait a moment."

Tae Ho, who was tying up the boat while Adenmaha was checking the document, turned his head at the presence he felt. His movements were so natural that the one that was planning to surprise Tae Ho was the one that rather got surprised.

"Do you have eyes on your back?"

"Bjorn."

It was Bjorn, someone whom he hadn't seen in a really long time. He hadn't been able to see him since he'd left for Midgard.

'Well, it should feel like an long while no matter who I see.'

Because he had been confined within the Tower of Shadows for two years.

But whatever the case, he was certainly a glad to see a familiar face. As Tae Ho stood up from his seat, Bjorn requested a handshake.

"You have become really strong in the time I haven't seen you. I knew that you had potential, but I couldn't have guessed that you would be this much stronger than before!"

Bjorn laughed and patted on Tae Ho's shoulder, and at that moment, Tae Ho realized something. There was no need to use his 'Eyes of the Dragon'.

Bjorn wasn't an inferior-ranked warrior nor an intermediate-ranked one.

"You were a superior-ranked warrior all along."

"Right. Unfortunately enough, though, I still haven't been able to climb to the top rank."

[Tir's legion]

[Superior-ranked Warrior]

[Bjorn Ironside]

Several doubts were cleared but new ones were created.

Bjorn smiled first and said,

"I will introduce myself first. My name is Bjorn Ironside, the son of the great Viking King, Ragnar Lodbrok."

"What?"

He asked in disbelief. Bjorn laughed once again and shrugged his shoulders.

"Heh. I understand. I am indeed a bit famous."

"No, I don't actually know about you....but you are the son of Master Ragnar?"

Bjorn flinched as Tae Ho spoke as if he really didn't know about him but then shook his head and hit his chest.

"Right. I am the son of that Ragnar Lodbrok and the one that was called the Adventure King, Viking Bjorn Ironside."

Adventure King. He certainly didn't know, and because of that, Tae Ho decided to focus on another thing.

"Now that you speak like this, you are indeed a bit similar. Your eyes, for instance."

"Our character should be a bit different. People say that I resemble my mother."

Bjorn shook his head as if he had given up getting a reaction from Tae Ho and then started to explain the necessary things as always.

"But whatever the case, you seem like you are curious. What if I were to tell you that I'm in the same situation as Father? I received a really big injury in the Great War. That's why, rather than battling on the front lines, I roamed several legions to discover some rising stars and support them. It seems like I'm bragging, but....what do you think would have happened if you weren't able to meet me that first day?"

"Ah....."

Tae Ho nodded unconsciously. It was just like Bjorn had said.

Tae Ho had gotten dragged to the battlefield while he didn't know anything about Valhalla. If Bjorn hadn't been there, he wouldn't have been able to think about creating a saga and then, rather than surviving, he would have become a Steel Warrior faster than anyone.

But thinking about it, that wasn't the only case. In the early stages after he'd entered Valhalla, Bjorn had appeared in several places and given him advice and help.

"Well, but it's not that I have been following you. There was no need to do so at all."

Because Tae Ho performed much better than he thought. In addition, he also had Heda. As she came to find him every day and gave him all sorts of help, Bjorn had nothing to do besides watch.

"Actually, I was a bit worried. I didn't know that you would go to Idun's legion."

Before Tae Ho entered it, Idun's legion had no new warriors for a hundred years. Actually, it was obvious that he grew worried as he was entering a legion only in name.

Tae Ho also thought like that at first, but now he could speak more confidently than anyone.

"I'm glad I entered Idun's legion."

Because he was able to meet Heda. Because he was able to serve Idun as his Goddess.

Bjorn nodded.

"Right. It looked like that. You should be grateful that you entered Idun's legion. If you had gone to another legion....I wonder, I don't know if talking about this would have any meaning, but I think that you won't have been able to reach your current level."

"I agree."

Because it really was like that.

If he didn't have Heda's and Idun's dedicated help, the current Tae Ho wouldn't have been able to exist. No, in the first place, if he didn't have Idun's blessing, he would have become a Steel Warrior on his first expedition.

Idun's warrior.

That was Tae Ho himself. He couldn't imagine any other name aside of that.

Bjorn nodded in consecution as if he liked Tae Ho's prideful face and then looked at Adenmaha that was flipping the documents and said,

"Anyways, I will give you a bit of help. I know well where you have to go."

Adenmaha raised her head. Her eyes were filled with fear at that. She didn't want to become a useless Valkyrie for Tae Ho, but a sense of relief soon followed.

"It's obvious to get lost if you are a new Valkyrie as the dock today is really complicated. The Valkyries of other legions were also quite lost."

Bjorn smiled and spoke like a good person and winked towards Adenmaha. She snorted like always but then slightly bowed and expressed her thanks to him.

Bjorn said once again,

"Siri and Bracky were led by Ingrid to Midgard. You were chosen as one of the superior-ranked warriors that will get deployed to Midgard as soon as the Great Barrier gets removed."

The latter contents were ones he already knew, but the other things were a bit unexpected.

Tae Ho felt anxious and asked,

"Are you also going?"

"I am going to Midgard but to a different place from you. There are a lot of scandalous places, you know."

It was when Bjorn had finished speaking that the sound of a horn trumpet was heard from far away, but this blare was different from the ones that were heard until now.

"Ugh. We should hurry. It seems like they will be departing soon. Follow me, quick."

Bjorn walked forward and opened a path. Adenmaha hurriedly stood up and followed Tae Ho with Merlin.

"We aren't going to use the Bifrost?"

Tae Ho asked while looking at the path that connected to the fortress of Heimdal, and Bjorn shook his head.

"There are too many people for that."

Half of the warriors that were gathered on the dock would be going to the outskirts or the front lines just like the lowest-ranked warriors of Idun's legion were, but the remaining half would go to Midgard.

Bjorn passed the warriors and moved to a place that had few people and then black and familiar things appeared in front of them.

"Master, is that....."

Adenmaha asked with an uneasy face. She had never rode on it or seen it move, but she remembered seeing it standing still on the battlefield and so could guess what it was used for.

Rain of Steel.

And the fastest model at that.

Tae Ho took a deep breath. Thinking about it, it was an obvious thing as most of the warriors rode on the Rains of Steel when they attacked the base of the fomoires.

"Let's cheer up, fighting!"

Tae Ho cheered Adenmaha and walked towards the steel structures.

-

Freya recited a chant with a nervous face.

The place that was the conference room for the Gods was now adorned with a huge magical circle.

The Gods that didn't have a legion stood on certain places of the magic circle. It was to act as living rechargers to supply enough strength in the recreation of the Great Barrier.

Freya stood in the center of the magic circle and then checked that the powerful magical tools she took out from the coffin of Vanaheim were in their right places. Every second was precious right now, but that's why she had to inspect it more carefully.

'Good, there's no problem. You can do it. Oppa would also compliment you.'

Freya mumbled inwardly and then raised her head and looked at Odin upon a high platform.

'I'm ready.'

Freya said with her eyes. The time needed to remove the Great Barrier and install a new one wasn't short.

Even if it was set up in the most ideal timeframe, it would certainly take a few hours.

In that time, the warriors had to protect Midgard. They had to successfully retrieve the soul fragments and crush the ambitions of the giants.

"Let's start."

Odin spoke in a low voice. The Gods lowered their posture and started to insert magic power in the magic circle.

The removal of the Great Barrier.

The installation of a new one.

Odin stabbed the air with Gungnir, and the breakdown of the Great Barrier followed.

-

The God of Fire and Lies, Loki, who was in Midgard, could see it clearly.

The Great Barrier had started to break. The barrier that had been protecting Midgard for the past hundred years was being removed.

At the same time, existences that had mighty power were approaching from different places.

The superior-ranked warriors of Valhalla.

And the giants of Jotunheim.

The things that both sides were aiming for were the same. The soul fragments of Garmr that had appeared in several places of Midgard.

Loki looked away. He looked under the ground and spoke.

-

The Giant of the Night, Avalt, sensed that the Great Barrier had started to disappear. The time his king was talking about had come.

The Giant of Beasts, Ortr, roared and the Giant of the Sea lead his army and marched.

The Magician King, Utgard Loki, stood up from his throne and looked towards Midgard and Asgard.

-

The battle started in the front lines, and at the same time, the steel structures that were fired from Valhalla poured down on Midgard.

"It's much better, right?"

Adenmaha just gritted her teeth at Tae Ho's question. Merlin was taking deep breaths next to then with a strange rhythm.

The warriors that were riding the Rain of Steel for the first time screamed out in fear and joy, and the warriors that had used them several times cheered as if they were riding amidst a glorious parade.

Tae Ho grabbed Adenmaha's hand and took a deep breath. As soon as they landed, battle would break out.

The destination of the steel structure Tae Ho rode on had Kataron as its objective.

Tae Ho thought of Helga and King Ivar who he hadn't seen for a long time, and Merlin was also putting a different expression than usual as he also had deep connections with Kataron.

'Rather than that, isn't it because of the Rain of Steel?'

Tae Ho ignored Cuchulainn's words and thought of Siri and Bracky. He didn't know where they were headed to, but it would be fine if it were them. Tae Ho was rather worried about Ingrid.

"We will arrive soon! Shut your mouths and get ready!"

A voice of the Valkyrie was heard from the other side. He didn't know which legion she belonged to, but she was full of charisma.

'If we mix Reginleif and Gandur, will it be similar to her?'

Time still flowed while Tae Ho thought of strange things, and finally, the Rain of Steel crashed onto the ground. Shock and adrenaline swept through the group as the heavy door swung open with the groan of the warriors.

At that moment, screams and cries were heard.

Roar and cheers covered the sky and the ground.

It was truly the middle of a battlefield. The giants and the evil spirits were destroying the castle and the city. The warriors of Kataron were fighting desperately and buying time for the citizens to escape.

"For Asgard and the Nine Realms!"

"For Asgard and the Nine Realms!"

The warriors of Valhalla roared and charged. The number of warriors that poured out of the steel structures were more than a hundred. Most of them were lowest or inferior-ranked warriors, but they were still much stronger than the warriors of Kataron.

Tae Ho acted calmly. The only superior-ranked warrior deployed at the region of Kataron was himself. The Valkyrie was the one who commanded the troops but even so, he couldn't act by his own.

Tae Ho was the tactical weapon in this battle. He had to intervene effectively in the place that needed him the most.

"Rolo! McLaren!"

Tae Ho used the summoning rocks for the first time in a long while. McLaren, who erupted from deep beneath the ground, charged towards the castle. He became a barrier against the giants and evil spirits to replace the already broken defences.

Rolo flew up instead of carrying Tae Ho, and he activated a saga for him.

[Saga: Owner of Flames]

The red dragon, Shooting Star, who'd first contracted with the Dragon Knight, Kalsted.

Rolo transformed into a strong dragon and flew directly into the void from which the evil spirits poured from and burned them with a rain of fire.

"Adenmaha."

"Call me whenever you need me."

Adenmaha transformed into a sea serpent and charged alone into the battlefield just like Rolo had done. She spat icy breath and became another obstacle between the fleeing citizens and the evil spirits.

Tae Ho clambered down the steel structures with Merlin. He used rune magic which he'd learned from Cuchulainn and looked down at the battlefield from his vantage point.

Kataron was already half burnt. The number of the knights of Kataron he counted with his 'Eyes of the Dragon' weren't even a sixth of the original number.

The number of the giants and evil spirits were about a thousand. Most of them were evil spirits, but there were three giants among them. It was obvious that they couldn't be stopped with the strength of mere humans.

Tae Ho pulled out Caladbolg and was about to fire lightning towards the harpies covering the skies.

But at that moment, something entered Tae Ho's eyes.

[The Dying]

[Princess of Kataron]

[Helga]

Tae Ho gritted his teeth. He activated the 'Warrior that had a Valkyrie Meet Him' to summon the fake Heda and seven more and ordered them to face the harpies. He left the fake Valkyries behind and charged towards Helga.

There were many evil spirits in his path. The race that had dog and pig heads charged towards Tae Ho fearlessly.

Tae Ho pressed himself down as anger boiled in his soul. His fast, precise sword techniques were executed in brutal fashion instead of firing the lightning from Caladbolg.

Caladbolg split the air.

The stroke of his sword became a vicious gale that swept up the battlefield before him.

The wind shattered.

The evil spirits which charged towards Tae Ho fell in an instant. Their lower and upper bodies were separated and rolled separately along the ground.

Tae Ho charged between them and the horrified evil spirits scattered at the overwhelming difference in power.

"Helga!"

Helga, who was leaning on a half-broken wall, fell down. There was a coarse sword that the evil spirits used stuck in her chest. Her entire body was covered with wounds, and blood flowed freely down her red-stained clothes.

"Idun's...wa...rrior-nim."

Helga smiled and said. It seemed like her voice would fade at any moment, and her eyes were without focus.

"Helga....fought....hard.....she's....not.....emb....arr.."

She couldn't speak properly. Tae Ho laid down Helga and spoke urgently.

"You did well. You did well Helga, so relax as I have come. The warriors of Valhalla have come."

"I'm gla...."

Helga's smile lost strength even more. Tae Ho hurriedly used a recovery rune, but it had no effect.

Because the recovery rune merely amplified one's recovery power. If one used it on a warrior of Valhalla that had transcendent health and recovery rate, they would be able to heal them even from the brink of death, but Helga was but a common human.

Tae Ho instantly took out a piece of a golden apple but Merlin, who'd arrived a bit late, held him back. It was because it was already too late.

Helga's body started to cool down. It was still warm, but it was only for a moment.

The Princess of Kataron, Helga.

She had become a faithful follower of Idun after having been rescued by Tae Ho.

She stood on the front lines even though she was a mortal princess and lost her life for the citizens. She put a strengthless smile and faced her end.

Tae Ho gritted his teeth. He breathed out roughly and closed Helga's eyes.

Merlin put on a dumbfounded face beside him. It wasn't because he'd gotten shocked at her death.

"My King...."

Merlin pulled on Tae Ho's arm. Tae Ho, who was about to mourn Helga, looked back at Merlin with an angry face, but Merlin didn't mind that and pointed to the sky.

Tae Ho also looked up and put the same face as Merlin.

He saw a half materialized Valkyrie up there and saw Helga next to her.

'I will wait for you in the residence!'

She looked down at Tae Ho and her own corpse and spoke brightly. The Valkyrie that was next to her smiled awkwardly upon seeing the astonished faces of Tae Ho and Merlin and then waved her hand before returning to Valhalla with Helga.

'You get dumb at times like this.'

Cuchulainn said in a low voice.

Tae Ho also felt the same.

"It....it turned out well."

Merlin's words stumbled out. Thinking about it, he was right. Because it wasn't easy to enter Valhalla.

But still, she had died. Tae Ho looked down at the corpse of Helga with a complicated feeling. He was hoping that she could live a happy life and then come to Valhalla.

He laid down Helga's corpse, who bore a deeply content expression, and then stood up.

It wasn't guaranteed that all warriors would enter Valhalla like Helga, and it wasn't said that it would give happy results for them.

He had to rescue at least one more warrior. He had to save the powerless citizens of Kataron.

'It's coming.'

Cuchulainn said.

A giant with a strong aura was approaching them from the distance.

< Episode 35 - Great War (4) > End

TL note: Thanks for reading~