270

Chapter: Consecration of Holy Light

Surtur hesitated to submit to Odin but avoided direct confrontation. Moreover, the fighting prowess of the Muspel people paled in comparison to the Aesir, prompting them to maintain a defensive stance early in the conflict.

Asgard relentlessly pressed forward, inflicting significant losses on Muspelheim time and again.

Even clay figurines have their limits, let alone fire giants.

Faced with Asgard's unrelenting assaults, the fire giant grew increasingly enraged, organizing a massive counterattack.

However, Surtur dared not engage directly. Doing so would assuredly provoke Odin, a risk he'd only take as a last resort.

On this day, within Asgard's crucial Muspelheim camp, Forseti patrolled as commander.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar split the fiery sky, causing all camp soldiers to crane their necks and listen.

"A dragon!" exclaimed the troops.

In the distance, a crimson dragon soared towards them with mighty flaps of its wings.

"Roar!"

Despite its massive size, the dragon approached swiftly, accompanied by a scorching gust that resembled a meteor ablaze.

"There's someone riding it!"

Observers noticed a Muspel warrior astride the dragon's back. As descendants of Surtur, Muspeles bore a striking resemblance to him in appearance but differed greatly in size and strength.

This warrior, crowned with twin horns and clad in fiery red armor, exuded an aura of blazing flame.

"Dragon Knight of Muspelheim, Zogar."

Typically, dragons were deemed untamable creatures, with almost all attempts at domestication meeting failure. Yet, Zogar the Dragon Knight defied this norm.

An abandoned orphan, Zogar defied odds in a cosmically gothic city like Muspelheim, eventually being adopted by a giant dragon, which became his kin.

The dragon he now rode was the very sibling that had raised him.

As all eyes fixated on Dragon Knight Zogar, Muspel warriors on the other side of the Asgard camp suddenly surged forth, swords drawn.

"Attack!"

Caught off guard, Asgardian soldiers at the perimeter suffered heavy casualties, overrun by the charging Muspel warriors.

Seeing this, Forseti sprang into action. Flames trailing his feet, he darted towards the attackers in an instant.

"Consecration of Holy Light!"

Rivendell's blade gleamed brilliantly as Forseti plunged it into the ground. Radiant holy light poured forth from the sword, spreading across the earth in lines that extended nearly two meters in radius.

"Ah!"

Within this perimeter, Muspel warriors fell writhing in agony, illuminated by the holy light beneath their feet.

As long as they stood, free from sin deserving divine retribution, their lives remained spared.

Once grounded, however, the holy light wrought swift devastation, expanding the killing zone manifold, akin to plunging into magma.

The ensuing cries grew increasingly agonized as the Muspel forces within the holy light's grasp were swiftly vanquished.

Forseti's motion did not cease. Gripping Rivendell's blade embedded in the earth, he swiftly traversed the ground.

The sword's edge carved a deep, narrow trench while continuously channeling holy light into the ground, forming a defensive line of luminescence.

Muspeles charging into the holy light's defense line shrieked in pain, their assault abruptly halted.

Seizing this opportunity, Asgardians swiftly regained their footing.

"Stand firm at the edge of the holy light's boundary," Forseti commanded.

Soldiers positioned themselves at the perimeter, facing off against the Muspel warriors.

While Muspeles held a numerical advantage over Aesir warriors, their innate strength fell short. Nevertheless, the sheer volume of Muspel attackers made the skirmish challenging, resulting in occasional injuries and fatalities among the Asgard ranks.

Fortunately, Forseti's holy light defense played a pivotal role in the conflict.

Soldiers who fell back into the holy light's safety zone received immediate healing spells from Forseti before returning to combat.

Despite facing Muspel forces ten times their number, Asgard showed no signs of faltering; rather, their position grew increasingly fortified.

Meanwhile, Dragon Knight Zogar unleashed his attack alongside his colossal dragon companion.

"Roar!"

The dragon bellowed, unleashing flames that blazed with draconic fury.

Yet, instead of immediate damage, these flames encircled the dragon, under Zogar's control.

Perched atop the dragon's back, Zogar gestured, transforming these flames into hundreds of fiery swords.

With a sweep of his hand, hundreds of flaming swords shot forth like a meteor shower, trailing fire across the sky.

"Boom! Boom!"

A series of thunderous explosions followed, accompanied by cascading waves of fire, claiming the lives of several Asgardian warriors and plunging the camp into chaos.

"Roar!"

Once more, the colossal dragon bellowed, spewing forth flames.

But unlike before, these flames metamorphosed under Zogar's command.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the heavens.

From above, a thunderbolt descended, summoned by Beta Ray Bill, wielding the Thunder Hammer. The lightning struck true, targeting the dragon.

"Roar!"

The dragon recoiled in terror, its flight path momentarily disrupted.

Swiftly, it spewed more dragon flames. Countless fiery orbs swirled around its form.

Zogar responded by shaping these flames into a massive shield overhead.

"Boom!"

Another thunderbolt descended, intercepted by the fiery shield. The impact rattled the dragon but failed to dissipate the barrier.

Witnessing this, Beta Ray Bill's expression darkened. He tightened his grip on the Thunder Hammer.

"Roar!"

The dragon opened its maw, unleashing a torrent of flame.

This time, the dragon's fire transformed in midair, coalescing into a gigantic sword several meters in length, aimed directly at Beta Ray Bill.

---