Chapter 50
【”You’re not going anywhere―― I’m your opponent.”】
Just when Brigitte was about to chase after Kurats, her sword clashed against Frigga’s Murasame.
【”You stay out of my way!”】
This was the first time a man had made a fool of Brigitte.
Even the demon swordsman Gunther had never patronized her like so.
She had every intention to do anything and everything she could to pay him back, her pride would not let her do otherwise.
【”Move!”】
Brigitte swung her sword with all her might, but Frigga not only parried it, she also attacked back.
【”You think you can afford to look away while facing the snow white valkyrie?”】
Though not as abnormal as Kurats, Frigga also was a mighty warrior.
She was not someone that Brigitte could easily handle after losing her composure.
【”Damn it! This damn sword!”】
Brigitte dodged Frigga’s Murasame by a hair’s breadth.
It was only at this point that she realized she would not be able to chase after Kurats before defeating Frigga.
―― (I lowered my guard.)
Birgitte was bitterly regretting taking so long to come to this realization.
As if she was lost in mist, the space between Frigga and herself was becoming blurry.
It seemed like a light fog was coming straight out of Frigga’s sword.
Soon, the fog completely covered Brigitte’s field of view.
Then, under the influence of Frigga’s magic power, the air itself turned into a weapon that felt like it would wrap Brigitte in ice, like a tree covered in icicles.
【”…So this is the water sacred sword, Murasame.”】
【”Now then, I’m curious to know which of the ‘white maidens’ is the strongest.”】
Frigga raised her sword straight up, reflecting the chilly surrounding air in its blade.
Her confident smile well showcased the excitement in her palpitating heart.
【”But of course, I already know this will end with my win.”】
【”Save the sleep-talk for your bedsheets! I’ll die that muddy white hair red!”】
A battle between the snow white valkyrie and the white vampire.
This was a fight that would get anyone excited. But the soldiers on the ground could not afford to watch this show-down…
Because there was a huge man falling from the sky above them.
Thinking about this rationally, the only possible outcome was that he would hit the ground and die.
However, everyone in the Asgard army knew of the other day’s nightmare.
Of course, only a few of them had personally witnessed the scene, but this had only helped spread a fear of the unknown, shaped by each individual’s imagination.
【”T-that devil is――!”】
【”Shit! Don’t get scared! We are the glorious army of the Asgard empire!”】
He was falling at a speed of several hundred kilometers (miles) per hour.
The high-pitched sound of his body cutting through the wind was like the sound of death’s sickle going for the heads of the soldiers.
Very soon, with the deafening sound of a lightning bolt striking the earth, he finally landed to the ground, raising a thick cloud of smoke and creating a crater with a radius of 10 meters (30 feet).
【”D-did he survive…?”】
Though they had heard the rumors about him being a monster, they still figured that maybe even he would die after falling from that high.
It was wishful thinking, but the soldiers could not be blamed for it.
However, those hopes were cruelly crushed to pieces.
【”Phew… Thank god the solid ground was here to catch my fall.”】
『I don’t think the ground’s solidity had anything to do with this… Rather than that, why didn’t you just use your levitation spell?』
(’cause I didn’t need it.)
Kurats did not feel like going out of his way to use magic when there was no need to do so.
As the magic king, Bernst wished he would pay more attention to the visual side of things, but these hopes did not get through to Kurats.
Kurats slowly started walking forward, with each step spreading more terror among the soldiers, who felt like everything they imagined about this immortal monster was true.
His slow walk showed he was clearly not wary of their army.
He did not even see them as opponents.
This realization alone was enough to start breaking their morale.
【”―― Fire.”】
However, Cabernard had already taken these reactions into consideration.
The dozens of magic canons and ballistas that had been silently aiming at Kurats fired all at once.
【”Shit! I might have dropped my guard a little too much!”】
『This would not be a problem if you could use your magic cancelling barrier and your defense barrier at the same time….』
The spears shot by the massive ballistas were twice thicker than the ones held by the soldiers.
Even so, Kurats was still able to sweep them away with his bare hands.
However, one of the magic canons shot very close to him and burned his skin, leaving a red mark on it.
Compared to his physical resistance, Kurats’ magic resistance was not so good.
『This is so shameful. You should be able to erase these weak magic canons with a single look…』
(Now you’re just being absurd!)
Still, Kurats was in a comfortable enough position to be able to chat in his head.
Any normal person would not have even a hint of a chance to dodge anything under this incessant rain of attacks, but even such a downpour was not dense enough to escape Kurats’ kinetic vision.
【”…Seriously, how is this damn freak still standing?!”】
Although that did not show in his facial expression, Cabernard was quietly cursing under his breath.
No matter how monstrous this man was, Cabenard thought the ballistas and magic cannons would surely be effective. These weapons could only be said to be overkill, and yet nothing was working.
No, since he was avoiding the attacks so they wouldn’t hit him, maybe this meant they actually were effective against him?
【”Then what if I have the magic units join in?”】
Cabernard did not think of this as a fight against a person.
He was thinking of it more as a raid against a huge high-class monster. That being the case, he intended to use every means at hand, but the forces available to him were limited.
No matter how many soldiers he had, numbers were not going to help slay Kurats.
So despite the esteem he had for them as military men, the only role he could assign to them was to stay back.
For Cabernard, there was no need to bring them in the fray. As long as he kept using this excessive fire power, Kurats would eventually run out of stamina and magic power and die.
Moreover, now that the reinforcements from the fifth squadron had arrived, the mage units’ numbers, which had taken a big hit in Crowdagen, had recovered.
The biggest difference between normal soldiers and mages was that the mages could combine and synergize multiple spells into a single attack.
An anti-military magic spell born from the cooperation of the mage units would be far more powerful than the magic canons.
The one thing Cabernard hadn’t planned was that Brigitte, who was supposed to kill Kurats after he was weakened, would not be able to make a move because Frigga was holding her back.
【”Do not let him escape! And do not worry about the quantity of magic stones!”】
Though the power output was so great that the magic canons’ barrels were burning, they kept on firing over and over.
The magic canons worked by compressing magic power of a given attribute and firing it. This made them both very powerful and easy to control, which was why they were the main weapons of the Asgard empire’s army.
But due to the canon’s bad cost-performance ratio, other countries did not have as many of these.
These canons’ magic power sources were magic stones, which were not an abundant resource by any means. In fact, Asgard’s forces usually paid close attention to their consumption of magic stones.
In nature, they could only be collected in areas with very dense magic power.
However, most of the ones the empire used were actually man-made magic stones, filled with the magic power of mages.
『It looks like they’re mostly using earth-attribute magic stones, but the problem is that there are some fire and thunder magic stones in the mix…』
【”The problem is these ballistas, how many are there?!”】
Though a direct hit from the ballistas would not be enough to kill him, the fast approaching spears were still dangerous.
The worst outcome for him was that they would manage to slow him down.
In the current circumstances, even the smallest of injuries could prevent him from avoiding the magic canons’ shots.
Knowing he was under such pressure, there was naturally no way the Asgard army would miss this opportunity to finish him.
【”It’s incredible that he was able to survive through all this… But that is precisely why he has to die here…!”】
Cabenard did not want to imagine a situation where Kurats stand together with Frigga and Lapland’s reorganized forces against Asgard’s army.
His goal in coming here was to recover his army’s fighting spirit after it was weakened by their of fear of Kurats, and to also raise their morale to its maximum in one fell swoop.
【”Coordinates fixed.”】
【”Cycle balance set to normal.”】
【”Synchronized incantation, starting!”】
The mage units’ anti-military spell was very well organized and synchronized.
This was one other point on which the Asgard empire was ahead of other countries.
『Hey, don’t lose focus. Something big is coming.』
(Yeah, yeah. I guess it’s about time to strike back.)
It was possible for Kurats to cancel their spell.
But he and Bernst both had the bad habit of wanting to see the faces of their enemies when an attack that held all their hopes failed to land.
As the anti-military spell expanded, the mages’ magic power radiated with a blue hue. Kurats was watching this unfold from the side with a fearless smile plastered on his face.
【”I’d heard the rumors, but it’s really insane that you can literally use the magic power in the air.”】
There was some shock to Brigitte’s voice as she witnessed the prowess of Frigga’s sword.
Normally, a magic sword would need to consume the owner’s own magic power to demonstrate its effects.
That was the case for Brigitte’s Nageling.
On the other hand, Frigga’s Murasame could freely supply itself with the magic power present in the atmosphere.
Against someone who had a practically infinite supply of magic power, it was evident that Brigitte would not win in a contest of endurance.
So she was left with no other choice than to kill her opponent in a short but decisive confrontation――.
【”But did you really think my magic sword was my only trump card? You’re still too naive!”】
Brigitte’s wind armor was just as rare and mighty as her sword.
The armor started releasing a wind which threatened to disperse all of the mist coming from Frigga’s Murasame.
The idea behind this was that if Murasame could no longer control water, then it would turn back into nothing more than a sword.
As long as Brigitte’s magic power could hold on long enough, it seemed like Murasame’s effects would soon be completely nullified.
Chapter 50
【”You’re not going anywhere―― I’m your opponent.”】
Just when Brigitte was about to chase after Kurats, her sword clashed against Frigga’s Murasame.
【”You stay out of my way!”】
This was the first time a man had made a fool of Brigitte.
Even the demon swordsman Gunther had never patronized her like so.
She had every intention to do anything and everything she could to pay him back, her pride would not let her do otherwise.
【”Move!”】
Brigitte swung her sword with all her might, but Frigga not only parried it, she also attacked back.
【”You think you can afford to look away while facing the snow white valkyrie?”】
Though not as abnormal as Kurats, Frigga also was a mighty warrior.
She was not someone that Brigitte could easily handle after losing her composure.
【”Damn it! This damn sword!”】
Brigitte dodged Frigga’s Murasame by a hair’s breadth.
It was only at this point that she realized she would not be able to chase after Kurats before defeating Frigga.
―― (I lowered my guard.)
Birgitte was bitterly regretting taking so long to come to this realization.
As if she was lost in mist, the space between Frigga and herself was becoming blurry.
It seemed like a light fog was coming straight out of Frigga’s sword.
Soon, the fog completely covered Brigitte’s field of view.
Then, under the influence of Frigga’s magic power, the air itself turned into a weapon that felt like it would wrap Brigitte in ice, like a tree covered in icicles.
【”…So this is the water sacred sword, Murasame.”】
【”Now then, I’m curious to know which of the ‘white maidens’ is the strongest.”】
Frigga raised her sword straight up, reflecting the chilly surrounding air in its blade.
Her confident smile well showcased the excitement in her palpitating heart.
【”But of course, I already know this will end with my win.”】
【”Save the sleep-talk for your bedsheets! I’ll die that muddy white hair red!”】
A battle between the snow white valkyrie and the white vampire.
This was a fight that would get anyone excited. But the soldiers on the ground could not afford to watch this show-down…
Because there was a huge man falling from the sky above them.
Thinking about this rationally, the only possible outcome was that he would hit the ground and die.
However, everyone in the Asgard army knew of the other day’s nightmare.
Of course, only a few of them had personally witnessed the scene, but this had only helped spread a fear of the unknown, shaped by each individual’s imagination.
【”T-that devil is――!”】
【”Shit! Don’t get scared! We are the glorious army of the Asgard empire!”】
He was falling at a speed of several hundred kilometers (miles) per hour.
The high-pitched sound of his body cutting through the wind was like the sound of death’s sickle going for the heads of the soldiers.
Very soon, with the deafening sound of a lightning bolt striking the earth, he finally landed to the ground, raising a thick cloud of smoke and creating a crater with a radius of 10 meters (30 feet).
【”D-did he survive…?”】
Though they had heard the rumors about him being a monster, they still figured that maybe even he would die after falling from that high.
It was wishful thinking, but the soldiers could not be blamed for it.
However, those hopes were cruelly crushed to pieces.
【”Phew… Thank god the solid ground was here to catch my fall.”】
『I don’t think the ground’s solidity had anything to do with this… Rather than that, why didn’t you just use your levitation spell?』
(’cause I didn’t need it.)
Kurats did not feel like going out of his way to use magic when there was no need to do so.
As the magic king, Bernst wished he would pay more attention to the visual side of things, but these hopes did not get through to Kurats.
Kurats slowly started walking forward, with each step spreading more terror among the soldiers, who felt like everything they imagined about this immortal monster was true.
His slow walk showed he was clearly not wary of their army.
He did not even see them as opponents.
This realization alone was enough to start breaking their morale.
【”―― Fire.”】
However, Cabernard had already taken these reactions into consideration.
The dozens of magic canons and ballistas that had been silently aiming at Kurats fired all at once.
【”Shit! I might have dropped my guard a little too much!”】
『This would not be a problem if you could use your magic cancelling barrier and your defense barrier at the same time….』
The spears shot by the massive ballistas were twice thicker than the ones held by the soldiers.
Even so, Kurats was still able to sweep them away with his bare hands.
However, one of the magic canons shot very close to him and burned his skin, leaving a red mark on it.
Compared to his physical resistance, Kurats’ magic resistance was not so good.
『This is so shameful. You should be able to erase these weak magic canons with a single look…』
(Now you’re just being absurd!)
Still, Kurats was in a comfortable enough position to be able to chat in his head.
Any normal person would not have even a hint of a chance to dodge anything under this incessant rain of attacks, but even such a downpour was not dense enough to escape Kurats’ kinetic vision.
【”…Seriously, how is this damn freak still standing?!”】
Although that did not show in his facial expression, Cabernard was quietly cursing under his breath.
No matter how monstrous this man was, Cabenard thought the ballistas and magic cannons would surely be effective. These weapons could only be said to be overkill, and yet nothing was working.
No, since he was avoiding the attacks so they wouldn’t hit him, maybe this meant they actually were effective against him?
【”Then what if I have the magic units join in?”】
Cabernard did not think of this as a fight against a person.
He was thinking of it more as a raid against a huge high-class monster. That being the case, he intended to use every means at hand, but the forces available to him were limited.
No matter how many soldiers he had, numbers were not going to help slay Kurats.
So despite the esteem he had for them as military men, the only role he could assign to them was to stay back.
For Cabernard, there was no need to bring them in the fray. As long as he kept using this excessive fire power, Kurats would eventually run out of stamina and magic power and die.
Moreover, now that the reinforcements from the fifth squadron had arrived, the mage units’ numbers, which had taken a big hit in Crowdagen, had recovered.
The biggest difference between normal soldiers and mages was that the mages could combine and synergize multiple spells into a single attack.
An anti-military magic spell born from the cooperation of the mage units would be far more powerful than the magic canons.
The one thing Cabernard hadn’t planned was that Brigitte, who was supposed to kill Kurats after he was weakened, would not be able to make a move because Frigga was holding her back.
【”Do not let him escape! And do not worry about the quantity of magic stones!”】
Though the power output was so great that the magic canons’ barrels were burning, they kept on firing over and over.
The magic canons worked by compressing magic power of a given attribute and firing it. This made them both very powerful and easy to control, which was why they were the main weapons of the Asgard empire’s army.
But due to the canon’s bad cost-performance ratio, other countries did not have as many of these.
These canons’ magic power sources were magic stones, which were not an abundant resource by any means. In fact, Asgard’s forces usually paid close attention to their consumption of magic stones.
In nature, they could only be collected in areas with very dense magic power.
However, most of the ones the empire used were actually man-made magic stones, filled with the magic power of mages.
『It looks like they’re mostly using earth-attribute magic stones, but the problem is that there are some fire and thunder magic stones in the mix…』
【”The problem is these ballistas, how many are there?!”】
Though a direct hit from the ballistas would not be enough to kill him, the fast approaching spears were still dangerous.
The worst outcome for him was that they would manage to slow him down.
In the current circumstances, even the smallest of injuries could prevent him from avoiding the magic canons’ shots.
Knowing he was under such pressure, there was naturally no way the Asgard army would miss this opportunity to finish him.
【”It’s incredible that he was able to survive through all this… But that is precisely why he has to die here…!”】
Cabenard did not want to imagine a situation where Kurats stand together with Frigga and Lapland’s reorganized forces against Asgard’s army.
His goal in coming here was to recover his army’s fighting spirit after it was weakened by their of fear of Kurats, and to also raise their morale to its maximum in one fell swoop.
【”Coordinates fixed.”】
【”Cycle balance set to normal.”】
【”Synchronized incantation, starting!”】
The mage units’ anti-military spell was very well organized and synchronized.
This was one other point on which the Asgard empire was ahead of other countries.
『Hey, don’t lose focus. Something big is coming.』
(Yeah, yeah. I guess it’s about time to strike back.)
It was possible for Kurats to cancel their spell.
But he and Bernst both had the bad habit of wanting to see the faces of their enemies when an attack that held all their hopes failed to land.
As the anti-military spell expanded, the mages’ magic power radiated with a blue hue. Kurats was watching this unfold from the side with a fearless smile plastered on his face.
【”I’d heard the rumors, but it’s really insane that you can literally use the magic power in the air.”】
There was some shock to Brigitte’s voice as she witnessed the prowess of Frigga’s sword.
Normally, a magic sword would need to consume the owner’s own magic power to demonstrate its effects.
That was the case for Brigitte’s Nageling.
On the other hand, Frigga’s Murasame could freely supply itself with the magic power present in the atmosphere.
Against someone who had a practically infinite supply of magic power, it was evident that Brigitte would not win in a contest of endurance.
So she was left with no other choice than to kill her opponent in a short but decisive confrontation――.
【”But did you really think my magic sword was my only trump card? You’re still too naive!”】
Brigitte’s wind armor was just as rare and mighty as her sword.
The armor started releasing a wind which threatened to disperse all of the mist coming from Frigga’s Murasame.
The idea behind this was that if Murasame could no longer control water, then it would turn back into nothing more than a sword.
As long as Brigitte’s magic power could hold on long enough, it seemed like Murasame’s effects would soon be completely nullified.
