Episode 30/Chapter 5: The knights of the round table (5)

Thor was going.

Thor would go.

Odin just spat out those words. He couldn't say anything else.

Adenmaha felt like she would go crazy at the anxiousness. McLaren hadn't returned, and Rolo had his chest crushed and lost a wing after a mere few seconds on the battlefield.

He had said that this battle wasn't much. That it would be fine as they would only clean up the remaining fomoires.

But that wasn't the case. Adenmaha read the memories of Rolo through the magic of the Tuatha De Danann and thus she could also sense the fear and despair Rolo had felt.

He was scared. So scared that a cry came out unconsciously.

She recalled that fateful day in Erin. The day that everyone near her had started to die.

Bracky, who was big and foolish but still held reliable qualities.

Siri, who seemed the toughest but was actually the most gentle.

And her master-

The stupid guy that only thought about Heda.

She felt like they wouldn't be able to return. At least one, or perhaps all of them.

Adenmaha hoped earnestly. She didn't pray for everyone to return safely. She only waited for Tae Ho to call her so that she would be able to do something on the battlefield.

But no matter how earnest she was, Tae Ho didn't call, and Adenmaha couldn't help but cry again.

-

The ash-colored lands were dyed in blood.

Bracky staggered to his feet. He fruitfully tried wiping the blood dripping from his head and tried to recall what had happened, but there were gaps in his fuzzy memory.

Like the landscape, the sky was ashen.

Bracky took a breath. He started to remember everything that had happened in a few minutes one by one.

Balgad had stomped on the ground and McLaren, who'd been hiding, was launched into the air.

Tae Ho had desperately recalled McLaren, but Balgad was a second faster. Balgad had gripped both McLaren's head and tail and pulled, tearing him in two. As McLaren was closer to being a spirit rather than a living being, his demise wasn't certain, but he couldn't know the details. McLaren disappeared and the ones within him had appeared in his place.

The inferior-ranked warriors of Valhalla had all died helplessly.

Bracky closed his eyes. The blood on his forehead wasn't stopping, and he couldn't activate 'The Son of a God Returns' as he had already used it today.

A fierce battle had occurred in a short time.

Ingrid was collapsed on the ground and unmoving. She had stopped the attack just before she'd lost consciousness. Bracky didn't check if Ingrid was alive or not. He just had to hope that she was. He spat out a mouthful of blood and breathed in pained breaths.

Tae Ho and Siri were still fighting. Siri's movements became really fast after she'd transformed into a wolf. Tae Ho mobilized several weapons on top of her as they fought together. It was like two people were fighting with one body.

Still, their battle against Balgad was disadvantageous to the extreme.

If they allowed even one attack to hit them, they wouldn't be able to fight again, but Balgad still continued unabated even after having received several attacks from both Tae Ho and Bracky.

But they still had to fight. Bracky gulped dry saliva for the last time and then charged towards Balgad.

"Mighty Thor!"

Bracky's roar passed in between Tae Ho and Balgad.

Balgad had almost all of his rock armor destroyed and looked at Bracky.

His appearance was that of a scaled-down Thor. Standing up time and time again after being hit and charging towards him was a terrible thing by now.

Balgad swung his hand. He used the intangible force to make a wall and strode forward while glancing at Idun's warrior at the same time. The guy that was riding on the golden wolf was holding a pair of swords.

Caliburn and Caladbolg.

Caladbolg's thunder was powerful. Although it wasn't to the point where Tae Ho could destroy a mountain with one attack like when Fergus Mac Roich wielded it, it couldn't be looked down on at all. Every time an attack landed on Balgad, a part of his armor was vaporized.

Balgad had to admit that the bastard was strong. So strong, in fact, that it was unbelievable for him to be someone that had just become a superior-ranked warrior.

That was why he had to kill him. He had to end the fight no matter what.

Balgad roared and swung his pillar-like arms. Deadly kinetic energy was released alongside countless rock-hewn arrows. An earthquake followed that made their footing a mess.

It was an attack that came both from the sky and the ground.

Siri had succeeded in closing the gap between Balgad to dodge it until now. It wasn't easy, obviously, as a single error could result in their deaths.

Balgad thought that Siri would do the same, but he was wrong. Tae Ho lowered his posture while sticking atop Siri, and Siri turned around. Rather than charging towards the arrows she showed her tail and escaped.

The sudden change in their pattern caught Balgad off guard. In that brief moment of reprieve, Siri was able to put some distance between them and Balgad, and Tae Ho silently praised Bracky for stopping Balgad. Tae Ho turned to look at his back on top of Siri.

Then, above of the head of the mountainous Balgad and beyond the ash colored sky-

Merlin's chant was completed. They hadn't fled from the battlefield because it was disadvantageous or because they were scared. It was because they believed in Merlin's magic.

What they called for was the disaster of the sky.

The Giant of the Night screamed in shock from within the darkness and Balgad then realized what manner of magic had sundered the atmosphere above him.

A meteorite summoned from beyond the sky was tumbling down. It fell at an unmeasurable velocity.

Even as he looked up, Balgad didn't waste any time. He kicked the ground and tried to dodge the meteorite.

However, Merlin didn't allow that. In the first place, he had prepared two magics. Although his magic had been halved, he was still the Great Magician of Camelot.

The shadows that pierced from the ground firmly rooted Balgad's feet. They were obstacles that would only buy a few seconds.

But it was enough with just that. With an ear-deafening explosion, the falling meteorite directly smashed into Balgad, the Giant of Earth!

The resounding shockwave seemed to atomize all nearby matter, and the flames that burst out gulped down Balgad's figure.

Siri let out a sigh of relief and Tae Ho did the same.

However, Merlin couldn't do that. He knew otherwise, as he was the one that had activated the magic.

"My King!"

The moment Merlin called out, a dark figure sprinted through the fire.

A ten-meter giant whose skin was of rock.

It was the original body of the Giant of Earth, Balgad. The body that was forty meters tall had merely been his avatar.

The meteorite destroyed the avatar, but it couldn't break Balgad himself. The moment of the collision, Balgad released the remnants of his armor. His injuries were only minor.

Balgad rushed towards Tae Ho and Siri and swung his fist. Siri sprung off the ground reflexively, but she couldn't dodge the attack completely.

It was because the moment she threw her body to dodge the fist, pillars of rock also surged up and attacked her.

Subsequently, both Tae Ho and Siri skidded across the ground.

Merlin feverishly recited a new chant as Bracky unleashed his energy reserves to roar and charged forward.

Balgad didn't waste any time. He arched his spine and heaved a mighty hammerfist towards Tae Ho and Siri.

-

Thor couldn't reach them in time.

The giants at the front lines obstructed his path.

Idun had grown frantic and called out Tae Ho's name repeatedly.

However, Tae Ho couldn't answer her.

Adenmaha worked hard to save the life of McLaren who'd been torn apart. She kept reciting chants through a tear-stained face.

Tae Ho took a breath.

He hadn't died. He felt like his body was broken, but he was still alive.

With no regard for his own safety, Bracky had blocked Balgad's attack and even fired lightning to dissipate some of the impact.

He had fallen along with Siri, who was also alive. He could feel her shallow breathing as if it would cease at any moment.

Tae Ho checked his pocket. The pieces of golden apple had disappeared. It seemed like he had lost the pocket sometime during the fierce fighting.

Bracky couldn't endure for long. He collapsed after receiving an additional attack from Balgad. He was thrown far away and lay twitching on the ground.

Balgad looked at Tae Ho.

Tae Ho returned his stare, but he also glanced at the area beyond him.

He could see the red words approaching. It seemed like they were the underlings of Balgad.

He still had a summoning rock left, but he didn't call Adenmaha. He just squeezed out his concentration and activated a saga rather than calling her into danger needlessly. Five Valkyries doppelgangers, Heda included, were summoned next to Tae Ho.

They charged towards Balgad; however, they were just able to buy a few seconds. They were mercilessly destroyed.

Tae Ho took a breath and swung Caliburn which still stuck to his hand.

To resist until the end.

To fight.

"Idun, Heda."

His practice had taken fruits. Tae Ho called out Idun's name first and then smiled. He faced Balgad, who was bellowing and closing in fast, and then produced the glory of Camelot.

Cuchulainn assisted with a bit of his strength, and Idun cried out and strengthened her divine power even further.

After that, shapes of people started to coalesce next to Tae Ho.

-

Erin was destroyed.

The fire of Surtr had burnt down everything.

The sky and the ground were dyed in ash.

But even that being the case, there was something that hadn't changed.

-

A sentence of light appeared atop Tae Ho's hand.

Erin's successor.

The one who would receive everything from Erin.

Merlin, who had been reciting a chant, stopped moving his mouth unconsciously. The ones that had gathered next to Tae Ho had that effect on him.

The Knights of the Round Table.

Their souls that had been scattered, now returned.

Camelot was but a memory and Erin was destroyed; however, they didn't forget their pledge towards their king. Even if this land was dyed in ash, it was still Erin. It was the land in which the heroes of Camelot had given their ultimate sacrifice.

The glory of Camelot gave strength to the the Knights of the Round Table. Although dim, the shadows, who had gathered next to the Sword of Selection, Caliburn, regained the appearances of their previous lives.

They were in an incomplete state. It wasn't yet time for Tae Ho to fully achieve the power held by the King of Camelot. If this land wasn't Erin, they wouldn't even have been able to appear.

Nevertheless, now wasn't the time to wait for the king to come into his own.

The Knights of the Round Table expressed etiquette towards Tae Ho. Tae Ho didn't know them well, but Caliburn remembered them all. It was living proof of their legends.

"Our King calls for aid...."

One of the knights spoke in reverence. His expression filled with veneration towards Tae Ho, he stepped forward and then flew at Balgad.

"For the King of Camelot!"

The rest of the knights followed suit. The first knight to reach the giant was pressed down by Balgad's power and obliterated. Such was their limit as as incomplete souls.

Nonetheless, the remaining Knights of the Round Table didn't waver. As one, they overtook Balgad's position like moths drawn to a flame.

'Remember our names.'

'Remember our stories.'

It was a complete massacre. With only their remnant souls, they couldn't win.

But they didn't fear. They were rather happy that they could fight for Erin once more.

Caliburn taught to Tae Ho as much through the sentence of the Milesians.

The name of each one of them.

What they were going to do now.

Because of that, Tae Ho couldn't hold them back.

"For Asgard and the Nine Realms."

Tae Ho uttered these words. He expressed his etiquette as a warrior of Valhalla.

The remaining Knights of the Round Table smiled gallantly. One who had remained beside Tae Ho until the end hit his chest as if imitating him.

"For Asgard and the Nine Realms."

The knight charged. Seeing this, the Giant of Earth, Balgad, who'd known these knights well in battle, felt that their weakened souls were really quite pathetic.

The Knights of the Round Table were vanquished one by one. More than ten had been summoned, but now there weren't even five.

Tae Ho stood in place and looked at them.

The Knights of the Round Table were buying time, but not for Thor to arrive.

The underlings of Balgad were approaching and the red words in the sky loomed closer.

There was now only one remaining knight.

Balgad swung his fist and even he disappeared.

And then it arrived.

-

It was only one at first. The thing that fell from the sky hit Balgad in the back.

Caliburn explained the situation through the sentence of the Milesians.

The most loyal knight of all, Bedevere. The sword he didn't let go of until the end.

Balgad looked at the sky reflexively and then a second weapon pierced his shoulder.

The best archer, the Knight of Love, Tristan, and Fail-Not, the magical bow he once used.

As more weapons poured from the sky, the consecutive blows brought Balgad to his knees.

The sword of the most lofty knight, Galahad.

The Knight of the Long Spear, Perceval.

The magical sword of the Knight of Truth, Agravain.

The Knights of the Round Table were all warriors of Erin. The sentences of the Milesians they possessed summoned their weapons while burning the last of their souls.

Balgad hurriedly fended off the pouring weapons with his intangible force, but it wasn't easy. The strongest weapon of them all pierced the wall. No, it didn't only penetrate Balgad's shoulder but destroyed it.

The strongest Knight in the Round Table.

Lancelot's sword, Arondight.

Balgad let out a pained groan and at that moment, the underlings of Balgad arrived. More than ten giants jumped from the void and stood next to him.

Balgad let out a frustrated howl and his underlings charged towards Tae Ho.

Tae Ho took a deep breath. He swung Caladbolg and fired lightning.

It wasn't towards Balgad or his underlings. Tae Ho stabbed Caladbolg towards the sky and the lightning split the clouds.

Balgad couldn't understand Tae Ho's actions, and his underlings felt similarly. They just charged towards him.

But Merlin knew, for one sword hadn't arrived yet. There was still one last weapon.

The heavy clouds split and a column of light stretched from the heavens as the last weapon descended from the glory of the sun unto Tae Ho.

The knight that shared the etiquette of Asgard with Tae Ho-

The last words he left behind-

Tae Ho sheathed Caladbolg and Caliburn.

He remembered the story Caliburn told him and grabbed the sword that arrived in front of him.

Gallatin, the sword of the knight of the sun Gawain.

The story that is behind it.

The legend of the Knights of the Round Table.

[Synchro rate: 54%]

Idun's power entered the sentence of the Milesians and it added strength to the legend of Gallatin. From it, a new myth was born.

[Myth-ranked Saga]

You will grow stronger the higher the sun is, and at midday, you will be invincible.

Such was the legend of the Knight of the Sun, Gawain. Such was the legend engraved within Gallatin.

[Sword of the Sun]

Tae Ho swung Gallatin, and the burning fury of the sun was unleashed upon Balgad and his underlings.

< Episode 30 - The knights of the round table (5) > End