Episode 13/Chapter 3: Traces of the Great War (3)

[Fragment of soul]

[Hell keeper Garmr]

The words that were red as blood were clear. Although he couldn't see any special weaknesses, he could see special keywords that seemed to be its attribute.

[Reflective]

[Defensive]

Siri fluttered her wings. She increased the height a bit more, and at that moment she staggered.

"Captain Siri?!"

Siri steadied her body reflexively instead of answering. It was because the moment she reached a certain height, the flow of the magic power was impending her flight.

Garmr just glared at Siri and Tae Ho as if reflecting its defensive characteristic. Tae Ho used the 'one that handles dragons' to support Siri the most he could, but even the strength of the saga didn't work properly.

In the end Siri landed on land. However it wasn't a perfect one. It was almost like crashing.

And then Tae Ho realized why his saga didn't work properly. Because the thing that crashed on land wasn't a big wolf that had a pair of wings, but Siri's original appearance.

Tae Ho ended up sitting on top of Siri so he stood up hurriedly and helped her get up. Siri let out a groan and breathed.

"It seems like flying will be impossible."

You wouldn't know if you could hover like a helicopter, but it seemed like it would be impossible to keep flying in place even with the assistance of the saga. In addition, the flow of magic power that covered the sky wasn't normal. It was like the magic in the dragon wing coat was dispelled the moment it touched it. They could suffer more by sloppily trying to fly.

Tae Ho nodded still and then grasped the distance between them and Garmr. Siri also raised her crossbow with a relieved face.

Garmr put on an alert stance just like a guard dog and glared at the both of them. Although it was big, as its look was that of a dog, it seemed like they just had to be careful of its teeth and claws.

"I'm going."

The one that spoke first was Siri. She charged forward and fired arrows as if pouring them.

[Saga: The arrows of a witch never misses its target]

The arrows that were flying to a different place changed their trajectory and aimed for Garmr's eyes.

The arrows hit. However Siri, that was an experienced hunter, could know at that moment. She did hit it but that was all. Siri's arrow pierced through Garmr's body and stuck on the ground.

Reflection.

Garmr charged. Fire spread out from its big mouth.

Chwaaak!

The fire sweeping through the land was strong no matter who saw it. Siri rolled on the ground and dodged it, and then fired some more arrows but the result remained the same. Garmr's attack worked on them, but their attack didn't work on it.

"Tae Ho!"

Siri yelled and he understood. He entered Garmr's reach in an instant by charging with the 'charge of the warrior'. And then he swung the Executioner's sword!

Chpak!

The sword that had the power of a God slashed Garmr's leg. Garmr, that got surprised, fell back and a wound that seemed like it was carved appeared in its right leg.

Just like they expected the power of a God worked. However Garmr was big. In addition, as it started to be more vigilant, these easy attacks wouldn't work anymore.

"Tae Ho!"

Siri called Tae Ho again. She transformed into a wolf by using the 'wolf witch' and then got next to Tae Ho in an instant and glanced him telling him to get on.

Let's do the Lance Charge.

Her eyes were clear but Tae Ho flinched and then shook his head. He glared at Garmr and said.

"Captain Siri, buy me some time."

Siri got flustered but she didn't ask back. She charged towards Garmr, that was enraged because it was wounded and it started to breathe out fire. Tae Ho and Siri scattered to different directions and dodged the fire.

Siri glared at Garmr instead of looking back at Tae Ho. She remembered that the Tae Ho he knew wasn't someone that said useless words in a battle and then raised her claws. If it was the wolf witch that had a cursed power, she would be able to damage it.

"Roar!"

Siri let out a big roar and charged. Although she wasn't even a quarter the size of Garmr, she was faster than it. She revealed her fangs towards Garmr and then bit it in its neck.

The attack worked as expected. However its leather was too thick. Garmr moved its body trying to shake off Siri, and Siri used all her strength to hold on.

'Is it not ready!'

Siri yelled inwardly. However Tae Ho was looking at a weird place instead of answering or supporting her. It was the place Garmr had appeared for the first time.

[Garmr's soul fragment]

A claw like item that was colored in white gold.

The moment Tae Ho touched that something that was stuck in the ground, Garmr raised its head abruptly.

"Kwooong!"

Garmr let out a roar and turned its body to Tae Ho's direction. Although the roar made you shiver, Tae Ho smirked at that moment. He was delighted that his expectations were correct and grabbed the fragment of Garmr's soul, that was as big as a stake, with his two hands. Although he felt a nasty spirit attack him, he endured it with the power of a God.

Garmr finally shook Siri off. However, Siri didn't strengthlessly roll on the ground. As soon as she hit the ground, she stood up immediately and slammed Garmr's side. Garmr stumbled again and Tae Ho pulled out the fragment of Garmr's soul with all his strength.

Bang!

A loud sound burst out. However it wasn't an explosion. It was the sound made when the seal broke up.

Garmr had thrown its body to try to bite Tae Ho even when stumbling, but it crashed to the ground while having its mouth open. Contrary to when it appeared, its body started to scatter as smoke.

Tae Ho, that was about to get bit, let out a sigh of relief and raised his head. The flow of magic power that was swirling in the sky was getting sucked in the hole that had the fragment of soul stuck in it.

Bang!

It was the second loud sound. Tae Ho rolled his body to dodge the flow and then looked at the sky while holding on to the fragment of soul. Garmr's soul, that was almost dissipated, entered the soul fragment and a big space door appeared over the hole in the ground.

The passage that led outside.

The Unknown sword piece vibrated. Siri approached  while breathing roughly and said with the face of a wolf.

"Get on, Tae Ho."

As they would get out at once.

Tae Ho listened to Siri this time. He lowered his body after getting on Siri and she took in a breath and looked behind her. Although it wasn't as extreme as Garmr, the warriors of Valhalla were also facing a change.

Siri put down the lingering attachment and looked at the front again. She felt Tae Ho's weight and then charged forward. She jumped to beyond the black space door.

Pak!

The world changed with a strong light.

The moment they got out of the door, Siri got  sat on by Tae Ho once again but it wasn't the time to complain about those things.

Tae Ho stood up immediately and then raised his weapon as if trying to protect Siri. THere was an unfamiliar scenery and an unexpected situation in front of them.

A valley that you could call the surface.

Rasgrid was still fighting against the fire giant. Warriors of Valhalla were fighting at their surrounding, and burning boulders were falling down the sky.

The time they had spent inside wasn't short. They were sure at least 1 hour had passed. However it didn't seem to be the case outside. At most a few minutes. The proof for that was that the reinforcements from Valhalla still hadn't arrived.

And right at that moment. Everyone that were on the battlefield turned to look at Tae Ho and Siri. It was because of the aftershock originated when the space door opened.

Most of them simply got surprised. However it was different for the fire giant. It looked at Garmr's soul fragment that was in Tae Ho's arm and then let out a roar and tried to charge towards him.

But Rasgrid quickly swung her sword at that giant. And then, a big wall of wind blocked the giant's path and Rasgrid glanced at Tae Ho and Siri as if trying to find a reason.

And Tae Ho could instinctively know. That Garmr's soul fragment was stuck in the real trace of the Great War and not the surface of the world.

It was certainly the fragment the giants and the Mollo family were looking for.

The giant, that was stopped by Rasgrid, ordered with an angered voice. The monsters that were scattered in the battlefield ignored the enemies in front of them and started to charge towards Siri and Tae Ho.

"Protect warrior Tae Ho!"

Rasgrid also yelled. The warriors of Odin's and Ullr's legion tried to stop the monsters somehow, but they were much more numerous. Siri, that had become empty handed for having transformed into a wolf, adjusted the dragon wing coat and extended her hand towards Tae Ho. She was asking for anything that could be used as a weapon.

However Tae Ho just pulled Siri into his embrace instead of taking out a weapon from Unnir. And then shrunk down while pressing Siri's head down. They looked like they wanted to endure the wave that was about to come.

And then Siri realized. Compared to the soul of the monsters that perished in the trace of the Great War, 'They' had a place to return to.

Valhalla.

The paradise for the exalted warriors!

A storm surged up. The souls of the warriors of Valhalla started to come out of the space door that Tae Ho and Siri used to get out. They passed the both of them in an instant and started to charge towards the monsters like a raging billow.

The monsters got bewildered. And it was the same for the warriors of Ullr's and Odin's legion.

However there was a difference between the two. The warriors of Valhalla recognized the heroes of the past in an instant just like Tae Ho and Siri had done so. They cheered from the bottom of their hearts and welcomed them.

"Valhalla!"

Siri pressed down her emotions and breathed roughly. However Tae Ho bit his lips. It was because he had grasped the difference from outside and inside.

The warriors of Valhalla that lost their lives had to return to Valhalla. And becoming a metal warrior in that place was their task.

The warriors of Valhalla called some souls. The warriors of the Great War couldn't fight against the monsters like they did inside the door.

In addition, the shape of the warriors that was already dim started to become dimmer. Their souls started to scatter like smoke.

Tae Ho gritted his teeth and put on a fighting stance. Siri also got out of Tae Ho's embrace and extended her hand again.

But it was at that moment.

"Oh Valhalla! Odin, the father of the sky!"

One of the warriors of the Great War yelled. He hit his chest as if roaring towards the sky.

"Allow us for one last fight! Grant us the glory to protect Asgard and the nine planets!"

The flow of time was different inside the door. Perhaps, they may have lived close to a hundred years in a dead but not dead state.

But they were still the same. They didn't change even a little bit. They haven't even gotten corrupt.

The warriors of Valhalla.

The great warriors that protected Asgard and the nine planets!

"Valkyrie Rasgrid allows you!"

Rasgrid yelled. She glared at the burning giant and raised her sword high. She declared by exercising the right given by Odin and Freyja.

"I will lead the souls of the warriors myself! Warriors of Valhalla! Fight! For Asgard and the nine planets!"

The warriors requested and the Valkyrie granted permission. She fulfilled their wishes.

Light shone on the warriors of the Great War. They, that had gotten permission from Valhalla, regained their original appearance for a moment. Their bodies that were becoming dim became clear, and their stories that were stagnated started to continue.

"For Asgard and the nine planets."

The warrior that asked for permission said in a mumbling voice. And followed by him, the warriors of Valhalla yelled altogether.

"For Asgard and the nine planets!"

The battle resumed. Burning boulders still fell down the sky, and additional forces from the monsters side fell down but it was meaningless. The valiant warriors of Valhalla sweeped the monsters like a wave and they literally got swept up.

Siri let out an exclamation. It was a really amazing scene. Her heart started racing by its own and her face became flushed, and her breath also became rougher.

She had to fight with them. She had to raise the glory of her superiors by fighting alongside them.

However Tae Ho grabbed her again. Siri flinched and turned to look at Tae Ho and he laughed and said.

"We have to catch the boss again."

Tae Ho pointed at Rasgrid and the burning giants with his eyes. Siri put on a teary face but then gave up. She chanted with a bit of resentment.

"Draco!"

[Saga: The one that handles dragons]

Tae Ho and Siri became one once more time while feeling a vague deja vu. She surged up angrier than ever.

< Episode 13 - Traces of the Great War (3) > End