章節 2088: Incredulity
Standing between four and nine meters tall, the Jotun, colloquially known as Frost Giants, were a race of monstrous humanoids with an extreme preference for cold. Rather than garments of fabric or armors made from metal, they garbed their blue-skinned bodies in frigid black stone held fast by perpetual, magically enhanced ice.
In the myths related to their species, Frost Giants were among the most physically gifted races in the Nine Realms. Even their weakest members could overwhelm the average resident of Asgard, and, despite being a relatively primitive species, their raw physical power and magical resistance allowed them to wage war against the other realms.
Under normal circumstances, the only way to overwhelm a Frost Giant was with magical flames and enchanted Asgardian metals. They were nearly unkillable using other methods, as, even if you were to throw them into a river of molten lava, it would simply freeze over without doing any meaningful damage.
Unfortunately, as was often the case whenever Vahn was involved, such details simply didn't matter. He was far beyond the level where resistances, natural or otherwise, held any real meaning. Thus, to the surprise and horror of the simulated titans, there was nothing they could do as bands of vibrant azure lightning, many thicker than they were tall, tore through their ranks.
Without any suspense whatsoever, everything touched by the azure lightning found itself torn apart at the molecular level before being cast into the void. From the perspective of others, it was like the lightning was erasing everything it touched. This included the magical energy sustaining the storm. Thus, by the time three minutes had passed, the battlefield had become eerily silent as Vahn, still in his Azure Dragon transformation, lingered in the sky like a God of Destruction overlooking creation.
"Three-hundred-meters may have been a little much..."
Feeling the invisible membrane just a few meters above his head, Vahn didn't have a lot of room to move around. This tempted him to manipulate the space above the battlefield to give himself a bit of extra room, but, fearing people would cry foul play, he decided against it. Instead, he expanded his domain to cover most of the battlefield, powerful barriers erecting around each of the Altars as he grasped the position and strength of every remaining contestant.
Sensing there were no major threats remaining, Vahn nodded his massive head before shifting his attention to Hime. It was impossible to tell due to his draconic visage, but a wry smile spread across his face the moment he saw the inordinately beautiful white serpent staring at him with an intense, slightly glimmer in her pale yellow eyes.
Noticing Vahn's gaze, Hime immediately lowered her head in a respectful and subservient manner, muttering, "My Lord..." in an audibly impassioned tone.
Issuing a resounding chuckle that caused the surrounding space to ripple, Vahn felt a sudden and intense urge to coil around Hime's body. Unfortunately, as shameless as he was, he wasn't quite at the level of someone like Scathach. Hime might not be able to control herself if he teased her in her current state, so, after several seconds of contemplative silence, he said, "Return to the fortress. I'll take care of the rest."
Though her aura made it very clear she was reluctant, Hime didn't hesitate to obey Vahn's words. Instead of returning to her human form, however, she coiled around the icy throne in the hopes of cooling her remarkably hot body. She felt like literal flames had been ignited inside of her, and, as a result, the ice began to hiss and produce steam the moment she came into contact with it.
("It appears Scathach isn't the only person I'll need to deal with once this game has been settled...")
(*Vahn...*)
("Yeah, yeah, I know...")
As something similar happened nearly every time he transformed in front of a woman with draconic traits, Vahn knew he didn't have any leeway to act surprised. Rather, he would be far more surprised if Hime didn't have a reaction. After all, they were already mates. They might not be married, but he doubted she would even consider independence in the next thousand or so years. Dragons, even as servants, could be remarkably obstinate...
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"Gyda...are my eyes playing tricks on me? Did that man seriously just transform into a Pure-Blooded Dragon and wipe out the Frost Giants in an instant...?"
"..."
Unable or perhaps unwilling to respond to her brother's words, Gyda just stared at the projection of Vahn with a pensive expression on her face. She had been born into a 4-Digit Community, but, even after sixteen hundred years of existence, she had never seen anything even remotely comparable to the strength Vahn had shown.
Furrowing his brows, Sigurd changed the image to reflect the version of Vahn loitering in the arena. He had literally laid a pale-blue blanket across the ground, and, instead of exploring the area like a normal person, he simply relaxed with his hands behind his head.
"Dammit...you can at least pretend to take this seriously. Organizing an event this large takes a lot of planning and effort..."
Though he had the backing of one of the most powerful alliances in the Little Garden, it had still taken months for Sigurd to establish his Community and make preparations for a high-profile Gift Game. The negotiations, in particular, had been a nightmare. After all, no matter how eager they were to claim a Pure-Blooded Vampire as their prize, most Community Leaders had enough sense not to leave their fate in the hands of a lottery.
Vahn had managed to emerge entirely unscathed from the lottery process but some Communities had been unfortunate enough to draw lots that required them to hand over Gifts, members of their Community, or even their Flag. This was the reason so many Players became desperate the moment they became Einherjar. For some, their very futures were on the line.
Had things proceeded according to plan, Leviathan's Tail would have received a tremendous boon once the Gift Game had concluded. They stood to gain numerous Gifts, several additional Players, and an ample amount of territory in one fell swoop. Afterward, they would have returned Leticia to the alliance so that she could be auctioned off or used as bait in future Gift Games.
Shaking his head, Sigurd turned to Gyda, asking, "What do you think we should do? I was going to suggest attacking the Altars but most of our forces have already been eliminated. If we ascend now, we might not even have enough people to open the Bifrost for a return trip."
Without any discernible changes in her expression, Gyda stated, "We don't know how many times that man can split his body. I also get the impression he hasn't gotten serious, so, even if we initiate the Ragnarok protocol, I can't imagine it having any meaningful effect against him. The power of a Strongest Species is simply beyond our means to deal with..."
Though he was in agreement with Gyda's observations, Sigurd couldn't help frowning in response to his sister's words. Instead of getting angry at her, however, he just popped his neck rather loudly before saying, "Well, at least we can earn some brownie points with the spectators by ending things early. Fortunately, I doubt anyone will look down on us for failing to defeat a Pure-Blooded Dragon. They aren't called one of the Strongest Species for nothing."
With that said, Sigurd shouldered his oversized battleax before stepping on a runic engraving that depicted the same pattern as the one left behind by the Bifrost. A rainbow-hued light immediately expanded from the center of the formation, but, before activating completely, Sigurd had enough time to turn around and say, "I know I promised we'll fight together, but you're the only person I can trust to hold the fort. Once I'm defeated, I'll see if I can do something about the Altars as an Einherjar."
Finished with his words, Sigurd gave Gyda a cursory wave as a pillar of light erupted from his feet and instantaneously enveloped his body. He knew he couldn't defeat Vahn but that wasn't going to stop him from trying. Rather, once he became an Einherjar, he intended to descend the mountain and charge directly at the massive dragon that everyone else was avoiding. He had never fought a Strongest Species before. There was no way in hell he was missing the opportunity to do so...
Understanding her brother's thoughts, a sigh escaped Gyda's throat as she sat down next to the reflecting pool and cycled through various images. Under normal circumstances, she would have focused all of her intention on her brother's fight. In this particular instance, however, she refused to do so since it might negatively impact her impression of him. It had been quite some time since she felt the same passion towards her brother that had compelled her to follow him to the East, so, for both of their sakes, she decided to ignore him.
As that thought crossed her mind, Gyda's hand paused mid-swipe as the pool reflected the image of a handsome, and, most importantly, muscular man. His outfit left his chest and part of his back completely exposed, and, despite the strange runic pattern covering them, it was possible to make out every single muscle in his upper body.
Feeling a bit of tension in her throat, Gyda swallowed audibly as she dipped the tips of her fingers in the reflecting pool's surface. There was a time when her brother's physique had been even more impressive. Now, he resembled a young boy who had never trained a day in his life. His personality had also changed rather drastically, so, while she still loved him dearly, there were times when Gyda felt that her brother had been replaced with someone completely different.
"We should have never left the South..."
Shaking such thoughts from her mind, Gyda was prepared to change the reflecting pool's surface to focus elsewhere. The thing that stopped her was the kind and affectionate smile that had appeared on the ashen-haired man's face as he pulled out a silvery locket and gazed at the content. This was enough to garner Gyda's attention, so, rather than change the image to someone else, she adjusted it to take a peek at the locket.
"What in Odin's name...?"
Seeing the pictures of nine women reflected in the locket, six of which were nearly identical to one another, Gyda found herself at a loss for words. Harems weren't particularly rare, but, based on the similarities between the six women, they were clearly sisters of some sort. She had never seen any man capable of wooing sextuplets, much less three goddess-like women.
"He must be quite capable..."
Since there was an unbelievably beautiful redhead among the women displayed in the locket, Gyda couldn't help imagining herself in the ashen-haired man's muscular embrace. His horns, wings, and tail also made it pretty clear he had the blood of dragons flowing through his veins, so, even if she shouldn't be thinking things like this, she found herself contemplating how powerful their children would be...
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Unaware of the fact he was being observed, Siegfried continued staring at his locket for the better part of three minutes before returning it to his pocket. It had been less than two hours since he was summoned, yet, in spite of this, he couldn't help missing his wives and children. It didn't matter that his true self was currently sleeping between two of them. Even a moment away from the people you loved could feel like an eternity.
Exhaling a sigh, Siegfried turned his aquamarine eyes towards the peculiar phenomenon in the sky. It was like an azure-green filter had been superimposed over reality, and, based on the pulsing of his scar, Siegfried knew this was the result of something Vahn had done. This made it pretty clear that his friend and Master didn't actually need his help, but, rather than feeling like this was a waste of time, Siegfried felt privileged just to see the former in action.
"You really do have what it takes to unify everyone, don't you...?"
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hime be like: *jiiiiiiiiiiiiii-*...','Vahn needs to give Sigurd some protein powder or something...','Sumanai-san is a good guy...')
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章節 2089: Lesson
Though the massive pillar of rainbow-hued light made it pretty obvious someone had arrived, Vahn didn't immediately move from his position. Instead, he continued to recline backward with his eyes closed, asking, "Are you sure you want to do this now? We still have more than eight hours until the end of the game. Do you think you'll be able to accomplish something as an Einherjar?"
Slamming his ax into the ground with enough force to send fiery cracks outward for tens of meters, Sigurd answered, "I've never been good at thinking ahead. All I care about at this moment is seeing how I compare to a member of the Strongest Species. I know I'm not your match. However, I would be honored if you would grant me the privilege of a duel."
Rolling to a seated position, a relaxed smile spread across Vahn's face as he noted, "You're pretty straightforward for a Demon. Tell me, what compelled you to give up your humanity? Was it power you sought or something more...?"
Adopting a smile of his own, Sigurd's lime green eyes glistened with a passionate light as he asked, "Would you believe me if I said I did it for love?"
Blinking in surprise, Vahn's smile became more genuine as he rose to his feet, dusted himself off, and said, "I would."
Punctuating his words, Vahn flashed forward at a swift yet controlled pace. He had quite a bit of time to kill, and, due to the rules of the Gift Game, there was a considerable amount of merit to delaying Sigurd's defeat. Thus, even if he was ultimately just messing around for a few hours, he didn't mind humoring the redheaded demon's request.
With the pupils of his eyes contracting to form slits, Sigurd attempted to evade Vahn's punch by tilting his head to the side. His efforts were actually successful, but, rather than follow through and create an opening, Vahn was somehow able to arrest his momentum in an instant. Thus, before he could even think to counter with a sweep of his ax, Sigurd experienced the world spinning violently as he was tossed to the side with a casual toss from Vahn.
Like a shell fired by a cannonball, Sigurd smashed through the wall of the arena as if it was made from wet paper. This wouldn't have been enough to deal any real damage to him, but, much to his surprise, he hadn't sustained even minor injuries. It was like there was an invisible force protecting his body...
Shaking wayward thoughts from his mind, a violent red aura exploded from Sigurd's body as he emerged from the rubble with a loud warcry. At the same time, the runic symbols designating him as a berserker began to glow, his muscles expanding ever so slightly as a result.
"Hmmm..."
Dodging Sigurd's attempts to swipe at him with his extended nails, a thoughtful glimmer appeared in Vahn's eyes as he grabbed the collar of the man's kimono, pivoted in mid-air, and sent him flying into the opposite wall.
"There is merit to using a berserker skill, but, against an opponent like me, control is infinitely more important than raw power. I have battled against foes whose punches could initiate the collapse of a star. You would struggle to level a large building at your current level. Sacrificing your sensibilities for even greater strength is pointless."
Emerging from the rubble a second time, Sigurd's expression became severe as he asked, "Are you trying to embarrass me? I expected someone as powerful as you to possess at least a modicum of honor..."
Shaking his head, Vahn plainly answered, "I'm not trying to ridicule you. If anything, I'm providing you a bit of guidance while I have nothing better to do. As for your request for a duel...you simply aren't qualified."
Hearing Vahn's words, Sigurd's pupils contracted to their smallest size as he exclaimed, "You dare!? Even if you're a Strongest Species, you have no right to look down on the pride of a warrior...!"
Adopting a deadpan expression on his face, Vahn retorted, "It has nothing to do with looking down on anyone. I was simply making an objective statement. You may have infinite potential, but, at your current level, there isn't much of a difference between you and an ant on the ground. If I didn't hold back, there is a very real chance that I would squash you by complete accident..."
"You bastaaaaaaaaard...!"
With his muscles contracting even more than usual, Sigurd entered his third and most powerful form as he charged Vahn with the intent to prove him wrong. From the perspective of the average spectator, he was like a red blur tearing through the air in a single instant. From the perspective of Vahn, however, Sigurd was moving so slowly that it seemed like hours would pass before the man actually reached him.
Resisting the sudden urge to yawn, Vahn's body rose from the ground without actually requiring him to take a step. Controlling his orientation in space and time was as simple as breathing at this point. Thus, at least from his perspective, the world appeared to be moving around him rather than him moving through it.
Though Sigurd's eyes began to move ever so slightly the moment Vahn appeared at his side, there was nothing he could do as the latter 'gently' swat his hand. This caused a remarkably slow ripple to spread along his arms and through the rest of his body as a pressure wave expanded like a bubble from the point of contact.
If he wanted to, Vahn could let Sigurd topple head over heel with this action alone, his momentum more than enough to send him crashing into the far wall. Instead, he closely observed the ripple in the man's body before lightly tapping a few other spots around his ribs, back, and shoulders. As he moved, time seemed to stagnate even further, and, after a while, Sigurd had basically frozen in mid-air as Vahn floated around his body and continued to slightly adjust his orientation.
("Speed really is king at times like this...")
As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn allowed time to return to normal from his perspective. This caused Sigurd's body to spontaneously contract to a fetal position, his forward moment completely arrested as black blood erupted from his ears, eyes, mouth, and nose. Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, he collapsed to the ground with a look of utter disbelief on his face.
"I-Impossible..."
Grabbing the man by his collar, Vahn casually flung Sigurd into one of the pillars as he said, "That is for those at the pinnacle of power to decide. As someone who borrows his power from others, you have no right to make such determinations."
With a wave of his hand, Vahn sent a surge of holy energy into Sigurd's body, forcefully healing his wounds despite his current incompatibility with light-based energies. To his credit, Sigurd was able to restrain the urge to cry out in pain and anguish. Instead, his eyes became completely bloodshot as he did his best to stand despite a hazy black mist rising from his body like smoke from a pyre.
"Not bad..."
Since he hadn't moved much from Sigurd's original position, Vahn grabbed the man's ax by the handle before tossing it towards him with a casual fling. Then, with a smile on his face, he mused, "You have eight hours to prove me wrong. Let's see what you've got..."
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"So? What do you think? Will he be a threat to our plans~?"
Frowning in response to the hooded woman's playful words, a young boy with pure white hair and golden eyes answered, "I should be able to defeat him with my Trump Card. However, without more information, it is impossible to be certain. Have you learned anything about his origins...?"
Much to the young boy's chagrin, the hooded woman giggled in a manner that seemed to echo from every direction at once before answering, "All we've been able to ascertain thus far is that he has some association with Shiroyasha-sama. As for their actual relationship, we haven't been able to uncover anything. The wards around his workshop and residence make the inside function similarly to an isolated dimension. Without entering the interior, it's impossible to gather more information."
"This doesn't make any sense! How is it possible for the Eastern Floor Master to interfere with us to such an extent? She was perfectly content with sitting on the sidelines when we were crushing the No Names. What could have changed since then?"
Rather than the white-haired youth, the person responsible for the outburst was a young girl with medium-length black hair with part of her bangs tied fastened into a braid by a bright red ribbon. Based on her sleeveless outfit and the multiple belts of knives around her body, she was something along the lines of a Thief or an Assassin. Instead of appearing as a ruthless killer, however, her large amber eyes and slightly rounded face made her appear indistinguishable from a pure and innocent young lady.
"Rin...what did I tell you about shouting in my ear?"
Covering her mouth with both hands, the young girl adopted an extremely apologetic expression as she exclaimed, "Ah! Sorry, Highness! I didn't mean to shout...!"
Without a single change in his expression, the youth referred to as Highness exhaled a tired sigh as he said, "Even if you're covering your mouth, it doesn't change the fact you're still shouting..."
Blushing like the young girl she appeared to be, a layer of moisture developed across Rin's eyes as she meekly replied, "Sorry...I'm just so frustrated. We worked so hard to come up with this plan only for it to be ruined by some stray dragon. It's not fair..."
Though his expression didn't change, Highness extended his hand to caress Rin's head as he stated, "It's fine. Plans fail. So long as we keep trying, it is only a matter of time before we achieve our goal. If you let setbacks like this affect you, you'll be even more likely to make mistakes in the future. That is when you'll have truly failed."
Smiling in response to Highness's kind words and actions, Rin was beginning to feel better until the hooded woman at the side issued her characteristically creepy giggle, remarking, "My, isn't this just precious~?"
"Aura..."
Not wanting to deal with a crying Rin, Highness sent a glare towards the hooded woman that only succeeded in getting her to giggle a second time. Fortunately, this particular laughter also denoted her departure, so, after a few seconds of eerie laughter, silence pervaded the dark chamber where he and Rin were viewing the Gift Game hosted by Leviathan's Tail.
Shaking his head, Highness shifted his attention back to the game with a golden light emanating from his eyes. He could see Vahn move whenever the latter used his superspeed, so, while others were unaware of what he was doing, Highness's expression became serious as he muttered, "Is he trying to destroy the Gift of Demonification using raw power...?"
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Though he noticed he had been forced back to his second stage transformation, Sigurd never gave up trying to land a blow of Vahn. He didn't care if he lost. So long as he could land a single blow on the former's smug face, he would be satisfied with any outcome.
Maintaining said smile, Vahn grabbed the blade of Sigurd's ax with his bare hand, musing, "Put your back into it." before pushing the incensed man away with a gentle shove. This caused Sigurd to grit his teeth in frustration, but, rather than being baited into another careless attack, he did his best to measure the distance between them properly as he swung around his ax in an increasingly smooth trajectory. He was previously one of the most talented members of his generation, and, despite his youthful appearance, he was more than 1600 years old. Thus, even if his attacks were nowhere near hitting Vahn, he was getting closer and closer as time passed...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The power of love~','You are unworthy','Plotting in the shadows','Baby steps')
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