Episode 19/Chapter 2: Intermediate Ranked Warrior (2)
TL: Tsubak
ED: Superposh
Adenmaha’s body length easily surpa.s.sed 20 meters. The head of the wild dragon was big, and the range of the breath that got out of its mouth in the shape of a fan was also wide.
“Wider!”
The moment Tae Ho ordered, the Adenmaha turned its head while still breathing out. The fomoires that were close to the Adenmaha got covered by the breath and cried.
The weak ones got frozen on the spot and the ones that were a bit strong couldn’t move properly. As almost thirty fomoires got dealt with in an instant, the remaining fomoires that were surrounding the invisible barrier all turned to look at Tae Ho.
‘Good, it seems like it’s working well. Hand me over to your comrade. If it’s me I will be able to enter the fortress of master.’
In the first place, the reason they were fighting like this was to rescue Scathach. Rather than facing the fomoires that may bring who knows how many reinforcements, taking Scathach and escaping was the right choice.
“Captain Siri!”
When Tae Ho, that was on top of the Adenmaha, yelled Siri raised her head. Tae Ho threw the fragment of Gae Bolg, without explaining anything, and Siri jumped up and caught it with her mouth. It seemed as if her instincts had taken over.
“Deo?”
Siri let out a strange sound because she was biting Gae Bolg but she then jumped down from Adenmaha’s back. It seemed like Cuchulainn had explained her himself now that they were in contact.
Tae Ho looked at Siri’s back that had taken a big turn around them and then he looked at the front again. Although he had defeated more than thirty fomoires with the ice breath, there were still more than two hundred of them.
‘How many breaths can you fire? Will it also be strong physically?’
Although it was the first time he rode on a sea serpent, he felt like he had grasped how he should fight.
“Good! Let’s go!”
‘Where do you dare!’
The moment Tae Ho pulled on the reins, a sharp and high pitched voice penetrated his head. Tae Ho looked at the front without having to look at his surroundings. This one was the only one that could possibly talk to him!
“You, were you a girl?”
‘How do you dare to put reins on a lady!’
It really was Adenmaha. Tae Ho gripped the reins tighter and nodded.
“That’s why you were so pretty.”
‘Ugh, what?’
Adenmaha let out a bewildered voice. She was a really funny one to converse with but he didn’t have that much leisure right now. The fomoires that had curled themselves because of the ice breath were slowly starting to move towards them.
‘Is it certainly of the dragon race?’
Rolo also seemed quite intelligent but it was impossible to converse with it.
Anyways, he could leave the conversation for later. As Tae Ho pulled on the reins and ordered it again, Adenmaha hurriedly yelled.
‘Wait! Wait! Erase the slave seal first! If you don’t, then the gea.s.s will trigger a paradox!’
A blue light was shining from a scale on the place that was a bit above than the Beast’s saddle. As the blue light shone between the white scales it was easily spottable.
“The paradox of a gea.s.s?”
‘My gea.s.s is [I will obey my master]. I don’t know how but I currently have two masters. If I receive two opposite orders in this situation, the gea.s.s will generate a paradox!’
Adenmaha spoke really quickly without even breathing once. He could feel that she felt frustrated because he didn’t even know something like this.
The paradox of the gea.s.s.
He felt like he could vaguely know. Because the original owner of Adenmaha, the Tyrant Bress, and Tae Ho were enemies. If Bress and Tae Ho ordered ‘attack Tae Ho’ and ‘defend me’, then the gea.s.s [obey the master] would obviously generate a paradox.
Although Tae Ho didn’t know it because he hadn’t experienced a gea.s.s yet, the contradiction of a gea.s.s should be what the user feared the most. You wouldn’t be able to do anything, as if you were in a checkmate, and just had to face the paradox.
“Wasn’t a gea.s.s the power of Erin? Can Fomoires also use gea.s.ses?”
‘I’m not a fomoire!’
Adenmaha spoke impolitely right away. It was the same for the gea.s.s of obeying the owner that wasn’t Bress, and he thought that he would listen to a heartbreaking story, but he didn’t have time to listen to her. Tae Ho changed the Sword piece to a beginner dagger and asked,
“So I just have to remove that blue scale right?”
‘Um…..wa, wait?!’
Adenmaha realized what Tae Ho was about to do next and yelled, but it was pointless. Tae Ho stood up, and after stabbing the dagger in between the scales, he forcefully removed the blue one.
‘Kyak!’
The situation seemed similar to when a human had their nails removed forcefully, causing Adenmaha to let out a pained cry.
Actually, it was more serious and hard thing. If Tae Ho wasn’t Adenmaha’s owner, then it wouldn’t have ended with just pain.
Tae Ho hurriedly executed the power of a G.o.d and healed the spot that didn’t have a scale before gripping the reins.
“Done?”
‘Leave it, you bad owner!’
Adenmaha yelled fiercely and Tae Ho laughed refreshingly and ordered.
“Fine! Then let’s fight again!”
[Saga: The one that controls dragons]
Maybe it was because they had removed the slave seal that the synchronization between Tae Ho and Adenmaha increased. Adenmaha yelled again.
‘Wa, what is it. I feel strange!’
“Entrust your body to me!”
Tae Ho concentrated and grabbed the reins. Then Adenmaha released a breath and after that she moved swiftly. She moved on top of the snowy fields as if slipping and swung her tail widely to sweep up the fomoires that were on the ground in an instant.
Tae Ho grasped the number of the fomoires and how strong they were with the ‘eyes of the dragon’ and asked Adenmaha,
“How many more fomoires will come? Is your past owner also going to come?!”
‘I don’t know about reinforcements! And Bress probably won’t come!’
Adenmaha swung her tail roughly once again. The fomoires just threw rocks from far away or fired arrows instead of rushing towards her hastily.
Tae Ho read Adenmaha’s memories and emotions with the ‘one that controls dragons’.
The Tyrant Bress that Adenmaha thought of was cruel, merciless, and vulgar. He cared more about having no wounds inflicted on his body than about the hundreds of underlings dying before him. This showed that he only appeared in places that ensured either his safety or his victory.
Nidavellir was quite far away from Asgard. However it wasn’t that it was completely off reach.
Just like how it happened against the giant of strength Harad, if someone strong enough appeared, then it was possible for Thor or the other G.o.ds of Asgard to make their move.
That was why there was no way for Bress, who cared about his life more than anything, to appear.
Tae Ho asked another thing at Adenmaha’s strong conviction,
“Then someone that may come?”
Even if he didn’t come himself, he could always send an underling like he did just now.
‘Kolga? Midak?’
Every time Adenmaha gave a name, Tae Ho could know a bit more about them. The two of them were human shaped fomoires.
Although he couldn’t exactly know how strong they were, he did think that they were stronger than Adenmaha.
‘But it’s still doable.’
Tae Ho started to think after estimating how strong Adenmaha was and she seemed to have read Tae Ho’s thoughts because of the synchronization that she immediately spoke impolitely again.
‘I’m also quite strong. In the first place, I’m a sea serpent! What do you want me to do in a snowy field!’
She spoke like that and swung her tail again. If you measured her from her head up to her tail she was as long as thirty meters, and she could sweep the entire battlefield with just that thanks to her big body.
Adenmaha sent an emotion as if asking how that was. Tae Ho gave a suitable reply as her owner at her reaction that was more girly than lady-like.
“Use honorifics!”
‘I am strong?!’
Adenmaha didn’t stop and kept moving. It was because the fomoires had started to attack from a distance after having encircled her.
As the fomoires kept distancing themselves, she couldn’t sweep the battlefield anymore like she had been doing. In addition, the flying fomoires that were in the sky started to fall over to Adenmaha’s head.
Those things that looked like crows pecked on Adenmaha’s body. There were some that released acid or fire and there were some that slammed against her.
Adenmaha now had to concentrate on dodging. Tae Ho also attacked the fomoires in the sky with Thunderbolt and yelled.
“You can’t fly right?!”
‘How can a sea serpent! Fly!’
Adenmaha used honorifics forcefully and released a breath. It seemed like she was weakening that the power in her breath had become weaker.
Tae Ho looked at Scathach’s fortress. Actually, it was no different to the cave of the Red branch knights.
What happened at Siri’s and Cuchulainn’s side? Did they even meet Scathach?
‘I can’t hold on any longer. As he turned his head, he saw more fomoires charging towards them. Looking that the red letters formed a wave, it seemed like they easily amounted to a hundred.
Tae Ho gulped some air. He controlled Adenmaha and moved her to the opposite side of the fortress.
But he wasn’t fleeing just like Adenmaha wanted. Right before they escaped the battlefield, she made Adenmaha stop and turn around.
There were close to a two hundred fomoires in the sky and ground. And once again, there were a hundred fomoires charging towards them from afar. Just like Adenmaha had said, no strong fomoire had appeared yet.
But they couldn’t escape. No, there was no need.
Because green letters were also charging in as the red letters!
The sound of a hurn trumpet was heard from their back. The sound that spread to the high black and white sky made Tae Ho feel excited.
“For Asgard and the nine planets.”
Tae Ho said in a low voice. And then, everyone’s voice was heard from behind him as if they had heard him.
“For Asgard and the nine planets!”
The forty plus white silences charged without making any noise. Valkyrie Gandur was riding at the front and the warriors of Hedmod’s and Ullr’s legion followed her back.
After the giant of strength Harad appeared, the Valkyries could unseal their battle seal on the searching tasks up to a certain extent through their own will. Even though she had summoned more than forty white silences, no traces of exhaustion could be seen in Gandur’s face.
“Go! Warriors! Repel the enemies of Asgard!”
He was sure that they had ridden for more than two hours. However, the warriors of Valhalla didn’t seem even a little bit tired. The enraged wave charged towards the fomoires.
“Shield wall!”
The warriors raised a wall of shields. They blocked the fire and arrows. No, it was more suitable to say that they had trampled on the long ranged attacks.
Adenmaha stared absentmindedly. The warriors of Erin were also valiant but there was no one that charged like the warriors of Valhalla.
“Tae Ho!”
Right at that moment, Siri’s voice was heard. Tae Ho hurriedly led Adenmaha to the direction the voice was heard. After he took a turn around the battlefield and approached the fortress the golden-furred Siri ran towards them.
“Go to Scathach-nim. It’s impossible to escape. Before that, however, there’s something I have to prepare.”
There was no time to explain in detail. Tae Ho just listened to the brief story and nodded. As soon as she returned the fragment of Gae Bolg he grabbed Siri that was trying to jump down again and after he made her transform back into a human he covered her with the stealth cloak and coat.
“I will entrust you.”
Siri understood it immediately when she received Adenmaha’s reins. She sat down on the Beast’s saddle and said with a pleasing and troubled voice.
“It seems like it should be nice to ride on one at times.”
Tae Ho listened to Adenmaha’s complaints and jumped down. Adenmaha went to the battlefield again along with Siri and Tae Ho activated the ‘charge of the warrior’.
‘Over there!’
Maybe it was because he had already met Scathach that even though it was an urgent situation, the uneasiness and anxiousness in Cuchulainn’s voice had disappeared.
It seemed like his stiff way of talking had also returned to normal.
Tae Ho pa.s.sed the fomoires blocking his path without having to defeat them and then threw himself inside the invisible barrier. The barrier that had recognized Gae Bolg let Tae Ho pa.s.s.
Cuchulainn showed him the path with showing him his memories instead of telling him himself. After running inside the cave a big hall appeared just like the one in Red branch knight. Blue fire was lighting up the surroundings and the ceiling and the floor and even the walls were made of ice.
At the end of the hall, there was a beautiful lady that was half laying down on the throne covered with a faint blue light.
Scathach.
She, who was covering herself with a black leather of a beast, was pale and didn’t have energy in her eyes. Cuchulainn had explained that it was she had just woken up from a long sleep to heal herself from the injuries.
“So you are, Erin’s successor.”
Scathach let out a low voice. Her voice was a beautiful one that charmed others even though it was weak.
“Idun’s warrior greets Scathach.”
Tae Ho hit his chest twice and expressed his manners. Scathach wasn’t simply a beautiful lady. She was still the queen of the land of darkness that had disappeared. The n.o.ble aura that was covering her like the light of the moon was proof of that.
“Come closer.”
Scathach put on a smile with difficulty. As Tae Ho got closer, she continued speaking.
“I have roughly heard the situation from Cuchulainn. It has already pa.s.sed a hundred years since Erin got destroyed but the fomoires don’t show signs of changing at all.”
Scathach extended her white and soft hand. When Tae Ho grabbed her hand, information that couldn’t be told with her mouth was transmitted to him.
“A strong fomoire is coming. Warriors of Valhalla are shedding their blood because of me, so I can’t be the one to escape alone.”
Scathach was seated on a throne inside the fortress but she knew everything that was happening outside. Just like she had said, a strong presence was approaching. He was sure it was an underling of the Tyrant Bress, that Adenmaha had spoken about.
“Warrior of Idun, I’m sorry for making your shoulders more heavy with the excuse that you are Erin’s successor. But please do understand me as you are the only one I have to rely on.”
The situation was urgent. Scathach took out the fragment of Gae Bolg she was holding. Tae Ho seemed to have understood her gaze that he gave her the fragment he had.
The two fragments became one if Scathach’s hands. It was short as it was still two of five but at least it now looked like a white stick.
“I will entrust Gae Bolg to you. Although it’s not complete, it’s still the best weapon made in the land of shadow. Cuchulainn will help you bring out its power.”
Cuchulainn touched Gae Bolg as if she was caressing Cuchulainn’s cheeks and then she made a gesture with her eyes once again to Tae Ho. When he approached her, she rose up and placed her lips on Tae Ho’s lips.
“Let the blessing of the land of shadow accompany you.”
Her lips were as hot as fire. Scathach smiled faintly and leaned on the throne again, and Tae Ho that received Gae Bolg turned around hurriedly and started to run.
A strong Fomoire was approaching.
He wasn’t bewildered at all at the fact that he was expecting her to kiss his forehead or cheeks.
Cuchulainn feigned a laugh and mumbled.
‘To think of another woman while having received a kiss from master.’
“Huk? You can also read my mind?”
‘No, I just guessed. But it’s true that you thought of that Valkyrie.’
Cuchulainn laughed evilly. Tae Ho couldn’t say anything as he had indeed thought of Heda the moment she had kissed him so he chose to run harder instead.
He got out of the fortress. He saw a distant place beyond the invisible barrier and the warriors that were fighting against the fomoires.
Adenmaha didn’t lie. The fomoire that had started to appear from far away was strong. As this place and Asgard was far away, Thor wouldn’t be able to arrive at the right time like before. Ragnar also wasn’t with them.
He felt like all the hair in his body was standing up. As he was much stronger now than three months ago he could sense how strong his opponent was more clearly.
Tae Ho took a deep breath. Cuchulainn said in a low voice,
‘Don’t fear. Did you forget what you are holding right now?’
Gae Bolg.
Erin’s devil spear that was created in the land of shadows.
Cuchulainn taught him the method. And the blessing of Scathach added more strength.
“Gae Bolg.”
The moment Tae Ho called the name the white devil spear replied.
< Intermediate Ranked Warrior (3) > End
TL note: Thanks for reading~