Chapter 328

– The Night that Swallowed the Sun (4)

Hraesvelgr!
Theodore shouted after discovering the identity of the giant bird.
‘I heard he was a big sacred creature, but… isn’t this too big?’
Hraesvelgr was huge enough to cover dozens of kilometers and allow everybody on the battlefield to see him.
One of his feathers could cover four or five people, and there was the illusion of the whole world turning white every time he flapped his wings. His eyes couldn’t even be measured. Was it due to the large size that Theodore’s perspective was strange? Hraesvelgr himself was a transcendent body with such enormous power.
[Hrmm.] Shortly after that, Hraesvelgr, who was white from his head to his tail feathers, slowly raised his eyelids. Having been summoned in front of the world tree, Hraesvelgr looked around the battlefield without saying anything until turning to the part of the sky where Theodore and Jerem were standing. There were signs of an enemy that could never be forgotten.
[Arrogant and greedy lizard, you still desire the world tree?] Hraesvelgr’s voice admonished in a dry tone, spreading to all corners of this battlefield.
Someone said this in the past, ‘Sound was vibration.’
Hraesvelgr’s voice didn’t stray from this concept. The vibrations from the giant creature flowed through the sky and ground without losing a single bit of power. Everyone heard his voice, regardless of the boundaries between the living and the dead.
When Jerem heard Hraesvelgr’s voice, he unconsciously predicted the worst development. The demon king of Nastrond, the arrogant dragon, couldn’t let this provocation pass.
[―Hraesvelgr, it is you!] Unsurprisingly, Nídhöggur roared and revealed his body. So far, he had stayed in the position of a bystander to preserve his power. However, Nídhöggur faced Hraesvelgr now. [You are blocking me again! You haven’t learned anything from the Age of Mythology! We have the same origins and will gain nothing from going against each other!]
[That’s why you don’t understand, demon king of Nastrond.]
Since time immemorial, good and evil had faced each other. Hraesvelgr was a sacred creature on the side of good, while Nídhöggur a dragon on the side of evil.
The battle over the world tree during the Age of Mythology had been an extension of that long struggle. As it happens, the two beings had the same habit of swallowing dead bodies. However, unlike Nídhöggur who enjoyed the act of torture, Hraesvelgr aimed to enrich the soil.
Hraesvelgr looked at the ground and unfolded his wings with a heavy sigh. [Today, I might end up overeating.]
Nídhöggur bared his ugly teeth. [Good. I won’t pass up this chance if you are coming out!]
These were existences from the Age of Mythology! As the white eagle and black dragon scattered their presence, those sandwiched in between were forced to feel pressure. Those who didn’t have properly trained minds and bodies fainted, while the undead that couldn’t protect themselves were destroyed.
It was a presence that was hard to bear, even when they were just looking at each other.
[…I need to change places,] Hraesvelgr spoke while flapping his two wings.
Kuoooooh!
He was so big that the clouds were torn apart with just a light motion, while the atmospheric flow twisted into a vortex. As it was recorded in the legends, it wasn’t impossible for Hraesvelgr to cause a hurricane with a single flap of his wings. Hraesvelgr soared as the mortals looked up at him in awe.
Then he looked down at the ground and asked, [Are your wings just ornaments, Nídhöggur?]
[Hah, provoking me.] Nídhöggur knew his opponent’s intentions.
Nídhöggur might treat mortals like worms, but Hraesvelgr respected life. This area would be turned to ruins if it was caught up in the fight between two transcendents, so Hraesvelgr flew into the distant sky to avoid this.
However, Nídhöggur just laughed wildly and spread his wings. [A king doesn’t refuse challenges. I will accept this provocation!]
Simultaneously, the enormous bodies of the two transcendents ignored the laws of physics and flew into the sky. Their bodies were real yet unreal. The two monsters that couldn’t be understood by mortals of this material world instantly exceeded the speed of sound by dozens of times.
It was a super fast speed that wasn’t affected by resistance and gravity! They flashed past the atmosphere and the stratosphere before stopping.
[Hrmm, this place will be fine,] Hraesvelgr remarked. It couldn’t be helped if those below were still affected by the battle this far up. Then he gazed at the enemy before him and said, [Let’s start.]
[Is this place really okay, Hraesvelgr?]
[Huh?]
Hraesvelgr tilted his head, and Nídhöggur moved his venomous tongue. One bite from Nídhöggur and even a sacred creature would die.
[Then die!]
On the outskirts of the stars, the two transcendents started their fight.

―――――――――――――!
It was a ridiculous sight. Theodore sweated anxiously as he gazed at the distant sky. This was a sight similar to the aurora that could be seen in the snowy northern country. However, in Theodore’s eyes, this was more frightening than hell.
‘T-The sky is being torn apart. These are Nídhöggur’s and Hraesvelgr’s incomplete powers?’
The fight wasn’t at a distance where it could be seen with one’s eyes, but a magician could deduce the epicenter of the mana wavelength.
According to Theodore’s calculations, the two transcendents were around 1,000 kilometers away. The power could pass through a few cities, maybe a few kingdoms. Heat, wind, and pressure… The forces that came from the fight between Nídhöggur and Hraesvelgr exceeded the range of 1,000 kilometers!
If Hraesvelgr hadn’t moved, Elvenheim would’ve been destroyed by the fight between the two.

…I have to worry about my side.

Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about the struggle between transcendents. Theodore looked in front of him, where Jerem seemed a bit different from before.
‘Hmm?’ There was something strange. Theodore felt a subtle discomfort and opened his spirit eyes. Then Theodore could see the reason for his discomfort.
‘Jerem’s power has decreased? Why?’
The amount of mana and presence coming from Jerem had decreased considerably. If Theodore had been at his limits during the fight earlier, then it was worth fighting now. However, Theodore didn’t act recklessly and spent a moment speculating about the reason. There was a chance that this weakening could be a trap.
-It is because of Nídhöggur, the silent Gluttony said suddenly.
‘Is that so?’
-Yes. Unlike Hraesvelgr who is sustained by the Great Forest, the world tree, and the four high elves, Jerem is supporting Nídhöggur alone. The burden won’t be light, even if he offered valuable sacrifices.
Theodore accepted the explanation. If Nídhöggur could move freely, then there would be no reason for Jerem to drag on this boring battle. It was a big burden on Jerem, so he wouldn’t do anything to speed up the power consumption.
In that case, this situation was a big chance for Theodore.
…I shall try it once.

Jerem belatedly noticed the change, but there was no one in this era who could beat Theodore when it came to speed. The lightning shot out before Jerem could even cast a spell.
Pajijik.
There were multiple spears in the lightning state. Double, triple, quadruple… It was unbelievable that a single magician could cast the enormous number of attack magic filling the air.
Lightning Vortex, Inferno, Rotting Hands, and Shadow Spike…
Adding on the newly learned magic, eight attacks were completed in a matter of seconds and aimed toward Jerem.
Kwarururung!
Jerem’s body flew toward the ground. He reduced the impact with defense magic, but the defense magic was blown away. Theodore wasn’t one to miss this defenseless gap.
Gluttony, open the Hall of Fame!

-Choose the soul you want to call.

Heathcliff!
Theodore quickly summoned a soul and exercised his rights.
[Heathcliff’s soul has been called.]
[You have chosen to use target name Heathcliff’s Supercell. The rating is C++. Adjusted to the maximum power. 3,000 achievement points will be consumed.]
[Set the target point.]
It was the magic that made White Tower Mastery Heathcliff famous. Theodore might not be able to use it himself, but he could borrow its strength using the Hall of Fame. He set the target point for the falling Jerem, and power rose from the mouth in Theodore’s left hand. It was the magic borrowed from the Hall of Fame—Supercell!
Lightning clouds suddenly swept over the land. The place where Jerem fell to was in the middle of the undead army, so there was no chance of Theodore’s allies being caught in the aftermath. It was an artificially created thunderstorm. In a few seconds, thunder stronger than 6th circle magic emerged from the clouds. The water droplets falling from them caused the thunder to have a more efficient destruction. A storm of thunder struck in all directions. It was the moment when a spell that could deal with tens of thousands of troops was triggered to defeat only one necromancer.

…Don’t, climb――!

Even so, the opponent was Jerem. He might not be able to exert the power of the 9th circle, but Jerem quickly found a gap in the clouds and broke apart the thunderstorm with darkness. It was proof that his understanding of magic was ridiculously high. If Jerem wasn’t a warlock and the enemy, Theodore would’ve felt in awe of him.
‘But…’ Theodore grinned when he saw the ragged Jerem and the blackened bones.
Jerem had certainly weakened as a surprise attack had managed to damage him. Nídhöggur was busy with Hraesvelgr and could no longer protect him. Meanwhile, Theodore still had strength and means to fight.

Gluttony.

-Yes.

Call Abe no Seimei. Use Curse Protection and Protection against the Fallen.

-I understand.
[Abe no Seimei’s soul has been called.]
[Object name Abe no Seimei’s ‘Curse Protection’ has been selected. The rating is B. Theodore Miller has been chosen to be protected. Any curse magic at or below the 8th circle will be completely blocked. The duration is 10 minutes, and 6,000 achievement points have been consumed.]
[Object name Abe no Seimei’s ‘Protection from the Fallen’ has been selected. The rating is C+. Theodore Miller has been chosen as the target. The target is given the power to deal further damage to all evil. The duration is 10 minutes and 4,500 achievement points have been consumed.]
Abe no Seimei was one of the greatest shamans, as well as an iron wall against evil spirits. It might be different if Jerem were in a perfect state, but right now, he couldn’t use any curse magic of the 9th circle. Additionally, there was the Protection against the Fallen. Jerem would die if Theodore used Soul Calibre against him in this state.
‘It is a little bit disappointing, but it isn’t worth saving the points.’
If Theodore added the 13,500 points consumed by Reading the Mysteries of Heaven, then he had spent 37,500 points on Jerem. He wouldn’t have had so many points if Gluttony hadn’t swallowed the undead inside Jerem’s Tartarus. In that case, Theodore wouldn’t have been able to fight Jerem.
In a sense, this could be called a situation caused by causality.

You still have tricks…
Jerem felt the power coming from Theodore’s body and looked at him with a miserable expression. Theodore did not give any explanation or reason. He simply stepped forward while holding Soul Calibre in his right hand and a lightning spear in his left hand.
It was time to put an end to this pointless fight.