After taking down eight Valkyries, we finally started to explore the interior of the fortress in earnest.
The initial tension and sense of crisis from the first battle had faded by now.
Well, it makes sense, considering there weren’t many undead to begin with. If we’ve already taken out eight of them, it’s about time the defenses became a bit lax, right?
Unless the remaining Valkyries decided to throw a party together, the chances of encountering more than one at once were pretty slim from here on.
That meant we could afford to stroll around a bit more leisurely.
“Hilde, Hilde! I wonder what it’s like inside that tower over there?”
“Well, I guess it looks like a tower.”
“What kind of answer is that…?”
Unlike Friede, who seemed curious about everything like a child on a picnic, I already knew how the interior of that watchtower was structured.
The center would be empty, with spiral stairs continuing along the walls, and at the top, there’d be magic circles engraved on the ceiling and floor.
In the center of the magical circle on the floor would be a small platform, and on that platform, there would probably be an extinguished hearth.
And, you’d see a dense swirl of magical power between the two magic circles.
During Banafitza’s heyday, the watchtower was a stationary turret firing spears, and it also functioned like a searchlight illuminating enemies.
Now, that tower was being used as a relay for a wide-area barrier magic protecting Banafitza from the river.
It absorbed wave-like magical energy emitted from Valfreya, sealed in the gem of the royal fortress, and spread it out in the form of a magic barrier above the city.
In other words, if we messed with it, this ruin would be swept away by the river in no time.
There wasn’t really a need to go into such a dangerous place. It was much wiser to observe from a safe distance.
“There’s probably nothing of interest inside. At this rate, it might collapse and bury us before long. So, let’s focus on finding the remaining undead, okay?”
“…Yes! I’ll do my best! For, um, Hilde!”
Friede nodded vigorously, clenching her fist. Saying she’d do her best for me was honestly a bit embarrassing.
And honestly, given her appearance, it felt more cute than reliable, didn’t it?
Humans are creatures influenced greatly by appearances, so the same message can yield completely different reactions depending on who delivers it.
Friede looked younger than her actual age by about four years, making anything she said come across as contextless cuteness.
Even though I knew she was stronger than me, there was this odd feeling, like I was watching a child grow up.
No, maybe it’s a bit much to compare that to being the tall uncle?
That guy approached a fourteen-year-old girl, offering to be her sponsor, and after lengthy letter exchanges, swooped in the moment she hit her puberty.
If it were the 21st century, he’d be front-page news as a gaslighting sponsor, right?
I was just thinking something was cute, and compared to those middle-aged men who lure children with money, I’d say I was a hundred times purer.
Right?
◆◆
“Innbrotsþjófar!”
i Intruders! i
The ninth Valkyrie was quite intelligent.
No, maybe “traditional” would be a better word to describe her?
As soon as she saw us, she must have realized she had no chance in close combat and swiftly distanced herself, hiding behind cover while repeatedly throwing ice spears.
– Kwaaah! Kwaaah! Kwaaah!
The continuous blasts echoed. Crumbling stones were sent flying like waves, further turning the surroundings into ruins.
A half-destroyed one-story house crumbled like it had been hit by a cannonball, and a turret atop a barrack building snapped and crashed to the ground.
It was like an out-of-control giant elephant rampaging about, creating chaos.
To evade her spears while closing the distance, Friede and I had to charge forward like beasts fleeing a forest fire.
This fight is rough!
“You coward!”
“Hilde! Mind your language!”
“Is this really the time for that?”
Mind my language? The thing I hate the most is a poke-and-shoot type dealer who just bombards from afar!
“Refsing!”
i Punishment! i
Yeah, exactly like that kind of person.
“This is why I can’t help but curse!”
I shouted in frustration, hastily ducking to avoid a speartip that shot past.
The missed spear sliced through a few strands of hair, crashing right behind me.
“Friede, use your Holy Sword somehow! At this rate, all the undead will swarm us!”
“I’m trying, but I keep dodging…!”
Friede shouted back, unleashing a dazzling slashing attack. The shimmering light of the attack struck the wall of the building the Valkyrie was hiding behind.
– Swoosh!
The stone wall split apart as it crumbled down. But the intended Valkyrie had already slipped away to safety.
“Tch…!”
Can’t hit her at this range, huh? We need to get closer…
“þú ert hægur.”
i You are slow. i
The Valkyrie mocked us while recovering her twisted left arm from the recoil of the spear. Now wielding a new ice spear in her well-recovered right hand.
“This is just pathetic!”
As she alternately healed her arms, she fired a flurry of spears without pause. I couldn’t find the time to close the distance.
As we continued this destructive game of tag for quite some time,
“Hilde!”
Friede suddenly turned to me, looking as if she’d had a revelation.
“What! Do you have a good idea?”
I yelled back. With the blasts going off around us, it was hard to hear each other unless we shouted.
“That undead is affiliated with your family, right?”
“Sort of, yeah!”
“Then! Can’t you do something like that?!”
Something like that? Are you referring to the Eisenstein spear technique? If it’s that…
“Might be able to…?”
Since Brunhilde used it, I should be able to. I did glance at the technique earlier.
“Then let’s do it! Here!”
Friede abruptly stopped, kicking up a spear laying on the ground and throwing it at me.
Is she suggesting I throw this spear to take down the undead?
…That seems unlikely.
“Sorry, but I don’t have confidence in hitting it! It’s flying around!”
There’s a huge difference between just throwing a spear and actually hitting a target with it.
If it was a stationary target, maybe I could manage, but there’s no way I could hit that undead who looked like it took flying lessons for fun.
So…
“I’ll aim for the incoming spear! You handle the second throw, Friede!”
“Ah, yes! That works! You’re the best, Hilde!”
I decided to aim for the spear flying towards me instead of the unpredictable undead. Since it was at least heading straight in my direction, if I timed it right, I could treat it like a stationary target.
“Nú, deyja!”
The Valkyrie shouted as she prepared her ice spear with a “just die” curse.
I etched her every movement into my mind and struck the same pose with instinctive memory and descriptions from novels.
From my toes up to my legs, hips, abdomen, chest, shoulders, right arm, and wrist. I twisted all my muscles to the limit, gathering strength, and called forth the might of my arm.
The Eisenstein technique is a combination of straight and spiral.
Using the full body strength stored up to create a spiral motion, I would unleash it in a straight line with the strength of my arm.
That logic was embedded in my right arm grasping the spear.
Crack, crack.
My arm muscles swelled and cracked beneath my armor and gauntlet.
All the power I’d gathered was focused on the tip of the battered spear like a powerful bowstring drawn to its limit.
I held my breath, aiming at the Valkyrie, assessing the perfect moment to release this power.
And then.
– Thwack!
In the next moment, the ice spear, imbued with the power of my strength, roared out like a cannonball.
The Valkyrie’s arm twisted from the force it delivered.
I spun my body almost as if I were possessed, flinging my right arm forward with the utmost confidence that it would hit.
– SWOOOSH!
The old spear shot out like a streak, slicing through the air.
While my throw couldn’t match the might the Valkyrie threw, I couldn’t afford to break my arm for one throw—
– BOOM!
The moment our two spears collided, the shockwave erupted beyond what the old spear or ice could withstand.
With an explosive sound that felt like the air itself was bursting like a bomb, our spears annihilated each other, scattering particles like dust.
“Now’s the time!”
“Yes!”
With the brief opening created, there was no need for us to waste time dodging anymore. Friede and I charged ahead, closing the distance with all our might.
Thanks to adjusting my output, the pain in my arm was bearable.
“Kiyaaahrr!”
The Valkyrie roared, sounding both surprised and irritated as she formed a new ice spear high above her head.
Before it was fully formed, she drew her left arm back and flung her second spear as soon as it materialized.
“This time, it’s my turn!”
“Sure, I believe in you!”
Without breaking my stride, Friede lifted her greatsword onto her right shoulder. The gorgeous blade shimmered with threads of radiant light.
“Hyahhh!”
A downward slice sent a furious crescent strike of light towards the Valkyrie. She had been dodging pathetically until now, but not this time; she aimed straight for the spear she threw at us.
– Swoosh…!
The clash of the two spears produced a completely different sound.
The ice spear, struck by the radiant slash, simply evaporated like it was being erased, dispersing like smoke. It was like light devouring ice.
Was this power disparity due to elemental advantage? Or maybe it was just a difference in power output? Perhaps both.
But hey, who cares? The important part was that both of her spears had failed miserably.
Thanks to that, we were now nearly right on top of her, and she was left floundering with both arms in disrepair.
She didn’t have a chance.
“Krrr, ósvífinn…!”
i You insolent…! i
She hurriedly tried to recover her right arm while preparing for a third spear throw, but it was already too late.
“I’ve got you now!”
I leaped up to grab her ankle and pulled her down.
“Kyaaak…!”
The Valkyrie lost her balance and stumbled, letting out a yowl like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
I ignored her. What was I afraid of from a decrepit being with only about two seconds left to live?
“Hyah!”
Before she could even attempt proper resistance, Friede, who had followed me, came down with her greatsword, cutting the Valkyrie’s weight in half.
– Thud.
The hit clanged loudly as the dark gray armor fell to the ground.
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