Chapter 173 – The Primordial Demon, Brunhilde Subjugation

Crack! Snap!

The gnarled roots that surged violently from the ground were encased in rough steel.

From earth to sky.
Massive roots extending all the way to the distorted reversed pentagram.

The ends of these roots stretched so far that even with my Ki Sense, I couldn’t fully perceive them, but they clearly connected to our destination.

[So, what exactly did you prepare?]

‘…I’ll show you now.’

Slowly exhaling, I released all the [True Energy] I had been storing. I gathered the scattered and explosive energy into the greatsword hanging at my waist.

When the [True Energy] reached its limit, it twisted the sword’s hilt. The once-sharp blade crumpled, and the straight sword body warped. Into this ruined, useless greatsword, I breathed my strongest will.

So that no one else could draw it.
So that if I couldn’t come back for it, only those I permitted could pull it free.

So that whoever draws it…
Can feel exactly what I’m feeling now.

[What? This is your preparation? Why are you copying me?]

‘…I’m not copying you. Besides, Cartia’s sword wasn’t even something with physical form like this.’

[That’s true. But, hmm… if you infused just a bit more force, the sword itself would disappear and transform into something like my Frey.]

‘Really…?!’

Craaack!

“…Oh.”

After hearing Cartia’s words, I infused even more [True Energy]… but instead of transforming like Frey, it just became a piece of junk.

“Noah…?”

“What are you doing? Nervous?”

“N-no… that’s not it…”

[Wow, you actually did it.]

“Ugh…”

I summoned Frey while imagining all sorts of nasty things to say to Cartia, who was snickering beside the ruined greatsword.

The result was a little—actually, quite a bit—different from what I’d imagined, but at least it worked.

With a small sense of satisfaction, I moved forward. The rough surface provided good traction for my footwear, making it easy to climb the steep root.

One step, then another.
Rubia and Serr followed behind me, slowly ascending.

“Before we officially depart, let me confirm our plan once more.”

“Ah…”

I gave a small wave to Charlotte, who had broken away from Juur and the guards to join us, then focused on Serr’s words.

“Theoretically, once the magic circle fully blooms, we have approximately 18 minutes before it closes. That means we need to find the path to the [End of the World] within 12 minutes.”

Rumble! The rift to the Spirit Realm opened, and three high-ranking spirits appeared.

“I will locate the path. Rubia will protect me. Noah, you will defend the ground we stand on. Whether Brunhilde attacks directly or sends her minions is unknown. Therefore, we must proceed with all the scenarios Noah has explained in mind.”

I recalled every detail of Brunhilde’s attacks and the patterns of her minions.

“Five minutes. Just endure for five minutes. By then, I will open the path somehow.”

I nodded and turned to face forward.

“…I’ll go on ahead.”

I extended Frey, tightened my breathing, and concentrated all my freely flowing [True Energy] into my legs.

Toward the world’s end.
Following the path to its conclusion.

“Don’t trip. Follow me slowly.”

I ran with all my might.

Whoosh! My body responded to my will, launching forward at incredible speed. Serr and Rubia’s surprised expressions rapidly receded into the distance. The once-clear scenery instantly blurred. The steel beneath my feet dented and shattered with each step. The wall of fierce wind tore apart. The resulting sound assaulted my eardrums.

In just five seconds…

[You’re slightly slower than me.]

I arrived right in front of the reversed pentagram.

It would take Rubia and Serr roughly 20 seconds to catch up.

“Huff… hah… phew… W-what do you expect me to do?”

The demonic energy emanating from the slightly opened rift sent tingles throughout my body. The metallic scent of blood that followed stung my nostrils.

[Judging by how quickly it’s opening, we have about one minute until it’s completely open.]

I steadied my breathing and recalled Brunhilde’s movements once more. I visualized the types of minions she controlled, their patterns, their weaknesses. The order in which I had to eliminate them.

Then suddenly—*whoosh!*—a fresh breeze swept through.

“I’m ready to begin.”

Serr and Rubia gracefully landed atop the root, carried by the spirit’s wind.

“Noah, if it seems impossible, you can give up and retreat. Don’t push yourself.”

Rubia fixed her disheveled hair and spoke with concern.

“Indeed. If it seems impossible, I too will abandon the attempt and flee. It would mean Laila gains freedom of movement, but we would have no choice. Better to preserve something than lose everything through stubbornness. The lesser evil is preferable to the worst. Understood?”

“…Yes.”

I answered, but I had no intention of giving up.
No, I didn’t even consider failure an option.

Not only would I defend,
But as quickly as possible, I would drag the airborne Brunhilde down to the ground.

That was my plan.

[In the past, I would have berated you for such an arrogant, insane plan. But now? You have both the skill and the right.]

‘…Why are you suddenly agreeing with me?’

[Because I know your abilities better than anyone else in this world.]

Snicker Cartia’s laughter echoed in my mind.

Screeeech!

A bone-chilling sound reverberated through the sky.

Five seconds.

Normally, Brunhilde should be waiting in the Catacombs, but this time was different.

Four seconds.

I couldn’t predict how her wide-area attack, which usually triggered immediately upon entering the raid, would change.
I had no way of knowing what types of minions she would summon.

Three seconds.

Would she attack directly? Or would she collapse the tree roots beneath us to drag us down?
Nothing was certain.

Two seconds.

Therefore, preparing for every possibility was impossible.

Two seconds.

So.

One second.

I would shatter everything head-on.

CRASH!

Everything in my Ki Sense was engulfed in darkness.

Click. Click.

An incongruously elegant sound of heels echoed through the space.

I tightened my previously relaxed breathing. I sharpened my freely flowing [True Energy] to a razor’s edge. Frey, which had been hanging loosely, aligned parallel to the sky.

Slightly lifting my forward foot…

BOOM! I stomped down hard, shifting my weight.

The momentum generated from my foot traveled up through my waist to my shoulders. Blood energy burst forth in sync, adding to the force. The feathers floating in the air froze in place. The flow of cold energy that had dominated the surrounding mana gathered into Frey.

In the stretched time of my accelerated perception, what I saw was…
Myself, as if I had become one with Frey.

CLANG!

The space itself seemed to seize Frey’s movement.
The slash that would shatter concepts and cut at the foundations—the world itself rejected it.
The overwhelming will behind it pressed down on my body.

My body felt heavy.
My lungs felt like they would burst.
My muscles and bones twisted painfully.

And yet.

Frey.
My body.
And my desire, stronger than anything else.

Swung forward.

———!

An enormous sword scar was carved across the sky. Through the gap, [True Energy] erupted like a massive wave.
Within those surging waves, my ferocious blood energy became fangs that tore into the fabric of the world. The scattered feathers, infused with demonic energy, shot skyward. Icy mana froze everything in its path.

“Huff… gasp, haa, inhale— exhale…”

The stretched time snapped back to normal.
The distorted world realigned.
The waves of energy dissipated.

Behind me, the overwhelming power of the spirits enveloped the reversed pentagram. The divine energy, now more scorching than warm, wrapped around us protectively.

I straightened my creaking body and prepared for Brunhilde’s attack.

And then.

Brunhilde appeared.

Not the one from my memories.

Not the Phase 1 Brunhilde with flesh-formed wings, wielding a massive spear and clad in heavy armor.

Instead, before me stood:

A being with enormous wings made of pitch-black flames.
Wielding both a long spear and a short spear.
Wearing not heavy armor, but armor crafted from demon bones.
And from her temples sprouted a pair of ram’s horns.

Brunhilde.

Who took my full attack without a single scratch.

Phase 3 Brunhilde.

Stared directly at me.

“Noah!”

Sensing something was wrong, Serr shouted as she directed the high-ranking spirit toward me.
Following Serr’s command, all of Rubia’s divine power focused on me.
A massive bow materialized from the ground, and Delia, crackling with electricity, flew forward to shield me.
Alex and Hermilla, who had climbed up the tree roots, charged toward Brunhilde.

Brunhilde simply observed it all.

Then,
She spread her enormous wings.
She brought her hands together.

The guaranteed instant-kill technique from Phase 3.

No.

No.

No.

No.

“RUBIA!!”

Hoping my intention would reach Rubia, I threw myself forward with all my might.

Past Rubia’s shocked expression.
Past Serr’s contorted face.
Pushing aside Delia who was firing lightning bolts.
Breaking the tree root that Hermilla and Alex were climbing on, making them fall.

I rushed straight toward Brunhilde.

I had to stop this.
No matter what, I had to stop it.
If I failed, everyone here would die.

But how?

How was I supposed to stop it?

In the game, this instant-kill technique always activated without fail.
This unavoidable, unstoppable instant-kill.

How on earth—

At that moment,

“Challenger. Do you still view us as mere creations of a fabricated world?”

Brunhilde’s voice resonated.

“If so, then die right here.”

Her face twisted into something monstrous.