The fight began with a loud explosion followed by huge shockwaves that swept into the ground. The magic shelter Merlin had made shook as if in the midst of an earthquake.
Merlin leaned his back on the wall and began reciting a spell while looking up. The apple-yellow ceiling grew transparent and the scene above the ground was revealed.
Thor was fighting- no, he was massacring the giants single handedly.
With every swing of Mjolnir came a crushed head, shoulder, or chest. The giants couldn't even begin to dare confronting the red-caped warrior.
"Ohh! Thor!"
Bracky let out an awed exclamation. Thor jumped up as if answering the call of Bracky and then hit down the ground with the thunder encasing Mjolnir. A fearsome lightning fell down and spread across the ground before surging up and sweeping away all of Thor's surroundings.
The giants that were swept up by it couldn't even scream. They vomited black smoke and then collapsed on the ground.
A force of twenty giants wasn't to be scoffed at, but the scene of the fearsome lightning surging up with the sound of the thunder was really amazing.
It was a literal myth.
A story of the Gods.
Tae Ho unconsciously gulped dry saliva upon verifying the appearance of Thor, God of Thunder.
"Old man Merlin! We have to get out quickly!"
Bracky urged Merlin. Merlin turned to look at Tae Ho instead of answering immediately as if asking his opinion, and Tae Ho nodded hurriedly.
Merlin then began chanting. Tae Ho carried the still unconscious Ingrid and Bracky held Siri on his shoulders. It looked like Bracky was transporting a prey he had hunted instead of carrying a person, but it was unavoidable for him as he had to at least be able to use a hand freely.
As Merlin finished his chant, the magic shelter started to go up little by little. When they saw the scene above the ground through the transparent ceiling, they saw that the ground was destroyed.
Fortunately, Thor didn't attack the magic seed that sprouted up from the ground.
It was obvious for him not to. Just like Idun could feel Tae Ho, Thor could also feel his warriors, Bracky included.
In the first place, Thor had known the location of Bracky ever since he'd landed.
As soon as the magic shelter surfaced completely, Thor dropped Mjolnir a bit and then looked at the sky.
"Father!"
Bracky yelled as soon as the wall of the shelter opened. Thor smirked at him as he treated all the warriors in his legion as his own sons and then looked at Tae Ho and Merlin.
"You became unbelievable strong. I almost couldn't recognize you."
Thor said. He didn't know the process, but he knew the results well.
Tae Ho and his group had won with the Giant of Earth, Balgad, as their opponent.
The corpse of Balgad was proof of that.
Tae Ho hit his chest first and expressed etiquette. Merlin moved to the front and spoke.
"It's been a long time, God of Thunder."
"Merlin, the great magician of Camelot. It's good to see that you are safe."
The relationship between Thor and Merlin wasn't that deep. The day of Erin's demise, they'd fought in different places and they didn't meet at all after that. They just conversed a few times when Camelot still existed before Erin got destroyed.
But it was enough with that.
Thor was sincerely happy about Merlin's safety.
It wasn't because of his utility. Even though the place they fought on was different, he was still his comrade in arms and at the same time, the last survivor of that beautiful and great Camelot.
Thor respected the Knights of the Round Table. Each of them were worthy of admiration and their King, Arthur, had been an especially exceptional person.
Merlin's eyes turned red at Thor's good will. It seemed that because it hadn't been long since he witnessed the last moments of the Knights of the Round Table, or perhaps because of the good will the strongest God in Asgard showed him, his heart had been deeply moved.
But it wasn't the time to be sentimental. Merlin organized his emotions after putting a deep smile and then shot a question at Thor.
"God of Thunder, do we have to create a path to escape?"
Thor nodded heavily at Merlin's question.
"That's right. This place is closer to the territory of the enemy, and in addition, they are surrounding us more and more. I came alone while creating a path as the situation was urgent."
Thor spoke quickly and then drew a rune in the air. A map made of light appeared from that rune.
Erin was broken and scattered into several realms. Some of the fragments landed on the ground or the sea, but most of them were in the sky. Just like islands in the sky.
The giants of Jotunheim occupied a part of the region that connected Erin and Asgard after the islands settled.
The fragment of Erin the group was currently located was in that central region, and just like Thor had said, they were closer to the territory of the giants.
As Thor moved his fingers again, a blue and red arrow appeared in the map.
The rescue team that had Thor as a vanguard had left the front lines of Asgard, although a part of their forces had collided with the giants in the front lines.
Obviously enough, the two forces collided in the central region and a battle erupted.
"It doesn't seem like the giants will give up easily. Quite a large number of them have started to move from the rear."
A great host of giants was approaching from behind the ruins of Erin. The front lines dispatched additional forces, and Asgard also dispatched more reinforcements as they couldn't just allow the rescue team to get massacred.
The scale of the battle had increased from just the elites to two great armies being mobilized to face each other.
"So this fight is what started it all."
Merlin spoke with a bitter face and Thor nodded.
"But they won't be able to end it immediately. If we escape from them, there is a high possibility for them to give up on the attack."
The giants didn't go on the offensive ignorantly. They analyzed the gains and losses of their forces and distinguished when they had to attack and retreat.
Asgard and Jotunheim mobilized great armies, but it was still at the stage where they were simply moving. Mobilizing a great army with great risks was something burdensome for both sides.
Conquering a bit more of land in war wasn't that important, contrary to popular belief. Above all, removing the force that protected that land was much more important.
This held true even more so in a war destined to eliminate one of two sides. Such was the war between Asgard and Jotunheim.
Because of that, there was a high possibility for the giants to retreat when Tae Ho's group escaped from this place just like Thor had said.
"We can end the explanation of the situation here right? We have to hurry."
Those words weren't wrong. The giants would be moving even at this moment.
Thor floated into the sky slowly and looked at Merlin and Tae Ho alternatingly. Merlin answered his eyes that were asking if they didn't have anything to ride on.
"Mahariku Karvan Diem."
As Merlin recited a chant in a low voice and swung his staff, one of the jewels engraved in the staff broke and a huge eagle of light was summoned.
"Get on."
It was a really huge eagle with a wingspan of over 40 meters. It was enough to carry Tae Ho's group in its back.
Thor watched Tae Ho and Bracky get on the eagle and then surged up to the heavens.
The eagle fluttered its wings. When it flew up high, they saw a dried up continent next to the destroyed fragments of Erin.
Thor took the lead and the eagle followed it back. Tae Ho sat next to the lying down Ingrid and looked back. There were hundreds of red letters in the air behind them. They were all flying-type monsters such as harpies and wyverns.
In addition, they didn't only come from the back. A huge army that seemed like it would dye the sky in red approached from the sides.
Tae Ho could feel his mouth dry up. Lookin at them one by one, they weren't even that strong, but there were just too many of them. In addition, if they got caught here, there was a high probability for them to face an army composed of strong giants.
Tae Ho gulped dry saliva and took a deep breath. Even though he had eaten a piece of a golden apple, Tae Ho didn't have the strength to fight anymore as he had spent too much stamina and concentration. But he still had to fight. Tae Ho unsheathed Caladbolg from Unnir.
"Oh Idun!"
Tae Ho called out Idun's name in a low voice and concentrated. It was to borrow her strength as his own strength was almost depleted.
But something felt off. It was hard to sense Idun even though he had activated 'Idun's Warrior'. The strength that was transmitted was so low it couldn't even be compared.
Was it because he used the saga too recklessly? Or there was another reason for it?
Tae Ho dispeled 'Idun's Warrior' in the uneasiness. Thor, who was flying next to Tae Ho, looked at him and then glared at the direction the monsters were approaching from and spoke out.
"Go first. I will tie them up."
Tae Ho couldn't respond immediately to Thor's words. It bothered him to leave Thor alone before thousands of enemies, and he was doubtful that Thor would be able to tie all of them up.
Moving in the air was different to moving on the ground. On the ground, you could tie down the enemy by blocking the path, but how were you supposed to do it in the air?
As Tae Ho hesitated, Thor laughed magnanimously.
"Did you forget? I'm the God of Thunder."
He didn't explain anymore than that. Tae Ho hit his chest twice and Bracky did the same.
"Go!"
Thor yelled and then gathered lightning in Mjolnir. The eagle of light increased its speed and Tae Ho held Ingrid more tightly and lowered his posture.
It was then-
Kwagagagagang!
An overwhelming sound of thunder rang behind them. The lightning covered the sky and dyed the world in blue momentarily.
Thor didn't think of blocking the path. He was planning to pour out attacks so strong that the flying monsters wouldn't even think of ignoring Thor and attacking Tae Ho's group.
"Thor! Thor! Thor! God of Thunder!"
Bracky whopped like a joyful youth and thunder was heard as if answering his call.
Merlin started to sweat and squeezed out all his magic power. The eagle of light increased its speed a bit more and the sound of thunder became more distant.
Tae Ho looked at the front in the sharp wind and gritted his teeth unconsciously.
He could see red words in front of them. They were comparatively lower in number, but Tae Ho could feel his mouth dry up.
They weren't wyverns or harpies but giants. There were some giants that had wings and others that rode on huge monsters which wouldn't be inappropriately compared to dragons.
Their number was merely thirty, but the pressure they gave was really amazing.
"Take a turn! We have to evade fighting!"
Bracky yelled. His words were right, but it wouldn't be easy to do so. The moment the eagle changed directions, the giants started to increase their speed and fired several weapons made with magic towards them.
Light, lightning, and flames attacked them. The spears and arrows poured down like a rain that would tear the ground.
Merlin concentrated, and Tae Ho panted and activated his saga. He assisted the flight of the eagle with 'One who Controls Dragons'. They dodged the attack of the giants with a flashy series of maneuvers.
Unfortunately, the consecutive dodging motions resulted in a decrease in speed.
The distance between the giants was shortening. The sound of thunder wasn't heard anymore and new forces appeared from the front. They were the same flying-type monsters that appeared behind them. Red words were also seen from the sides, and Tae Ho couldn't be certain but he thought they also resembled giants.
Bracky gritted his teeth and then sucked in air and gathered lightning in his hammer. It was to pass through the flying-type monsters instead of fighting against the giants.
The sound of thunder was heard once again from far away. Thor was certainly approaching them.
Tae Ho raised Caladbolg and then squeezed out all of his strength and created lightning of a golden color.
They would pass through the monsters like this.
The monsters screamed and charged, and the giants kept pouring down attacks regardless of the monsters being hit by them or not. Some of them only focused on flying and closed the distance with Tae Ho's group.
Bracky raised his hammer. Tae Ho also raised Caladbolg high in the sky.
At that moment, Tae Ho looked off toward a distant place beyond the flying-type monsters and suddenly cheered.
The ones coming from the front weren't only enemies.
Thor wasn't the only rescue squad!
Tae Ho saw them. The hundreds of steel warriors flying in the sky and the warriors of Valhalla riding on big hawks in their midst.
He also saw the one in front of them. The one that entered Tae Ho's eyes first.
"Damned disciple. You will only get satisfied after making your ill master work hard, right?"
Ragnar appeared on top of a white hawk and smirked. He charged towards the army of monsters and activated his saga.
[Myth-ranked Saga: Viking King]
"Go! Warriors of Valhalla!"
The Viking King's order was heard, and the warriors of Valhalla answered to his absolute command.
"For Asgard and the Nine Realms!"
At the center of the battlefield, both sides clashed in the air and a ferocious battle began.
< Episode 31 - Idun's legion (2) > End