TL: Tsubak
ED: Julsmul
Ratatoskr couldn't understand the current situation.
It did understand that Nidhogg had gotten smaller, for an ancient dragon was an existence far removed from its normal brethren.
Actually, it didn't make sense that it'd maintained a huge body of 2 kilometers in the first place. The reason Nidhogg was able to survive, even when it had that big body, was because Nidhogg's 'original' body was a kind of magic- a magical armor.
The ancient dragon was an existence like a God just as Odin had thought.
Because of that, one could say that the shape of a woman with long black hair was Nidhogg's real body.
The shape of the black dragon was only a magical armor Nidhogg was wearing, so it could change it whenever it wanted.
It could wear a smaller armor instead.
It was doubtful how a stupid girl like Nidhogg could come up with that, but it was possible.
But what happened after that was out of Ratatoskr's comprehension.
Nidhogg had crossed the line. A dragon that hadn't been able to fly properly because of its big body suddenly drew a perfect trajectory as if it had become a master in flying.
The several rune magics that were engraved in Yggdrasil also filled the squirrel with confusion. The ancient dragon, Nidhogg, could use mystical magic as naturally as breathing, but it could only spit some fire or wind. It was a fool that had power but didn't know how to use it.
Rune magic was a really developed magic. From whom did Nidhogg learn it when it had only met Ratatoskr?
The focus point of the things it couldn't understand was the human that'd surged up from atop Nidhogg's forehead.
Who was that human?
How could someone besides Nidhogg be on the roots!
Bang!
A loud sound erupted once again. Ratatoskr, that had its head bent back because it'd been hit by Tae Ho's hammer, was hit once again in its right cheek.
Blood and teeth spurted through the air.
Ratatoskr screamed.
"Die!"
An evil aura burst out like an explosion. But it didn't end there, and the several vipers that were on its head instead of fire flew towards Tae Ho.
Tae Ho acted calmly. The moment he hit Ratatoskr's cheek, he put back the Hammer of Clash and instead grabbed Caliburn. He blocked the evil aura with Camelot's glory and entrusted his body to the shock. He got pushed behind naturally and then swung his sword.
Chkat!
He split the head of the vipers alongside a sharp sound. Ratatoskr screamed once again, and Tae Ho kicked the air. He jumped as if spinning and then swung his sword once more. The Wind Split performed by Caliburn slashed the vipers in one go.
Ratatoskr bent back. It retrieved the vipers and opened its mouth widely towards Tae Ho.
The cry of a snake erupted from its throat, and at that moment, purple poison that seemed like it could melt even gold in an instant was fired towards Tae Ho.
It was an attack that Tae Ho couldn't dodge easily as he could jump in the air but not fly freely. Compared to Nidhogg, Ratatoskr had a little battle experience and spread its poison widely on purpose, so it became hard for Tae Ho to dodge.
But Tae Ho acted calm this time too. He kicked the air once more and then incorporated Scathach's techniques to Kalsted's swordsmanship.
Wind Split.
A curtain of wind arose by following the trajectory of the sword. It didn't only stop Ratatoskr's poison, it led them away with the wind, and it rather poured down at Ratatoskr.
"Kyaaak!"
Ratatoskr screamed in pain and anger when the poison touched its skin. It did have resistance towards poison, but it couldn't do anything about its skin melting and the pain it brought.
Tae Ho stepped back instead of charging and summoned the fake Heda. The fake Heda that appeared below him donned the Flying Horse Wing Coat in an instant and transformed into a white horse.
"Let's go."
Tae Ho said. The fake Heda became Tae Ho's wings. She flew at an overwhelming speed and charged towards Ratatoskr.
Ratatoskr looked at Tae Ho and the fake Heda even while screaming. It cursed out and unleashed its aura once again.
Petrifying evil eyes.
It was the strong power of a curse that contained Ratatoskr's eyes, but Tae Ho didn't budge even a little. It was because the moment its evil eyes activated, Odin's rune magic, that was engraved in Tae Ho's body, activated at the same time.
Odin was someone that took preparations.
He didn't only wait the past nine days. He had prepared several runes in case Tae Ho returned victorious.
The curse of the evil eyes clashed with the protection rune. A loud sound as glass breaking was heard.
Tae Ho charged at that moment and swung Caliburn towards Ratatoskr's exposed waist.
"Kuagh!"
Ratatoskr's body was at least 50 meters big, but the wound left behind by Caliburn wasn't shallow at all. The sacred power behind Camelot's glory burned down Ratatoskr's aura, and violet blood surged up like a fountain.
"Nidhogg! Nidhogg! Save me!"
Ratatoskr looked down at Nidhogg that was biting its tail and screamed.
Tae Ho, who was taking a turn in the air with the fake Heda, felt absurd at Ratatoskr's shamelessness, but it didn't stop.
"Save me! Save me! We are friends!"
Niddhogg reacted at the yell that was close to being a sort of abuse. Precisely speaking, it flinched at the last word.
The strength in Nidhogg's jaw grew weaker. It was unavoidable. Ratatoskr was the only one for Nidhogg for a thousand years. No matter if it was good or evil, it was still the only one for it.
But that Ratatoskr was begging it to save it. Was yelling that it was its friend.
Nidhogg felt like crying. It was an emotion that was hard to explain. She disliked the Ratatoskr that only said bad words, but her heart beat at the single word of friend.
Nidhogg opened its mouth and in the end let go of Ratatoskr.
"Stupid bitch!"
Ratatoskr yelled its tail and hit Nidhogg's head. It seemed like it was planning to push down Nidhogg below the line and escape.
"Nidhogg!"
Tae Ho yelled hurriedly.
Nidhogg stumbled after being hit by Ratatoskr. As it was barely hanging, it couldn't endure it anymore with its own strength.
"Right, with its own strength."
A strong gravity magic covered Nidhogg's body and stuck her to Yggdrasil. It was done by Odin that was inside of Nidhogg.
Ratatoskr couldn't believe its eyes, and Tae Ho didn't leave it alone anymore.
He charged towards Ratatoskr with the fake Heda like a meteor. When Ratatoskr raised its head, it was too late.
Tae Ho's sword split Ratatoskr's head. It fell down instead of the snakes and screamed,
"Ratatoskr!"
Nidhogg yelled in surprise, but it was different for Tae Ho. It hadn't died yet, although that didn't mean that it was immortal and could live even if its head got cut off.
'It's real body is a squirrel.'
It was just like Cuchulainn had said. The body of a woman that surged up from its forehead was merely a part of its body. But it didn't mean that it was its essence.
If one used bugs as an example, it was like an antennae.
Tae Ho checked the neck of Ratatoskr with the snakes at the same time and then looked at the head that was below the waist of the human form -Ratatoskr's real body.
"Tch!"
Ratatoskr had pretended to play dead to try to escape, but it hadn't worked. It turned its body around, but Tae Ho was a bit faster.
The flashbangs Tae Ho threw like shurikens exploded right in front of Ratatoskr, and at that moment, it yelled in fear as its vision was robbed.
Tae Ho pulled out Caladbolg instead of Caliburn. He jumped down from the back of the fake Heda and landed on Ratatoskr's forehead -precisely speaking, on the organ that was shaped like a woman at the part he'd severed.
Although its head had been cut, it was still connected to Ratatoskr.
In addition, it was easier to inflict wounds on it as it didn't have fur or thick, leathery skin covering this part.
Tae Ho slipped off while following the back of the human-shaped form and stabbed Caladbolg into the flesh that connected Ratatoskr and the human. New pain shook Ratatoskr's head and it struggled, but it wasn't enough. Tae Ho pushed the blade even deeper and then released lightning.
A soundless thunder swallowed the squirrel's impending scream.
Ratatoskr couldn't let out a sound, and because of that, Tae Ho expelled lightning once again.
"Kuaagh!"
Ratatoskr couldn't endure it anymore. Hanging onto Yggdrasil was also proving to be hard.
"Save me! Save me! I will do whatever you ask me!"
Ratatoskr begged while bowing its head in an inclination. Tae Ho didn't believe its words one bit but still nodded. This was because he had a method to make it submit whether its words were real or not.
"It's my turn."
The one that appeared through a hole in Nidhogg's forehead was Odin.
"Hik?! Odin?! Weren't you bitten by the World Wolf and killed?!"
Ratatoskr looked at Odin and spoke with a high-pitched voice.
'Is that indeed the case?'
Cuchulainn exclaimed with a low voice. It had been ten days since he'd gotten caught in the roots with Tae Ho, so it was understandable that those rumors would have circulated. There was a high probability that everyone in Asgard now believed that the two of them were dead.
Tae Ho frowned. He had crossed the line, but he still couldn't connect with Idun even if he used 'Idun's Warrior', maybe because he was still near that line.
'Let's calm down.'
Tae Ho soothed himself with some slow, deep breaths. Now that he had suppressed Ratatoskr, he had to listen to the situation from it.
Odin said to Ratatoskr,
"I will now engrave runes of obedience in you. Don't resist and take it."
It was a rune meant to suppress the adversary and make them obey, just like the name implied.
The one that had the runes engraved within them couldn't disobey the order of the one that had placed them there, and if they did, they would suffer a terrible pain and inevitably die. It was magic no different than a curse.
In addition, the one using this rune magic was none other than the King of Gods and God of Magic, Odin. Ratatoskr felt terrible, but he couldn't do anything.
Odin began to engrave the runes of obedience one by one. Eventually, they numbered nine in total, and each of them possessed tremendous magic power.
Ratatoskr completely erased its thoughts about resisting or escaping. It had no other means than living as Odin's slave forever.
Nidhogg looked at that Ratatoskr with depressed eyes.
And after a few minutes passed-
Odin finished engraving all of the runes and stood up. He then gave Ratatoskr its first order.
"Ratatoskr, tell me all that's happened during the past 12 days. What's happened outside of the root?"
Ratatoskr rolled its big eyes before beginning to speak with a sigh.
< Episode 38 - Ratatoskr (4) > End
TL note: Thanks for reading~