TL: Tsubak
ED: Julsmul
Adenmaha widely opened her eyes while revealing a dumbfounded face.
"Wh-What is this? Why is it so big?"
Her bewildered voice came out unavoidably.
The body of the black dragon, Nidhogg.
The body presented an overwhelming force to the ones looking at it even though it was only lying down.
Adenmaha had faced quite a lot of hardships as a Goddess of the Tuatha De Danann, but it was her first time seeing a dragon this big.
Beside her, Nidhogg felt happy as Adenmaha exclaimed sincerely. She laughed stupidly and then spread her arms.
"The real deal is bigger than that. Muuuuuch more bigger."
Because Nidhogg's real body stretched 2 kilometers. From a simple glance, it was twenty times bigger than the dragon before them, so it was easily ten times bigger.
Nidhogg spread her arms trying to express how huge it was, but she didn't stop there and also stood on her toes. Of course, there was no way she'd be able to accurately transmit the size, but Adenmaha still admired the fact that it was much bigger.
"Bigger than that? And by a lot?"
"Yes, yes. Much, much bigger."
Nidhogg answered hurriedly and thought of other methods to express hugeness, but she couldn't think of anything.
And that was the same for Adenmaha.
She just looked up at the body of Nidhogg with her dumbfounded face and let out sounds of admiration.
"Haa. How amazing. Really incredible."
She had just accepted the fact that Tae Ho had defeated an army of the giants while riding upon Nidhogg, but now she could understand it certainly.
With a body that big, it would be able to create catastrophe and turmoil just by rolling on the ground.
Adenmaha thought of when she had to roll in the Winter Tree Forest of Kataron.
The day she had to roll to take care of the moving trees in an instant.
Didn't Nidhogg also roll on the battlefield?
'Hey, no way.'
She shook her head reflexively at the mental image of a dragon that was a hundred meters long rolling over a battlefield. She convinced herself that not even Tae Ho would make Nidhogg do something like that.
"Anyways, you really are amazing."
Nidhogg scratched her head as Adenmaha exclaimed once again and didn't know what to do. She laughed like a fool and then slightly pulled on Adenmaha's clothes.
"Adenmaha."
"Yes?"
"Can't you do it a bit more?"
Nidhogg said hesitantly while flushing. Adenmaha tilted her head because she couldn't understand what she was saying, but she soon understood.
What Nidhogg wanted.
The words Ratatoskr didn't tell her.
Adenmaha smiled brightly. She spread her arms widely and said energetically,
"Incredible. Our Nidhogg is amazing, big and beautiful!"
Ratatoskr had only told her that she was big and a fool.
It had only told her that she was uselessly big.
Nidhogg also thought like that. She could only do so.
But that wasn't the case now.
Adenmaha had told her that she was amazing. Instead of cursing her that she was big and a fool, she had praised that her body was big and beautiful.
"Ehehehe."
Laughter kept coming out. Her face felt hot, but she couldn't stop laughing.
And what came out wasn't only laughter. Her eyes started to redden, and tears fell down unconsciously as well.
Adenmaha aimed a silent smile at Nidhogg. She smirked instead of wiping off Nidhogg's tears and then expressed her admiration more energetically.
"How are you this amazing? Really, really amazing. You are so amazing, I can't stop admiring."
She spoke gently as if complimenting a kid.
Nidhogg couldn't endure it anymore and embraced Adenmaha.
"I like Adenmaha a lot!"
"Me too. Me too, Nidhogg." (ED Note: Narcissism much, Adenmaha?)
Adenmaha patted Nidhogg's back. Although Nidhogg was 10cm taller than her, no matter who saw them, the one that got hugged this time was Nidhogg.
Not a dislike but a I like you.
Nidhogg bit her lips and then burst into tears.
She was crying so sorrowfully that she began soaking Adenmaha's clothes, but she didn't push her back. She rather hugged her more warmly.
And Cuchulainn, that was looking that from a distant place, said as his eyes became red,
'How nice and warm. It's so nice and warm that I don't need a stove at all.'
Nidhogg was one case, but Cuchulainn had grown amazed of Adenmaha.
He had only seen her assuming a prim air in front of Tae Ho, but for her to be a woman overflowing with motherly love....
'A Goddess is still a Goddess in the end.'
Cuchulainn smirked once again. It was because he remembered Adenmaha's past when she had chosen to become the slave of Bress the Tyrant by her own decision to save the citizens of Erin.
Hela, who didn't know much about Nidhogg compared to the other two, looked at Nidhogg with surprise written over her face.
"I could have never imagined that the black dragon was like this."
It was even more so as she had seen her fight valiantly in the battlefield.
Odin smiled bitterly.
"Right, that was also the case for me. I only guessed that it would be an evil and wicked existence."
He hadn't been able to realize it even though he had heard Nidhogg's cry filled with sorrow.
Odin took a deep breath and turned to look at Hela.
"Are the preparations going well?"
"We have finished everything. I will lead the Naglfar whenever you give the order and head to Asgard."
There were already dozens of Naglfars prepared, ships made with the claws and nails of the dead.
"That's a relief to hear."
The individual strength of the dead was certainly weak. They were beings that couldn't even fight properly against the giants, but the story changed when their numbers reached the hundred thousands. Even though it would still be impossible to face the giants, it wasn't impossible to face the evil spirits.
"Odin, are you going to the highest branch right now?"
"I'm planning to do so. There's no reason to delay any further."
They had to rather hurry. He had gathered a bit of information from Niflheim and Midgard, but he still didn't have any detailed information regarding Asgard.
Odin answered immediately Hela's question and then turned to look at Tae Ho who was standing next to Merlin.
"Idun's warrior."
"Yes, Odin?"
"Hraesvelg is the protector and the king of the highest branch. He will probably show himself when he sees us approach."
And Nidhogg was especially in the group. He'd never met Nidhogg even once since he'd been born, but he should know of her characteristics, like her four pair of wings and four horns, through Ratatoskr.
It was obvious he would come charging when he heard that a black dragon had appeared.
"I will proceed with the negotiations just like I said before, but the thing after that is entirely up to you."
Everything pertaining to defeating Hraesvelg rested on Tae Ho's shoulders. It wasn't that Odin had irresponsibly handed the task to him. Odin really trusted Tae Ho that much.
"Leave it to me,"
Tae Ho hit his chest and answered. Odin remembered the time Tae Ho had appeared to save him and smiled bitterly. He thought of Idun, who'd tried hard to hide Tae Ho from his eyes, and made a hand gesture.
"Come closer. I will give you a blessing."
'Oh nice. You like blessings. Get a lot of them. Two at least.'
Cuchulainn butted in as if this was the right moment.
Tae Ho smiled bitterly inwardly and approached Odin and then blessed him on his forehead.
"For Asgard and the Nine Realms."
"For Asgard and the Nine Realms."
They didn't have time to waste anymore, just like Odin had said. The group then headed toward the highest branch with Ratatoskr as their guide.
-
The World Tree, Yggdrasil, could be said to be a kind of system that was a composition of the world itself.
Because of that, the World Tree wasn't only what one could see. The World Tree passing through Niflheim, Midgard, and Asgard was merely the corporeal part of the entire tree.
Hraesvelg knew this fact instinctively. He couldn't explain it in detail, but he could feel it.
'There isn't only one path that leads to the highest branch.'
There were several other paths that led to the highest branch aside from climbing the materialized tree.
And the path Ratatoskr used was certainly a path they couldn't see.
Because of that, Hraesvelg left watchmen in several parts of the highest branch. It was to drive away anyone approaching the highest branch quickly, be it a God or a giant.
Hraesvelg, who had the appearance of a sturdy, old man, stood on the wide and solitary training center and slowly took a stance.
He would swing his spear and cut the air horizontally and then vertically, take a turn, and produce a strong slash.
Hraesvelg moved slowly. He used several seconds in only one stance.
It was a training method human martial artists used when they wanted to increase the preciseness of a movement.
Actually, it was a meaningless training for Hraesvelg.
He was a kind of a God, just like the ancient dragon Nidhogg.
Because of that, although he now had the appearance of an old man, that wasn't the same for his real body.
A white eagle that had huge wings that could cover the sky.
That was Hraesvelg's real appearance. It was a body that couldn't use the spear and didn't even need to use it.
But Hraesvelg still trained in his spearmanship. It was to become similar to the great hero that remained in his thoughts.
A clean stab.
Hraesvelg pulled back his spear and let out a long sigh. He should have moved on to the next movement here, but he frowned and turned around. Young sparrows were flying towards him in a hurry.
"Hraesvelg-nim! Hraesvelg-nim!"
"It appeared! Appeared!"
"An infiltrator! Infiltrator!"
The sparrows flew around Hraesvelg's head and chirped noisily.
Hraesvelg extended his spear to make a spot for the sparrows to perch upon and then he smiled like a man and asked,
"Is it the giants?"
"Not a giant nor a God! It's a dragon!"
"A black dragon! A black dragon!"
"A black dragon?"
Hraesvelg opened his eyes abruptly and asked back in an absurd tone. The sparrows held their breaths at the strong aura that was suddenly released.
"Ah, I'm sorry."
Hraesvelg received a sparrow that'd fallen down as it'd been paralyzed and then calmed down his aura.
The sparrows were able to barely breathe once again and fluttered their wings.
"It's really big!"
"It has poison in its body! And has four pair of wings! It also has four horns!"
Hraesvelg gulped dry saliva. He barely suppressed the aura that was about to come out reflexively and held his breath.
Four pair of wings and four horns.
A black dragon.
There was only one thing that appeared in his head. And right then, a black and huge bird came flying from far away.
"Hraesvelg-nim!"
It was Hraesvelg's aide, Vedrfolnir.
She usually transformed into a woman of long black hair first to express etiquette, but she didn't have the leisure to do so this time. She yelled towards Hraesvelg while being in the shape of a bird.
"It-It has appeared!"
If the usually calm Vedrfolnir had gotten this excited, there was only one possible scenario.
"The black dragon, Nidhogg."
The ancient dragon.
Hraesvelg's own old enemy that was connected to him by fate.
His breathing became rough by its own accord. He felt that the beats of his heart had started to shake, and he clenched a fist in anticipation.
He remembered the fight against the great hero he could still remember clearly when he closed his eyes.
The excitement from that time surged up naturally, and an equally natural smile was slowly drawn upon his face.
A final and decisive battle.
A duel that put the fate of the world in the line.
The day he had waited for a thousand years!
He could die in this battle. His opponent was the ancient dragon that resented the world. Perhaps, this may become the last day for Hraesvelg.
But he had no regrets nor fear.
If he could pour all he was capable of.
"Let's go. Lead the way, Vedrfolnir."
His voice was strangely calm compared to his hot chest. His eyes were also calm.
The sparrows' hearts were moved by the current, hero-esque image of Hraesvelg. Vedrfolnir was about to burst in tears, but she held them back. It was the moment her master had waited his entire life for. She couldn't scatter her feelings with mere tears.
"I will lead the way, my loved master. King of the highest branch."
Hraesvelg looked at the sky and took a deep breath. He calmed down his hot ambition that burned like the sun and jumped to the sky.
< Episode 41 - The highest branch (3) > End
TL note: Thanks for reading~