The Frost Giant's Descent
I sliced the high-tier summon Skeleton Knight charging at me clean in half and dashed forward. A magic cannon hurtling down from the sky was neatly deflected by Ikelos' barrier, while the bothersome undead were left to the nearby war ants. I closed the distance until I was right beneath the floating snake. Ikelos thoughtfully created a foothold in midair for me; I gave him a thumbs-up in thanks and stomped down hard to launch myself upward.
Thud!
“Haaah!”
I leaped so high that the fragments serving as my platform dented inward, swinging my massive sword-spear horizontally. But the snake, having seen the attack coming, had no intention of taking it. He blinked away, and half a beat later I blinked right behind him. Thanks to Neon firing a spell at the perfect moment from below, I was able to slip into the opening.
Yet despite my confidence that the strike would land, the snake stubbornly deployed a barrier and blocked it completely.
“I didn’t know you’d learned magic.”
“I’m a rather clever person, you see.”
The snake spoke to me with casual ease while hovering in the air. I shot back a lighthearted quip and let gravity pull me downward. But the snake had no plans to let me escape. At his gesture, five magic circles appeared around me, each aimed precisely at my position and radiating ominous light.
One glance told me getting hit would be dangerous, so I tried to block them. The problem was that the circles had formed in every direction; there was no way to stop them all.
“Then I’ll just borrow some outside help.”
I quickly gave up on blocking and switched to the next plan. Right before the magic cannons fired, Umbra—who had leaped using an Ikelos platform—grabbed my arm and hurled me toward the ground. In exchange, Umbra took a direct hit and disintegrated into dust. It didn’t matter. The moment I landed, I could just resummon him from the shadows.
When Umbra reappeared looking completely unharmed, as if he’d never been injured, the snake frowned deeply.
“You really are a persistent little pest. Is your mana infinite or something?”
At the snake’s words, I grinned confidently and scanned the battlefield. I saw the Luci siblings and the liches locked in a chaotic melee after already taking down more than ten death knights. Neon and Shinshia were busy dealing with them. The academy students were fully occupied just handling the swarming undead, while the monsters fought an endless war of attrition, steadily reducing the undead numbers.
Everyone was fighting desperately. A faint sense of urgency stirred inside me.
“I’m still a bit short on my own.”
If I had the Lesser Dragon it might be different, but that friend was currently undergoing metamorphosis. The Ikelos units were already overwhelmed just blocking the magic cannons. The Rune Golem was too slow and stuck dealing with the undead. In reality, only Umbra and I were free to focus on the snake. I racked my brain for options.
“What’s wrong? Can’t find a way to deal with me anymore?”
“This is exactly why I hate quick-witted bastards.”
“For someone who only has a mouth, you’ve been talking less and less. I figured it out.”
I clicked my tongue at the snake’s relaxed demeanor. I searched for any way to conserve my cards, but there was none. Even if I wanted to fight him, the cowardly way he stayed in the air made it impossible to press the attack. Just as I was wondering whether I’d have to reveal my hand like this—
Sudden light erupted from behind me, and an overwhelming wave of holy power spread outward.
“Kyaaaaaaaagh!”
“Kieeeeeeeeeek!”
Smoke rose from the undead as they writhed in agony. I reflexively turned my head to look at the source of the holy power.
“Harne!”
“As long as the light of the gods dwells within me, neither black mages nor undead can ever defeat us!”
“Now that’s what I call a Saintess!”
She truly was the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom. As the Saintess of Myriad Gods—one rank above the saintesses of individual orders—the large-scale holy spell she had prepared over a long time created a miracle that enveloped the entire area. It dealt damage to black mages and undead while granting recovery and buffs to allies. She even showed the consideration of excluding the Blue Tower mages she recognized as enemies from the buffs. Thanks to that, the tense battle instantly tilted in our favor.
Even the snake frowned, finding the holy spell burdensome, and glared at Harne. However, no matter how perfect the holy spell seemed, there was one small problem.
“Kieeeeeeek! Why meeeeeee?!”
“I’m sorry! I can recognize allies, but there’s no exception for black magic…!”
As a minor side effect, Neon was rolling on the ground after getting hit by the holy light. It seemed that even if Harne recognized him as an ally, the black mana made the spell affect him anyway. After writhing for a while, Neon staggered back to his feet.
“If I hadn’t fallen for that snake’s trap, I wouldn’t have to suffer like this…!”
“Thanks to that, you became a famous black mage in the North, didn’t you?”
“I’m only famous among monsters! I don’t want this kind of attention!”
I let out a small chuckle at Neon’s resentful shout. Just as he said, he was indeed quite popular with monsters in the North. It was a good thing there were black mages and undead everywhere here; whenever an ant passed near Neon, their eyes would briefly lock onto him before moving on. If the princesses hadn’t strictly ordered the monsters not to touch him, something dangerous might have happened.
Neon, who possessed power so attractive to monsters, glared at the snake with burning eyes. Perhaps finding the holy power uncomfortable, the snake descended from the sky and pulled out that familiar whip. Even after seeing the plants wither and rot instantly upon contact with the black-mana whip, he still showed open hostility.
“Whether it’s getting tormented by monsters or getting roasted by holy spells, it’s all because of you, isn’t it? I won’t feel better until I land at least one solid hit.”
“That’s the spirit. The undead have been cleared out now, so we can finally fight properly, right?”
“Leave it to me! I’ll show you how terrifying a 5th-circle mage who rolled around in the North can be!”
I laughed cheerfully at Neon’s burning enthusiasm. The board he had designed had been completely flipped. Now it was our turn to shine.
“Ugh!”
“Saintess!”
“Protect the Saintess!”
After her magnificent performance, Harne had exhausted all her strength casting the large-scale holy spell. She staggered, sweat pouring from her like a fountain. Holy knights and academy students immediately gathered around her, so her safety was assured. The weakened undead were also being pushed back by the ants. With all the obstacles finally gone, I charged forward without hesitation and gathered the nearby Ikelos units.
The Ikelos that merged with my body aligned their fragments across my skin, forming armor. With my enhanced physical abilities, I instantly closed in on the snake and swung my sword-spear. Unable to adapt to my suddenly increased speed, the snake urgently tried to destroy the weapon with his whip, but it was useless.
“The weapon won’t break?”
“It’s an indestructible weapon!”
The whip’s power wasn’t enough to pierce the mystery dwelling in the sword-spear. It had no effect at all. I broke through the whip and struck the barrier. I would have loved to cut him down right then and there, but a 7th-circle mage’s barrier was on another level. I couldn’t break it and could only send him flying.
Still, before he was blasted away, I caught the change in the barrier and smiled.
“It’s working now, huh?”
Unlike before, the attack delivered while fused and strengthened had an effect. On top of that, Harne’s holy spell buffs were active, and the Luci siblings and the rest of our allies were no longer restricted in their movements. With the board now clearly in our favor, I leaped toward where the snake had been sent flying with a triumphant grin.
“How dare you!”
The snake emerged from the cloud of dust and spread both hands, absorbing the life force of every living thing nearby. Everywhere his gaze touched, ants, black mages, and holy knights froze in place as their vitality was sucked into him. The holy knights screamed in agony. Thanks to Harne’s holy spell they weren’t dying, but they clearly wouldn’t last long. I sped up.
“No matter how hard you all struggle, you can’t defeat me!”
“We’ll see about that after we fight!”
In that brief moment, the snake who had absorbed a massive amount of life force swung his whip. The whip, now greedily devouring vitality, transformed into a giant basilisk. Its appearance was ominous, but it was no match for me.
“Gwoooooooar!”
“Kyaaaaagh!”
The Irregular Laserdon charged forward with its massive body, slamming into the snake’s torso before biting down on the basilisk’s neck. Having absorbed plenty of holy power due to its size, Laserdon suffered no damage even while fighting the black-mana basilisk. While it kept the creature pinned, I arrived in front of the snake and thrust my sword-spear again.
The moment the spear was blocked by the barrier, Umbra burst out from the snake’s shadow and stabbed with an identical sword-spear. While Umbra and I pressured him from front and back, the Luci siblings slipped into the gaps and attacked the barrier. As the cracks grew larger with each successive strike, the snake bit his lip and cast Blink.
A small flash of light burst out. The snake who had escaped the encirclement immediately fired dozens of magic cannons into the space where he had just been. We skillfully dodged the rapidly approaching attacks, scattering in all directions before locking onto the snake again. The snake ground his teeth and glared at us for only a moment.
Flash!
Sudden mana concentration appeared around the snake, followed by a burst of light as Neon materialized.
“Mana Drain Touch!”
“What the—?!”
Neon absorbed the barrier’s mana without hesitation. The snake stared at him in shock. It was only natural. A mage would normally fight from a safe distance; no one would imagine someone charging into the middle of a deadly battlefield to neutralize an enemy’s barrier. It was something no sane person would do.
But Neon was different. He acrobatically dodged the whip the snake had created and even had the leisure to raise his middle finger.
“Hahaha! Compared to the monsters in the North, you’re nothing! With skills like that, how did you ever get a seat at the table? No wonder you got pushed out by the crows and stayed second place forever!”
“This bastard…!”
True to his reputation as a top-tier tanker with the best talent, Neon flowed like water as he provoked the snake and drew his attention. Taking advantage of the weakened defense, I extended the arm not holding the sword-spear. The gauntlet instantly transformed into a railgun. Borrowing Rata’s electricity, I fired the projectile.
I absorbed the dull impact transmitted through my body and kept my eyes fixed on the snake. The snake realized the attack too late and tried to form a barrier in a panic, but it was already too late. The projectile had entered before the barrier could complete. Everyone who saw the attack was certain it would succeed.
Kwaaaaaang!
“Ughhhhh!”
But the snake endured. No—he endured it so perfectly that not a single scratch appeared on his skin. I was momentarily stunned that he could withstand a blow strong enough to pulverize boulders. Then I noticed the scales sprouting across his skin and the stone fragments falling to the ground. I realized he was finally getting serious.
“That annoying saintess, those academy students who keep ruining our plans, and even the adventurer who came down from the North—every single one of you is just infuriating.”
The snake staggered slightly from the impact but quickly regained his stance. Before we could react, he gathered an enormous amount of black mana and drew a summoning circle. What a shame. If he had taken even a second to explain his trump card, the Luci siblings who were secretly approaching from behind could have launched a surprise attack.
Apparently we were more troublesome than he expected. He gave us no chance to interfere and completed the circle in an instant, then shouted.
“Great demon dwelling in Hell! Commander who leads countless legions! Send down your servant who sits upon the throne of blood to this place!”
The Luci siblings tried to stop the snake upon hearing the ominous chant, but it was useless. The contract had already been sealed the moment the circle was completed. The chant was nothing more than a formal procedure. As a professional summoner, I made a swift judgment and immediately began drawing my own summoning circle without hesitation.
Through the rift that formed above the snake’s circle, a demon began to emerge. The snake let out a manic laugh.
“Even if I have to pay a massive price, I will kill every last one of you who threatens the Flame of Doom!”
I ignored the snake’s triumphant shout and focused on completing my own circle. The summoning circle I drew was even larger than the one I had used for the Lesser Dragon. The snake’s gaze turned toward me.
“I don’t know what you’re preparing, but you really think I’ll just let you finish it?”
“Ugh!”
The moment his gaze landed on me, my body stiffened slightly. It was as if he possessed the Eye of Petrification. The speed at which I drew the circle slowed, and the incomplete formation began to shake. Just as external interference threatened to ruin the summoning, Rata, who was inside my armor, unleashed a burst of sparks.
Crackle!
“Kiiit!”
“Thanks. I feel much better now.”
The massive shock therapy delivered by lightning imbued with mystery instantly loosened my frozen body. I quickly finished drawing the circle. During that time, the Luci siblings, Neon, and Shinshia kept the snake occupied. I completed the formation just before the demon could fully emerge from the rift.
I felt an enormous amount of mana being sucked into the circle and smiled. Without the high-grade elixir I had obtained during the expedition, I would never have been able to summon him. Even if I used all my mana, fully summoning his power would have been impossible. After all, a high-tier summon was the pinnacle of what summoners could achieve in Argo Saga, and in this world it required at least Gold-class strength.
Oooooooong!
Finally, after absorbing all the mana, the circle emitted a brilliant light. A being stepped out of the summoning circle, accompanied by a radiance comparable to the holy spell cast by the Saintess. The moment its massive foot touched the ground, frost formed across the earth. The summer weather turned into a freezing winter, and snow began to fall from a cloudless sky. It was proof that the being’s very existence was causing a mystery phenomenon.
The entity that had created such an impossible change with a single step looked up at the sun shining down from the sky with a blank expression.
“So this is a contract.”
“That’s right. This is a contract. This is your first summoning, so you properly memorized the contract terms, right?”
The pale blue giant that emerged gazed at me with a rigid expression. I was a little nervous since I had summoned him using an elixir, but I didn’t let it show and maintained a confident face. According to the information from Argo Saga, showing weakness to the summoned being would be a bad choice.
“Very well. Since that was the contract, from now on, the enemies of contractor Argo shall be the enemies of the Frost Giant Yotun.”
Apparently satisfied that I hadn’t lost my spirit in front of him, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He leveled the spear resting on his shoulder and roared.
“Where is the enemy of my contractor?! Where is the prey that shall receive the spear of Yotun?!”
An overwhelming aura burst forth—so powerful that the snake’s earlier display felt like child’s play. Even among those of the same rank, there were differences in level. Compared to the snake, who had only barely reached the threshold of Gold-class, Yotun’s level was on an entirely different scale. In truth, Yotun alone could have swept away the snake and all the black mages.
But there was a reason I hadn’t summoned him from the very beginning.
From the opposite side came a scorching heat that countered the cold frost winds, hot enough to dry out the earth.
“Well now, the contract was fulfilled, but it seems a troublesome enemy has appeared.”
The demon, radiating heat so intense it parched the ground—completely opposite to Yotun—looked at me with intrigued eyes. Strangely, for a demon summoned by the snake, there was no hostility, only curiosity.
“Are you the one who summoned the giant?”
“What if I am?”
“Truly a being worthy of drawing Lady Krisnain’s attention. And beside you stands the black mage contracted with her as well.”
“You know Krisnain?”
“Of course I do. Any demon who doesn’t know the names of those who divide Hell is no demon at all.”
The demon openly showed goodwill, as if he already knew about us. I was momentarily flustered that an enemy would be so friendly, but when I saw both the snake who had summoned the demon and Neon remaining calm, I asked for an explanation.
“Isn’t he our enemy? Why is he being so nice?”
“Demon contracts are business. From the demon’s perspective, they’re basically hired to fight. Why would they hold a grudge against someone they’ve just met?”
He wasn’t wrong. I nodded at Neon’s simple and clear explanation. The demon, who had waited politely until we finished talking, bowed respectfully.
“My name is Bordan, Marquis of Hell and general who serves Lady Raksha. It is regrettable that I must kill you all here.”
“Kill us? You really think you can kill us?”
Separate from his courtesy, Bordan seemed intent on fulfilling the contract. Flames flickered across his body. In response, Yotun laughed fiercely and unleashed freezing winds. Now that both sides had revealed their hands, it was time to fight with everything we had.