Fenrir's Judgment

It was common knowledge that the divine beast Fenrir lived in the West Forest, but almost no one had ever actually seen her. She kept a barrier around her territory and only allowed entry to those she chose.

Still, there was one way to meet her without permission. And that was this item—the Golden Egg.

“The golden egg keeps changing direction in mid-air.”

“It’s guiding us to Fenrir. A very unique artifact.”

“Uh… uhh? Why is it acting like this?”

“We should reach her cradle soon.”

The golden egg began to shake violently. At this rate, we would arrive at her resting place in about ten minutes.

Unlike during the return-to-academy test, no monsters showed themselves in the West Forest. A cool spring breeze carried the fresh scent of grass, tickling my nose. Yet somehow that scent felt cold.

“By the way, Hint, doesn’t it suddenly feel colder?”

“It means we’re in the right place, Stelle.”

Beyond the bushes waited a massive white wolf whose size made you wonder how she had stayed hidden. Seeing that beautiful form I had only ever known through a monitor made my chest tighten with unexpected emotion.

Her fur, glowing under the sunlight like someone’s golden hair, was puffed up and looked incredibly soft. The claws extending from her paws—normally retracted—were razor sharp, capable of slicing through famous swords like they were paper. Her tail stood proudly toward the sun, magnificent. And those eyes glaring at us… they carried a danger that made me want to turn and run immediately.

…Wait. Something’s off.

I quickly regained my composure. The puffed fur, the unsheathed claws, the upright tail, the glare that inflicted the Pressure status effect—these were all motions Fenrir only displayed when she entered battle mode.

A blizzard roared in with the wolf’s howl. The massive roar that inflicted severe stun on everyone, combined with the driving snowstorm, could only mean one thing.

Phase two right off the bat?!

Damn it. I hadn’t planned on fighting at all.

A cold so intense it froze sweat droplets in mid-air exploded outward.

Fenrir’s gaze and howl alone could apply wide-area debuffs. With proper stats they would have been negligible, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right now even the roar itself dealt internal damage.

“Cough!”

“Ugh…!!”

Stelle and I both vomited blood.

“Stelle! Get back!”

Even after my shout, she didn’t move. It looked like she couldn’t. Her body must have been frozen solid by the overlapping Pressure from the wolf’s eyes and roar. I apologized inside my head and kicked her into the bushes. She vanished among the undergrowth without even a scream.

I planted my feet and steadied myself.

Stay calm. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve fought Fenrir.

I used the cruel truth that this was my first real encounter as kindling to reignite the courage flickering in my chest. The oppressive presence of the divine beast in the flesh far exceeded anything I had imagined; simply facing her made blood rise in my throat.

Here she comes.

Fenrir’s first pattern was fixed. After a tiny twitch of her paw came an ultra-fast, ultra-powerful leap. Reacting after she jumped would be too late. The instant her paw twitched, I swung my arm through empty air.

I moved first, yet the overwhelming difference in our specs made it look as if I had barely blocked her attack after the fact. But that was exactly what I wanted—to bridge the insurmountable gap with technique that bordered on foresight.

『What!』

“Kwaaaah!!”

A perfect parry. A small human hand deflected a divine beast’s claw that could slice through boulders like tofu. Even Fenrir’s eyes widened in shock at the absurdity. Yet the ridiculous stat difference couldn’t be fully overcome by parry alone.

“Urgh…!!”

My swollen right arm refused to move anymore. Cracked? Broken? I couldn’t tell, but strangely the pain wasn’t severe. The adrenaline of combat must have been suppressing it. Thanks to that, I had a brief window to speak.

“Run, Stelle!”

Even if we had come fully prepared, our current specs made a divine beast like her an impossible opponent. With the weakest possible stats and no equipment whatsoever, running from this monster alone was beyond me. If neither fighting nor fleeing was possible, I had to at least save Stelle.

I heard bushes rustling. Was she escaping? I let out a sigh of relief. It had been my own arrogance—relying on knowledge of the original story without accounting for variables—that had nearly put the protagonist in danger. So it was only right that I take responsibility.

But unfortunately for me, the girl named Stelle completely shattered that boy’s resolve.

“Hint!”

Bursting through the bushes, Stelle charged out with a sword in one hand. I reflexively screamed.

“I told you to run!”

But she refused. Instead she planted herself right beside me and leveled her sword at Fenrir.

“Sorry. But…”

Her sword tip trembled. Her legs shook and the pressure made her voice falter. Yet even then, Stelle’s eyes remained completely steady.

“There is no hero who abandons their comrade and runs.”

Those upright, unwavering eyes. Even as she threw herself toward death, there wasn’t the slightest trace of regret. For some reason, I found myself laughing.

“Hehe. I see.”

A hero who could resolve to die for someone she had met less than a day ago. Of course. This girl was Stelle—the protagonist of Tales of Sword & Magic. The kind of protagonist who could never tolerate injustice and would unhesitatingly sacrifice herself for others.

Stelle and I each took our stances, backs protecting one another, steeling ourselves for a battle we were fated to lose.

Fenrir looked down at us. After watching the weak support each other, she closed her eyes, opened them again, and simply sat down where she was.

『Very well. I shall listen to your story.』

The words cut through the tension like a knife. Stelle and I collapsed on the spot. Delayed pain surged up my arm, but the joy of having survived was far greater. I had no idea what whim had caused her change of heart, but since we were alive, nothing else mattered.

The blizzard that had blown fiercely enough to tear flesh vanished, replaced by a warm spring breeze that wrapped around us.

“Yes. Thank you.”

I hadn’t known Fenrir’s saliva possessed healing properties, but having my broken arm completely restored with a single lick was a surreal experience. Meanwhile Stelle was surrounded by smaller animals and looked thoroughly flustered.

“Whoa?! Wait, guys! You can’t bite the skirt!!”

The spirit beasts that had yet to become divine beasts also loved pure things just as much.

“May I ask why you attacked us?”

I spoke first. In the original story, using the golden egg to find Fenrir would have prompted her to welcome the protagonist with the words “So the child of prophecy has come.” Instead the guardian of the forest had charged at us with killing intent. I needed to know why.

So that was it. The debated condition for the “child of prophecy” line in the original must have been the presence or absence of the Blessing of the Stars—the very thing I had deleted myself. Sensing that I had roughly understood, Fenrir continued as if it were now her turn.

When Fenrir swung her tail once, a thin curtain of wind formed around us. All sound from the outside world vanished instantly; even Stelle’s laughter as she played with the animals could no longer be heard. The Wind Barrier—a technique that signaled the start of phase three—could apparently be used like this as well. I let out a small sound of admiration.

“Hehe. Somehow I ended up living in the West Forest. I’ve come to offer you a gift, Guardian.”

I pulled a massive bone from my subspace pouch. Fenrir’s eyes sparkled at the sight.

The wind wrapped around the bone and carried it away. Apparently pleased with the gift, Fenrir smiled with her eyes.

Of course she already knew.

“I would like you to grant your blessing to that girl—Stelle.”

Fenrir tilted her head. Those icy blue eyes studied me carefully.

Fenrir held no particular grudge against me. Her earlier rage had come from an unqualified person bringing her friend’s precious arrangement. The sight of someone trying to save their comrade even in the face of death was proof of heroism that she, as a divine beast, could not dislike. But granting a blessing carried an entirely different weight. Her blessing existed for the star hero who would save the world. She could not hand it to just anyone. That was why the northern guardian divine beast and sworn friend of the Frostwolf family’s progenitor remained here.

Those blue eyes felt as if they saw through every part of me. In that case, a single sincere statement would reach her far better than a hundred polished lies. I spoke from the heart.

“I intend to save the world.”

Of course my true goal was survival, but saving the world was necessary to achieve that survival. At least that part was unadorned truth.

She was right. From her perspective I was a warrior capable of deflecting a divine beast’s attack with bare hands. The current Stelle, without the Blessing of the Stars, might not satisfy her. But I shook my head.

“The difference is clear between someone who saves others because they cannot run, and a girl who risks her life even though she could have fled, isn’t it?”

I was arguing that Stelle was more worthy of being a hero, yet Fenrir still seemed unsatisfied.

For some reason her words overlapped with the midnight phone conversation I had shared with Stelle back at the cabin.

Why are you being so good to me, Mr. Hint…?

The answer I couldn’t give that night. Now that the wind curtain blocked all sound, I finally spoke the words ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I had been too embarrassed to say then.

“Because I like you.”

This world. Its protagonist. Its heroines. Every single character. It was impossible to play one game for ten years simply because it was “fun.” What kept veterans trapped inside it was affection. Whether it was the worldbuilding, the characters, the combat system, or the story—falling in love with something kept them from leaving.

In my case, it had been the story. The beautiful heroic tale written by Stelle and her many academy friends. I had fallen in love with their journey, and that was why I had spent ten years with them.

Perhaps she read the sincerity in my eyes. Fenrir gave a slow nod.

“Thank you.”

The moment I returned the courtesy, I noticed something strange. The sound of wind rustling the grass. The chirping of insects. The calls of birds. Sounds that should have been impossible to hear inside the wind barrier.

No way. This crazy wolf—

My head turned with a creak. There stood Stelle, surrounded by deer, birds, and every kind of animal, her face flushed bright red. She kept her head turned firmly away, refusing to look in our direction. The meaning was obvious.

I screamed without making a sound.