The Mirror Reaper
“Welcome, Lord Irshagas.”
The first gatekeeper of Niflheim, the Frost King Irshagas, had arrived.
—…….
He glanced our way, then casually extended a hand toward the Earth Elementals hammering at my barrier. That was all it took. The elementals scattered, blanketed in pure white frost.
—Has my sword been called for once more?
“Yes. Though I would ask that you show some restraint with the blade.”
I kept my voice low so the other side wouldn’t hear. This fight was already meaningless; I had no desire to injure either the summoner or his beasts. Divine beasts and sacred beasts were far too rare.
Irshagas slowly turned his head toward the enemy. Beneath that overwhelming pressure and icy gaze, the Unicorn stepped forward, horn raised to shield its master, while Aris pressed close to his side. After a moment, Irshagas looked away and spoke in a voice that had already lost interest.
—…Do not worry. My sword never harms the weak.
Calling them merely “weak” felt inaccurate—they were skilled—but clearly they did not measure up to Irshagas’s standards.
The Frost King Irshagas. First gatekeeper of Niflheim and guardian of the boundary between Niflheim and other realms. He had twice single-handedly quelled large-scale rebellions by the Frost Giants and was the most favored knight of Niflheim’s cold gods.
The only reason he had accepted a contract with me was to spread the holy name of Niflheim further across the land. Both his strength and his pride were immense.
“Grrraaar!”
The snow leopards at his side bared their fangs at Aris and the Unicorn for failing to show their master proper respect. Even those two leopards were formidable divine beasts. Golden fur or not, Aris’s pelt would not have stopped their frost-laden teeth.
Irshagas, however, ordered the leopards back. He never entrusted an opponent to his subordinates or anyone else.
—If you value those summons, I advise you to send them back at once.
“……”
The enemy gave no reply. Of course not. Abandoning one’s only means of resistance while facing a foe was never easy.
—Very well. If that is your wish……
Irshagas drew his sword. Yet unlike the large, elaborately decorated scabbard and hilt, the blade itself did not exist—as though it were some ridiculous stage prop. The great knight paid it no mind and pointed the nonexistent tip at the Unicorn and Aris.
—Behold the great cold of Niflheim.
In that instant, an enormous chill gathered along his sword, and a blade of ice glowing with blue light took shape.
The Unicorn’s horn flared. The same sacred golden flash that had erased Loamir shot forward, but Irshagas swung his sword once and the light scattered helplessly. When he swung again, countless razor-sharp spears of ice erupted around the Unicorn and its surroundings.
None of them touched the beasts, yet we all understood it was only a warning. Even if Aris stood with fur bristling, had Irshagas willed it, every one of them would have been impaled.
—You will receive only one warning. Summon a foe worthy of me, or kneel.
Though the equipped barrier was active, the soul link carried his freezing cold all the way to me. The cold of Niflheim that could freeze even the soul—and the absolute ruler who commanded it. The pressure was overwhelming, even for his contractor.
That was why I had been certain the enemy would surrender. No matter how many summons remained, few beings could stand against Irshagas, hailed as Niflheim’s foremost knight.
“I thank you for your mercy.”
But the enemy did not yield. His hands moved, and several runes appeared in the air. When a massive white rune layered over them, I recognized the pattern. It was nearly identical to the one I used to summon Morotai.
—Not bad. A celestial being, is it?
Irshagas’s voice carried a faint note of anticipation and satisfaction. He waited calmly until the summoning finished. At last the white summoning circle opened, and a bright trumpet fanfare echoed through the forest.
—My, this is rather cold for a party, wouldn’t you say?
From the circle stepped a crow the size of a man, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a white suit. In his hand was a long black staff topped with a golden crow carving.
“Aris, Unicorn, Pegasus, and even Mahukuta Acap. Truly impressive.”
I could not help but admire the enemy’s ability. Mahukuta Acap—the name meant “the noble of night.” He was the steward of the banquet hall of the goddess Nima Sochi, a being far above even Morotai despite both being divine beasts.
If Morotai was merely a divine guard, then Mahukuta Acap was something closer to a butler.
—Oh dear. Our contractor always summons me to the most troublesome places. Have you truly never considered calling me to a banquet or party? That is my specialty, after all.
He glanced around at the frozen surroundings and at Irshagas, then sighed in complaint.
“My apologies, Lord Mahukuta Acap. I will do my best to invite you to the grandest festival next time.”
—That is already the fourth time you have said that.
At those words he averted his gaze slightly. Mahukuta Acap could only shake his head in resignation. The movement of his long beak made the gesture look far more dramatic.
—Well, it cannot be helped.
When he turned to face me and Irshagas, the bright, playful atmosphere vanished. A heavy silence mixed with Niflheim’s cold.
—Now then, who might you be? My knowledge is limited, but your presence and appearance suggest you belong to Niflheim.
—My name is Irshagas. First gatekeeper of Niflheim and guardian of the boundary. Celestial being.
—Ah, Lord Irshagas. The great goddess of Niflheim, Lady Hel, has spoken of your exploits several times at the last banquet. It is an honor to meet you. My name is Mahukuta Acap. I serve the great goddess Nima Sochi.
He removed his hat and bowed respectfully toward Irshagas. Irshagas returned the greeting by lowering his sword in the knight’s salute.
—And at the same time, it is regrettable. To meet under such circumstances.
—Unlike you, I am simply pleased by this encounter. Your deeds during the Mirror War are famous even in Niflheim.
—Oh, those are merely exaggerated tales.
The moment he replaced his hat, the mood shifted completely. A sharp, bone-chilling silence fell. When Irshagas raised his sword again, Mahukuta Acap’s form blurred.
He appeared instantly in the air behind Irshagas, the golden crow on his staff beginning to glow red. Before the light could burst forth, Irshagas’s sword flashed and bisected his body.
—As expected. The reputation of the Mirror Reaper, who once faced a hundred warriors alone during the Mirror War, is not exaggerated.
Yet what had been cut was only an afterimage. Mahukuta Acap still stood exactly where he had been.
—Well, technically there were a hundred and four.
Irshagas readjusted his grip. Sensing their master’s seriousness, the snow leopards retreated further. I tried to step back as well, but the battle resumed before I could.
This time, more than ten Mahukuta Acaps appeared in the air and on the ground, red flashes pouring from every direction.
Ice instantly rose to form shields that blocked the crimson light, then became spears that pierced every image. Of course, every image struck was merely an afterimage; the real one had not moved a single step from his original position. Irshagas, however, had.
While the ice pierced the afterimages, Irshagas had already launched himself at the true Mahukuta Acap. The distance closed in an instant, his blade aimed straight for the heart.
Clang—
A clear metallic ring. The red-glowing tip of the black staff stopped the sword. Yet the cold within the blade continued to spread, encasing both the staff and Mahukuta Acap’s entire body in ice. He had become a massive ice sculpture.
Irshagas swung again. He spun and slashed behind him, erasing another afterimage.
The ice sculpture had already vanished. Mahukuta Acap now stood right beside me.
“…You are truly formidable.”
—Thank you for the praise. Honestly, that last exchange was rather dangerous.
The snow leopards lunged to protect me. Mahukuta Acap’s form disappeared once more. Countless afterimages appeared in the air and on the ground, rushing toward Irshagas. Irshagas met every single one.
He knew the truth: these were not mere illusions, but clones that possessed substance until the moment their creator willed otherwise.
A combination of simple illusions and countless clones. It was an exquisite technique that could deceive and toy with any number of opponents. Just as Irshagas had said, it perfectly suited the title Mirror Reaper.
Yet Irshagas’s own reputation was by no means inferior. When his sword moved again, several ice-made copies of himself appeared.
—I may lack your finesse, but I can manage something similar.
Though fewer in number, the ice clones of Irshagas swung their swords at the afterimages in unison. While the clones and afterimages clashed, ice spears erupted from the ground and sharp icicles rained from the sky, chasing the remaining images.
Just as the exchanges began to feel tedious, the ice tower Irshagas had created earlier to pierce an afterimage suddenly bent and shot toward his back.
Irshagas whirled, but he could not dodge. Ice crashed into him. Though it failed to pierce his armor or inflict a fatal wound, the impact shattered part of the ice gauntlet covering his armor.
Irshagas cut away the ice that had struck him. While he was momentarily halted, countless afterimages and ice constructs surrounded him.
—…I see. You do not merely create clones and afterimages. You weave illusions and grant them substance.
—Correct. Though there are limits.
Visually the situation looked unfavorable for Irshagas, yet through the soul link I felt only joy and excitement from him. Had he been even slightly more boisterous by nature, he would have been laughing at finally meeting a worthy opponent after so long.
—Very well, Mirror Reaper. Show me the full extent of your power! I shall do the same!
He raised his sword and pressed the tip to his own chest. His eyes and the ice blade began to radiate blue light, and a cold far greater than anything before engulfed the surroundings. Even the faint chill transmitted through the soul link felt as though it would freeze my entire body. I had no choice but to sever the link.
—Anak, protect yourself! I will no longer be able to hold back!
At Irshagas’s words I frantically recalled the runes. If he was going all out, this barrier—only five or six layers thick—would not be enough.
—Elena, you get back too! I can’t protect you with my power!
Mahukuta Acap also shouted toward his summoner in a tense voice, sensing the danger.
…Wait. What did he just say?
My mind, which had been wholly focused on summoning a new beast, suddenly spun. When I recalled Mahukuta Acap’s words and fully understood their meaning, I nearly screamed in disbelief.
“Elena?”
“Anak?”
And the shock on the other side was no less.