Chapter 151: Treasure Hunt (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: Treasure Hunt (5)
Where Balkrash reigned, no life would remain.
So were the words left behind by a northerner who feared him.
An orc who had offered his own soul upon the ice, pledging his loyalty to the Ice Dragon Skadia. Bestowed with the dragon’s power, Balkrash reigned as the overlord of the North.
His colossal frame surpassed that of a normal orc. He commanded his legion from the back of a frost wolf, and in the cities he passed through, not even flames dared to burn.
A world of death and silence.
Before Balkrash’s cruelty, life itself would bow its head and depart, and the very earth would give up breathing.
Renowned knight orders from the North were dispatched to subjugate him, but they all became fodder for his double-bladed axe, their skulls strung together to become his necklace.
People no longer tried to stop Balkrash.
They could only pray desperately that he would not come to where they were.
And now, that same Balkrash was striding toward Azyeth.
Azyeth and Balkrash faced each other.
The two felt a strange sense of kinship that no other could comprehend.
“You… you have received Her power.”
There was no mistaking it. Balkrash could feel Skadia’s Grace emanating from Azyeth. Moreover, her appearance, which transcended the aesthetic standards of any race, was clearly no ordinary thing.
“You must be Lady Skadia’s mate. How did you leave her nest and end up here?”
“But… I’m Rami’s slave…?”
“Rami? Who is that?”
“Rami is… Rami.”
“…?”
She seems far too lacking to be Skadia’s mate.
But regardless of her state or what she was thinking, it was of no importance to Balkrash. She had dared to invade his fortress and slaughter his subordinates.
His duty was to make her pay the price before returning her to Skadia.
“Surrender and bow your head now, and I will settle for just one of your arms.”
“No… Give… Pascal… back.”
It was a childish complaint, completely oblivious to the situation.
Balkrash let out a low sigh and shook his head. Then, his eyes flashed as he gripped his crimson-black, double-bladed axe and took his stance.
CRACK!
As his tree-trunk-like legs stomped down, the earth sank, screaming as clumps of snow scattered into the air.
He rested the axe on his right shoulder, gathering his strength.
For a moment, his steel-like muscles swelled.
“Try not to die.”
He brought the axe down.
It was a merciless strike that made his words sound like a hollow jest.
The earth split apart.
The ground along the trajectory of the cleave was torn open, exposing its raw insides. The cataclysm that erupted on the flat plains threatened to sweep everything away.
For an instant, Azyeth’s fine eyebrows twitched.
It was a blow more powerful than any she had ever experienced.
She conjured a thick ice barrier to protect herself.
CRRRRASH!
The next moment, ice and axe-might collided.
The ice screamed as it was violently shaved away.
Azyeth’s vision was obscured by a massive cloud of snow and dirt that covered the barrier. Just as she tightened her grip on her sword, her senses on high alert, the ground began to pound.
Like a giant striding through a storm.
Balkrash charged forward with heavy, deliberate steps.
Each time his foot crushed the ground, it shrieked and cracked, and snow burst upward in his wake. He made no attempt at a surprise attack, brazenly announcing his presence as he closed in on Azyeth. Once again, he brought his double-bladed axe down with brute force.
BOOM—!!
A thunderous roar erupted.
Azyeth’s body was not split apart like firewood. An ice barrier that had materialized out of the freezing air had protected her once more.
But for the first time, in this rare instance, a grave expression settled on Azyeth’s face despite having successfully blocked the attack.
She and Balkrash were now close enough to cross weapons—even closer than Karami had been to her.
The orc berserkers, empowered by the shamans’ magic, had not been able to escape the effects of her cold. Yet Balkrash was merely coated in a light layer of frost.
Of course, that in itself was astonishing.
He had lived his entire life in the North and had also received Skadia’s Blessing. The fact that even he could not completely nullify Azyeth’s cold meant that the grace she had received surpassed his own.
From Balkrash’s perspective, it might have seemed unfair. He had sworn with his soul and pledged with his blood, while Azyeth had received a stronger blessing simply for being pretty.
But what could you do?
The world runs on looks.
If things were unfair, one had to overcome them with their own strength, and Balkrash had that strength.
Crrrack.
The ice let out an ominous groan.
Fine cracks began to spread across its surface.
Azyeth flinched and retreated.
CRASH!
An instant later, the ice shattered, and the axe fell where she had been standing.
There was no time for relief.
Balkrash’s eyes locked onto Azyeth.
And he charged.
A ferocious rush, like a raging tidal wave, devoid of technique or martial artistry.
To stop his charge, Azyeth cast a spell.
Spikes of ice shot up from the ground, crisscrossing as they aimed to impale Balkrash’s body.
“Such petty tricks won’t work.”
The ice spikes shattered helplessly upon impact with Balkrash, failing to inflict any significant damage.
Freezing his legs to the ground was useless.
It couldn’t hold him for even a moment.
Shrugging off all her magic, Balkrash closed in on Azyeth.
He gripped his axe with his left hand and pulled his right fist back. For a moment, a menacing red energy swirled around it.
Balkrash threw a punch that was more like a mace.
“…!”
Azyeth blocked the attack with her ice barrier as always, but the result was different this time. The shockwave from the explosive fist, which the barrier could not fully absorb, slammed into her.
Azyeth’s body was sent flying backward.
He’s different from any enemy I’ve faced before.
She didn’t need to think deeply to know it instinctively.
Azyeth spun in mid-air.
A foothold materialized in the air, perpendicular to the ground.
Landing lightly upon it, Azyeth kicked off and shot forward.
Her sword, swung in a diagonal arc, clashed with the double-bladed axe.
SCREEECH!
Ice and metal produced a hair-raising shriek.
Balkrash swung his axe in a wide arc, flinging Azyeth away. Once again airborne, she repeated her attack in the same manner as before.
Between her attacks, she wove in spells, striking Balkrash and forcing him to divide his attention.
But the situation did not unfold as easily as Azyeth had intended.
Azyeth’s fighting style was a blend of fluid movements and freely wielded magic.
In contrast, Balkrash was a power type who had invested everything into strength, lacking in agility.
Each had their strengths and weaknesses, and it was difficult to speak of a clear advantage, but in this case, Azyeth was at a disadvantage.
Balkrash had also received Skadia’s Grace, so Azyeth’s magic was not very effective against him.
Her specialty was, for this moment, useless.
Her swordplay was certainly excellent, but it alone was not enough to pierce Balkrash’s indestructible-like body.
WHOOSH!
Balkrash twisted his massive upper body.
A fierce spinning slash that cut through the air with a heavy roar.
Unable to withstand its force, Azyeth was thrown back, sliding across the ground.
Balkrash slung the axe over his shoulder.
He looked down at Azyeth with an indifferent expression.
This was the human chosen by the Ice Dragon Skadia.
He had been secretly anticipating what she would be like, but she fell far short of his expectations.
Most skilled opponents who had faced Balkrash had fallen in a single blow.
The fact that Azyeth had exchanged several blows with him meant she was clearly superior to them. It was an achievement she could be proud of.
However.
“You’re empty.”
She was empty.
Though they may have lacked skill, he could feel the fighting spirit in the knights of the North. From Azyeth, he felt nothing.
A tiny flicker of will was visible in her eyes, but it was far from enough to pique his interest.
It felt like he was fighting a ghost.
His interest instantly evaporated.
Balkrash was a warrior.
The overlord of the North who reveled in slaughter and battle. After days of growing ennui, a worthy opponent had finally appeared, and ending it like this was not to his satisfaction.
How can I draw out her fighting spirit?
Balkrash’s gaze swept the area, searching for something useful, and fell upon the slaves. Amidst the slaughtered orcs, the slaves were completely unharmed.
They were even surrounded by a translucent ice barrier, which meant Azyeth was protecting them.
It was ironic that Skadia’s mate had come to rescue mere slaves, but it didn’t matter. Balkrash gestured to his subordinates with his eyes, then turned his gaze back to Azyeth.
“I will now set a time limit. Come at me with all you have. Ignite your fighting spirit. Otherwise, those slaves will die.”
Receiving Balkrash’s order, the orcs surrounded the ice barrier.
They began to pound on it with their weapons.
“Hiiiek! Please, save us!”
The slaves huddled together in the center, trying to get away from the orcs.
The sound of shattering blows echoed ominously in their ears.
The barrier, being Azyeth’s creation, wouldn’t break easily, but it wasn’t unbreakable. Shards of ice fell with every strike.
“…!”
To protect them, Azyeth created and sent forth an eagle of ice.
“KWAAAAARRRGH—!!!”
Suddenly, Balkrash let out a roar toward the sky. The air vibrated with his fury, and the flying bird shattered into pieces.
“What are you doing? You cannot get to them unless you defeat me.”
“……”
A change appeared on Azyeth’s cold expression. Her brow furrowed.
Displeasure.
And a clear, sharp enmity.
A satisfied smile spread across Balkrash’s lips.
“Now that’s a look worth seeing. Yes, that’s it.”
Azyeth raised her sword and closed the distance in a single breath.
A rush of white and blue.
A frost-colored sword light danced.
For every one of Balkrash’s defenses, a flurry of five counterattacks rained down. When Balkrash attacked, she would seamlessly weave evasion and offense, striking his body.
Azyeth’s relentless assault didn’t allow him a single hit. She never let up her attack for even a moment.
At a glance, it was a one-sided battle.
But the reality was different.
No matter how many times she attacked, she couldn’t inflict any meaningful damage on Balkrash. Her attacks were fiercer than before, but she was still not enough.
A sense of impatience crept into the trajectory of her sword, and Balkrash did not miss it.
He swung his axe upward in a vertical slash.
“Ugh…!”
Azyeth hastily turned her sword sideways to block the axe.
But had her strength run out?
The sword, weakened by the battle, couldn’t withstand the force and shattered like glass. She was thrown back by the ensuing shockwave.
Azyeth flew a good distance, tumbling across the ground, unable to land properly, before finally coming to a stop. Her snow-white hair was now sullied with dirt.
The impact this time must have been significant, as she couldn’t get up easily.
Would anything change even if I did?
Her sword was broken.
She could see no way to break through Balkrash.
The will that had resided in Azyeth wavered. And the curse did not miss that opening.
It gently smothered the sprout that had been pushing its way through the harsh cold, ensuring it would never dare to resist again.
There is a protagonist in a certain fairy tale.
She helps the weak.
She understands their feelings.
She makes a crying child stop.
It’s a heartwarming story for anyone who reads it.
And though there may be hardships, a fairy tale’s ending is always a happy one.
Therefore—
“Shall I give you a hand?”
—it was inevitable that a helper would appear.
One to lift the fallen protagonist to her feet.
One to give the hesitating protagonist a push from behind.
Karami walked leisurely out of the fortress.
Tipping the bluish-white chalice back and forth.
Shaking it with a flippant air.