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IBHJ Chapter 714
🕑 Added 2024-02-16 03:40:04 +0000 UTCSensing the rich killing intent weighing down along with Asgard's immense pressure, Shirou understood - Hel fully intended to kill him.
I see - if I say there's a problem, she'll use it to justify killing me. And claiming no problem will make her doubt my Alter status and end me still.
Heh. Interesting.
Shirou smiled inwardly. "If I'm problematic, preemptively taking me out is understandable. So let's avoid trouble—I'll freely lend you my power until the end of this world."
She raised a brow, "Are you sure?"
He nodded.
She scrutinized him briefly before scoffing. "Eternal King..."
The murderous aura around her lessened slightly. Undoubtedly, his previous words had somewhat eased her suspicions.
"Then allow me to make use of you, King of Men," she purred with an unsettling smile.
Shirou was completely unfazed. Far from charming, this woman seemed frighteningly unstable.
Seeing his aloofness, Hel's smile faded. With a soft "shu", the three origin wheels floated up, radiating golden light like small suns hovering around her.
Bathed in their glow, Hel's divinity climbed infinitely. Her eyes took on a rich golden shimmer, evolving toward's Skadi's previous state.
She drew a symbol in the air with her hand, and one by one, origin wheels brimming with mystical power took shape, before falling onto his body like chains, sinking into him.
Shirou instantly felt as if the Saint Graph making up his current body had been locked up. At the same time, he noticed that the light emitted by Nidhogg he had concealed with black mud seemed to be pulled along by her three origin wheels, bursting out with even greater light, though it was still obscured from view by his black mud.
He raised a brow slightly. "Am I that much of a threat?"
"Of course, you are Eternal King."
"And now?" he asked flatly.
"Now I feel a bit more secure," she smiled.
At that moment, another person entered through the gate.
It was none other than Hildr, who had destroyed the source of Skadi's power.
The moment Hildr stepped into the Great Temple, Hel's gaze fell on her. She smiled and said, "Oh, my greatest contributor has returned."
Hildr kept her head lowered without answering, seemingly in low spirits.
Hel glanced to the side, her eyes landing on Shirou. "Eternal King, you may leave first."
Undoubtedly, she didn't trust him at all. Shirou was also straightforward, simply nodding before turning to go.
He didn't leave black mud behind to eavesdrop, as Hel would likely discover it.
Having obtained three origin wheels, Hel's divinity was evolving unlimitedly towards Skadi's state.
Due to his title, Hel was extremely wary of him, but she also seemed to want to use him. Hence, she didn't decisively kill Shirou, instead restricting him with the origin wheels.
In Shirou's view, this reeked of stupidity. She didn't kill him, yet kept him around - this showed Hel's indecisiveness. Or perhaps she still had apprehensions, not daring to destroy powers under her control. Like Surtr, or Chaldea.
However, this makes Hel's ruthlessness toward Svadilfari more curious. After all, what role does the Council play in this Connection Point? Moreover...Skadi was summoned by the Council, so what are Hel and Surtr's roles?
Most importantly, who is that "Father" Hel keeps mentioning?
As Shirou pondered this, he left the great temple.
He didn't eavesdrop on Hel and Hildr's conversation. His own situation was precarious, with Hel highly vigilant against him now. One careless mistake could spell his doom.
This body and Saint Graph was a Servant. Even if killed, his soul would merely return to his main body - seemingly no heavy price. However, Shirou couldn't be complacent. The atmosphere here was saturated with True Ether lethal to modern humans. This was the Age of Gods in Norse mythology. He couldn't guarantee whether the gods here had Mystic Codes or means to deal with him.
Walking in Asgard's snow, the collapsed Valkyrie clones were back on their feet. However, their condition seemed abnormal—along with Hel's abominations, they now patrolled Asgard like hacked AIs with no expression.
Shirou believed Hel had gained control of the Valkyrie legion, likely after no small effort from its leaders Hildr and Thrud.
As he strolled through conquered Asgard, he recalled Skadi's words when she froze everyone during their fight:
—"Leave this place!"
Shaking his head, he gazed at Asgard's towering wall - tremendously tall, defending against external forces, yet also caging Asgard in.
For him, leaving Asgard was easy, but leaving this Connection Point was difficult.
At this time, a flustered Salter rushed over.
"What happened?"
"The Beast! The Beast is gone!" Salter said gravely.
...
Hel entered the cell and came to where Kiara Sessyoin had been imprisoned before, but the Beast was long gone, leaving only shackles on the floor.
Standing outside the prison cell, Shirou glanced at Hel examining the shackles. Then he turned his head slightly, gazing at the adjacent cell, where he saw Skadi's fair hands, slender neck, and beautiful legs in purple stockings, all chained to the walls like Kiara before.
Ortlinde was beside her.
Perhaps noticing his stare, Skadi turned her head and gave him a look before turning away, closing her eyes to ignore them all.
Seeing the empty shackles, Hel turned to Shirou. "Who was imprisoned here before?"
"Evils of Humanity - Beast III."
"Beast...!" Hel's brows furrowed worriedly. As Aife, she knew very well what Beast meant, even if Thrud and Ortlinde did not.
"How'd it end up here?"
"Don't look at me, I've no idea either."
Hel turned her head, glancing at Svadilfari.
Svadilfari quickly held up his hands, panic flashing across his face. "It wasn't the Council's doing! They only care about protecting their own Connection Points. They wouldn't interfere with others. And if those idiots had been the ones captured, there would've been a huge commotion."
Hel nodded. "You're right. Father wouldn't let them meddle either—that was his condition for allowing them to join."
Hearing this, Shirou raised an eyebrow. This Father was mentioned again. And from Hel's words, he seemed to be a Council member as well?
Hel turned slightly and looked towards Thrud.
She shook her head. "I'm just as lost. All I know is she's some evil creature Lady Skadi defeated and locked up here. And those shackles were made by Lord Odin and the gods to hold Fenrir..."
Hel frowned, unsatisfied. She strode into Skadi's cell and stood over her contemptuously.
After pondering for a moment, she asked coldly, "Can you at least provide me some answers, Scathach?"
Expressionless, Skadi raised her head to meet Hel's glare but remained silent.
Hel bristled angrily at the defiance. "Even now, you wish to hinder my freedom?" she demanded. "Fine! Fine!"
She gave an irritated laugh and drew her black spear, pointing it at Ortlinde. "You're a tough one. Then I'll wreck her instead. I'll let her repeat the cycle of death and revival, her soul shattering over and over! I'll also destroy the last person at your side, driving you to ruin as well!"
At this, Skadi's previously impassive face finally flickered with emotion. Those crimson eyes flashed with momentary fear and panic—not for herself, but for Ortlinde's fate.
"No...don't..." she whispered pleadingly.
"Finally, a reaction!" Hel exclaimed with delight. "I thought you'd persist til the end. So even you have a weakness after all!" Seeing Skadi's pleading, she laughed coldly. "Too bad it's too late!"
Hel spun her black spear, pointing the tip at Ortlinde's head. Then she stabbed down swiftly.
Ortlinde stood resolute, prepared to meet her death bravely. But Skadi panicked, rattling her chains frantically as she tried in vain to block the strike with her feeble body.
Before she could reach, however, a hand shot out from Hel's side, seizing her wrist and stopping the attack.
Seeing this, Hel's eyes flashed with displeasure. She turned to see none other than Shirou had grabbed her, obstructing her strike.
"What do you think you're doing, Eternal King?" she asked, eyes narrowing dangerously.
Facing Hel's dangerous aura, Shirou spoke calmly, "If you stay your hand, Skadi still has that weakness. But attack now, and she'll have nothing left to lose. I'm simply reminding you—the choice is yours."
He released her wrist.
Hel stared at him in bewilderment, then turned to glance at Skadi who was now shielding Ortlinde. She pondered silently for a moment before laughing, "Don't be so tense, Scathach. I was just messing around."
She crouched down, smiling as she looked at Skadi, "My joke was funny, wasn't it?"
Skadi only gazed back coldly without speaking.
Comments
JeanMartin Freites
Shirou is definitely playing along pretty well.
