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IBHJ Chapter 703
🕑 Added 2024-02-08 04:25:55 +0000 UTCA resounding explosion echoed through Asgard, jolting the sleeping Skadi awake on her throne.
She opened her crimson eyes to see Ortlinde sitting calmly at her desk, conducting commands through the Valkyrie Network.
Looking at Ortlinde, Skadi asked indifferently, "What's going on, Ortlinde?"
"You're awake, Lady Skadi!" Ortlinde stood up, looking a bit flustered as she met her gaze. She wasn't bothered by Skadi's subtle expression though - she knew better than to judge Skadi's thoughts and feelings on her facial cues alone.
Seeing Ortlinde's slight panic, Skadi asked, "Has someone invaded Asgard?"
Ortlinde immediately knelt on one knee, her expression resolute. "Please be at ease, my Lady. The invaders are merely petty thieves. The Valkyrie forces will rout them soon. Please, do not worry."
"Is that so? I see," Skadi nodded gently, "Ortlinde, you needn't be so alarmed, I am still here."
"Yes!" Ortlinde clenched her fist tightly.
Skadi was the last and only God left in this land. In Ortlinde's heart, she swore to protect Skadi, vowing not to let any harm come to her or cause her undue exertion.
However, someone had invaded! Not the sort of Alter Servants like Shirou or Salter who still retained sane minds despite having dark alignments, but true invaders - invaders of Asgard, come to ravage the land!
Seated loftily on her throne, Skadi gazed down at Ortlinde. Her eyes glanced slowly over Ortlinde's tightly clasped fists, and she spoke flatly, "I'm rather weary, Ortlinde. I'll leave matters of Asgard to you for now."
Having said that, Skadi closed her eyes again.
"Yes, Lady Skadi..." Ortlinde replied softly, as if fearful her words would disturb Skadi's rest. She rose carefully to her feet.
This land must not lose its final and only remaining God! Ortlinde thought anxiously. Recalling the event from two thousand years ago, she clenched her fist tightly. Linking her thoughts into the Valkyrie Network, she began issuing orders and commands.
From the Valkyrie Network, Ortlinde also saw the damage inflicted on Asgard.
The vast, snow-laden land stretched white, yet massive explosions rocked many areas. From ruptures in the earth, one grotesque and ghastly abomination after another emerged. They were formed by stitching together remnants of mountain giants, frost giants, fire giants, humans, and Valkyries - horrifying patchwork creations towering dozens of meters high.
Having confronted the giants and death goddess Hel for millennia since the event two thousand years ago, Ortlinde instantly recognized what these monsters were.
They were pure stitched-together undead, created by Hel using her authority over death!
Through the Valkyrie Network, even though she was inside the Great Temple, Ortlinde vividly smelled the rancid stench of the rotting undead.
Feeling nauseated, Ortlinde's mind raced - why had these monsters suddenly invaded Asgard?
Could Eternal King be responsible? But why? Is this a planned attack? Thrud mentioned problems with the Network earlier... Is there truly a traitor among us? Impossible - we all swore oaths. There's no way anyone would betray Asgard... Wait! Could someone else be the culprit? If Eternal King brought them here, perhaps he caused this problem in secret?
Lost in thought, Ortlinde unconsciously bit down on her thumbnail - a nervous habit when absorbed in deep thought.
Lady Skadi cannot leave the Temple, and has little divinity left to use. We must rely on the Valkyries here!
I'm counting on all of you, sisters!
Ortlinde uploaded her thoughts into the Valkyrie Network, dispatching some forces to the Dungeon to check on Eternal King. She also sent additional Valkyries to eradicate the invading undead. Activating Asgard's protective barriers was her most urgent course of action.
Once triggered, the barriers would seal and suppress any invaders within Asgard, while shielding against external infiltration.
"I must protect the Great Temple. The rest is in your hands, sisters! For the sake of our sacred vows!"
...
When Ortlinde activated Asgard's protective barriers, Shirou unconsciously frowned. He felt an extremely powerful suppressive force, as if the world itself rejected him—his mana and Saint Graph started to become sluggish.
However, this abnormal suppression didn't faze one with [Indomitable will}.
Glancing at Salter, he saw she seemed entirely unaffected. Strange, he thought - why was there such a discrepancy between them as fellow Alter Servants? He was restricted by the Norse gods' bounded fields, yet Salter was completely unaffected.
Could the bounded fields discriminate by gender?
Of course, he was joking. If there were any major difference between them...his gaze fell on the blueberries hanging from Salter's waist.
Could that be why?
As Shirou speculated, he headed outside, for the Valkyries were closely eyeing them still, so he had to come out from the tunnel.
Under their watchful eyes, he walked out from the underground passage with both hands raised.
Salter followed him, mimicking by raising her hands as well.
Emerging from the tunnels, Shirou saw Valkyries surrounding them. His gaze settled on the green twin-tailed one as he smiled, "Long time no see, C-11475."
"Error, error. Correction - according to Chaldea's time system, only 4 hours, 18 minutes and 2 seconds have passed since parting with Eternal King. Correction, it is now 18 minutes 12 seconds... Beep. Valkyrie C-11475 corrects Eternal King's inaccurate phrasing while struggling over how to accurately report time."
Shirou laughed, "Time keeps flowing as we speak. No need to be so precise." He discreetly glanced at the silver stove nearby. From underground it had resembled an oven, but on closer look...it really was a stove. The art style of this Norse world sure was whimsical.
He carefully inspected his surroundings. This was the Norse Valhalla. He had expected it to be somewhat unique, but it turned out to just be an empty expanse, with nothing but that stove, as if... as if it were a warehouse for storing and assembling parts.
Somehow, that notion popped into his mind.
"So, are you going to capture us and hand us over to Thrud or Skadi?" Shirou asked, a smile playing on his lips as he narrowed his eyes, staring closely at the green-haired Valkyrie's eyes.
"If Eternal King and Lady Artoria are spotted they must be captured, but we see no one here. Beep. Valkyrie C-11475 pretends not to notice anyone."
"But sister, they're right..." As the other Valkyries tried to speak, the green twin-tail turned to face them and said, "We saw nothing. Absolutely nothing. Beep. Valkyrie C-11475 reiterates this to her sisters."
"I don't get what C-11475 is doing, but I'll trust and support my sister's actions. Beep. Valkyrie B-224 doesn't understand her sister's intent, but chooses to believe in her," said the red single-tailed Valkyrie.
The other Valkyries exchanged glances and nodded as well, echoing similar sentiments.
The green twin-tail continued, "We saw nothing, heard nothing, and have cut off network access. Beep. Valkyrie C-11475 conveys this cautiously to avoid being killed by Eternal King and Lady Artoria."
Hmm, indeed... He raised an eyebrow.
"Eternal King..." Unable to restrain herself, Salter spoke up.
"Oh...so you noticed too." He nodded. "I had assumed they were manufactured artificially like Adam and the others, created to serve in war. But it seems that's not the case... They possess their own complete personalities and cognition."
"We discovered nothing and severed network access, and the Valkyries must now aid our sisters. So if Eternal King and Lady Artoria are hiding here, they may sneak away undetected. Beep. Valkyrie C-11475 conveys this gingerly to avoid termination."
"I understand now. Beep. Valkyrie B-224 finally understands big sister's intention," said the red single-tail, her hollow eyes nodding in agreement.
"That's great. Naturally it's best if violence can be avoided," Shirou said with a smile and a nod. He then turned to glance at Salter, "Let's go, Saber."
She nodded and followed behind him.
As Shirou and Salter walked past the Valkyries, preparing to leave, A-199 suddenly pressed her palm against her temple, mumbling softly, "Reconnecting to the Valkyrie Network, uploading information. I've discovered..."
Crap! Salter thought. It was obvious this Valkyrie was about to upload their location to the entire Network! If she succeeded, their whereabouts would be exposed!
Salter grabbed Excalibur Morgan and dashed over to stop her. But before she could intervene, A-199, who had seemed perfectly fine just moments ago, abruptly collapsed into Salter's arms.
"!"
This bizarre event left everyone stunned.
Salter turned the Valkyrie over to find her eyes now vacant, her body limp like a corpse, the light behind them gone.
The Valkyries abruptly turned hostile, pointing their fake Gungnirs at Salter.
Salter quickly put her hands up. "I didn't do anything!"
Shirou sighed, covering his forehead. "Trouble does seem to find you daily, Saber."
"Hey, I didn't do anything wrong here!" she shot an annoyed look at him, "Don't go acting like I'm always causing problems. We haven't even been together that long. I never stir up anything!" She was irritated by his patronizing gaze, like she was some misbehaving kid. When she hadn't done a thing!
Shirou just laughed rather than respond. Instead he turned to face the fully armed Valkyries.
And that smile made Salter even more irritated. He was looking at her like an indulgent father amused by his hot-headed kid. Did this guy enjoy messing with her that much?!
Salter realized - no wonder Gilgamesh complained about Eternal King back then... From a certain angle, this guy was just as nasty as Gilgamesh!
Comments
JeanMartin Freites
There's something unexpected with the Valkyries.
