Chapter 23
“YOUR TURN, Alfina.”
“Yes, Master. Leave it to me!”
When Mira advanced to the next phase of the strategy, Alfina readied her sword and lunged. She headed straight for Fenrir’s feet. Despite his lack of sanity—or perhaps because of it—he attempted to crush Alfina with all his might.
She dodged his bite by a hair’s breadth, parried his claw with her sword, and…refused to attack. Instead, she sprinted past Fenrir to circle behind him. Fenrir tried to turn around in pursuit, but the chains stopped him, leaving him to struggle in vain.
“Confirmed, Master. I’m ready at any time.” Alfina wasn’t here to fight Fenrir; she was here for what lay behind him.
The first phase of weakening Fenrir was completed. Now they needed to remove Gleipnir and let the fruit work its magic to the fullest.
The problem was how to break the powerful chains. Fortunately, Martel had advice: Fenrir had imposed the Gleipnir chains upon himself while he was still struggling to maintain his sanity.
Martel had created a tree with the power of reflection in order to keep him from breaking it once he was out of control. Now that
Fenrir had shrunk, the towering tree could be seen behind him. This was one of the objectives Cat Sith and Woofson had confirmed ahead of time.
The Gleipnir chains restraining the wolf were supported by the tree. Alfina’s objective was to cut the tree down in order to release Gleipnir.
They needed the fruit to work to the fullest to save Fenrir, and releasing Gleipnir was an essential step in the process. This would mean releasing the mad wolf as well. It would be the main event in the Fenrir rescue operation.
With a quick glance at her surroundings, Mira found that the wolves summoned by Fenrir had also grown weaker, just as expected.
Then, she went on the offensive.
[Summoning Technique: Remote Bonds]
This technique allowed the user to deploy Bound Arcana, using summoned allies as origin points. Through this, she designated First Pupil and Woofson to position four arcana on points encircling the battlefield.
Bound Arcana had a use beyond turning into Marks of the Rosary: strengthening summons. By surrounding an area, she could pass this blessing on to all of her summons within. However, this continuously consumed mana, making it important to carefully choose when to use it.
Mira’s timing was perfect. After the wolves had powered up, the Valkyrie platoons went on the defensive. Thanks to their aerial support, they had been able to conserve their power. Now that the wolves were weakened, and Mira’s summons had received the power-up from the Bound Arcana, they were able to mount a counteroffensive.
The tides had turned. One, then two wolves fell, turned into darkness, and disappeared.
The second and third sisters, whose platoons had defeated the wolves, moved to reinforce the others. Wise Popot, Pegasus, and Hippogriff’s fighting only increased in intensity. It was only a matter of time before the wolves were defeated.
Mira judged that would happen within five minutes, so she called out to Martel, “Martel, is everything ready?”
“Yep, any time!” she replied eagerly.
Though the seal here was corrupted, Martel had said that she could temporarily strengthen it. They were up against Fenrir, a rampaging being that was leagues beyond Mira—Martel’s seal was absolutely necessary in order to suppress his power as much as possible. However, the seal would not remain empowered for long. Mira had backup plans to either buy time to escape or to use as a final push. It looked like the seal would be used to bring the battle to a close.
***
“Sixth platoon’s work is done.”
“The seventh’s, too!”
The Valkyrie sisters announced their victory. Mira monitored Fenrir, waiting to see how he would act. Now that so much of his power had been sapped by the white fruit, it was unclear whether he would sic more wolves on them or not. His next move would determine their formations for the next phase of the plan.
Fenrir roared loudly. Was he going to create more wolves? Mira’s side braced themselves for what was to come, but it seemed that the white fruit was working well; he didn’t have enough dark power left to make the wolves. But that only meant they’d finished the first phase. This was where the true risk began.
Fenrir glared at them odiously.
“We’ll finish this swiftly. Everyone, to your positions!”
At Mira’s direction, the Valkyrie sisters swiftly moved to the next phase of the operation. Meanwhile, the dark knights and the aerial trio stood by, toward the rear, in case of emergency.
“Everyone is in position,” the second sister, Elezina, reported.
The sisters surrounded Fenrir. The wolf itself was held back by the chains, despite his best efforts to bite them.
“Eeeek…” Christina shrieked so weakly that nobody could hear it. Since Alfina was facing away from her, she was both unheard and unseen.
“It’s finally time,” Mira said. She’d finally guided the situation to this state. Everything rode on whether this final strategy worked. “Get ready!”
When she gave the order, the sisters all prepared for battle. Mira, too, adjusted her posture, ready to move at a moment’s notice.
Then, she gave the signal. “Now, Alfina!”
“Understood.”
Alfina swung her sword at the tree that supported Gleipnir. Her sharp slash was enough to sever it in two with just a single blow. With a loud noise, the tree fell. The Gleipnir chains extending from it instantly rusted and shattered. Fenrir’s shackles had been removed. Released from the restraints on his mobility and powers, he seemed to regain some of his abilities. Darkness gathered.
However, they would not let him use this power so easily. The withered space returned to vivid life in the blink of an eye, overflowing with greenery as Martel powered up the seal.
While blooming flowers absorbed the darkness, Fenrir followed his instinct and leaped at Mira. Countless vines instantly entwined around the giant. The sisters moved, taking more sealing vines in hand and tying up the canine.
Darkness-absorbing flowers and sealing vines—these would temporarily return Fenrir to a state similar to when he had been restrained by Gleipnir. The difference was that they would not limit the power of the white fruit.
“Well done!” Mira called out.
Fenrir was once again trapped by Martel’s seal and the sisters’ efforts. He still had his physical strength, however, and vines snapped every time he struggled. But between the ever-growing number of vines and the sisters’ tireless efforts, they were able to maintain the status quo. Fenrir lay on the ground, restrained. All that remained was to feed him one more fruit.
“Come now. You want to eat me, don’t you? Open up.”
Mira took a white fruit in hand and walked up to the beast’s mouth, but unsurprisingly, he was wary of the fruit. His mouth, which had so eagerly snapped at Mira before, remained closed. Mira tried offering him a dark knight instead, but he still did not bite. Nothing worked. Even when Fenrir was out of his mind, he was still able to avoid taking his medicine.
At this rate, Martel’s seal would reach its limit. Yet every method Mira tried ended in failure. There was one left that she didn’t want to use; even now, she hesitated somewhat.
“In that case, I’m left with no choice…”
That method was to pierce Fenrir’s belly and shove the fruit directly inside. Unfortunately, she’d already tried shoving the fruit in his nose and other…orifices. None of those had worked.
The white fruit had to reach his stomach. The most certain way to accomplish this was to open a hole directly in Fenrir’s body. After she shoved the fruit in, she could use Asclepius’s power to heal the wounds. However, stabbing Fenrir’s stomach would result in great pain. That pain might make him struggle even more violently. Still, this was the most direct solution.
“I promise I will finish this as quickly as possible.”
Can’t you miraculously open your mouth before it comes to that? Mira pleaded mentally as she stroked Fenrir’s chin. But that wish was fleeting, washed away by Fenrir’s hateful growls.
Alfina stood next to her master. She gazed at the belly of the beast, discerned where his stomach would be, and readied her sword.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to withstand this…” Mira warned. This would hurt the poor thing. With a sorrowful look on her face, Mira directed Alfina to carry out the strategy.
“Groar!”
Garm suddenly barked—not just once, but two, then three times. He gazed at Mira; it seemed he couldn’t bear to see her so pained. He kept on barking and barking, as if telling Fenrir something. Then, he looked directly into Fenrir’s eyes and struck the tip of his snout, still barking all the while. It almost looked as if he was trying to inspire, or even provoke, Fenrir.
What was Garm doing? When Mira asked her First Pupil, he explained that Garm was trying to appeal to Fenrir’s logical side. Telling him to not submit to evil—to defy it, to show that he was made of stronger stuff. He also told Fenrir to just open his mouth and let Mira help him.
No doubt, Garm empathized with Mira’s desire not to hurt Fenrir. Earlier, Garm had quivered in the face of the giant, but he had now mustered enough courage to overcome his fear.
Then, Fenrir’s growls gradually became louder. It seemed Garm’s pleading had reached him after all. With each defiant howl, Fenrir’s giant form shook—and his mouth opened ever so slightly. Then, having finally regained enough control to defy the mysterious powers, Fenrir opened his mouth, just wide enough.
“Well done!” Mira seized the opportunity to shove several of the white fruits into Fenrir’s mouth. Immediately after she pulled her arm back, his sharp fangs snapped closed. When the wolf gulped, she jumped away and confirmed that her arm was still attached before breathing a sigh of relief. “That was close…”
Would the white fruit work?
Martel’s seal reached its limit while everyone watched with bated breath. The vines restraining Fenrir fell, powerless, and the verdant surroundings began to wither. Everything that had held him back was now gone. The Valkyrie Sisters did their best to hold him down, but it was difficult to restrain such a giant. They were quickly shaken off.
Fenrir stood, finally free. Tension ran through the chamber. Alfina and her sisters moved to protect Mira. The summoner herself did not flinch in the face of Fenrir’s glare; she simply grabbed another white fruit and watched his movements.
Mira and the wolf glared at each other. Then, the giant lurched slightly and roared, ending the stalemate. His roar seemed to shake the very air, echoing as if to drive something off. Vast darkness then spewed out of Fenrir, melting into the air as it disappeared.
This was exactly what they’d seen before; the white fruit had worked its magic. As proof, Martel’s seal was gradually cleansed of corruption. Their surroundings returned to vivid greenery, making it look like paradise in no time.
As for Fenrir, the giant from before was nowhere to be found.
“I thank you, venerable young woman,” an unfamiliar voice said.
The valiant, majestic voice came from below. When Mira looked down toward the sound, she found a single puppy—no, a wolf pup.
“Could it be? Are you…?”
Though he was a wolf pup, the only cuteness came from his appearance. He was as big as a large dog and could easily hold Cat Sith down with one leg. But there was no doubt that this pup was Fenrir himself.
“Hrmm… I do see the resemblance.”
He may have been cute, but when he looked up at Mira, his eyes bore the same sharpness and dignity of the former giant. There was a light of intelligence in his eyes that gave his visage an elegance it had lacked before. Despite the cuteness, this was definitely Fenrir.
Once Mira was certain of this, the pup bowed and said, “I am beyond grateful for your actions today. You have saved me from madness.” He didn’t seem especially bothered by his tiny size now. Fenrir looked to Alfina and her sisters and bowed once more. “I did not expect to be saved by the Valkyries themselves. Allow me to thank you too.”
“I did it for my master,” Alfina replied. She kept some distance between them; perhaps they had a troubled past?
However, Alfina was the only one who maintained her distance. While startled by the change, her sisters were all struck by the pup’s cuteness.
“Aw, he’s so cute!”
“He was so big and cool before, but this isn’t bad either.”
“Well, I say we should be grateful for the change.”
They all reacted differently, but they petted the pup and cradled him in their arms, making their fight from mere moments ago seem like a distant memory. But, though he was small now, he was still Fenrir. Perhaps they were adaptable, or maybe they were just fearless. Either way, Alfina’s sisters were strong in a very different sense of the word.
Meanwhile, Fenrir must have allowed this as a way of thanking the sisters, for he simply let it happen.
***
After dismissing her summons, Mira returned to Martel’s home. When asked why Fenrir had turned into a pup, Martel answered, “It looks like the corruption went all the way to his core.”
The white fruit had successfully expelled the dark powers, but Fenrir’s use of the powers during their fight had hastened its corruption. Since it had slipped so deeply inside him, the white fruit had to strip all of it away. It became impossible to maintain his size, leading to his current form—at least according to Martel’s analysis.
“I see… Makes sense. Sort of…”
Based on his form, Fenrir currently only had 10 percent of the strength he’d had in his prime. Mira looked to the pup, worried, and wondered if there might have been another way.
“You need not worry, Mira.” Fenrir faced the sad Mira head-on and thanked her once more. “This was the result of my own carelessness. I feel that your actions were for the best. It was the only way to escape my predicament.”
Besides, he added with a laugh, he could regain his power and more with time and training.
“Most of all, I am glad that I can move freely again. Now I can continue searching for my siblings. Martel, Mira, it is all thanks to you.” The pup hopped around, checking his physical condition. “Hmm. Though I’ve lost much power, I can still fight off any monster around these parts with ease.”
“If you say so, I suppose…”
Even after losing 90 percent of his strength, he was still Fenrir. He was probably right. Besides, worrying over this when he said that he was fine with it was just rude.
Mira finally rejoiced over her rescue of Fenrir.
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