Volume 12 Chapter 4 Demon King Hel
The first order Ice gave to the ice soldiers she summoned was to rescue all her allies.
The ice soldiers moved swiftly, embracing the frozen allies behind Ice and immediately escaping through the window.
Their goal was to get outside the Domain Control, but that seemed difficult. The ice soldiers were blocked by a thin, membrane-like dome of ice and couldn't get out.
"You're quite the team player, aren't you? That's great."
Hel just observed, but only for a brief moment, not even a few seconds.
"Then, let's put your spirit to the test with a one-on-one battle."
Clap! Hel clapped her hands once.
At the same time, the floor beneath Ice's feet suddenly gave way, and a large hole opened up.
"Wh-what?!"
"Ah, didn't you realize? This castle was created using my powers, you see."
―――Ice was caught off guard, thinking that she was done for.
However, Ice wasn't one to give up easily. She quickly created an ice bird and ice spear, using the bird's gliding ability and the spear to propel herself against the wall, managing to kill her falling momentum.
"Pheeew... huh"
After that, Ice looked down. There, she saw the familiar inverted spear bed. If she had fallen, she would have died, Ice thought.
That's right. From now on, Ice would have to fight with her actual body. Unlike during the circus performance, she had a clear goal in mind, and she was going to fight with her actual body.
So, if she died, she died. She couldn't say it was just a dummy.
But at the same time, she was able to break through Hel's Domain Control and fight, just as she had planned. She had won the first bet.
"Hehe, you're quite flexible, aren't you? I didn't expect that."
"...Cold Armor."
Ice was looked down upon by Hel, but she used magic to escape.
One of her spells was to carve a rune on the wall she was stuck to, which meant "explosion".
At the same time, to protect herself from the explosion, she wore a cold armor that could freeze and stop anything that got close to her.
She drew the rune. It exploded. Just as Ice had planned, a hole opened up next to the trap. Ice jumped into the hole, trying to escape from the trap.
"You did it, huh... Hehe, this is fun. The game of wits has begun."
As soon as she heard Hel's voice from above, Hel's presence disappeared. Ice felt a slight sense of relief, twisted her body, and landed.
She found herself in the grand entrance hall of Hel's castle, on the first floor. Ice walked cautiously, observing her surroundings.
Then, Hel's voice suddenly echoed from somewhere.
'By the way, I didn't ask for your name. What is it, if I may ask?'
"...It's Ice."
'Ah, Ice-sama, then. I'll be in your care for our upcoming battle. It's been centuries since I last fought, so I'll have to borrow your strength.'
Ice grew even more wary, thinking, "What's with this ridiculous talk?"
'First,' Hel said,
'I'll prepare a warm-up exercise to get my senses back. ――I'll release my lovely pet, Garm. It'll definitely track your scent and come to you soon, Ice-sama.'
As soon as Ice heard those words, she sensed a strong hostile intent. She created over ten ice soldiers around her and took a defensive stance.
'But don't worry, it's just a playful child, so please do play along with it.'
Right after that, it attacked.
It was a massive dog. A gigantic canine with a wolf-like appearance, its immense body towering over her. It wore a collar, but no chain restrained it as it charged towards her.
"Spear formation!"
Following Ice's command, the Ice Soldiers formed a tight formation, their long spears at the ready, leaving no gaps to exploit.
And then, the guard dog Garm charged in without hesitation.
Despite being pierced by countless icicles, Garm broke through the defense with brute force. Each Ice Soldier was clad in a Cold Armor, but Garm's claws still managed to pierce through the chill and strike.
The Ice Soldiers were shattered. Garm's claws were frozen stiff, but it had undoubtedly defeated the Ice Soldiers.
A beast. Ice thought. A monster that surpassed strategy with sheer violence.
Ice prepared another wave of Ice Soldiers, while keeping an eye out for Hel's interference.
'Hmm... this is interesting. I also use ice soldiers, but my method is different. I wonder how you're doing it.'
Hel seemed to be fully focused on observing the battle. Ice thought it was disgusting, equivalent to revealing one's hand unnecessarily.
For now, it was better to keep her hand hidden. Otherwise, she would be at a disadvantage in her battle against Hel.
However, this Garm was an extremely troublesome enemy for Ice, especially since Ice was fighting in person.
"...I need to think."
Ice thought about how to break through this situation, how to defeat Hel.
Hel was enjoying the battle, entertained by Ice's struggles.
"Hehehe, this is amazing. I thought only the soldiers could move, but it seems the person herself can fight too. But, I don't think you can win against Garm alone."
It's just the right power difference, she thinks as she watches. Probably, Ice will barely win against Garm. And that's something that would be crushed with a single blow if Hel makes a mistake.
That would be boring. After all, it's a battle that's been a long time coming, a hundred years or more. Since it's such a rare opportunity, she should enjoy it.
Hel was starving for entertainment. Why? It's because the protective tower of the Demon King's castle, which Hel built, had become a prison for Hel.
Of course, that protective tower was built by Hel.
However, as it is, Hel is a user of Domain Control, which has a time-stopping effect. Originally, there was no need for the Demon King's castle's protection.
But, the reason Hel built such a strong protective tower was due to a single reason.
The summoned hero, Yuuya Hibiki. Many Demon Kings were defeated and erased due to his attack.
Even for Demon Kings, if they're in their pure form, they wouldn't be shaken by death. But they were defeated countless times and erased.
Hel was frightened by that. So, Hel built the protective tower and locked herself in, making it impossible to escape.
After that, for decades, Hel cut off all information and hid away. But then, family gathered, and an enemy appeared before Hel. That became a long-awaited stimulus for Hel.
So, Hel was just enjoying the battle between Ice and Garm's watchdog, purely for entertainment. Hel closed her eyes, shared her vision with the giant eyes made of ice, adorned with bat wings, and reveled in the spectacle.
"Amazing, amazing! Garm is incredibly strong, and yet, a human can fight this far. Ah, if possible, I wish our whole family could have seen this."
And, saying that, Hel thought.
"...But Ice-sama is someone Father wants to make into family, someone precious to him..."
A spark of jealousy ignited at the bottom of Hel's heart.
"I have always done as Father said. But Father, you're having fun outside, making a new family and all..."
Hel gritted her teeth. She had been watching with a smile, but now she felt a growing sense of resentment. She wanted to be hurt, to be treated cruelly, and that feeling was taking hold.
"If it's what Father wants, I'll do anything. But even I feel a little jealous..."
Hel's determination was set, and she stared intently at the battle unfolding before them. She saw a girl with a face identical to her own, praying for her defeat.
Look, look, look.
Suddenly, she realized.
"...Wait, didn't I see this exact scene just a little while ago?"
Something was off. Hel thought so, but she wondered if it was just a coincidence.
However, she couldn't shake off the feeling of déjà vu. The same tactics, the same movements. Even the Garm's attacks were the same, and they were being repelled.
Hel gave an order.
"Devil Eye, move!"
As the ice Devil Eye moved, the view changed, and the scenery shifted.
But the battle scene unfolding before Hel's eyes remained the same.
Hel was certain.
"It's happening again! ――Huh?"
A loud explosion. At the same time, the wall of Hel's waiting room collapsed with a blast of air.
Multiple ice soldiers were attacking, instantly closing in on Hel and pointing their spears at her neck.
And from behind them, Ice appeared, pushing through the snowstorm that was whipping up the wind.
"...What have you done?"
Hel asked a question, and Ice responded.
"That big dog you called Garm... I was surprised to see it moving around so calmly in Domain Control."
That's right. As Ice said this, she took out Garm's collar.
"This is the reason why Garm could move around even inside Domain Control. So I removed it and disabled it."
"Then what about the battle scene I saw?! How did you do that?!"
"It's much simpler than that. Since we had a conversation, you must have seen that battle somewhere. So I found that magic beast and intervened using Rune characters."
"...!"
Hel was left speechless, her tongue tied.
She had been completely deceived. Behind her back, she had been thoroughly cornered.
It's amazing. Humans are indeed a terrifying species. Despite being much weaker than gods, they can extract power from gods, spirits, and other beings using various technologies, even surpassing gods.
Demons are different. Because they're alive, they can't revive after death, which means they're full of possibilities. They grow, age, and die, which makes their life limited.
"...I'm jealous."
"...What did you just say, again...?"
Hel gritted her teeth in envy.
A complete life, born with perfection. Something Hel didn't have. Humans are born with a complete life, just because they're human.
And yet, what is this person?
She has something Hel doesn't, and yet she's trying to take even Hel's family away. What will happen to Hel, who has waited for eternity alone?
Jealousy. Jealousy swirls within Hel, a vortex of emotions. Her heart, filled with burning passion and freezing cold air, overflows with murderous intent.
Hel unleashes sorcery to explode the swelling emotions.
"Ah!"
Hel rides an ice horse she created. The shockwave blows away the ice soldiers that had been pursuing her.
"You think you can..."
Hel tugs on the reins.
"You think you can take anything from me...!"
She charges forward. The ice horse, with Hel on its back, gallops towards Ice.
"Ah!"
But Ice dodges the attack with ease. She uses the ice soldiers she had stationed nearby to neutralize the ice horse's momentum, and then slips to its side.
The ice spear is thrust out. Hel dodges the attack from Ice's hand and rides the ice horse to safety.
"I won't forgive you. You're the only one I'll absolutely...!"
Hel uses sorcery to further transform the castle's shape, and continues to ride the ice horse into the distance.
'I'll kill this person. I'll kill the others too. I'll capture the demon that's been caught, divide it, and get lost in the eternal time of this Nilfheim.'
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