V8C4 Part4

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It’s Ko-Fi’s Supporters’ chapter (122/130), enjoy~

ED: Lonely-Matter

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<b>Part 4</b>

 

Skadi was on horseback, listening to the sound of the heroic horns being blown.

Lining up behind her was an army of 20,000 men. They were warriors who had fought many battles over the years, with bodies like steel, stripped of all luxury. Their armaments were not uniform. Some of the soldiers were lightly dressed like bandits, while others were naked and looked like they were about to take a bath.

The same was true of the commander, Skadi. Her light clothes and exposed body parts are so revealing that even on the battlefield, they arouse the inferiority complex, and if the enemy captured her, she would probably not be unharmed.

Above all, they were restless. If the Grantz army was calm, the Jotunheim army was in motion.

Perhaps it was because of the rough atmosphere, but there was no sense of tension among the soldiers. The ranks were so disorganized that some were even sitting on the ground chatting with each other. The atmosphere was so relaxed that it seemed as if a feast was about to begin at any moment.

If the Grantz, who place great importance on discipline, had seen them, they would have suffered a stroke.

The Jotunheim army was out of order and lacking in unity.

In the midst of all this, a cheer erupted.

Skadi, standing at the front, turned to the soldiers.

It was not a face that condemned her own army, which lacked any trace of tension, but a refreshing smile on her face.

“Hahaha, it’s a beautiful day. Thanks to this, I can see everyone’s faces clearly.”

Skadi squinted dazzlingly in the sunlight and looked around her. Then, finally, she raised her hand to answer the shouting of the soldiers soaring around her.

“We mustn’t screw this up. We have to offer our victory to our king ― the Black Dragon King.”

The “Spirit King” was the deity worshipped by the “Humans.” The “Long-Eared Tribe” worshipped the “Fairy King.” The five pillars a\were the so-called “Five Great Heavenly Kings,” but for the “Beastman,” the deity was the “Black Dragon King.”

“Oh, by the way, Anego. I heard that a king who calls himself the “Black Dragon King” was inaugurated in the small country of Baum. [T/n: Anego is an informal way to call elder sister; it may also be used by a younger person towards an older female that they respect, in fiction, usually the leader of a female delinquent group or yakuza member.]

“Hmm…? Oh, I heard something about that. It doesn’t matter to us if someone else uses the same name.”

“Isn’t that insolent? It’s absurd and even absurd for a “Humans” to use the name of our God of War.”

Seeing the indignant look on her aide’s face, Skadi laughed out loud. It was because it was too ridiculous an assertion.

“Hahaha, we Beastman are worshiping the ‘Black Dragon King’ as a god on our own. We have no authority to do so. That’s why I said it doesn’t matter if someone else has the same name.”

A thousand years ago, the legendary Black Dragon laid waste to nations with its overwhelming power. Its wings split the heavens, its roar shattered mountains, and its sharp claws gouged the earth.

Those who were enamored with its power began to worship the “Black Dragon King” as their god.

That was the ancestor of the Beastman and the Twelve Tribes.

The “Black Dragon King,” the “lone” and “most fearsome” who spread terror throughout the world, was defeated by a hero, but even so, the Beastman continued to believe in it to this day.

“It is rare for the selfish Beastman, which is quick to heat up, quick to cool down, quick to get bored, and quick to be disappointed.”

But that doesn’t mean they have to continue to have faith, but it is instinctive.

“Well, what I don’t understand is that even though our own “King” was defeated, our ancestors continued to help the Humans fight the war. That is, until the Great Purge of the Third Emperor of the Grantz began.”

This was a rare occurrence for the Beastman, whose temper was so volatile.

There was no way to know what had happened a thousand years ago, but now they were again in partnership with the humans. And with the sixth princess of the Great Grantz Empire, it made Skadi’s heart strangely excited. However, her aide opened his mouth with a sullen look on his face as if harboring feelings different from Skadi’s.

“They’re so naive; that’s why they’re being driven away to the Eastern Archipelago.”

“No doubt. Nowadays, there is no way to confirm whether the Twelve Tribes exist or not. But the Beastman is here on the central continent as well. So we have to leave a place for them.”

Skadi answered seriously to her aide’s words. But, then, a messenger came to her.

“The Grantz army is ready to go, Anego.”

“I see. And how are we doing?”

When she called out to her aide, he opened his arms as if to tell her to see for herself.

“We’re getting tired of waiting. We’re ready when you are.”

Skadi nodded in satisfaction and turned her sharp eyes on the soldiers standing in line.

“Give an offering to our king. Then there will be no fear for our backs.”

Hearing Skadi’s words, the cheerful atmosphere that had existed until a moment ago was instantly shattered.

No ― it was like time had stopped.

Those who had been chatting stared at Skadi with open mouths and dumb faces.

“Give victory to the sky where our king resides. Let us give despair to our enemies.”

One by one, the soldiers stood up and put their strength into the weapons they held in their hands. Their eyes were dominated by a wild light.

The fire that had been smoldering in the depths of their hearts spread out at once, emitting a fiery heat that was almost as hot as the scorching sun.

“Give the hammer to the enemy who defies us, mercy to the enemy who begs our forgiveness, and death to the enemy who fights against us.”

There were no more soldiers sitting on the ground. Faces that had been slackened were now tightened.

Before long, the ranks were in a frenzied state of readiness.

“Ask if anyone breathes in front of us.”

No one moved an inch. In the wind, their hair swayed playfully, and they forgot to blink, their gazes fixed on a single point.

Glaring at them, Skadi spoke the last words in a queenly, submissive manner: “Thou knowest despair.

“Thou ― shalt know despair!”

Skadi turned her head and thrust her arms out to the side.

“Let despair be engraved in the enemy’s hearts, and all the armies march!”

Before the horns could be blown from the surroundings, Skadi was galloping ahead at a brisk pace.

She turned her attention once to the Grantz’ main camp.

“Princess, you take care of the rest.”

 \n 

As Skadi looked forward again, the Nidavellir army was also moving.

With shields in front of them and long spears extending through the gaps, the heavily armed infantry was beginning to form their first line.

From behind them, a large number of archers were readying their bows. It was as if a shark was waiting for them with its mouth open. Obviously, they were trying to skewer and chew up the Beastman’s cavalry.

“It was a very artless defense, typical of the “Dwarves” as usual. So I guess it was right that their morale was low.”

There was no sense of elation from the enemy. What could be sensed was the fear of not wanting to die.

It was a shameful sight for the Dwarves, who were known for their firmness, although it could not be helped when one looked at the momentum of the Jotunheim surging like a wave.

“Then do not hesitate… let us take advantage of the opportunity!”

Skazi threw a hatchet with amazing physical strength near 30 rue (90 meters).

It crashed into the front line of Nidavellir’s army with great force, raising a cloud of dust.

Skadi stood up on her horse and spread her arms.

“Come on, let’s have a showdown.”

Claws appeared in her hand. The claws were transparent like jade and reflected the sunlight sharply.

She drew a ray of light through the air to guide the soldiers, and when they reached the enemy’s front line, Skadi kicked the horse’s back.

The Nidavellir soldiers looked up in surprise as Skadi appeared far above them, beyond the ironclad defenses.

“The sharpness of the king’s claws ― taste them for yourself.”

Skadi leaped into the air and twisted her waist.

The clawed blade sliced into the face of the Nidavellir soldier as she used her momentum to rotate her body in mid-air. As it was, she landed in the middle of the enemy and rushed out with vigor, waving her arms.

“Hahaha! I love it! After all, the smell of blood is exciting!”

No one could reach Skadi, who was running at an astonishing speed with blood splattering all over the place with her blade.

Some of them thrust their spears out, relying on their intuition, but they were conversely pierced through their armor by the claws and died.

Unable to touch her, they were pierced with large holes in their bodies, spreading fear among the Nidavellir soldiers. Then, screams erupt from the surroundings.

Jotunheim’s army had broken through the front ranks of Nidavellir’s army.

“Hahahaha, come on, come on, try to stop me! More, more!”

Skadi was like a beast, gleefully slaughtering her prey.

In front of her, the Nidavelir army was slaughtered as easily as clay.

Dismay, frustration, impatience, and a variety of other emotions were radiating from the Nidavellir army. Even so, they rallied themselves and wielded their weapons with all their might. Even if they didn’t hit their opponents, they stood up to them with a fierce voice. But all of this ended up pleasing her.

“Good, come on, come on!”

Skadi’s face was overflowing with joy that could not be hidden as she wiped the returning blood on her cheek with the back of her hand and licked it off.

“Oh… I can’t get enough of this…”

“Ah, hyii, goahh!”

After holding the enemy’s head, Skadi slowly drove the claw into the eye and made the brain fluid pour out of the back of the head. The enemy soldier’s body jerked and bounced repeatedly. His limbs twitched like a fish washed up on land.

“Hmm… I wish I could get a more lively one.”

Enjoying the feel of her claws digging into the dead enemy’s head, Skadi looked around for her next prey.

“T-this woman – she’s crazy!”

“Hah, you caught such a beautiful woman, and you call her crazy, isn’t that a terrible thing to say?”

Skadi finally let go of the corpse and turned her head back to look at the side.

“Why don’t you tell me the reason for that?”

A strong chill ran through the enemy soldiers, and the gibbering Nidavellir soldier turned his back and ran off.

However, he was instantly hit with a strong kick to the abdomen by Skadi, who turned around in front of him.

“Gofuhh!?”

“Haha, haven’t you heard it?”

Skadi grabbed the frightened soldier’s head and licked the edge of her mouth in a glamorous manner.

“The Beastman women are faithful in the daytime and wild in the nighttime. They are cats in peace and tigers in war.”

“You beast!”

“That’s a compliment.”

Skadi crushed the head of the enemy soldier in her grip with amazing strength.

She didn’t even blink, even though she was covered in a large amount of blood. She let out a breath of ecstasy from her mouth to blend in with the clamor.

“When you stand on the battlefield, your mind is irresistibly aroused. An uncontrollable excitement overflows, and you lose yourself. It is something that everyone, regardless of race, has deep in their heart. It’s just that it tends to show itself more easily in the case of the Beastman.”

Skadi strode across the battlefield, muttering to herself.

There were no walls in front of her. With a wave of her arm, the corpses piled up one after another.

“Anyone who stands on the battlefield is on the brink of death. If you don’t enjoy it, you’re missing out.”

The flames of struggle that swell from Skadi’s body ― undeniably intimidate the enemy soldiers surrounding them.

“Now, is there a man out there who can beat me?”

The Nidavellir soldiers gradually slid away from Skadi, but behind them, the Jotunheim soldiers were screaming and making a bloodbath of their enemies.

“Hey, you bastards, don’t you go surrounding Anego!”

At the same time as the angry voice rang out, the enemy soldiers surrounding Skadi were blown to pieces.

Like an avalanche, Skadi’s elite guards overran the Nidavellir army at an astonishing speed. One of them pulled his horse up to Skadi.

“Anego! You’re riding too fast all by yourself. Think of those behind you!”

Skadi snickered at her aide, who was breathing hard and looking bloodthirsty.

“It’s your fault for being so slow, isn’t it? I was just running as usual.”

Skadi said while kicking the Nidavellir soldiers and slashing them at the back of the head.

“Even so, it’s not a good response. I felt that the previous Nidavellir was stronger than this one.”

Skadi stomped on the swamp created by a large amount of blood on the ground with flourish and began to walk.

“Perhaps Anego is just too strong.”

“That’s not how it’s done… Well, never mind, let’s use this momentum to pierce the enemy’s main army.”

Shaking the blood from her blood-soaked claws, Skadi rushed out once more.

 

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