After leaving Asgard, Shirou, Salter and Sigurd traveled dozens of miles. As Servants with intact Saint Graphs, they could keep going indefinitely as long as they had enough mana. However, Valkyrie A-146 following them did not have that endurance.
Shirou's group couldn't just abandon A-146. She was Hel's monitoring eye, as well as a living map to keep them from losing their way. So even the scornful Sigurd didn't suggest leaving her behind.
Due to A-146's physical capabilities, the group found a snow cave to rest in temporarily.
They set up a fire to keep themselves warm. Not used to the team atmosphere, Sigurd headed outside alone.
Salter sat next to Shirou, looking at the weary A-146 sitting in front of the fire. She whispered to him, "So even these Valkyries can get tired, huh?"
Shirou glanced at the Valkyrie girl in glasses and whispered back, "They're different from us. Our bodies are made purely of mana. it's just that our consciousness is attached to them. But theirs are real bodies, so of course they'll get tired."
"I see," she nodded.
At this point, he turned to look at the Valkyrie and asked, "A-146, where exactly are we now?"
"We are near Midgard Village No. 46, approximately 1,757 ticks away from the Gate of Muspelheim. That would be about 7 hours in Chaldean time," the Valkyrie girl reported.
"How much longer until you recover your strength? In Chaldean time."
"Approximately 30 minutes for my body to fully reactivate."
He nodded in understanding.
Just then, Salter took out a blueberry from her pocket and popped it into her mouth.
Seeing this, he asked in surprise, "You're hungry already?"
She nodded, nibbling on the blueberry. "I only get hungry when there's food around."
He was speechless.
She held out a blueberry to him. "Do you want one?"
"No thanks," he waved his hand quickly. "You go ahead and eat slowly." Who knows if he'd still be able to break free from that bizarre dreamscape after swallowing one.
Seeing she contentedly nibbling away, Shirou kept quiet. He got up and stepped out of the cave.
Outside the cave was a snow-capped mountain, the vast stretches of white symbolizing Skadi's divine power still holding up this pitiful world.
Standing at the mouth of the cave, Shirou gazed at the scenery. With a "drip" a drop of cold water slid down the stone wall and landed on his head. He looked up, staring at the top of the cave entrance. The thick snow layer seemed to have melted some, turning into droplets falling to the ground.
The snow was melting, even if very small and slow. Skadi's protective power was fading.
Shirou walked out of the cave where Sigurd was looking around. He went over and asked what Sigurd was searching for.
Sigurd glanced his way. "Nothing. Just looking around. This false world is even more desolate than the real one."
"Is that so?" Shirou raised his eyebrows. "What was Norse like in pan-human history then?"
"At least there was still spring there, and beasts roaming around," said Sigurd, then fell silent. Clearly he wasn't enthusiastic about discussing the sensitive topic of his Norse history.
But Shirou just smiled, not bothered in the least.
After Skadi had been defeated by Hel, her divine power over Midgard was fading. Even so, wind and snow still drifted about, with wintery white fog stretching endlessly.
In this world, there was nothing but thick, white snow.
This was a land consumed by winter.
The hazy fog obscured everyone's vision.
Shirou, no longer paying attention to Sigurd, gazed out at the vast whiteness. Suddenly, he frowned.
Through the white fog ahead, Shirou spotted what looked like some enormous monster. Indistinct, he could only make out two sun-like massive eyes suspended in midair.
He gave himself Clairvoyance EX, a godly view overlooking the area, but spotted nothing. With his new vantage point, only stretches of snowy ground were visible - nothing more.
However, the huge eyes reappeared when he deactivated Clairvoyance EX.
Strange, he thought. He nudged Sigurd and pointed to the eyes, asking "Do you see anything there?"
Sigurd, puzzled, glanced around. "Just snow. What are you talking about?"
Shirou looked again - the eyes had vanished.
Odd. He activated Clairvoyance EX again but saw nothing unusual. Going to investigate the area personally also revealed nothing.
"What sorcery of Hel's did I fall under?" Shirou wondered, puzzled.
He headed back to the cave, intending to ask A-146 if her body had recovered.
Just then, there was a sharp sound from outside, as if Sigurd had drawn his sword.
Sensing the disturbance, he stepped out to investigate. Sure enough, Sigurd had his sword out.
"What's the matter, Sigurd?"
Sigurd pointed ahead at the thick snow. The snowflakes churned strangely, as if something moved underneath.
Suddenly, several pitchforks burst from the snow, thrusting right at Sigurd's face.
Seeing this, Sigurd swung his sword with a sharp "clang," deflecting the pitchforks stabbing at him.
Hearing the noise, Salter rushed out of the snow cave, sword in hand. "What's going on, Eternal King?" she asked urgently.
He glanced at her, then pointed at the churning snow. "Looks like something's ambushed us."
Salter turned to look around when suddenly a "crack" sounded from the snow at her feet. A pitchfork burst out, thrusting at her face with lightning speed.
Though the strike was swift, she was no battlefield novice. With a backhand slash, her sword clanged as it deflected the pitchfork. Without missing a beat, she turned her wrist and unleashed her mana, slamming it heavily into the ground.
A deafening "boom" rumbled as a massive swath of black flames split open the earth. The furious storm blasted away all the accumulated snow, revealing the hidden creatures and their true forms.
Shirou's eyebrow raised as he turned to look. He saw a white snake humanoid over 3 meters tall get blasted over 30 meters into the air by Salter before crashing heavily back down, rolling several loops before getting back up. Its red vertical pupils stared at Salter, flickering with violence and greed - the hungry look of gazing upon prey.
"A young kraken?" Sigurd looked surprised.
Shirou turned to him and asked, "You know what this thing is?"
Sigurd gripped his demonic sword tightly. "A sea monster that dwells in the northern European waters, specializing in slaughtering fishermen passing through their territories. They are envoys of hell. But why would they appear on land here?"
Sigurd furrowed his brow.
Just then, the exposed young kraken flicked its tongue.
Seeing this, Sigurd's eyebrow raised. "Be careful, it's summoning its comrades!"
As he spoke, Sigurd swung his demonic blade, the red glow flashing like moonbeams and severing the young kraken cleanly in two.
However, he was a step too late, as the kraken had already sent out a signal.
"Crack crack crack——"
Strange cracking sounds rang out from beneath the earth.
Salter's eyes widened as the ground split open, white snakes erupting out like schools of fish. Over thirty swishing sounds followed as more of the creatures Sigurd called young krakens emerged around them.
Sigurd's face furrowed with concern. He turned urgently to Shirou and Salter. "We need to destroy them quickly! Young krakens live in massive underground colonies, all connected by nests. If we don't get rid of them fast, the whole colony could swarm us!"
With that, he began swinging his demonic sword, slaughtering the young krakens.
The young krakens weren't weak. Judging by their builds alone, they were probably C-rank or above, easily able to overwhelm Shirou, the weakest Servant. On top of that, they worked well together, making them pretty tricky to handle.
Shirou took one look and said to Salter, "Saber, use your Noble Phantasm."
She glanced at him and nodded, raising her sword high.
...
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