Some might think it’s ridiculous—worrying over just a single spell. Or ask, is it really that hard?
But if you were in her shoes, you wouldn’t say that at all.
Though she’s returned to human form now, Vivian once devoted her entire life to mastering this power. And even so, she still can’t summon every demon legion.
Putting aside the finer details for a moment, from Vivian’s perspective, summoning even one of the higher-ranked legions is no trivial matter.
That’s why—
“────. ────. ────. ────.”
Vivian chanted the incantation with a seriousness unlike any before. Sweat poured down her body like rain, her tightly shut eyes trembling along with her lashes. Her whole body shook. This was a far cry from how she’d summoned other legions in the past.
Then, suddenly, a massive magic circle began to materialize behind her back—twice the size of any she’d used before.
The circle was etched with all manner of metaphysical symbols, slowly spinning to the right. At the same time, the Order of Order briefly dimmed before regaining its glow—a sign of magical energy charging.
This meant Vivian’s spell was nearing its climax. The magic circle spun faster and faster.
Finally, Vivian withdrew something from within her robes—a heart-like object.
A fleeting look of regret crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced by a fierce expression as she hurled the heart into the magic circle. Strangely, the moment it touched the circle, the heart disintegrated as if shredded in a blender.
“Come forth!”
Vivian raised the Order of Order high and shouted.
But nothing changed. The sounds of war still echoed across the plains.
“…Come forth!”
She shouted again, but the result was the same. By now, there should have been some sign of response. Yet the magic circle just kept spinning, with no trace of magical energy reacting.
Vivian bit her lip hard.
“Come on, come on, come on! Come on, come on, come on! Just come already, you bastard!”
Though she knew yelling wouldn’t help, her voice gradually cracked with desperation.
To summon a demon legion, three things are essential: the precise summoning ritual, sufficient magical power, and one’s own will. Everything else depends on the demon’s willingness. Only when the demon responds to the magic circle does the first contract form.
In truth, Vivian wasn’t sure what had gone wrong. She’d taken a gamble with this attempt. But failure here would mean setting a limit on the legions she could summon herself. That’s why she refused to give up.
The Order of Order, which had been glowing in the sky, suddenly descended toward the earth.
“Come forth! Nebiros! Immortal king who commands the Sixth Legion, master of corpses and spirits!”
Vivian shouted at the top of her lungs.
“I have not yet allowed you to fall!”
With those words, her chant took on a slightly different tone.
Kiiiiiiiiing!
An unpleasant screech leaked from the magic circle.
Suddenly, a chilling laughter echoed from somewhere. Vivian’s eyes snapped wide open. At last, the immortal king who ruled the Sixth Legion had answered the call.
“W-where? Where are you?”
Vivian quickly turned her head to the magic circle, but it spun unchanged, showing no sign of transformation.
Then—
Fwoooosh!
A darkness spread across the entire battlefield, forcing Vivian to close her eyes instinctively.
When she cautiously opened them again moments later—
Kuuuuu…
Uuuuuu…
Giiiii…
Three distinct cries began to echo from all corners of the plains.
Before long, the battlefield itself began to shift.
Dead giants rose to their feet, fallen users awakened, and dead monstrous birds flapped their wings. Without exception, all were revived, radiating an ominous aura. Giants were the most numerous.
“This is…”
Vivian murmured in a daze.
Indeed.
The Sixth Legion—Nebiros, ruler of corpses and spirits.
Giants, users, monstrous birds—all had died once, but were resurrected by Nebiros’s power to return to the battlefield.
And this time, they were granted a special new ability.
That ability was none other than wing summoning.
Crack!
From the back of a headless giant, huge black wings tore through the flesh and unfurled.
At the signal from Hwajeong, dozens of blazing swords soared through the air, converging on Kushan Thor.
A pulse wave, released a beat late, sliced through the air, striking the blazing swords one after another. The surrounding magical energy surged wildly. The combined light from the two abilities briefly banished the darkness over the plains, illuminating the battlefield.
The blazing swords quickly closed in on the retreating Kushan Thor, bombarding his upper body.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The thunderous impacts echoed relentlessly. Each strike shook Kushan Thor’s torso violently, pushing him backward again and again. Yet despite the onslaught, the giant held his stance.
Then, a follow-up pulse wave struck Kushan Thor’s chest dead center.
Kwahng!
“Grrrrr!”
A ragged scream escaped him. The giant, barely holding on, staggered violently. It seemed he might collapse, but with a desperate effort, he leaned his upper body back upright.
Thud!
Kushan Thor stumbled backward, finally bending one knee. But the knee never touched the ground. He held himself half-crouched, refusing to kneel.
The area around Kushan Thor was devastated—no spot untouched, as if by earthquake or carpet bombing.
But Kushan Thor’s condition was even worse. The first wave of blazing swords had pierced his body, leaving burning wounds that continued to inflict damage. The pulse wave had mangled his chest horribly, blood soaking his upper body.
Still, Kushan Thor had not fallen. Though his face twisted in pain and one knee bent, he stood firm on both feet, his fighting spirit undiminished.
‘He’s even enduring this attack…’
I let out a bitter chuckle inwardly and steadied my breath. I felt my circuits falter from nearly exhausting my magic, but the ancient priestess’s tattoo etched on my heart stabilized the flow.
For now, it was better to conserve energy and prepare for the third round.
Meanwhile, Kushan Thor, surprisingly agile for his size, put distance between us.
Just as I thought the second round was over—
“Grrrrrr!”
Suddenly, the bent leg straightened. Kushan Thor raised Mjolnir high into the sky. His eyes locked onto me, shining with a brilliance I’d never seen before.
Krrrrrrr, krrrrrrr!
Patshtshtshtshtsht!
Suddenly, a sharp roar and crackling discharge pierced my eardrums. Looking up toward the source, I saw bluish lightning swirling around Mjolnir. Blue sparks scattered wildly, dancing through the air.
And then, a sudden transformation began.
Mjolnir was changing. What had been a massive hammer now crackled with wild electricity, slowly shifting shape.
How to describe it?
Its color turned bluish, its form twisted in zigzags, growing larger and thicker. Eventually, it took on the appearance of a colossal bolt of lightning.
Yes, lightning. Kushan Thor now wielded a living thunderbolt in his hand.
But the shape wasn’t the point.
Pzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
Transformed into a single lightning strike, Mjolnir radiated immense power. It shredded the air, warped the surrounding space, and unleashed a force that seemed capable of swallowing everything.
Like a storm descending, a terrifying wind spun like a top, tearing up the ground beneath.
Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Dudududududududu!
The sky cracked open, the earth trembled. A pillar of light descended.
At the same time, Kushan Thor’s entire body began to glow with a dazzling radiance.
A blinding, brilliant light.
Just looking at that light sent an inexplicable pressure coursing through my entire body.
A sacred energy radiated in all directions.
Simply facing that energy was enough to make me dare not move an inch.
Brushing away the hair that whipped across my eyes, squinting against the urge to close them, I forced myself to stare straight ahead.
Suddenly, Kuschani Thor’s posture stiffened. He straightened his wounded chest, which had been slightly hunched over. His chest and shoulders aligned in a perfect line.
The king of giants tilted his head back with a serene grace, then let out a fierce roar as he gazed up at the sky.
“Ego Sum Dominus Gigantum, Kuschani Thorrrrr!”
The thunderous roar rang out like a declaration, shaking the heavens and echoing across the entire grassland.
And in that moment—
Ohhhhh, Domine Deus Noster! Kuschani Thorrrrr!
Ohhhhh, Domine Deus Noster! Kuschani Thorrrrr!
Ohhhhh, Domine Deus Noster! Kuschani Thorrrrr!
Ohhhhh, Domine Deus Noster! Kuschani Thorrrrr!
At last, I was face to face with a true DemiGod.
The voices ringing in my ears were no mere echoes.
Though I couldn’t understand the words, I felt their meaning instinctively.
It was the roar of the giants responding to Kuschani Thor’s call—a cry of joy, a triumphant cheer. The giants raised their voices in unison, celebrating their king’s declaration that they were the strongest, that defeat was unthinkable.
Their victorious cheers spread far and wide, filling the battlefield of the grasslands.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
Even Mjolnir seemed to answer their cheers, unleashing an even fiercer energy.
Moments later, Kuschani Thor finally pulled his right arm far back.
And then—
“Mjolnirrrrrr!”
With a thunderous shout, lightning split the sky.
The thrown Mjolnir emitted a bluish glow, crackling with lightning that seemed ready to tear everything apart as it plunged straight down.
Then, suddenly, the lightning aimed at me shifted its trajectory. Instead of striking me, it passed high above my head, leaving a long trail of light as it arced behind me.
Almost simultaneously, Kuschani Thor slammed his foot into the ground and leapt high into the sky.
Before I could even process what was happening—
‘So that means he wasn’t after you.’
Hwa-jeong’s words flashed through my mind.
In that instant, without even realizing it, I followed Kuschani Thor and soared into the air, a strange sense of impending finality washing over me.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Made it again with a midnight update today! Feeling great. :D
Looks like the giants’ arc is finally coming to a close.
Let’s see~
Ahh, this guy, seriously, huh? (Each word here is a compressed placeholder to avoid spoilers. Hehe.)
I think it’ll wrap up in two or three more chapters. The battles with the giants and their users won’t drag on as long as the fight with Kuschani Thor did. :)