The Duke’s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military

TL: Pai_

As the flames of the Phoenix blocked one of the Dragon leaders, an ice storm arose in the sky.

In addition, an avalanche occurred, forming massive giants of snow.

At that moment, another Divine Beast appeared.

Thunderbird emerged, creating a storm of lightning, sweeping away the approaching beings and forcing them to retreat.

-Got hit properly this time.

Heurimre let out a faint laugh as he looked at Iron, as if acknowledging he'd taken a hit.

-Is it time for me to find a way to survive now?

At Heurimre’s words, Iron smirked.

Having fully recovered his body with the help of Baepsae, Iron swung his rejuvenated arm and adjusted his posture.

The Phoenix was holding off the Green Dragon leader, and Thunderbird was busy dealing with the Snow Bear and Yetis, unable to focus on Heurimre, but it didn’t matter.

‘The Owl and Baepsae will suffice.’

Thinking this, Iron placed Baepsae on his head and shared his senses with Two Moons.

“You’ve really grown strong.”

The moment he shared his senses with Two Moons, Iron realized just how much he had been restricting the power of the Divine Beasts all this time.

The Divine Beasts had been fighting with limited power because of Iron’s lack of strength and experience.

Even Two Moons had become far more powerful, to the extent that the moment it exerted its power, all the mana in the surrounding area instantly converted into Two Moons' mana.

That majesty that once made even monsters avoid it when it was known as the ruler of the Black Forest in the Northeast had returned even more powerfully.

Kwaaang!

Heurimre’s full-powered strike.

But Iron blocked it with much more composure than before.

-Isn’t that… cheating?

Heurimre grumbled, glaring at Iron.

He had deliberately launched a powerful attack to cause internal injuries, but Baepsae’s healing ability instantly restored Iron’s body to peak condition.

The absurd durability made Heurimre let out a hollow laugh.

To make matters worse, two beams of light descended from above, impossible to ignore.

If Heurimre focused solely on Iron, the overwhelming power of the light would pierce even his thick skin and deliver a fatal blow.

“Hoo… Please handle the control.”

-Tweet!

At Iron’s words, Baepsae sitting on his head chirped adorably in response.

At that moment, Iron’s White Sword grew even larger, and white wings unfolded from his back.

Iron began fully utilizing the endless Divine Power surging within him.

As Baepsae controlled this enormous Divine Power and amplified it further, a sanctuary made entirely of pure white light was created around them.

This sanctuary pushed back Heurimre’s freezing aura and began to oppress him.

-Grrh!

Heurimre grunted in discomfort and swung his axe.

The enhanced aura of the Giant King radiated with every swing of his axe, spreading frost and powerful waves across the battlefield.

But unlike before, Iron, now able to actively use Divine Power, repelled all of Heurimre’s attacks.

Moreover, the attacks from Two Moons couldn’t be ignored either.

The lightning-fast strikes from Two Moons hidden in the darkness, and the beams emitted from its massive eyes, were too overwhelming for even Heurimre to endure barehanded. He had to defend himself with his axe.

-Is this all? If so, you won’t be able to kill me!

Heurimre shouted as he forcefully drew out more aura to break through the situation where he was continuously being pushed back.

True to his reputation as a commander who had led countless battles to victory, Heurimre smashed his axe into the ground as he analyzed the losing battlefield.

Kwoong!

A powerful shockwave spread out, pushing Iron back.

Using this opportunity, Heurimre forcibly drew out even more aura and restored the crumbling form of the giant.

He then created an even stronger storm of frost and shouted toward the Frost Giants.

-Believe in me! For I am the incarnation of victory!

Responding to Heurimre’s words, the Frost Giants raised their weapons in unison, answering their king’s call.

But there are some problems that morale alone cannot solve.

As feathers fell from Iron’s pure white wings, they transformed into spears of light brimming with Divine Power, hurtling toward Heurimre.

While Heurimre blocked the oncoming spears, Iron’s White Sword slashed into his torso.

Kwoong!

Even as Heurimre managed to block the spears, a few attacks got through, forcing him to defend against the White Sword.

With just the addition of the small Baepsae, who amplified and controlled Divine Power, Iron’s attack patterns had become far more varied and powerful.

Feathers falling from his wings turned into spears of light to attack, while the sanctuary continuously pressed against Heurimre.

Even Heurimre’s all-out attacks were blocked by a Divine Power shield.

And even if the shield was broken, it didn’t matter.

As long as it delayed Heurimre for even a moment, it served its purpose, giving Iron enough time to respond.

Any internal injuries Iron suffered were instantly healed by Baepsae, allowing him to remain in peak condition and continue his relentless attacks on Heurimre.

To defeat Iron, who was now attacking like an unstoppable zombie, an overwhelming level of power was needed.

-...A pity.

Heurimre swung his axe, wearing a regretful expression.

Kwoong!

Once again, his attack was first blocked by the white shield. Seeing this, Heurimre frowned.

In the meantime, Iron’s White Sword once again slashed Heurimre’s side.

Though Heurimre narrowly avoided a fatal blow and managed to defend himself, the fight was becoming increasingly difficult as time passed.

Blue blood splattered everywhere, and the Frost Giant King’s body was covered in wounds.

Yet his eyes still burned with fighting spirit, and, befitting his long reign as the king of giants, he refused to give up.

He was well aware that he was losing.

If this situation continued, it would eventually be him who couldn’t hold on and would collapse.

Nevertheless, he smiled.

Because he still had one final, desperate move left.

“Ugh!”

Suddenly slamming his axe into the ground, Heurimre created a powerful shockwave, forcing Iron to pause for a moment as Heurimre retreated.

At that moment, the Ancient Snow Bear, who had been fighting Thunderbird, appeared and created a massive snow giant.

Heurimre’s aura devoured the snow giant completely.

Then, the Yetis appeared and cast spells on Heurimre.

As Yetis who had once made contracts with demons, they excelled in both sorcery and summoning, and this was no different now.

They performed a ritual to summon remnants of past power, albeit for a brief moment.

The cost was steep, most of the Yetis lost their lives, while the rest suffered severe restrictions. Even Heurimre himself had to bear a penalty.

But it was better than dying here.

'That must not be completed!'

Sensing the danger instinctively, Iron hurriedly swung his White Sword and charged forward, but the ritual’s completion and the snow giant’s sacrifice happened in an instant.

Kuuung!

-I have returned!

Heurimre, now enlarged after devouring the snow giant, loomed tall.

Having grown to the size of his former self, created entirely from aura, he stood with overwhelming power, his steps shaking the earth.

Simply walking unleashed storms of frost, and the entire battlefield was flooded with icy energy.

-I have abandoned my future to gain a moment in time. Can you withstand me in this state?

At Heurimre’s question, Iron adjusted his posture and looked straight into the eyes of the massive Heurimre.

By now, Two Moons had returned to his side, along with the Phoenix, who had pushed back the Green Dragon leader, and Thunderbird, who had been creating storms in the vicinity.

The Divine Beasts who had accompanied him for so long were now back at his side, and in that moment, Iron felt certain he could endure.

Though the aura radiating from Heurimre was of a level difficult for even a Grand Master to handle, Iron believed in himself as he raised his sword.

-Come and face me, the past me.

With those words, Heurimre swung his axe.

As before, it was a simple downward swing of the axe, but this time, Iron’s face betrayed none of the composure he had shown earlier.

Kuuung!

"Kughk!"

The white shield, crafted with the help of Baepsae, was torn apart in a single strike. Without even the time to evade, Iron had no choice but to block Heurimre’s blow directly.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The sheer force of blocking just one strike made him feel as though his insides were shaken to their core, but rapid healing allowed him to endure.

While Iron defended against Heurimre’s attack, the Divine Beasts weren’t idling either.

The storm of frost that threatened to freeze everything was pushed back by a storm of flames created through the combined power of the Phoenix and Thunderbird.

On top of that, Two Moons amplified their combined strength through its mana domain.

-This is entertaining!

Heurimre laughed, baring his teeth, clearly enjoying himself.

Though this was only a fraction of the power he had in his prime, it still allowed him to emulate the greatness of those times.

And it was enough to put pressure on Iron.

However, this moment of enjoyment would last only five minutes.

After that, Heurimre would have to return to a long slumber to pay the price for this power.

Despite this cost, he had made his choice, believing that his sacrifice would help the Frost Giants survive the era of destruction.

-I am a king. Thus, I cannot help but think of my kin. While I wish to savor this moment to the end... I must bring this war to its conclusion.

The moment Heurimre spoke, an icy crown formed on his head, and a massive blue suit of armor materialized around him.

As he almost perfectly recreated his form from the Mythical Age, the storm of flames that had been holding back the frost storm was extinguished in an instant.

-I am Niflheim itself..... From this moment on, this place shall become the new Niflheim.

The land of eternal ice that existed in ancient times began to reappear, even converting Iron’s sanctuary into a frozen wasteland.

An overwhelming level of power, unmatched by anything in the current era.

Standing alone on this frozen battlefield, Iron faced Heurimre as the giant swung his massive axe.

Right at that moment.

-Thirty seconds. That’s how long your body can endure my full power. But in exchange, prepare yourself for severe injuries.

A voice echoed in Iron’s mind.

It was a familiar voice, one he had heard when eliminating the Phantom Tree. Iron gave a small nod in acknowledgment.

Injuries were nothing new to him, and no wound was more precious than his life.

The moment Iron nodded in agreement, the energy of nature surged through his body, and a massive storm began to form.

This storm shattered the icy land created by Heurimre’s immense power, swirling violently as it pushed back the Frost Giant King’s full-powered axe strike.

-This power...!

The familiar energy rippled through the battlefield.

It was the power of a being on the same divine level as himself.

And that power completely destroyed Heurimre’s incomplete, reconstructed body from the past, smashing it into pieces.

However, the storm’s power, too, dissipated as it reached its limit.

-...Is this my defeat?

Heurimre looked down at his once-mighty body, now small and diminished, with a bitter expression.

-Yes. It is your defeat.

A small bird with gray wings flew toward Heurimre’s face and spoke. At this, a deep smile spread across the Giant King’s lips.

It was the guardian deity who had protected Yggdrasil, the center of the world, to its very end.

The one who had fought against Heurimre numerous times in the past had now appeared, and seeing this familiar being filled him with joy.

-It has been a long time.

-...Yes.

-I never thought you would side with humans.

Heurimre looked at Hræsvelgr with a surprised expression, as though he found this unexpected.

Apart from Yggdrasil, he was a being filled with arrogance, refusing to heed the words of anyone. Because of this, his relationship with the gods had also been strained.

It was intriguing to see that such an arrogant being had formed a contract with a human.

-Because I saw hope for my friend to come back to life.

At Hræsvelgr’s words, Heurimre’s eyes widened in surprise.

For a moment, Heurimre wore an astonished expression, but then he nodded and smiled.

After a brief conversation with his old friend, Heurimre turned his gaze from the now-vanished Hræsvelgr to the distant figure of a human kneeling on one knee, exhausted and worn out.

-...I see. The revival of the Great Tree…

Murmuring to himself, Heurimre then spoke to Iron.

-The victory is yours. So… finish it.

At the Giant King’s words, Iron, staggering and coughing up blood, forced himself to his feet.

Summoning a massive White Sword, he thrust it straight into the Giant King’s heart.

Having already expended all his strength, Heurimre didn’t resist and quietly accepted the White Sword.

-...It was a fun fight. I hope you overcome the era of destruction.

At Heurimre’s words, Iron wiped the blood off his stained mouth with his hand and nodded.

“I will… I will survive, no matter what.”

Hearing this, Heurimre smiled in satisfaction and closed his eyes.