IBHJ Chapter 761

"What's wrong, Ortlinde?" Skadi asked as she sat up straight.

Ortlinde glanced at the few Valkyries standing guard outside the cell and lowered her voice, "I think Hel's up to something. I just felt a massive surge of mana coming from outside."

Hearing this, Skadi closed her eyes and focused for a moment. She nodded slightly and calmly said, "You're right, she's making her move. She's dispelling Fimbulwinter and the Fire Giants have also managed to breach my bounded field."

"What?! How is that possible—if that's the case, then the catastrophe led by the Frost Giants over two thousand years ago is going to repeat itself..."

Ortlinde pursed her lips, glancing at expressionless Skadi before asking, "Lady Skadi, I've drawn all the markings you asked me to. What are they actually for?"

Skadi lowered her head slightly, examining the markings Ortlinde had drawn on the ground, and smiled, "It's nothing important."

"Isn't it some kind of backup plan?"

"No, it's not." Skadi shook her head.

Ortlinde's shoulders slumped in disappointment. So, this was just something Lady Skadi had her do to pass the time. And here she thought it might have been some sort of backup plan Lady Skadi had devised.

"You just woke up, you must be thirsty. I'll go ask those sisters to bring some water. Even though they're under Hel's control, they're still willing to help us out with small things like this."

Skadi nodded, and Ortlinde walked out of the shadows towards the cell door. Skadi leaned against the cold wall, her gaze landed on the markings Ortlinde had drawn on the ground.

— "If you don't believe me, you'll see when the time comes. I'll definitely come to your rescue, riding on colorful clouds. And when that happens, Teacher, try not to fall head over heels for my dashing good looks."

Although she had forgotten everything else from the dream, Skadi strangely remembered his promise. Why was that? She couldn't understand why this promise alone was unforgettable, so deeply etched in her heart. However, as she looked at the markings on the ground, the prison remained cold and dark. Even though she had long known that it was just an illusion, Skadi couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. Or rather, placing hope in something so elusive, in the promise of someone from a dream, was in itself a foolish thing to do.

Skadi didn't deny that she had done something foolish, because she had always considered herself a fool. Otherwise, how could she have stayed in this world for over two thousand years, only to end up wasting away in a prison cell?

If she had even a shred of wisdom, she would have abandoned this world and left long ago. There's no way she would have fallen to her current state. Skadi didn't regret the choices she had made. Her only regret was not knowing the meaning behind the dream that had haunted her for more than two millennia, not understanding what had happened within it.

But most importantly, —"If you ever find yourself in danger, I'll be there to save you, no matter what. I'll always protect you, teacher." — Who was he, really? Skadi regretted that she had forgotten him and couldn't help but feel a loneliness blooming in her heart.

At that moment, with a sudden soft rupturing sound, the ground around Skadi sliced open, and a hand stretched out from underground, grabbing her exquisite thigh clad in stockings. Caught off guard, she was startled. Just as she was about to cry out in surprise, a man emerged even more quickly from the hole and pressed his hand over her lips.

Skadi's breath caught in her throat. The man was right in front of her, one hand gripping her thigh and the other covering her mouth. They were so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin.

The man's bright, fiery eyes locked onto Skadi's. He raised the hand resting on her thigh and made a silencing gesture, his voice barely above a whisper, "I'm here to get you out. Keep quiet, okay?"

With his large palm covering her mouth, Skadi didn't put up a fight. She calmly nodded, understanding the situation. This man had come through the underground passage, infiltrated the inescapable prison, and was set on saving her. The only thing that didn't add up was why he, of all people, wanted to save her. She was puzzled because the one standing before her was none other than Eternal King, the very man she had previously imprisoned!

As he slowly lowered his hand, she asked, "Why do you want to save me?"

"I'm with Chaldea. To complete our mission, we need you. That's why I'm here to save you."

Shirou felt a wave of relief wash over him as he took in Skadi's composed demeanor. If she had reacted too strongly and caught the attention of the guards outside the prison, it would have been game over. They were still inside Asgard, after all. With the Demonic Bodhisattva, Hel, and an unknown number of Valkyries and abominations present, being exposed would have spelled disaster. But now, seeing Skadi so calm and cooperative, he counted his blessings.

He placed his fingers on the wall and lightly tapped the ceiling a few times, producing faint sounds. As a result, Ortlinde, who was about to take a water jug, saw the two Valkyries stop what they were doing and leave. This filled her with resentment. She turned around and walked towards Skadi, tears welling up in her eyes. "It seems Hel is really hostile towards us. I'm so sorry, Lady Skadi. They're completely under Hel's control now."

As Ortlinde approached, she suddenly noticed a man beside Skadi. She gasped, startled, "Where did this wild man come from?" Just as she was about to shout, Shirou covered her mouth. Ortlinde stared at him wide-eyed until he released her.

Skadi said, "I never thought you'd actually come to save us, Eternal King. I assumed you had completely sided with Hel."

"My goal is this Connection Point. The process and who I cooperate with don't matter. If siding with Hel can help me achieve my objective, I won't hesitate to act against you."

"I see," Skadi replied. "Your target is the Black Grail inside my body, isn't it?"

"That's right." He nodded.

"Very well. I'll give you the Black Grail, but you must save Ortlinde and ensure her escape."

"How can this be, Lady Skadi? If you remove the Black Grail, then you..." Ortlinde couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"If we both try to escape together, Hel will find out. It will be difficult for you to get away while carrying a crippled person like me," Skadi said calmly.

"Crippled?" Shirou raised his eyebrows.

Skadi nodded and said plainly, "My divinity has been completely drained, and Hel has severed my tendons. If you bring me with you, you won't be able to escape. If it's the Black Grail you're after, you can just take it from me."

He looked at her body and only then realized that she hadn't moved her hands or feet since he entered. He had initially thought she was just tired, but on closer inspection, it became clear that Hel had severed the tendons in Skadi's hands and feet!

Anger flashed across his face. "How could she do this to you?"

"That has nothing to do with you. It's my own problem," she said calmly.

Hearing this, he fell silent for a moment, then growled in a low voice, "How can you disregard your own life like this?"

Skadi felt a different kind of emotion stir in her heart. For a moment, his figure seemed to overlap with the man in her dream.

"Stop talking nonsense. I'm taking you with me." Shirou pulled at the crystal chains binding Skadi, then summoned Rhongomyniad, compressing it into the Spear of Endless Light. With a forceful smash, the crystal chains that once restrained the demonic bodhisattva shattered with a resounding clang.

He tossed the broken chains aside. His hands circled under Skadi's thighs, about to lift her up in a princess carry, but then he thought better of it. Considering her self-esteem, he opted to simply wrap his arms around her waist instead.

"You do have a bit of a gentlemanly side after all," Skadi chuckled.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and said calmly, "I should remind you, from the moment you cut the crystal chains, Hel was alerted to our actions. Right now, she might be sending those children to capture us. We won't be able to escape like this."

"I know. That's why we need to play a little trick," he smiled.