IBHJ Chapter 821

"That sneaky bastard left a secret passage!" Surtr instantly got a headache. Back when Svadilfari was alive, Surtr had planted his seeds in him in order to scheme against Hel. But she was always on high alert, and if he had occupied Svadilfari's body too soon, it might have given off mental fluctuations that she would've picked up on. In the end, Surtr never used that trump card, so he had no idea Svadilfari had built a secret passage right under Asgard.

"He's really more trouble than he's worth!"

Even Surtr couldn't help but curse the sneaky bastard. And now, it was all because of Svadilfari that Eternal King had managed to sneak into Asgard undetected. Surtr had never thought much of Svadilfari, seeing him as just a minor pawn in his grand scheme. But now, Svadilfari's actions had completely thrown a wrench in his plans. Even if it was unintentional, it was still too ridiculous to believe!

"Don't tell me Eldur has already fallen in battle..." Glodvarr, a fire giant standing beside Surtr, stepped forward. With a face full of determination, he declared, "My king, leave Eternal King and the others to me. You can forge the final segment of the road without any worries. I won't let them disturb you, even if it costs me my life."

Surtr turned his head and looked at Glodvarr. Seeing the fierce determination burning in his eyes, he couldn't help but nod and say, "I understand. But you must come back alive. Don't forget, we still have to crush Pan-Human History together."

Glodvarr bowed deeply, then turned around and rushed down the World Tree, his expression filled with determination.

"You better come back alive, Glodvarr!"

Surtr tapped the corpse of the World Tree beneath his feet, "Lend me your power, Yggdrasil!" His four Origin Wheels emitted a dazzling light, seeming to possess infinite vitality as they injected their energy into the decayed Yggdrasil.

Under the influence of the wheels, the dead World Tree began to sprout new life. Terrifying branches extended one after another, attacking Knights of the Round at an incredible speed, appearing right in front of them in a mere flash. One branch pierced straight through a knight's chest.

"!!!"

"This can't be-" He stared at the thick trunk impaling his chest cavity in disbelief, feeling the mana that maintained his existence being drained away by the branch. "To think I'd meet such a humiliating end, I-"

Before he could utter his final words, his Core was absorbed by Yggdrasil's branches. Unable to sustain his existence any longer, his figure grew fainter and fainter until it vanished completely.

Many of the Knights of the Round couldn't dodge the branch attacks, their mana draining as they disappeared into nothing. Even the agile knights who managed to evade the branches were brutally cut down by the fire giants who were eyeing them like a tasty meal.

The battlefield was consumed by the raging flames of war. Yggdrasil's branches danced wildly in the air, completely out of control. One branch shot straight towards Shirou like a bullet. He tightened his grip on Rhongomyniad, ready to destroy the incoming branch, but Skadi beside him casually breathed out, freezing the branch solid, encasing it in a thick layer of ice. Artoria then stepped up, turning her wrist as Excalibur emitted a cold light, shattering the frozen branch into pieces.

"Are you alright, Shirou?"

"Don't worry, my king. I will protect you."

Seeing Skadi and Artoria's concerned looks, Shirou silently lowered the lance in his hand. He had wanted to handle it himself, but it seemed these two women saw him as a weakling who needed their protection.

Skadi's eyes met Artoria's for a brief moment; she hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the fabric of her dress, before she pressed her lips together and took a step back from Shirou. Artoria couldn't help but notice her odd behavior, her gaze lingering on the goddess for a bit longer. That look in Skadi's eyes as she watched Shirou, it was all too familiar to her. She'd seen it before, plain as day on the face of her sister, Morgan le Fay. But now was not the time to dwell on such matters, not when danger lurked around every corner. Artoria tore her gaze away and turned around, protecting them behind her.

At that moment-

"Watch out!"

Countless branches, as if in a frenzied dance, rushed towards the three of them like a crazed horde of demons, their movements erratic and unpredictable. Artoria narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, injecting mana into her sword. With a hum, the holy sword burst out with dazzling light. She slightly turned her wrist, and terrifying starlight erupted from the sword, accompanied by a surge of raw mana that crackled and pulsed with energy. The light roared as the sword unleashed its fury, sending out devastating beams that tore through the World Tree's branches, reducing them to nothing more than smoldering ash.

Artoria gripped her sword tightly, a frown creasing her brow as she studied her sword intently. "This power feels a bit off, stronger than usual," she murmured, "Has this thing been identified as an alien invader by the planet?"

The sword pulsed in her hand, its energy thrumming through her veins with an intensity that surpassed its normal limits. And yet, something still didn't feel quite right. When wielded against outsiders, her sword's power usually surged to incredible heights, capable of destroying even the White Titan. But the attack she had just unleashed, while undeniably potent, seemed to fall somewhere in between, not quite reaching the sword's full potential. Was there a problem with the sword's judgment? She shook her head, quickly pushing the question to the back of her mind.

The battle was intense, with the sounds of clashing swords and roaring flames everywhere. Suddenly, with a massive "boom," a sword fell from the sky like a meteor, trying to strike her down. But Artoria, with her fast reflexes, flicked her wrist, bringing Excalibur up to meet the incoming blade with a loud clang, knocking the sword away and sending it spinning into the distance.

As the deflected sword crashed to the ground, a huge figure landed heavily on the massive branches of the World Tree. It was a towering fire giant, his eyes burning with barely contained anger as he glared at Shirou's group. He held a flaming sword that looked a lot like the legendary Laevatein, its blade flickering with an eerie light. The giant pointed his sword straight at them as he declared, "Eternal King—don't even think about taking another step."

"It's Glodvarr!" Skadi frowned.

Hearing this, Shirou turned to her, "Is that giant going to be a problem?"

"A big one," she nodded. "He's Surtr's close attendant. In terms of raw combat power, he's incredibly strong. He once bested Thor's son Magni in a contest of strength."

Shirou couldn't hide his surprise at her words. According to the Norse mythology he knew from Pan-Human History, Magni was one of the few gods who managed to survive the brutal events of Ragnarok. As the Norse god of strength, he was second only to his father, Thor, in terms of raw power, and was often considered to be on par with the legendary Heracles. If Glodvarr had actually defeated Magni in a contest of strength, it meant that his brute force must be even greater than Magni's.

"My king, leave this to me. You and Lady Skadi should go stop Surtr." Artoria took an attacking stance, the sharp edge of her sword pointing directly at Glodvarr.

He frowned, "Artie, be careful. Don't push yourself too hard."

She turned her head, her eyes meeting his. "Trust me, my king."

He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'll leave this to you," he turned and rushed higher up the World Tree. Skadi glanced at Artoria before following close behind.