Chapter 56

On the surface of the magma, the lava churned and rumbled, sounding like the earth's roar, with flames leaping across the lava lake.

At the very bottom of the lava lake, a pair of wings were gently flapping, as if this was the reason why the place was in such a state of storm and flame.

The enormous dragon body, bound in bandages, lay prone. Its feathers, capable of shattering all things, were also fiery red feathers that could burn everything. From these feathers spewed out a crimson substance tens of thousands of times larger than water droplets, much like a massive eruption from the inside of a volcano.

This is the true form of Typhon, the progenitor of the Greece Primordial Dragon.

"It will be fully recovered in three years at most."

The god's expression revealed a hint of hesitation. After all, the Age of Gods had ended, and those who could not descend to earth with their full power could only rely on the people living in the present to fight against these crises. He could only play a guiding role.

Odin was probably also troubled. In his view, the Church's affairs were not a big problem, as they were ultimately matters between humans. He was quite open-minded about the change of Faith.

The biggest troubles are the resurrected Typhon and the Giant God who shows signs of breaking the seal; one will destroy the world, and the other will destroy Planet.

Although these are crises that should not be dealt with by the gods of the previous era, but rather by the current Planet population, most gods, whether in Norse or Greece, still love humanity, and Odin is no exception. Otherwise, why would he need to take action personally?

Moreover, according to Odin, the changes that occurred to Typhon and the Giant God were all related to him.

Avia was well aware of this, therefore--

"Odin, leave both the Giant God and Typhon to me."

To be honest, Odin is very good at judging people. Whether it's Fafnir from the Age of Age of Gods, Nidhogg who devoured the world, Fenrir who threatened the lives of the gods, or Sigurd, the King of Warrior, he can immediately discern their true nature.

He was very interested in this human named Avia, not only because of the strong Greece aura and the aura of the Primal Dragon Albion, but also because his pale blue eyes were always as Serenity as the sea in deep winter, no matter how he looked at them.

It's as if it should be here, yet it also seems like it's not.

"Normally, I shouldn't believe someone I don't know who says such things to me." The great god nodded. "After all, it's a huge crisis threatening the world and the Planet. But since you've gained favor with Greece, I naturally believe you can resolve these crises."

Born in the harsh, snow-covered environment of the Northern Lands, Norse mythology, with its End Times in the burning of all things, is one of the two major Europe mythological systems, in contrast to Germania Greece Rome mythology. For the world of Magecraft, Norse mythology represents the great mythological system that ushered in the End Times the Age of Gods around 1000 AD.

This claim is widely circulated.

"Thank you. I will definitely do my best to fulfill my promise."

The dark clouds had dispersed, and beneath the vast blue sky and the radiant Sun, what appeared before the great god was a man whose entire being was filled with the fire of unwavering resolve.

"Haha, you could call this an experiment. Human, then follow your advice and transcend the evil that has resurfaced. If possible, I will await your arrival in the Heroic Spirit Hall."

Accompanied by the cawing of two Raven, the phantom of the great god wielding a long spear, which had emerged from the Thunderbolt, was about to depart from Thunderbolt.

At the same time, the rune was delivered from the lightning of the great god to Avia.

"Since Greece is in this situation, Norse can't be stingy either. Here, you can study this Rune."

110: What kind of mood are you in?

Grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music...

Small chairs lined up against the wall, a faint light filtering through the crack in the door—

In the courtyard of the Western Rome where Heresy were held as hostages, White-Haired Girl gazed at the blue sky outside the window and murmured something.

These are called the Seven Liberal Arts, which are taught in schools run by the Church at that time. In fact, the teaching method also uses the question-and-answer method. However, the girl never let the Rome in the court ask her questions. She just memorized them and then had the man listen to them again and repeat them to her.

After all, for Attila, learning simply meant memorizing things. Although he pretended to be thinking in front of Avia, he wasn't really thinking at all.

Of course, the subjects he studied were nothing more than art, music, or philosophy—things that seemed noble but were utterly devoid of substance. Although Attila managed to memorize them, boring things are boring.

Extricating herself from the opulent Imperial Family Hall and the overwhelming Desire that filled the space, she already disliked studying, and the fact that she was always looked down upon in this place only made her more depressed.

If Avia were there, it would be better, because at least there would be a way to release my emotions.

However, he was gone for too long. In fact, the illusion left by Avia disappeared even earlier than he expected, vanishing after he and Siegfried defeated Fafnir.

Although it was surprising that he hadn't returned for so long, Attila held back; was he actually somewhat Wrath?

Such feelings are not necessarily present.

As a girl who grew up in a world that revered strength and honor, Attila always felt out of place with everyone and everything in this world.

Originally, even the awareness of "I am Attila" was very weak; it was enough for him to simply obey his body's instincts and concentrate on wielding the blade.

Because no one can survive alone, humans unite to build villages, cities, and eventually nations. However, Attila felt that he was born to destroy them.

After all, there is neither Heaven nor Hell in this world. The distant Future, whose very existence is uncertain, or tomorrow, which should be right around the corner, is extremely ambiguous, vague, and unpredictable.

Only 'death' is always equal for everyone; she simply took that step earlier than expected.

The White-Haired Girl didn't care whether Avia's delayed return was necessary or due to unavoidable circumstances.

When they parted, she said, "Just in case something happens to you," and Avia replied, "I'll be back soon."

Since that's the case, he has an obligation to return... Attila will not allow Avia to commit suicide without permission.

Moreover, what if he really died alone...?

A surge of overwhelming emotion welled up from the depths of her chest. To calm herself, the White-Haired Girl subconsciously looked up at the sky, though she didn't know why she had this habit.

Under the vast, clear blue sky, she has been alone here for a year.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, just as Attila had hoped, just as Avia had promised to return soon.

The White-Haired Girl said nothing, only staring wide-eyed at the sudden surge of emotion within her. She was unable to express herself in words, nor could she articulate the feelings that had arisen within her.

As if driven by this emotion, before she could speak or think, her body had already begun to move.

Because speaking is too slow, and words alone are certainly insufficient to express it.

Attila, wielding the Photon Ray, whose blade shimmered with a faint Rainbow of light, swung it down with such speed that it was impossible for ordinary people to see it.

Avia leaped backward instantly, dodging the sword strike, then picked up her spear and hurled it at the White-Haired Girl.

A sound like ice shattering from metal clashing rang out, and the spear thrown by the Silver-Haired Boy bounced high above the simple roof.

"Having been away for so long, has your strength actually regressed instead of increased?"

At this moment, the White-Haired Girl raised her long sword high, stood horizontally with the sword, and stared directly at Avia. There were only three steps between them.

Why have you been gone for so long?

Attila had a hard time swallowing those words back, because in her mind, they were words that should never be uttered.

"Attila, look around."

Avia watched Attila approach with his usual smile.

If there's anything to say, say it through battle. He understands Attila's character, so respond with battle, with the power he holds in his hands.

The next moment--

The midday sun was dazzling and intense, and the view outside the window was too bright, with everything shimmering in a bright white light. Yet, here, the space had transformed into a dark and chilly place, with a faint white mist swaying gently.

Lightning bolts flashed and crisscrossed, Magic Bullet rained down like a storm, and an inexplicable pressure appeared.

For Avia, who learned the Runes given to her by Odin during this time, the time she spent entering the room was enough to transform it into Workshop using the runes.

However, the White-Haired Girl's exceptional athleticism and attack prediction, coupled with the Photon Ray in her hand, were enough to dodge these Norse Magic Bullet. She then threw the Photon Ray onto the roof to suppress the heavy pressure and Magecraft.

After losing their weapons, the two men neither defended nor dodged, but instead charged at each other and began exchanging punches. The two Huns engaged in hand-to-hand combat, each punch powerful enough to tear through the tough skin of Dragon Kind.

With an extremely natural posture, Avia lightly sprang up with her right foot, her figure falling straight down towards Attila on the ground.

At the same time, the White-Haired Girl leaped up from the ground, and the two launched their final attack.

As always, the girl lost, but for the first time, her defeat was not due to illusion.

"See? I kept my word. Now I've defeated you fair and square, Attila."

"... yes."

There was nothing to reply to.

Although she had nothing to reply, the White-Haired Girl was unwilling to remain silent, so she only said this one sentence, which made Avia, who was seeing her like this for the first time, unable to help but laugh.

She looked up at the smiling person, and naturally, a smile of pure joy also appeared on her face.

Was it because he came back, or because he defeated himself?

I don't know which one it is.

But no matter what it was, she wanted to say those words when she saw him return.

I hope to say it this way, and I hope to greet him with a smile like this.

"You're back."

Looking into those red eyes, Avia smiled calmly.

"Yes... I'm back."

111: The Fifth-Century Crisis: Origins

AD 422 AD, a year after Avia returned to Milan, the capital of the Western Rome Empire, in Gaul, in a mountain range in the Alps, within the territory of the Western Rome Empire.

The current governor of Gaul is here with the local Rome army to deal with a rebellion that has been quelled by the empire for many years.

Above the silver sky and the blindingly white earth, many dissatisfied people squatted on the steep western slope.

As early as the late 2nd century AD, the Roman Empire, before its division, was already experiencing a severe socio-economic crisis.

Because they had long possessed most of the resources of the Mediterranean Sea world, the core group of people tended to become corrupt.

Whether it was citizens enjoying bread and economic prosperity in the cities or retired soldiers receiving pensions and land, they were all consuming enormous resources at an alarming rate. If it weren't for the convenient sea transport throughout the Mediterranean Sea, the Rome reforms in administration, and the spread Faith Christ, this situation might have plunged the empire into crisis just a few decades after its founding.

Even with ongoing Church funding, gradual corruption led to cuts in welfare benefits at each level, and as the gap between the rich and poor widened, the proportion of the extremely poor began to increase exponentially.

Thus, 27 years after the empire's split and after losing the East for many years, an uprising naturally broke out, instigated by certain members of the Clock Tower, the Dead Apostle, and some Germans.

It is known as the "Bagaudae Revolt".

Ultimately, the Gaul governor, completely unaware of the trap, suffered a crushing defeat. The rebels acquired a large amount of regular army weapons and armaments. With the complete annihilation of the Church branches on the Island of Britain of Britain, the local exploited tribes were also plotting with the remaining Phantasmal Species. Meanwhile, in the border regions, they were supported by Germans.

Therefore, the Gaul region, where the 'Bagaudae Revolt' was located, did not have any serious concerns about its future.

When the uprising reached the Western Roman Empire, Avia, who was staying in Milan with Attila, realized that his life as a 'hostage' with the White-Haired Girl was over.

Because the current Western Rome Valentinian III is only three years old, the Western Rome government is currently controlled by the separatist Church headquarters located in Rome.

Upon hearing of the 'Bagaudae Revolt,' the Cardinal in Milan immediately dispatched the Roman Praetorian Guard, which still exists today.

Given that under the rule of Lucius Novia and a series of reforms, the Imperial Guard, which rotated every three years from all over the country, maintained the Christ Faith and the licensed 'Mars' Faith, had for many years remained the most powerful central legion in the Roman Empire.

At the same time, Attila and Avia, who had come to the Western Rome, were released, and Aetius, who was being held hostage by the Huns, was ordered to return to command the Imperial Guard in suppressing the rebellion.

Aetius joined the army as a child, becoming the youngest Warrior in the Rome army. He rose rapidly through the ranks to the Imperial Guard due to his outstanding abilities, and his devout Faith made him a candidate for the next leader. Such a person should not have been sent as a 'hostage' to the land considered barbaric by the Western Rome Romans.

But like Attila the Scourge of God, Aetius, hailed as "the Last Roman," went voluntarily to what was considered barbaric lands.

In fact, the three of them had spent some time together, because Aetius went to the Hunnic Tribe some time after Attila and Avia arrived in the Western Rome.

Forgetting how to protect oneself from Pride will one day lead to defeat; therefore, the Rome of today will one day be destroyed.

Aetius once said this in private to two Huns he had only recently met, which was quite disrespectful.

For this country, which has lost its original foundation and is now completely controlled by Church that has gradually become somewhat strange, this is an inevitable Future, and perhaps it will happen in the near future, while I am still alive... I have this premonition.

Even so, we must fight to the last moment, never give up hope, and strive to find a way, even if we struggle until death, just like our predecessors who upheld their principles until death, full of honor, never succumbing to inevitable despair, never tarnishing the principles that make us human, and persisting until the end of our lives, so that the most basic covenant called good can continue.

Aetius, despite being a mere human, led a declining empire's army to defeat the Huns Empire led by the Giant God -Head Body, truly impressed Avia with his words.

He also understood that Aetius was the last hope for the crumbling Western Rome, but unfortunately, Avia intended to destroy the Western Rome Empire, even if it meant slaughtering everyone. The fact that the foundation had been corrupted was undeniable, and it was now beyond redemption.

Trampling the world brings death.

Whether it's the Kihara the Grand Sorcerer mentioned possesses Holy Scripture and 'Faith,' or the Giant God that Odin spoke of breaking free from their seal and Typhon's resurgence, Avia believes that the simplest of these three matters is probably Typhon. Although it will still be about two years, it's better to resolve it sooner rather than later.

Therefore, after leaving Milan, Avia told Attila to go back first, as she had things to do. The White-Haired Girl didn't seem to care much, since she wasn't one to ask many questions. She simply said, "It doesn't matter, just don't die," and then went back to the Hunnic Tribe on her own.

The volcanic cone spews lava and volcanic ash, creating spectacular lava flows and ash clouds. The lava, like a fiery river, surges from the crater and flows slowly Prativindhya, its fiery red color contrasting sharply with the surrounding black volcanic cone.

This is Mount Etna in Sicily, the very battlefield where Zeus Greek God, killed and sealed Primordial Dragon of the Typhon.

Mount Etna seemed to become even more active in an instant because of Avia's arrival, giving the impression that it was about to erupt at any moment. Lava flows and volcanic ash clouds spread across the silver wings covering the sky, dyeing the entire firmament a deep, blood-red color.