Cedric: "?"
He knew very well that the younger version of Professor Hufflepuff must have engaged in battle with the owner of that voice, but all he could see before him was an endless white light—nothing else was visible.
That made him uneasy. He wanted to witness with his own eyes the kind of battle that represented the very peak of the wizarding world's power.
Fortunately, Helga, ever considerate, deliberately dimmed the brightness of the memory, allowing Cedric to finally catch a glimpse of what was happening on the Sky Island. After all, she had recreated this ancient battle so her student could broaden his horizons—if he couldn't even see the figures, how would that serve the purpose?
At the very least, Cedric should know what it meant to fight within a blinding field.
Cedric, however, was filled with confusion. He couldn't understand how Professor Hufflepuff was able to fight an enemy she couldn't even see—nor did he know who this opponent was.
"The Gatekeeper of Asgard, the God of Light, Baldr—his fighting style is just like this," Helga explained. "To ordinary wizards, he's like an unbeatable opponent—you can't even see him. How could you possibly hit him with a spell, right?"
According to Helga, Baldr, as Asgard's gatekeeper, naturally possessed a divine domain. His domain, matching his divine title, was Light.
However, this domain was a supportive type, and his offensive power was rather weak. It was best suited for overwhelming weaker foes or for creating a holy, awe-inspiring atmosphere when responding to the prayers of his followers. Still, she had to admit—in the northern lands, a domain that could bring both light and warmth was quite useful.
Once the domain of light was fully expanded, Helga stood motionless in place, as if her eyes had been completely dazzled.
A handsome blond man appeared in midair, dressed in a flowing white robe, his entire body radiating divine light. With a look of pity in his eyes, he glanced down at the insignificant mortal beneath him. Without bothering to speak further, he conjured a transparent crystal cone and sent it flying toward her.
He had seen far too many mortals like this one.
The crystal cone blended perfectly into the dazzling sunlight, as though cloaked by an invisibility charm cast by a master spellcaster. It flew slowly and silently, leaving no trace in the air.
Only when it pierced a victim's heart would they realize, in a flash of horrified shock, that they had been struck—but by then, it would already be too late.
Baldr had already written the script for what was about to happen. Unfortunately for him, Helga had no intention of following it.
She raised her hand and, before Baldr's astonished eyes, caught the crystal cone between her fingers. With a light flick, she shattered it into fragments.
[Impossible!]
[Oh? Why is it not possible?]
The next instant, the entire island's soil began to surge. The earth swallowed up the precious trees and delicate flowers it had once supported, reshaping them into countless clay beasts of every kind, which leapt upward toward Baldr in the sky.
Baldr quickly pulled back, putting distance between himself and the swarm. His lips moved slightly as he chanted a line of runic incantation—
[ ]
Having taken the Ancient Runes elective and earned an "Outstanding" in the exam, Cedric understood the meaning of the rune Baldr had spoken. The rune [] meant "Supreme God," and in this context, he assumed it referred to Odin, the Allfather.
As soon as the rune left Baldr's lips, a colossal golden phantom, more than a hundred feet tall, appeared behind him. The phantom had a single eye and a long beard, wore a hawk-shaped helm and golden armor, held a spear in his right hand, and a golden ring adorned his left.
Baldr began to chant in a solemn, hymn-like tone:
[The King hung himself upon the tree for nine days and nights, to contemplate the ultimate mystery of the universe.]
[On the first day, the "thorn" pierced the King's body.]
Immediately, countless sharp spikes erupted from the soil Helga controlled. They hindered the flow of her magic field and began struggling against her for dominion over the terrain.
[On the second day, the King's blood became nourishment for the "tree."]
As soon as Baldr spoke, the spikes within the shining domain of light began to sprout and grow rapidly into saplings, their trunks twisting into shapes that bore abstract, human-like faces.
These treelike beings began absorbing the energy from Helga's domain and launched an assault against it.
Without hesitation, Helga gathered soil mixed with stone, wrapping it tightly around the treants. The earth began to spin rapidly, crushing them into fine wooden dust.
Entangled by the treants, Helga had no time to deal with Baldr in the sky, allowing him to continue his chant.
[On the third day, the King's sweat became the rain in the sky.]
[On the fourth day, the gathered rain formed the lakes.]
[On the fifth day, the rain turned into ice.]
Rain began to pour from the heavens. According to Baldr's design, he intended to use the rain and the ice that would follow to completely seal Helga's domain.
But just as he was about to command the rainwater, it refused his call and instead drifted away toward the distant sea, merging with the waves.
"Thanks, Salazar!" Helga shouted while finishing off the treants, taking a moment to express her gratitude toward the distant Salazar—he had intercepted the rain Baldr had summoned.
Shock deepened in Baldr's eyes.
Never before had he encountered such a thing—how could mortals interfere with divine authority?
He forced himself to stay calm, but the situation worsened. The next verses of his chant invoked storm and flame—yet both were neutralized entirely, thanks to Rowena and Godric's intervention.
Baldr's face turned pale, his white robes drenched in sweat. The "Hymn of the Allfather" demanded tremendous power; by the time he reached the final verse, even a god of light like him could barely endure it.
He swallowed the blood rising in his throat and sang the final verse:
[On the ninth day, the King gained infinite wisdom and fell from the tree—]
At that moment, the phantom of Odin behind Baldr solidified completely, becoming a massive golden giant floating in the air behind him.
The giant's terrifying presence made even Cedric, who stood far away at a safe distance, tremble uncontrollably. This was divine power—he felt that if the golden giant so much as glanced at him, his body would explode into dust on the spot.
He couldn't imagine how Professor Hufflepuff had ever withstood such a strike back then.
As Cedric struggled to suppress the fear rising in his chest, the golden giant raised its spear and swung it down with tremendous force toward Helga on the ground.
[Slash—]
Baldr let out a roar, blood spraying from his mouth and staining the front of his robes crimson.
Helga lifted her head and snapped her fingers. The seed she had placed on Baldr's chest began to sprout, and at that same instant, the attack summoned by the god struck the Sky Island.
By this time, the entire island had already been absorbed into Helga's domain and become a part of her itself. Thus, the Allfather held nothing back—his intent was to completely erase the island from existence.
Faced with the god's assault, Helga did not resist head-on. Instead, she moved with the blow, letting herself be struck down into the sea along with the island.
Booom!! The ocean split open, leaving a massive hollow as the Sky Island crashed into the seafloor below.
The giant's divine power rampaged across the sea, unleashing violent tsunamis and earthquakes. Yet, in the face of the endless ocean and the unyielding crust of the earth, the giant eventually exhausted the last of its divine strength and crumbled into dust, vanishing completely.
At the very moment the giant disappeared, Baldr also fell from the sky, crashing onto the exposed seabed with a resounding thud. His chest had been pierced through by a branch of mistletoe.
Helga appeared beside him and, before the surging seawater could rush back in, lifted Baldr's lifeless body and carried it back into the air.
Cedric stared wide-eyed at the closing sea below and at the lively, unharmed Helga standing beside him. She survived that?!
_______
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