Eisenstein was a master of spear techniques.
Whether it was due to a record-erasing decree or complete self-censorship, the descendants who had long forgotten the truth that their ancestors were the dregs of humanity still preserved that spear technique through generations.
Of course, that spear technique had long since been severed. The descendants who had risen as nobles of the Kingdom of Rhine were executed for treason and met their doom.
The sole survivor of the Eisenstein family, Brunhilde, was practically the only heir… but wasn’t that woman already gone from this world? So the legacy must have ended.
Wait, saying she’s ‘gone’ might be a bit too definitive, huh? The original owner of this body, Brunhilde’s soul, is more like missing rather than obliterated.
Just like Friet from the original story, did she completely vanish? Or is she merely asleep somewhere deep within this body? I had no way of knowing.
Maybe our souls swapped places, just like the female protagonist from that old anime who took another man’s body to survive after a meteor disaster.
Honestly, I could only hope for it not to be the third case.
A Brunhilde carrying the cultural common sense and ethics of this world entering the body of a young Korean man from the 21st century? That’d make the future dangerously predictable.
If that happened, wouldn’t she be locked up in prison by now, turning into a legendary serial killer?
I could clearly picture her throwing a glove in someone’s face the moment they cursed her, followed by a literal beatdown until they’re dead.
Such insanity would grace the front page of every news outlet, but Brunhilde wouldn’t even realize that it was a crime.
Why? Because it just works that way here.
In this world, killing someone who insulted you in a duel is not just legal; it’s outright encouraged.
If you don’t kill, you’re a coward in need of some learning on honor, I guess?
So, if Brunhilde, who lived in such a world, were to be reincarnated into my body, the chances of her adapting to modern Korea would be zero.
…Well, these are all just close approximations in the absence of concrete truths about reincarnation.
– Kwaoooh!
Anyway, that spear from Eisenstein flew towards me and Friede, filled with the wrath of a vengeful spirit.
“Don’t stop, dodge!”
I shouted as I frantically rolled to the side.
The icy chill escaping the heart and the strength of a powerful swing was concentrated at the spearhead, launching like a spear battle.
Though the throwing strength of this once-living spirit had diminished, it was still not an attack I could take head-on.
The spear combined the abnormal power of sheer strength with its high-speed spin; a torrent swirling like a blizzard with the cold instability of the icy heart, detonated on the ground, scattering rocks everywhere.
Like buckshot, pieces of rock and ice flew, hitting Friede’s armor with a heavy metal clang.
“Friede?!”
“I dodged it!”
Behind the left arm covering her face, Friede turned to me, blocking the shards with her sword held like a shield.
No injuries? Thank goodness.
I breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the Valkyrie.
Was it because of the recoil from the spear? The creature had dislocated its right shoulder and twisted its forearm into a mess.
– Kwadak, kwadak…!
Well, that bent arm was hastily twisting back into shape, thanks to the magic armor it wore.
The Valkyrie’s special formal gear from Eisenstein, the armor of a former virgin.
Made from one of the typical rare metals, like Elven Silver or Amber Steel, it was a magical armor crafted from Runestones.
Being a set of armor featuring eight magical sigils etched throughout, from the helmet to the greaves.
While it wasn’t actual armor but a spectral rendition of what it wore in life, the magical effects appeared to remain intact.
Then—
“Get that cloak! Tear it off first! Without it, it can’t fly!”
We had to break the mantle that granted flying powers, or else it would be a pain facing its constant spear throws.
“Understood!”
Nodding, Friede raised Nibelung diagonally and unleashed a crescent-shaped slash that tore through the air.
“Kuuuuh…!”
The Valkyrie, reaching out for the sky to summon another spear, instantly growled like a beast and dodged rapidly upon seeing Nibelung’s attack.
The Holy Sword’s slash was a natural nemesis for spirits. It must’ve known it wouldn’t survive a direct hit.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Seeing that, I leaped from the ruins of the nearby building, charging at it.
With a smooth yet fierce arc, my black iron sword moved along as the Valkyrie twisted towards me, swinging its icy spear to meet my strike.
– Kwaddek!
The clash of black iron against ice erupted, unleashing shards in every direction as both blades gnawed at each other.
Both were activating [Strong Force], unable to withstand each other’s power, resulting in screams.
“Don’t stop me!”
With weapons locked, I twisted my waist and thrust my right foot towards its side.
Thwoosh—with a sound, my toes aimed for its side as its defensive magic ward stopped me.
Honestly, even without the magical ward, I wouldn’t have expected any pain from a spirit.
The Valkyrie deployed its magic barrier out of instinct from its life. Whatever damage I inflicted wouldn’t cause a scratch.
Of course, it didn’t matter to me whether it blocked or not.
My goal wasn’t to break its side but—
“I never expected anything from you!”
I twisted my body, throwing a kick to create my sword-wielding opportunity.
“This is the real deal!”
With the momentum from the kick freeing the sword and spear, the liberated black iron blade snaked in, aiming straight for its neck bone.
“Haaak!”
Where did this huffing come from? The Valkyrie, like a cornered alley cat, ferociously hissed and bent back, dodging my sword’s point.
“Not yet!”
As I faced the miss, I instinctively lunged forward, landing on the shivering form of the Valkyrie.
Then, just as passionate lovers would, I wrapped around its arms tightly.
“Gyaaak!?”
“What is this, you lunatic?” The Valkyrie exclaimed in confusion.
It struggled, trying to shake me away, but regrettably, I had the advantage in both weight and strength.
That’s likely due to having a physical body.
The warrior’s strength dwelled in the flesh. Now that it was a spirit without a body, its former capabilities must have significantly dropped.
Although it could move with magic and traits, it couldn’t fully exhibit the strength lost with its body.
If it could, both Friede and I would’ve already been dead. What chance would we have against a Valkyrie in her prime? None whatsoever.
Anyway,
“Now, Friede!”
Before I could finish my sentence, the elegant slash dove toward the back of the Valkyrie.
“Hyyaaaaah!”
Perhaps worried about catching me in the line of fire, instead of unleashing a wave of magic, Friede jumped up to swing her greatsword.
“Haaaaaak!”
Feeling the threatening energy coming in from behind, the Valkyrie hissed angrily before lunging forward to jab its helmet into my face.
– Kwaaaang!
The collision of heads; thanks to the helmet, our skulls were now metal heads that echoed with a loud bang as they jerked back together.
“Ugh…!”
I let out a grunt as I was hurled backwards.
My head buzzed as dizziness washed over me. Unlike a spirit that lacked a brain, my own brain wasn’t sturdy enough to withstand such a violent impact.
No more headbutting forward, I promised myself as I plummeted, crashing into the remnants of a collapsed house. Dust swirled around like fog.
Ugh, my back…!
The fall wasn’t severe enough to be seriously injured, but still, a fall is a fall. I rose from the rubble with a slight groan.
Is that what it means to feel one’s joints ache? My arms and legs throbbed, and my back ached continuously. My head felt slightly dizzy too.
“Ugh…”
Crack!
With a sound like splintering wood, the helmet fell apart as I clutched my throbbing forehead and looked up at the Valkyrie that had ricocheted me away.
– Scrape!
As the icy spirit, once floating, was plummeting to the ground much like I just did. It landed alongside Friede, who floated gracefully like a feather.
Having dodged my push, the Valkyrie avoided losing its waist, but its fluttering cloak got ripped, and one shoulder guard was completely shattered.
“Dauði…!”
Death.
As the Valkyrie descended helplessly, it spat a curse that it would kill Friede, twisting in mid-air and landing on the ground with its legs and knees.
– Kaaang!
A cloud of dust erupted noisily. A flashy landing as if right out of a hero movie.
It landed and struck a pose, while I simply crashed to the ground like a dog.
Is this the difference in experience? It looked like it had plenty of practice making dramatic landings.
Well, none of that really mattered.
“What a dramatic entrance! How does it feel to finally be grounded? Missing the sky desperately?”
The important thing was that it lost its ability to fly.
In other words, that meant Friede and I could fight in a comfortable battlefield now.
“Now that you’re down here, why not just lie down? We’ll help you with that.”
The Valkyrie glared at me through the cracks in its helmet, perhaps irritated by my sarcasm.
Its crumpled left shoulder and dust-covered armor looked pitiful and laughable.
“Systur, okkar…!”
‘Our sister.’ It murmured those words. It must have seen Brunhilde’s body and was convinced that she was an Eisenstein Valkyrie like itself. They must have called each other sisters in life.
“What the hell?”
I never had a sister like you. I don’t even have a sister like that.
I wasn’t even a woman…not anymore.
So why should I care about sister nonsense? It was your side that attacked first.
I chuckled, dusting off my cheek, then kicking off the ground like a projectile toward it, sword over shoulder.
“Hyyaaaaah!”
Friede, having landed with her greatsword thrust into the ground, matched my momentum, rushing toward the Valkyrie.
“Kyaaaaak!”
The spirit, rising to its feet and forming two icy spears in its hands, roared in rage as it glared at us.
Two spears, huh? For some reason, my chances of victory felt like they had just skyrocketed two thousand times.
