The armored warriors, holding their ground in a two-layered wall, were scattered in an instant as a large gray shadow burst through their ranks. But even so, the desperate sound of the war horn continued to echo across Lake Jörmungandr, a pine forest area that bordered the kingdoms of Ellasia and Amirfar.
The large gray shadow was, in fact, a monstrous creature with the upper body of a man fused to the four-legged lower body of a horse, complete with a tail. Its entire frame was covered in a coat of thick gray fur, though the hair on its head was noticeably darker. From its brow sprouted a pair of dull, golden, semicircular horns. This creature was known as a Centnir, one of the eight most notoriously brutal ice giants.
This monstrous ice giant towered above the tops of the pine trees. Its body looked plump due to its thick fur, and two long arms hung from its upper body, nearly reaching the ground. It was notoriously known for stealing livestock from the villagers—including cows, horses, and sheep—and was also believed to prey on wolves and wild bears.
The armored army was mostly from the kingdom of Ellasia, ruled by King Fred, a devout follower of the Great God Baldur. The story began a month ago, when King Fred had a vivid dream one night: a beautiful Valkyrie descended to him, bringing a message from the god Vaali, announcing that the heavenly army of Asgard would soon come to deal with the evil ice giant. The very next morning, a letter appeared beside his bed, a physical confirmation of his dream. With that divine sign, he ordered the people to evacuate the border areas, to stay out of danger and not be an obstacle to the coming heavenly army.
The situation was quite the opposite in the kingdom of Amirfar. The people of Amirfar believed that the Centnir was a local deity, a protector that had shielded their tribe from the invasion of surrounding tribes. They called it "Chiron." Therefore, when they learned of Ellasia's plan to deal with what they considered a sacred being, they launched an attack on the other side. In their zeal, they even plundered the evacuating villagers, which caused great chaos and turmoil for the army and people of Ellasia.
Despite its plump-looking body and thick fur, the Centnir's movements were surprisingly fast and agile, clearly showing its abilities were different from its outward appearance. Its two long, powerful arms could be used for dual purposes, raking with sharp claws while simultaneously hurling objects. This made it an extremely difficult foe for the Ellasian army to face.
The monster often used its hands to scoop up dirt, hurling it forward to create a blinding cloud of dust that obscured the vision of its opponents. In the chaos, it would launch a frenzied attack with all four of its limbs. Its skin beneath the fluffy fur was extremely tough, rendering the Ellasian weapons useless and leading to one-sided losses for the Ellasian army.
Once again, the Centnir scooped up dirt to create a blinding dust cloud before charging in to attack. It swung its long, powerful arm at the scattered Ellasian warriors, who were in disarray and no longer in formation. But this time, the result was different. In the swirling dust, its swinging claws hit something solid, and the tips of its fingers, which would normally tear through flesh and blood with ease, recoiled as if they had struck steel.
Nevertheless, the Centnir was a seasoned monster that had survived hundreds, if not thousands, of battles. A single failed attack was not enough to cause it to panic. Instead, it fluidly spun its massive body, instantly changing its attack from a swing of its hand to a powerful kick with its hind leg, targeting the very same spot.
The force of this hind-leg kick was many times stronger than its initial arm swing, a testament to the creature's immense power. Yet, that destructive force was resisted once more. The impact felt like hitting a solid iron wall.
As the dust cloud dissipated, a scene of impossible strength was revealed. A woman in shiny silver armor had appeared, her single, small arm holding back the Centnir's massive foot.
The Ellasian soldiers, whose lives had been saved from the recent attack, steadied themselves and shouted, "Thank you, Valkyrie!"
The long-golden-haired woman in the shiny armor did not even turn to look at them. A single word left her lips: "Go." Her voice was not a shout, yet it seemed to resonate not in the air, but directly within the minds of the Ellasian soldiers. Immediately, they turned and retreated without question.
The golden-haired woman pushed her small arm out again, and with a truly astonishing amount of force, she forced the Centnir's massive foot back. The monster's huge body, completely unbalanced, toppled over with a thunderous crash.
When the monster fell, its fury seemed to intensify. The Centnir quickly regained its feet, rising back to its towering height. It took a few deliberate steps before stopping to fix its gaze on the golden-haired woman, its stare now filled with a cold, predatory menace.
The golden-haired woman in the shiny armor stared back. Just then, a strong gust of wind swept through, causing her long golden hair to flutter backward. This revealed her shiny silver armor more clearly, shimmering brightly as she held her ground.
"Darn it!" the long-haired woman in the shiny armor swore in frustration. "Are you really a Centnir?"
The monstrous creature remained still, its unblinking stare fixed on the woman. It was as if the Centnir didn't understand the language she spoke, or perhaps it simply had no need for words.
"I have clashed with Garhogg many times," the woman said, her tone utterly calm. "And although that giant bird monster always manages to fly away, your kick just now doesn't even begin to compare to its attacks."
The golden-haired woman in the shiny armor spoke of Garhogg, a giant bird monster and one of the eight ice giants, with a casual air. Her nonchalant mention of such fearsome beings wasn't a warning, but a subtle hint of her own formidable and terrifying history.
The Ellasian soldiers were correct in their assumption. This woman was indeed a Valkyrie, and one of the few to survive the cataclysm of the Ragnarok War. While she held no leadership position during that great conflict, in the new era of light, her name, Lylith, has become the most talked-about Valkyrie of them all.
Lylith had the appearance of a small woman, yet the legends and stories about her always pointed to a great strength that defied her small stature.
Centnir bent its front legs into a slight crouch, its massive body tensing. From its mouth, it exhaled a bone-chilling white mist that swirled and billowed toward the woman in a frigid cloud.
Lylith quickly drew the sword from her waist. A bewitching shriek rang out as a plume of dark purple smoke shot forward from the blade, colliding with the icy white mist from the monster in a swirling, violent clash of colors.
Finally, the enchanted sword Lævateinn was unsheathed. It was said that this legendary blade once belonged to the god Loki and was wielded during the cataclysm of the Ragnarok War.
When Centnir saw the magical sword in the other's hand, it was filled with a primal, instinctual fear. All four of its powerful legs twisted beneath it, and it bounded away at full speed.
A long sigh escaped Lylith's lips, a sound of weary frustration. But then, she started running after the Centnir with all her might, her body a blur of motion as she gave chase.
Centnir galloped through the pine forest, shattering branches and tree trunks along its path. The distance between it and the dangerous woman behind it grew wider and wider until, in a sudden flash of light, two more female warriors in shiny armor appeared in front. They wore armor similar to the woman giving chase, but there was a clear difference between them. The warrior on the left was noticeably taller and more muscular than her companion. Wielding a great axe in her hands, the tall woman moved forward, and with a powerful heave, she launched her weapon forward
With a casual backhand, Centnir used its massive left hand to bat away the flying axe, sending it ricocheting into the forest. But as the monster looked back, it caught an unexpected sight: the smaller woman was already halfway up its long arm. In one hand, she held a small shield, and in the other, a thick-bladed sword, poised to thrust into its face.
Centnir violently shook its body in a panicked attempt to dislodge her, but even so, it felt a sharp, searing pain along its back. The blade of the small woman's sword had sliced it. In the very next instant, the muscular woman was in front of it, swinging her axe in a devastating arc.
Centnir raised its right arm to block the axe. Though no weapon had ever pierced its steel-like skin before, this time was different. The blow severed its forearm at the wrist, and dark blood gushed from the wound. It howled in pain, but knowing the blood of ice giants was poisonous, Centnir used the gushing stream to spray the woman, forcing her to retreat.
Having fought in hundreds of battles over its 500-year life, Centnir had never been in such a dire state. It had always believed only the gods could be a match for an ice giant, and the thought that these female warriors could injure it was a new and humbling experience.
Lost in its thoughts, Centnir didn't see the dark smoke until it was too late. Distracted by the two female warriors in front of it, Centnir had made a grave mistake—one that would lead to a disastrous end.
With a single, wide arc, the magical aura and the strange, dark purple smoke surged from the sword, slicing through Centnir's neck. The monster's head was instantly separated from its body, plummeting into the pine trees on one side while its massive corpse crashed to the other.
Lylith landed beside Centnir's severed head. For a moment, she nudged it back and forth with her foot, examining its features before sheathing her sword. Closing her eyes with a sigh, a cloud of dark purple smoke billowed from her ears and nose—a truly strange sight.
The muscular woman with the large axe walked over to Lylith and called out, "Master..."..."
With her eyes still closed, Lylith raised her right hand to halt the other woman's approach. Moments later, the dark purple smoke billowing from her ears and nose disappeared. When she finally opened her eyes, a faint purple haze lingered for a moment before fading, leaving her irises their normal blue.
"I have told you many times not to come near me right after I have used this sword," Lylith snapped at the muscular woman who had just drawn close.
"But Ida was hit by the ice giant's blood!" the muscular woman blurted out, her panic evident as she rushed to Lylith. Her concern for her injured friend had overridden her master's orders.
"How did she get hit by its blood? You two never learn," Lylith continued to scold her disciple.
"That monster sprayed blood everywhere. Ida's small shield couldn't protect her."
""I have told her countless times to stop using that tiny shield," Lylith snapped. "What good is a shield like that?"
"I told her to wash herself in the lake right away, so I hurried here to report everything to you, Master." In front of her master, Lylith, this imposing and muscular woman appeared surprisingly timid and flustered.
"And what about Marin? Is she with Ida?" Lylith asked, her tone shifting to inquire about her other disciple.
"I think others saw our fight with the monster and are coming this way, but I haven't seen Marin yet."
"Don't worry," Lylith replied, her tone simple and calm. "Marin is likely helping to cleanse Ida with her magic right now. Go retrieve your axe, and we'll meet at the lake." She spoke with a quiet authority that transcended her rank as a General of Asgard.
"Understood," the muscular woman, Lydia, replied, immediately going to retrieve her valuable axe, which had recently been forged in Asgard. She was one of the six new Valkyries, trained by Lylith to be Angels of Death. Instead of dark black armor, they now wore shiny new gear.
Three hundred years ago, the god Vaali found Lylith and offered her a magical sword in exchange for rejoining the Asgardian army. From that day on, she was known as the Heavenly General Lylith.
Lylith left Lydia's side and began walking back toward Lake Jörmungandr, the designated meeting point for the Valkyries of Asgard.
Local legend claimed the lake was the final resting place of the great serpent Jörmungandr, whose body supposedly fell from Asgard after its final battle with the god Thor. Yet, Lylith, a true survivor of the Ragnarok War, knew the serpent's body had never fallen to Midgard at all.
The lake's name, however, brought Lylith's thoughts to the god Modi, the heir of the great general Thor. She had once fought alongside him against the giant wolf Hati, and his powerful hammer Mjolnir had been crucial to their victory. But things were different now. With her sword Lævateinn, she was confident she would not be intimidated, even if she had to face two giant wolves like Hati at once.
Lylith also knew that "The Red Dream, Berlynda," the Valkyrie always spoken of in ancient times, was still alive. So, if someone were to ask today who the strongest Valkyrie is, who would be the correct answer?
The question was one Lylith had always pondered.