Valhalla Saga

Episode 68/Chapter 2: Descent of the immortal God (2)

TL: Tsubak

ED:

The Tower of shadows was a kind of virtual reality made to train her disciples.

Each floor was occupied by one strong disciple Scathach recognized and it had a simple structure that let you go up when you defeated the being on each floor.

You wouldn’t die for real in it as it was like virtual reality but the feeling it gave resembled the real deal as expected of the mystical magic used by the queen of the Land of darkness. There was nothing to talk about the pain.

Scathach used the Tower of shadows for her disciples that had learned Scathach’s techniques. She carved her techniques on the bodies and souls of her disciples through real experience and made them awaken the eyes of insight that could be said to be the essence of Scathach’s techniques.

Because of that, the Tower of shadows was a kind of graduation exam for her disciples.

There was no owner in the first floor of the Tower. It was a place that let you make the final preparations before you started climbing the tower for real so it also had a little bit of resting facilities.

Cuchulainn, that obtained a body after he entered the Tower of shadows even though it was a fake one, took out a cold fruit juice from a box that looked like a fridge and said.

“Hey, but do you know that?”

“What?”

“That the owner of the top floor changes whenever someone beats it.”

Conquering the tower was a difficult thing in the first place but the reason no one could conquer it after Cuchulainn was really simple.

It was because there was no one that could defeat Scathach’s beloved disciple and the strongest warrior of Erin, Cuchulainn.

Tae Ho nodded in an understanding way as Cuchulainn snickered like a provocation and then played dumb.

“Um, then this is a problem. No one will be able to beat it after me.”

“You won’t be able to beat it this time.”

Cuchulainn cursed Tae Ho with his finger and Tae Ho snorted.

The two people were the same as always.

And after a while, Cuchulainn threw a fruit juice to Tae Ho and changed the subject.

“The Tower of shadows has a total of 64 floors.”

“That’s a vague number.”

It wasn’t a round number like 50 or 100. It was indeed an even number but it was that awkward. It also didn’t seem like it had a meaning behind it.

“You also think like that right? That’s why I also asked master why she hadn’t made it as a 100 floored tower long ago.”

“So why does it have 64 floors?”

Cuchulainn grinned as Tae Ho asked in a hurry and then shrugged his shoulders and answered.

“Why do you think? It’s just a realistic problem. It was extremely hard to make 64 floros but to increase it by 36, are you planning to kill me?! She said that and hit the head of my back really strongly.”

“Um, you deserved that.”

“It’s fine. After that, master and I became a mess-.”

It was only that. Tae Ho had interrupted hurriedly before he said anything else.

“Oh my. Why do you always end up talking about lewd things?”

“No, why is that lewd? I was going to say that we were arguing like a mess but then made up. Huh? What did you think about?”

“You are speaking bulshit.”

This time Tae Ho cursed him with his finger and Cuchulainn laughed out loud.

“Well, what can I do with my life?”

Cuchulainn was someone that was called as the most renowned leecher and playboy.

“Ah, yes. Well, whatever.”

“Damned bastard.”

The two of them laughed again and drank their juices. It was a fruit juice made with grapes that Scathach especially liked.

“Anyways, if it has 64 floors… I just have to climb 27 floors more.”

“Right, you should climb 27 floors from the floor you climbed while doing retarded things that no normal person would understand.”

There were many disciples that had challenged the Tower of shadows but there was no one that climbed up with a method similar to Tae Ho’s.

But that’s why Cuchulainn liked Tae Ho.

“You will be able to do it, right?”

Cuchulainn gestured with his chin lightly but Tae Ho didn’t answer. He just gripped Gae Bolg silently.

&

Passing to the 37th floor was really smooth. It was because Tae Ho knew full well about the weak points and conquering methods of each floor.

And it also wasn’t that hard for the remaining floors. The battle against the owner of Caladbolg, Fergus Mac Roich was quite a hard fight but the one that won in the end was Tae Ho.

63rd floor.

The 10th day since he entered the tower.

Tae Ho defeated the master of the 63rd floor and the rival of Cuchulainn, Ferdia mac Daman, and lied on the ground while spreading his limbs.

Most of the disciples of Scathach were specialized on attacking but Ferdia mac Daman was specialized on defending. And to an incredible level at that.

Ferdia mac Daman was no different from being immortal when wearing his special armor, the Hornskin.

You weren’t able to use your divine powers in the Tower of shadows, the tower of the Milesians.

That meant that this place was somewhere he could only fight with his own strength just like when he fought in the God depriving land against Heracles.

Because of that, not dying once until the 63rd floor and having conquered it held a really big meaning.

This was something possible as Tae Ho’s capabilities as a warrior had already equaled Lancelot, the strongest of the Knights of the round table.

“You cheater. Adding everything should have taken you more than 3 years so does it make sense that you got this strong already?”

“My situation is a bit special. And I fought a lot in that time.”

There were many reasons he could get strong just like Kalsted’s saga or Scathach’s style techniques that got implanted in him by Scathach but still, the real facto he could become that strong was the countless battle experiences he faced these past 3 years.

Tae Ho had really fought a lot and most of them were battles against beings stronger than him.

The Tyrant Bress, the Magician King Utgard Loki, the World Wolf Fenrir, the Great Hero Achilles, the God of war Ares, the God of sea Poseidon, the protector Heracles, the king of Gods Zeus and finally the Goddess of night Nyx.

Cuchulainn could only nod after thinking of all the beings Tae Ho had fought until now.

“Right, I recognize the density of your battles.”

“Would my deity be the God of battles for nothing?”

The impact of the God of meetings was really strong but the first deity he obtained was the God of battles.

And that was the deity that represented him.

Cuchulainn looked up at the ceiling.

“Next is the top floor.”

“You must be waiting for me, right?”

“Right, I will fight directly.”

Tae Ho, that had been looking at the ceiling, closed his eyes once at Cuchulainn’s words and then opened them again. He asked with a calmed down tone.

“Not the fake one?”

“Not a fake.”

Cuchulainn was able to obtain a body in the Tower of shadows. He had already talked to Scathach about it beforehand so there was no one at the top floor. The one that would be filling up the empty spot of the fake Cuchulainn was the present Cuchulainn that hadn’t only experienced the battle in Erin but also the Great War.

“Don’t roll your head. What kind of nasty things are you planning to do?”

Tae Ho shrugged his shoulders as Cuchulainn looked at him with sharp eyes and said.

“Um, summon Scathach master and use her as a shield? Even if it’s you, you would hesitate for a moment if master appears and acts like a shield. Or summon a lot of Goddesses to spread a badger game.”

“Devil like bastard. I already recognized you when you stopped fighting against Achilles and stole his shield.”

“You shouldn’t save your methods if you want to win.”

Tae Ho wasn’t Odin’s successor for nothing. He worked well with Odin at the point that he would do anything to win.

“But still.”

Tae Ho said. He faced Cuchulainn and then spoke with a relaxed expression instead of smiling.

“I’m planning on fighting a bit differently this time.”

Only as a single warrior.

As someone walking on the road of Scathach’s techniques.

“And your weapon?”

“Gae Bolg.”

Tae Ho answered immediately at Cuchulainn’s question and that answer made Cuchulainn laugh.

“Arrogant bastard. But I still like you. You should certainly use a spear if it’s a battle between masters of Scathach’s style techniques.”

Cuchulainn spoke up to that point and then let out a long sigh. He grabbed the air and then another shape of Gae Bolg took form.

Tae Ho also grabbed Gae Bolg. He stood up from his seat and faced Cuchulainn.

“Let’s go.”

Cuchulainn turned around and started to climb up the stairs one step ahead.

Tae Ho held his breath at how he lead the path. He followed the same path Cuchulainn walked with slow steps.

&

They faced each other at the top floor.

There were about twenty feets between them.

There was nothing that could obstruct them at the top floor, that was much wider than the other floors.

Cuchulainn raised his spear first.

And then, Tae Ho also raised his’.

“In the name of Erin.”

“For Asgard and the nine realms.”

They took etiquette for the other and then moved at the same time.

The two of them had already awakened Scathach’s style insight. Dirty acts didn’t work. The two of them looked at each other and then clashed in the only path that connected the two.

The prince of light.

The God of battles.

They forgot about such flashy nicknames. They just concentrated on the other. And at some point, the both of them were looking at each other and smiling. It wasn’t a conscious smile but a smile that came out naturally.

The attacks became faster. The clash between two warriors that reached the peak shocked the entire tower of shadows.

Scathach’s style techniques aimed for the other. Stubbornly and precisely. They faced each other at the selected option among the countless cases and continued to clash.

Gae Bolg let out a fresh sound. The sounds didn’t subside from the top floor that got heated by them.

But at some point it started to change.

Schathach’s style techniques, that were showing same movements like a decalcomany but different movements at the same time, changed.

The arts of the Knights of the round table got added to the spear of Tae Ho. Ragnar Lodbrok, the great Viking king showed himself.

And at the end, it transformed completely.

The Scathach’s style techniques executed from Tae Ho’s hands clashed with Cuchulainn’s techniques.

A long time passed once again.

And the settlement came like always.

Tae Ho and Cuchulainn faced each other from up close. Cuchulainn looked at the spear that pierced his chest and vomited blood. He then smiled.

“Hey.”

Tae Ho raised his head at Cuchulainn’s call as he was panting heavily. Cuchulainn saw his exhausted face and said one word.

“Thank you.”

For having rescued master.

For gathering Gae Bolg.

For defeating the Magician king and reconstructing Erin.

He had many things he wanted to say. But one word was enough. Everything was contained in it.

Tae Ho also smiled. He then spoke in a playful tone as expected of a conversation with Cuchulainn.

“It’s enough if you know it. And… i’m also grateful. Master.”

Tae Ho had many masters.

But the one that had always accompanied him and taught him more things than anyone else was Cuchulainn.

“Damned bastard.”

Cuchulainn said. He vomited blood once again and then collapsed. The pain would subside if he accepted death and the pain would stop as he was in the Tower of shadows but he decided not to do so. He endured his pain and didn’t stop looking at Tae Ho.

Because there was something he had to see right at this moment.

Because he had defeated none other than Cuchulainn and that’s why he would have obtained strength.

[Synchro rate: 100%]

Tae Ho closed his eyes. He felt the power surging up deep from his soul with the intent of trying to sweep away his body.

And then understood. He closed his eyes slowly and raised his hands.

The Dragon Knight Kalsted.

The strongest warrior of Dark Age.

He wasn’t alone. There was another pair that could be said to be his soul companion just like how Cuchulainn had Gae Bolg.

And only when he was with that pair would he be able to completely become the Dragon Knight Kalsted.

“Show me.”

Cuchulainn said. Tae Ho looked far away and grabbed the air. He called it out loud.

“Astelone.”

The Dragon Sword.

The sword with the same soul as the incarnation of the World dragon Yggdrasil.

A white light got grabbed by Tae Ho’s hands and at that moment, a great and glorified power filled the Tower of shadows. It didn’t only shake the top floor but the entire Tower.

The Dragon Knight Kalsted.

The battle God Lee Tae Ho.

The moment two existences became one.

The real immortal God descended.

< Episode 68 – Descent of the immortal God (2) > End

TL note: Thanks for reading~