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Clinging to the back of the Long-Tailed Tit, we raced across the glacier.

The ice worm seemed to have zeroed in on us as its target, writhing its massive body as it gave chase.

The Long-Tailed Tit effortlessly dodged the attacks—where the Ice Worm flung shards of ice at us with the jointed appendages on its body—by gliding across the ice as if skating.

As for why we’re gliding along the ground: since I’m merely clinging to the bird’s feathers, high-speed flight could easily shake me loose.

It skillfully glides across the ice on its slender bird legs, occasionally jumping to launch spears of chipped ice at the pursuing Ice Worm.

“Troublesome.”

We’re steadily dealing damage, but the enemy is skillfully avoiding any fatal hits.

Up until now, it seemed like the Long-Tailed Tit would just tease it a bit and then run off, but this time it’s strangely targeting us.

“……Does it notice you’ve weakened?”
“Cheep.”

Perhaps because I transferred its core to the lantern, the Long-Tailed Tit seems to be in a very weakened state right now. Come to think of it, I can’t help but feel that Rimona looked a bit puzzled when we met up.

Just because this child can’t carry as much out at once doesn’t affect its ability to manipulate the snow that’s already here.

If that’s the case, isn’t this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to defeat the giant ice worm?

Since we were drawing its aggro, the four adventurers who were now free to act were focusing on attacking. The Ice Worm also seemed to see this as a chance to take down the Lord of the Eternal Ice Cavern, who’d grown weaker thanks to a human.

Every time its massive body moved, icy air churned up, and I was frequently nearly blown away.

“Cheep! Cheep cheep!”

As soon as I finished Forging them, the Long-Tailed Tit wielded my spears and hurled them. The ice worm shifts its body slightly to dodge the incoming spears.

Dodging the ice shards it sent back at us, we raced across the underground glacier in a wide arc.

“Time to set something up.”
“Cheep.”

I stopped sharpening the ice for a moment and began making modifications to the walls and the glacier.

I’m crafting a harpoon—with a sharp barbed tip and a thick chain attached to the pommel. If the Ice Worm can dodge our attacks, I’ll just make sure it can’t.

But I have to think about the timing—if I fail even once, it’ll surely make a run for it.

What to do next… Using the gun here would be a bit of a stretch. In an environment where temperature fluctuations are directed toward extreme cold, I have a feeling its potency would be diminished.

I’m a bit uneasy about using it, but I’ll give this “new power” a try.

“O gathered fragments of an endless Illusion (Dream), drifting from the edges of the Void (Sky). Bind together the words and the wishes of the Beginning, and be its vessel here and now, O Innocent Chaos…False Code (Pseudepigrapha) — Yasakani no Magatama.”

The shadow spilling from the lantern swirled, forming a perfect sphere. Tiny orbs rose from the sphere like bubbles, floating as if connected by threads.

Their shape resembles the molecular structure diagram I once saw many moons ago.

This isn’t really a magatama though. Oh well.

Unlike the sword, it floated and moved exactly as I intended. It was much easier to use than the sword.

But since it’s difficult to control it at the same time as the lantern, I’ll focus on this for now.

By absorbing the core of the Snow Spirit God, the Divine Artifacts I can create have evolved… or rather, their power set has expanded.

It seems the False Code: Yasakani no Magatama has been assigned support and auxiliary abilities; while it’s summoned, I can manipulate cold air.

That said, the range is only from 0 to about -20 degrees, so I can’t use it for attacks here.

Instead…

“I’ll freeze him in place! When I give the signal, use heat to strike with everything you’ve got!”
“—Got it!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs, and after a brief pause, a deep, booming shout came back.

The temperature manipulation I was performing using the False Yasakani no Magatama would also offset the intense downward temperature correction occurring within this area.

……As expected of a divine artifact treated as the royal authority of an entire nation—even if it was merely a shadow-summoned false code, it’s formidable.

It even overrode the abilities of what should have been a powerful monster and the influence of the Spirit God’s domain that has existed since ancient times.

However, the drain was severe; the sphere was visibly shrinking. It didn’t look like we had much time left.

“Koff… let’s provoke it and lure it to the Kill Point… Sorry, hang in there just a little longer.”
“Juruuru!”

The Long-Tailed Tit, looking as if it were weakened, hurled an icy pebble at the Ice Worm’s face. If anything, its speed seemed slower.

I felt bad that the rising temperature seemed to be making this child a little uncomfortable.

“Giriririri!”

Thinking this was its chance, the Ice Worm ground its fangs together and picked up speed.

Flapping its wings, the Long-Tailed Tit lowered its body and glided across the glacier. It was using its wings deftly for both acceleration and control.

I clung on desperately so I wouldn’t get thrown off.

“I’m all set!”
“O Ardour of the Revolving Stars, O Hammer of the Fierce War God, behold what I withold…”
“The howling wind, the force pushing my back, Child of the Spring Breeze, your name is Sylphid. I am the weak one, I am the one who prays, I am the one who swears…”

I could see Geist, whose axe was shrouded in crimson light, along with Braje and Rimona, who were chanting. Meia, acting as a scout, was guarding the three as they prepared.

From the incantation alone, it was clearly a 6th-tier physical magic—a fire spell that should have been quite powerful. Perhaps sensing the change in temperature, the Long-Tailed Tit clearly understood my intent.

“Go for it!”
“Cheep!”

Just as we darted into the three of their attack range, I let out a cry. The Long-Tailed Tit manipulated the harpoons I’d crafted and drove it into the Ice Worm’s side.

Over 40 harpoons were fired one after another; the thick chains extending from the glacier were as strong as steel.

“GIRIIIAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”

The ice worm, its movements forcibly stopped and its blue bodily fluids spurting out, let out a roar.

The impact snapped quite a few chains, and the harpoon broke. The glacier cracked, and tiny ice fragments glittered and scattered.

I made both the harpoon and the chains thicker than my own torso, but it had incredible power.

But—its movements had stopped.

“Unleash the Blazing Flames of Judgment! Balgan Flamme!”
“I summon thee, Swirling Gale! Tornado!”

A ball of flame was unleashed. Immediately afterward, the wind whipped up by the fairy-like creature paired with Rimona flares up, creating a fiery tornado that engulfed the Ice Worm.

“Jururi…”

The heat wave had reached this far, and the Long-Tailed Tit chirped grumpily.

“Sorry, make a shield.”

Feeling apologetic, I had her create a thick ice shield, and to drive the point home, I used Forging on the ice shards filling the air with my lantern.

By slightly altering their structure, the ice particles become water, and the water breaks down into oxygen and hydrogen. The airflow was directed toward the vortex of flame; if I kept breaking down the surrounding ice into those two elements, they’d be sucked into the center on their own.

The flame, having absorbed oxygen, gained momentum and its heat intensified dramatically. Even as this happens, the hydrogen and oxygen broken down from the water continued to gather… until eventually, the accumulated hydrogen exceeded its ignition point.

“GYYAAAAAAAAAA!”

Flames erupted all at once—it was less a combustion and more of an outright explosion. If I hadn’t been wearing my hood, my eardrums might have burst.

“UWOOHH!?”
“KYAAH!”
“UHYAA!”

I could hear Geist and the others screaming. I thought the spirit would protect them, but it seems they were skillfully using their wind shields to deflect the heat and wind pressure.

On my side, there’s no damage other than the Long-Tailed Tit looking uncomfortable from the heat. …I’ll make sure to reward it properly later—I’ll prepare its favorite fruit sorbet and ice cream.

The ear-piercing screech of the Ice Worm. Its long body thrashes wildly, wreaking havoc inside the cave. However, having its head scorched by the intense heat seems to be taking a toll, and after a while, its movements gradually slow down.

“W-way too much, you guys!”
“This is unexpected! Maybe that Spirit’s Friend guy did something!?”
“M-my ears…”

Maybe I went a little too far this time, especially since I did it without any prior coordination… Well, they were the ones who dragged us into this monster war in the first place, so as long as they’re safe, it’s all good.

If Sufi and the others had been with us, we wouldn’t have been able to pull off something this reckless.

“Stop spacing out and finish it off, you fool—I’ll let you have the last blow.”

I shouted while putting on an air of arrogance, peering through the ice to check on the Ice Worm.

“Koff, koff”
“Cheep…”
“Koff, I’m okay.”

I’m nearing my limit too—just shouting made me cough.

“Damn it! Fine, I’ll finish it! Woooaaaah!”

Geist charged toward the giant Ice Worm, which had been battered to pieces by flames and explosions. With leaping power beyond that of a human, he soared high into the air and closed in on the Ice Worm’s neck, suspended mid-air.

Although all its restraints had already been destroyed, the enemy showed no reaction—perhaps dazed by the heat and shock.

I saw the axe he was swinging back emit a dazzling red glow.

“Sylph! Help Geist!”
“O Fire, grant a blessed blade to my fearless comrade! Raging Power!”
“EAT THIIIISSSS!!”

Sylphid’s wind propelled Geist forward, and Braje’s magic wrapped flames around his axe.

“Thunderous Sky Shatter!”

The axe, swung with every ounce of strength and spirit, cut the Ice Worm’s neck in two while shrouded in flames.

Perhaps its strength weakened when exposed to heat—the massive head fell with surprising ease, shattering the glacier.

Fortunately, it didn’t sink into the water, but after a brief pause, the torso also collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

It became quiet, as if its rampage had never happened.

It looked tough, but it turned out to be a surprisingly easy victory. It might have been dangerous if there hadn’t been any adventurers capable of fighting… maybe.

***
#Author’s Note:#

Alice’s biggest achievement yet: probably forcibly removing the Fire Attribute (+) -99% debuff (cannot be removed) that was affecting the field.