skadi

You really are a good one!

I'm not.

...Come with me.

When Skadi opened her eyes on the beach, she found not a single soul by her side.

Ægir. Abyssal Hunters. All lives on the line, flesh to flesh, blood to blood.

None of it seemed to exist.

Only the sounds of the waves and the wind stirred in her ears.

Countless times she tried to return to the ocean.

But every time, countless sea monsters would surround her, forcing her to turn back midway.

Out of the way.

At some point, as she was forced yet again to swim back, she even felt a sort of misperception arise within her—

That the abyssal infinitude of monsters were not pursuing her, but rather sending her off.

(Ægirian) Why—must you come near me?

Once she became aware of the possibility she may never return to the sea, she had no choice but to turn around on the shore and set foot onto this land she'd never been concerned with before.

This land.

Skadi's incredible...

Rober, what are you doing out here?!

I was worried for Skadi... and besides, she's come to help us. Shouldn't we at least help defend our own homes?

You're right...

Absolutely right!

I don't need help.

In her eyes, the people of dry land are by and large akin to the ones before her now.

Frail, melancholic, leading lives devoid of efficiency or any positive qualities to speak of.

Don't be like that, Skadi. We can't let you bear everything for us.

I'll go and help her! I don't know if I can hurt any of these monsters, but I can at least distract some of them!

I'll help too!

Everyone, with Skadi!

(Ægirian) I said—don't come near me!

But she is forced to admit. There are some points of intersection between them, where they can understand one another. In the emotional.

She can understand what circumstances lead them to feel what sentiments.

And it is exactly this that vexes her more and more. It is for this that she feels guilt.

But she cannot divulge these feelings to the villagers. She can only hasten the swing of the greatsword in her hand.

What's she saying?

Look, she's moving faster! I'm sure she's encouraging us!

Alright, watch this!

Get out of my sight, monsters!

Rgh...

Don't be scared! See how you like THIS, monster!

Appreciated!

We're all friends. It's only right.

They're scared! Keep going, everyone, let's drive these monsters out!

Yeah!

Wonderful! I think the rest have run. I can't see any trace of them around the village anymore.

Heh heh. We're pretty incredible ourselves, aren't we?

What are you so proud of? If it wasn't for Skadi, we'd probably all be done for.

Hahah, just leave him be. We all made it through, so let him have this one.

Alright, alright.

She too once had comrades-in-arms, ones who fought alongside her, shared in the revelry of battle with her.

A vast number of them perished in that battle.

In the past, she was no stranger to sacrifice.

But as she watches the villagers share in the joy from the bottoms of their hearts, a thought suddenly comes to her—

She may be the very last Abyssal Hunter.

What's wrong, Skadi? You don't look happy.

...It's nothing.

If you ask me, I bet she's hungry.

Now that you mention it, I'm a little hungry too, haha!

Enough of that. Still, Skadi, you saved the day today. I'll personally prepare a feast in honor of you tonight.

And I'm sure nobody in the village is opposed to you becoming one of us, after you helped us in such a tremendous way.

I was never opposed from the start!

No objections from me either! Hear hear, Skadi, stay in our village as long as you like, I say!

Go.

To you, the battle just now hardly registered as a warmup.

But to a village as weak as this, those monsters could easily have been the wave that drowns them.

It's true, Skadi. With your might, we'd also feel so much safer if you stayed.

Go.

You don't belong here. You'll bring ruin to this place.

Don't you have nowhere to go?

You can live with us.

Go, Skadi.

The farther, the better.

No. I've decided now.

If I can't return to the sea, then I'll go where there's no water.

Hey, you hear about that Skadi business?

Skadi? Don't think I have.

Something tells me your grapevine sucks.

Fine, fine, I'm out of the loop, just tell me already.

Skadi's this Ægir who suddenly showed up out of nowhere a little while ago.

Ægir? Where's that from?

You... whatever. Makes sense a Kazimierzian would never hear about Ægir. I don't know too much myself, but I know it's a country and that's enough.

Ohh... and? What's up with this Skadi?

She's got this giant greatsword, and you wouldn't miss her clothes from a mile away, but she's refused to ever work with anyone else. At first, everyone thought she'd kick it in the middle of nowhere.

But she's not only been thriving, she's been stealing a lot of other people's work.

Huh?

Last month, 'Flamelung' announced he was going to sort her out. Guess what happened?

He drove her off?

No, she took down the entire squad he sent at her!

That's... Where the hell did she come from?

Don't know. Got sources who say she showed up alongside a bunch of bounty hunters coming back from Iberia.

Either way, apparently it's got 'Flamelung' pretty goddamn fuming now. Me, I'm looking forward to the show.

Excuse me.

Huh? Who're you?

Who I am does not matter, I'm simply curious. You just mentioned an Ægir. Where is she right now?