Gate Guardian - Song of the Frozen Soul

PHASE 40 - IT'S TIME TO DUEL THE GODDESS OF DEATH!

PHASE 40 - IT’S TIME TO DUEL THE GODDESS OF DEATH!

So for some reason, we had ourselves in front of a mansion that looks like it came from the medieval ages. There are a lot of maids scattered on the manor grounds, sweeping, watering the flower plants, and even washing the windows. It’s the Teronette Residence in Heightsburg City, a few kilometers away from the shrine.

There’s three of us. Emily, Rikkun, and I. At first, I wanted to go by myself because I had the feeling that Rikkun would be rude again just like what happened when we visited Naomi’s house. But he told me that he wanted to go, and he will try to convince Zenaida to borrow the Goddess Core of Hel.

Hel is the Norse Goddess of Death, which means that she is immune to the concept of death itself. If Lord Hel will be on our side, then the probability of defeating Helena will be higher. Also, we’re talking about a Goddess Core here. It will be needed once I sing the <Song of Salvation>.

The maids led us to the main office of the manor where Miss Zenaida was staying. When we entered the room, I was astounded that the very office contains lots of eerie artifacts such as ram skull that has a looping horn, plywood that contains a pentagram drawn with blood, and a bookshelf that contains latin-named books on how to summon a demon. I don’t want to comment on her taste… But I’m quite scared.

“Fwahahahahaha!!! I didn’t know that you have the courage to show your face here in my office.” The gothic princess-like woman laughed at our pink-haired masochist maid. “You didn’t even have the guts to fight me last Christmas.”

She’s Zenaida. I’ve seen her base form for a couple of times, but now she’s quite different. She’s wearing a dark frilled princess dress, and she’s equipped with some gold chains and weird-shaped rings on her sharp fingers. Her twin ponytail is swirled to make her look a lot classy.

“M-Master Zenaida…” Emily mumbled. “I-I was about to fight you during the Christmas Raid, but our late Master Jeannette shuffled the teams.”

“Yeah, I remembered that.” Zenaida said with a threatening smirk as she looked to Rikkun and I. “Those two live bugs you brought here, they are the ones who beat me.”

I forced a smile. But Rikkun just returned a cold glare.

“So…” Zenaida continued to speak. “What brings the glorious Aether Crusade here?”

“We want to borrow your Goddess Core.” Rikkun went straight to the point.

“Look, I am grateful that you returned me to my original self,” Zenaida said as her brown eyes revealed her cross sigil. “But I won’t give my treasure easily. It’s the most powerful Goddess Core in Norse Mythology, and it is said to be more powerful than Odin. I won’t give this to someone that’s not worthy.”

“Me!” Emily raised her hand.

Rikkun and Zenaida continued the conversation, completely ignoring poor Emily.

“There is someone worthy of that Goddess Core.” Then Rikkun turned to me. “It’s her.”

“W-Wha-What, m-me!?” I pointed myself. “T-There’s no way I can handle that Goddess Core!”

“You can.” Rikkun smiled brightly. “There is no other person who can fight as valiantly as you.”

Hearing Rikkun praise me makes me blush. It also makes my heart beat fast. I can’t believe Rikkun is putting so much trust in me.

But Emily is still on the background, shouting “Me! Me! Pick me!”.

Zenaida made a frown as she scanned me from head to toe. “I’m sorry, I won’t lend my Goddess Core to that shrine maiden.”