Nidhogg lifted the Graveyard Shadow into the air, then swung his Golden Halberd again, striking the shadow and slamming it viciously into a boulder. The rock shattered instantly!
Stones flew everywhere. Nidhogg pinned the Graveyard Shadow to the ground with his halberd, about to raise it again and strike with the axe blade, when he heard the sound of air splitting beside him.
In an instant, the other Graveyard Shadow, mantis-like, swung its two swords and struck at Nidhogg!
The dual knives came down. Nidhogg didn't panic. Bloodhound's Fang swept in a circular arc, and with a clang, clashed with the Graveyard Shadow's knives. Using the momentum, he backflipped away.
As soon as he landed, the other Graveyard Shadow also leaped up.
So the two Graveyard Shadows charged at Nidhogg together. Four sharp knives danced furiously.
At the same time, a cloud of green light condensed above their heads. It was clear they were about to unleash the green light to immobilize Nidhogg as well.
CRASH—!
At that moment, Ingvall, no longer immobilized, swung his halberd and spun up a whirlwind on the spot. His entire body suddenly leaped, ready to jump and strike, cleaving one of the Graveyard Shadows!
The Graveyard Shadow raised its two knives to block, but it couldn't stop this thunderous blow. It was knocked to the ground by Ingvall's halberd!
Nice one!
Nidhogg cheered inwardly.
The other Graveyard Shadow turned. The green light above its head was about to shine on Ingvall, who was nearby.
FWOOSH—!
Nidhogg suddenly burst into the fray with Bloodhound's Step. The Golden Halberd in his hand shot out swiftly, striking the Graveyard Shadow's head and knocking its head aside. The immobilizing green light also reflected away, hitting a nearby lake.
Nidhogg immediately withdrew his Golden Halberd, slashed diagonally upward, cutting into the Graveyard Shadow's side and lifting it again.
CRASH—!
As the Graveyard Shadow crashed to the ground once more, Nidhogg charged forward and struck with another halberd blow!
This time, he heard only a sharp crack. The tall, thin body of the Graveyard Shadow was finally cleaved in two by him!
FWOOSH—!
The Graveyard Shadow dissolved into points of light and scattered.
One Graveyard Shadow down.
Nidhogg turned and saw Ingvall locked in an intense struggle with the other Graveyard Shadow. Halberd and dual knives clashed repeatedly.
The Graveyard Shadow occasionally used ghostly teleportation, and Ingvall couldn't stop it for the time being.
He was about to go help when he saw the branches and leaves trembling in the treetops ahead. Then a man dropped down.
The man was tall and strong, with a rather resolute face. He carried a greatsword. He stood and looked at Nidhogg.
Nidhogg looked at him and couldn't help but be stunned. Then they looked at each other and smiled. They acted together in perfect, unspoken coordination!
They charged left and right, like galloping horses, toward the Graveyard Shadow.
The Graveyard Shadow, fighting Ingvall, once again transformed into a black shadow and teleported away, landing in one spot and rematerializing.
It hadn't expected that its landing point would be predicted by both of them. It was about to be attacked from both sides!
Nidhogg leaned slightly, and the axe blade of his Golden Halberd struck the Graveyard Shadow's waist and abdomen!
At the same time, the other man's greatsword suddenly crashed down on the Graveyard Shadow's head!
FWOOSH—!
With a sharp sound, almost simultaneously, the Graveyard Shadow was cleaved by halberd and sword and instantly split into three parts!
Soon, that Graveyard Shadow also dissolved into smoke and scattered.
The young man—Guts—slung his greatsword over his shoulder, watched this strange scene, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Guts, help me deal with these skeletal soldiers." Nidhogg ordered without ceremony. "Kill them once. When the skeletons shudder and try to resurrect, cut them again. They'll die completely."
"Alright." Guts agreed decisively, not asking why these creatures were there or why they could resurrect.
He simply trusted that Nidhogg wouldn't lie to him.
They split up and charged out, heading for the three skeletal soldiers.
The three Lone Wolves clearly didn't know the skeletal soldiers' weakness and were still biting them over and over.
But precisely because of them, the skeletal soldiers were delayed, preventing them from supporting the Graveyard Shadows.
Now Nidhogg and Guts had arrived. Knowing the skeletal soldiers' weakness, they struck each one twice. In the end, all three skeletal soldiers were killed.
After the battle, Ingvall and the Lone Wolves vanished and returned to the Spirit Calling Bell.
「Quest」 Defeated: Graveyard Shadow x2, Skeletal Soldier x3
「Reward」 Acquired: Twin Sage Sorcerer Ashes / "Headless Knight" Lhutel Ashes
Nidhogg looked at the two newly acquired spirit ashes and felt quite satisfied.
Twin Sage Sorcerer—a sorcerer in a hood with two headpieces. It was said to help boost intelligence.
So he gained ranged capabilities, though the body might be a bit fragile.
"Headless Knight" Lhutel—as the name suggested, a headless knight who used a spear and shield and could occasionally teleport.
Because Lhutel could teleport, there were sometimes situations where the summoner charged ahead while Lhutel waited for an opening, jokingly earning her the nickname "Fishing Knight."
At this moment, Nidhogg finally had time. He walked over to Guts and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
"That's what I want to ask you. Why are you here?" Guts sheathed his sword, put his hands on his hips, and asked, "And why are you dressed like an assassin? Are you serving some prince or noble?"
Nidhogg grabbed the cloak of his Confessor Set, shook it, and smiled. "I just happened to pick up this outfit and put it on."
"I guess so." Guts shook his head, then frowned. "Those things just now... What was that? I saw you fighting them from a distance and jumped in without thinking."
"It's a long story," Nidhogg replied.
Hearing such a strange answer from Nidhogg, and recalling their previous battle, Guts couldn't help but remember "Zodd the Immortal," whom he had encountered months ago.
That was an inhuman monster.
At the time, if Zodd hadn't seen the strange stone on Griffith's body, the main force of the entire Hawk Company might have collapsed there.
From that moment on, Guts's worldview had begun to crumble.
"In that case, come with me. Let's find a safe place, sit down, and talk slowly." Guts pointed in a certain direction. "Through this forest, on the hill, there's a house."
"A blacksmith and his daughter live in that house. I'm staying with them for now."
"Come with me. I think they won't mind taking in one more person. You'll just have to chop wood and build fires occasionally."
A blacksmith and his daughter?
Nidhogg immediately knew where he was.
This was the very mountain where Guts had trained in seclusion. It was also near the residence of the blacksmith Godo and his daughter Erica.
He agreed, followed Guts through the forest, up the slope, and sure enough, saw several wooden houses built together. In the distance, they could hear the clang of hammers on stone.