Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

On the surface of the lava, the magma churned and rumbled, sounding like the earth's roar, while flames leaped across the lava lake.

At the very bottom of the lava lake, a pair of wings were gently flapping, as if that was why the place was in such a state of storm and flame.

The enormous dragon body, bound in bandages, lay prone. Its feathers, capable of tearing apart all things, were also fiery red feathers that could burn everything. From the feathers spewed out a crimson substance that was tens of thousands of times more than water droplets, just like a massive eruption from the inside of a volcano.

This is the true form of Typhon, the progenitor of the Greek dragon.

"It will be fully recovered in three years at most."

The god's expression revealed a hint of struggle. After all, the age of gods had ended, and those who could not descend to earth with their full power could only rely on the people living in the present to fight against these crises. He could only play a guiding role.

Odin was probably also troubled. In his view, the church's affairs were not a big problem, as they were ultimately matters between humans. He was quite open-minded about the change of faith.

The biggest troubles are the resurrected Typhon and the giant god who shows signs of breaking the seal; one will destroy the world, and the other will destroy the planet.

Although these are crises that should not be dealt with by the gods of the previous era, but rather by the current human population, most gods, whether in Norse or Greek mythology, still love humanity, and Odin is no exception. Otherwise, why would he need to take action personally?

Moreover, according to Odin, the changes that occurred to Typhon and the Colossi were all related to him.

Avia was well aware of this, therefore—

"Odin, leave both the Titans and Typhon to me."

To be honest, Odin is very good at judging people. Whether it's Fafnir from the Age of Gods, Nighogd who devoured the world, Fenrir who threatened the lives of the gods, or Sigurd, the King of Warriors, he can immediately discern their true nature.

He was very interested in this human named Avia, not only because of the strong Greek aura and the aura of the primordial dragon Albion, but also because his pale blue eyes were always as calm as the sea in deep winter, no matter how you looked at them.

It's as if it should be here, but also as if it's not.

“Normally, I shouldn’t believe a complete stranger who says such things to me.” The great god nodded. “After all, it’s a huge crisis that threatens the world and the planet. But since you’ve gained favor with Greece, I will naturally believe you and that you can solve these crises.”

Born in the harsh, snow-covered north, Norse mythology, with its ending in the burning of all things, is one of the two major European mythological systems, in contrast to Greek and Roman mythology. For the world of magic, Norse mythology represents the great mythological system that ushered in the end of the Age of Gods around 1000 BC.

This claim is widely circulated.

"Thank you. I will definitely do my best to fulfill my promise."

The dark clouds had dispersed, and under the vast blue sky and the radiant sun, what appeared before the great god was a man whose entire being was filled with the fire of unwavering determination.

"Haha, you could call this a kind of experiment. Human, then do as you say and try to overcome the evil that is now reviving. If possible, I will be waiting for your arrival in Valhalla."

Accompanied by the cawing of two crows, the phantom of the great god wielding a long spear, which had emerged from the thunder, was about to depart from the thunder.

At the same time, the rune was delivered from the great god's lightning to Avia.

"Since Greece is in such a state, the Nordic countries can't be stingy either. I'll give you this rune to study."

110: What kind of mood are you in?

Grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music...

Small chairs side by side against the wall, faint light filtering through the crack in the door—

In the courtyard of the Western Roman Empire where heretics were held as hostages, a white-haired girl gazed at the blue sky outside the window and murmured something.

These are called the Seven Liberal Arts, which are taught in schools run by the church at that time. In fact, the teaching method also uses the question-and-answer method. However, the girl never let the Romans in the court ask her questions. She just memorized them and then let the man listen to them again and repeat them to her.

After all, for Attila, learning simply meant memorizing things. Although he pretended to be thinking in front of Avia, he wasn't really thinking at all.

Of course, the subjects he studied were nothing more than art, music, or philosophy, things that seemed noble but were utterly devoid of substance. Although Attila managed to memorize them, boring things are boring.

Extricating herself from the opulent royal hall and the overwhelming sense of desire that filled the entire space, she was already disliked studying, and the fact that she was always looked down upon in this place only made her feel more depressed.

If Avia were available, it would be better, because at least there would be a way to release my emotions.

However, he was gone for too long. In fact, the illusion left by Avia disappeared even earlier than he expected, vanishing after he and Siegfried destroyed Fafnir.

Although it was surprising that he hadn't returned for so long, Attila held back, though was he actually somewhat angry?

Such feelings may not necessarily exist.

As a girl who grew up in a world that revered strength and honor, Attila always felt out of place with everyone and everything in this world.

Originally, even the awareness of "I am Attila" was very weak; it was enough for him to simply obey his body's instincts and concentrate on wielding the blade.

Because no one can survive alone, humans unite to build villages, cities, and eventually nations. However, Attila felt that he was born to destroy them.

After all, there is neither heaven nor hell in this world. The distant future, whose very existence is uncertain, or the tomorrow that should be right beside us, are all extremely ambiguous, vague, and unpredictable.

Only 'death' is always equal for everyone; she simply took that step earlier than expected.

The white-haired girl didn't care whether Avia's return was necessary or due to unavoidable circumstances.

When they parted, she said, "Just in case something happens to you," and Avia replied, "I'll be back soon."

Since that's the case, he has an obligation to return... Attila will not allow Avia to commit suicide without permission.

Moreover, what if he really died alone...?

A surge of overwhelming emotion welled up from the depths of her chest. To calm herself, the white-haired girl subconsciously looked up at the sky, though she didn't know why she had this habit.

Under the vast, clear blue sky, she has been alone here for a year.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, just as Attila had hoped, just as Avia had promised to return soon.

The white-haired girl said nothing, only staring wide-eyed at the sudden surge of emotion she felt, unable to express herself or describe it in words.

As if driven by this emotion, before she could speak or think, her body had already begun to move.

Because speaking is too slow, and words are certainly insufficient to express it—

Attila, wielding the sword of the god of war, whose blade shimmered with a faint rainbow of light, swung it down with such speed that it was impossible for ordinary people to see it.

Avia leaped backward instantly to dodge the sword strike, then picked up her spear and hurled it at the white-haired girl.

A sound like ice shattering from metal clashing rang out, and the silver-haired boy's spear bounced high above the simple rooftop.

"Having been away for so long, has your strength regressed instead of increased?"

At this moment, the white-haired girl raised her long sword high, stood horizontally with the sword, and stared directly at Avia. There were only three steps between them.

Why have you been gone for so long?

Attila had a hard time swallowing those words back, because in her mind, they were words that should never be uttered.

"Attila, look around."

Avia watched Attila approach with his usual smile.

If there's something to say, say it through battle. He understands Attila's character, so respond with battle, with the power he holds in his hands.

The next moment——

The midday sun was dazzling and intense, and the view outside the window was too bright, with everything shimmering in a bright white light. Yet, this place had transformed into a dark space where a chill descended, with a faint white mist swaying gently.

Lightning bolts flashed and crisscrossed, magic bullets rained down like a storm, and an inexplicable heavy pressure appeared.

For Avia, who learned the runes given to her by Odin during this time, the time she spent entering the room was enough to transform the room into a workshop using the runes.

However, the white-haired girl's exceptional athleticism and attack prediction, coupled with the God of War's sword in her hand, were enough to dodge these Norse magic bullets. She then threw the God of War's sword onto the roof to suppress the heavy pressure and magic.

After losing their weapons, the two men neither defended nor dodged, but instead charged at each other and began to exchange punches. The two Huns began hand-to-hand combat, each punch powerful enough to tear through the tough skin of a dragon.

With an extremely natural posture, Avia lightly sprang up with her right foot, her figure falling straight down towards Attila on the ground as if she were falling from the sky.

At the same time, the white-haired girl leaped up from the ground, and the two launched their final attack.

As always, the girl lost, but for the first time, her defeat was not due to illusion.

"See? I did what I said I would do. Now I've beaten you fair and square, Attila."

"......Yes."

There was nothing to reply to.

Although she had nothing to say in response, the white-haired girl was unwilling to remain silent, so she only said this one sentence, which made Avia, who was seeing her like this for the first time, unable to help but laugh.

She looked up at the smiling person, and naturally, a smile of pure joy also appeared on her face.

Was it because he came back, or because he defeated himself?

I don't know which one it is.

But no matter what it was, she wanted to say those words when she saw him return.

I hope to say this, and I hope to greet him with this smile.

"You're back."

Looking into those red eyes, Avia smiled calmly.

"Um... I'm back."

111: The Crisis of the Fifth Century: Origins

In 422 AD, a year after Avia returned to Milan, the capital of the Western Roman Empire, in Gaul, in a mountain range in the Alps, within the territory of the Western Roman Empire.

The current governor of Gaul is here with the local Roman army to deal with a rebellion that has been raging in the empire for many years.

Above the silver sky and the blindingly white earth, many dissatisfied people squatted on the steep western slope.

As early as the late 2nd century AD, the Roman Empire, before its division, was already experiencing a severe socio-economic crisis.

Because they had long possessed most of the resources of the Mediterranean world, the core population tended to become corrupt.

Whether it was citizens enjoying bread and economic prosperity in the cities or retired soldiers receiving pensions and land, they were consuming enormous resources at an alarming rate. If it weren't for the convenient sea transport throughout the Mediterranean, the Roman reforms in administration, and the spread of Christianity, this situation might have plunged the empire into crisis just a few decades after its founding.

Even with ongoing church funding, gradual corruption led to cuts in welfare benefits at each level, and as the gap between the rich and poor widened, the proportion of the extremely poor began to increase exponentially.

Thus, 27 years after the empire split and after losing the east for many years, an uprising naturally broke out, instigated by certain members of the Clock Tower, the Dead, and some Germans.

It is known as the "Bago Movement".

Ultimately, the Gallic governor, completely unaware of the trap, suffered a crushing defeat. The rebels acquired a large amount of regular army weapons and armaments. With the complete annihilation of the church branches on the island of Britain, the local exploited tribes were also plotting with the remaining fantasy race. Meanwhile, in the border regions, Germanic peoples supported them.

Therefore, the Gallo region, where the 'Bagada Movement' was located, did not have any serious concerns about its future.

When the uprising reached the Western Roman Empire, Avia, who was staying in Milan with Attila, realized that his life as a 'hostage' with the white-haired girl was over.

Because the current Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III is only three years old, the Western Roman government is currently controlled by the Church headquarters in Rome, which supports secession.

Upon hearing of the 'Bagado Movement,' the cardinal in Milan immediately dispatched the Roman Praetorian Guard, which still exists today.

Given that the Praetorian Guard, under the rule of Lucius Zionovia and through a series of reforms, maintained the Christian faith and the licensed 'Mars' faith, rotating from all over the country every three years, it remained the most powerful central legion in the Roman Empire for many years.

At the same time, Attila and Avia, who had come to the Western Roman Empire, were released, and Aetius, who was being held hostage by the Huns, was ordered to return to command the Praetorian Guard in suppressing the rebellion.

Aetius joined the army as a child, becoming the youngest soldier in the Roman army. He rose quickly to the Praetorian Guard due to his outstanding abilities and became a candidate for the next leader because of his devout faith. Such a person should not have been sent as a 'hostage' to the land of barbarians in the eyes of the Western Roman Empire.

But like Attila the Scourge of God, Aetius, hailed as the "last Roman," went voluntarily to what was considered barbaric lands.

In fact, the three of them had spent some time together, because Aetius went to the Hunnic tribes some time after Attila and Avia arrived in the Western Roman Empire.

Forgetting how to protect one's arrogance will one day lead to defeat, and thus, the Rome of today will one day be destroyed.

Aetius once said this in private to two Huns he had only recently met, which was quite disrespectful.

For this country, which has lost its original foundation and is now completely controlled by a church that has gradually become somewhat strange, this is an inevitable future, and perhaps it will happen in the near future, while I am still alive... I have this premonition.

Even so, we must fight to the last moment, never give up hope, and strive to find a way, even if we struggle until death, just like our predecessors who upheld their principles until death, full of honor, never succumbing to inevitable despair, never tarnishing the principles that make us human, and persisting until the end of our lives, so that the most basic covenant called good can continue.

Aetius, who, despite being a mere human, led a declining empire's army to defeat the Hunnic Empire led by the giant-headed being, truly impressed Avia with his words.

He also understood that Aetius was the last hope for the crumbling Western Roman Emperor, but unfortunately, Avia intended to destroy the Western Roman Empire, even if it meant slaughtering everyone. The fact that the foundation had been corrupted was undeniable, and it was now beyond redemption.

Trampling the world brings death.

.......

Whether it's the Qihuang that the Demon Marshal mentioned possesses holy scriptures and 'faith,' or the giant god breaking free from its seal and Typhon's resurgence mentioned by Odin, Avia believes that the simplest of these three things is probably Typhon. Although it will still take about two years, it's better to resolve it sooner rather than later.

Therefore, after leaving Milan, Avia told Attila to go back first, as she had things to do. The white-haired girl didn't seem to care much, since she wasn't one to ask many questions. She simply said, "It doesn't matter, just don't die," and then went back to the Hunnic tribe on her own.

The volcanic cone spews lava and volcanic ash, creating spectacular lava flows and ash clouds. The lava, like a fiery river, surges from the crater and flows slowly downhill, its fiery red color contrasting sharply with the surrounding black volcanic cone.

This is Mount Etna in Sicily, the very battlefield where Zeus, the Greek god-king, killed and sealed Typhon, the progenitor of the dragons.

Mount Etna seemed to become even more active in an instant because of Avia's arrival, giving the impression that it was about to erupt at any moment. Lava flows and volcanic ash clouds spread across the silver wings covering the sky, dyeing the entire sky a deep, blood-red color.