A cold canopy dropped from the sky, a death-shadow that severed the beast tide’s first charge. Spears punched through bodies and dragged them backward. Corpses tumbled, tripping more beasts. The black surf stalled like it hit a painted baseline.

“Blow those wolf brats to pieces!”

The one-eyed Valkyrie bellowed. Her lone eye flared bluish-green. Her mood spiked as the cold canopy fell. She blasted the general Aether channel, not caring who heard.

The heavy-armored Valkyries bared cold smiles. Rarely did Brynhildr grant them this mass-kill weapon. How could they not unleash it? Before, these tools saw use only under Brynhildr’s guard, as test pieces. Even javelins were rare; the “Iron Curtain” hardly ever came out.

But today, the “Iron Curtain” came down cold.

Aether flooded their armor, a quicksilver river that lit sigils. Processed signals rippled through Aether comms. The iron spears that had skewered beasts unfurled in a snap. A blizzard of blades sprang from inside and spun. Not-yet-dead beasts became minced flesh in an instant.

Earlier javelins had clogged the rush. Many beasts couldn’t pass the fallen elites. The inhuman minds behind the horde finally realized fodder couldn’t dent the Valkyrie domain. They pushed hulking elite beasts to the front. That proud move turned stupid, and the herd met annihilation.

Great swathes of the horde fell beneath the “Iron Curtain” reap. In the black tide, chill mountain ridges rose like iron. Waves split on those unmoving ranges and broke to bone dust.

Beasts hiding behind the big corpses didn’t even know why. They clawed at the fallen giants, trying to climb. Then the cold “Iron Curtain” churned in. Bodies shredded; blood and meat flew in a fan of red petals.

It was a giant meat grinder, a mill that turned every charging beast into pulp.

“Detonate.”

“Detonate.”

The heavy-armored Valkyries spoke, and their voices became Aether signals. Those signals rode to the deployed “Iron Curtains” like bright fish. Spinning blades paused for a heartbeat. Inside, etched Aether crystals filled to bursting. Metal jaws pressed from both sides and crushed them.

The next moment was Aether’s revelry, a white festival. A micro Aether field compressed brutal power into a needlepoint. Each “Iron Curtain” held less than you’d think. Even compressed, it matched several old-world missiles. But they were named “Curtains” for a reason. They fell in waves.

Each iron rod lit with a “warm” white glow, a winter sun in steel. Interlocked javelins erupted in overlapping tides of death. Pure white light stabbed beast eyes with needles. With that light came a scything force, a storm that leveled sapling and bone. Alternating Aether surges humped the ground like boiling backs. The glow swallowed the beasts clawing for the baseline.

The will behind the horde hadn’t imagined this price. A first repulse was within expectation. Even without Brynhildr, the horde had never pierced the Valkyrie domain’s Aether barrier. This time, they were thrown back hundreds of meters.

Attack rolled in waves, no rest, like tide after tide. If the herd dared to charge, it fell to Valkyrie steel. The Valkyries stayed cool as moonlight. Before the Aether fog cleared, weapons and formation held the line. After it thinned, wide-area weapons sang.

“We’re not done.” Medusa felt bright as frost-lit dawn. “Elites are more now, sure. They’re only a few tiers above fodder. The beasts that can wrestle a Valkyrie still won’t show. Sisters on fire support need to press harder.”

Medusa’s mood soared at the iron rain. A rare chance to wield such force stoked the heart. The first volley sang with stunning effect.

“We could just stand here and watch them set off fireworks.” Haoyin’s mouth said it. Her feet never slowed. Desire flickered, but caution led. You only watch “fireworks” from safety inside the Valkyrie domain.

They trusted their sisters. No one would blanket-fire while they were outside the safe zone. But the one-eyed Valkyrie might get high on war and toss something nasty.

They knew that war maniac’s nature. Before Brynhildr, she was a model lady, quiet and neat. On the field, she was born for war. Under her, the Valkyries moved as one. Execution almost matched Brynhildr’s. The unit became a roaring war engine.

“You finally made it back. I missed you, Haoyin.” A slender figure appeared ahead, a willow curve in armor. Even standing, she radiated feminine charm. Flora, without a doubt. She smiled and opened both hands. At once, ribbon-like bands lashed out like dancing cloth. They swept the two runners up before protest. A huge pull wrapped Haoyin, rough but not enough to hurt.

Flora took a few quick steps, then launched with a whoosh past sound. Her speed dwarfed the two runners many times over. That’s why she had tied them to herself with those ribbons. At full sprint, Flora was a blur the eye couldn’t catch.

Hanging behind, Medusa and Haoyin didn’t dare speak. Open a mouth, and the headwind would stuff it full. No one wanted that look. The lesson traced back to childhood. Many Valkyries had eaten wind under Flora and wore the shadow for years.

“Here. You can get down.”

Was it a minute, two? They couldn’t tell. Flora’s speed and gift warped their sense of time. Their thoughts thinned to a single line.

“Eh—w-we’re back already?” Medusa had already loosed the ribbons. Haoyin still looked woozy, floating on speed. Unlike Medusa, she hadn’t been “tormented” often by Flora.

Nearby Valkyries saw Haoyin’s face and chuckled. A little schadenfreude warmed their smiles. They’d tasted Flora’s rush too. Their laughs barely lasted a breath. The one-eyed Valkyrie’s voice snapped them to the line.

“Laugh, laugh—what are you laughing at? Aim and fire. Let one through, and I’ll make you strip the armor and brawl!”

The grinning Valkyries jolted and raised their guns. They sighted the forward line with hawk focus. Three quick loads spat crimson crystal rounds. The burst stitched a distant sea of fire across the plain.

They knew she meant it. Brynhildr had handed down command. In training, this one said it once and made it real. If she promised to throw you onto the field, she’d grab you by the scruff.

“Lori, get over here and take your partner.” Flora huffed a laugh and tugged the ribbons with Aether. She flicked the still-dazed Haoyin toward the side. Lori lunged in and caught her, afraid Flora would bounce her off the ground. Haoyin stayed woozy, eyes fogged, and didn’t wake.