Chapter 457 Part 2
Achilles POV
Been awhile since I've been in a battle like this! It reminded me of how chaotic Troy really was even with all the effort it took to siege those stupidly big walls of theirs.
The difference being that the Gods weren't just sitting high up and acting like puppet masters. Rather, they were down there on the fields, bleeding and fighting with everyone else.
Big Bird's reinforcements were not being handled too well by these guys. Didn't seem like they had any air support, but I guess that's not something to mention. Magic and stuff can make up for that easily and the powerful ones won't be put down by a few thousand birds – admittedly strong ones among their number – attacking them.
I looked for my own 'spot' to set down and help out. Didn't wanna interfere in anyone else's fight and regardless of how confident I was, I may be a little bit weakened here from burning some of my Spirit Origin.
Should recover enough with some time, and maybe the dick can lend a hand, but I should probably take it a little easy. Sis is gonna shoot my ass with arrows if I push myself too much here.
Found a good spot and I noticed a kid using something really familiar. Something I didn't expect to see out in this part of the world.
Were those Greek weapons and Armor?
Damn, gotta check that out.
I jumped off my chariot and hit the ground with a big shockwave, immediately my spear shot out and pierced through one of those trolls.
Ugly bastards, it was doing the world a favor to put them down.
I landed a little ways away from the kid I saw, but it was still close enough that I just had to run. Everything between me and him was swept up in the whirlwind that I kicked up in my wake.
Bodies of Trolls, Undead and other nasty things went flying and shattering on impact.
I stood in front of the kid who froze as I appeared in front of him.
He had a Xiphos in one hand and a shield in another. A familiar shield, it reminded me of the ones my Myrmidons used. In fact, that was exactly what it was, not a fake or recreation, I could tell at a glance.
That thing was the real deal.
Huh, ain't that something surprising?
There was blood on his blade, and scratches on his shield. Both fresh, so I wasn't gonna get mad about him using something like that. If he puts them to proper use, then that's all the respect that's needed.
Though, something was missing.
"Where's your spear, brat?" I looked at him.
"Wah?"
"Your spear!" I turned my own spear sideways and lightly smacked his helmet. "A Myrmidon carries three weapons, their Spear, their sword, and their shields!"
"H-how did you know that I was a Myrmidon?"
"Heh, ain't it obvious?" I chuckled. "The sword is the secondary weapon, your spear is your best friend, it's your lover, it's your mother. You take care of her, she may leave you during a battle, but until that time, she's your most treasured possession. The only time you should lose your spear is when It breaks or it's in the heart of an enemy worthy of it! Did no one teach you that?"
"No." He shook his head.
"Jeez, what's the world coming too?" I sighed. "What's your name, kid?" I looked to the side and let my spear strike out at a few of those Undead that were running towards us.
"A-Achilles."
I stopped dead in my tracks. "Say that again?"
"My name is Achilles!" He repeated himself.
"…..that's a lofty name to use, kid."
"I know." Hmm, he was a bit self-conscious about it?
"Who gave you that name?"
"It was my Great Grandma, the Goddess Thetis I-I'm the spirit Inheritor of him, and she wanted me to live up to his legend." He awkwardly stood up straighter.
"Thetis…..the Goddess, she's still around and kicking?" I know it was a taboo thing to do, but I completely lost focus on the fightin around me.
"Yes." He nodded. "She was the one who taught me how to use a sword. Grandma…..erm…"
Shit, I don't know if I have good or bad luck anymore…
"If you're gonna call yourself Achilles, then you need more confidence." I smacked his shoulder. "Stand up straight, talk properly. Look a man in the eye when you speak to him. And for the God's sake, pick up a spear! My friends would be rolling in their graves if they knew you were running around without a spear!"
I turned my back to him, evaluating the battlefield around me until I found a suitable target. A big guy, a Giant that was throwing around a bunch of those Norse folks and a Valkyrie or two along with them.
"Achilles was known for two things, his speed and his skill. But I'll tell you a secret, skill-wise, he'd lose out to a few people. Not to say he wasn't one of the most skilled warriors to ever live." If I do say so for myself. "And while his speed was his ace, most people overlooked his accuracy. His spear was known as the Hero-Killer for a reason, kid." I reeled back my arm and threw my spear.
It turned into a streak of light, coating in my Magical Energy as it pierced through the chaotic battlefield. Barely missing bodies, soaring under blades, narrowly passing by friendlies until a certain Giant noticed and turned his head in a panic only for his body to jerk backwards and my spear piercing right through his heart and out the back of his body.
I held my hand out and my spear returned to me from where it had landed, before I slammed the base of it into the ground.
"That's why Myrmidons all use spears."
"…who are you?" He looked at me in amazement.
I gave him a proper Greek greeting as I pat my chest with my fist. "Son of the Hero Peleus and Goddess Thetis, the Great Hero Achilles."
[***]
Odin POV
How the tables turn.
Well, not entirely, we're still in a pretty crappy situation, but it's more equal now.
The Brat disappeared with the Titan asshole, but I felt like he could handle himself. Or at the very least, he should survive. Seemed like he had a dog in that fight and I wasn't gonna tell him no when he was already helping by taking him out of the game this early.
The only issue was that I felt like that's where my Spear was. It wouldn't come when I called, I could feel it close by, yet utterly out of reach, and it wouldn't budge. The only thing off the top of my head that would give me this kind of sensation is if that Titan Bastard sealed It away with his Control over Time.
Annoying.
I looked at the spear I was currently holding, and the bit of blood on the spear tip, the blood of Loki, my smile slowly widening.
It was a very good spear even if I prefer my own.
I dipped my finger into the blood and wrote a string of Runes down the shaft.
Whipping it back, the muscles in my arm bulged, and I threw it as hard as I could. "ᛒᛚᛟᛟᛞ ᛏᛟ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛟᚱᛁᚷᛁᚾ"
It went right for the World Wolf.
The Beast was snarling with rage at Big Bird and Red Deer over there, it barely had time to notice the spear approach. Though, I don't think it ever stopped keeping me in its vision.
It was about to react, until the spear turned 90 Degrees, and continued to maneuver around the battlefield at unnatural angles until it found an unsuspecting Giant. A bit on the smaller side, but its eyes widened as the spear approached.
It stopped what it was doing, throwing up far too many spells with far too much skill for a mere Giant grunt.
The Spear of the Rune Witch collided with the Spells cast by a being equivalent to a God of Magic.
They shuddered and shattered one by one, and finally, the Giant roared with an explosion of Magic at the center. The Giant fell to a knee, and as if unraveling, the Giant's skin peeled away, revealing only to be an illusion expertly woven that could even fool my eye on the surface.
Loki glared my way, panting a mite, and with a bit of blood flowing down his forehead.
The Spear returned to my hand the same way it left it.
"Clever." Loki's nostrils flared, his voice reaching me, and I could tell that the link between the blood I had on the spear and himself was severed.
Oh well, I didn't expect much. And that wasn't my main purpose for doing this.
Loki was now preoccupied and a hammer wreathed in lightning came right for his face.
All according to plan! Or something, I was flying by the seat of my pants right now to be honest.
"Send out our reserves." I ordered.
"Are you sure?' Freyja looked at me.
I studied the battlefield again, pursing my lips. "This will be our only opportunity to clench a victory, we can't hold anything back."
Freyja nodded, holding her hands up and dozens of Valkyries flew across the skies, the roars of another few hundred thousand Warriors was heard as they charged through the Gates towards the front lines.
"Heimdal, prepare for the plan, The Wall Falls." I ordered.
Freyja snapped her head at me. "You want to abandon our defenses!?"
"All in baby!" I merely laughed.
Though, it was probably our only opportunity. We would, without a doubt, lose a prolonged fight. They would exhaust our Warriors through sheer numbers with their larger reserves of fodder. Our chance is to gain the advantage on the quality side of things, that is, to have more big hitters by the end of the day than they do.
"Tyr, pull in. Heimdall, send half your soldiers to reinforce the brats further to the right. Thor, don't let them notice, call upon your warriors and charge forward. Vidar, hold the line just as you're doing. Ullr, You're doing the same as Thor on the left."
It hurt my heart to sacrifice a significant number of warriors under Thor and Ullr, but in war, sacrifices had to be made. It was no time to be emotional, I would mourn them after we won this fight.
"Sif, tell Big Bird to use his flying rodents to only attack the furthest lines away from the walls." I swept my gaze around, looking for Loki, only to see him playing tag with Thor as Thor expertly followed my orders despite keeping his brother preoccupied.
My son may be a simple boy, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to walk a battlefield!
The Battlefield was swiftly moving as I envisioned.
"Hey Old Bastard Elf."
"What do you want, Odin? Some of us are actually busy with important stuff." The Old Elf's voice came out through Muninn.
"And here I was going to ask you to take pot shots at Loki."
"…Orders received, All-Father." He sounded very happy.
He somehow managed to get those shots from the bow down to something moderate, and I would use that term loosely. But while they still lit up the battlefield everywhere they passed, it was a far cry from the first shot that occurred originally.
And Loki was starting to get pissed, I could just tell.
As much as Loki liked to poke at other beings about being less intelligent than he was, he also had bouts of blind arrogance, mostly when you angered him enough. He had a bit of a temper even if it didn't normally flare hot.
Thor sitting on his ass and the Old Elf using that absurd Bow to take shots at him? Loki was going to be seething far too much to notice the shifts happening around him.
I knew that it would soon be my time to join the fight, thus, last-minute preparations were a must.
Hel was fine where she was, and everyone else was in good enough positions.
Thankfully, I never discussed this with Loki around. It was a small thing, but small things often turn the side of battle.
Loki knew, too, the basics, but I'm sure he never thought much about it. Why it was, that with such a powerful 'shield' around Asgard, that those living inside can come and go throughout the battle. Of course, it 'registers' them upon activation and Freyja here was controlling it so she could 'manually' add people on the fly.
"For Asgard." She whispered, throwing her hands up.
The Barrier started churning with different colors. If you looked very closely, you could see all the Runes that flowed down its ethereal borders.
It was truly a work of art as far as Magics went. Something we created centuries ago and held all this time.
The Barrier that shimmered gold turned red and began to expand outwards.
The first to touch it was one of those stupid Trolls.
The idiotic thing looked confused and happy that it could finally reach Asgard's border and start attacking it.
It raised its wooden club up, intent on slamming it down, but the Barrier swept over it, and where it passed, dust drifted off into the wind.
Many more suffered similar fates.
Draugr, Trolls, all the little creatures and monsters that Loki managed to sway out of the holes they belonged in.
Of course, our warriors were safe. It splashed harmlessly across them and continued onwards, not even tickling the hairs on their skin.
Even lesser Giants weren't safe.
One in particular, the first of its kind to test its mettle against Asgard's Sorcery, lost its arm as it attempted to punch the barrier into pieces.
It did not work out as it had hoped.
Perhaps the Giant's roar of pain and confusion was what prompted the secondary shift in the battlefield as our foes realized the immediate threat.
It kept going until a large pillar of ice slammed down on the side, halting its advance. On another side, A second deathly frost emerged, holding it from advancing further.
Several more appearances by the remaining Warlords allowed it to gain no further ground and it began to crack.
There was no use crying over spilled milk.
The barrier wouldn't have lasted much longer anyways, we had to overload it for this little maneuver.
Even as it cracked and shattered across the battlefield, leaving everyone feeling a sense of loss, I didn't let my expression change.
I was about to open my mouth, but someone beat me to it.
"For Asgard!" Thor let out a thunderous roar, hitting the nearest Giant across the face. He further raised his hammer up to the sky, summoning the Thunder as per his title. The Dark clouds answered his call and lightning began to descend upon every enemy in his vicinity.
I couldn't help but feel pride.
That's my boy.
Only the arrival of a large Green Serpent that dipped in and out of the clouds made entirely of Magic did it abate and refocus on the Magic God that was his enemy.
Heimdall raised his sword and charged out. "For Asgard!"
Tyr pulled his sword free from Kari – The Tempest that had been swinging around that Anchor of his. "For Asgard!"
Vidar who planted his foot firmly into the ground to deflect a swing of his Brother – Baldur's blade. He abandoned his sword mid strike, and his fist landed upon his brother's cheek, sending my stupid son dozens of feet back with a swollen lip. "For Asgard!" He called out just as the others had.
It was enough to initiate a Third Wind on top of the Second Wind that the reinforcements brought.
Along with perhaps a third of the enemies' forces being annihilated from sacrificing our Barrier, things swung heavily into our favor.
There wouldn't be another one after this, it was all or nothing.
"For Asgard." I said softly, focusing my gaze solely on my fated foe.
Hræsvelgr was doing well to give the World Wolf everything it deserved, but despite the Big Bird's arrogance, he wouldn't be winning the fight.
If not for the fact that Big Bird had the aerial advantage, it would be significantly more one sided.
The Wolf opened its large maw, and my chance came.
I gathered everything I had. All my Divine Power, all my Strength, my Runes that were etched into my very being shined brightly.
"Odin!" I heard Freyja shout in surprise.
And I thrusted.
I pierced through the Battlefield, through the bloodlust that littered the fallen corpses of my brethren and foes alike.
Through the winds summoned by the Bird King, and through the Frosts summoned by Jotunheim.
I allowed myself to be carried along.
Closer and closer, the World Wolf also noticed my approach until I was but a mere breath away, my eye staring into his bloodshot irises.
The Wolf redirected its attempt to devour the Bird onto me, and it met my spear head on.
I felt my clothing getting ripped around my arms, my hair blown back, and its fangs scraping against my skin, but it would not find me this easily!
I would be defiant to my last breath. While my children fought for their survival, for the survival of our home, I put my soul into this strike. Everything I had to let this beast know that it would not find anything but defeat upon this battlefield.
Words to know that before it stood not its prey, but its doom!
"I AM ODIN!"
Its maw that could devour the world was found wanting.
And the mighty World Wolf was pushed back.
Its sharp claws dug into the ground, tearing up the very earth as it was pushed back dozens of yards.
It growled at me from the distance that appeared.
I slammed my spear upon earth sending out a shockwave. "You are my opponent!"
I ripped the tattered clothes covering my chest and threw them to the side. I stood up straighter than I had in a very long time. I felt my muscles tense in anticipation and worry.
Never before had I been weaker.
But right at this moment, I felt the strongest I have since Frigga stood by my side.
If today is my day, my children will see their father stand unwavering.
"Odin!"
"Odin!"
"Odin!"
"Odin!"
"Is that the best you can do, you mutt!?" I roared. "Freyja can swallow better than you, hahaha!"
"Why are you like this!?" One single feminine screech amongst the cheers that raised my fighting spirit.
Because when death stares you in the face, just laugh!
Hræsvelgr Swept up the winds around us. "All-Father, let us fight together!"
"I would be honored." I grinned savagely.
Despite my pride, I was in no position to deny help from him. And for some reason I felt that ever so slightly, fate was smiling upon me.
One man, One spear.
Gae Bolg was a beautiful instrument of killing, and I would have to thank the Rune Witch after this.
For while its tip was not unmissing, but it had an uncanny ability to properly find its target.
And with a thrust, the World Wolf roared, its foul blood dripped down the spear tip!
It charged at me, and I ran at it with a furious howl that dwarfed its own.
It did not matter that its claws tore the earth asunder with each step and left me debilitated as I tried my best to block. It did not matter that I barely escaped its maw after it devoured a thousand Warriors with but a gesture.
My spear still found its flesh!
Even as its paw slapped me to the ground, forcing me to vomit a mouthful of blood with my innards shaking, I stood back up. It was about to pounce on me, but Hræsvelgr's razor sharp Talons kept the Wolf from continuing a follow up, giving me an opportunity to rejoin the fray after every blow.
A dive by the Eagle, and fur and flesh of the wolf on its back was rended.
A thrust of my spear, and the Wolf was forced to jump back lest it lose an eye.
However, just as we took from it, it too abandoned all sense of self preservation.
It spit out feathers from the Eagle King's, taking out a large chunk of one of its wings. The Eagle King fell from the skies and hit the ground.
My Muscles bulged on my right arm, and I gathered my Godly strength, landing a punch upon the Wolf's cheek.
One of its sharp teeth went flying, but its bloodshot eyes only shined with a continued fury and madness as it whipped back around and tried to devour me once more. A mountain-size gorge opened up, nearly taking me whole as I narrowly cast a spell to push myself out of the way.
A hurricane-like wind slammed into the World Wolf, knocking it flat on its ass and I stabbed it in its leg before haggardly dodging a stomp that created an earthquake as it got back up.
The Bird king was far from defeated with just that, but I was worried it did not have any real experience fighting powerful foes such as this.
"Give me a moment!" I shouted.
The Eagle King didn't argue, and it forced itself up into the sky and dive bombed the wolf. It tucked its massive wings in, and used its winds to accelerate and rotate itself like a tornado as it shot at the Wolf
I took my own blood and drew the Runes in the Air.
The Brat called these Primordial Runes.
Heh, to me, they were just Runes.
But even I couldn't use them casually and constantly to do what I was about to do.
"Upon my Authority, I call upon a moment across Time. By my name of O̴͓̺̥̙͇͂̆͑̀͌d̵̪̫͖̲̭̠͉̝̻̲̯̞̊̾̊̂̅̔̀͂i̶̢͋̀̓̐̒͒̃̅͊͑̎̅̈́ņ̴̻͖̳̜̳͉̫̠̥̮̓̀̏̓̈́͜ͅ the World is called upon to answer my will! Beyond Fate, beyond Cause and Effect, let what happened in my memories become the truth before my eyes."
I offered upon it my Essence.
A Ritual of offering using my own self. The older form of Magic in existence, even to someone like me. To gain, one has to sacrifice in return.
The Bird King forced the Wolf to dodge, even if it still got swept up and suffered a wound. Likewise, the Wolf Wolf's claw raked across the Bird's body, equalizing the damage done, but the Bird King hit the ground hard and struggled to stand back up properly.
My Magic, My Divinity, My Essence went in to fuel this spell.
I threw my hand up. "ᛚᛟᚲᚴ!"
Four Runic Circles appeared under the Wolf King's feet, forcing it to the ground.
It roared and raged against the constraints, but it was merely a temporary spell to follow up on the remainder.
One of its paws broke free, shattering the additional spell I cast to hold it still.
However! A bright light overcame our sight, a familiar arrow of light came soaring for the World Wolf's head.
The Wolf knew that light, it feared that light.
It couldn't move from its spot in time, so it pushed its body to the ground to avoid it, letting it soar harmlessly over its head, but that was more than enough time.
I would kiss that Old Elf after this was done!
"ᚲᚺᚨᛁᚾᛋ ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ᛏᛁᛗᛖ ᛒᛖᚠᛟᚱᛖ, ᚨᛈᛈᛖᚨᚱ ᚨᚾᛞ ᚱᛖᛋᛏᚱᛁᚲᛏ"
My Magic, My Divinity, My Essence went in to fuel this spell.
I pulled from a moment of time many centuries ago. A singular moment to appear atop the Wolf.
At a moment where it was still bound by the Chains it could not escape. Where the Truth of yesteryear replaced the truth of today, where Casualty was reworked, where Time was shifted, and Fate had stepped to the side.
That is to say, The World Wolf was forced to abide by a moment I had called upon.
I felt like my eye were going to melt in my own damn head.
If I was in my prime, this would have still been difficult! But this damn Wolf was suppressing much of my strength.
I bit my tongue and spat out more blood, fueling the spell with more of my Divine Power, more of my Essence.
It manifested, overlaying atop of the wolf and I had to forsake the optimal effect and with the struggling of the world, I forced it instead to latch onto its front left leg, rather than a collar around its neck.
It roared furiously, recognizing the chains that once held it since its birth. The chains that it only escaped because Loki aided it through some unknown means.
It was bound!
But that didn't mean it was defeated!
I used more of my ever-decreasing strength to yank the Divine Chains down through the spell that linked across time and space, and it forced the World Wolf to the ground!
My Spear then shot out, finding its target true.
The Deathly edge of Gae Bolg took the left Eye of the World Wolf!
Its blood curdling howl caused the weakest across the battlefield to faint.
I felt it reverberate through my soul.
"Father!"
My head jerked to the side, and I saw Loki's dagger coming for my own eye.
I spun the spear in my hand, deflecting it with thousands more surrounding me. Some illusionary, some true, and some neither.
I pulled my leg back and thrust the spear forward, destroying plenty of them, but a couple found my sides.
With a grunt, I forced them out, ignoring the blood of mine that splashed across the ground.
Loki didn't have time to pay much to me while Thor hounded him. That little antic of his caused Thor to force him to abandon a large spell he was casting that may have allowed him to hold my son at bay.
I felt something on my nape, after removing my gaze from the World Wolf for but a moment, knowing it was bound, death whispered in my ear.
It was the instinct as a God of War that allowed me to thrust my spear up to catch the maw of the World Wolf as it tried to devour me, stopping its jaws from closing properly.
My eyes turned to where it should have been chains, only to see a bloody stump in place of its left leg.
It had devoured its own leg to escape.
The Spear stopped me from being devoured, but its fangs still pushed into my flesh again. It hurt like a bastard the first time, and it hurt like a bastard the second!
"Elder!" I recognized the tone and words, but I didn't have an ounce of attention to pay it in my current situation.
But the following words were ones that were like music to my ears.
"Fus Ro Dah!" It wasn't one, but two iterations of those words that overlaid upon each other, and I felt the world bending to accommodate.
An invisible ripple slammed into the World Wolf from far away.
It was enough to free me from my impending death and I could cast my gaze at the source. That Brat with a similar name to my son's, and that Dragon he was riding on did a drive by to smack the Wolf off my ass.
The World wolf was furious, it wanted to nearly abandon me to eat them quickly, but the brat was smart enough to stay the hell away from the thing.
However, my legs felt weak.
It was hurt badly, but so was I.
"Old man!" A Green blur appeared between us as the Wolf was about to devour me again, its maw that could negate my Divine Power and Magic.
The Hero from Greece charged in like a whirlwind and used his Divine Shield to stop the beast in its tracks.
Good kid!
The resounding clangs of their mutual engagement nearly knocked me off my feet. I noticed the particulars of his shield the first time I laid my eye on it. A shield that contained a literal world inside of it.
The Wolf that could devour Gods met an object that contained a world.
The conclusion to the age-old question of what would happen when an immovable Object met an unstoppable Force.
And the Answer?
Odin wins!
My spear shot up into its mouth again, stabbing into its upper jaw and stopping it from closing!
It was just in time, because even if his shield was stupidly powerful, the brat was still not able to contend with the World Wolf!
I kicked him away, and I would apologize later, but this wasn't the stage for him.
"Hammer!" I roared, holding my hand up.
"Hammer!" Thor answered, and Lightning crackled loudly, thunder ringing in my ears as the weapon flew through the air.
Thor wasn't in a position to disengage with Loki, same as the others, but that didn't mean I couldn't call on him for help.
"One of us is going to die!" I looked the Wolf right in the eye, catching the ridiculously heavy Hammer. My arms felt like they were going to fall off after merely catching it. My hand began to char from the lighting that crackled off it. I didn't have the protection of my son's powerful gloves either.
"And It wont –" My muscles bulged, and I used the momentum of Thor's throw to swing it up into its lower jaw, feeling its bones crack. "BE –" I swung my entire body to carry the force of its weight to hit it in the side of the Wolf's head again. It left an indent on the Wolf's head where it landed, showing how it was the most powerful weapon of our faction. I nearly fell to the ground as I lost the momentum I had, and this fucker was far too damn heavy. But still, I gathered all my strength, every last bit of it and I forced his hammer up one more time, swinging it up below the Wolf's head. "– ME!"
With a thunderous crack, the Wolf was lifted up off its feet, teeth shattering and its one eye rolling backwards, and the spear that was stuck in its mouth was forced all the way upwards through the top of its mouth.
I fell to the ground, dropping the hammer, nothing left in me, but the Wolf, though breath was still left in its belly, it fell to the ground unmoving.
I looked down and saw a Magic Circle appear from Freyja, and it was just in time to see another Meteor falling from the sky.
"Kill stealing bitch!"
Though, I couldn't help but smile as I was able to view the scene from back atop Asgard's walls.
"You stupid old man!" Freyja huffed, casting some Healing spells on me. "I'm taking full credit for the kill."
With all my strength left, I held up my middle finger.
I nearly slumped on the way in a way that let me view the battlefield.
Thor had a dagger sticking out of his side, probably from throwing his hammer my way, but still he was winning against Loki, and what happened to his mutt looked like it hit him harder than he would like to admit.
Everywhere else was going about as I expected.
Just when I thought things were going our way, I realized something was wrong.
The Frost on the ground was melting.
And I looked back towards Loki and he met my gaze. A cocky smile reappeared on his face, and he used his Magic to disappear amidst his fight with Thor.
It started slowly, as if out of the void, the tip of a fiery sword pierced through at the center of the battlefield.
It burned everything it touched into oblivion, including the very space that barred its edge from moving forward.
It tore apart time and space, opening a hole that connected to a far away realm.
A single step caused the temperature to rise tens of degrees. The ground underneath its foot caused the rocks and stones to turn to molten slag.
A Giant larger than any other on the battlefield appeared, wreathed in flames and fires that even set a primordial fear down my spine.
"Asgard!" A voice bellowed, containing a fury that demanded attention. "Your reckoning has arrived!"
The Fire King Surtr had arrived, and with him, the armies of flames poured out from the portal he seared open from Muspelheim.
He didn't immediately move, instead, the numerous shapes and sizes of the monsters that inhabited that death world charged outwards. They cared not for ally or foe, even the Draugr and Trolls were trampled as they burned away everything in their path.
He took a step forward and the world quaked at his step.
Thor was the first to reach, his Thunder aimed at the Fire Giant.
And for the first time in a very long time, I found my Son's strength insufficient.
His Hammer met the Flaming sword of Surtr, and despite the sheer force behind its blow, the Giant didn't move a single step and instead, swept his blade out sending Thor hurling to the ground.
Just as quickly as we had gained the advantage, it was lost again.
"Wasn't Vanaheim supposed to be keeping him away!?" Freyja nearly screamed as many spells of hers appeared around the battlefield, doing what she could to keep things from collapsing.
As if to hear us, the Giant King looked our way and the fire that rolled off his body parted to reveal his facial features. "Destruction is what I seek." His voice bellowed. "Do you think I care if they lay siege to Muspelheim?"
….he abandoned his own home to forgo having to do with them and instead sent everything our way.
As expected of the instruments of Asgard's Destruction.
The Giant King took his equally large sword and raised it high up into the sky.
Everyone knew what was coming and their eyes widened.
I had not much in my, but I threw my hands up, casting all the Defensives spells I could muster.
Freyja too, despite hurling spells all over the battlefield this entire time, casted countless spells in but a few moments.
The Giant swung his sword down, and a wave of fire followed, searing through the lines of both our enemies and our warriors hitting the front walls of Asgard, our spells were like paper in front of his attack, and it continued forward until the walls were breached, and parts of the inner city were turned to lava.
The Giant didn't even look at anything else but Asgard.
Specifically, he eyed the Castle that sat against the World Tree.
And then I realized I realized his goal.
I slammed my fist onto the wall. "HEAR MY ORDER, GODS OF ASGARD, ABANDON THE FRONT LINES, FOCUS EVERYTHING ON THE GIANT."
"Odin!?" Freyja was startled by my order.
"He's aiming for the Heart of the World Tree!"
We didn't set Asgard up here just because it was a nice location! It was the Seat of the Gods because it sat upon the literal heart of the World Tree!
If that's destroyed, the Tree will soon follow and everything else just as quickly.
The Giant was unconcerned and continued walking forward.
Ullr was the first, arrows raining down on him, followed by the Old Elf following up with arrows made of light. The Fire Giant didn't even glance at them, the flames around him pulsed and they consumed the arrows before they could reach his body.
That was until a particularly power arrow turning the twilight we existed under into day from the Old Elf
It was enough that Surtr's attention changed.
There was the momentary pause of his that he recognized the threat.
"Fire King, your foe is me!" Thor rejoined the fray, Lightning summoned that bombarded the Giant, forcing him half a step back for the first time.
Tyr joined in as well, a sword strike that could cleave a mountain twain slashed towards his neck.
The Giant King was forced to block it lest he suffered a wound.
The glow of the arrow reached its precipice, but another source of light appeared.
Smaller than the Fire Giant, the Titan of light assumed his full size and he reached for the arrow that was shot.
The two collided and the Titan, while grunting in discomfort, held.
A Titan of Light was not going to be overly harmed by an arrow made of light. Maybe if the true owner of that ridiculous bow wielded it, but a mortal couldn't bring out its full power.
Surtr looked at the Titan, and the Titan looked at Surtr as if measuring each other.
Surtr let out a bellowing laugh and focused on the ones around him.
He raised his sword up again, but rather than pointing it to the sky, he pointed it downward.
The Sword entered the Earth and everything I could see turned to flames.
Like geysers, the fires of destruction sprang from below, melting and consuming everything around him for hundreds of yards in all directions.
My Sons were caught up in the attack, as were Ullr and Tyr.
Thor was breathing a little heavy, but he stood firm, however, I couldn't see where Ullr and Tyr were.
I closed my eye and felt the faint flicker of their Divine Power from this distance, indicating they were alive.
Thor stood in front of him, an ant in front of a mountain.
The Giant King swung his sword, searing away everything in its path, but Thor blocked it with his Hammer, causing a cataclysmic shockwave that destroyed a portion of Asgard that had yet to be reduced to ash.
The same massive blade continued to swing down, and Thor's hammer met each one. But with each swing, he was losing.
Green tendrils of Magic emerged from the ground and wrapped around the Giant King.
Hel appeared, with an army of Ghosts swarming behind her, ignoring the other battles going on, and they charged at the Giant King
A movement of his, and her magic snapped and burned away. He swept his sword and thousands of ghosts disappeared into ashes.
"Ghosts, Gods, it's all the same." The Giant King chortled, at her attempts to stall him. He raised his sword up casually, blocking a thunderous blow from my son.
"I will handle this one." The Titan's tone was just as loud, but carried lighter. He reached for Hel and I gripped my nonexistent spear.
She summoned several impressive barriers to ward off the Titan, but she was not a fighter mainly.
"Don't touch her you bastard!" Freyja jumped off the wall, Spell Circles swirled around her by the dozens, landing upon the Titan, forcing him to let out a pained grunt.
Several more Jotun shook the grounds as they walked forward, the remaining Warlords of Jotunheim soon joined in.
"Leave Freyja for me." A hearty laugh followed. "I want to enjoy her a bit after we are victorious." I recognized it as Frosti, the Cold."
"Disgusting." Surtr cast his gaze towards the Jotun, his sword swiping out at the unsuspecting Frost Giant, and it seared him in half.
The Jotun just looked confused as the top part of his body slid off the bottom half and the light died in its eyes.
The Fire Giant snorted in disdain. "Dishonorable creature, you have no place witnessing my Destruction."
Even his Allies, the traitorous Gods, the Jotuns, they unconsciously took a step backwards.
"Now, my friend!" Thorum's voice carried upon the silent battlefield.
The Samurai jumped up in front of the Titan's eyes, slashing at them in quick succession.
The Titan was forced to cover his eyes with his hand, stumbling backwards.
"Tiid Klo Ul" The Dragon bellowed out, and as if disappearing, he was then in front of the Titan.
No, it wasn't teleportation or anything like that.
"Kronos?" The Titan blurted out in confusion as the particular taste of Time Manipulation was clear to all of us.
"Ven Gaar Nos!" The Youngun shouted quickly as wall, producing a tornado big enough to smack right into the Titan's head.
And as it hit him, another source of Winds gathered around it. My head snapped back as the injured bird King summoned forth the Wings of the Nine Realms to enhance it, sweeping up the Titan and tearing into him, destroying the Armor of light he surrounded himself in.
He wasn't much harmed, cuts and scrapes if anything, but it was impressive for the ones who did it!
But he didn't appear to be done.
The Brat on the dragon pulled out something that gave me the same feeling as the Bow in the Old Elf's hands.
The Titan stood up, and he too noticed as did everyone in Asgard because the Sky turned unnaturally dark.
It was as if pure darkness was wreathed into the form of a Bow, held by Thorum. His body was visibly strained, his muscles bulged and it seemed like his own skin tore at merely pulling the string back the extent that he did.
…..he said that the Goddess from that place gave him two Artifacts and there was no doubt in my mind that this was the second.
Just as the Elf's Bow turned the world bright, this one turned everything dark.
An arrow produced from shadows, formed as the string was pulled back and the Titan seemed to sense the danger as light exploded from his entire body, but it was drowned in the darkness.
Silence followed as the arrow was loose, not because there was no noise, but because it was consumed.
It burst into his chest, and the world was cast in black.
I couldn't see a foot in front of me, all light disappeared.
It wasn't until a familiar sword of fire cut through the darkness that everything returned to normal.
The Titan let out a painful roar. One of actual pain and another I would assume due to his pride suffering a significant blow after being dealt such a wound by someone far below his level.
"Mortal – " He looked to the side to see the Fire King's sword swinging for his head.
The Titan swung his own blade made of light to deflect it. Despite my hair whipping about and the force nearly knocking me off my feet, I didn't pull away from it and made sure to watch closely.
"What are you doing?" The Titan demanded.
"Outsider, leave. This is my Destruction. If you interfere, I will end you just as I do Asgard and the nine Realms." The Fire Giant stated.
The Titan frowned. "Loki promised…"
"What does the promises of the Trickster have to do with me?" He said expressionlessly, though the threatening tone was clear.
The Titan stared him down for a moment before backing off, leaving the Giant to his business.
I had hoped they would come to blows.
Surtr looked upon Thorum with that Shadow bow in his hand and waved his sword.
It was far too fast for the size of the bastard, and I could foresee death.
However, I felt something familiar in the back of my mind.
My fingers twitched as I called upon my old friend.
A golden string of light short across the battlefield, smacking into his sword, giving time for Thorum and his Dragon to fly down to Hel and Freyja to swoop them away.
The golden light continued to fly and Surtr's eyes followed as it arrived in my hand.
Gungnir.
The Wolf was Dead, my Spear returned, and I felt my belly fill with strength.
With a flash of air, I knew who was standing next to me. "Did you decide to take a nap?" I snorted.
"Sorry, looked like you could handle it." The brat cheekily replied. "Just wanted to make sure you got your turn."
A single glance and I could tell he was far from being able to stand up to this Giant right now. Damn, the fact that he's standing at all was probably a miracle. He was covered in more blood than I probably was and his left arm looked completely useless.
Kid was running on empty and probably had nothing left in him to fight.
And unfortunately, I was barely doing better.
"Plan?" He asked.
"Do you have something to kill him that you can pull out of your ass?"
"….nope."
"Then I got nothing either." I let out a sigh, forcing out a smile.
The Giant raised his massive sword, pointing it right at us. Fire erupted from the tip, consuming everything in front of us.
He raised his only good arm up, still clutching that soul sword of his, and I slammed my spear onto the ground.
"Shield!" He called out.
"Of!"
"Asgard!" We both cast.
I had seen this spell of his enough to know how to copy it and sync up with him!
The Golden shield sprang up from us and pushed out.
The fires of his slammed into our barrier and it almost immediately shattered. With a roar, we both pushed more of our Magic into it, mending the cracks. The stone beneath us began to melt, and the fires cascaded off in all directions. It was as if we were the center of Muspelheim itself with how the Fires danced all around!
The brat was the first to drop to his knees.
The Fact that he had been able to cast a single spell in his condition did nothing but make me admire him more than I did.
The small reservoir of strength I had left, I put it all into the spell, pushing it outward, fighting against the flames until the torrent slowly began to die down and the normal world returned from underneath the onslaught of fiery destruction.
I could barely breathe, falling to my knees as well. Only my spear stopped me from face planting.
The Shield, it cracked and burned away, slowly receding once the attack ended, but it held.
I had nothing left as the shadow of his blade was cast overhead, and it came down for us.
"R-Reflect — Musū Tengai." The brat forced out, and blood began to run more freely from the orifices on his head and his eyes rolled back, his body going limp and he collapsed onto the ground.
But the Blade, the executioner's blade above us that would have turned us to ash, it missed.
It landed close enough that I felt my skin burn just by proximity, where it touched, a gorge was cleaved all the way through Asgard, erupting with fire and lava, but it missed.
The Giant King seemed confused just as well.
"Interesting, outsider" The Giant rumbled in amusement. "However, it does not change anything." He paused though, because someone new slowly touched down in front of us.
From her hair and skin to her clothes, she was clad in blue from head to toe.
The brat's women, the Spirit of Knowledge, Jinn.
She stood in front of us.
The Giant gave her a look but seemed dismissive after a moment. "Girl, run!" I spat out a mouthful of blood to get the words out of my throat.
Despite everything, I know the Brat would absolutely not want her here right now!
Surtr swung his sword with lackluster intent towards us. But it was enough to uplevel Asgard as a whole should no one defend.
All around the girl, pieces of paper appeared. I didn't need my thousands of years of Magical Knowledge to see through them to understand their essence.
Hundreds of papers, each one of them had a spell inscribed.
They all lit up, firing off at the same time.
Each one was a spell that a normal Mortal would be proud to cast after effort and time, and they all combined onto a singular point.
They collided with Surtr's sword with enough force that the blow was deflected from sheer combined quantity.
The Giant King redoubled his gaze as it bore down into the small girl.
She stood defiantly in front of him, meeting it head on. "I'll be your opponent."
[***]
A/N
Fourth part of the Looking Glass omake is up on my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.
If you want to read 10 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m/ astoryforone
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