As the two days passed, tension hung heavy in the air at Hakuba Shrine. Thor, having indulged in the feast prepared by Hlökk and Róta, grew increasingly impatient with each passing hour. His towering figure paced restlessly, the ground beneath him trembling slightly with each step. Sif, ever the voice of reason, attempted to soothe her husband's growing frustration, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to Thor's mounting agitation.
However, despite Sif's efforts to maintain order, the sky above began to betray the brewing storm within Thor. Thunderclouds rolled ominously across the once-clear sky, casting dark shadows over the shrine. The air crackled with static electricity, and the atmosphere grew heavy with the promise of impending conflict.
Sensing the impending danger, Muriel knew that she could no longer delay. She turned to Soma and Mina, her expression grave. "Not much time now," she said, her voice urgent. "Thank you both for the assistance you’ve given me these past few days. You both need to evacuate from the city immediately and take those you care for with you."
Soma and Mina exchanged worried glances, understanding the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, they sprang into action, rallying the residents of Hirosaki into groups wherever they could, and then Soma used his hypnotic vision to tell them to visit a relative far away. Meanwhile, Muriel's mind raced with the knowledge that she had to act quickly to prevent Thor from taking action. If he did then a war might occur impeding the orders she was given.
As the evacuation efforts began, Muriel made her way to the room where Thor and Sif were staying. However, before she could enter, she was stopped by the vigilant valkyries, their expressions stern as they searched her for any signs of treachery. Muriel submitted to the search without protest, knowing that she had no choice but to comply.
Once cleared by the valkyries, Muriel entered the room and respectfully greeted Thor and Sif. "My lord, my lady," she began, her tone measured. "I understand your impatience, but I implore you to grant me more time until my superior arrives. The situation is delicate, and I fear that rushing into action may only exacerbate the tensions between our pantheons. If that happens neither side shall find the answers we seek."
Thor's patience had worn thin, and his frustration was palpable. He crushed a glass in his hand, his eyes flashing with anger. "Enough!" he thundered, his voice reverberating through the room as thunder could be heard for miles across the skies. "You have been given ample time, little bird. Yet you have failed to produce results. My patience wears thin, and we will wait no longer."
Sif interjected, her voice calm but firm. "Thor, calm yourself," she said, her gaze steady. "Let us hear what the little angel has to say. Rushing into action without fully understanding the situation may lead to dire consequences. Let us exercise caution."
But Thor was unmoved, his resolve unyielding. "No more delays," he declared, his tone final. "We will take matters into our own hands if necessary."
Muriel's heart sank as she realized the gravity of the situation. Time was running out, and she knew that she stood no chance in a battle against a Mid-Level Deity and a Higher Deity. With a heavy heart, she bowed respectfully to Thor and Sif. "As you wish, my lord, my lady," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. "I will do everything in my power to resolve this matter swiftly."
As Muriel left the shrine, her heart weighed heavy with the burden of impending catastrophe. At this rate not only would she die but there existed a chance that heaven might discover her theratory if they checked her body closely. She like all lower angles had a physical body as opposed to the spiritual ones used by higher-tier angels. She looked up to the sky, where clouds rumbled ominously, stretching as far as her eyes could see. The atmosphere crackled with electricity.
She cursed under her breath as she descended the shrine stairs, her mind racing with thoughts of how to prevent disaster. She couldn't let Thor and Sif unleash their wrath upon this world, but she also couldn't allow her true allegiance to be revealed or engage in direct confrontation.
As she reached the town below, she spotted Mina and Soma still hard at work evacuating civilians. Muriel approached them swiftly, their expression grave. They stopped their tasks, turning to her with urgency in their eyes.
"Why did you leave them at the shrine?" Mina asked, her voice laced with urgency.
Muriel took a deep breath, composing herself before speaking. "There's no time to waste," she said, her tone urgent. "The big one with ginger hair is growing impatient, and he’s on the brink of unleashing his fury upon the world."
Soma's eyes widened with alarm, understanding the gravity of the situation. "What can we do?" he asked, his voice tinged with desperation.
Muriel's mind raced with possibilities, knowing that there were no options. "You need to return to your island," she said, her voice firm. "Set up barriers if you can, and seek shelter. With any luck, you might be able to ride out the storm. If you take some humans with you they could repopulate in a few millenia."
Mina and Soma exchanged worried glances, realizing the severity of Muriel's warning. They knew that they had to act quickly to protect themselves and those they cared for.
"Thank you for your warning," Mina said, her voice determined. "We'll do everything we can to prepare for what's to come. May I ask you something?"
“What is it?” asked Muriel
“Why have you helped us so many times? You kept the other angels from killing us and are now trying to protect our island,” asked Mina with a confused look on her face
“No great reason, I helped before because I don’t like senseless death. And as for now, your island seems to have the best chance of surviving this disaster, so I helped hoping you’d take in as many humans as you could,” explained Muriel as she turned to leave.
As she made her way through the town, Muriel's thoughts were consumed by the looming threat overhead. She prayed silently that heaven's reinforcements would arrive in time to avert catastrophe.
As Muriel returned to the shrine, her mind was clouded with uncertainty and worry. She had no plan, no way to prevent the impending disaster, and her heart weighed heavy with the burden of her failure. This world and those two individuals seemed to hold some use for the young master so she wished to preserve them but that seemed wholly impossible now.
As she entered the shrine gates, her senses were heightened, checking if the Aesir were still here. Suddenly, an object flew past her with such velocity that she barely had time to register it. Instinctively, she looked forward and saw Thor standing outside, his hand outstretched as if he had just thrown something.
Muriel's heart raced as she realized that the object was likely Thor's famous hammer, Mjölnir. She remained outwardly composed, despite the shock of the near miss, and approached Thor cautiously.
"What is the meaning of this, Lord Thor?" she asked, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her.
Thor remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, Mjölnir flew back into his hand with a resounding thud, causing the very air to tremble. He spoke, his voice tinged with irritation.
"You walked in on my practice," he said gruffly. "And now that you're back, you will take us to the site where the Eyes of the Nornir were used."
Muriel's mind raced as she tried to come up with a response. She knew that Heaven's reinforcements would arrive soon, and she desperately needed more time to prevent a confrontation. With a calm facade, she addressed Thor.
"If you could just be patient a little while longer," she began, her voice pleading. "The higher-ups of heaven will be here soon, and then we can provide an explanation. There's no need for rash actions."
Thor sighed heavily, and lightning began to discharge from his body, a clear sign of his growing impatience. He approached Muriel, and she felt the intense heat of his lightning as he grabbed her throat. The lightning burned her skin, causing her to wince in pain.
"I hate angels," Thor growled, his grip tightening on her collar. "You're all slaves to your precious orders, incapable of independent thought or action."
Muriel's heart sank as Thor's grip tightened, the pain intensifying with each passing moment. She felt helpless, trapped in the grasp of a god whose fury when faced with an enemy knew no bounds.
Just as she thought she couldn't bear it any longer, a blinding light illuminated the area, and a powerful hand pulled her out of Thor's grasp. As her vision cleared, Muriel found herself face to face with Archangel Phanuel, his expression stern yet compassionate as he held her injured form.
"Greetings, Atli," Phanuel's voice was calm but still echoed with authority. "Now, how many times have I warned you not to manhandle my subordinates? If you don't respect the boundaries I set, then you'll find yourself in some serious trouble. Consider this your final warning."
“Oh is that a threat? Also, I remember telling you the next time you called me that I would crush you,” said Thor as the lightning coming off his body intensified striking the ground randomly.
