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Current stats are:

Name: Blake Olson

Class: Einherjar

Level: 25

XP: 1/2500

[HP]: 243/258

[Odr (Mana)]: 32/82

[Strength]: 23

[Agility]: 17

[Intelligence]: 18

[Reaction time]: 18

 

Blake rushed back toward Loki's holdout. It seemed like a regular warehouse, despite being hidden behind magic mists. Approaching it, he noticed an electric glass door and a security identification device on the side.

"To hell with this," he hissed through his teeth, passing energy to [Gramr], its blade turning blue like the flame on a gas stove, then sliding it through the wall. He carved a hole and crawled through it. It... Was a warehouse, a deserted one at that, with no one on the main floor. He rapidly took a glance at his broken shield. As he passed through, an alarm horn started echoing across the entire building and into his brain.

As expected, out of that warehouse, in the middle of Asgard, an office building with a view, a horde of Jotun started pouring from the staircase.

Blake sighed, spinning [Gramr]. He prepared his artifacts and used his now habitual technique, employing the power of the ring and sweeping through the horde with his blade.

But things had changed, his sword wasn't overpowered anymore. His enemies, also holding speed rings, parried and blocked, they even attacked at a speed that almost matched his, and Blake had to dodge and counter with his own techniques. Loki had barely been out for some time and he'd revolutionize Jotnar weapons in weeks, and kept improving exponentially.

Blake dodged a Jotun attack, crouching and sliding his blade across his enemy's chest.

The familiar sound of an automatic gun rang across the room, and with his heightened speed, Blake was able to dodge a volley of bullets, leap to the air and land with his blade through the barrel of the gun, slicing through it as though it were butter.

Two more Jotun reached for him, one trying to stab him in the back, the other swinging at his head, he turned, slipping past one and cocking his head to dodge the other blow, then, he whirled, cutting through the abdomen of one, then slicing the arm of the other.

Blood sprayed on his face. But he wasn't done. More than a dozen Jotun swarmed around him like locusts invading a wheat field, and his sword was always ready, carving death and destruction, staining the once pristine floors with thick Jotun blood.

Eir had to be down there. He felt a shift in the bond: hope, mixed with worry.

 

***

 

The alarms rang through the entire palace compound, echoing one after another. Eir looked up. Could it be that Blake had reached? She could feel him fighting through the bond, with that cold, deadly concentration he experienced every time he battled.

And then, the door opened again. She tried not to succumb to fear, but the words of what Loki had promised he'd do made her shudder.

"He's here," Loki said, a sickly grin on his face, Hrymr trailing close behind him, both dressed like mere Midgardians, wearing black suits and ties that couldn't hide their unnatural musculature. "He's here, so I can make your dream come true. It'll happen any minute from now. I'll reunite you again. My Jotnar shall bring his head, and it'll be my gift for you."

She snickered, taking a deep breath before lashing out and speaking boldly.

"You won't scare me anymore with your illusions and your lies. You're a master of lies, Loki. And your lies can't break my knowledge of what I've seen. For I have seen you lose. And I... I have seen my husband triumph by my side."

His eyes, like those of a poisonous snake, drifted toward her. His expression, his smirk said that her words had no effect on him. Whatever he believed about his fate, he believed it fully. He had performed [Seidr] before, he had communed with the Norns and had seen much of the future, but didn't know the details.

"Not under my watch. Delude yourself with your own poison. You'll be by his side, yes, but in Hel. Isn't it right, Hrymr?"

"Your boy has had a hard time against our mere guards," said Hrymr in his unnaturally deep voice.

"He'll best your warriors!" Eir shouted. "He'll best your champion, the one who brought me here, and he'll best you too."

Hrymr snickered again.

"It is impossible for him to beat the Master of Time."

"If he takes a single step down this staircase," Loki said. "It's your neck that I'll cut, and give your own head as a present."

 

***

 

The room was clear. Jotun bodies littered the ground, blue blood soiling the ceramic floors. A main door stood on the side, as well as an elevator. Blake stood up, holding his sword at the ready, when the door itself opened. A massive figure stepped through it, long bronze hair to his chest, a long skull and sculpted jawline, a golden collar around his neck.

Blake recognized him clearly.

His [Odr] was still [69]. Nice. He needed [Gramr], and had no more [Odr] left in his pouch. But he had taken two [Speed Rings]. Could he infuse them all and match the speed of this creature? As far as he knew, Hresvelgr didn't travel faster than light, instead, he could stop time itself.

"You have come to die," Hresvelgr's voice was as deep as a gorge.

"I have come to kill you," Blake replied, his eyes like a ravenous wolf. But he... had to be careful. This man could really kill him without breaking a sweat. He prepared [Helm of Awe], drifting his [Odr] into all of his rings and his sword.

Breaking the speed of sound, he propelled forward, preparing [Gramr] and sliding it toward Hresvelgr's neck. Blake expected his blade to hit, but to his surprise... he felt a shock through his sword. In the blink of an eye, he could see Hresvelgr's rune-engraved sword clashing against [Gramr], both blades shaking... Both blades... coalescing into one...

And then, [Gramr] shattered like a worthless piece of iron

Blake took a step back, glancing at the now worthless sword in his hand. The flux of [Odr] had stopped, the magic spell that made it unbreakable had stopped existing.

Blake looked up and back... toward the direction that pointed at his Valkyries. They were coming, but they were still far away.

He'd not give up. This freak had taken his wife, had humiliated Brynhilde again by besting her. He had murdered human beings Blake had sworn to protect. The least he could do was fight back.

"I must show you first, who I am. It is futile to fight," said Hresvelgr with a cold, emotionless tone that made Blake's blood boil.

He had to control those emotions. He could win, he could beat that monster, he just had to keep calm and stick to the plan.

Blake hadn't even blinked when he felt pain spread into his abdomen. He saw it for less than a fraction of a second. Part of his chainmail had been torn and blood started flowing.

Hresvelgr had broken through his buffer, taking [100 HP] points. Blake hadn't even seen him at his heightened speed.

 

[HP: - 123]

[Helm of Awe]: 0

[HP: 220]

 

"You now know who you're facing," Hresvelgr said.

"I know you're a loudmouth and a coward," Blake muttered through his teeth. "Show me your power without that fancy skill of yours, fight me like a man."

Hresvelgr almost, almost smiled.

"It's funny to see you feign confidence, when what you're doing is begging for a chance at glory. I must tell you, I've been charged to kill you by Hrymr himself. And I shall enjoy it very much. How many of my people have you killed?"

"I don't know, ten thousand, two. And I'll kill more if you keep massacring my loved ones."

"Just as I assumed, you prefer to die feigning strength. I respect that, considering that you'll be humiliated."

Now, for the next step of the plan.

Using the rings, he quickly sped out of the compound, breaking through the front window, as fast as a missile, ascending to the sky, holding half his sword. Hresvelgr followed suit, until he disappeared from his view, from behind, Blake could see Hresvelgr for less than a second, before seemingly dissolving on thin air.

 

[-120]

 

Another critical hit.

[HP: 100]

 

"Ah, as expected, you're a coward," Hresvelgr scowled. Blake's eyes were dead fixed on his enemy. "Do you see how superior we are to you?"

Blake didn't respond. His heart thumped with the awareness that he was an inch away from dying. He knew he had one chance or he'd be dead. He had calculated the time with [Skald's Voice]. Hresvelgr's time stopping magic lasted for about five seconds, before fading for an instant, during which Hresvelgr was visible again. After that, the spell would break, and he had nothing but his [Speed Rings].

Blake could see him through that time.

But he was far away, he had to keep away. He had just one chance.

Blake took a deep breath, once again, infusing his [Rings] and racing through the landscape, looking back to see Hresvelgr disappear, then reappear just once.

In that moment, Blake activated [Egil's Accuracy]. Time dilated. He knew he had less than a fraction of a second. With an expert hand, he reached for Athanaric's gift, a perfectly thin dagger, barely capable of stabbing through the palm of a hand, and threw it at Hresvelgr's exposed skin. His heart skipped a bit, he knew the Jotun was still incredibly fast... And if the dagger didn't reach in time...

Blake threw another, and another, and another. He couldn't afford to waste this one chance...

Blake saw Hresvelgr swinging his arms mid flight to deflect them... His hand swept past one of the knives, touching the hilt and making it veer off course, then, another, then...

Hresvelgr disappeared from sight.

Blake could've cursed if he had the time. His enemy had made it... He had jumped into his skill without being hurt by his paralyzing knives.

Desperately, Blake felt for the bond. His Valkyries were still minutes away. They wouldn't reach soon enough. Worried, they felt for him.

Blake prepared his broken blade, swearing he'd fight for his life, even blindly, against that enemy that could stop time itself.

And then, Hresvelgr reappeared, this time, in front of Blake, on the ground, arms stretched... then pressing inward, blue eyes turning white, and small tremors crossing across his body.

Blake could see tiny threads of blood on the Jotun's forearms.

It worked.

Blake leaned in front of his enemy.

"Whatever your source of power was... You really could've bested me. I respect that. But, well, you took my wife, you took human lives. So I'll take your head."

Blake turned Hresvelgr around, taking [Gramr] and the giant's brown locks with his other hand, and cutting open his neck. It was a gruesome thing to do, and he stained the pristine, frost sparkled grass. When was the last time that blood was spilled so freely on that peaceful land?

He quickly checked Hresvelgr's equipment. He removed the golden collar and placed around his neck, trying to pass [Odr] into it, but to no avail. His sword was similar to [Gramr], but even though he tried to pass [Odr] into it, he couldn't make it slice into the ground. Then, he registered the rest of the body. He noticed a belt... engraved with runes and with the icon of an eagle in its buckle. He exchanged it with his regular leather belt and tried to use [Odr].

It took all of his [Odr]... But... Around him, time seemed to stop. The clouds became strangely still, everything became dead silent.

Then, it started again.

It felt uncanny, bizarre. It lasted for approximately five seconds, and then, time seemed to go back to normal.

It was a great tool, but it'd take all of his power. He could probably need it against Loki.

Whatever happened, Blake knew he had to be with Eir as fast as possible. He took the giant's head and rushed back into the compound, pushing his way through the door and up an ample sets of stairs. He could hear people murmur in the rooms below, fear in their voices, as they spoke in a language that Blake could barely comprehend.

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion rocked the building, echoing through the walls. Rocks and concrete collapsed on the floor above, and two figures rushed toward him.

Blake looked back at them.

"Sorry we're late," Brynhilde said. She wore her hair in two battle-braids, her riveted chainmail, and Mjölnir hung at her belt. Alruna was clinging to Brynhilde's back, with [God-killer] slung across her shoulder and her Gjermundbu style helmet. "Your location was on the other side of the world."

"Glad you're here. It's time to make them pay."

"Drink some [Mead of Renewal]. Drink it all and replenish your strength. What in the world happened to your sword?" Brynhide asked, almost shocked at seeing [Gramr] cut in half.

"I guess it became obsolete."

"Then," Alruna removed [God-killer] and passed it to him. "Treasure. It's time for you to do the honors."

 

***

 

Eir looked up, eyes wide open, almost ecstatic. She had followed Blake's battle. He had triumphed once again, against an enemy that even Loki had full confidence in.

"What?" Loki said cautiously. "Your husband's dead already and you're ready to meet him?"

Loki stepped toward her.

"Tell me," Loki hissed. "What's so funny?"

Eir couldn't stop her heart from beating that fast.

"He's coming for me, and he's going to beat you."

Loki's face shifted. For the first time since she'd seen him, he seemed furious, his brow furrowed deeply, his eyes shifting toward the staircase. Voices echoed louder.

"No," Loki said, stepping forward, lifting his wand above her eyes. It morphed, slickly sliding upward and forward and turning into a long sword.

Eir couldn't fear. She wouldn't fear, Blake had reached. And the prophecies were clear...

Steps echoed in the staircase above him.

Loki's hand on his new blade tightened.

"No!" Loki shouted like a demon, his shrill voice sinking fear into her ears, through her mind, as he quickly thrust the blade into Eir's chest. She felt pain puncture through her skin, it burned as if it were made of flame. She opened her mouth, trying to breathe, but felt blood spurting into it.

The sword dug deeper, dug into her heart and through it.

She felt her mind, no, her soul push away from her body, remaining aware of who she was, but... There was a thread, a golden thread that kept her tied to her own body.

She was dying, but... She was still alive. She could still live! She could feel her blood calling, possessing an innate will to fix things, to fix her own body, to sew every tissue and every cell together and infuse it with life.

But her soul was also diving into waters she had never known... She could hear an ocean of voices beneath.

"You're finally here," said a voice she knew and hated. Hel, Loki's daughter, queen of her own realm, trapped, enslaved to nothingness.

Eir couldn't die. No... Blake was waiting for her... She climbed back up, toward the part of herself that still existed on Midgard, that still lingered on one of the nine worlds, ready to heal herself and come back to life.

Until she heard his voice... A voice she hadn't heard in thousands of years.

Since she was a child.

"Eir!" the voice called out, a desperate scream of a long lost brother, condemned to die unjustly, a god, tortured for eternity.

Baldur was there, he still existed somewhere in the Nine Worlds.

Mesmerized, she dived down into Hel.