Loft kept grinning non-stop. Well, it looked like he was grinning. Abel couldn’t read his expression.
Instead of eyes, glowing orbs shone from the hollow sockets. His lower jaw, more than half exposed and lacking lips, made it seem like he was either smiling or growling. His prominent bones were densely adorned with intricate tattoos.
So, Abel found him unsettling. At least, the Loft she remembered didn’t look like this. As someone connected to the Northern Temple of the Gods, she wasn’t quick to get used to Loft’s transformation.
“Finally, we’ve made it this far.”
Loft spoke as he led his hawk along the massive branch of Yggdrasil. The hawk circled the air for a while before landing on the tip of the branch. Thor rolled his pale face along the branch.
“Oh, was the flight a bit rough, my friend?”
[Kill, I’ll kill you.]
“Too bad, I’m already dead!”
Loft chuckled and patted Thor’s back. He then turned his head to look below the branch. The land was shattered, and scattered demons could be seen throughout Asgard… It was horrifying.
It looked like a section of Hell had been cut out and placed over it. Loft clicked his tongue and spoke cheerfully.
“There were a few sacrifices, but still!”
“…A few?”
“Don’t worry too much! Everything will go according to plan.”
“I’ll just check on Karadfellin’s safety and head back right away. There are things more important to me than Asgard’s future.”
“Haha, don’t be so serious! Love, my friend. I once had someone I loved too.”
Loft’s orbs glowed as he suddenly burst into laughter.
“There were moments when time stopped as we walked together, and the world felt like it was in my arms when we lay together! This cold heart of mine once raced with excitement… But my friend, it was all an illusion. Just fleeting time and fleeting emotions.”
“For a Jotun to say such things.”
Abel glared at Loft with cold eyes. She jumped off the hawk and landed lightly on the branch.
“Jotun, Aesir, Vanir. Dragons and elves. Giants and gods. Whatever we are, we are long-lived. Time flows slowly for us, and light lingers in our hearts. A single memory, a single hope… We can endure the loneliness of our remaining time by cherishing that one thing forever.”
“Touching. Truly.”
Loft shook his head as he spoke.
“That must be why you’ve become so calm. The Flame’s Messenger?”
“Isn’t that an old nickname? If you’re trying to embarrass me, you’ve succeeded.”
“Well, you’re right. We do endure our remaining time by cherishing a single memory. For you, it might have been a soft, sweet, and cute emotion… But not for me.”
Loft chuckled and turned around. Abel could see the tattoos densely covering his broad back. Tattoos depicting all kinds of forbidden spells were etched into his skin. And beneath the tattoos… deep scars were visible.
Scars… from whip lashes, burns from branding irons, rotting and crushed skin, and occasionally exposed bones. The tattoos were also there to hide his scars.
Abel knew his true nature. She had once mingled with the Aesir. A jester and a joker, a Jotun who had fallen among the Aesir. She knew of the countless abuses inflicted on the young hostage from an enemy nation.
Therefore, his cheerfulness was twisted in some way. It wasn’t the kind of cheerfulness that saw life itself as a joke, but rather a kind of liberation.
“Stop eavesdropping and come out, Heimdall. My friend.”
“It took you long enough. Loki. Longer than your promise.”
“Yeah, yeah. Long time no see. I’m glad to see you too.”
-Swish.
A man slowly walked out from the dense leaves of Yggdrasil. A man clad in heavy armor stood before Loki and stared at him quietly. Fiery eyes could be seen beneath the helmet’s visor.
“Your approach was already reported. Loki, as was the end of my brother and father.”
“Everything will go according to Botan’s plan.”
“…And your plan too. I hope it benefits us all.”
Heimdall looked at Loki for a moment, then nodded heavily. Soon, the massive leaves and branches twisted on their own, forming an arched gateway. They walked through it.
“Kirhas, I leave it to you!”
“Yes, Your Excellency!”
The shortest distance, and the shortest time. It wasn’t a mission with a strict time limit, but the longer they took, the more disadvantageous the battlefield would become, exponentially.
The success of this operation hinged on Loft and Fernandez’s cooperation. He had to reach Yggdrasil before the gates of Bifrost were fully opened, allowing armies from various worlds to pour in.
The distance from Botan’s palace to Yggdrasil wasn’t too far. However, demon camps were scattered throughout, and crossing the vast plains without engaging in battle was nearly impossible and a waste of time.
Therefore, Fernandez and Kirhas chose to sprint. Straight toward Yggdrasil in a direct line!
-Xhiii-!
A scaled demon spotted them and let out a roar. Soon, a small group that appeared to be a scouting force emerged. Each one was elite, and in that regard, they were no less than the demons summoned by the Dremdrizard cult—
‘But Kirhas isn’t the same as back then.’
Time flows equally for everyone, but some spend it more “equally” than others. A year in the growth period of heroes who dominate their generation couldn’t possibly hold the same concept of time as a regular year.
In that sense, Kirhas’s growth was nothing short of legendary. A year ago…
