"Evangeline…… the Allmother?"

  The confusion of Van’s voice almost permeated from Muspelheim’s atmosphere, growing with each second that passed through the silence they now found themselves in. Even Gerald, who initially held a sort of amused expression, was starting to furrow his eyebrows.

  Van was sure that Evangeline had a hand on what was happening to this world, since she started this whole thing in the first place. He just didn’t know how active of a part she was playing.

  "What do you mean by Allmother?"

  "It is as I said," Surtr just nodded his head, "Although even I am unclear as to her true identity, but what I do know is that she received that title not because she gave birth to the very first Aesir, but because she was the one that guided them for years to come. She taught them how to live in this world, molded them into what they are today."

  "Is she——"

  "And please, do not ask me where she is or what happened to her, as that information is not something I could answer simply for the fact that I do not know," Surtr shook his head, once again almost hitting Gerald’s face, "King Odin might know something, you may ask him if you wish—— that is if you can even gain an audience with him after what you have done to one of them."

  Once again, Van was back to his original intent of checking Asgard itself. Evangeline was involved in this—— he just needed to know how and why. Was the explosion of Hermes’s body part of her plan? Did she do everything to lead Van here, thousands and thousands of years into the future?

  But for what?"

  "If that is all that you needed from me, then please leave my realm," Surtr then let out a long and deep sigh, causing the embers of Muspelheim to once again turn ablaze, "You have done enough damage already—— I will not let you wage war with the Aesir, or the humans, in my Realm."

  "……I am afraid that’s not going to happen, Mister Surtr."

  Van, however, instead of leaving, also let out a sigh of his own as his eyes started to release a golden flicker. "You attacked me earlier as soon as the copycat ordered you to do so—— clearly showing you are part of the Aesir; killing you now would only prove beneficial to me and my people."

  "Hm," hearing Van’s words, Gerald could not help but place his hand on his chin as he nodded his head, "Makes sense. You’ll also be a thorn in my brother’s side, so I might as well deal with you now."

  "Do you really think that the two of you could really take me on, now that I am in this form?" A small, arrogant smile slowly crawled on Surtr’s face as he slowly looked back and forth between Van and Gerald.

  "I have wrestled with the earliest of the Aesir, my might is something you children could never even fathom. But I shall indulge you, a thousand years without a fight would find even the mightiest of warriors rusty, after all. Now, come……

  Let us dance to the orchestra of our deaths."

  ***

  "My allegiance is with you, King Van."

  "What!? What about my side? I am the one who has done you the most damage!"

  After an hour of duking it out, Surtr finally raised both his hands in defeat as he once again stood in front of the two, exactly right where they were an hour ago. One of Surtr’s horn was completely split in half, while the other already webs of cracks adorning it.

  As for Van and Gerald, aside from wounds that were already healing and a couple of blood flowing from their person, they seemed completely fine. Of course, their breaths that almost extinguished the fires of Muspelheim would probably tell anyone what they needed to know.

  "I admit that you are special, human—— but that’s it," Surtr breathed, "You are a single entity—— how many of you are there in the side of humans? I know that your confidence had grown since you are able to kill an Aesir; and your side had even killed a Progenitor, but you are underestimating the Aesir. Once the war between your kind and the Aesir starts, the first one they will try to kill is you. And once they are done with that, how long do you think your kind will survive?"

  "……" Gerald did not really have a reply to Surtr’s words. Afterall—— he was right. No matter how intricate and how sophisticated Harvey and Charles’s plans were and are, might will always be right.

  "War between the Aesir lasts for hundreds of years," Surtr continued, "I may not be fully aware of what is going on with the humans lately—— with their newfound powers and such; but one thing I do know is that you are never meant to live for that long……

  Time itself will be your downfall."

  Instead of Gerald, Van was the one to hold a certain reaction to Surtr’s words. From what he said, the first person that popped out of Van’s mind was Charlotte. She was the strongest person that Van had ever met and ever known, but she too, crumbled through time.

  It might not be the same with Gerald as he had a few loose screws in his head, but what about the rest of the humans? Harvey had already completely changed after a hundred years, he would surely become even more estranged as the years pass by.

  "……Fuck," was Gerald’s only response as he took a step back. Although he wasn’t really going to join the war any more because of Xinyan’s condition, he still wanted his brother’s side to at least have a chance of winning. But as it stands now, no matter how awesome their plan is, they will all die in the end.

  "The fire giants will stand by your side when the time comes, King Van."

  Surtr then proceeded to bow towards Van, "……But we may also not."

  "……"

  "The Aesir can be very persuasive," Surtr chuckled, "War is a gamble, young ki——"

  "Evangeline is my mother."

  "……What?"

  Before Surtr could even say another word, Van suddenly started telling his story; from the very beginning towards the end.

  Gerald, who was also listening from the side, could not help but furrow his eyebrows as he listened to Van’s story.

  "So the end of our world really had something to do with you," he muttered. Gerald and the others already had an inkling that it might have something to do with Van, but now that he heard it straight from his mouth, the only thing that Gerald could do was shrug his shoulders.

  It didn’t really change anything, what’s done is done. Besides, he saw Evangeline’s face in the growing light; that in itself was proof enough that it had something to do with Van all along.

  "That……"

  As for Surtr, the incessant trembling of Muspelheim was enough to let everyone knew of the turmoil that was going inside him. It was a ridiculous story, even for someone like him who had lived in a world of magic. By all rights, he had no reason to believe Van’s story; but there was one single fact that made it all credible—— Van’s blood.

  Van’s blood was purer than any of the Aesir he had seen in his lifetime, and now he knew why—— he was the direct descendant…… no. He was the son of everything that represented their world.

  If it was true that their race evolved from the humans that held the blood of this so-called Hermes, then wouldn’t that make this small young man in front of him…… their utmost superior by right?

  Evangeline the Allmother is literally also his mother, that fact alone is enough for him to be the true ruler of the 9 Realms.

  None of these could be true; but something inside Surtr was telling him to believe him—— and that was all he needed.

  "Once again, I offer you my allegiance, King Van."

  Surtr once again repeated his words. But this time, he lowered his head towards Van, almost to the point of kneeling, "I will let you sit on the throne that rightly belongs to you."

  "Cool, my daughter will be reaching out to you."

  Van, however, only nonchalantly patted Surtr’s shoulder as he began to casually take his leave, not even uttering words of speech.

  "We’ll be watching you, bud," Gerald pointed his two fingers between his eyes and Surtr’s as he passed by him.

  "……"

  And so, with that, Van had gained another potential ally.

  ***

  "Are you sure this is Hermod’s leg?"

  "Yes, Queen Latanya."

  "Have we found out who sent this to our domain?"

  "I…… I am afraid no——"

  "Then what are you still doing here? Get with it!"

  "A…… at once!"

  A loud bang echoed throughout the hall as its gigantic doors trembled upon its closing. It was then followed by a long and somewhat sorrowful sigh as a dark-skinned woman with a pair of enormous bosoms stared at the dismembered leg she was holding.

  "Hermod, huh," Latanya then breathed out as the leg slowly crumbled into dust, "Too bad, you reminded me so much of my master."

  "My sister’s son?"

  Suddenly, out of the corner of Latanya’s throne, appeared a woman with somewhat blue hair.

  "It is, Skylar."

  "Even after all these years, you still treat him as your master?" Skylar let out a sigh as she took a step forward, "That is quite a loyalty."

  "Spoken by someone who still believes in the Circle," Latanya let out a scoff, "But yes……

  I will forever be loyal to Van, no matter what."