Episode 36/Chapter 2: Odin (2)
TL: Tsubak
ED: Julsmul
Uld, the oldest of the three sisters, raised her head.
She, who represented the past, grabbed the end of the threads of fate that split into several parts.
Verdandi pulled on the strands of the thread Uld was grabbing and made a new one.
She, who represented the future, couldn't see the future. The future wasn't something that split from various strings.
Skuld, who'd remained in Vanaheim, touched the air. She touched the thread of fate that hadn't been made and understood why she had gone to Vanaheim and why she had met Idun's warrior for a moment.
Even if it was her, who represented the future, she couldn't see the exact future. And that was rather a blessing because nothing more despairful existed than a fixed future.
Skuld moved her fingers once again and thought of the past to foresee the future.
The reason the thread of fate, that held the fate of the world, touched Idun's legion.
It was this moment. Right now, Idun's warrior had been deeply entwined within the fate of the world.
What would the results be? What kind of future will it give birth to?
Skuld gathered her hands and called out the name of the warrior of Idun.
—
That was a miracle made by layers of coincidences having been piled up.
The moment the World Wolf tried to gulp down Odin, the teleportation magic of Loki reached the island that was on the sea of death.
The space magic having appeared right next to Odin was inevitable, as Loki had set up Odin as the destination point.
But the reason that the long distance teleport had been executed right before Fenrir bit Odin down, and the reason that the world had shaken because of the after effect of the magic and the two having appeared inside the jaw of the World Wolf was all a coincidence.
"Idun's warrior!"
Odin yelled, and Tae Ho heard his voice. He instinctively realized who was behind him.
The 'Jaw of the World Wolf' was approaching from the sky and the ground. Originally, those teeth shouldn't have been visible, but Tae Ho was able to see them with the 'Eyes of the Dragon'.
Loki and Merlin couldn't move after having used the long distance teleport magic. Adenmaha, who'd entered the space magic a bit late, bounced away the moment the teleportation ended and rolled quite a distance away from them.
Tae Ho was alone right now. Cuchulainn yelled something quickly, but Tae Ho couldn't know what he had said exactly. Still, he understood the purpose of his words completely.
'Stab it!'
[Strengthened Saga]
[The Eye of the Dragon Sees through all Things]
An opening was seen. The weakness of the World Wolf that had been created for an instant after the world was shaken by space magic was seen.
[Saga: King of Camelot]
[Saga: Idun's Warrior]
Tae Ho poured out Idun's divine power into Caliburn in an instant. There was no time to concentrate that power. One could say that he had almost detonated the power in his haste.
The glory of Camelot appeared from Caliburn, and Tae Ho stabbed it while being guided by the 'Eye of the Dragon'. He stabbed in the air, and at the same time, released Camelot's glory that was shining with Idun's golden divine power.
All of this happened in a short time. Tae Ho stabbed the upper jaw right before the mandible closed.
The world shook once again, and the 'Jaw of the World Wolf' shook as well.
Tae Ho howled and burst out his divine power once again. The divine power of Idun that flowed through Caliburn exploded in the jaw of the world wolf and then dissipated it.
A soundless shock shook both heaven and earth. As the upper jaw disappeared, the lower jaw also disappeared naturally.
"Kuhak!"
Tae Ho let out a pained voice. He felt like his right arm would break because he had used the power too suddenly.
Idun's divine power covered his right arm and her earnest voice reached him.
'Tae Ho. My warrior, Tae Ho.'
Tae Ho panted and looked at his front. He didn't have the leisure to answer Idun, and Cuchulainn yelled one more time.
'There is no second time! Hurry up!'
It was a miracle having dispersed the attack, and everyone present here knew that truth.
Everyone showed their own movements.
Ragnar raised his viking sword and lept towards the World Wolf.
The Magician King let out an aggravated grunt and activated about ten magics at the same time.
Merlin left the aftershock of the space magic and looked in front of him. Although he was old and exhausted, he reflexively opened his mouth and recited a new chant.
Loki also got a hold of himself and he fell in a deep despair once again.
It was because the moment the 'Jaw of the World Wolf' disappeared, he made eye contact with the one that moved the fastest.
The World Wolf, Fenrir.
It had no rationality in its eyes. Only madness and rage.
Loki knew how Fenrir had become like that. It wasn't because of its nature which desired to destroy the world.
The fire association.
An organization of the ones that wish for the destruction of the world. The ones leading all of them. It was the real reason Loki had infiltrated the giants when the Great War was coming to an end!
Fenrir looked at Loki. Its eyes weren't those of one looking at his parent. The only emotion it had in its eyes was the cruelty of a predator looking at its prey.
The World Wolf was bigger than anyone in the island. Even the Magician King, who stood tens of meters tall, only reached its shoulder.
But regardless of that, the World Wolf was faster than anyone. The moment Ragnar lept, the World Wolf was already crossing space.
Loki hurriedly extended his arms. He couldn't even think of making magic and only released a strong magic power.
The World Wolf didn't stop. It only threw itself towards the magic Loki released and dispersed it with a stronger charge.
[Saga: The One that Conceives a Catastrophe]
The World Wolf activated another saga, but it didn't belong to it.
A scream that resembled the cry of the banshee queen spread out from the back of the World Wolf.
Loki fell into despair once again. It was because he recognized in an instant what the black flames that had surged up from the back of the wolf represented.
The giant, Angrboda.
The giant that had conceived catastrophes like the World Wolf, Fenrir, and the Space Snake, Jormungand, and that had once shared love with Loki
Her scream became lethal blades and hacked the consciousness of Loki and all the others. It was a strong curse that gave one a shock which increased in strength the more people that were killed in the battlefield.
Ragnar, who was in midair, collapsed. The superior-ranked warriors let out pained groans, and the Magician King used seven of the ten spells he was about to activate on himself to offset the effect. The curse of Angrboda was that strong.
The one that was influenced the least was Tae Ho. It was because the time he stood on the battlefield was short, and Idun was using all her strength to protect Tae Ho.
Idun, who poured out an overwhelming amount of divine power, clenched her chest and fell down. She couldn't even call Tae Ho's name right now.
Tae Ho looked in front of him. The World Wolf, that had broken through Loki's magic, was closing the distance at a tremendous speed. It seemed like its teeth would bite him in half should Tae Ho blink even once.
Tae Ho moved. He grabbed the strengthless Odin with an arm and then threw his body. It really was by a breath of a hair. The moment Tae Ho threw himself, he saw the World Wolf biting the air.
'Get a hold of yourself! We are doing as we planned!'
Cuchulainn bolstered up Tae Ho. Tae Ho gritted his teeth to swing his sword once again towards the World Wolf and then created some distance with it by kicking the air in consecution. In the first place, he had already decided to do so the moment Loki had begun preparing the teleportation magic.
He would take Odin and escape.
He would rescue the King of Gods.
"Go!"
Loki yelled. He held down the World Wolf by releasing all his magic power at once while blood flowed from all the holes in his body. The stakes Merlin promptly summoned pierced the body of the World Wolf and fixed it to the ground.
But it was only for a moment. Realizing this, Tae Ho put back Caliburn and took out the item he'd received from Skuld with his other hand in a single, fluid motion. It was an escape rock that he could use to save himself in urgent situations.
If he used it, he would teleport through time.
Tae Ho added strength into his hand. He broke the rock that had a rune the size of a thumb and tried to activate the magic in it.
Idun panted and looked at Tae Ho. Loki and Merlin, who were holding down the World Wolf, yelled almost at the same time.
The World Wolf threw its body. As it moved with a strength that was stronger than Thor, who boasted of having the best strength amongst the Gods, the stakes moved as well. The World Wolf wasn't safe after that, but it didn't mind even a little bit. It spat out black fire that held a cursed power, just like the blood of Ymir, and opened its mouth towards Tae Ho and Odin.
[Saga: Jaw of the World Wolf]
The upper jaw touched the sky and the lower jaw touched the ground. It put everything at the surroundings at its side and fixed the space between.
The space magic didn't activate, and at the same time, the jaws started to close. The World Wolf moved once again and tried to gulp down Tae Ho and Odin.
Tae Ho put a stronger magic power in the escape rock and, right then, Odin moved.
"Gungnir!"
When he yelled, Gungnir which was still lodged in its eye, started to spin fiercely and presented a new agony to the World Wolf.
Odin wasn't done. He tried to resist against his fate desperately, and that wasn't only for himself.
He would save Idun's warrior. He wouldn't turn him into dog food in a place like this.
Odin's divine power had gotten really weak before the World Wolf, who was his fated natural enemy, but Odin was still the King of Gods. He was the God of War and Magic. He used all of his wisdom and techniques available to create a new magic. This time, Odin stood in front of Tae Ho and blocked the 'Jaw of the World Wolf'.
"Odin!"
Loki cried out.
The invisible teeth of the World Wolf penetrated Odin, and at the same time, the World Wolf charged towards the two of them while letting a roar filled with pain and rage.
Angrboda screamed once again, and Adenmaha, who'd risen up only now in the distance, cried and shouted,
"Master!"
There was no reply. The mouth of the World Wolf gulped down Tae Ho and Odin.
—
Idun couldn't say anything with her stupefied expression. She, who was already sitting down, collapsed, strengthless.
She didn't feel Tae Ho.
She couldn't feel him.
Idun trembled. She groaned once again and then started to cry like a kid.
—
The Magician King laughed. The presence of Odin had disappeared completely from Midgard, so this meant that the World Wolf had turned the prophecy into reality.
Odin, who had said that he would strike his head and end this war.
The Magician King agreed with him. His words weren't a little bit wrong.
Because there was nothing one would be able to do when they lost your head.
The Magician King gazed out before him and looked at the warriors of Asgard and Loki who were putting despairful expressions.
He would now do what Odin had said.
He would strike Asgard, that had lost its head, and bring the war to an end.
Magic surged up from the two hands of the Magician King.
—
Uld and Verdandi were the past and the present. That's why they knew what had happened in the island that was on the death of sea.
Uld prepared a new thread. It was connected by several strands, but the end of it held only despair.
—
Mimir, who was left alone in his lake, opened his mouth.
He said out loud even though he knew that no one was listening to him.
"The day the World Wolf awakens, the foolish but clear King of Gods, Odin, will become dog food."
The World Wolf had woken up and had clashed with the King of Gods, and finally, fate caught up with Odin.
But the words of Mimir didn't end. It continued to speak.
"The probabilities are 12.792 of 100.000."
The probabilities changed drastically, and right now, a new change occurred. The head of Mimir didn't stop speaking.
"As Odin has evaded the fate of turning into dog food, he won't stop his fight against fate."
The one next to Odin. The one that would fight against fate with him.
"Idun's warrior."
The head of Mimir stopped talking and leaned his ear on the sound that was heard far away.
—
Skuld, who represented the future, was different than the others. She could see a strand of hope that was hidden in the despair.
Skuld hurriedly left Vanaheim.
She needed a new thread of fate.
—
Tae Ho closed his eyes. No, he was already closing it.
He couldn't feel Idun's power. His connection to her had been severed.
It was the first time this had happened since he'd entered Valhalla, and because of that, Tae Ho could get a hold of himself even though he was exhausted. He hurriedly opened his eyes like someone that had just woken up from a nightmare and looked in front of him.
"Did you wake up?"
The owner of the really exhausted voice was Odin. He had become a rag as his entire body was torn apart by the teeth of the World Wolf.
But he didn't die. He had certainly survived and was now facing Tae Ho with his only eye.
"I was lucky. No, it must have been the results of my desperate struggle."
The escape rock Skuld which had given him had activated in the end. But originally, the rock that should have sent them to a safe place in Midgard was influenced by the 'Jaw of the World Wolf', and the magic power Odin squeezed out had exploded.
Tae Ho felt the pain that was covering his entire body and rose up. He looked at his surroundings and realized that it was a place he'd never before seen.
The roots of a gargantuan tree were poking out of the ground. The place Tae Ho and Odin were at was at one of the crevices of that root.
"Where….is this?"
Tae Ho barely managed to squeeze out his voice to ask, but Odin waited for a moment before answering. It was because a sound would be heard that would tell him where this place was.
A sound that resembled thunder shook the sky covered with fog.
It was a familiar sound for Odin, but it was the first time for him too to listen it this close.
Tae Ho panted and listened to the loud sound and then understood that it wasn't a loud sound but a roar of a dragon.
Tae Ho remembered a story Heda had told him before and looked at Odin. He then nodded.
"This is the end of the world."
One of the deepest roots of Yggdrasil and the place where the World Tree had grown from.
Tae Ho understood why his connection with Idun had been severed and remembered who the roar's owner was.
The wicked dragon, Nidhogg, that lived in the roots of Yggdrasil.
Its cry shook the sky once again.
< Episode 36 - Odin (2) > End
TL note: Thanks for reading~