Episode 72/Chapter 4: Ragnarok (4)
TL: Tsubak
ED:
The Sword of Creation opened up a path. It swept away the devils and evil dragons that were dying up the sky in black and drew a trajectory in the sky.
The sun followed from behind. It followed the path of the sword and filled the trajectory of the sky with bright light.
The light of the sky burned away the darkness. It passed the sky and headed to the ground and then headed towards Surtr.
Surtr saw that. The sun of the morning that represented the beginning was certainly strong. It was erupting after joining the power of four worlds into one so it was really threatening.
Surtr felt his body stiffen. He had already expected it but he ended up getting nervous.
Surtr laughed. He forced a laugh to press down his nervousness and then swung his Sword of fire towards the sun.
It stopped Tae Ho's march for a moment and then yelled with all his strength.
"Let there be night!"
Surtr wasn't able to see Tae Ho fight directly but he knew the method he used to defeat Nyx.
The sun that drove away the night. The master of Erin and Asgard that released an invincible power under the sun.
That's why he had been expecting things. That the power of the sun will also be unleashed in this battle. Because of that Surtr was prepared for that.
The God of Memphis, Set, stepped forward. The ancient God of Memphis and the God of the night that had acquired the power of his mother, Nubt, spread the night.
Quetzalcoatl assisted him with his strength. He released his complete power for the first time since he acquired the power of the master of Maya Tezcatlipoca that was his old enemy and brother. That was the great power of the night that ruled half of a day.
Nanna, that was one of the seven ruling Gods of Dilmun, and the ruler of the night and moon didn't exist anymore. However, the evil dragons of Dilmun that had broken her authority into pieces and stolen it released the power of the night in her stead.
It was no different for the Asuras that came from Xindu. They assisted in creating the night.
The curtain of night got spread from the Sword of fire of Surtr after it clashed head-on with the sun. Anjra Mainiuu joined the power of four worlds and created a single night as the World God of Avesta.
The night covered the sun. Tae Ho roared more loudly and the sun released light a few times stronger than now and tore apart the curtain of light. He then parried back the Sword of flames and charged towards Surtr.
Surtr was a giant that reached two hundred meters in height. But the sun of divine power wasn't small either. The huge sun struck the chest of Surtr and the overwhelming light blinded all the battlefield of Asgard.
A loud explosion erupted under the complete darkness and Tae Ho that was the first to open his eyes gritted his eyes at the scene in front of his eyes.
Surtr was standing there. Half of the metal and black rocks that were covering the flames got destroyed and three of the five horns located at his head that were acting like a crown got destroyed but he was still fine.
It was thanks to the night having dispersed the power of the sun.
Surtr also looked at Tea Ho. He swung his sword quickly instead of saying anything.
A wave of flames covered the sky. Odin raised his hand hurriedly after he opened his eyes late but he wasn't able to reach in time. That's why Tae Ho had to be the one to step up.
Tae Ho swung the Sword of creation against the wave of flames. He swung it vertically instead of horizontally and made it clash against the wave and the light of creation that clashed against the wave of flames erupted and devoured the sky.
"Uooooo!"
Tae Ho spread his wings. The sentence of Olympus shone in his right wing and the sentence of the Temple shone in his right one. He held the Sword of creation with his right hand that had the sentence of Erin and extended his left hand forward that had the sentence of Asgard.
Odin assisted with his strength. An invisible barrier that appeared in Tae Ho's palms blocked the wave of flames perfectly.
A line got formed in the sky. Nothing happened inside that line but a lot of devils and evil dragons burned down and perished thanks to the wave of flames having flowed backward.
But the holy dragons and the birds of the highest branch couldn't cheer.
Tae Ho started to breathe noticeably heavier and Odin ended up sitting down without strength. Freya collapsed and lied her head in the ground in a deep place of Valhalla.
I'm still able to go on.
Surtr said. No, he couldn't say if he actually spoke like that. He just swung his Sword of flames again.
Tae Ho stopped that again and this time without Odin's help. The line in the sky got formed a bit backward and Surt swung his sword once again. A wave of flames charged. The flames were also weaker than before as Surtr had also gotten exhausted. However, Tae Ho was also as weakened and exhausted. He possessed a body as long as he had life but that was thanks to the overwhelming expenditure of divine power assisting with the power of the saga.
Tae Ho blocked the wave with difficulty and he wasn't able to endure it anymore when it exploded.
Surtr opened his mouth at that moment. He activated the authority of Anjra Mainiuu that had the characteristics of the dragon race. A breath of flames headed towards Tae Ho.
Tae Ho fluttered his wings and scattered the flames as much as possible. And then Nidhogg roared.
"Tae Ho master-!"
The World Dragon charged towards Surtr. Tae Ho ordered Nidhogg to never face Surtr head on and to only assist him in his battle but she couldn't do that.
The body of the World Dragon dispersed the flames of Surtr with its body and then charged towards Surtr.
Tae Ho vomited blood. He tried to take out a golden apple with his trembling hands but he ended up losing consciousness. It was due to having spent so much strength he wasn't able to endure it even with Idun's blessing.
Tae Ho crashed. Surtr swung his Sword of flames towards the charging World Dragon and Nidhogg screamed and took the wave of flames head-on.
"Freya."
Odin called out to Freya and tried to stand up. He couldn't put strength in his trembling arms.
Freya panted and cried. She tried to stand up however she could but she just twitched in the floor that was covered with blood.
"You shouldn't be looking away?!"
Azidajaka got enraged and fired dozens of black orbs of light towards Echidna. Echidna looked at Tae Ho that had crashed in that instant and then gritted her teeth and formed a barrier of poison and meanwhile, Sigurd that had been looking at Azidajaka while all of this happened swung Gram.
Son Wukong and Thor weren't able to move either. It was because Quetzalcoatl had grabbed Son Wukong's feet, Set stopped the charge of Tae Ho, and the Asuras of Xindu attacked Heracles.
The Gods of Asgard were also in a bad situation. Siri transformed back into her Goddess appearance and fired arrows without stop but she couldn't open up a path. Bracky swung Caladbolg that he received from Tae Ho and a hammer he got from the dwarves of Nidavelir at the same time to fight desperately but there were just too many enemies.
The Sword of flames stabbed the chest of the World Dragon and Nidhogg cried in pain. Hraesvelgr moved his hands instead of her. The World Dragon bit the neck and shoulder of Surtr and Adenmaha embraced Nidhogg that was convulsing in pain.
Tae Ho crashed down. A dust cloud arose and countless beings ran towards Tae Ho.
There were enemies and allies among them.
But there were more enemies, unfortunately. It was because he ended up entering the ranks of the enemy as he approached Surtr the closest possible to decrease the aftereffect that the four worldly suns created on the allies.
"For Asgard and the nine realms!"
"For Asgard and the nine realms!"
The warriors of Valhalla and the Steel warriors threw themselves. They charged towards death like moths flying to fire.
Deaths continued to pile up. The corpses of the warriors of Valhalla and Steel warriors started to pile up and the countless souls surged up to the sky to return to Valhalla.
Tae Ho opened his eyes with difficulty. The blessing of Idun was grabbing the last thread of lifeline he had. He felt like he could hear Idun's voice beyond his consciousness.
My warrior Tae Ho.
My warrior Tae Ho.
Idun was crying. Tae Ho let out a sigh and then he vaguely saw something from the darkness that approached.
He could see the face of a Valkyrie. The face he could see from between the golden hair out with blood and sweat was familiar but the expression she was making wasn't familiar.
Fierce feelings were swelling. Ingrid was crying and yelling and Tae Ho panted. Ingrid fed Tae Ho a golden apple. When the golden apple that became half liquid passed through Tae Ho's throat he felt that his senses were recovering.
The World Dragon was dying.
It was the result of allowing several critical attacks by Surtr.
"Tae Ho! Warrior Tae Ho!"
Ingrid yelled up close. It was the first time she had seen crying. Tae Ho thought that he had to stand up and fight against the Fire giant.
He heard Idun's voice and Heda crying.
Heda was fighting. She was running towards him while raising her sword.
Nidhogg cried. Hraesvelgr yelled and one of the wings of the World Dragon got torn apart.
[Concentrate, concentrate!]
Astelone yelled and Cuchulainn said something similar.
Tae Ho inhaled some air and concentrated on himself like Astelone had said.
Tae Ho's own divinity.
Battle, conquest, meetings.
His divine power was depleted. It was also impossible to wield four seats of a master in one body. They had tried to lessen the burden through the ceremony and control his power but they had failed. They couldn't join the power of four worlds into one perfectly and he wasted his divine power in an inefficient way.
Time flowed.
It was slow yet fast.
While Tae Ho took some breath, the dozens of warriors of Valhalla and Steel warriors fought for Tae Ho and they faced death.
Surtr climbed on top of the World Dragon and grabbed the only wing it had with his hands.
Ingrid tried to carry Tae Ho.
Odin finally stood up and Freya raised her head under the pool of blood.
Zeus charged towards the Flame giant and threw Astrape.
And Heda ran. She finally arrived at Tae Ho but she took a few more steps instead of taking care of Tae Ho. She swung her sword to protect him.
What did he have to do?
No answer returned from the sentence of Erin as all the Gods and kings of Erin had left with the God of light Lugh having left at the end. Even the great warrior Cuchulainn couldn't give out an answer in this situation.
Surtr finally tore down the other wing the World Dragon had left. Nidhogg struggled under the pain that transcended her imagination.
Odin thought. Ended up thinking.
It really is the end. The end has arrived.
Blood rained from the sky. The birds of the highest branch and the holy dragons of the Temple crashed consecutively.
The sky and ground were crying.
The world was being sad.
And at that moment time stopped.
It wasn't that a transcendental strength had been activated. Tae Ho felt it like that.
A voice.
It didn't belong to Heda or Idun. It didn't belong to anyone connected to Tae Ho.
He was able to feel it thanks to being the master of Asgard.
He could listen to it.
The sound of the world crying.
The voice the world let out.
Tae Ho concentrated even more and then finally understood under the time that seemed like it had frozen.
So that was it. That was the case.
You were watching from the beginning.
You had been observing from the start.
The beginning of the world.
The birth of the ancient Gods.
The activities of the countless lives born from Asgard and the other smaller worlds.
And you-
Have called,
me.
A voice was heard. An answer returned.
Tae Ho could now know the owner of the voice and that's why he dropped his mouth. He called the name of the woman.
"World God of Asgard."
That was the name of the woman. The consciousness of the world that materialized due to Tae Ho.
Asgard replied back. It answered at Tae Ho's call.
*
Urd, the eldest sister and the Goddess of the past, shed tears. The Goddess of the present Verdandi extended her hand and stroke the cheek of the youngest, Skuld.
It had been a month since Skuld had lost consciousness while looking at the fate of the world. And the reason she lost consciousness was that there was a reason she had to faint.
Skuld had been with the consciousness of the world the past month. She had prepared beforehand so that Tae Ho would be able to materialize the will of the world when the time came.
And that time had finally arrived.
Skuld didn't look at the future but at the present. She contained the name of the one that wielded the fate of the world, the ten worlds in his hands.
She looked at a distant place once again.
&
Nidhogg embraced Adenmaha under the nasty pain. Adenmaha was the one that felt pain because she got embraced too tightly but she couldn't stop.
She felt like dying. No, it hurt so much she just wanted to die.
But there was a voice that entered her ears. It didn't belong to Adenmaha or Tae Ho and she had certainly heard this voice before.
The voice reduced Nidhogg's pain for a moment. Thanks to that Nidhogg was able to concentrate and could remember the moment she had heard that voice.
When she reconciled with Audhumla. When she decided to protect the world with her.
There was someone that observed her decision.
Someone smiling at her decision.
Nidhogg knew it now. Who was the owner of the voice and who was the one that had been observing her.
That's why Nidhogg called out her name. She gave Tae Ho strength as the dragon that protects the world, as the will of Audhumla.
&
A white Goddess embraced Tae Ho.
It was the will of the world that had materialized due to a saga. She was an existence that could only be described as the World God of Asgard.
She looked at Tae Ho. Tae Ho didn't say anything but she could know.
The one that doesn't only want to protect the five worlds but all ten worlds.
The one that wants to protect the world for real.
A white Goddess kissed Tae Ho in his lips. She gave him the best blessing.
Shall my strength be with you.
My everything.
The white Goddess disappeared and at that moment white light surged up from Tae Ho's body.
&
Surtr flinched the moment he was about to strike the head of the World Dragon with his Sword of Flames. He could only turn back.
There was a streak of light surging up in the middle of the battlefield.
That light wasn't strong at all and wasn't powerful like the Sword of Creation that could tear apart the world.
But he could only stop. He ended up clenching the Sword of flames with more strength unconsciously.
There was white light and someone rising up from that light. The man that spread his dragon wings formed by light wasn't an incomplete being anymore. He didn't waste strength as he got oppressed by the four seats of masters.
The power of the four worlds formed a perfect harmony.
And there was only one reason that became possible.
The one standing at that place wasn't merely a master anymore. He was an existence that has transcended a master.
"World God… Asgard."
Surtr said and Tae Ho didn't deny that.
The World God released his power.
< Episode 72 - Ragnarok (4) > End
TL note: Thanks for reading~
Episode 72/Chapter 5: Ragnarok (5)
TL: Tsubak
ED:
Things like physical size didn't matter anymore.
Tae Ho's divine power clashed with Surtr's and it clashed in the middle of the battlefield.
The two powers belonged to a World God.
What was added to Tae Ho was the assistance of Asgard and the seat of master of four worlds and what was added to Surtr was the power of Anjra Mainiuu that had ascended to the throne in Avesta and the power of Muspelheim that brought the end of the worlds.
The first clash generated an overwhelming explosion. A big hole got formed in the middle of the battlefield when the two of them clashed. It exterminated everything that was inside its range and destroyed the skies and ground.
The World Dragon struggled when it felt the power of Tae Ho. Wings of flames pouted out from the back of Surtr. Surtr jumped over the World Dragon and flew but he didn't head towards Tae Ho. It was to a completely different place.
It wasn't simply to move the battlefield. The moment Odin saw the fire giant fly up, Zeus yelled like lightning.
"To the World Tree!"
It felt like lightning fell inside their heads. At that moment Odin also understood it. He remembered the scene that the mount of Olympus got destroyed.
The mount of Olympus wasn't simply a place. It was the core that supported the world called Olympus.
The World Tree Ygdrassil was also like that. It was the pillar that supported Asgard.
The giant that had tried to crush down everyone resisting him and then burn down the World Tree just like what he did in Olympus changed his plans the moment Tae Ho released the power of a World God.
He would burn down the World Tree first. He would put Asgard at a risky state.
Olympus was different from Asgard. The World Tree Ygdrassil didn't only support the world of Gods Asgard and Vanaheim but also the smaller worlds like the mortal world Midgard, the world of fairies Alfheim, etc. If the World Tree disappeared then the smaller worlds could collapse in one moment.
And that would soon lead to the destruction of all of Asgard so the power of the World God of Asgard could only get weaker.
Odin was a cruel and cunning God of war but he had never imagined the concept of burning down the World Tree. The same went for his old enemy the magician king Utgard Loki.
The World Tree was much bigger than the mount of Olympus and burning down and extinguishing something like that was outside of their logic.
In addition, the destruction of the World Tree would lead to the destruction of all of Asgard. Now that they were in Asgard, the Kingdom of Fire couldn't be safe either. Most of their army would extinguish with the army of Asgard.
But Surtr didn't care about things like that. He already had a record of having destroyed the mount of Olympus and the World Tree was another target for destruction. It was enough if the Kingdom of Fire perished along it as Surtr was able to burn down the Temple if only he was left. Asgard and Tae Ho were the actual final resistance.
Surtr charged towards the World Tree. Tae Ho realized Surtr's intentions just like Odin and Zeus and spread his wings of the dragon hurriedly. He started to cross the sky to get in front of him.
The battlefield got split in two. Surtr and Tae Ho clashed in front of the World Tree separately from the Kingdom of Fire and the association of the four worlds clashing.
The World Tree was really huge. The real Ygdrassil was a huge tree that reached several small worlds even though it was said that only a part of the system of Ygdrassil was manifested.
Surtr didn't attack Tae Ho. He threw his Sword of flames as soon as he reached a certain distance near the World Tree. The sword started to increase in size just like when he destroyed the mount of Olympus. It became a sword that passed through the sky and ground and headed to the World Tree. It was actually an attack that contained all of Surtr's power and authority.
Tae Ho stopped that. He raised his Sword of Creation and concentrated the sentences of the four worlds into one.
The two swords clashed and the clash between the two divinities exploded in the middle of the battlefield.
They stood on even ground. No, Tae Ho got pushed back a bit. He couldn't completely block the Sword of flames that was trying to destroy the World Tree.
The reason for that was simple.
It wasn't because the power of the world of Asgard didn't amount to the power of the world of Avesta.
It was like Nyx had said. It was because the end was nearing just like Nuwa had said.
Destruction was pure reason.
There was an end if there was a beginning and that time was now, that was all.
They wouldn't be able to overturn the tides no matter how much they struggled.
It was an excellent struggle but it ends here. And just receive that reason.
Surtr said.
He didn't say that as a destructive being. It was a claim from the one that was executing the end of the world.
The Sword of Flames broke in pieces. Tae Ho destroyed more than half of the sword but what remained of the sword passed Tae Ho and reached the World Tree. The flames that burnt down the world spread in an instant and covered the World Tree.
The World Tree started to burn.
If those were normal flames it wouldn't even be able to burn a small branch but these flames were the last flames that were the end itself.
The flames spread to the highest branches. It passed Asgard, passed Midgard and passed through Niflheim and it headed to the roots that was covered by a dense fog.
The roots that were supporting Alfheim and Nidavelir caught fire. You could see the World Tree burning everywhere in the world.
The world started to shake. The flames that started in the World Tree started to spread to the smaller worlds such as Midgard and the other realms.
Odin kneeled down. He sat as if curling down and couldn't say anything.
He hadn't stopped resisting even though he knew the destined destruction in the future but he could not admit it by this point.
The World Tree was still burning. It would need a considerable amount of time to burn down everthing left of the tree and so the smaller worlds would collapse as they lost their pillar.
But they couldn't do anything anymore. The world would face the destined destruction in the end.
The higher your rank of your divinity and the stronger it was, you were able to understand the current situation more quickly and precisely.
It was the end.
The end had arrived.
The humans of Midgard fell in fear. The dead beings of Niflheim looked at the World Tree with sorrowful eyes.
The dwarves of Nidavelir crouched down and the fairies of Alfheim and Svartalfheim looked at the forest burning down and despaired.
The Gods stopped resisting. Zeus dropped his lightning Astrape and Apollo and Athena sat down. They just looked at the burning World Tree with burning eyes.
Thor, that was charging forward with his lightning, stopped advancing. Son Wukong dropped his staff and breathed roughly. Heracles, that was crushing down the Kingdom of Fire, didn't move as if he had become a boulder.
The despair of the Gods got infected in an instant. The warriors of Valhalla, the martial artists of the Temple, and the heroes of Olympus lost their strength to fight. There were some that collapsed and shed tears.
Siri, that was charging while carrying Bracky, stopped her feet. Bracky opened his mouth by force but he couldn't yell anything. He dropped his hammer that he had raised high.
Nidhogg burst in tears. Those were the tears of the ancient God Audhumla that couldn't hate the world in the end. Nuwa shook her head and Adenmaha bit her lips and embraced Nidhogg. Heda drooped her shoulders and sword and looked at the World Tree with the eyes of Idun.
Everyone gave up.
Everyone despaired.
It was a situation you could only act like that.
But only one person.
There was only one person that didn't give up while all the others had fallen in despair.
And there was power transmitted to that person.
[Synchro rate: 105%]
Tae Ho looked at the World Tree.
&
The World Tree was burning. The end was nearing.
Tae Ho admitted it and accepted that as Surtr had said.
But he didn't stop there.
He thought of the new beginning that would follow the end.
&
[Synchro rate: 110%]
Astelone said. That the synchro rate meant his strength as the piece of Terra. That Tae Ho was the strongest existence of all the pieces of Terra in all of history.
Then, if that was the case.
He could still advance.
[Synchro rate: 120%]
Tae Ho thought. He searched for a way to find even in the moment that everyone had despaired.
If it wasn't enough with the power of the World God Asgard.
If it wasn't enough with the seat of masters of four worlds.
[Synchro rate: 130%]
Surtr noticed the change. He, who was looking at the burning tree, looked at Tae Ho once again.
Siri raised her head and Bracky let out a low exclamation. Nidhogg stopped crying and blinked and Adenmaha contained Tae Ho's name in her mouth.
[Synchro rate: 140%]
The power of Terra was being added to Tae Ho. The trick was the same from when they brought up the power of the World God of Asgard and at the same time the result of being able to release the power of the master of Olympus which he got able to use freely because of that.
Astelone said.
Even if the world of Dark Age was made up, the stories in that world were real and the power of the ones believing in that wasn't a lie.
It was a meaningless thing.
The World Tree was already burning.
No matter how much stronger you get, you won't be able to stop the destruction of Asgard.
Surtr said and he got bewildered at his own voice. There was hastiness in his voice.
It was the same way as the sacred forces. The power of Terra, so to say the power of everyone that believed in Dark Age and Kalsted had jumped the boundary of a world and was being concentrated on Tae Ho.
[Synchro rate: 160%]
[Synchro rate: 190%]
The Synchro rate continued to increase and at some point, it didn't get marked. Tae Ho's strength couldn't be measured by the synchro rate anymore.
World God Asgard.
The master of four worlds.
The proxy of Terra.
He had arrived like that. The stories he had accumulated in Asgard, Erin, Olympus and the Temple joined into one and gave birth to it.
The protector of Asgard and the nine realm that's it.
The one holding the strongest name not only in Dark Age but in all the ten worlds.
Saga, Immortal Warrior.
The power that had transcended a World God has descended.
Surtr grabbed a new Sword of flames in a hurry and roared.
It was already late. The World Tree was already burning. The end had arrived!
That was the case. No matter how strong of a power was born, the World Tree was already burning down. Not long after that, the Last flames will collapse the entirety of Asgard. Surtr's words weren't wrong.
That's why Tae Ho didn't deny that.
He didn't think of an end but of a new beginning.
'Not a saga but a cheat.'
Cuchulainn laughed and Astelone told him to show them.
Tae Ho didn't put off the fire of the World Tree. He rather intensified it and thought of one story.
The voices of Heda and Idun rang in his head.
The Goddess of youth smiles under the golden apple tree.
If the end had arrived, he would create a new beginning. He would then make the story continue.
The World Tree disappeared along with the Last flames.
And the power of Tae Ho filled up the empty spot. A beautiful and bright golden apple tree surged up. It supported Asgard with its new branches and roots.
Creation ranked saga.
Creation.
The beginning of a story.
Surtr hung his mouth open under the shock and Tae Ho glared at him and smiled.
For the real end and the new beginning.
The immortal warrior raised his sword.
< Episode 72 - Ragnarok (5) > End
TL note: Thanks for reading~