Baldur and Mistletoe (3)
Odin's eyes began to melt, damp with tears. The sudden flood of them truly evoked the sensation of something dissolving. His thoughts ground to a halt. Somehow, Hodr had thrown Mistilteinn, and Baldur had met his death.
His body froze. Despair settled into the furrow between his brows. Blood soaked the golden jade stones in a crimson pool. It flowed across the stones, lifting the shattered fragments of his heart.
"Ah, aah... Baldur."
It was Frigg. The first to cry out was his mother, Frigg. The holy sword had driven a razor-sharp blade straight into the parents' hearts. Thud. Though unseen and unheard, Frigg and Odin felt the pain. It hurt.
Then Loki's single remark twisted the blade deeper.
"How does it feel to lose a child? This is all your doing."
Loki chuckled, a crooked smile on his lips. Odin glared at him, his gaze a straight line of fury. Taesik's words suddenly came back to him. All the shit you shat yourself, something you have to clean up without a trace.
That fucking troll bitch.
Odin knew it well. If he could apologize, he would have. But as king of the gods, he could not easily bow his head. Lowering the dignity and stature of a king was not something he did.
Was that why? Was that why Baldur had to die? Odin forced his stalled thoughts back into motion and ground his teeth with a distant, bitter sound.
Vwoooom—
The thunder-spear Gungnir roared with a violent engine-like whine. The water was already spilled. If Loki died, everything would be resolved. Odin swallowed hard, hiding none of the frost-laced hatred in his eyes, and roared.
He hurled the spear with all his might. Gungnir tore through the air like a bullet, carving a savage straight line.
KWAKWAKWAK!
It hadn't even touched the ground, yet it produced a terrifying sonic boom. Loki let out a hollow laugh at the sight. He yanked Mistilteinn from Baldur's body and blocked Gungnir.
Zziiing—!
With a sound like a struck resonator, void energy surged upward. Just like the fountain of Baldur's blood that had burst forth when Mistilteinn was pulled free. The swelling void energy took the shape of a sword aura.
Then came the clash. Spear and sword blade moved as if to devour each other. Odin struck directly; Loki deflected. The black spear could not be overcome. Especially not if it was the divine weapon Gungnir. But the holy sword Mistilteinn was the mistletoe blade Odin had forged for the hero. That was why it could deflect the divine weapon's attack.
Being turned against by his own design, Loki could only burst into mad, wheezing laughter.
"Run!!"
"W-what is that?!"
As the gods scrambled out of the banquet hall and the shockwave swallowed the surroundings with sonic booms, Odin gathered golden light at the tip of Gungnir and fired.
Tudududud!
Bullets of lightning sprayed like a machine gun. The old Loki would have been unable to block them and would have fallen. Loki had never been strong.
—Until he faced the void.
"...I'll be taking Fenrir back. Odin!"
Loki shouted, his violet eyes flashing. If Taesik had been there, he would have yelled, "Fuck, it's the reincarnation eyes!" A low-lying aura of void swirled around Loki. It was not gentle or refreshing like mana. It was savage and violent, a pitch-black [ ] like a black hole.
It did not exist. Not violet, but something beyond. The master of the void wielded not fragments, but the essence itself. Void, exactly as the word implied—nothingness where nothing existed. Loki used an invisible energy. Yes, a spacetime domain that nothing, not even light, could escape from, engulfed Asgard.
"Hahk, hahk...!"
"Odin. Even now I want to tear you apart and kill you, but..."
Loki wore a crooked smile.
"That wouldn't be any fun, would it?"
He laughed.
*
It had been a week since the birds stopped singing and the flowers stopped seeing the bright light. Crops had been devastated by raging storms, and several homes lay in ruins. The warriors' grand voyage had failed, and Thor's wrath had consumed Midgard.
"Pardon me."
The maid with pink hair and fair skin. The one who loved and cherished me more than anyone. Isabel set down the teacup with a bright smile.
"Thanks."
"...Is that all the reaction I get?"
"Come here."
At the light kiss, the corners of her mouth softened. Did it really feel that good? Being together had definitely made her show a more relaxed side than before. I had known Isabel wasn't honest with her feelings and was the type to be cold by day and warm by night, but seeing her not tense up even in daily life meant her condition had improved. Well, she still had a habit of beating around the bush, but she was cute, so I was satisfied.
I took a sip of the herbal tea. Since Isabel had been serving others since childhood, her tea-brewing skills were nothing short of masterful. The fragrant, refreshing aroma froze the back of my throat. The minty scent that cleared my head somehow filled me with a strange longing.
Following the boss to after-work dinners, the night always ended with peppermint candy at the restaurant counter. While everyone else enjoyed their post-meal cigarette, I had candy. Because I didn't smoke.
A chuckle escaped me at the memory of that other world. It had been delicious—gamjatang. My mouth watered at the thought of hometown food I hadn't had in so long.
...This wasn't the time for such thoughts.
The damage to Midgard was severe, and the monsters of the demonic realm were growing sharper. As if welcoming a great monarch, they cheered toward the sky and let out kieeeek, chaos fears. Even so, there was nothing I could do. Mistilteinn, which should have been at my side, was gone. That meant I couldn't fully draw out the hero's power. I had already surpassed the limits of the flesh and become a superhuman, but it wasn't enough.
That was why.
"I wonder when it'll be finished."
In that final moment, I had shattered my teeth with every ounce of strength I had left. Yes, I had obtained Nidhogg's Fang. Enduring the pain as the poison seeped into every joint, I had placed the commission. The creature's venom had nearly stopped my heart, and I had been captivated by that power. Using the wealth of the Lionblood family, I had commissioned a sword to replace the holy blade. It would be weaker than Mistilteinn, but that didn't matter.
What would it feel like to have your neck torn out by your own teeth? Would it hurt? Would it make a gruesome sound? Or would it make you furious?
Crunch. At the chilling sound, Isabel flinched. I didn't even notice, radiating killing intent toward Nidhogg. If I could just kill him, if I could just kill the bastard who had twisted everything and blocked my wish, anything was fine. Even fighting dirty was fine. I would carve every part of him to pieces and kill him.
I had no choice but to kill him. I made up my mind. To fulfill my wish. To protect the two women. I resolved to fight the void.
"Haa..."
So all I could do was wait for Nidhogg's Fang to be completed as soon as possible. Before that colossal dragon sowed the seeds of war.
"This is driving me insane."
I had to kill him before Yggdrasil was swallowed by the void.
*
A rain of blood was falling over Asgard. Everyone failed to hide their shock. The wounded Odin gasped in pain and sorrow. Frigg stared at Baldur with eyes sunk deep in despair. Black hair and golden eyes. Even in death, his muscular body made it clear how diligently he had trained. As void settled heavily over the corpse, Frigg felt only despair.
When the bloody rain struck the jade stones, Baldur's blood flowed toward her. Cold yet warm, as if he might burst into hearty laughter at any moment. Why had death come for her child? Everyone looked at her with pity, bowing their heads in mourning.
Odin suppressed his grief. His head was a mess over his son's death, but he was also worried about his other child. Slowly, he looked at the holy sword. Not a single drop of Taesik's blood remained on it. Mistilteinn had fallen into the void.
Grind. Odin thought of the vanished Loki.
"...Hero Kim Taesik."
The fact that Mistilteinn was here meant Taesik had been defeated. Had he died? If he had lost his life, the gates of heaven would have opened. Yet no matter where he searched in Valhalla, Taesik's soul was nowhere to be found. That meant he wasn't dead. Just knowing Taesik was alive was a relief.
Hoo... Odin let out a sigh and swept a hand over his chest. With his staggering body, he struck the wall.
KWANG!
A thunderclap louder than Thor's Mjolnir left its mark. The past came rushing back. People said regret only came after everything was over. Odin didn't believe that. Thanks to Mimir's well, he had thought himself the wisest of all.
More than Angrboda.
The words of Loki's wife, mother of the three monsters, came back to him. And at this exact moment, right after Baldur's death.
—Even gods cannot escape death.
No.
—Just as you oppressed and persecuted my children, death will come for your precious child too.
No!!
Thud!
A gloomy rage filled him. The blood that had been splattering had already stopped, now soaking the gods' toes like a gentle stream. No one found it unpleasant. They simply accepted Baldur's death in silence, sympathizing with the two parents' grief and letting out low sighs.
The moment she had prophesied had arrived. It was merely the result of Frigg extracting promises from all things in the world and overlooking the mistletoe. Hodr looked at him. The trembling man approached and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"It's not your fault. Hodr, you did nothing wrong."
The fault lay with Loki. And the cause was me. Odin chewed his lips hard. The sensation of piercing his own skin brought his eyes open. His brow twisted, and fresh blood ran down his chin. Frigg could not simply watch him like this either. There was no time to drown in sorrow. Even if her heart crumbled, she had to endure. A mother who had lost her child could grieve, but Frigg had to hold on. She was a mother, but also the wife of the chief god. She had to make the wise choice to quell this chaos. She had to think of a way to save her child.
"Anyone will do. Go meet Baldur right now and come back."
The atmosphere grew heavy, like swallowing broken glass. No one failed to understand her words. Did Frigg know? That what she had said was little more than a gamble?
"You mean meet the lord of Helheim?"
"...Yes. Hermod. You can do it, can't you? You're brave."
A man with the same black hair as Baldur. His hair, long enough to reach his waist, was tied back. Unlike the muscular Baldur, he was a man full of refined beauty. Spear and shield in hand, he wiped Baldur's blood across his palm and smeared it on his face.
I'm coming to see you now. Wait for me, he murmured inwardly. Expectation rippled in Odin and Frigg's eyes. Hermod nodded slowly, his face filled with fighting spirit.
"My son."
"Yes, Father."
"I'll lend you Sleipnir. You won't be late."
When Odin snapped his fingers, a golden gate opened. Clang— The sound of metal made them cover their ears, but soon they forgot to, for the most beautiful eight-legged divine horse appeared. Sleipnir was faster than anything, able to fly across sky, sea, and even the demonic realm. That was why Odin had taken measures so there would be no further delay.
Hermod mounted the horse. It was a good fit. He let out a small laugh of admiration. It was the finest steed he had ever ridden. Odin nodded with satisfaction at the sight. Frigg asked him,
"...What about Baldur's body?"
"We'll have to prepare it. Even if the child returns, he won't be whole."
"Even if his soul comes back?"
"We should be grateful he returns at all. Hel is Loki's daughter, after all."
Frigg nodded. Her burning hatred was so intense that a cold frost seemed to emanate from her. Killing intent—killing intent she had never shown before—washed over Frigg. Odin could only pray at the sight. He could only pray that Loki's daughter would show mercy. That the lord of Helheim would understand.
*
A week had passed. Nidhogg's Fang—now a violet void blade—flashed. The gradually withering World Tree came into view.
"...Is it you?"
Nidhogg's poison flowed along the blade. I fixed my gaze on the figure before me, radiating killing intent strong enough to make even Riana and Seria flinch. I had no room for composure right now.
"You're the one who seduced Nidhogg and turned him into this mess?"
I had met a bastard of the highest order.
"Your mom taught you to scam, huh?"
Former legion commander. Now Loki's lackey, the squirrel of Yggdrasil.
"Ah, sorry. You don't have a mom, do you? Who told you to pretend you did? Go die."
I faced Ratatoskr. Yggdrasil began to show faint traces of void. Beneath it, Ratatoskr, in human form, exhaled void energy. He sighed.
"Haa... Because of you, Nidhogg went dark. Do you know who's the worst bastard in the world? The ones who drag others into crime. That's you."
Snicker. I laughed. I probably looked insane, but I was completely sane. Well, except for the brief moment the void energy brushed my brain. I could endure. It wasn't enough to break me.
...To get the holy sword back, I had to endure. Nidhogg's Fang radiated violet energy. No matter how savage it was, it let out a dragon fear toward the enemy, just like Nidhogg.
"So then..."
Looking at the rippling blade, I smiled crookedly. The same smile as always, the same desperate smile from when I had first crossed into this world, when I had been desperate to return home.
"Move."
I, the hero Kim Taesik, felt time begin to flow once more.