Waltrautesan no Konkatsu Jijou - Chapter 3 - Part 7

“Looks like it’s begun,” muttered Loki to himself so Surtr could not hear as the giant barked orders at his subordinate giants and evil spirits in one corner of the fire world of Muspelheim.

The boy next to Loki did not seem to understand the situation as he looked around at the objects and scenery he could never see in the human world of Midgard.

“What has begun?”

“The final battle of Ragnarök.”

Even that boy’s expression stiffened when he heard that. It seemed even a human of his age had been taught about Ragnarök from his parents or a shaman.

That meant the end of the nine worlds supported by the world tree Yggdrasil.

It was the final battle that would burn everything away.

“Y-you’re kidding.”

“Why would I be kidding?”

“But…you have to be kidding!! The old shaman would always laugh and say Ragnarök is something a long, long time from now!!”

“The gods have more accurate information than humans. And look. You can see Naglfar being completed, right? Surly you have heard the stories. It is very nearly complete. At this rate, it will not even take a week.”

“…”

The boy looked like he was about to cry.

The only reason he was able to resist obeying his feelings and letting out a wail was because he had come here on a journey to grow stronger.

“Really?” asked the boy with his voice hoarse. “The final battle of Ragnarök really is beginning?”

Loki used some magic on the boy. This level of magic was usable even in Muspelheim.

The boy could now hear the communications and transmissions currently being sent throughout the heavenly world of Asgard.

“If we can get in a preemptive surprise attack now, we can substantially wear down Muspelheim’s forces!! This is our only time to attack!”

“No, we can’t. This is too little time to prepare. We do not have enough Einherjar war dead yet! We need to focus on fortifying our defenses instead of attacking!!”

“Even if the preemptive surprise attack is a success, a counterattack from Surtr could burn away 40% of Midgard.”

“That does not matter. Once Ragnarök begins, the predictions say over 99% of them will die anyway. Protecting Asgard takes priority!! Once Naglfar is complete, they will head directly here!”

To the powerless human boy, those words were much too cruel.

“This is to be expected,” said Loki with an unconcerned expression. “Asgard is operating under the assumption that the battle will occur, so their plans have already eliminated the possibility of stopping the battle. Even if nothing happens now, they will still be left waiting for Ragnarök to eventually happen.”

“Why did you come here, Mr. Loki?”

“To cause some disturbance in that assumption that it will happen sooner or later.”

As he replied, Loki dismantled the wings of Icarus by melting the wax holding the feathers together and pulled something out from within them.

It was a sword contained within a scabbard colored a sinister black and red.

“This sword is Dáinsleif. It is one of the highest ranked magical swords that even humans can wield.”

Once that magic sword was removed from its scabbard, it would never return to its scabbard until the hated opponent had been killed. Either the target would be killed or the wielder would lose his own life. This “sword of endings” would inevitably bring about one or the other result.

The average human could easily have their heart destroyed by the overflowing curse even if they pulled it just a crack from the scabbard.

It was a sword of mutual destruction.

That cruel weapon was most useful when an extreme gap existed between the value of the killer’s life and the value of the killed’s life.

“Are you going to fight that Surtr guy with this?”

“That is but one of many options. Success would be difficult, though,” readily admitted Loki. “After all, Surtr possesses a magic sword of his own that can set fire to the world tree Yggdrasil and burn away all nine worlds. He has the more powerful sword and his strength is much greater than average. I doubt I could win in a direct fight.”

Then what was he hoping to do?

Loki smiled thinly when he saw the look of confusion in the boy’s eyes.

“Have you heard of the god named Höðr?”

“?”

“Ha ha. I suppose he would not be well known in Midgard. His body was weak and he was blind. Unlike a harvest god or a war god, his role was not one to have a large impact in human history.”

“What happened to this god named Höðr?”

“He was famous for a certain spear. Specifically, a throwing spear made of mistletoe that was too young. A rule existed stating that nothing could harm the light god Baldr, but this mistletoe was exempted from the rule because it was too young. And Höðr did a brilliant job of killing Baldr using a throwing spear made of that mistletoe that no one saw any danger in.”

Loki failed to mention that it had actually been Loki himself that had given Höðr that mistletoe and that Höðr had only obeyed Loki’s instructions to throw it as a joke because he had not known it would kill his elder brother Baldr.

“There is always a blind spot. If you can take advantage of it, you can even kill the light god who supposedly could not be killed. And the gods and giants are essentially the same. There is a good chance Surtr has a blind spot like that.”

A blind spot.

A means of fighting that did not involve using sword against sword.

An alternate method that parted ways with the standard functionality and the standard usage.

“I think Dáinsleif, the sword of mutual destruction, should be used, but I do not plan to draw it myself,” said Loki. “I mean to have Surtr draw it. The sword of mutual destruction puts a curse on the killed and the killer. I cannot win a straight fight, but once Dáinsleif’s curse has been applied evenly, Surtr is guaranteed to receive a certain level of damage as its user.”

During the final battle of Ragnarök, several monsters such as the great serpent Jörmungandr, the great wolf Fenrir, and the queen of the underworld Hel would join together to oppose Asgard. However, the once who held the most important role was Surtr.

His sword would burn away the world tree and all nine worlds.

In other words, if he was defeated at an early stage of the battle, the ultimate conclusion would greatly change.

“But would Surtr really touch such a dangerous sword?”

“Normally, no. That is what the blind spot is for.”

Loki pulled another object out of the wax for the wings of Icarus.

It was a giant scabbard measuring over 3 meters and a giant sword grip that matched.

But the actual blade was missing.

Instead, the scabbard contained a hole the perfect size to fit Dáinsleif and the grip contained a hole the perfect size to fit Dáinsleif’s own grip.

“I can disguise Dáinsleif to look exactly like Surtr’s own magic flame sword. That way, Surtr will ‘accidentally’ draw Dáinsleif. No matter the method used, you will be cursed if you draw the magic sword. This will alter Ragnarök.”

Unlike an Æsir like Loki, the human boy or the giant Surtr would definitely be cursed if they drew the magic sword Dáinsleif. Even if the gods and the giants were said to be the same at the root, they directionality of their powers (what the Æsir called good and evil) was completely different.

While Surtr might be able to withstand the curse that leaked from the scabbard, even he would be unable to resist it if he completely drew the sword.

“But…” The boy hesitated. “Won’t Surtr be in trouble if you do that?”

“Unfortunately, the Norns have already predicted that Surtr will lose his life even if Ragnarök goes perfectly well. Whether this happens or not, his fate is the same,” said Loki smoothly. “But altering at which stage Surtr dies will greatly affect the lives of those living in the nine worlds. Over 99% of Midgard will die, so your mother and father are at risk. And over 80% of Asgard will die as well, so the odds aren’t good for Waltraute either. If I can greatly change those numbers, what do you think I should do?”

“…”

The boy looked down to the ground, fell silent, and bit his lip.

Finally, he spoke.

“How often do your ideas work?”

“You had to ask that, didn’t you?” Loki smiled. “My success rate is 30%...no, more like 20%. The odds are pretty high he’ll catch onto the truth by detecting the faint curse leaking from the crack in the altered scabbard. And even if he doesn’t, the magic flame sword symbolizes Surtr. I can’t say for sure whether he would mistake something else for the weapon that has adhered to his existence.”

At best, the odds were 30%.

If it succeeded, Surtr and the forces of Muspelheim he commanded would be thrown into chaos. Surtr was their greatest power, so Asgard would attack and smash Muspelheim to pieces if he was gone.

Was the boy willing to make that sacrifice in order to protect the human world of Midgard and the heavenly world of Asgard?

Or would he refuse to sacrifice and simply wait for the destruction of the nine worlds?

He thought.

And he made his decision.

“…Mr. Loki.”

“Yes?”

“Give me that sword. I have an idea.”