The Celestial Realm lay in ruins after Ymir’s departure… and Lu’s abduction.
I stood there in a daze, clutching the thing my little sister had left behind—a heart, still beating within a block of ice. The frozen mass was about the size of two clenched fists. Even through my gauntlets, I could feel its powerful pulse.
Odin broke the silence.
“It is Ymir’s heart as it once was—the Heart of Frost and Flame. It is now the vessel that holds the Power of Creation.”
The sky remained a brilliant blue. A gentle breeze still carried the scent of fresh grass. Yet everything around us had changed. The colossal castle had collapsed, leaving mountains of rubble scattered across the land. Even the Mirror Lake had not been spared. Chunks of stone had crashed into its waters, turning the once crystal-clear surface into a murky brown.
Clink.
The sound of rattling chains echoed across the silence.
Mia-san and Felix-san approached together.
Nearby, the surviving adventurers slowly struggled to their feet, supporting one another over battered shoulders. As they drew near, Odin quietly turned away.
“Go to them.”
I nodded.
Wrapping the icy heart in a discarded piece of cloth, I carefully tucked it into the pouch at my back. Then I ran toward Mia-san and the others.
“Everyone…”
Mia-san jerked her chin toward what had once been the city’s center.
A single rainbow rose straight into the sky. Standing amid the ruins of the fallen castle.
“That rainbow descended to the surface after everything happened. That’s how Felix and I ended up coming here with the gods to chase after Ymir.”
Norn had mentioned it before.
Long ago, countless heroes had crossed the Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, to reach the Celestial Realm. But I doubted anyone had imagined that the day humanity crossed it again would end in a catastrophe like this.
Mia-san continued, hesitating.
“Hey… that old man over there…”
“That was Odin.”
“Yeah… figured.”
She folded her arms, looking as though she wanted to say something.
Her gaze lingered on the place where Odin had been standing. In the end she said nothing. There were more important things to worry about.
Felix-san broke the silence.
“And Luisia-san?”
“…She was taken.”
Both of them lowered their heads, closing their eyes.
Mia-san slowly clenched her fist.
“Then let’s go get her back!”
“Mia… it’s not that simple.”
The two of them immediately began arguing over what to do next.
Meanwhile, I looked around.
The familiar presence that had always been beside me… I couldn’t sense Solana anywhere. Not even a trace of her.
“Solana?”
No one answered. Not even a whisper echoed inside my mind.
“Thor! Uru! Loki! Sigris!”
Not a single one of them responded.
“…Heimdall!”
A faint groan reached us from nearby.
Mia-san, Felix-san, and I exchanged glances before rushing toward the sound.
Heimdall lay buried beneath a pile of rubble, his massive body battered and broken. His form glowed faintly. Golden divine power leaked from him like drifting mist, as though his very existence were unraveling.
“…Perhaps I pushed myself a little too far.”
Heimdall coughed violently.
I’d never seen him in such terrible condition.
“Are you going to be okay?”
“…No. This time, I’m afraid recovery will take quite a while.”
With visible effort, Heimdall forced himself to his feet. Dragging one leg behind him, he slowly made his way toward the Mirror Lake. His crimson armor had been shattered, great sections of it torn away until almost nothing remained.
The god who had always seemed as sturdy as an ancient ash tree now staggered like a dead branch ready to snap.
“Go and search for the others. To protect the humans from that explosion… they likely had no choice but to expend every last drop of their divine power.”
A chill settled deep in my chest.
The gods…
The very pillars of our strength…
They had sacrificed themselves to save us.
I raised my voice.
“Everyone! Help search for the gods!”
The adventurers scattered across the ruined battlefield.
Before long, we found them all.
Thor.
Loki.
Uru.
Sigris.
Every one of them was as battered and broken as Heimdall.
Then I found Solana.
She had been blown all the way to the roots of a great ash tree. She lay motionless on the ground, her arms and legs sprawled limply where she’d fallen. Her golden hair spread across the earth like a shimmering veil.
“…Solana.”
“…Rion.”
The goddess slowly opened her eyes.
Her face was pale, and the faint smile she managed only made the sight more painful.
“…I’m sorry.” she whispered. “Could you carry me? I don’t think… I can even fly anymore… or walk.”
My chest tightened.
Was there really no other way to drive Ymir back?
Had Lu’s only choice been to unleash the power of creation like that?
The plea she shouted to the gods… it must have been the signal. The signal to carry out that plan.
To detonate the power of creation… to blow everything away.
That plan existed because I hadn’t been strong enough to protect her.
“…I”m sorry.”
I shook my head.
I was frustrated.
Ashamed.
I just…
I needed to apologize to someone. I knew there were risks. If Lu stayed in this world and fought beside me, danger was inevitable. I had accepted that long ago. And yet…
My heart was wavering once again.
“…I will always be by your side.”
I could feel Solana’s presence fading.
Perhaps it was because I was one of her followers. The sensation was eerily familiar. It was just like when Odin had sealed Alarm, and I could no longer sense the goddess’s presence.
Carrying Solana in my arms, I returned to the Mirror Lake.
Odin was waiting for us.
The goddess Norn stood silently in the distance.
“Lie down and rest.”
I gently laid Solana on the grass.
Planting the butt of his spear against the earth, the Chief God spoke.
“So you’ve come.”
I looked over the rescued gods.
Thor sat slumped against a broken pillar. Sigris sat with her head bowed, cradling her spear in both arms. Even in his condition, Loki wore a crooked grin as he clutched his wounded side. Uru leaned against a pile of rubble, still refusing to let go of his bow.
Only Solana…
And Heimdall…
Seemed barely capable of speaking.
Odin continued.
“…We drove Ymir back.”
Odin’s voice was heavy.
“But the gods have suffered grievous wounds.”
His gaze fell to the pouch at my waist.
Inside, wrapped carefully in cloth, rested the Heart of Frost and Flame.
For a brief moment… I thought I felt it beat.
Thump.Thump.
“We still possess Ymir’s heart, which now contains the Power of Creation.”
His expression darkened.
“But Freyja… and your sister… have both been taken.”
The weight of his words settled over the battlefield like a funeral bell.
Then his gray eyes fixed squarely on me.
“Young one. This… is your answer.”
I couldn’t find the words to reply.
“There is no longer any means left for us to resist.”
He lowered his gaze.
“…But I will blame you no longer. Perhaps all you have done is postpone the world’s destruction.”
His eyes challenged me.
Judging me…
Testing me.
I met his gaze without looking away.
“—No!”
The word came out firm.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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