[236] Utterly Doomed
<span style="font-weight:400">Chapter 236: Utterly Doomed
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why the hell are you stopping me, Rose?!” Brigid’s yell echoed in the small apartment. “I finally have the power to bury his face in the ground!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rossweisse stood in front of her, arms crossed. She was unimpressed by the outburst. “You do? Your father had the same Icon, and it didn’t help him against Aqua. What makes you think you’ll seed? You’re not ready.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Brigid clenched her fists, and she gritted her teeth. “I’m not my father,” she growled, her voice sharp with frustration. “I’m different.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rose’s eyes narrowed, her frown deepening as she stared at the younger Valkyrie. "Different? Maybe. Stronger? No. You’re not Thor, you stupid girl. You don’t even match him. You think just because you’ve awakened an Icon you’re suddenly invincible?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I awakened an Icon in this rage, while my father awakened one being millennia older than me,” Brigid said, “I am <i><span style="font-weight:400">better</i><span style="font-weight:400"> than him. You don’t get it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Icons only came to this world five decades you, you stupid girl,” Rose said with a scowl, and Brigid took a step back, growling.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, she paused, blinked, and her lips curled in a smirk. She crossed her arms over her chest, eyes shing with defiance. “Oh, I see it now,” she said, her tone dripping with mockery. “You’re jealous, Rose. You’ve always been the better Valkyrie, but now, I have the power of an Icon, and you don’t. Is that what this is about, Rose?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You can’t stand that I’ve surpassed you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rossweiss’s eyelids flinched, stupefied. “Jealous?” she repeated, incredulous. “I’ve been trying to protect you. We’re on the same side, Brigid.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t give me that crap,” Brigid scoffed, brushing past her. “You’ve been holding me back ever since we got here. Well, no more. The next time I sense him, I’ll end this. You won’t stop me. I dare you to.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The air between them crackled with tension, and just as Brigid finished speaking, the world shifted. Just like yesterday, Aqua’s presence bloomed in the distance, a pulse of divine power spreading like the wings of an eagle.
<span style="font-weight:400">Both women froze.
<span style="font-weight:400">Brigid’s eyes widened for a moment, and then her lips widened into a grin as she felt his presence coursing through the air. “There he is,” she said, the excitement in her voice unmistakable. “That punk is back!” Her hand lifted, already calling forth the power of her newly awakened Icon.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brigid, wait—” Rose started, but her voice was cut off as Brigid surged forward.
<span style="font-weight:400">With a roar of power, Brigid Thorsdottir summoned the Storm Icon, her hammer appearing in her hand, as her body enveloped in a crackling aura of power, as an armor enveloped her. The air around her seemed to bend and ripple as though nature itself bent to her will.
<span style="font-weight:400">[Image Here]
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m going to show him,” she spat out. “I’m going to make him regret everything.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Stop!” Rose shouted, lunging toward her, but it was toote. The Demi Goddess shot into the sky like a bolt of lightning, her power amplifying her speed as she streaked toward Aqua’s distant figure.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rose stared after her, heart pounding in her chest. She knew this was suicide. That man, the same force that had torn Thor apart, would tear her apart too if she went through with this.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yet, even as she watched, she knew there was no stopping her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Damn it, Brigid...” she muttered, fists clenched at her sides, helpless to do anything as her friend rushed toward a battle she wasn’t prepared for.
<span style="font-weight:400">****
<span style="font-weight:400">I decided to give my presence onest bloom before heading back. It was bing a habit at this point, making sure the pests knew who they were dealing with.
<span style="font-weight:400">Tsubaki was in my arms, her body light against me as we flew across the sky. The evening wind carried a cool breeze, perfect for this kind of flight. She leaned into me slightly, her breath steady as she spoke.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So school’s off?” I asked as we flew.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. We didn’t want to endanger the students’ lives,” she replied. “No choice but to shut things down.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Makes sense.”
<span style="font-weight:400">We exchanged small talk like that, nothing too deep, just passing the time while flying through the quiet skies. My aura spreadzily through the area, like thest stretch of a lion before returning to its den.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, now that you''re back,” her soft, pink lips pressed against my cheek, as she tightened her hug, chest pressing against mine. “It''s going to be alright. We can start school tomorrow if you want to.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Iughed at that, “Don''t rely on me like that, I have my own enemies to deal with. Let''s just stay on break for now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“If you say so,” she smooched my neck and said, making my shake my head.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, the sky rumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">It wasn’t normal thunder. Divinity filled the air. The Far Shore and the Near Shore had been blending into each other far too often these days. The sky rumbled hard, and I sensed the city losing its electricity for a brief moment.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ever since the Icons rained down, Gods could show off theatrics in the human world without being suppressed by the world''s will immediately.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Looks like we have a guest,” I said and slowed down, gently cing Tsubaki in the air. She wore a worried expression as her devil wings red out instinctively, keeping her afloat. “You stay here.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Okay…” Tsubaki didn’t argue, just nodded, her eyes sharp as she hovered behind me.
<span style="font-weight:400">I turned toward the approaching force—a missile of lightning hurtling upward from below, tearing through the clouds like an angry storm.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ah. So that’s how it is.
<span style="font-weight:400">Brigid.
<span style="font-weight:400">I raised a hand, opening an Instant Dungeon since the world didn''t.
<span style="font-weight:400">She shot toward me, her figure barely visible through the storm of energy swirling around her. In her hands, she wielded a massive hammer, its form crackling with power. The [<b>Storm Icon</b><span style="font-weight:400">] screamed above her, ready to tear apart anything in its path.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Die, you fucking bastard!” Brigid’s voice echoed through the storm as she swung the hammer with all her might.
<span style="font-weight:400">I raised my hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her weapon collided with my palm, the force of the strike sending shockwaves rippling through the sky. The wind screeched from the impact.
<span style="font-weight:400">But my hand didn’t budge. Not an inch.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Really?” I muttered, more to myself than to her. Her eyes widened.
<span style="font-weight:400">I felt the familiar surge of power within me—<b>Path of the Raging Sky</b><span style="font-weight:400">. The energy flowed effortlessly through my veins, and with a single push, a bolt of my own lightning exploded outward.
<span style="font-weight:400">It sted into her weapon, surging through her body like a tidal wave. Her grip faltered, and her hammer slipped from her hands as she jerked back, electrocuted by the force.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, Brigid,” I said, catching the hammer in midair. I twirled it between my fingers like it was a toy, the weight of the storm barely registering in my grip. “Come on,” I tossed it to Tsubaki, and she caught it while I spoke to the foolish Demi Goddess. “You need to pick your opponents better.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Tsubaki held onto the divine weapon, scared that it''d hurt her, while her eyes nced down at Brigid as if to assess the threat. She wasn''t scared of the Goddess, of course. Not when I stood in front of her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Brigid was still shaking off the electricity, her eyes filled with rage as she struggled to stabilize herself.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You… you punk, you think this is enough to defeat–”
<span style="font-weight:400">I didn’t give her the chance to finish.
<span style="font-weight:400">In the blink of an eye, I stood in front of her, and my fist moved before she could even register what was happening, crashing into her face with the force of a cargo train.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her body crumpled under the blow, sent spiraling through the air like a ragdoll. The sky seemed to still for a moment as if the very world paused to witness her defeat.
<span style="font-weight:400">The air cried as Brigid plummeted toward the ground, and I remained where I was, watching her fall with a quiet sigh.
<span style="font-weight:400">Some people just didn''t know when to quit.
<span style="font-weight:400">****
<span style="font-weight:400">Rossweisse’s heart raced as she hovered in the pocket dimension, her eyes wide as she watched Brigid’s body disappear into the distance, plummeting into the forest below. <i><span style="font-weight:400">Not good, I told her!</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Panic welled up inside her—she had been pulled into the instant dungeon that Aqua had erected, along with several other supernatural individuals. But unlike the others, who wisely chose to leave the moment they realized who had erected the dimension, she didn’t have the luxury to leave.
<span style="font-weight:400">She couldn’t abandon Brigid. Not like this.
<span style="font-weight:400">But what could she do? She wasn’t strong enough. She was weaker than Brigid now, especially with that girl wielding an Icon, while she had none. If she joined the fight, she’d be obliterated by Aqua in an instant. The same fate Brigid had met.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her breath hitched, and she clenched her fists, her mind racing through options. Her teeth ttered against one another as she forced her mind to think. But… Nothing. She had no n. Nothing except… Freya.
<span style="font-weight:400">So that''s why, with trembling hands, she had immediately called out her Goddess when she first teleported inside the instant dungeon. By now, she had finished reciting the situation to her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s the situation, m-my goddess,” she pressed a hand over her ears, her voice shaking, “Brigid was sent flying down into a park-turned-forest, and right now he''s punching her continuously with the force of a cannon. What do I do?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Silence answered her. For a moment, she thought Freya hadn’t heard her. It''d have been easier if Freya could observe the situation here with divinity, like how Norse and Shinto had observed the fight between Aqua and Thor. Unfortunately, Aqua''s authority had grown so immense that it blocked all channels that the Norse Gods could use to observe the battle. His will alone was enough to sever their sight from this realm.
<span style="font-weight:400">Valkyrie Call was the only option, and even then thework was unstable.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her heart thumped in her chest as the silence dragged on. Then, finally, Freya’s voice came through, calm and calcted. “Attaxk the devil girl in the sky,” the Goddess suggested. “You said she’s holding Stormbreaker, as a devil that''d make it easier to defeat her. She''s an easy prey. Take her hostage and use her as a threat against Aqua.”
<span style="font-weight:400">That sounded reasonable. Since he was an indestructible wall, she should go after hispanion. But… Rossweisse swallowed, her throat dry.
<span style="font-weight:400">“But… what if it doesn’t work?” Her voice wavered. She wasn’t sure if she could pull it off, let alone survive the consequences if it failed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Freya’s tone didn’t falter. “I’m here if it doesn’t work. He won’t kill you. He won’t kill either of you. You two are girls. If he wanted you dead, you already would be. But his character is loose, we can use that against him.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rossweisse’s breath caught, and a blush crept up her cheeks. The implication of Freya’s words wasn’t lost on her. If they didn’t die at Aqua’s hands… something else awaited them. For a woman, wasn''t that worse?
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Well, then again…</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Wasn’t this always part of the n from the get go? Rose sighed. Seduction had been their strategy from day one—until Brigid decided to act recklessly today.
<span style="font-weight:400">She closed her eyes and exhaled sharply. There was no other choice now. “Alright, my Goddess, I understand.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Though doubt still gnawed at the edges of her mind, she had made her decision. She cast onest nce toward the distant forest where Brigid had disappeared, then turned her gaze skyward.
<span style="font-weight:400">Tsubaki hovered high above, her devil wings keeping her steady in the air as she watched Aqua with focused eyes. Her lips were slightly parted as she watched the battle. For someone like her the sight of the man she had just slept with was incredible.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rossweisse felt a pang of guilt looking at Tsubaki. She had interacted with the girl many times since she served as a teacher in Kuoh Academy, while this girl was a part of its Student Council. It''d pain her to use her as a hostage, but duty was duty.
<span style="font-weight:400">With that thought, she took off to the air. She sped toward Tsubaki, ignoring the guilt that tugged at her.
<span style="font-weight:400">There was no time for hesitation. The closer she got, the clearer her target became. Tsubaki didn’t even notice her approach—her attention was locked on Aqua’s battle with Brigid. It made her vulnerable.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rossweisse didn’t waste the opportunity. She summoned the full force of her elemental magic, weaving a potent spell st of raw power.
<span style="font-weight:400">The moment she was close enough, she unleashed the attack, a beam of light shooting straight toward Tsubaki.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I''m sorry, Tsubaki.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Magic circles bubbled around her and beams of colorful magic roared through the air, crackling as it surged forward, enveloping Tsubaki. It hadnded.
<span style="font-weight:400">But the moment the light of the st faded… Rossweisse’s heart sank.
<span style="font-weight:400">Aqua stood between Tsubaki and the attack,pletely unfazed. The spell hadn’t even reached her. It had been stopped cold.
<span style="font-weight:400">He let out a sigh, shaking his head. “And here I thought you were the smarter between the two,” Aqua said, his voice carrying disappointment as he looked down at her. His piercing gaze held no anger—just mild irritation as if she had wasted his time.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">That was one of my stronger techniques… </i><span style="font-weight:400">Rossweisse felt a chill run down her spine as she realized how utterly fucked they were.
<span style="font-weight:400">**
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