Surtr is approaching.
The Flame Giant King is approaching.
The giant destined to bring the end of the world is approaching.
Svalinn tightened her grip on her weapon. After aiding Sigurd, she did not leave but remained to guard this place.
Scathach-Skadi's command to her was to obey Li Mo's orders. And that young mage had only given her the command to "aid Sigurd." What after the aid? Then she had to act based on her own judgment.
She chose to stay.
Sigurd also chose to stay.
"You're not leaving?"
Within their field of vision, they could see Surtr traversing mountains with each step. Svalinn could feel the temperature around her rising. This area was not under the protection of the Bifrost and couldn't block the effects brought by Surtr. But for a Valkyrie, this was still within acceptable limits.
Sigurd said, "Fleeing from battle is not a warrior's way."
"Your sister from Proper Human History is within this Lostbelt. You share something called 'love' with your sister, don't you?"
"Compared to not being able to see Brynhildr, I think fleeing from battle would be even more unbearable," Sigurd, wielding the demonic sword, said this.
Between him and Brynhildr, there existed romantic love. But before being lovers, his identity was that of a warrior.
The two did not converse further. But both the Valkyrie and the Servant had resolved to fight to the death. Svalinn knew the only one who could defeat Surtr was the mage behind them, who was approaching the state of a "Great God." And he was currently undergoing a transformation.
Time was still needed. If time was needed, then Svalinn would strive to buy it.
Sigurd's reason for standing here was different from Svalinn's; he simply chose to stand here because Svalinn had saved him.
Abruptly—
A man's voice rang out.
"I say, are you two really so ready to die for this? Honestly, why would you think things have reached the point where I need you to sacrifice yourselves?"
The voice drew Svalinn and Sigurd's gazes backward. The young mage was somehow floating in the air, his eyes looking into the distance, his gaze fixed upon Surtr.
This was mockery. The "Spear" was completed within his body. "Sainthood Transformation · Odin" lacked only one step.
"Now, it's time for battle."
Thus, Svalinn and Sigurd witnessed it.
The area around that mage's right eye sank inward. A protrusion filled with a red-black fluid *popped* out from the eye socket.
The mage arched his back almost like a bow, laughing wildly.
He grabbed the foreign object protruding from his right eye and *yanked* it out with force.
That was the "Spear."
The spearhead was not a slender, needle-like point. Instead, it was like forcibly attaching a double-edged sword blade onto it, forming a wide blade edge. What scene would result from such a thing being forcibly pulled out from a narrow eye socket?
*Drip! Splat!*
Mixed with viscous sounds, a series of noises louder than moving joints continued endlessly. No, this was the sound of something being broken, being cut. Li Mo's eye socket, like a hole in a rubber sheet, distorted its shape while expanding. At first glance, his facial features were no longer visible, for that object occupied his entire cheek.
The virtual "Spear," bathed in red-black fluid, became a real existence.
The Fantasy Tree, devoured into his body, became a virtual, abstract concept imbued with various "mysteries." After forging, it became the "Spear" straddling "virtual" and "real."
The spear-drawing ritual commenced. The "Spear" moved from virtual to real.
The immense pain from his face was just that. Compared to physiological pain, what Li Mo pursued was spiritual pleasure.
Svalinn and Sigurd witnessed all of this. As a Valkyrie and a Servant who had nearly perished, witnessing this scene also left them momentarily stunned.
Seeing this shocking scene from afar in the castle, Ophelia's entire body stiffened as if bound.
What is this?
What does this mean?
He truly is different.
Even from a mage's perspective, Li Mo's actions were extremely exaggerated, extremely insane.
Becoming a god?
Does becoming a god require such madness?
"Your Majesty, Li Mo... is he becoming a god?" While Ophelia was still stunned, Sitonai asked in astonishment.
As a participant in the Fifth Holy Grail War, someone who believed she understood cruelty, she also felt shaken the moment she saw this scene.
The pain of having one's face utterly destroyed—compared to having one's heart removed, which hurts more? Sitonai felt it was the former.
Therefore, unable to comprehend, Sitonai asked Skadi.
The goddess who had witnessed three thousand years of human history, upon seeing this scene, the relaxed expression on her face froze.
How cruel that was.
As the Mother of the Norse, seeing a child treat himself so cruelly inevitably evoked feelings of distress in her heart.
She knew Li Mo wanted to become a god.
But she didn't know the process would appear so bloody.
"I did not know this process. But I can feel the aura of the 'Great God' growing stronger and stronger upon that child," Skadi explained slowly. "Look, Surtr's actions prove everything."
The arrow is on the bowstring; it must be released.
Before action began, Scathach-Skadi had chosen to trust Li Mo. So now that things had developed to this point, she would not hinder him further. She would let Li Mo proceed. The assistance he needed had already been given, and Li Mo would grant her the best outcome.
When the "Spear" was drawn out, Skadi no longer believed Li Mo could lose. In every way, he seemed no different from the "Great God" of the past. Even though his appearance was completely different from the Great God's, even though that "Spear" was not the spear of memory.
But, that *was* the "Great God."
Skadi would absolutely not mistake it.
The reason "gods" are gods is because they themselves are connected to the Root. This is also why magecraft in the Age of Gods did not require a magical foundation.
This was the second time becoming a god.
A "Spear" dripping with red-black fluid appeared vertically in the world, grasped in Li Mo's hand.
He uttered such a sentiment.
The first time he became a god was in Inazuma, becoming the Raiden Shogun. Back then, his body was filled with immense power.
And now...
His face had returned to its original state, like the elasticity of a rubber sheet. But Li Mo knew that was the restoration brought by "Pseudo-Immortality." Only his right eye was not fully restored.
His free left hand pulled a black eye patch from the void, covering the empty right eye socket.
Legend says Odin sacrificed his right eye to gain the wisdom from the Well of Wisdom. Thus, He has no right eye. Hereby, the final condition was fulfilled.
"Sainthood Transformation · Odin" complete.
"Enough of these minor skirmishes. Let me bring everything to an end!"
He lightly swung the "Spear" with one hand, pointing its tip towards Surtr.