The Flame Giant King fell backward.
His massive body crashed heavily onto the earth. The unextinguished flames on him directly ignited the snow-covered mountains.
The giant who had vowed to bring the end of the world simply fell like that.
Even though the struck area wasn't fatal, why couldn't he stand up?
Surtr didn't understand.
Why? Why? Why?
Am I not the Giant King who destroys worlds? Why did I fall like this?
Wait...
Why can't I even speak anymore?
The Flame Giant King suddenly realized this. He felt his body crumbling. "Death" spread from the wound on his chest. The giant named Surtr was heading toward "death."
Simultaneously, because of this wound, Surtr felt powerless. Even if the Sword of Flame he had wielded wasn't destroyed, he could no longer lift it.
Powerless. Surtr could never have imagined such a day would come. He did not fear death; the concept of "death" still existed upon him. But... he never thought his death would be like this.
His death should have been within the flames that destroy the world; he should have died laughing amidst the fires of the end.
Not like now...
Ah, how pitiful. Having even killed Hel, how could death still come knocking?
Surtr felt his current self was ugly. Even though he couldn't see his own appearance, ugly was ugly. A self that hadn't walked the path of world destruction was ugly.
"You are dying, Surtr."
A young man's voice appeared by his ear.
As if in a final rally, the erosion of "death" hadn't stopped, but the sense of powerlessness lessened slightly. At least, Surtr could speak.
"Who are you?"
Doubt.
Previously, Surtr believed this young mage was a contingency left by Odin. But now, he no longer thought so.
His earlier judgment was based on the two ravens—they were indeed the ravens that perched on Odin's shoulders. As for other things like the spear, his identity, they were manufactured. But what of it? Surtr believed those were actions taken under Odin's guidance.
Now, he discarded that judgment.
Could Odin not achieve this level?
"A magician," Li Mo began. "A magician who travels between worlds. Therefore, I am not Odin. Your earlier roars were all wrong."
"Surtr, you thought you were fighting Odin's contingency from beginning to end. But in reality, you were merely opposing me."
"A human magician could achieve this? Loki and Odin were both killed by me," Surtr spoke, seeming slightly strained, but his expression remained relatively calm.
Li Mo said, "Surtr, this is the Age of Man. Why was the Age of Gods replaced by the Age of Man? Doesn't that prove humanity's potential?"
"The gods left due to environmental changes."
"Why did the environment of the Age of Gods change toward that of the Age of Man? Haven't you ever considered this question?"
Clearly, Surtr had never considered it. He, whose consciousness was fading, was insufficient to ponder such a question. Unable to think, he could not answer.
That's about it.
Li Mo approached the edge of the "Spear." After being launched by the "bow," "Gungnir" had pierced through Surtr and remained lodged within his body. This was what caused him to gradually head toward death.
What would happen if he pulled out "Gungnir" now? Probably Surtr's revival?
The Flame Giant King wasn't an existence tied to death and life. He didn't possess any powerful immortality. But as a giant, as a Giant King, as the murderer who killed gods, he still possessed superhuman immortality.
Even if you understand your opponent, you are ultimately not a worm in their belly. How can you know all their trump cards?
Li Mo couldn't gamble on the possibility that Surtr still had a trump card.
Standing in an advantageous position, applying pressure with that advantage was enough. Why take unnecessary risks?
He would not pull out the "Spear."
But, Li Mo would take other actions. For example, sending Surtr on his way ahead of schedule.
Having long known his goal was to kill this Flame Giant King—Surtr—he had set his sights on him. Like a weapon, Li Mo thrust his hand into Surtr's body.
An esoteric method began to operate. The method obtained from Koyanskaya operated once more. Under the enhancement of "Sainthood Transformation · Odin," he could suppress the half-dead Surtr.
Half-dead.
Not equal to completely dead.
Surtr felt the attraction emanating from Li Mo. At this moment, even "Pseudo·Imitated Star Creation Mythos·Mystical Foundation" couldn't completely conceal Li Mo's aura.
That was the aura belonging to an Evil of Humanity, belonging to a Beast.
Surtr was astonished. He uttered his final sentence.
"You... are fundamentally... not human."
What did the last Giant King ponder in his dying moments?
Li Mo didn't know, nor did he wish to know. Even if, in the end, the other seemed to have discovered his nature. So what? Who best keeps secrets?
Of course, the dead.
Surtr died.
He died after discerning the true nature of his greatest enemy.
Perhaps, in his final moments, he lamented. If only he could have seen the other's true nature, maybe he could have brought about his destruction?
However, the world has no "if only."
The world-destroying high temperatures vanished. The Giant King who brought about the twilight perished, his body disappearing along with him. The existence named Surtr was a monster that brought destruction. And destruction is the most extreme evil. Li Mo could perceive that, as the sixth tail grew, the aspect of "Evil" within him was expanding.
He wasn't concerned. Li Mo, who understood that "disaster is also a trial," could transcend the labels of "good and evil" at critical moments. In the end, good and evil are dualities, but is the world truly dualistic?
The world isn't just black and white; there are also thick shades of gray.
If he had to give the sixth tail a definition, a noun, it would probably be "Giant."
In many myths, there exists the attribute of giants. Norse mythology goes without saying. The Titans in Greek mythology, Kua Fu in Chinese mythology, even in Abrahamic mythology—*The Book of Enoch* records that the children of angels and humans could be over three hundred meters tall. Those were also giants.
Giants symbolize great power.
The process of devouring went almost unnoticed except by Surtr himself. The power brought by "Sainthood Transformation · Odin" was too immense, enough to conceal all traces.
Borrowing "Sainthood Transformation · Odin," Li Mo stripped the Greater Command Spell from Ophelia. He might not understand the principles of how he did it, but he could simply do it, like a person can walk.
This was divinity.
Then, in the final second of maintaining "Sainthood Transformation · Odin," he discarded the "Spear" in his hand. "Gungnir" enlarged and was thrust into the location where the Fantasy Tree once stood.
The "Star Anchor" of the Lostbelt was in place.