Everyone stared at the projection attentively. Not a smile, not a word.
Tachi sat down in the chair closest to the wall, facing Nicolo and Ana, who remained standing.
Nicolo began, "Good afternoon, everyone. We're here to plan an important operation: the rescue of Soren, or, as some of you know him, Jormungandr."
He cleared his throat. "First, I'll give you a recap of the situation. About ten days ago, two of our young gods, including Akyo here, were attacked by three Norse gods: Tyr, Loki, and Freyja."
Akyo's teeth clenched when he heard the trickster's name, but he said nothing.
"At the time, we believed they had been sent by Odin to capture Jormungandr in order to prepare an execution in Asgard, which they succeeded in doing. But since then, things have changed."
He gestured toward the red-haired young man seated at the table. "The young man sitting here is, in fact, Odin."
Gellahan tried to stay focused, but the information made it difficult. 'Hodr is one thing… Jormungandr? That's another… but ODIN?!'
"Magnus appeared shortly after the assault and helped us better understand the current situation. The man sitting on the throne of Valhalla is nothing but an impostor pretending to be Odin in order to achieve his goals, and that impostor is Loki."
Akyo was learning all of this in real time. 'That bastard I fought is the one behind all this?'
His fingers slowly curled into his palms, nails biting into his skin. Guilt weighed heavier on him. Defeating Loki back then would have solved all their problems.
He then asked. "And what's his goal?"
"I was getting to that. According to Magnus, Loki's goal is to trigger Ragnarök," Nicolo announced.
For a fraction of a second, the room felt colder. Ana hold the remote tighter, Sigurd muscles stiffened just by hearing this word. No one was indifferent to this announcement.
Akyo tried to recall his knowledge, but even with all his willpower, he didn't understand.
"But why? Ragnarök is an end before a new beginning in the Eddas, and Loki dies during it, doesn't he? Why would he want that?"
Nicolo hesitated, but Skadi spoke.
"An end to the worlds, 'Men abandon their homes, the sun darkens, the earth sinks into the sea, the stars vanish, and flames lick the sky.' Loki is not mentally stable. Trying to assign logic to his actions is pointless."
She continued, "But can we be certain Ragnarök is what we think it is? It was prophesied by a Jotunn long ago, so long ago that no god remembers those days. Odin knew, but he was never the kind of man to share that knowledge. And well, Loki killed him, and he lost his memories. The Eddas are our only sources, but they began as oral tradition. Many things that were later transcribed are probably inaccurate."
"Why didn't Odin share that information with his own people?" Akyo asked.
"I used to think he liked having the upper hand," Skadi replied. "Now I believe he was protecting Asgard. He knew dangerous truths and chose to keep them secret, using reincarnation amnesia to gradually reduce the number of gods aware of what Ragnarök really is, until he alone carried that knowledge."
"It certainly is a very unpopular opinion you have here," Njord said briefly.
Magnus struggled with the idea that Skadi was speaking about him. 'Will I ever regain that knowledge?'
Akyo nodded in thanks. Nicolo resumed, "You now know the essentials. I'll let Tachi continue."
Tachi stood. "Thank you, Nicolo. As you understand, this mission's objective is to save Soren. I don't know his condition, but we're fairly certain he's alive. Loki ordered the gods not to kill him immediately, or they would've finished him when they came. He's likely keeping Soren alive until all the necessary conditions are met."
He glanced at Ana, who pressed a remote. Rough face sketches appeared on the screen.
"We will assault Asgard. And when I say we, I mean these individuals."
'Those drawings look ugly,' Sōsuke thought.
"Sigurd, Njord, Skadi, Sōsuke, Akyo, Magnus, and myself, will rescue Soren."
"Seven fighters? Isn't that a bit light to attack an entire pantheon?" Akyo asked.
"'Entire' isn't quite accurate," Njord said in his imposing voice.
Nicolo continued, "While you were gone, I worked with Njord and Skadi to gather as much information as possible. Thanks to them, I've compiled a list of the gods you're likely to encounter."
The projection changed again:
Tyr, Loki, Freyja, Heimdall, Vidar, Forseti, Ullr.
Akyo read the names carefully before the image shifted to a map.
"You see here a layout of Asgard. The world of the gods is divided into several realms, each being a god's domain," Nicolo explained before nodding to Skadi.
"We will enter Asgard through the Bifröst," she said, "and immediately face our first opponent, its guardian, Heimdall."
"That one's mine," Njord cut in. "I have scores to settle."
She continued, "As you can see, the first realm connected to the Bifröst is Himinbjörg, Heimdall's home. After that, we must split up, the realms branch into two paths."
The first path: Noátun, Sessrúmnir, Landvidi, Breidablik.
The second path: Trudheim, Ýdalir, Glitnir, Fensalir.
Both led to Asgard itself.
"To reach Loki, who sits on Magnus's throne, we must pass through each realm."
Akyo studied the names.
'Sessrúmnir, Freyja's home.'
'Ýdalir, Ullr's home.'
'Breidablik—'
"Some realms aren't linked to a god. Are they empty? And where is Tyr?" he asked.
"More or less," Njord answered. "Noátun was mine. When we left, Heimdall took it and turned my beautiful docks into a garbage pit. Breidablik and Trudheim are empty, their former gods left long ago. As for Tyr, I don't know where he'll be. Knowing his position will be crucial."
"Why?" Sōsuke asked.
"If one of you crosses paths with Tyr, consider yourselves dead," Njord replied bluntly. "He stands far above most gods in Asgard. The second strongest is likely Vidar, who isn't far behind him. The others are young, far from their peak."
Sōsuke's smile vanished instantly. Akyo felt a cold pressure settle in his chest. Tyr's presence terrified him when they briefly met.
"I'll handle Tyr," Tachi declared. "Once we know his position, I'll go straight to him."
"Do not underestimate him, Ehecatl," Njord warned.
"I'm not. One encounter was enough to understand his strength. But don't underestimate me either," Tachi replied seriously.
Sigurd raised a hand. "Isn't it dangerous to bring Magnus? He can't fight."
Skadi was about to answer, but Magnus interrupted.
"I am not a fighter. But I must come. I hope to avoid confrontation with some of them. If they understand who I am—"
"Don't fool yourself," Njord cut in. "They've been deceived for years. The truth will sound like a joke. If you can't prove your identity through power, they won't believe you, and you're not strong enough for that."
Silence filled the room.
'That was harsh,' Sigurd thought.
Realizing his tone, Njord added, "It's not your fault. You're young. Odin was always powerful in their eyes."
Magnus smiled reassuringly.
At that moment, Akyo asked, "Earlier, you mentioned the conditions required to trigger Ragnarök. Baldr is a central element, but you didn't mention him being in Asgard. Where is he?"
"I was wondering the same," Tachi said.
"Baldr once lived in Asgard, Breidablik was his realm, but that was long ago," Njord explained. "An event shattered our pantheon's unity and led us here. You fight for your friend. But for Skadi and me, the stakes are greater."
He paused.
"I believe it is important to tell you that story."