[236] Utterly Doomed

[236] Utterly Doomed

Chapter 236: Utterly Doomed

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“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!”

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 succeed? You’re not ready.”

Brigid clenched her fists, and she gritted her teeth. “I’m not my father,” she growled, her voice sharp with frustration. “I’m different.”

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?”

“I awakened an Icon in this rage, while my father awakened one being millennia older than me,” Brigid said, “I am better than him. You don’t get it.”

“Icons only came to this world five decades you, you stupid girl,” Rose said with a scowl, and Brigid took a step back, growling.

Then, she paused, blinked, and her lips curled in a smirk. She crossed her arms over her chest, eyes flashing 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?”

“What?”

“You can’t stand that I’ve surpassed you.”

Rossweiss’s eyelids flinched, stupefied. “Jealous?” she repeated, incredulous. “I’ve been trying to protect you. We’re on the same side, Brigid.”

“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.”

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.

Both women froze.

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.

“Brigid, wait—” Rose started, but her voice was cut off as Brigid surged forward.

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.

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“I’m going to show him,” she spat out. “I’m going to make him regret everything.”

“Stop!” Rose shouted, lunging toward her, but it was too late. 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.

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.

Yet, even as she watched, she knew there was no stopping her.

“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.

****

I decided to give my presence one last bloom before heading back. It was becoming a habit at this point, making sure the pests knew who they were dealing with.

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.

“So school’s off?” I asked as we flew.

“Yeah. We didn’t want to endanger the students’ lives,” she replied. “No choice but to shut things down.”

“Makes sense.”

We exchanged small talk like that, nothing too deep, just passing the time while flying through the quiet skies. My aura spread lazily through the area, like the last stretch of a lion before returning to its den.

She couldn’t abandon Brigid. Not like this.

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.

Her breath hitched, and she clenched her fists, her mind racing through options. Her teeth clattered against one another as she forced her mind to think. But... Nothing. She had no plan. Nothing except... Freya.

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.

“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?!”

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.

Valkyrie Call was the only option, and even then the network was unstable.

Her heart thumped in her chest as the silence dragged on. Then, finally, Freya’s voice came through, calm and calculated. “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.”

That sounded reasonable. Since he was an indestructible wall, she should go after his companion. But... Rossweisse swallowed, her throat dry.

“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.

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.”

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?

Well, then again... Wasn’t this always part of the plan from the get go? Rose sighed. Seduction had been their strategy from day one—until Brigid decided to act recklessly today.

She closed her eyes and exhaled sharply. There was no other choice now. “Alright, my Goddess, I understand.”

Though doubt still gnawed at the edges of her mind, she had made her decision. She cast one last glance toward the distant forest where Brigid had disappeared, then turned her gaze skyward.

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.

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.

With that thought, she took off to the air. She sped toward Tsubaki, ignoring the guilt that tugged at her.

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.

Rossweisse didn’t waste the opportunity. She summoned the full force of her elemental magic, weaving a potent spell blast of raw power.

The moment she was close enough, she unleashed the attack, a beam of light shooting straight toward Tsubaki.

“I'm sorry, Tsubaki.”

Magic circles bubbled around her and beams of colorful magic roared through the air, crackling as it surged forward, enveloping Tsubaki. It had landed.

But the moment the light of the blast faded... Rossweisse’s heart sank.

Aqua stood between Tsubaki and the attack, completely unfazed. The spell hadn’t even reached her. It had been stopped cold.

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.

That was one of my stronger techniques... Rossweisse felt a chill run down her spine as she realized how utterly fucked they were.

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