POV: Baldur
Swamps of Infinite Flames, Nidavellir.
Two Days Later.
The swamp lived up to its name. A vast expanse of flat land covered by nothing but flames. From what I could gather, it seems these flames are fueled by gases from the planet's underground. The flames have been burning since the creation of this realm, and even if I were to pour a small ocean over them, it still wouldn't be enough to extinguish them.
It took two days to prepare the dwarves and my men and move them to the trap location. Our enemy took no action in these two days, which made the plan successful. I also received the news that two days ago, Thor simply disappeared from the realm of the light elves while fighting a man in full armor. It was Lady Sif who reported this, as the other warriors suffered severe injuries and need time to fully recover. Time is not on our side, in my opinion.
Due to Thor's disappearance, the elves, along with Sif, decided it was best to retreat to their capital, Ljosalfgard. There, they set up their last defense. But a day later, Heimdall reported that he lost sight of Ljosalfgard. The situation is so dire that Odin himself is working together with Heimdall to get the Bifrost operational.
The only good news we have is that with the end of the convergence, Odin can teleport with his power to other realms. But as his energy was very low, he couldn't do this with several people, but knowing that he can join the fight at the right moment is a relief.
"Are we starting this or not?" My impatient sister asks, mounted on Sleipnir at my side.
We were hundreds of meters above the swamps, where the Fire Demons were. The Angels were also in this place, but on the peak of a nearby mountain. They were flying through the air, ensuring the safety of the airspace. But they can't see me because of my illusion created by light manipulation.
"Patience, my sister, I was looking at the enemy camp formation," I respond calmly.
"Formation? They're just walking through the flames as if they're having fun."
(She's right. There's no defensive formation or traps.)
"Come to think of it, the idea of setting up defenses or traps is completely ridiculous. There's no army that can fight in this place," she continues.
"Yes, I agree. But I wasn't observing defenses or traps for an army, but for myself."
This made Angela fall silent and think. The two of us have grown closer over these two days, or at least I think so. A day ago, she even asked to train together, or maybe she just wanted a chance to hit me again.
"Are we starting or not?" She asks, more impatiently.
"Yes, let's."
Angela draws her sword and smiles in happiness.
"Are you sure it's okay to fight against the Angels?" I ask.
Even though she's not one of them, she was raised by them. Anyone would hesitate to kill in her situation.
"There's no bond between us. I have no more friends in Heven. I just want answers. And if you're wrong, I'll just escape and start my life elsewhere."
When she said she has no more friends in Heven, I sensed there was more to this story, but I chose not to ask for now.
"You know very well that I'm not lying. But if you need to hear the truth with your own ears, I'll help."
"Yes, I need to hear the truth for myself. Now enough talk, let's go to battle!"
Without warning, she urges Sleipnir forward at high speed towards the mountain where the Angels are, shouting with joy.
(So. How should I do this?)
The Fire Demons are all gathered in one place. To get their attention and lure them, I don't need to do much, but I wanted to inflict some damage to them before luring them. However, the gases that fuel the flames of the swamps would create an explosion that would take a large part of Nidavellir if I used a large-scale attack.
"The hard way it is then!"
I race towards the ground at high speed and collide with it, creating a massive shockwave that caused the swamp's flames to explode around me, grabbing everyone's attention. I didn't want to waste time talking, so I plunged Sigel straight into the chest of the nearest enemy, killing him instantly.
Soon, all the Fire Demons were surrounding me, attempting to kill me. If it weren't for my skills, I would've been buried under their numbers. Sigel danced gracefully, taking the lives of anyone within my reach. The demons then tried to use flames to hurt me, which was completely futile since, just as they were immune to my flames, I was immune to theirs.
The battle raged on, and my body count continued to rise. When I had the chance, I glanced upwards and witnessed a beautiful aerial battle unfolding above me. Angela, mounted on Sleipnir, was as deadly in the air as she was on land. She performed various aerial maneuvers, enticing the Angels to follow her, and when they got close enough, she killed them. Their bodies fell into the swamp's flames, leaving nothing behind.
After two hours of repeating the same movements, I realized it was time to lure them into the slaughterhouse. This fight wasn't just about reducing the enemy's numbers; it was also to see if there was any heavyweight commanding the demons. If there's a commander here who hasn't revealed themselves yet, I won't be able to lure them out by continuing this fight.
I put Sigel in front of me and start running towards where the trap is set. I release a large amount of energy, and a golden sphere appears around my body as I run, clearing a path through the Fire Demons. It's like a golden comet plowing through everything in its path.
Angela, high above, also sees what I'm doing. She takes the same direction with Sleipnir, attracting the Angels. When we move a few kilometers, the change finally happens.
An Angel comes flying at an enormous speed from behind the others chasing Angela. It didn't take long for this Angel to surpass all the others and attack Angela with his purple-glowing lance. The blow must have been powerful because Sleipnir and Angela lost a lot of altitude and speed before recovering.
(At this rate, the Angels won't fall into the trap.)
Due to the loss of speed, the group of Angels managed to close the distance between them and began flying in circles around her like a hurricane. Only Angela and the Angel who delivered the blow remained in the center.
(They've built an arena!)
I was about to head towards her to break the arena and help when I looked into her eyes and quickly realized who her enemy was: the Queen of the Angels. She needs to have her conversation to lay everything on the table. The other Angels seem like they won't intervene in the fight for now, so I have enough time to go and return.
So, I continued running towards the trap with an army of Fire Demons following me.
POV: Third Person
Near the Infinite Flame Swamps, Nidavellir.
At the Same Moment.
"Ready for your execution, traitor?" asked the Queen of the Angels, looking at Angela coldly. The others continued to fly in circles around them, creating not an arena in the air, but rather a site for her execution. But Angela showed no fear, only a thirst for answers.
"The question of whether I am a traitor or not is still to be decided," she said, smiling.
"You are a traitor the moment you raised your sword against us," the Queen replied, in no rush to attack.
"I will only be a traitor if the story of me being Odin's daughter is a lie. If it's true, then I'm just an Avenger!"
And for the first time, the cold face of the Queen turned into a dry smile.
"So, you've discovered that you're Odin's daughter. Well, it was about time. Unfortunately, I couldn't witness the moment you two fought, and I would reveal the truth to the winner."
"AAAAAAAAH!"
With the confirmation of a truth she already knew deep down, Angela lost herself in rage and attacked the Queen. Her attacks were fierce and full of strength, but the Queen had no trouble defending against them while maintaining a small smile on her face. The two of them flew through the skies without getting close to the edge where the Angels were.
"I'm quite amused by your tantrum. But I don't have much time to waste on you."
Defending herself from another strike of Angela's sword, the Queen finally initiates her own offensive. Her lance was swift as lightning, but she wasn't aiming at Angela; instead, she targeted Sleipnir's neck.
Angela, not entirely lost in her anger, discerned the Queen's target. She pulled the reins of the animal, saving her life, and struck once more, this time aiming for the Queen's wing, which, with great grace, she managed to evade.
Standing a bit apart from Angela, she hurls the purple lance, which is intercepted by Angela's sword, splitting it in half.
"Sword!" the Queen cried out, and a sword was thrown by one of her subordinates. She attacks again, and once more Angela defends herself. The aerial battle continued for nearly thirty minutes, with neither gaining the upper hand. Angela possessed superior physical prowess, while the Queen had greater mobility and technique.
During another exchange of blows, the Queen used her free hand to dig her nails into Angela's shoulder, eliciting a cry of pain. Angela then managed to grasp the Queen's wrist with her free hand, causing her to fall from Sleipnir.
Knowing that releasing her grip would make her an easy target in free fall, Angela held on. They plummeted at high speed, spinning through the air. One holding on, while the other tried to break free.
"BOOMMM!"
As they crashed to the ground, they separated due to the impact, bouncing several meters away from each other. With their high resilience, the fall didn't cause significant harm, and they quickly got back on their feet.
"I'll cut off your wings, and then your head!" Angela declared.
"What nonsensical talk, child. You will die here and now; the game is over," the Queen retorted.
The Queen of Angels looked up at her troops and shouted, "Do it!"
Then four spears were launched from above, piercing Angela's body. The spears stuck into the ground, keeping her standing. It was a surprise attack, one that Angela never expected.
"No honor..." she murmured as she dropped her sword to the ground.
It was against the laws of Heven to receive external help in duels; it was expected that the Queen of Angels would honor such a law. Unfortunately for Angela, that wasn't the case.
"Why should I show honor or deal with a traitor who isn't even of my race?" the Queen said calmly as she approached Angela.
Angela tried to muster her strength to free herself from the spears, but her body felt inexplicably weak.
"I won't have the pleasure of seeing you killed by Odin. But showing your head to him shortly after he learns that you're alive will be quite satisfying," the Queen remarked.
Angela realized there was no way out of the situation, so she accepted her fate.
The Queen of Angels then prepared to deliver the fatal blow with her sword aimed at Angela's neck.
"Trim!"
Just as the blade was inches away from severing her head, a hand grabbed the blade, saving her life. From behind Angela, a cold, furious voice made even the Queen shudder in fear.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?"
support me at patreon.com/Lonely_Translator and read chapters in advance