Loki turned toward the source of the massive explosion—and his eyes widened in shock.
The blast had come from one of Fenrir's children, Sköll.
A colossal fireball had struck the legendary wolf head-on, shaking the entire battlefield and inflicting catastrophic damage.
"Impossible…"
The word escaped through clenched teeth.
As the dust slowly settled, Sköll lay sprawled across the ground. A massive section of its hide had been burned to ash, its once-mighty form charred and ruined.
Jet-black liquid spilled from its maw as it coughed violently. Thorned vines and briar roses crept along its body, wrapping tighter with every second—everything they touched blackened, corrupted, cursed.
With a single glance, Loki knew. There was no way the young Leviathan devil girl could have done this.
Those vines alone—the eerie magic they radiated—surpassed her entire magical capacity by an overwhelming margin. And that fireball… it rivaled what mortal magicians dared to call ultimate spells.
Then it had to be someone else.
"I did not expect them to be this powerful…"
Odin's low mutter reached Loki's ears.
Just like him, Odin—and Thor—had momentarily halted their clash, their attention stolen by the devastating explosion.
"What kind of abomination have you resorted to befriending, you old fox?"
Loki snarled, venom dripping from every word.
Thor turned back toward Loki with a deep frown, tightening his grip on Mjölnir as he refocused on the battle.
Odin, however, allowed himself a small smirk—relief flickering across his once-furrowed brow.
"Unexpected allies, full of surprises," he said calmly.
"Truly, I did not expect them to be this powerful. Though… I would much rather welcome them as friends than face them as enemies."
He had suspected the group Sirzechs, Azazel, and Michael brought as neutral observers was unusual. But not this unusual.
From those spells alone, Odin could tell—they were likely on par with the strongest gods he knew.
Loki clicked his tongue, eyes narrowing. This was a variable he had not anticipated.
He would have to accelerate his plan.
"Hmph. Fine. Just another nuisance to deal with," Loki spat. "But first—you'll die by my hands—"
As he raised his hand to cast a spell, his instincts screamed. Dodge. Move. Run.
Loki twisted to the side just in time. Something passed by his right flank.
A wave of darkness—
No, heat. Terrible, searing heat.
Flames?
He turned slowly, cold sweat forming on his brow.
At the far corner of the meeting hall, darkness had deepened unnaturally, as if space itself were being swallowed into another dimension. Within it, something moved—a figure wreathed in pitch-black flames.
The flames warped space itself, radiating heat that reached him even from this distance.
Then the darkness parted. Like a sea yielding before its monarch.
A beautiful girl stepped forward.
Crimson-red hair framed her face. Sharp horns curved from her head. A white-and-crimson kimono clung to her voluptuous form, exposing far too much skin for something so ominous. A long red hakama flowed around her legs, split at the front to reveal her toned physique and long slender legs.
At her hip rested a katana unlike any other—black and crimson, wrapped in flickering cursed flames.
The moment Loki met her crimson eyes… He could feel it in his divine, immortal soul.
For the first time in his immortal life, Loki felt what it meant to stare Death itself in the face.
Erika stepped out of the shadows, a faint frown marring her beautiful features.
'…How did I miss a perfect rear ambush like that?'
Though… perhaps it was for the best.
Had her flames connected fully, Loki would have been reduced to nothing.
And despite everything, Erika suspected Odin wouldn't want one of Asgard's chief gods—or his son—to die. Confinement would suffice.
"Well, guess I'll have to be a little creative."
Erika muttered.
Then, she unsheathed her blade. The Cursed Blade of Absolute Severance—Murasame.
A black-and-crimson katana engulfed in eternal cursed flames of a true Primordial Oni. Ancient runes of primordial curse glowed crimson along its length.
Erika assumed her stance.
And vanished.
The spell minimized inertia—user and weapon alike—then compressed all stored momentum into a single instant. The Chiba clan's forbidden sword art.
Yamatsunami.
Once capable of cleaving through constructs of steel with force of ten tons.
Now, empowered by her True Primordial Oni form…
Erika appeared before Loki before he could even comprehend what had happened.
She swung.
The tip of Murasame traced a thin, almost imperceptible line across his body.
"—?!"
There was no pain. No blood.
Then—
Agony exploded.
"AAAAAARGHHH!!!"
Pitch-black, inky runes burst from the wound, crawling violently across his flesh. The pain escalated beyond anything Loki had ever known.
He crashed to the ground. But the impact meant nothing. He writhed, clutching himself as the curse spread further.
Erika exhaled softly and sheathed Murasame.
Only then did she notice Odin and Thor staring at her—eyes wide with shock, confusion, and unmistakable fear.
"Ah, don't worry," she said casually.
"I didn't kill him. Just cursed him."
"A… curse…?" Odin asked slowly.
Even he—a god deeply versed in magic—could not identify a curse capable of reducing Loki to this state.
Erika nodded.
"Yeah. One that makes him more manageable," she said simply.
"The more divine power he uses, the worse the pain gets."
A chill ran down their spines.
But what Erika didn't mention was that Shura's Curse targeted the soul.
Changing bodies wouldn't help. Escaping wouldn't help.
And she could still use it two more times today. If needed… Wrath of the True Demon would remove that limit entirely.
But looking at Loki now… That wouldn't be necessary.
"Ah, Erika onee-chan~! We're here to help!"
"…Master sent us to assist you," Aria added calmly.
"Though… it seems unnecessary."
Just then, two beautiful little girls flew down to Erika's sides.
"Good timing," Erika said, relaxing slightly.
"Can you restrain him until Odin and Thor take custody?"
"Of course~"
"Understood."
Aria raised her hand.
Golden ripples formed behind her—then jet-black chains erupted forth, wrapping tightly around Loki's writhing form.
Alice stepped forward, her gaze sharpening.
A bird-like sigil appeared in her eyes, and all magic within her sight ceased.
Though the chains lost their magical properties, their physical strength alone was more than enough to restrain a god stripped of power—still screaming under Shura's curse, an SSR-ranked Skill, which could not be erased by anti-magic.
Watching all of this unfold, Odin let out a long, heavy sigh.
The god of trickery. The chaos that even he could never fully control. Reduced to a writhing, chained figure in mere moments.
He could not believe it. But the reality was undeniable… And Odin's very first thought was…
Thank goodness they are allies.
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
After the battle, Kiba, Koneko, and Issei stood watch over Fenrir.
The legendary god-slaying wolf was still crushed into the marble floor, its massive body pressed down by Albedo's skill, Weight of Sin. The invisible gravity distorted the air around it, forcing even its breath to come shallow and labored.
Asia knelt nearby, her hands glowing softly as she tended to Kiba and Koneko's minor wounds, scratches and bruises earned while serving as the vanguards against Fenrir's relentless assault.
Issei kept his eyes locked on the fallen beast.
During the battle, his contribution had been limited to a single Boost for Akeno before everything ended. But… he understood.
From a tactical standpoint, Rias had used him perfectly.
Despite being the Red Dragon Emperor, Issei still currently lacked Kiba's speed and Koneko's sheer sturdiness. Acting as a frontline fighter would have only gotten him injured. Even with Balance Breaker, he could at best tank a few blows—dangerous ones—before being overwhelmed if he hadn't stacked enough Boosts.
Instead, amplifying Akeno, whose magic was faster, more precise, and powerful to be second only to Rias, had been the optimal choice.
Still…
He clenched his fists slightly. He wanted to do more.
With clenched fist, Issei swore to become stronger and train a lot more so he could master the power of the Red Dragon Emperor so he could help and protect his friends in the future.
Now, he took his role seriously, watching Fenrir closely, ready to react if the legendary wolf somehow broke free and went on another rampage.
Though…
'Looking at it now… I doubt it could even stand.'
Fenrir no longer struggled violently. Its immense strength had been crushed into submission. Only faint twitches remained, its clenched fangs and burning eyes betraying stubborn defiance.
Still, Issei didn't relax. Not for a second.
A short distance away, Rias and Akeno stood speaking with Albedo.
After being acknowledged, truly acknowledged, as worthy future wives of Yuuji, the invisible distance between them had shrunk noticeably. Albedo's demeanor toward them was warmer, more open.
Just then… Albedo's gaze shifted.
Not toward Fenrir itself, but to the space beside it.
"Albedo-san…?"
Rias began, confusion lacing her voice. Then she and Akeno followed her line of sight—
And froze.
A thin line of light appeared in the air. The space itself split open.
The tear expanded, stretching into a human-sized rift. And from it, figures stepped through.
First came a tall, blonde-haired young man clad in an immaculate three-piece suit. In his hand rested a sword radiating holy power.
Next was a muscular young man with spiky brown hair, a golden circlet resting around his head. Slung over his shoulder was a long crimson staff, capped with rounded golden tips.
Behind him emerged a familiar silver-haired young man, handsome and confidently relaxed, hands tucked casually into his pockets.
And finally—
Two girls.
One was small, golden-haired, dressed in a school uniform with a blue cape draped over her shoulders. A large witch's hat rested atop her head, and she held a broom loosely in her hands.
The other, a voluptuous seductress of a black-haired woman wearing a loosely worn jet-black kimono that deliberately revealed pale skin and alluring curves. A pair of cat ears twitched atop her head as two feline tails swayed behind her.
Time seemed to freeze.
"The White Dragon Emperor—?!"
"V-Vali?!"
Rias, Issei, and the entire peerage immediately tensed, instinctively preparing for combat as Vali and his team appeared without warning.
But Vali's group wasn't looking at them.
Their attention was elsewhere.
"What happened to it…"
"What kind of gravity magic is this?! I've never seen anything like it!"
"Daaamn—this thing's holding Fenrir down?! Did one of the Demon Kings do this?!"
Arthur, Le Fay, and Bikou stared in disbelief at Fenrir's crushed form beneath the Weight of Sin.
Even Vali hadn't expected this.
His eyes narrowed sharply as he snapped out of his shock.
"Arthur, prepare Excalibur and start immediatley. We have to leave quickly."
He said quickly and Arthur stiffened.
Then he understood.
This was the variable Vali had warned them about.
Someone powerful enough to subdue Fenrir so completely—and close enough to the Three Factions to be present at this summit.
Him.
Vali had told them everything. How he—the strongest White Dragon Emperor in history—had been utterly defeated.
If that existence interfered… Vali didn't even know if escape was possible.
Arthur nodded grimly and tightened his grip on Excalibur.
Kuroka, meanwhile, stared at Fenrir in stunned silence.
But when she heard Vali's words, her heart skipped.
He was here. And the thought of being able to meet him again made her heart skip a beat as warmth spread across her chest.
'Could it be…?'
Her thoughts wander to the memories she spent with him.
But soon, they were disrupted when a figure entered her gaze, and met her eyes.
Golden eyes. White hair. Small hands clenched tight.
The world faded away.
Longing. Fear. Regret. Love. Pain.
And hope.
Everything collided in a single instant.
They had finally met. There were so many things they wanted to say. So many questions. So many answers.
But all that escaped them… was a single whisper.
"Shirone…"
"…Onee…chan…"
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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!
Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at patr_eon.com/verglasx ~!
Thank you~!