It wasn't due to a shift in the air, but the name spoken by the figure before her sent a chill through Frigga, as if she were staring into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
An indescribable sensation gripped her—this person seemed to embody fear itself.
"So, Deathstroke, why have you come to Asgard?"
Frigga steadied her emotions, masking a fleeting moment of unease. She posed the question, and even Gullveig, standing nearby, displayed a curious expression.
It seemed the two sisters had quickly reconciled, and the Vanir invasion would likely be swept under the rug together.
"Didn't I already say?" Su Ming glanced at Gin, who was feasting alongside Brunnhilde. "I didn't want to come to Asgard, but you took someone of mine. I'm just here to take her back."
"That's it?" Frigga pressed, struggling to comprehend.
Su Ming flicked ash onto the floor, replying calmly, "Of course. I have no interest in the riches of the All-Palace or the treasures in your vault."
Frigga gave a wry smile. All this for one person?
The All-Palace had been thrown into chaos, the Nine Realms set ablaze, losses so great even Odin would weep blood. The answer couldn't be that simple.
But Su Ming wasn't forthcoming, and with her limited perspective from the depths of the palace, Frigga couldn't guess his true motives. All she knew was that he was an Earthling, a shapeshifter, and bold beyond measure.
That was the extent of her knowledge of Deathstroke—a figure shrouded in mystery, like the depths of the ocean.
She had known the Odin before her was a fake, but she dared not awaken the true All-Father. Not only did it involve Gullveig, but she also felt the constant threat of death.
The slightest thought of betrayal, and Deathstroke would end her life in an instant.
"You mean her? A girl?"
"Yes, she's known here as Mist, once a Valkyrie."
"She's lucky," Frigga remarked, glancing enviously toward Gin. "Hard to imagine a Midgardian daring to storm the All-Palace alone and causing such destruction."
"So, Your Majesty, why haven't you exposed me?"
Frigga pursed her lips, adjusting a strand of golden hair at her temple. "The Vanir's status should be elevated, becoming a pillar of Asgard. This arrangement suits me fine."
So, she'd known all along and was adept at seizing opportunities.
"If you want this destruction to end, you must agree to my terms: restore Brunnhilde and Mist's freedom. The All-Palace must never summon them again."
Su Ming sat on the lowest step of the royal dais, patting a statue that looked like a mix of bear and lion, positioned just below the throne.
Frigga nodded, then shook her head. "I'd like to agree, but this is my husband's realm, not mine."
Su Ming's face lit up with realization. "Got it. Raising the stakes, huh? Don't worry, Gaia and Kiden won't last much longer."
"What are you talking about? I don't understand."
Frigga looked puzzled, glancing at Gullveig.
The Queen of Vanaheim lowered her head, scratching her cheek.
Su Ming steered the conversation back, unbothered by whether Frigga was genuinely confused or feigning ignorance.
"Just agree, and it's settled. Odin doesn't need Valkyries anyway, does he?"
Frigga nodded firmly. "Fine, I agree. I can ensure Heimdall ignores them henceforth."
Su Ming stuffed his cigarette butt into the statue's mouth, making it look like an oversized Garth the Cat smoking.
"Excellent. Pleasure doing business. Now, Queen Gullveig, care to discuss Vanaheim's development plans?"
"Now's not the time," Gullveig sighed. "First, deal with the demon army and the fleet in the skies."
Su Ming ascended the dais again, transforming back into Odin, gripping the Eternal Spear.
"The demons answered someone's summons, with the Destroyer Maidens as the bargaining chip. Any idea who might know where to find them? The contract was signed with Mephisto."
Killing that person would let Mephisto tear up the deal unilaterally, reaping the benefits without fulfilling his end.
Even if the treasures in the vault remained out of reach, it might convince Mephisto to withdraw, satisfied with his gains.
"The Destroyer Maidens… I haven't seen them in ten thousand years. Are they still alive?"
Frigga looked to Gullveig for confirmation, and her sister nodded gravely. Those man-eating women were battling fire giants on the battlefield, their abilities and appearance confirming their identity.
"Yes, sister, the demon army is led by thirteen Destroyer Maidens."
"But aside from King Bor, no one should know their whereabouts, let alone use them to bargain with Mephisto," Frigga said, frowning as the situation grew murky.
A breeze swept through the hall, carrying the faint floral scent of the Queen. In the distance, Gin and Brunnhilde noticed their arrival.
Brunnhilde started to rise for a salute, but Gin pulled her back, pressing a goblet into her hand.
Frigga and Gullveig were at a loss against the current situation. Their boss held the upper hand; there was no need to fear the Mother of the Gods.
Neither the Queen nor the Vanir Queen noticed the Valkyries' reactions, lost in thought, unable to fathom who else might know the Destroyer Maidens' location.
Except, perhaps, Odin himself.
But Odin trading with Mephisto, using the Destroyer Maidens to attack his own realm? That made no sense.
The Destroyer Maidens bore Bor's curse but gained unique powers. Their blood was anti-divine, making them living weapons against gods. Contact with them sapped a god's strength, and their bite turned gods into ghouls.
"Does Hela know?" Su Ming asked. If anyone had a motive, it might be her.
Death and ghouls paired well, and Hela's relationship with Mephisto was decent enough.
"No, she doesn't," Frigga replied, dismissing the idea. "The Destroyer Maidens were exiled before Hela was born. Anyone who knows would be older than Gullveig and me."
Su Ming rubbed his chin. If age and status were the criteria, there was one figure who fit.
Higher in status than Odin in earlier days, before Bor's death, the throne didn't pass directly to Odin. There was another All-Father before him.
Had he not died mysteriously, Odin would never have become king.
But with Asgard now suppressing even news of Hela, those aware of that figure's existence were even fewer.
If the deepest hidden foe was him, Su Ming would need to rethink his strategy carefully.