Burn the Nine Realms to Ash (Continued)

But that's not important.

Myths are myths precisely because their origins are vague, chaotic, and unverifiable. If they were clearly structured and supported by solid evidence, they would become official history, no matter how extraordinary their contents may be.

So when Moses arrived at Mount Sinai, the vision he saw in the fire was no longer a phantom but a real human being— Surtr replaced Yahweh, and Yahweh was pleased with this.

The Book of Exodus was thus revised. Moses no longer fought alongside his Great Knight —the title of Great Knight did not yet exist in this era—his brother Aaron, against the sorcerers under Pharaoh. Instead, he relied on the authority granted to him by Surtr to rule over the world. And the ten plagues of Egypt were no longer the ten plagues of Yahweh, but the ten plagues of Surtr.

What parted the Red Sea was no longer the magic aided by the Hebrew sorcerers, but the direct power bestowed by Surtr. And the covenant made in the Ark of the Covenant became the Ten Commandments signed between Surtr and the Hebrews.

Surtr is still Surtr.

But Yahweh also became completely her—because in the Hebrew language, Yahweh means "the Most High," an honorific title rather than an actual divine name. This is because the One God needs neither a name nor an image. And this also means that the One God can have any name and any image.

Therefore, Yahweh could have been Surtr from the very beginning—this is a clear and complete logic. No argument is needed.

There's no need to argue.

Because power itself is the most powerful evidence, the weapon of criticism can never replace the criticism of weapons.

Then, Surtr went on to navigate the flow of history for a period of time—she lived through the time of David and the time of Solomon. She made covenants with the kings of the Hebrews, so much so that her casual act of anointing the Messiah and naming him king in the future became a Hebrews were anointed could become king.

The past and present, through constant revision, tend towards a completely different path—the main body of history has not undergone any radical or disruptive changes. However, at the end of history, everything is subject to drastically different modifications.

Because the calamities of the world have been eliminated.

When she set foot in the America in the 'present', all she saw was a sky obscured by the Dusk Flame, and South America and North America, perfectly intact, except for the inhabitants' slight panic—everything was exactly the same as usual.

A new memory forms in the girl's mind— Battle of Japan, the corrupted Yahweh descended upon North America and was replaced by her own Genesis ritual. Because she was more orthodox Yahweh, she killed the corrupted god with a single thought and usurped all his divine power.

Heaven became a part of her, and with the power of Heaven, she easily suppressed all chaos and destroyed the ancient barbarians from the Aztec or Maya.

No, actually, that's unnecessary.

Because soon, even before these primal gods were born, she had planted backdoors in them using Worldline Correction techniques. The moment they descended, they were burned to ashes by the Twilight Flame erupting from within them, thus ushering in their end.

The world thus became peaceful. Except for the fact that Japan was destroyed and rebuilt—because the cause of 'Genesis' was to be constructed in effect—and the moon remaining divided in two, all that the world knew was the birth of the Seventh King and the Eastern Expedition, and the Twilight Flame that suddenly covered the entire sky, its origin unknown but likely closely related to some ancient deity.

No one died, and no one was injured. Olympus was suppressed on time, while the Norse gods remained motionless.

Miss Surtr roughly guessed why the Nordic countries hadn't changed—so she placed the Nordic countries in the penultimate step.

She stayed briefly in the America of today before returning to Europe, specifically Northern Europe.

Then, she traveled to the birthplace of Norse Mythology, a time when gods and humans coexisted.

Combustion.

When Miss Surtr descended at the right moment, she saw everything burning.

The World Tree, Yggdrasil, is ablaze. Nine Great Realms, serpents coiled around the Midgard, World-Devouring Wolf, and ancient and powerful gods—their carcasses lie atop the kingdoms, burning fiercely in a desperate struggle for mutual destruction.

"Ragnarök," Miss Surtr murmured, witnessing the magnificent spectacle.

"Yes, Ragnarök." A familiar voice, which she had met once before, came from the side. Surtr, who had fought her once before, stood on the other side of this burning divine realm.

Looking at the burning sky, looking at the Nine Realms covered in flames.

Surtr held no sword, nor did it exude any murderous aura. It looked like a worker exhausted from a long day's labor, gazing at the mass-produced product it had created with its own hands, yet which had nothing to do with it, and uttering a meaningless sigh.

"The myths of mortals enable us to gain knowledge and thus realize the world, but the myths of mortals also become our containers and constraints."

"The wisest of them led the drama of Ragnarök. And when all mortals believed that we earthly gods would kill each other, we did indeed kill each other. Only one remained."

Beside Surtr was a large and magnificent banquet table—the place where the dead gods used to hold their feasts.

First came the spirits of nature, then mythology, and then the gods. And before the mythology was finalized and gained sufficient acceptance, the gods ruled the earth and enjoyed everything.

"Mortals are clever." Surtr sat down at the table, gesturing for Miss Surtr to sit on the other side. "Although the writing of Ragnarök did not completely end us, but merely confined us to the Mythical Realm, it is still a victory, a tremendous step forward. They personally ended the era of the gods and ushered in the age of God Slayer and Unwilling God. And given enough time, perhaps one day we gods will also be completely tamed, becoming tools or fuel in the hands of mortals."

"So you hate them." Miss Surtr sat down on the other side of the table. "You remember me?"

"Of course I remember, because you are my alter ego. Because I have the advantage of this place. After you came here, I learned a lot." Surtr spread out his broad hands. "I don't hate mortals either. Because hatred is a characteristic of mortals, because it is complex, it has multiple components and perspectives. But gods are different, gods are higher than them. And they are purer than them."

A graceful noblewoman with ankle-length, light pink hair emerged from the depths of the burning Asgard. Holding a wine jug, she smiled gently and poured a cup of liquid flame for both Surtr and Miss Surtr. She didn't speak, but Surtr felt a strange unease looking at her. There was a sense of familiarity, a hint of allure, yet also a touch of repulsion.

Laevateinn didn't seem to like the woman. But unusually, the girl didn't develop an instinctive aversion to the woman because of Laevateinn's dislike.

"I do not hate mortals." Surtr raised his golden cup and drank the flames within in one gulp. "We simply made a choice and reaped the consequences—our existence within mythology means we will be trapped within mythology, never able to go any further. We chose this shackle, this prison. We were defeated by our own decisions, so naturally we have no reason to hold grudges against mortals."

"Even if all mortals can live now, while you gods have to die, is it the same?" Miss Surtr did not touch the fire in the cup.

"If the Star Soul had not died, it would have been Star Soul resurgence that killed us. Now that the Star Soul is dead, we will also die from Star Soul corruption. Mortals are merely qualified, have the potential to defeat us in the future, and will inevitably be able to defeat us. Therefore, there is no hatred between us and mortals."

"But ordinary people might not think that way."

"That is their freedom." Surtr drank the second cup of fire. "The gods are beyond saving. We are doomed and hopeless. Therefore, entrusting our future and legacy to mortals is our decision. It is also proof that the gods are superior to mortals."

"I'd kind of call this boring divine arrogance."

"If a dying race has lost even its arrogance, what else does it have?" Surtr chuckled, setting down her golden cup. The nameless but beautiful noblewoman immediately filled her cup a third time. "And, you, my alien self... do you despise the gods?"

"There's no need." Miss Surtr raised an eyebrow, still not touching the golden cup before her. "I decided to kill all the Immortals and Gods in heaven and earth because I judged you to be beyond saving and you never cried out to me for help. While the mortals also did not cry out to me for help, they worshipped me as their king and sent me their maids. Therefore, my goal is to kill all the Immortals and Gods and immortals and preserve humanity as much as possible."

"You mean, if the Immortals and Gods cry out to you for help, you will do everything you can to help us escape this calamity?"

"Yes, but you can't escape. So in the end, I will just kill you before you are contaminated, then copy your information, reshape you in another uncontaminated container, and remove you from this planet—which is also death for you. It's just that another race that has inherited your civilization, is almost exactly like you, and even considers itself to be you, will still live in the universe and continue your traditions."

Miss Surtr revealed the ultimate goal of her journey of correction and the details of her promise to Athena.

"Athena of Olympus has pleaded with me for help, so I will use this method to perpetuate her pantheon. And if you now make the same request to me, then I can arrange a similar path for the continuation of civilization for you and the pantheon you designate."

When she saw the Giant King before her, her expression froze for a moment.

Then I chuckled.

"No, one successor is enough. Besides, I have my own duties to fulfill—I am the End, I am Twilight, and I am responsible for ending the fate of the gods. Before corruption can transform them, I must first eliminate them all."

Ah... just as I thought. The tranquility of Scandinavia is precisely because of Surtr's actions. Although I don't know exactly what it's doing 'now,' it's likely nothing more than another Ragnarök, and it hasn't, and doesn't intend to, leave any survivors, including itself.

There's no need to continue here.

"Then farewell, Surtr." Miss Surtr nodded, then rose. "Though you should see me again thousands of years from now."

"See you in a few thousand years, my alternate form." The Fire Giant King nodded to her, then drank the third cup of fire from the golden goblet.

Flames then surged from its body, boiling outwards from its facial features and beneath its skin. The ancient Fire Giant King, within a flame that was the only thing that shouldn't have harmed it, yet the only thing that could, transformed into burning bones, then crumbled and dissipated, vanishing into nothingness.