Beyond the Curtain

It returned to the Mythical Realm of this point in time, where Norse gods and humans coexisted, and thus came to an end with Twilight of the gods).

No, not yet. Just a little bit more.

Surtr turned his head to look at the noblewoman standing behind Surtr's seat, pouring him Fire Wine—and when she looked at him, he smiled back at her.

"Who are you...?"

"Simora," the elegant and beautiful woman answered her, her voice sounding somewhat familiar. "Surtr's destined wife, and also the custodian of Laevateinn."

"Then it seems there's still a difference between me and it." Miss Surtr suddenly realized. She knew that there was indeed a woman named Simora in Norse Mythology who was the wife of the Fire Giant King, but there was no clear evidence in the records that Laevateinn was usually kept in her hands.

"I will not hand over Laevateinn to anyone, no one."

"Surtr thinks so too. But I'm an exception." The noblewoman continued to smile, but there was something strange about her smile that made someone feel uneasy. "Besides, you will definitely meet a companion in the future, just like I was to Surtr. I can feel that time is very close."

"I don't believe it."

"You will believe me." Simora bowed slightly to her, but her gaze was fixed on Laevateinn floating behind her. "After all, she is such a beautiful and lovely young lady. By then, you certainly won't want her to always be by your side in her battle-ready form."

"...What did you say?" Miss Surtr was somewhat confused—what pretty lady? What does this have to do with Laevateinn? This is so nonsensical...

She was about to ask more questions, but the noblewoman before her vanished in the sudden burst of flames.

"You will find out." The noblewoman's figure was blurred in the flames, or perhaps it was just her imagination. Miss Surtr felt as if she saw the outline of a sword in the firelight.

Perhaps that really was just an illusion.

Miss Surtr shook her head and patted her forehead. She felt that Laevateinn beside her seemed about to explode at any moment. However, when her fingers touched Laevateinn's blade, this strange feeling vanished completely in an instant.

—For no reason at all... Is it because I'm in Ragnarök that I'm being affected by this extra phenomenon?

—Or is Laevateinn just shy... Damn, why am I having such a crazy thought?

Her mind was in a state of confusion, but reason quickly brought her back to her senses and helped her let go of the many distracting thoughts.

Now is not the time to think about these things. There is one last thing to do... no, perhaps two things.

She left the table, and at the same time, the table, along with the golden cup on it, turned into ashes.

She didn't revise the history of Northern Europe, because it wasn't necessary. Just as she didn't need to revise the history of China. Her influence permeated every corner of the earth, yet it didn't alter the original course of history. And when the Nine Realms were reduced to nothingness under the Twilight Flame of this era, revealing the original Earth, she departed from there, heading to the next, and final, destination.

As she set off, she instinctively hugged Laevateinn tighter than usual.

Chapter 139: Behind the Curtain

The final stop: Olympus.

Miss Surtr chose to land at the Parthenon Temple where gods and humans coexisted.

There she saw Athena —in a white robe and wearing a laurel wreath. But Athena, in the form of a young girl, had her scepter and weapons set aside.

"I will keep my promise, Athena." Miss Surtr placed her fingers on Laevateinn's grip. "Do you have any last words?"

She added a sentence.

"It will be a very quick process; dying by Laevateinn's sword will be painless."

The Goddess before her remained calm and composed.

"What do you intend to do?" the Virgin Goddess, in her maiden form, asked softly. "What kind of new vessel do you plan to provide for the gods? And where do you intend for them to go after they leave this place?"

"Nanomechanics," Miss Surtr replied. "I will kill you all in this era, then encapsulate your information in a vessel made of my blood and fire and project it into the 'present'—because my body is now 'ever-changing,' capable of generating cold fusion units within its cell nucleus. And once this vessel is no longer suppressed by the Historical Correction Force, it will multiply according to the blueprints I have written beforehand, and after absorbing enough mass, it will transform into a starship capable of freely navigating space."

She raised her hand, and a wisp of blood, wreathed in flames, detached from her fingertips and overflowed, hovering around her and transforming into an exquisite, sealed container.

"Simply put, it's a prelude to Ragnarök —only copies of your information were taken away. Your essence, the natural spirits from the planet, will return to the Mythical Realm to ensure that history doesn't deviate into some absurd situation that I can't handle because of your disappearance."

"You will leave Earth, and where you go is up to you... Ah, maybe you will become interdimensional travelers like me. Who knows, you might accidentally end up in another world."

A complex vortex of information, constructed from flames, emerged on the surface of the container. The starship's final form manifested before Athena —a simulated planet that appeared metallic but was actually composed of nanomaterials and flesh. This was precisely the ultimate fate that immature supernatural life could reach after unchecked expansion.

"... Your primary objective is to ensure that history functions properly," the Goddess of wisdom concluded. "And only on the basis of this will you allow the civilization of Olympus to continue."

"Yes, that's the premise." Miss Surtr nodded. "I can't even resort to excessive force in this era. Because I don't know what I might do if I were to tear the earth apart with a single sword strike here..."

She blinked, and the instant the thought crossed her mind, the entire surface of the Earth, in the 'present' state, fell into a chaotic, superimposed state. Everything was blurred.

"... Well, it seems that the revised timeline will turn 'present' Earth into Mars' twin. That means I might have to travel to an even earlier point in time. But I don't think it's necessary to add any more work."

"I understand." Athena sighed, a hint of melancholy in her voice. "In that case, it truly is the best outcome the gods could hope for... Is there really no hope left?"

"You are a god who symbolizes wisdom; you should understand the bigger picture of your world better than I do," Miss Surtr replied bluntly. "I am not against doing more for a better outcome, but if there is no solution or path leading to a better outcome, then I will not waste my time on futile efforts."

"...You are truly a cruel god, Surtr." Athena's voice was filled with regret and sorrow. "If you could have arrived in this world sooner, I would have tried my best to serve you more, even striving to climb into your bed. If I could have occupied a better place in your heart, perhaps my greed could have been fulfilled then."

Miss Surtr raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You mean you want to sleep with me?"

"... So that's the angle you're focusing on. As expected, your thought process is completely different from ours."

The Goddess sighed and beckoned the shield and spear, symbols of war and victory, to her hands—she then lowered her body slightly, assuming a battle stance.

"These are my last words. Miss Surtr, at least let me die in battle."

Surtr didn't speak, but simply tilted her head slightly, indicating that the Goddess before her was free to move about.

Athena took a light breath.

Press down the spear and charge.

Just as the spear tip was about to touch Surtr's body, Flame Breath turned!

The Goddess's spear, shield, and graceful body were all cleaved in two. The overflowing flames destroyed the entire Parthenon Temple and pointed directly at Mount Olympus at that moment!

Divine Mountain trembled, God King 'Zeus wrath manifested as a rain of thunderbolts. However, the overflowing flames easily engulfed the God King's lightning and struck Mount Olympus —as the mountain broke, Surtr appeared behind the God King, who had been repelled by the flames, and swung his sword, delivering a fatal blow.

There was no difference between the third and fourth generations of God King -God King. Zeus's thunderbolts could restrain all the Olympus, but under Laevateinn's flames, he was nothing more than a gender-swapped Athena —killing Athena only required one sword. Therefore, killing Zeus would naturally also only require one sword.

The flames continued to spread, seeping into the ocean and causing the seawater to boil. Poseidon's temple was burned to the ground, and the sea god and his trident were melted into scrap metal.

The earth was ripped open, and the underworld was exposed to the sunlight. In an instant, the endless Twilight Flame evaporated Hades and formed a pillar of fire reaching the heavens— Apollo, Helios, the Lord of the Sun, were pulled and swallowed by the Twilight Flame. The sea of fire then swept across the sky, tearing Artemis and her sisters apart and melting them away.