Chapter 771: Big Family
Thirty minutes had passed in a garden near the King's Castle. Victor was sitting on the ground, cross-legged, while Fenrir lazily rested behind him.
"You must long for battles to have become so proficient, Fenrir," commented Victor.
"Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury here," grumbled Fenrir.
"Oh? What luxury do you lack here?" Victor inquired.
"No one is strong enough to fight me here in Samar, and on Earth, I am merely seen as a beast that needs to be eliminated thanks to the mighty Odin," Fenrir said with evident hostility in his tone, especially when mentioning Odin's name.
"Hmm, you hate that God, huh?" Victor questioned.
"Of course. He condemned my siblings and me based on a damn prophecy," Fenrir growled as a powerful killing intent filled the air.
Victor whistled, observing the intense killing intent. 'That's some potent killing intent... I even feel a little sorry for Odin... Meh, who am I kidding? Who cares about some old geezer?'
"Apparently, the all-powerful God Kings never even considered that by trying to avoid a prophecy, they would simply fulfill it," Victor said with an amused tone, completely unfazed by the outburst of killing intent.
Upon hearing Victor's words, the Wolf's killing intent dissipated, and he seemed to ponder what Victor had said.
"... Hmm, that's a good point," Fenrir admitted.
"Right? You can throw that in the old man's face when you kill him; I'm sure he'll feel quite foolish," Victor laughed.
"... Oh? You think I'm going to kill him?" Fenrir asked, a smile full of sharp teeth on his face.
"Of course, my friend. I don't know what Odin did, but I know he harmed you and your siblings, and that's reason enough for you to go after him to kill him," Victor affirmed.
"Hmm, you're not wrong... Odin will fall beneath my fangs in the future," Fenrir smiled predatorily.
"Hmm, good to see you motivated..." Victor said, his smile growing once again. "But I'm afraid you won't be able to defeat Odin as you are now."
Instead of getting angry at Victor's statement, Fenrir was curious.
"... Oh? Why do you say that?" Fenrir questioned.
"Your fighting style is too straightforward, my friend."
"Fighting like an animal won't kill the God King of The Norse Pantheon."
"Odin not only has his famous spear, Gungnir, but he also commands an army of Gods by his side, and he is a Master of Runes himself. You must know how troublesome that can be, don't you?"
"... Hmm, your observation has merit, but in the face of The END, all will perish..." Fenrir stopped talking as he felt Victor stroking his fur.
"Arrogance... Hmm, I understand you very well."
Fenrir narrowed his eyes at Victor but did nothing to harm him.
"Fenrir, my friend... The Concept of The END is undoubtedly powerful, but... It is only strong if it touches the individual, right?"
'Hmm... That's good...', Fenrir closed his eyes a bit, enjoying Victor's caresses.
"I can think of thousands of ways to defeat you, and you would never lay a finger on me."
"What do you mean?" Fenrir asked casually. Perhaps it was due to Victor's caresses, but he felt quite comfortable now.
Tasha, Maya, and Hassan merely looked at Victor and Fenrir with visible shock on their faces.
'The Beast of The End is just wagging its tail happily?' They simultaneously thought, rubbing their disbelieving eyes. The scene before them was so unreal that even though they were witnessing it, they couldn't comprehend it.
"Haaah... When did they become such good friends?" Tasha felt utterly exhausted now. Not only did she have to deal with the damage caused by those two monsters, but she also had to deal with a sight she never imagined experiencing before.
"Due to your imposing size, there are various ways to defeat you, but most of them you can avoid with your Concept of The END and your superior Power. However, if you come across someone at my level who possesses the qualities of Odin, a God-King whose main weapon is a spear, in addition to mastering Runes and having an entire Realm of Gods by his side..."
"You will need much more than just yourself; you will need strong subordinates to deal with his army, and you will have to face Odin alone."
Victor created an Ice Spear and stood up from the ground, assuming a stance.
"Come, attack me."
Fenrir narrowed his eyes but decided to participate in Victor's game. The Wolf took his position, and as he was about to attack, he heard an unfamiliar word coming from Victor's mouth.
"Antigravity."
Suddenly, he felt his body becoming lighter and lost all support, and in the blink of an eye, he saw an Ice Spear in his face.
"And you're dead."
"...Huh?"
Fenrir suddenly felt gravity returning and fell to the ground.
'Ugh, it's still difficult to use Runes in combat. It drained more Energy than necessary,' Victor complained internally, showing no emotion.
"I'm not a Master of Runes, and using Runes during a fight is very challenging."
'Wrong, it's impossible,' Maya and Tasha think, but they don't comment out loud.
"But someone like Odin, who is very cautious, has probably created several countermeasures against you. So when you attack Odin, you should be concerned about the Runes he might use."
"With your Power of The END, you could erase the Runes, but how long would that take? 2? 3 seconds?"
"In a High-Level battle, every second counts. In the meantime, Odin can do various things to harm you."
Fenrir stood up from the ground and looked curiously at Victor. "So, what should I do?"
"Do the unexpected."
"Elaborate more, please," Fenrir requested.
"Of course," Victor chuckled lightly.
"Odin sees you as a beast, right? Use that against him."
"Learn to fight in a more Humanoid Form."
"How will that help me?"
"Think of it this way. In the midst of the fight, you suddenly transform into a more Humanoid and compact Form, which possesses all your Power. At that moment, Odin will be surprised, and you can incapacitate him with your dangerous fangs."
"... Hmm..." Fenrir could understand the logic behind it.
"Of course, there are other ways, like using Odin's own ego against him."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"Odin is a God-King; arrogance is a characteristic that all God-Kings possess... Use that against him and attack where he least expects."
"As someone who believes in a prophecy, he believes that you will attack him directly. Use that against him and attack his loved ones." Victor's smile started to become increasingly Demonic.
"His wife, his youngest son, his most loyal soldier, it doesn't matter. Choose someone and erase them from existence. That will irritate Odin and hurt his pride, the pride of a God who thinks he knows everything."
"Hmm... That might work."
Maya, Tasha, and Hassan could only watch the situation with cold sweat running down their faces.
'Victor... Is he teaching The Wolf of The End to become more cunning and cruel?' Maya thought and couldn't help but approve of his actions.
Victor spent a few minutes explaining various ways to defeat Odin to Fenrir. Was he worried that a Pantheon could disappear like that? Of course not.
Victor exchanged blows with Fenrir, and although it was brief, he could feel a connection forming, a connection of friends. Victor recognized Fenrir, and Fenrir recognized Victor, and from this discovery, a friendship was born.
The phrase "Only when you exchange blows with someone can you truly understand them" applied completely to this situation.
But despite enjoying teaching Fenrir, Victor still wished to fight more... Because of that, he interrupted his lessons.
"Anyway, I've given you more than enough tips. It's up to you how to use them."
"Hmm, you're not going to teach me? I've never really learned to fight with someone. I do everything by instinct." Fenrir had never felt the need to train until now, and he never encountered someone he could consider his equal. Even in relation to his siblings, he had some disdain for them, although he respected them a little.
Victor blinked twice; for a moment, he thought he had misheard:
"... Of course, I can teach you."
Teach The Beast of Ragnarok? Count him in! Of course, he would do it. Just imagining how much stronger Fenrir would become in the future made Victor's blood boil with expectations.
'So this is how Scathach felt when she taught me,' Victor thought, amused.
"Really? Mm, in that case, I'm counting on you." Fenrir's body started to glow, and in the next moment, a figure with long white hair and black streaks that reached its waist appeared before Victor. The figure had two wolf ears on its head and a wolf tail.
The legs were still those of a Wolf, just like the arms were claws, and the creature's teeth remained sharp as in its adult Wolf Form.
Overall, the figure looked like a Hybrid Version of the adult Wolf Form.
"... You were a woman?" Victor raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm? I am not a woman. I am a Genderless Being. As a Being that represents The Concept of The END, I cannot possess characteristics that would allow me to 'create' something. That goes against my nature... Ugh, this Form feels strange." Even in this Form, its majestic voice remained unchanged.
'Oh... If he were a Gendered Being, that would mean he could reproduce or have children, which would imply "creating" life, and that act itself would go against his nature as The END of everything... Interesting, in that case, all END Beings would be like Fenrir, Genderless Beings.'
"... So, how do I fight in this Form... Hmm... Master?" Fenrir questioned.
Noticing his discomfort, Victor replied, "Just call me whatever feels comfortable to you."
"Okay, Victor... Viki?... Hmm, Vic. Yeah, that sounds good." Fenrir nodded, satisfied.
"See those trees over there?" Victor pointed to the trees in the distance.
"Yes...?" Fenrir responded, curious.
"Attack instinctively; let your body do as it pleases."
"Hmm... Alright." Fenrir casually attacked from a distance, and the landscape in front of him was completely destroyed.
"Too many unnecessary movements and excessive destruction. Against Beings like Odin, you should focus on concentrating most of your strikes against him."
"Huh?" Fenrir didn't understand.
"Watch me." Victor walked with his hands in his pockets to the front of Fenrir.
"Understood." Fenrir nodded and watched Victor attack from where he stood. His strikes were more precise and faster than Fenrir's. Victor took his hands out of his pockets, but it was so fast that it didn't even seem like he had moved his hands.
A thunderous sound echoed, and Fenrir saw a tree falling in the distance. Unlike him, who had destroyed everything in front of him, Victor had only destroyed one tree. The damage to that tree was clearly more destructive than Fenrir's previous attack.
"Precision, skill, and minimal effort results in great destruction. If you can Master that to the point of doing what I did casually, the God-King will suffer when facing you."
"Hmm..." Fenrir's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Teach me, Vic!"
"Before that..."
Victor and Fenrir looked toward the voice that suddenly appeared and soon saw an adult woman with long, vibrant green hair. She had a not-so-friendly smile, and it was clear that she was irritated.
"Could you stop destroying Nature?"
Before Victor could think of a response, he heard Roxanne's cry in his mind.
[Darling, it's her! My sister! The World Tree of this planet!]
'Well, this is getting more interesting by the moment, isn't it?' With just one look, Victor could tell that this World Tree represented an Aspect opposite to his, The Positive Aspect.
...
"Mother, are you sure about this?" Pepper asked Scathach with concern.
"Yes, my daughter, I am," replied Scathach.
"But you're going to The Underworld, right? A place full of Miasma toxic to the living?" Pepper wasn't sure if she should go. Despite having a lot of trust in her mother and her abilities, she wasn't like Victor, capable of surviving in the Hellish environment with such powerful Miasma.
"Oh, that's why you're worried..." Scathach smiled gently at Pepper and stroked her head. "Unlike Victor's ruled Hell, The Greek Underworld isn't completely covered in Miasma harmful to living Beings. Only some areas are toxic and possess that Miasma. Normally, those areas are close to Tartarus, where the highest concentration of Miasma exists."
"So, as long as you don't go to those areas, you'll be fine?" Pepper asked.
"Yes," nodded Scathach.
"Hmm..." Pepper seemed convinced, but at the same time, she still had her doubts.
"Don't worry, Pepper. Our mother is one of the most powerful women you'll ever meet, and she's going to The Underworld along with Aphrodite and Morgana. One can Enchant everyone with her Powers, and the other can create a nuclear explosion in Hell. She'll be fine," explained Siena.
She didn't trust Nyx at all, but she had complete trust in the other girls.
"Hmm..." Pepper nodded, and gradually, her expression became confident. "Yes! Mother is the strongest!"
"My daughter, for a moment there, I wondered if you doubted my strength."
Pepper visibly flinched and quickly replied, stuttering, "Of course not, Mother. I would never doubt you!"
"Really?"
"Yes! 100%!"
"Hmm~" Scathach continued to watch her daughter like a predator eyeing its prey.
Pepper fell silent, feeling like a deer in the mouth of a lion. She knew that any movement that raised suspicions about the truthfulness of her words would result in a torturous training session.
Siena rolled her eyes, witnessing the playfulness between mother and daughter. As she looked at the women around her, she spotted the group of older women surrounding Agnes and Violet. The group consisted of Goddesses and some more experienced Vampires, such as Natashia, Morgana, and Jeanne.
After observing Agnes for a few seconds, Siena looked away and approached Ruby, who was standing next to Nero, Ophis, Lacus, and Sasha.
"Ruby, I have a question."
"Hmm? What is it, Sis?"
"You banned Agnes and Violet from going to The Underworld because of the incident with Adonis?"
"Yes," Ruby replied, looking at Siena for a few seconds and then returning her gaze to Violet and Agnes. "We're going to The Underworld just to retrieve an item and come back, not to get involved in a four-front war."
"Are you sure it's a good idea to deprive them of their revenge?" Siena questioned.
"We're not depriving them of their revenge," Sasha interjected, drawing Siena's attention to her.
"We're just postponing their revenge," Sasha stated.
"Attacking the Ruler of The Greek Underworld in her own Realm is pure folly. The Rulers have complete dominion over their territory. It's almost like fighting a Master Witch in her own Domain," explained Ruby.
"When the time comes, we'll all aid them in seeking revenge, even if it strains our relationship with Demeter," added Sasha.
The Goddess of Agriculture had become crucially important to the group. The reason was clear: with the sudden increase in the Non-Vampire population, regular food had become even more important. Since Nightingale lacked conventional culinary skills, the assistance of the Goddess was highly appreciated.
For this reason, Ruby didn't provide an exact response like Sasha did. She valued logic more than emotions, but despite her coldness in that regard, she would always be by her Family's side. All she needed to do was devise countermeasures in case Demeter became permanently unavailable. Though it may seem impossible now, it would certainly become a reality in the future.
"I'm ready," declared Scathach suddenly, dressed in full body armor and wielding a spear adorned with Runes. She was fully prepared for war.
Observing her mother in this appearance, Ruby began to feel a sense of foreboding. 'By sending my mother, aren't I basically sending another 'Victor' to The Greek Hell?' she thought.
Scathach cracked her neck and walked towards the Goddesses.
"Take care of the house, Ruby," Scathach requested.
"Yes, Mother," Ruby responded.
"Ruby, it might just be my imagination, but why do I have a feeling that our Mother will earn the Title of GodSlayer?" Lacus commented.
"She already has that Title, Lacus..."
"But she's never killed a God permanently, right?"
"Well... I don't know, but knowing her, she probably has," Ruby uncertainly replied.
"Scathach is so amazing," Nero said.
"Yes," agreed Ophis.
"I wonder if we can be like that when we grow up."
"If we train," Ophis responded.
"Ugh," Nero grumbled, not because she disliked training but because it was extremely challenging.
"Putting that aside, have you been in contact with your father?"
"No... My father is unavailable... Again."
Nero touched her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, I wonder why a man who loves his daughter so much isn't responding to her calls."
"... He found a new daughter."
"Huh?" Nero looked at Ophis, shocked. Seeing the girl's slightly sad expression, she approached her.
"What happened, Ophis?"
"My new mother has a daughter. He probably replaced me with her."
"He would never do that, right?" Nero looked at Ruby for answers.
Ruby responded neutrally, "As far as I know, Vlad would never abandon Ophis."
"Then why isn't he responding to me?" Ophis questioned.
"... Something probably happened," Siena said.
"... Before, he always had time for me... Even The Good Father always makes time for me when I call," Ophis lamented.
The girls looked at each other, unsure of what to do. They had no information about Vlad's actions, and even when Ruby tried to find out something, she didn't uncover anything relevant.
"It doesn't matter if Vlad doesn't respond. We will always be here for you, Ophis," Nero stated seriously. "And if he takes too long to respond, we'll seek information, even if it means using force. Trust in your Big Family."
"Mm... Big Family..." Ophis smiled faintly in the end.