“To hell with you!” Loki’s voice blasted and all of a sudden, a shadowy image formed behind Persephone. Wasn’t he supposed to be battling Cerberus? Nataku looked back to check and there lay an unconscious Cerberus.
Done already? Her mind voice gasped.
“Stop it, Loki!” Persephone shouted. Wisps of shadows protected her and Loki backed. Her eyes glowed again and Odin began squirming. Loki gasped, halted an up-coming assault and turned to see his brother.
“Odin…!”
“Shh.” Odin managed to say, clutching his chest with his right hand, “This spell will wear off a little later. Let’s just hope we could stall everything else until then… before something happens.” Loki opened his mouth to say something when all of a sudden, there was a glyph under them that pulled them towards Nataku.
“Master Odin…” Nataku said, “It’s okay. I’ve been exposed enough to this energy of darkness… I do believe I can handle this. In exchange for Esmeralda’s soul and your safety, I will go… or so we will make her think.”
“But…!”
“Master Loki, it is the only way I see for now.” Nataku said seriously as she held an unconscious Son Goku, “It will be very awful if Persephone uses her soul as offering to summon something powerful. And besides…” Nataku looked at the spheres of blood on the hands of the brothers and said, “… Your spell is beginning to wear off.”
The brothers said nothing as Nataku picked up Son Goku. Then she stood up, faced Persephone but kept silent. The Queen of Hel grinned triumphantly yet again as she watched the Battle Aesir and the golden-eyed Son Goku walk towards her. Then, the moment Nataku was within Persephone’s reach, she poked the fighting goddess’ forehead with her two fingers like what she did with Goku earlier.
“I’ve waited a long time for this. I’ve accomplished my mission well, don’t you, think?”
Nataku wasn’t looking back. Behind Nataku, Odin was wheezing unstably as he tried fighting the small spell on his soul. Loki was all red gritting his teeth in enraged thoughts of ripping Persephone’s limbs. He could, really… But Nataku… and Goku… And his brother… And again, Nataku…
Ah, worthless… Failed to save Nataku again…
But as Loki was obsessed with figuring out how he could dismantle Persephone, he felt a blow to his midsection and the air gushed out of him. He could hear Nataku call his name then he heard her scream. Perhaps she tried to help him but the seal on her forehead stopped her from doing anything. And the next thing he realized were two hands gripping his neck. His eyes flashed from side-to-side, trying to make something out of the situation. And when his vision stabled before him, he saw his brother trying to break his neck.
“It’s… not me…” Odin said, strain in his face as he tried to fend off whatever it is that was controlling him. Loki gasped and looked past his brother. And there he saw the soul with beautiful curls. She had blank eyes and she was extending her arms as if groping something… gripping something…
“Stu… pid… God… of… Know… ledge…!” Loki squinted and gasped.
“Wound… my… arm… you idiot!” Odin growled amidst his struggle to break free.
He took his swords, Azaran and cut Odin’s arm. The God of Knowledge screamed in pain. Esmeralda shouted and Loki was released. Azaran and Laevatin were special weapons that could be used to kill souls and divinities and being wounded by it inflicted a great deal of pain.
“This is the last time you are instantly unifying your body and soul with anyone else’s.” Loki said, positioning in defense as he watched Odin dash to attack him.
“Clam it.” Odin said flatly, raising Laevatin to strike.
“Any bright ideas, smarty?” Loki leapt out of danger, “Because if I wound you too much, it’ll kill you.”
“Ah, lovely, isn’t it, Nataku?” Persephone sighed. Nataku was gasping for air as she sank to her knees, Son Goku’s unconscious body beside her.
“You… wretched…” That was all for the Battle Goddess and electrocution followed with an ear-splitting cry of pain. And Nataku dropped again. Goku’s eyebrow twitched a bit.
“Watch with me, dear.” Persephone stooped and picked Nataku up by the hair, “Do I love torturing you… NOW WATCH!”
Odin swung Laevatin. Loki evaded but got hit by a ball of light that came whirling towards him and his left hand released one of the twin swords. Loki grunted amidst the sound of his blade spinning away from him and, to his horror, landed in Odin’s hand. Odin stared at the weapon on his hand in alarm. There is only one thing that could be done with the sword now and it wasn’t good for any of them.
“Loki, move as swiftly away as you can or I’ll ditch you!” Odin’s hand raised the short sword and began swinging it to hack him. Loki evaded and blocked. The dagger was being swung in more force than required and one blow from it would be fatal.
“You have to lose the soul’s host!” Odin shouted.
“Stop being so deep on me, you love-struck dope!” Loki yelled back, blocking three consecutive blows.
“Render me unconscious! Then this body will become immobile…! We can worry about what happens next later!”
Loki jumped a few feet back and began to think as he watched Odin charge. He couldn’t slash Odin with the other pair of Azaran or he’ll die… He couldn’t use any spells either since Odin would only counter it. So the only option left were open hand techniques.
“Only Nataku fights well in unarmed form!” Loki grunted, “Any more crazy ideas?”
“You fool! Are you waiting for Azaran to be lodged into your chest!” Odin yelled, swinging Azaran and Laevatin one after the other.
“Oh, Odin, did I tell you how much I love you!” Loki rolled his eyes away. Then he grunted again and sheathed his sword. Then he began to dodge, trying to retaliate with kicks and punches. But Loki found it too hard for him to handle since Laevatin simply extended to block every attack he’ll do.
“This is boring…” Persephone smirked and in a moment, a giant black ring of light captured an unguarded Loki. And that same instant Raeshtou Nai Hoitozu dispelled.
“Master Loki!” Nataku shouted and Persephone pulled her hair back. Son Goku began groaning.
“Hush, this is the good part.”
“Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damndamndamndamndamndamn…” Loki began muttering as his sweat trickled while watching Odin struggle against the force that made his hand move. And in a moment, Odin’s arm darted forward and there was a loud cry of pain that echoed.
“MASTER LOKI! NOOO!” Nataku screamed, streams of tears springing from her eyes. Son Goku groaned again.
“Daaaaaaamn!” Odin bellowed unable to even turn his face away from the image of his stabbed brother. Loki’s eyes were wide and Azaran was lodged in his midsection. Then Odin pulled it out roughly and Loki shouted again. Nataku felt her very self being torn and shred.
Then Odin blasted Loki’s left shoulder. Loki shouted again. Persephone lifted Nataku’s face once again and said, “I love this display of affection…! See?” And Nataku did see… She saw blood… Loki’s blood gushing freely from his body. And Loki’s battered image with broken limbs and tattered bloody clothes came back to her. It was strange but now she felt really weak and scared and helpless. She felt she was cowering in fear. She wasn’t usually scared of blood but the situation made her feel really feeble. Air was beginning to cease and Nataku could feel her body tinge. Then she began to go numb and cold and her inner self was being tortured. Her mind wouldn’t shut up. She heard lots of voices… And deep inside her mind, she cried with every ounce of strength for help. No, not help for her…
Save Master Loki… Please…
Then there was a loud cry from Odin and when Nataku looked, she saw the God of Knowledge bleeding. Odin was able to fight the spell though but shortly and he managed to stab his leg instead of Loki’s. True, the blade could sever the link between Persephone and Odin but at a great cost. Odin could die. Was this what Odin was thinking?
Odin pulled out the sword and there was another shout. Nataku’s mind voice was going wild. She wanted everything to stop. All her strength began to seep out of her and confusion began clouding her mind. More blood… No… No… No more blood! No more! No more! Then her eyes turned to Loki. He was hanging unconscious. Was he dead? Was he dead?
Master Loki!
Nataku felt like being trapped in a nightmare. She felt darkness upon her and her thoughts drifted farther away into the midst of chaos. She began to hear voices and she began to see people. Who were they? There were visions but she couldn’t make out anything out of them.
“AAAAAH!” Nataku screamed. Then she felt a sting in her chest and a splitting ache surging through her head. Tears streamed even harder. And anger mixed with disbelief and sadness.
“LET ME GO!” Nataku struggled. That instant, Goku’s eyes shot open and he released a very powerful force. He stood up and a pillar of light engulfed his hovering body as his eyes glowed in a very, very bright golden light. The seal on Goku’s forehead diminished and he shouted loudly as if making his liberation known. Persephone threw Nataku to one side and the moment Nataku seized her awareness, she began to go to Loki. She was so slow. She had no strength. Curse weakness. Curse it all!
Come on, walk! Hurry! Run! Nataku shouted in her head.
Then she heard Loki groaning. He was coming to! He wasn’t dead! But Odin raised the sword yet again and if he would strike, it would probably be the last one. Nataku urged herself to go faster as if all her strength returned. Loki’s eyes slowly opened. He saw the blade coming towards him but he had no strength to say anything. But just then, he saw someone come between them…
A blue-haired girl in robes…
And streaks of red…
She caught the blow with her right shoulder. The blade came and penetrated Nataku’s flesh. She shouted with wide-open eyes as loudly as she could, hoping to somehow alleviate the pain. It was pain that she never felt before.
No more! No more!
Everyone was in panic and everyone was in intense emotions. The three young men shouted as they watched Nataku’s body slowly drop.
“NATAKU!” Goku shouted, light intensifying.
“NATAKU!” Odin and Loki chorused, their eyes widened and elemental symbols swirled in their pupils. A large gush of energy swept out of them.
So helpless. Nataku thought. She could hear their voices but she could not make anything out of them.
And just as Nataku’s body hit the pavement, the ground shook angrily, the sky darkened and lightning struck. A grand circle of light with inscriptions appeared on the ground parallel to a similar circle in the sky and began to exchange glyphs and inscriptions. Then, there was a pillar of light from the sky and a pillar of darkness from the ground. And when they met, there was a grand light. And in that light formed a figure in silhouette… It wasn’t a “who”, though. It was more of a “what”…
A “what” with four feet and nine tails…