The name re-echoed in Odin’s head.
Lilith.
“Master Odin, I am Lilith.” She said again and the name repeated itself.
Lilith.
That instant, the thoughts seeped into his head as if something was feeding him information – things that he had not learned before. Lilith was the Preventer Valkyrie and as her name states, her role was to prevent anything from harming Asgard. If anything posed a threat, that threat was to be erased in order for Asgard to be safe.
“Master Odin!” Nataku’s voice seemed to have woken him up and he was surprised to see her and his brother looking at him. Loki was holding an unconscious Mercury in one hand. Odin blinked as if asking what had happened.
“All of you looked as though you were in a trance.” Nataku began seeming to not understand things herself, as she looked around, “Lilith was introducing herself and all this sparkling light came raining down and the moment it touched you, it made you look weird. I had to dispel it somehow.”
Odin blinked again.
Sparkling light?
“Master Odin, don’t you see it?”
Odin tried yet somehow he could not see any sparkling light at the moment. Not only did he not see it, he also did not feel it at all. Odin looked at Loki for answers but the Aesir of Darkness shook his head. Was this light something Aesirs could not see? If so, why could Nataku see it? Where did it come from and what was its purpose?
“Die!” Lilith was screaming now. All eyes turned to Goku who was taking on the Preventer Valkyrie. She charged with her blade towards the monkey-looking being who thrust himself upward. Nyoi-bo extended in mid-air and Goku swung at Lilith who blocked with a force coming from her gauntlet.
“Who is this Lilith?” Nataku murmured.
“Nataku, she is under your command. She is the Preventer Valkyrie. Don’t you remember?” Odin spoke.
“But I thought you said she was Esmeralda.”
Esmeralda.
Odin’s world seemed to have been shaken and various voices came to his head. It was as if something in him was broken by the name that escaped Nataku’s lips. Who was Esmeralda? Yes, Esmeralda was the human girl who took them in when Loki went missing, the human girl who prayed to him. She was killed by Persephone’s Babylon Tower and her soul was used to torment him until it was freed. Kuan Yin took her to Asgarrd to eat the Immortality Peaches and then…
“Ah!” Odin winced. His head was aching weirdly. Somehow, he did not remember what happened after Kuan Yin had taken Esmeralda to Asgard.
“Oh, no… They did it to you, too.” Loki muttered, clenching his fist and his eyes narrowing.
“Did what?” Nataku asked but Loki did not answer. Instead, the Aesir of Darkness grabbed his brother by the collar and shook him, “Odin, say her name. Say it! Esmeralda!”
“Esme… Esme… Ah!” Odin cringed away from Loki in pain, “Stop it! My head hurts!”
“He does not remember Esmeralda.”
Esmeralda.
“Esmeralda.” Odin repeated. The moment he said the name, Odin felt a thunderous pound on his chest and he groaned loudly. Nataku gasped and Lilith did as well. Son Goku lunged at her and she blocked a bit too late, as she was thrown back, skidding and stopping just before she hit the trees.
A Preventer Valkyrie… Loki cursed at the rubbish. There was no such thing as a Preventer Valkyrie. It seems as though Asgard had another impromptu creation. What was going on? If only he could think as fast as Odin could. But no, he needed some time and this entire tensing environment wasn’t helping him at all.
And then it hit him.
Nataku, she is under your command. She is the Preventer Valkyrie. Don’t you remember?
“Nataku, command Goku and Lilith to stop. Now!” Loki commanded.
“But I don’t even know her.”
“Just do as I say!” Loki yelled and Nataku was taken aback. His eyes were looking at her disappointedly, something she had not seen him do to her. His face wasn’t softening as he turned to a groaning Odin, who was visibly shaken.
“Goku! Lilith! Enough!” Nataku hollered. Lilith stopped at her tracks but Goku paid no heed. Nataku cursed and lunged at Goku in a grab to render him immobile. Lilith smiled and poised to strike at Goku and Nataku frowned, using an invisible force to send her hurling away from them.
“Nataku, let me go!” the golden-eyed creature struggled.
“Goku, enough!”
“She came here to kill you!” Goku yelled, still struggling from her hold.
“Really? Well, it seems to me she’s trying to kill you.”
“Nataku, you don’t understand! I was sent here to protect you!”
“What are you talking about!”
But even before Goku could answer, a hexagram formed itself behind Nataku. It was supposed to render her immobile but the power wasn’t enough to paralyze the Fighting Goddess. The hexagram broke like glass, which bought Nataku enough time to block a projectile of energy that was now hurled towards her. Goku was released and he leapt behind Nataku, blocking Lilith as she opted to stab Nataku from behind with her blade. Nataku frowned, sending a whirling kick towards Lilith who drew back in evasion.
“This is ludicrous!” Loki blurted out and he stood up, setting Mercury aside and gripping Azaran in hand, as he tried to figure out something from the situation. Odin was not of any use right now, as his head was hindering whatever it was he wanted to remember or had to do.
Nataku was feeling something that was a cross between confusion and wonder. Who was it that Lilith was sent to kill? Her or Goku? If Asgard had anything to do with this, why would they have to kill her? Did she do anything wrong? And why were they after Goku? This was not the first time Asgard made an attempt on his life. Something was definitely going on – something that they were not supposed to know.
“You need to get past me before you can get to her.” Goku’s head pointed towards Nataku as his angry eyes traced towards Lilith. And if that look were to be blades, Lilith would’ve been minced to a thousand pieces by now.
“Lilith, stop and explain yourself.” Loki was in battle stance as he inquired upon the new Valkyrie, “Or do you plan to attack me as well?”
“Master Loki, I am sorry but I am only carrying out my duty.”
“Which would be what?”
“Annihilate all threats to Asgard.” Lilith was looking at Goku and Nataku.
Nataku wanted to slap her senseless and make her take back how she looked and what she said. She diminished the thought about her posing as a threat to Asgard. It was rubbish. She had been loyal to Asgard for as long as she could remember. She had served them long and well. At least that is what she remembers. This Valkyrie had the audacity to treat her such, to remark as such. Such insolence! Does Lilith know whom she was referring to! Nataku was the Battle Aesir, the Fighting Goddess, and the Goddess of War and Victory!
“Explain.” Loki said sternly, not budging from his stance. It was obvious he wasn’t lending a pinch of his trust to Lilith just yet, regardless of who had sent her.
Stupid Mercury had to fall unconscious before he could say anything useful…!
“I have come to do battle with the Princess of War.” Lilith began, “And annihilate Son Goku.”
“What for?”
“I was told not to tell.”
“Shall I for—“
“Master Loki…” Nataku spoke sternly, “If she wishes to do battle with me, she is more than welcome to try.”
Loki said nothing. It was a request that could not be denied. Judging by the way that he spoke to her, regardless of his opinion, Nataku would still fight Lilith. Loki knew Nataku found Lilith impertinent and thought she needed to be taught a lesson without falling into a trap of her pride. And yet, Loki felt like this battle was a trap on its own.
That was it and Lilith lunged at Nataku who seemed to have disappeared in movement. She reappeared behind Lilith and pounded at her hard with her clasped hands, sending the Preventer Valkyrie hard on the ground. Nataku disappeared, reappeared with a high kick to Lilith’s midsection, launching her higher than Loki thought Nataku could. The Princess of War leapt up to follow with an arm poising to strike another fatal blow. Lilith then realized she was nothing compared to every skill Nataku had. To think that the Battle Aesir had not used any weapons or spells on her yet, she had delivered two consecutive blows that she was unable to block or return.
But all was not lost. Not yet.
It is a bit early. Lilith thought. But I will have to use this now.
Lilith made a symbol with her fingers and uttered a small spell. Nataku felt as if something inside was stopping her from doing anything more and she winced, giving Lilith the small opening she needed. A five-pointed star entrapped Nataku’s limbs and she stopped in mid-air.
Nataku could not believe it. The voices, the visions… Every one of them was coming back to her again. Her body felt paralyzed as if something was blocking her energy. She could see Lilith towards her to attack with her blade and yet, she did not seem to have enough strength to dispel the entrapment. Or rather, she had no access to the strength she had.
“Nataku!” Loki shouted, his heart pounding in worry. He gripped Azaran in attacking stance. The God of Darkness motioned to propel himself upward to help Nataku but just as he reinforced himself with a spell and his weight shifted for the boost, something swung at him and hit him from behind. Loki fell chest first on the ground and he shook his head as he got up.
“I won’t let you hurt her.” Odin spoke seriously as Loki eyed him with Laevatin in offensive stance. The younger brother’s eyes widened in disappointment and surprise as he blurted out, “Odin, have you lost your mind!”
“Maybe. But I won’t let you hurt her.” Odin’s eyes narrowed towards Loki.
“Ah!” Lilith uttered a small scream of pain. The brothers looked and there was Goku in between the two women. Son Goku had kicked Lilith before she could get to Nataku and the Preventer Valkyrie balanced herself in mid-air, landing safely as she rubbed her arm. Son Goku landed a little later, looking at Lilith as if to challenge her saying, “I told you, to get to her, you have to get through me.”
Odin gasped and motioned to attack Son Goku but Loki was quicker, as he drove his fist hard on Odin’s cheek, sending his brother sinking backward in unbalanced stance. Odin steadied himself and wiped the blood on his lips with his arm as he looked at Loki who spoke, “If that thing is protecting Nataku, I won’t let you hurt it either.”
“You’re planning to fight me, Loki?”
“No. I’m planning to bust your head open if it means it’ll wake you up.”