Meanwhile, Nataku was still entrapped in the capture star in mid-air. Her eyes were wide open in shock and different symbols swirled in it, as images flashed in her head. She wanted to scream. Her mouth opened but no voice came out.
It was happening again!
Nataku felt her body being pricked by a thousand ice needles while being tossed in an angry inferno. Her head wanted to burst in pain as more visions came shooting themselves in her head. Her body struggled to break free so that she may at least writhe in pain but she was not allowed even that kind of pardon. Her limbs were trembling and she felt like her very soul was being torn apart with her body.
Then a strange familiar voice spoke.
Who do you want to kill, Nataku?
Kill? She didn’t want to kill anyone. She just wanted the hurting to stop. But the more she asked for it to stop, the more it came. And the more she tried tapping to her energy, the more it seemed to run away. It was as if something inside her was preventing her from struggling and breaking free. Her energy was still inside her and yet she felt like she was unable to use it. The voices came louder this time. Nataku wanted to plug her ears as she tightly shut her eyes in attempt to retaliate but all of those were in vain.
“You were destined for it.” A male voice.
“Welcome to Asgard.” Various voices.
“That was excellent.” A female voice.
“Nataku…!” It was a very familiar voice, “Run!”
It was that same voice from her memories that she seemed to be forbidden to hear. And now she seemed to be running in the middle of a dark forest at night. The trees seemed to have its branches extended to grab her and strangle her. There owls hooted eerily as if to warn her. The crows squawked in omen. The crickets hummed in fear. Nataku felt like there were eerie glowing eyes looking at her from every corner and she was just about ready to feel arms shooting out of the ground and grabbing her. She was afraid and she had to keep running.
She had despised this feeling of fright, this emotion that she had only felt in nightmares – visions – like this. She had told herself to prepare herself so that she could fight and escape whenever she wanted to. Why else did she build up so much strength in her? Was she not the Battle Aesir of Asgard?
That is funny. Do you actually believe that?
Actually believed what? That she could escape or that she was strong? It did not matter. What she wanted to do was to break free.
Then break away, Nataku. Free yourself!
And she did. With every ounce of will power and strength she had left, Nataku screamed, releasing all the energy she had left to tear her mind away from the illusion she was in. The capture star dissolved and Nataku remained hovering as she glowed.
“What…?” The twins chorused, looking up towards Nataku in surprise at the energy that had swept the perimeter. It was astounding, catching everyone’s attention. The ground shook. The wind blew. The sky darkened and lightning struck across it. Nataku kept on screaming. By and by, various things started hovering as if gravity did not exist – the fallen leaves, the stray rocks, the soil grains.
“It’s happening.” Goku mumbled.
Everyone was too occupied with watching Nataku that they were not even interested to continue what it was that they were doing.
“Leave me alone!” Nataku shouted and wings of light and darkness spread from her back as a great deal of energy surged away from her, leaving everyone shaken. From her chest, a glowing thing began to emerge. It emitted a strange, bright light that Nataku seemed to be fighting. Loki was looking at it, eager to find out what it was. It was a round, green crystal and from its core, inscriptions emerged and began to surround the orb. Loki squinted in an effort to read what the short inscriptions were.
Laeding!
And no sooner than Loki had made this discovery, the rune was shattered into little pieces.
What was one of the sealing runes doing inside Nataku’s body?
And like a spark lighting a forest, Nataku screamed a scream of freedom and her eyes went blank. The shaking of the ground intensified as more than a hundred birds flew disturbed. The glowing light on Nataku’s body intensified and she steadied in mid-air. Chunks of rocks flew around, smashing with the uprooted trees. Random things that Nataku looked at disintegrated at her whim. Destructive light shot from the ground like angry geysers slicing through anything in its path.
“This is bad.” Loki murmured, his hair getting disheveled by the wind.
“Bad?” Odin exclaimed, finding his brother’s words an understatement and his voice being over shadowed by the angry gust, “This is serious!”
Loki could feel the hairs on his skin stand up. A strong gust of wind blew him and his brother away, sending them slamming on each other’s bodies until a large chunk of rock stopped them with a thud. Both brothers squirmed in pain but the distraught around them did not seem to stop. The wind intensified and Loki had a hard time keeping his eyes open.
“Perfect.” Lilith murmured and from her palm came out another crystal. Goku realized it but motioned to grab her wrist too late. Lilith propelled herself upward with a spell towards Nataku. Goku cursed loudly and kicked hard off the ground to chase after Lilith.
“Lilith!” Odin gathered all his strength to launch himself to stop Goku from harming Lilith.
“You idiot!” Loki shouted and in full force, he launched himself towards his brother, grabbed him by the leg and slammed him on the ground. Odin slowly got up but Loki’s elbow landed on his back and the younger brother strangled the God of Knowledge. Odin began to glow in light as Loki countered the energy with darkness – two opposing energies trying to cancel each other.
“Release me, Loki!” Odin grunted from beneath his brother.
“Lilith’s attack will make Nataku angrier!” Loki shouted.
“Shut up and look at what Lilith is holding!”
While still trying to keep a rein on his brother, Loki looked up. Goku was chasing Lilith as she charged towards Nataku who was being orbited by random things. Lilith was holding something – a blue crystal – being surrounded by glowing glyphs. It was hard but Loki’s eyes squinted and read the inscriptions.
Dromi!
“Another Sealing Rune!” Loki exclaimed in disbelief.
First Laeding and now Dromi? What was with the Sealing Runes appearing like this all of a sudden!
Nataku was looking at the charging Lilith. The War Princess’ lips curved a smile and she lunged towards Lilith to meet her with force. Lilith gasped and evaded too late. Nataku’s fist landed on her face. Lilith had not yet recovered when Nataku’s foot buried itself firmly in her midsection, sending her crashing down towards Goku who caught her by the shoulders.
“Lilith, stop…!” Goku began.
“Shut up!” Lilith yelled back and kicked him off. Her arms extended and she was surrounded with glyphs that made her air-borne. All of a sudden, Nataku was before her and shot her with a projectile, which Lilith nearly failed to block. From behind the Preventer Valkyrie, dark wisps shot up and entangled Nataku’s limbs. The Battle Aesir snickered and the wisps disintegrated, making Lilith gasp. But even before Lilith could process what she would do next, Nataku grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her down head first, releasing Lilith just in time before they hit the ground. The damage has been done and Nataku jumped back, watching Lilith crash.
She stood firmly not even in battle stance yet her skills were horrific. Her speed was unbelievable and she seemed to release unparalleled power and strength. Her wings glistened with sparkling feathers – one was light and the other dark – as she smiled devilishly at Lilith, waiting for the dust to clear up. She looked like the Angel of Death.
“Lilith!” Odin pushed Loki away and went to Lilith’s side.
“Nataku…!” Loki called. Nataku showed no trace of emotion as she slowly turned her head towards the Aesir of Darkness. And then she frowned at him. Loki kicked off towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders but Nataku did not do anything as she continued to stare apathetically with her blank blue orbs at him.
“Loki.” She said flatly.
Loki opened his mouth when all of a sudden she gasped and shoved him away violently. The God of Darkness shifted his weight to steady himself and when he realized it, it seemed too late.
Lilith’s arm was extending towards Nataku and was beginning to implant Dromi in Nataku’s body. Nataku growled and a glowing light emitted from her, pushing Lilith away. But it was a bit too late. Dromi was split in half, disappearing in Lilith’s palm as she fell back, Odin catching her fall and she finally lost consciousness. The other half sank phasing into Nataku’s body and she looked at it – horrified.
Nataku screamed in pain, tears bursting like crystals from her eyes as a hexagram formed beneath her, glyphs emerging from it and surrounding her. Light seemed to bathe her and she struggled for the world to know. And yet it was in vain. Nataku’s eyes changed back to normal and her wings died out, puffing into light and seeping back as if being eaten by her body. The sky cleared out and the lightning stopped. Everything that used to hover suddenly fell on the ground. The light geysers evaporated and the earth kept quiet. The light slowly died out and her knees wobbled, her vision shaking and she opened her mouth to say something before totally collapsing. Loki caught her, making sure she was all right.
And Loki sighed, exchanging looks with his brother who looked at Lilith then at Loki before crunching his eyebrows together in confusion. Then, in chorus, the brothers winced from all the damage they had taken from each other and everything else.
“I’m beat.” Odin murmured.
“Same here.” Loki muttered back.
Son Goku walked beside the brothers and to their surprise, Son Goku began to heal them in a skill that was an exact plagiarism of Odin’s healing spell. But even before anyone could say anything, Goku answered, “I’m a fast learner.”
Loki sighed as he looked up to the sky thoughtfully.
What a bumpy ride…