"Seihai-sensou (Holy Grail War)?"
Jormungandr tilted her head slightly. That name sounded both familiar and foreign.
The Holy Grail was a legend all too well-known among ordinary humans. But for those who knew the secrets of the dragon race — like some mixed-bloods and true dragons — it carried a different meaning.
The Holy Grail was a kind of code word. It usually referred to a dragon king's bones, blood, or embryo.
In the human world's legends, the Holy Grail symbolized the blood of Christ, drinking from it would allow miraculous feats like resurrection…
But essentially, it was describing the strange powers of dragon bones and fetal blood.
(Herzog, before being told the truth of dragon history by Bondarev, had already been a fanatical believer in the occult and seeker of the Holy Grail, even claiming himself to be Galahad, the Grail-bearer of the Round Table…)
In other words, the so-called struggles to seize the "Holy Grail" had occurred countless times throughout history. Jormungandr didn't find it particularly strange.
Unless… this "Holy Grail War" referred to something else entirely.
"The Holy Grail, said to be an omnipotent wish-granting device. Around the chance to make a wish, several participants summon renowned heroes of antiquity and make them fight each other. The last one standing becomes the Grail's owner."
Suddenly, Norton spoke up on his own and told such a story.
"?"
Jormungandr couldn't help but doubt her ears. This fantastical nonsense of a setup sounded absurd — and it actually came from the mouth of the ever-serious Norton?
"What do you think? If we use that as a lure, how many would flock to it?"
Oh… so it was just bait. Jormungandr felt slightly relieved and casually replied:"Those who don't know the truth would certainly chase it fervently. As for organizations like the Secret Party, they'd probably treat it as a lead on a dragon king's bones and send people after it. Norton, are you planning to release the news and set up a trap? What's the point?"
After all, wasn't their goal here Odin? Why bother with such a side-show?
"No. Why not create an actual Holy Grail War?"
Jormungandr was stunned. "Norton, I never thought that after all these years, you'd actually develop a sense of humor."
If not for the fact that she could confirm this man's bloodline and kan'i (crown position) matched hers, she would have suspected some imposter pretending to be Norton.
(This "kan'i" here doesn't mean the Fate series' Grand Servant, but rather refers to the dragon race's throne of kingship.)
Norton only glanced at her lightly. "Jormungandr, you're mistaken. You should know — I never joke."
Suddenly, fire ignited.
Boom!
Hellish flames roared skyward. Violent fire elements formed an army of golden-red flame, running rampant across a scorched, cracked land spewing black smoke and molten magma.
In just an instant, the entire scene transformed.
They were no longer atop the wind-swept hotel rooftop, but rather in a world where wild flames rampaged like beasts, roaring as lava erupted from below.
Jormungandr's eyes went wide — where was this?Nibelungen?
No — it was nothing like Odin's Nibelungen. It felt more like Norton's. Which meant this meeting was a trap he had prepared beforehand!
No time to hesitate — strike now!
Her body began to sprout draconic traits. Dense scales and bony spikes tore through her pretty dress. Her pale skin hardened into iron-like muscle, horns and jaw-bones jutted forward, knees reversed…
Her appearance became as fearsome as a dragon-shaped dead apostle… no, it was the dead apostles that resembled her, because she was a dragon king!
Norton stood there calmly, still in his human form.
And yet the fire swirled around him obediently. At his thought, the flames converged as if summoned by a warhorn, surging ever higher until they coalesced into a massive, towering flame dragon, hundreds of meters long!
With a single claw, the massive dragon could rip apart the earth and unleash a storm of fire.
"...!"
Jormungandr's heart quivered as she looked at Norton's composed figure.
"Don't tell me… that's a fully evolved authority… you've devoured Constantine!"
"Jormungandr, wrong again. My little brother is still alive."
"That's impossible!"
The Black King created the White King and the Four Lords, each of whom controlled one of the four great elements: spirit, earth, fire, water, and wind.
But unlike the White King, each throne of the Four Lords was occupied by twins.
Only by devouring one's own sibling could a dragon king fully evolve and gain complete power — this was the malice left by the Black King.
Jormungandr had always known Norton as "the dragon king most like the Black King" — cold and stern.
And yet, surprisingly, he had never laid a hand on Constantine. Even now, that loyal, foolish brother still lived.
But she had every reason to believe that one day, when Norton desired completion, Constantine would willingly offer himself up to be devoured.
Yet Norton denied flatly:"Use that clever head of yours, Jormungandr. If I really meant to harm you, why would I speak with you so calmly?"
"Look closely. This is a 'Nibelungen' made by using elemental manipulation to overlay my mental world over reality."
(This term "Nibelungen" comes from The Song of the Nibelungs, about Siegfried slaying Fafnir. In dragon lore, it refers to a mythical land of the dead, a treasure vault of alchemy — a separate dimension created by dragons.)
"But I prefer a friend's term for it — he calls it 'koyu kekkai (Reality Marble).'"
With a snap of his fingers, the fire vanished and the space receded.
The hot air was replaced by the cool night breeze blowing through her hair.
The hotel rooftop was still quiet and ordinary, without even the trace of water or mercury usually used in alchemy. It was as if everything just now had been a nightmare.
Reality Marble? And such a way to construct a Nibelungen?
Jormungandr's eyes were full of doubt and wariness. "Norton… it seems your alchemy has climbed to an even greater height."
For ancient dragons (third generation and higher), constructing a temporary Nibelungen wasn't impossible. But to wield it as easily as breathing — without even a medium — was nearly unthinkable for her.
She could still play at being a master before humans, but in front of Odin and Norton… she was just a novice.
"No, Jormungandr. This is something I learned from a friend — a technique he calls 'majutsu (magic).'"
When she heard him mention "a friend" again, she silently ridiculed him: Don't tell me this 'friend' you keep talking about… is yourself?
She didn't believe any human could surpass a dragon king in alchemy.
So it could only have been Odin or the White or Black King — and he'd never call them a friend.
Jormungandr finally held back her urge to retort. "So what's the point of showing me this? Is it about the Holy Grail War?"
Norton nodded slightly. "You finally understand. That's right — I plan to share this 'magic' with you. In exchange, we'll host this Holy Grail War together. To show my sincerity, we can even form a blood pact between dragon kings."
A blood pact was sacred to dragons. Breaking it brought severe backlash, even to kings.
"…Such a reassuring offer. Then before the pact, I want to hear your plan — and what I stand to gain."
"The plan is just as I said — it revolves around Odin. That sly brother woke up earlier than the rest of us, and in his long life he worked closely with humans."
"Humans?"
"Hah." Norton sneered. "Our race's bronze pillars recorded everything from past to future. Part of that future passed into human Norse myths, becoming Ragnarök, Odin, and his Valhalla…"
(The dragon race inscribed their history on great bronze pillars, writing from bottom to top. What was written higher up hadn't happened yet — prophecy and fate.)
"Indeed. Odin harvested human souls and recently, after his death, I even found him hiding the White King's soul. He planned to use its authority to further his experiments with eirei (heroic spirits)."
"It's obvious — he wanted to forge his own army of heroic spirits to fight against the fate awaiting us all at Ragnarök."
Jormungandr understood his implication. "Odin prepared well. But those who follow fate's path are destined to die by it."
…Just like in the Norse myths.
Norton added, "Odin's preparations weren't useless, though. We just need to seize the opportunity and take his heroic spirits for ourselves. I already have a way — to reconstruct his blueprints using magic. Then, the Holy Grail War will be our proving ground."
The Holy Grail War had three elements: Grail, spirits, and land.
Norton decided to handle the Grail himself — after all, he had Frigg Zero, the core of Odin's failed experiment, which he'd taken from the Chen family's underground lab.
As for the spirits — he needed Jormungandr's help. The land could wait.
"You need my help?"
She pointed to herself. Really? He needed her?
"I believe you can do it," Norton nodded, as if it was only natural.
After all, Jormungandr and her brother Fenrir fused into the complete form of the death goddess Hela — queen of Nibelungen. Hela's full authority let her open the gates of every land of the dead and command all the armies of the fallen.
In his eyes, if even he could achieve this without devouring his brother, then Jormungandr, with her intelligence, could likewise soar.
All she had to do was take that step — to pull Odin's spirits over and crush his Valhalla plan.
"So it's simple. You just have to become Hela."
"And once you do, Odin's Valhalla project will collapse completely — and you will gain the 'throne of heroic spirits.'"
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome][Thank You For Your Support!]