The man facing Akyo was covered in blood, but something felt off. He looked threatening, yes—but there was nothing emanating from him, nothing divine. And yet, no normal human could have slaughtered two men twice his size like that .
"You're the one who did this ?" Akyo asked.
The man didn't answer. He simply advanced slowly toward him—still, nothing about him felt dangerous.'There's something that isn't right but I can't put my hand on it' Akyo was perplex
Akyo thought back to what Tachi had explained 'If he's really something other than human then releasing my aura could make him activate his defensive mechanism like when I was in the pit'
So, when the hooded man reached him, Akyo suddenly released his energy.
The man's energy erupted in response, bursting out violently. He jumped back; his hood fell, revealing long violet hair—and, most of all, glowing turquoise eyes. For an instant, surprise flickered across his face before he tried to hide it. But his aura… it was raging, unmistakably the same as the one from the crater—the aura of Jörmungandr.
"So, you're the kind who goes after humans?" said Akyo with a mocking smile.
Soren didn't understand what he meant but stayed on guard. Still, he replied, "They deserved it."
"Then come and face someone your own size," Akyo shot back.
The two clashed.
Akyo threw the first punch, but Soren dodged, dropping into a lower stance and lunging toward Akyo's liver. But Akyo—faster than Soren could have imagined—shifted his posture and launched a brutal kick that sent Soren flying. He managed to slow himself before crashing into a wall.
'What the hell is this guy?' Soren thought.
Akyo asked, "Harder than fighting street thugs isn't it?"
Soren clicked his tongue and dashed forward. Akyo, surprised by his speed, switched to a defensive stance to block Soren's punch—and succeeded. In that moment, he was in perfect position to counterattack, which he did, certain his strike would land. But Soren slipped past it, dodging every blow Akyo threw, weaving between them like a serpent. Then, with a sudden lunge—hand forward, swift as a snake's bite—he attacked. Akyo narrowly avoided it but still felt his left arm get grazed.
After that fierce exchange, the two men stood a few meters apart. Akyo realized he'd have to raise the pace.
"Sorry, but I'll have to end this quickly," he said as his energy flared, the air around him heating up as if he were burning.
Soren replied, "If you wish so," and charged again.
Akyo caught his arm mid-strike and threw him over his shoulder in a brutal ippon seoi nage. It was far from a controlled throw—it was sheer strength and violence. The impact knocked Soren out cold.
Breathing heavily, Akyo sat down against a wall.
'His energy is immense… but he can't even use it,' he thought.
After catching his breath, he touched his earpiece.
"Hello? Anyone there?"
A female voice answered, soft but worried. "Akyo! Are you okay?" Her tone turned scolding. "Tachi told us you suddenly cut communications—what the hell were you thinking?"
Akyo replied, "Yeah, I know, Ana. Send a recovery team to my location. I've got someone with me. Oh, and tell Tachi to contact me as soon as possible."
"Mmh, okay," she replied curtly.
The line went dead. Akyo stayed seated for a while, looking at Soren.
'What the hell were you doing on that mountain?' he thought.
He stood up, slung Soren's limp body over his shoulder, and made his way out of the city—avoiding crowded areas so the helicopters could land safely.
He finally reached the outskirts of Bergen. A few dozen minutes later, the roar of helicopters filled the sky. They landed.
"Take him," Akyo ordered. "And make sure he's tied down—tightly."
They obeyed immediately.
At that moment, Tachi's voice came through the earpiece again.
"Akyo? You alright? Why'd you rush off like that?"
"I found the one who made the crater," Akyo said flatly. "And I neutralized him."
He explained the situation, then added,
"He killed two men—brutally—but I think he was protecting the woman who was there. Otherwise, he could've attacked her too when I arrived.
That said, during our fight, I noticed something—he doesn't even know how to use his energy. It was immense, fierce, but he fought like someone who wasn't trained."
"Mmh," Tachi replied. "Jörmungandr, saving a woman from an assault? That's a first. I can't wait to meet him"
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The voices — they always come back, incomprehensible, but with them come images — a landscape, faintly discernible, a sky carrying a feeling of nostalgia.
But everything suddenly stopped when he woke up. 'Why can't I remember anything?' he felt frustrated.
At first he felt dizzy. He looked around — he was in a room. The walls were white. 'What happened, what is this place?'
To his left, a small table with an apple on it. On his right, it's not a wall but a huge window, overlooking a forest, mountains in the distance, and a bright blue sky. "What a view," remarked Soren.
A sharp pain hit his head, he held it with his hand — and then it started coming back to him he got his face smashed in by some dude he didn't even know' "If I find that guy.." he said teeth clenched, veins popping, he was pissed but nonetheless he had a wide grin across his face.
But his thoughts were cut off by the sound of a door opening. He turned his head —
and met the gaze of a young woman who was just about to step in.
Both of them froze.
Soren started to panic; he realized he was half-naked and hid himself under the blanket.
The girl, embarrassed, yelled and quickly stepped back out, slamming the door.
She exhaled and said through the door, "In the wardrobe in front of you, there are clothes for you…"
Then she adds, "I'll come back with someone else, so get ready."
Soren heard her footsteps fading away. He got out from under the blanket and walked toward the wardrobe. He opened it and indeed found clothes — a loose beige T-shirt and matching shorts. He put them on; they felt light and comfortable. Next to it, he noticed a second wardrobe. He tried to open it, but it's locked with a padlock. Beside it, a paper is taped up with the words "No no no, not yet!" and a sketch of a man's face wearing a creepy smile.
He took a look around the room. The door was closed. He could break the window and escape if he wanted 'I need to find the guy who beat me up and ask him why I'm here'. He said while sitting on the bed
"How did I even end up there…" he murmured, staring at the landscape.
About thirty minutes passed.
Finally, he heard footsteps approaching — two people… no, maybe three.
The door opened, and two people stepped in. He stood up from the bed getting ready for anything that could happen 'Did that guy call his friends to finish me off' thought Soren tense.
The young woman entered first — the same one from earlier — avoiding Soren's gaze.
But behind her was someone he already knew, 'It's that bastard' he had the same smug, superior look — like he wants me to know he's better.
"Hey, bastard I'll kill y-," Soren was cut short by the arrival of a third person.
The moment this one stepped into the room, the air felt heavier 'This guy feel even stronger than him' thought Soren
He had brown hair, slightly wavy, cut short in the back, with a strand completely covering his left eye. Huge dark circles below his right eye. A torn white trench coat, a black compression shirt underneath. Brown flare jeans. 'Wait isn't that the man that was on the sketch' was what Soren thought before his attention drifted elsewhere 'What are those?' The guy had long golden earrings dangling from his ears and they felt peculiar.
As the man entered, he locked eyes with Soren and smiled. Soren's heartbeat quickened. This man was no ordinary person.
He spoke, looking down at Soren, still smiling widely.
"So… you're the so-called Jormungandr ?"