Second Coming of the God of Thunder

by Hollowreaper 93

Thunder, a destructive, brilliant power. One who best represents this force of nature would be the Gods themselves. Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, prevented the fall of Asgard at the cost of his own life. Now, centuries have past and a new God of Thunder shall bring glory back to his name!

23. A Festival of Dreams

Happy new year everyone! At long last the first chapter for 2022. Hold on to your butts cuz it's a long one, 15k words, with lots of important information and development so read it thoroughly.

Terror: Trust me the main pairing of this story will get more development in this chapter.

merendinoemiliano: Thanks there bond will continue to grow in this chapter.

Guest-Questione: Hahha thank you! I tried my best on the flying.

TupanHD: And more has arrived

Optimus470: That is very true, letting go of anger is hard but hopefully Thor can do it.

Dunedan: Your help with flying was very fun, Dunedan, your knowledge on Norse mythology has been such a big help in this story :D I can't wait to see more of your fic.

A Festival of Dreams

Thor shot up gasping for air, his brow covered in a cold sweat. He looked to his right hand which was shaking violently. Another dream but what exactly was happening in that one and why did it feel so real?

Thor had another dream, or was it a nightmare? He was flying -no- not flying, falling, falling, and bleeding, The speed at which he was falling seared the wounds that covered his body. Despite all of this his determination held strong against the fire surrounding him. He raised his arm and brought it down upon the torrent of flames, bathing himself and the fire in a blinding light with the roar of thunder erupting all around!

He dreamed of saving a village, a memory of Sif, and now this, he never had these memories until joining Asgard. Was Heracles right, could he have inherited the original Thor's powers and his memories, was that why he was having those dreams? Exhaling slowly he laid back down in bed but did not sleep for fear of experiencing the dream again.

Or something worse.

Later in the morning

"You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night." Said Vidar as Thor entered the dining hall, his back hunched and eyes half-open.

"Another dream…" He mumbled aloud as he slumped into his chair.

Everyone who was in the room, Vidar, Freya, and Hlin, perked up upon hearing those words.

"What…did you dream about?" Vidar asked.

Thor recounted the dream and he could have sworn he saw Vidar's hands tremble. Could he possibly know something about it? Would he finally have an answer to one of his dreams?

"This flame…did it have a shape about it?" Vidar asked.

"No…it was nothing but fire, ash, and smoke. Why? Do you know something about this dream?"

"No, but…"

"Good morning!" Baldur announced loudly as he entered the room, he was clad in a dark red robe to hide his tattoos, Freya wanted to make sure the entire family was dressed properly for when Sirzechs arrived. Usually, they wouldn't do such a thing but with outsiders attending this time they had to give a good first impression.

"Good morning Baldur." Hlin answered with a bow, "Where is the Allfather?"

"Walking the streets to see the finalizations of the festival and ensuring security is tightened. The attack on Olympus has worried him and he wants to make sure no unwanted visitors arrive to ruin the fun." He paused and looked at Freya, his face softened, "Mother, I've been thinking about what you and father said the night before."

"And?" Freya asked.

"And you are right. We need to move forward and let go of this grudge with the Devils." The blue-haired God hung his head in shame.

"I'm glad you have come to accept that, little brother." Vidar said, "Even if the Devil's somehow acquired Surtr as a servant, I hold no grudge against them for doing so. I just wish the rest of Asgard would do the same."

"I'm sure Thor could learn from Vidar."

"If you were in my position-"

"I would still wish to make peace with those who destroyed my life, no matter how miserable they made it." Freya interrupted Thor, "If Asgard should let go of this grudge you should do the same with the Church. Not everyone in the Church is evil just as not everyone in Olympus or even Asgard is good." Thor fidgeted at his mother's words, he knew she was talking about Heracles, Eris, and Enyo turning out evil and Loki was known for causing many evil things, even prophesied to be the cause of Ragnarok, "Also, do you not remember or choose to forget the dream you had of that three-way battle in the forest? Didn't you tell me that one of those Exorcists asked why Project Thunderbolt was being hidden by the Vatican?"

Were their good people in the Church? He didn't know that since all they did was treat him like a thing, not a human or a God, just a thing. He was looked at as a thing and never given answers to the questions he asked, not even those three Exorcists he fought in the forest were told why they were there.

Thor remembered Commodus' words from the dream, "Why? Who is he? What's so important about him? What are you hiding from the Vatican?"

The fact the Vatican knew nothing about Project Thunderbolt, about a group of Exorcists using the God of Thunder as a weapon and keeping it secret from the higher-ups, would raise suspicion. Yet why go to such lengths to keep it secret from the Pope? Because he was a Pagan God or did they want to wait until the project was a success? Could they perhaps have been planning a coup? They told him great power was within him and it would help defeat evil, who was that evil, the Devils and Fallen Angels or the Church?

Speaking of the Devils, Mortis Sabnock would have told the Underworld about this project but if they knew why hadn't they tried kidnapping him again? Did the three-way struggle nearly cause the war to begin again? He didn't recall hearing anything about the war restarting, and if the Underworld did know about this Grigori would surely have known about it too so did that mean Azazel already knew about him but lied to keep conflict from happening?

Feeling his frustration growing he closed his eyes and suppressed it within his consciousness, he couldn't be thinking about this, he had a festival and guest to prepare for. Excusing himself from the table Thor returned to his quarters without ordering any food.

Asgard's streets

"All is prepared, Allfather, the barrier is holding strong and all soldiers are stationed all around the kingdom."

"And the Bifrost?"

"Ready to let guests enter and given triple security since that is the only way in and out of the kingdom."

Odin nodded, the report Freyr gave was satisfying for the old king. He and his brother-in-law, after discussing security measures with Vidar, Brynhildir, Olrun, and his bodyguard chose to walk the streets of Asgard to see the festival before it began. Decorations hung on buildings and strung across pathways, vendors full of a variety of items like jewelry, weapons, food, and other assortments, and pavilions for dining were set up all around the kingdom, crowding parks and some even blocking streets. Even Valhalla was decorated for the festival, the hall itself was to be for the eating competition while the Academy's training field held the racing game. He recalled hearing Henrietta Berg was eager to be the champion of the festival, well she had many opponents to prove that to first.

"Lord Odin, do you know when Sirzechs will be arriving?" Asked Freyr.

"An hour before the festival begins."

"I hope you act like a king when he arrives and not a pervert." Freyr said sternly, "I can deal with your antics but doing so in front of the strongest Satan will be quite the embarrassment.

"I don't think I ever met Sirzechs until today," Baraqiel said, his imposing figure towering over everyone, "I remember back at Grigori the younger generation saying he was supposedly unkillable."

Odin laughed, "Unkillable? Nobody is immortal, my good Baraqiel. We all die eventually."

"Even Baldur?" The Cadre asked.

"Even Baldur. He may be invulnerable to physical and magical threats but time is an enemy nobody can overcome. Even he will die of old age and when it is his time I hope that it will be in an era of true peace with no ceasefires or grudges."

"And your son as the next Allfather."

"The next Allfather? Hahaha, Baraqiel you still have much to learn about our culture. I am called Allfather for I am the one who sought knowledge around the world, the uniter of the Nine Realms, the man who hung himself from Yggdrasil to know the secret of rune magic. My father and his father before did not carry the title of Allfather but as the King in the North. So shall Vidar afterward."

"Vidar will be King of the North?" Freyr asked with a raised brow, "I assumed Thor would be the next king. After all, he was more suitable to be king than Vidar and Baldur."

Odin shook his head, "Thor is too young. I will not let a boy his age take that responsibility. Besides, he still has much to learn before he can become king and he does not have the qualities to be a leader yet. Like Asgard, he is holding onto a grudge that he must let go of if he is to become a better man. He has strength but until he's faced his demons and obtained wisdom and leadership then he will be ready to be king after Vidar."

"And when he becomes king he will need a wife."

"Indeed he must, my dear brother. Like all kings, he must have a queen by his side. While Vidar has taken to being very much like me, chasing women and enjoying the pleasures of life, he still hasn't found himself a wife." The Allfather said before his eye floated over to Rossweisse and he grinned, "Thor, on the other hand, I sense is very close to finding the right woman."

The Valkyrie grew flustered, "Lord Odin, if you're thinking what I know you're thinking…"

"Come now, Rossweisse, you may not have a boyfriend but even you can't deny your voluptuous body has caught Thor's eye. There's even been gossip about you and him dating. Ha! Imagine the Valkyrie without a boyfriend hooking up with the God of Thunder!"

"Lord Odin!" Rossweisse cried, wrapping her arms around herself feeling like she was standing naked in the streets with everyone looking.

"Seriously, Odin, must you always pick on your bodyguard? Gondul's granddaughter has served you the longest and you treat her like a maid. You should show her more respect. In fact, I wonder why you even need one."

"For protection."

"No, you like looking at younger women instead of my sister who you married to end the Aesir-Vanir War. Do you truly love Freya!?"

"I love my Frigg with all my heart but even I cannot say no to the curves of a young sexy maiden."

Behind the Allfather and God of Sacral Kingship, Rossweisse mused over the Allfather's words. The rumors about dating Thor had indeed been heard throughout Asgard, some women showing jealousy at the thought of losing to genius Valkyrie. That wasn't true, she wasn't dating anyone, she was still single, nobody would waste their time on her, not even a Godly Prince.

I couldn't stand aside and let him bully you like that.

Although Thor did protect her when being bullied by…

I am more concerned for your well-being.

...and concerned about her overworking...

I'm your friend

…And he was her friend.

It looks like my Rose has finally found herself a hero who just so happens to be the Allfather's son. If he has all these traits about him then he is without a doubt boyfriend material.

Could Thor be boyfriend material?

"What's that? Another dream?"

Rossweisse snapped out of her thoughts hearing Odin's words, on his shoulders perched his ravens who whispered in the king's ear. Rossweisse knew right away it must be about Thor, he must have had another dream last night. Whatever it was about it did not make Odin happy. Whispering to his ravens they fluttered away before beckoning his guest closer to him so no outsiders would hear what he would tell them.

"Thor had another dream, he described falling and was surrounded by fire. I have a hunch on what this dream was but I will not voice my opinion until the time is right." Then he addressed Rossweisse in a serious tone, "Rossweisse, If Thor keeps having these dreams during the festival, escort him to his chambers."

"Yes, Allfather."

Later that day

Rossweisse stood at attention beside the king and queen, her best suit had been ironed thoroughly the night before and it fit perfectly for the festival. Rossweisse, Baraqiel, and the Royal Family awaited the Devil's before the Bifrost, the last of the guests from the other Realms had arrived and were awaiting the festival to start, which it would once Sirzechs arrived. Freya donned an elegant red gown that surprisingly was able to cover her entire cleavage, Odin's robes were gold with his symbol on the cuffs, Vidar chose a modern look like Rossweisse, the suit colored white instead of gray, and Baldur adjusted his green robe, mumbling his desire to take it off and go into the fighting contest. Loki chose not to appear, while Vili and Freyr's duties as headmaster for Valhalla and Governor of Alfheim left them busy, the family was ready but they were one member short. Where was the God of Thunder?

"Thor should have been finished," Freya whispered to Odin.

"He is coming, my Frigg," Odin replied, his magical eye being used to find the redhead.

"My Lord and Lady, our guests have entered the Bifrost and will arrive shortly," Heimdall announced.

Where are you, Thor!?

The Valkyrie's worries were swept away by the pounding of hoofs along the bridge, sparing a glance over her shoulder she saw Tanngrisnir running at max speed towards them. Attop in his saddle was Thor, his hair billowing in the wind and the robe he chose for the occasion. The silver brought out his eyes, he looked quite handsome in it.

The goat skidded to a stop and Thor jumped off his friend saying, "Sorry I'm late, Loki thought it was funny to lie saying we were meeting Sirzechs in the throne room."

"Luckily Tanngrisnir was able to get you here." Vidar said, patting the goat's head, "Go on home old friend, and rest."

Rossweisse watched Thor take his place between herself and Baldur, as he looked himself over, the silver-haired beauty leaned towards him whispering "You look nice."

Thor's cheeks turned red, "Thanks."

"Sirzechs Lucifer has arrived!"

As soon as Heimdall's announcement was shouted, a red magic seal appeared, and through the glass doors they could see four figures emerging from the light prompting Thor and Rossweisse to exchange looks, it seemed Sirzechs didn't come alone. When the doors opened Thor went rigid, there he was; the Strongest Satan, Sirzechs Lucifer. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, had long flowing red-haired, blue eyes, dressed in a magnificent white suit with a blue shoulder cape, and, to Thor's surprise, wore a smile. On his left was a woman dressed like a maid who looked similar to Rossweisse albeit with red eyes instead of aqua and her silver hair back-length and featuring a long braid on each side with small blue bows at the ends, with the rest let down ending in twin braids. On his other side was a child who looked just like him, red-haired and blue-eyed also dressed in formal clothing, and behind the child was another man also in his mid-twenties with brown hair wearing a business suit.

Why does everyone but Odin and Baraqiel look to be in their twenties? Thor thought as the four Devils approached the Royal Family, when they were six feet apart Odin broke the silence with a wide grin.

"Sirzechs Lucifer, welcome to Asgard."

"Allfather, it's a pleasure to meet you and be in your kingdom." Sirzechs said, motioning the others to step forward, "Please, allow me to start introductions, I am Sirzechs Lucifer the Satan in charge of Internal Affairs, and the former head of the Gremory House. This is my Queen and wife, Grayfia Lucifuge, our son Millicas Gremory, and my Pawen Beowulf, the descendant of the first Beowulf."

Baldur's fingers twitched, Beowulf is even a Devil. Does that mean he's met Surtr!?

Thor meanwhile felt his mind sting with pain as another dream, or memory flashed through his mind. In this one, he was on a snow-covered field blocking quick strikes by Beowulf who grinned with excitement at facing the strongest warrior of Asgard. Thor threw a punch and sent the warrior tumbling across the snow while yelling for him to try harder if he was to beat him before the dream ended. Luckily he was able to keep himself in check to not make a scene.

"Ah, this must be your family?" Sirzechs asked.

"Not the tall silent one or se - I mean- silver-haired maiden. They are our bodyguards." Odin said, quickly catching himself when seeing Freya shoot him a warning look to not say vulgar words in front of the child, "Rossweisse and Baraqiel."

'So it's true." Beowulf said, "The Fallen Angels did ally with Asgard."

"For peace, Beowulf, not war." Freya replied with a smile, "Greetings, Lord Lucifer and Lady Lucifuge. I am Freya, the Queen of the Valkyrie and Allmother of Asgard. These are my sons, the God of Vengeance, God of Light, and God of Thunder; Vidar, Baldur, and Thor."

Thor shuffled, there was the look of surprise on not only Beowulf but the boy's face, to see him in the flesh. Thankful Sirzechs and Grayfia hide their surprise at the news."

Beowulf stepped forward looking long at Thor, his brown orbs met Thor's blue, "Even more rumors have come true. The Allfather said Thor returned from the dead. I didn't believe them but now…"

"Odin, my dear husband." Freya said in a sweet tone suddenly rounding on the Allfather who began to sweat, "Did you go behind my back and tell our guests what happened to our son before they arrived?"

"N-not everything." Odin said quickly, "O-only that Thor cheated death and-"

"Hang on!" Thor suddenly said, looking puzzled by the news, "Why are you surprised? Didn't Mortis Sabnock tell you about me?"

The atmosphere suddenly changed at the question.

"Mortis Sabnock?" Said Sirzechs slowly while searching his memory for that name, "The only Sabnock I know is part of my cousin's Peerage."

"Are you sure?" Thor asked, his voice a mix of confusion and concern. Sirzechs didn't look like one to lie but how could he not know of the Devils who attacked him in the forest? His affiliation with the Church would be revealed from this question but it was better to not keep secrets between allies, especially those who know the enemy.

"I swear I do not know a Mortis Sabnock. If I did I would recall him." Said Sirzechs.

"We can discuss this later. Come, the feast is to start soon."

The two groups merged into one and the Allfather led the way to the city. Millicas, if Thor recalled the boy's name correctly, was looking around in awe at the spiraling buildings and status, either he never saw a city like this before or was new to Norse culture. While he was looking around Thor listened to Sirzechs, Odin, and Freya"

"I am surprised it is you who came for the festival. I thought it was that big boobed girl in the pink costume who deals in foreign affairs?"

Sirzechs chuckled at what he called his fellow Satan, "She is but I came because you specifically said you wanted to meet with the strongest leader, which is me, and Millicas wanted to see the festival."

"A child's curiosity is one to not ignore." Laughed Odin as he smiled at Millicas who was still looking around the kingdom.

"May I ask why Beowulf is accompanying you?" Freya asked.

"Is he not part of your Mythology?" Grayfia was the one to answer the question, speaking in a strong serious tone, "Beowulf is a great hero in your faction and deserves a chance to see the kingdom of the Gods he worships. He is also my son's bodyguard. Where he goes, Beowulf goes."

They reached the great hall and outside the building, hundreds of pavilions were set up to accommodate the guests of the other realms. It was quite a sight to see the people of Vanaheim, Jotunheim, Nidavellir, and Asgard all mingling together. The people of Vanaheim looked nearly identical to Freya, tall, handsome, and dressed in attire with nature elements, the Giants of Jotunheim came in different shapes; some fat others muscular, and even sizes, ranging in Vandill's height and some too tall to fit in the pavilions forcing them to eat outside. The Dwarfs being so short were knocked over by a Jotun or Asgardian or Vanirian by accident but the little men always laughed about it. No Elf could be seen among the crowd, Vidar was right they did prefer their own kingdom.

"Oof!"

Thor suddenly impacted against someone who went crashing to the floor as food spilled everywhere, he immediately offered his hand to help whoever he ran into and apologized to.

"It's alright I'm-" The woman, for a woman it was by the sound of her voice, paused and looked up at the God of Thunder.

Thor had a clear view of the woman, she looked to be two years younger than him, short light green hair tied in a bun, brown eyes, and, to his surprise, pointy ears!

She's an Elf!

"Eivor, where are you!?"

The Elf jumped to her feet, quickly dusting dirt and crumbs off her maroon dress. A second later, another Elf, this one around Thor's age, appeared through the crowd. Her dress was colored dark green, she too had the same shade of hair but longer and ending in the middle of her back and violet eyes. She spotted the other Elf and swiftly made her way over.

"Eivor! I told you to stay close. This place is so crowded you can get lost, which you clearly did."

"I know. I know. I'll stay closer but sister, look who I ran into!"

The older Elf turned her attention to Thor and her eyes widened, "By the Nine Realms…"

"Lord Thor are you alright?" Rossweisse was by his side immediately.

"I'm fine," Thor reassured. He looked back at the Elfs and smiled before continuing up to the hall with his family.

"Those were Elves," Thor told Baldur.

"Yes. From the Boreal Forest, in fact, those were the Princesses. I guess Olaf wanted to show his support for our cause for peace by sending them."

"Are there anymore here?" Thor's question was answered when more Elves gathered around the princesses and others ascended the stairs to the feast. They too were green-haired but in different lengths and styles, some braided, some held in a ponytail, and some let down. The eyes were all different colors either blue, green, violet, red, gray, black, or brown.

He looked back to the girls as he climbed the steps, this surprised him to know Elves lived in the Boreal Kingdom. Maybe he would see them again throughout the festival. His attention was directed to his mother calling him, she was seated and waiting for him to join the feast. It was jammed packed with people, the tables looked like they would break beneath all the guests and food. Taking his seat he saw his plate full of hot meat, mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables, and a goblet full of mead. He couldn't wait to dig into it after Odin gave his speech.

"Welcome to the Aurora Borealis Festival! Tonight we celebrate another year of feasting and merry-making! This time, however, we have guests! I hope you all have made peace with this grudge because tonight we welcome into our hall Sirzechs Lucifer and his family and servant, Beowulf!"

Scattered applause could be heard around the hall, some had looks of concern while others were frowning in disgust.

"It seems my dear husband…" Freya suddenly said loudly, her face scrunching into a look of disappointment, "That we should cancel the festival because our people do not wish to listen to their king and queen's wisdom. If they wish to act like children by holding onto this stupid grudge about the Devils having Surtr as a servant-"

"And is that true!?" A familiar voice cried out from above, all eyes looked up to see Loki floating above them and staring at Odin in disappointment, "Is that true that Surtr is a Devil!?"

Before Odin or Freya could scold the God of Mischief, Sirzechs cleared his throat loudly and rose to his feet to get everyone's attention causing silence to fall upon the crowd as they waited to see what he would say to Loki.

"Am I to assume that you are the one spreading this grudge around Asgard to cause mischief, Loki? If not then let me be clear on what I am about to say. I reincarnated Surtr into a Devil, I made him my Rook. I DID this" - Sirzechs raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and many, including Baldur, were suddenly looking furious - "to ensure Asgard and the rest of the world are protected. I don't know when Surtr died but I found him wandering the lands. He was lost, confused, only able to remember his name and that he was a giant. I knew then that an unstable and uncontrollable Surtr was a menace to everyone, including himself, that is why I made him my Rook. However, what baffles me is that I was able to reincarnate him into a Devil and if I recall, Surtr is not a God in the Norse Pantheon, but a Fire Giant."

"Because he's not a God." Thor suddenly said, getting everyone's attention, "Surtr was rumored to be one of the first beings to exist before the Nine Realms were created with power so great he could slay Gods easily. Look at Loki, he's called a 'God' but he's actually a Giant with skill in magic." Many in the hall, including his family, and Sirzechs, chuckled at Thor's remark about Loki who was livid. When it died down murmurs spread among the guests who began questioning what Sirzechs and Thor shared a moment ago. "The point is," Thor continued, "that we should be grateful to Lord Lucifer. If he didn't turn Surtr into a Devil then we may have been living in fear of a second attack. I don't know if Loki truly was the cause for starting this grudge but Odin and Freya are right, it's time for us to throw it away and accept the Devils as our allies just as we have the Fallen Angels. I too have a grudge with the Church but eventually, hopefully, I will overcome it to be a better man for Asgard!"

Behind Thor, Rossweisse was beaming with joy at Thor, the fact he was finally acknowledging his grudge and willing to conquer it couldn't have made her more proud of him. She wasn't the only one proud to hear him say that, the Royal Family and even some of the guests were beaming with pride at the young Aesir for his passionate speech. Hopefully, he could stay true to what he said just now and show it when the time came to talk with Heaven and the Church.

"That was quite the speech you just gave there, Lord Thor," Said Sirzechs with a smile, "My sister has a knack for giving charismatic speeches herself. In fact, when I look at you I'm reminded of my little sister. Powerful, charismatic, friendly, and loyal. You even have the blue eyes and red hair of my family albeit yours isn't crimson but still, you could pass for being my little brother."

Thor felt his cheeks warm at the Satan's word who started to chuckle, he wasn't sure if he should be flattered or embarrassed. Either way, this was a good start for the relations between the Underworld and Asgard. By the looks of the crowd, they too were slowly warming up to the Devil's presence, except for Loki of course who departed after being insulted. Time wore on and soon flyting contests were breaking out through the halls, one giant even chose to approach the head table. The smell of wine was on his breath.

"Oh mighty Odin, shall you prove your knowledge of flyting, or shall you sit by and be insulted!?" The Jotun declared loudly as he sloshed his drink over the floor, Greyfia wrinkling her nose irritation at his actions. Before the Allfather could answer the Jotun went on, "You marry the fairest maiden in all the Realms, and your antics make her embarrassed. All I see is a notorious flirt who glees at the chance to flip a skirt."

"Despite Odin's perversity, his loyalty to Freya spans for eternity."

A collection of "Oooohs" filled the hall as Thor replied to the Jotin's rhyme with one of his own, excitement filled the crowd as they were about to witness the God of Thunder's flyting skills.

The Jotun grinned widely, "Your defense is in vain, for your honor will end in pain."

"Crane your neck and look to the sky for you shall see thunder rain. I am the bane of your kind and you too shall be slain. Your lines are a blur for you'd had too much wine. Now turn around or you'll receive a beat down."

The entire hall exploded in cheers at the God's rapid insults to the Jotun, some were surprised, others were impressed, however, the Jotun was not done yet.

"I see no maidens mingle with you, could it be your vulgar tongue is why you are single? Or maybe being a pervert's son makes them disconcert?"

All he did was repeat what he said to Odin… Thor thought before retorting, "Far and wide maidens chase me, but my arms wrap around only Rossweisse's waist."

Everyone gasped at his words, did he say the Allfather's bodyguard was only for him? Did that mean the rumors were true? Those closest to the head table looked past Odin, who was grinning with glee, to see his Valkyrie bodyguard rigged like a statue. She clearly heard it by how red her face had turned. Thor, meanwhile, realized too late what he said but took advantage of the silence to come up with another rhyme, but it was not an insult to the Jotun.

"Her hair is a fountain of silver, falling and flowing into the river. Beware in saying she is love tragic for she'll blast you with magic. Now you best split for you're no match for her wit!"

The Jotun, Rossweisse, everyone, was left speechless by Thor's rhyme. What started as a simple flyt to defend the Allfather from insults finished with compliments for Rossweisse. Within the crowd, the son of Aurvandil smirked at the God's rhyme.

"I have nothing to counter that. You are the victor, my price!" The giant laughed, bowed, and returned to the still stunned crowd.

"Well done, Thor. That was some fancy flyting you performed, especially for my bodyguard." Freya whispered with a smile.

After two more hours of feasting the Allfather announced the beginning of the festival, many shouted with excitement to finally participate. Before such activities could commence, however, the Son of Lucifer approached Freya and Odin, in his hands was a wide thin wooden box and a smaller square box on top of it, everyone paused and looked in wonder at what the boy would do. Despite such a young age, he stood before the king and queen with the air of nobility.

"Lord Odin, Lady Freya… may our people be forever bonded in friendship and love."

Millicas handed the box's towards the king and queen. In the little box was a golden necklace encrusted with many jewels, a large ruby was impeded in the center. The bigger box held a beautifully crafted sword and shield, both engraved with runes.

Vidar whistled, "Great Audumbla's udders, that's the Brisingamen, the most priceless artifact the Dwarves have ever created. And these are king Hrolf Kraki's sword, Skofnung, the last sword created from pure mithril by the Dwarves with strength so great it is indestructible, and the greatest shield in all the Nine Realms, Svalinn, able to endure the hottest dragon fire and protect whoever wields it. Where did you get these?"

"Beowulf searched far and wide for the sword and shield, it is a tale I'm certain he will be eager to share in Valhalla among your Einherjar. As for the necklace, I needed to haggle the price before obtaining it." Sirzechs answered.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Freya said joyfully, "I've always hoped to have this someday and now you have made it possible, Sirzechs. Odin, darling, help me put it on!" After Brisingamen was clasped around her neck Freya showed it to all, "Well?"

"Like everything you wear, it suits you my Frigg." Said Odin smoothly.

Freya knelt before Millicas, her smile growing as the boy shuffled before the fairest maiden in all the Realms, "Thank you, Millicas. Now and forever, we are pledged to you."

At that moment a song was struck up by Bragi, and soon one by one Asgardians, Vanirians, Giants, Dwarves, and Elves joined in, some, like Rossweisse, sang while others, like Thor, hummed.

Hearken well, in hall of kings

On ocean-steed my words gain wings

Odin's mead, I forth will bring

For noble deeds, thine honor sing

The brave men slain, Valkyrie wakes

Reward for strain, to Valhalla takes

Then horns resound the mighty hall

For those who fight, for those who fall

For those who fight, for those who fall

Warlord weaves his web of fear

Each man gets his fated share

Blood red search the warrior's shield

Ravens scan the battlefield

Ravens scan the battlefield

We beat and blazed our trail of red

Till Odin gazed upon the dead

The horns resound the mighty hall

For those who fight, for those who fall

For those who fight, and those who fall

May horns resound the mighty hall

For we who fight, for we who fall

The song ended and the guests from the Underworld applauded the performance. Beowulf was clapping so hard his hands were turning red, tears of joy filled his eyes. Ever since becoming Sirzechs Pawn, never in his reincarnated life as a Devil would he have thought to step foot in the kingdom of the Gods he worshiped so long ago nor hear again that song from ages ago.

I will always remember this night.

Asgard downtown

Asgard's downtown was always busy but today the streets were so packed people could barely get through, even the Royal Family and their guests found it difficult getting around. Many tried to move out of the way for them only to cause people behind to bunch up or cause lines to fall apart. Despite the issues, however, people smiled and laughed at the problems and no injuries were reported. Thor was the only Son of Odin to accompany the king and queen along with their guests through Asgard, Baldur and Vidar had gone off to do their own thing. He smiled watching Millicas look at what Freya pointed out to him, his face shining like the necklace he gave her which she still couldn't stop admiring. Odin was at the front explaining the Nine Realms to Sirzechs while Grayfia quietly strolled beside them.

Behind the Allfather, keeping a close eye on him, her face serious as always when performing her duty tailed Rossweisse with her long silver hair flowing like the river he described in the flyting. She must feel very embarrassed to have all Nine Realms hear it but what he said was true there was no denying that. To him Rossweisse is smart, powerful, and beautiful traits he still couldn't understand men rejecting, those made her a strong independent woman which must be the opposite of what they wanted; dependable, fun to party with, and probably wanting for sex. Thor shook his head, Einherjar, and Asgardians, in general, loved to fight, eat, and make love but that couldn't be the reason for Rossweisse being uninteresting. Perhaps, if she was willing, he could know more about the Valkyrie and hopefully get a clue of why she's been single all her life.

"That's the Serpent's Cider, the best place to grab drinks with your friends. In fact, why don't we have a couple ourselves?" Odin said eager to get some mead and lift some skirts, a plan Thor was ready to sabotage without a secret though. Before he could think of how to stop the king without punching him like the last time they were in a bar the Allfather spoke, "Rossweisse, why don't you take the night off, or better yet, escort Thor around the festival? No harm will befall me, especially with this Super Devil chatting with me."

"But-"

"Rossweisse, this is your chance to spend time with the man who so wonderfully described you," Freya added with a wink to her Valkyrie.

Rossweisse blushed at the queen's words as she glanced at Thor, Odin was giving her leave and Freya suggested spending time with her son, just like the first time he explored the city. On one hand, it was her duty to protect the Allfather but on the other hand, she always desired to go with a man to the festival, and now she was being offered the chance. Duty or Desire?

But Thor answered for her, taking the Valkyries hand he led her through the crowd to wherever he wanted to go first, "Come on, Rose, let's see what the festival has to offer."

Sirzechs watched the pair leave as a chuckle slipped past his lips, those two looked adorable together. In fact, he was reminded of himself and Grayfia and not just for the color of their hair, red and silver, but even their personality; the Valkyrie was stoic and serious while the Aesir was loud and cheerful. Odin said the Gods believe in Fate then maybe Fate will weave those two into a couple and that was a site he was looking forward to seeing someday happen.

Meanwhile

Henrietta raised her glass high, Einherjar all around chanting her name after winning the competition. So far the blonde teacher won the swimming competition, without any problem considering the men and even a few women were too distracted looking at her voluptuous figure in a swimsuit, the race which gave some bit of a challenge since she was going against a Jotun and Elf, neither tiring until the very end and just now winning the drinking game by downing two-hundred cups of mead, which would have led to vomiting on the floor if one more drink was added. The next challenges were about flyting and fighting but neither would she partake in unless Thor did. She was there to hear his flyting skills and that made her blood boil with excitement to face the God of Thunder in fists and words. The only issue however was how to find him? Asgard was at max capacity tonight which meant trying to find Thor would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack… a challenge the Einherjar eagerly accepted and will overcome.

Determined to find and challenge the Aesir, she threw down her cup, tightened her belt, and marched off in search of him.

Northern Downtown District

"Hey isn't that Rossweisse?"

"Yeah and she's with Thor!"

"Is she escorting him or going on a date!?"

"I knew the rumors were true!"

"Ignore them," Thor whispered to the blushing Valkyrie, he knew the moment everyone saw himself and Rossweisse together people would be talking. Well… let them talk, they heard him describe the silver-haired maiden, they could think he had feelings for her, which was true but they didn't need to know yet. He wasn't interested in the gossip the Nine Realms would have to share tonight, he wanted to experience his first time at a festival and who better share it with than Rossweisse, "You've been to many of these haven't you? Do we have many games?"

"Lots." Rossweisse found herself saying while still flustered by what she was hearing, "This festival isn't just for fun, it's also what Lucifer's son said. Having our people be forever bonded in friendship and love. The Nine Realms gather together on this one night to celebrate it."

"Well, all those who are allies with Asgard if I recall." Said Thor, "Not every Giant Clan is friendly with us since we waged war with their old empire."

"Nevertheless, those who have made peace with us still attend." Said a voice.

The duo turned their heads, two girls, a teenager, and an adult were approaching. Thor immediately recognized both of them, Alicia the human he rescued with Vandill from the Fallen Angels attempting to steal her Sacred Gear, the Horn of Jerico, and Sif. Neither he had seen in a while but they both were in better spirits by the looks of things, the black faded away showing the blonde hair she was known for. No wonder the Old Thor fell in love with her, she really was beautiful but to him… he preferred a silver-haired Valkyrie.

"Well if it isn't Alicia! How has life been for you?"

"Wonderful!" The young blonde smiled cheerfully, "I still miss my parents but Mr. Azazel and his human agents have been helping me get through it. They've even helped me to properly use my Sacred Gear. The Horn of Jerico's sound blasts are so powerful they say they can level a whole city if mastered."

"Then it's a good thing you're on our side. I take it Azazel is here now?"

"He just arrived not long ago actually and went off to find the Allfather. Of course that left me stranded on what to do until I ran into Lady Sif. She has been so kind to me! She showed me this fun ice-skating run three blocks that way and took me to a place called…"

"The Dragon's Breath. Best place for steak and barbeque." Sif answered before she too smiled and bowed to Thor, "Lord Thor, it is a pleasure to see you again. The last time we spoke-"

"It's alright, Sif. You were going through some troubles and I wanted to help you."

"And for that, you have my eternal gratitude." She bowed again before notifying Rossweisse, "Well, well, the Allfather's bodyguard is here. Are you escorting him around?"

"She's my date tonight."

The God of Thunder's words had every head turn in his direction, Rossweisse went rigid from his words, Alicia gasped and Sif raised a blonde eyebrow at his answer. The Allfather's bodyguard, the granddaughter of the famous Gondul, was Thor Odinson's date for the festival? Well, this was quite a surprise and honestly, they did look cute together.

"Going on a date with the Allfather's son huh? I heard a rumor about that."

"Sometimes there's truth to those rumors," Thor said with a tiny grin. He knew Rossweisse wanted a boyfriend, maybe she should give him a chance, after all, he was the first man to do anything for her.

"I see…" the Goddess said with a sly smile, "Well you two enjoy the night."

Thor watched them disappear into the crowds, as they did he suddenly felt a twinge of pain fill his head. In his mind, he was seeing Sif but she was laughing and pulling him along through what looked to be the same festival he was at right now. The image faded and Thor suddenly felt himself swaying before the soft arms of Rossweisse caught him.

"Are you alright?" She whispered low enough for only him to hear, "Did you have another dream? The Allfather heard about your nightmare this morning."

Thor shut his eyes, so Freya told Odin about the dream where he was falling. Now he just had another brief dream of being at the festival with Sif. Seeing no point to lie, for he could never do so with her, he nodded to her question.

"Maybe you should-"

"No! I'm fine." Thor protested, "Really I'm fine. I wanna see more of the festival."

Hesitating on if she should let him stay or take him to his chambers as Odin ordered, Thor straightened up and began pulling her along through the crowd once more. The night was still young and it was just a second dream, if more happened then she would take him home.

The hours passed as she took the lead to show him around the festival. There were tons of activities to do such as shield carving, axe throwing, dancing, and even storytelling around the many bonfires set up in the parks. In one section they came across a tiny armory and forge, weapons and armor hung on the wall with jewelry in the case. The Dwarves manning the tiny armor were broad-shouldered, one blonde the other black-haired and both had large beards kept neatly tied in braids. For some reason, Thor remembered them but couldn't put his finger on it until noticing the giant banner strung above saying The Brokk and Sindri Forgery.

Thor looked at Rossweisse, "They made Mjolnir!"

"Huh!?" One of the brothers, Thor didn't know which one, perked up when hearing his shout, turned around to see the God and Valkyrie, "Sindri, look who our customer is!?"

Sindri, the black-haired Dwarf, ceased his work and rushed to the front to see their customers, "Thor Odinson!" He cried, "We are honored to-" He paused and sniffed the air, "Why do I smell foreign magic!?"

Brokk also sniffed, "Is that Greek magic? Son, what did you do to Mjolnir?"

Thor raised his hands, "I didn't do anything to Mjolnir! I can't use it."

"What!?" The brothers cried and listened to Thor's tale of how the hammer was too powerful to wield and he was supplied with Jarnbjorn.

Sindri shook his head, "We warned Odin not to put that spell on the hammer but he didn't listen."

"What spell?" Thor asked, eyes narrowing in suspension.

"Well," Started Brokk, "You see the replica Mjolnir was made by us on orders from Odin after the original was lost when you - I mean the Original Thor - died."

"And we made it specifically how it was supposed to be," Continued Sindri, "But Odin decided to throw in a little surprise once we presented it to him. The hammer is powerful and requires great strength to wield but also you must be pure of heart."

"Pure of heart?" Repeated Thor.

"Pure of heart, which I'm sure you know what that means." Said Sindri.

"But I am pure of heart!" Thor protested.

Rossweisse thought differently, if Thor truly is pure of heart he would let go of hatred for the church right now. He was trying but if he was to use Mjolnir he needed to try harder.

"Well even if you are, you'll still need a lot of strength to wield it. Anyway, we know you asked for the Flame of Olympus to light our forges, a task Nidavellir is forever in debt to you for doing. That fire isn't the only thing you brought back with you either, the smell of Olympus magic is on you which means you had the God of Smithing take a look at Jarnbjorn. Well, hand it over, let's see the damage."

Thor was surprised to hear Brokk call Hephaestus' upgrade damaging, still he called forth his axe and laid it on the counter for the brothers to inspect. They looked over Jarnbjorn carefully with keen eyes as they ran their hands along the haft and head while whispering to each other in their native tongue. Dwarven, or Khuzdul as it was known in the Norse Realm, was a language no supernatural being knew how to speak, the Dwarves while master builders kept their native tongue a secret from all, even the Allfather himself did not know what they say. Brokk whispered to Sindri who nodded and disappeared in the back while his brother took the axe to the anvil and grabbed a hammer just as Sindri returned with a bag. Sindri opened the bag pouring what looked to be silver dust over the weapon when the last of the bag was emptied Brokk brought the hammer down upon Jarnbjorn, four times the hammer clanged on the axe before a faint glow emulated around the axe causing it to vibrate a little.

"What did you do?" Asked Rossweisse as the Dwarves returned the axe to Thor who inspected it carefully.

"We made it better." Brokk said, nudging his brother who laughed with glee, "Don't get us wrong the upgrade is quite the visual and weight improvement but that mithril dust has given old Jarnbjorn a boost of durability and we added a return spell. No matter where or how far you throw that axe, like Mjolnir, it will always return to you."

Thor smiled and bowed, now he didn't have to worry about losing Jarnbjorn in the midst of battle. He reached into his pocket to pay but the Dwarves waved him down saying it was on the house.

"As we said, Nidavillir is forever in your debt. Whatever you want we will give it to you for free." Sindir said.

Thor thanked them one last time, returned Jarnbjorn to his pocket dimension, and went on his way with Rossweisse.

"How are you liking the festival so far?" Asked Rossweisse, she knew this was Thor's first time experiencing a festival and wanted to know his opinion. The wide grin he gave was the answer she was looking for and it made her happy, but she was concerned he would experience more dreams through the night and that may ruin his time at the festival.

"There they are! It is true they are dating!"

Rossweisse blushed at the exclamation she heard from a group of girls noticing them, she hadn't forgotten Thor saying she was his date tonight to Sif and wanted to bring it up later once alone but what those girls said made her desire to talk about it now. Was she really on a date with Odin's son, could this even be considered a date? Odin gave her the night off, Freya insisted she go with Thor, and Rossweisse herself always dreamed about going to the festival with a man and it finally happened tonight but she never expected that man to be the God of Thunder. Again she wondered to herself if this was a date and quite honestly it was from a certain point of view which, albeit still blushings, she couldn't help smiling about.

Palace

In a side room overlooking the kingdom, Sirzechs sat and his wife sat comfortably side by side on a couch listening to Odin and Azazel recount information on recent events and those that happened ages ago, they had gone to a more private location in the Palace to discuss more serious matters leaving their son in the care of Beowulf. Sirzechs grimaced inwardly but kept a calm face about what he heard, most of what was not good, he learned how Thor died protecting Asgard against Surtr and his mysterious return, he learned why Azazel's Fallen Angels went rogue and Asgard's role in eliminating them, and he heard of the attack on Olympus by the mysterious group called Khaos Brigade. What concerned Sirzechs was Olympus, specifically the Goddess of Chaos, her tragic story, and who it was that turned Eris against her fellow Olympians.

"So Kokabiel went rogue like those before him," Sirzechs said, his lips pressed into a thin line. Low tire Fallen Angels going rogue due to allying with Asgard for peace instead of war was one thing but now a High-tire Cadre, a Fallen Angel leader no less, deciding to ditch Grigori was worse, so much for a fun night with his family.

"When Odin told me Kokabiel revealed the Goddess of Chaos' Fallen Angel heritage to her, Shemhazai and I both tried to keep tabs on him but he was always able to cover his tracks. We nearly had him at one point but he managed to slip away. Where that traitor is now I do not know." Rarely Azazel was seen with a serious but tonight was one of them, his brow was furrowed and lips set in a deep frown, the situation regarding Kokabiel was not making Azazel happy, especially since Sirzechs came to discuss peace with him, "It's pretty obvious he struck out on his own and may have joined the Khaos Brigade to try and restart the war."

"How much do you know about this Khaos Brigade that attacked Olympus?" Grayfia asked after taking a sip of her drink.

"Not much. I know very little about this organization. I first heard rumors of the group last year but that was it. We only know those who attacked Olympus; Enyo, Heracles, Eris, and that Alchemist Miss Rossweisse fought. I can send a copy of the file to you if you'd like to read it yourself."

"Of course. It sounds like descendants of heroes are part of this group and if Kokabiel is in league with them we may have quite a situation on our hands. For all the power Kokabiel has, he knows it will be foolish to try restarting the war by himself." Said Sirzechs.

"Maybe he is but we won't know until we find him. If we can find him."

"This problem with that warmonger and the Khaos Brigade is disturbing but let's put those aside for now. Sirzechs came here for peace and fun." Odin chimed in as he sipped his third glass of wine, "You should be out there having fun with your wife! I know a great spot where you can grope your wife's bountiful bosom under the moon, just like I did with my Frigg on our honeymoon!"

Azazel laughed as Grayfia glared at the old king while her husband laughed nervously, Sirzechs knew Odin was a pervert but never imagined him suggesting his guests do sexual activities.

"Is it true what your son said about being a test subject for the Church?" Cut in Grayfia choosing to turn the topic to Thor. The details Odin shared about the Thunder God's death and mystery rebirth fascinated her.

The smile faded slightly from the Allfather, "I wish it weren't true but it is. He was found in the ruins of a Church facility, one I'm sure you know about."

"My spies told me the loss of that specific facility was a grievous blow to them and lost many resources. Personally, I think they got what they deserved. Using a child with Godly powers as a weapon would lead to consequences."

"Is that why you go about sending hit squads to terminate Sacred Gear wielders before they become a threat?" Sirzechs asked the Governor-General.

"If you're talking about THAT incident Sirzechs, I swear I did not give the order to kill the boy. My subordinate chose to take matters into her own hands. Stupid fool, like the Church, her actions led to great consequences, consequences resulting in her death and those aiding her. No, I don't kill Sacred Gears wielders, I look for them, watch over them, and if need be, take them in like poor Alicia. You remember the file of that incident?"

"I do. It was very similar to what happened in Japan but this girl didn't have her Sacred Gear stolen or her life. You have changed since the Great War."

Azazel shrugged, "Back then I was a ruthless maniac wanting to pay back God for banishing me. Now I just wanna see peace achieved so I can unveil the mystery of Sacred Gears."

"That is a goal I wholeheartedly support." Chuckled Sirzechs as he raised his glass.

Odin meanwhile reached for a remote to turn on a TV, his eye widened before a cackle escaped his lips earning the Biblical Factions attention. When they looked at the screen Azazel too laughed while Sirzechs and his wife watched with curiosity. What they saw was an event that all of Asgard, all Nine Realms, was watching and one they would never forget.

Two hours earlier

Thor hummed with delight as he dug his teeth into a burger for the third time, the restaurant, The Maidens Dinner, was a cheap place Rossweisse and Sigrun would go to every day after school either to eat or study or just to hang out, it was just how Rossweisse liked things, small, cheap, and most importantly, comfy. The silver-haired beauty suggested the place when Thor's stomach announced loudly that it was hungry, despite the food he ate at the feast before. Rossweisse joked saying he really was like the Original Thor, it surprised him to hear the joke but more so warmed his heart seeing her giggle while saying it. Now he sat in a sofa set opposite of Rossweisse eating a grilled cajun chicken sandwich, it was the best thing he had tonight until something else came along to replace it.

While he ate, Rossweisse laid back in her seat to process his rhymes back in the great hall. She instinctively brushed her hair out of her eyes, remembering his words about how it reminded him of a silver fountain and even calling her a genius, which was true. Did he truly mean what he said back in the great hall?

"You are quiet. Are you ok?"

Rossweisse sat up when Thor spoke, his face a mixture of concern and confusion. That look was enough to say he did care about her and his words about her were true. Still, she wanted to hear it coming from him. Before she could answer a loud cheer erupted in a booth not far from them. Looking at the commotion they saw the patrons were watching TV, on the screen Thor saw his second older brother take a punch to the face by his opponent, a handsome man with short auburn hair who also was shirtless, and they seem to be fighting in a stadium.

"Come on Baldur!" One patron yelled, spilling mead on the table as he did so, his friends looking unhappy at what he did.

"What is going on?" Thor whispered to the Valkyrie.

"The Brawl Competition, whoever wins is labeled the strongest warrior in the Nine Realms. By the looks of it, Lord Baldur is overwhelming Byggvir." She paused and shook her head, "Byggvir is no match for Baldur, he's a good fighter but… well you'll see."

Thor winced at the brutal punch sent by Baldur into Byggvir's stomach, Byggvir flew up hundreds of meters into the sky before free-falling, Baldur launched up and collided with his body. Byggvir grabbed onto Baldur's body as they both began free falling. He sent relentless strikes as they fell from the air. Byggvir was able to connect almost all of his attacks, but soon enough, Baldur was able to flip their positions to him being on top. He placed his legs on the Jotun's stomach and pushed down with an absolute force that shook the air. Byggvir was sent plummeting to the ground. The crowd winced as Freyr's servant hit the floor with the force of a freight train causing a large crater to form from the impact.

"Byggvir is down! It's over, it's over! The fight is over! Once more Baldur wins but will his invulnerability be enough to handle the greatest fist fighter of Jotunheim!?" The announcer, who Thor recognized as Vestri, yelled excitedly.

Rossweisse stared at Thor when he turned back to her, excitement twinkled in his eyes. He wasn't thinking about partaking in the brawl, was he? He needed to put his name on the list before the festival started.

"Come on, Rossweisse, let's go support my brother!"

It took them time to reach their destination, the Thor Stadium, the setting for the competition. Due to how large the crowds were Thor thought it was a miracle they arrived, by that time the sun was starting to set. When they entered neither were surprised to see how crowded the stadium was with nearly every seat taken, the spectators cheering whoever they supported. As they made their way through to find a good seat a familiar voice was calling the God of Thunder.

"Thor! THOR!"

There was Vandill and his father Aurvandill waving to get the God and Valkyrie's attention, it was a surprise to be sure but a welcome one to see the Jotuns in the stadium. It took a good three minutes before the two groups met, the younger Jotun grinning widely at seeing his friend and idol again.

"Hello, again my prince." Aurvandill greeted with a fatherly smile, "I see you brought yourself a date."

Rossweisse blushed but managed to smile at the nine toed man, Thor said she was his date and she would keep telling herself that.

"Come on! We got front-row seats! This semi-final is intense!" Vandill exclaimed, before a roar of applause was heard.

"Baldur is one of them but who are the others?"

"Ms. Berg is one. I saw her searching the city for you." Aurvandill said with a chuckle, "That woman was keen on facing you in one of the competitions. When she heard you were on a date she went straight to the Thor Stadium to partake in the Brawl. I gotta say her title as Valhalla's Champion is not just for show. Right now it's her and Dellingr. She said if she couldn't face Thor then it would be another God."

The party reached their seats and Thor looked out onto the stadium, it was bigger than the colosseum in Rome, thousands of people filled the seats, some Jotuns taking up whole rows, there was no roof allowing the setting sun's light to shine above, the arena looked as if it had gone through a great battle, craters littered the sandy floor and spider-web cracks could be seen on the walls. In the middle of the arena were the two combatants Aurvandill spoke of; Henrietta and Dellingr, both were throwing punches and kicks at one another but neither took a hit yet. Dellingr was black-haired, toned, and fast, the blonde Einherjar threw a jab at him which he easily slipped past it to send a kick to her side that connected with her elbow that she blocked with. While Dellingr had no shirt, Henrietta wore a tank top that exposed her toned stomach and form-fitting pants, Thor was certain some of these cheers were wolf-whistles for the toned blonde.

"Their match just started! Go, Ms. Berg!" Vandill yelled, joining in the cheering.

Henrietta shoved the God's leg away and sent a lep sweet which missed completely by Delligr jumping over. That, however, was expected by the Einherjar and she quickly changed the sweep to a high kick hitting him in the chest thus scoring the first hit of the round. Dellingr staggered from the blow allowing the blonde teacher to swiftly jump back to her feet sending two swift punches to his face and following up with a headbutt before twisting him around to get him in a choke-hold.

"Wow! What an onslaught! Valhalla's Champion has a God in her grasp! Will Dellingr forfeit!?" Vestri shouted in excitement.

Dellingr tried to elbow the woman in the kidney but instead hit abs so firm it raddled his arm. The Einherjar responded by tightening her grip causing the God to gasp for air and struggle to get free. His attempt was in vain when Henrietta locked her leg around him before twisting and sending him crashing to the floor. At last, Dellingr tapped his hand rapidly on the dirt floor managing to wheeze out his surrender.

"I don't believe it, folks! We just witnessed the defeat of a God by an Einherjar! Henrietta Berg truly IS Valhalla's champion!" The Dwarf sounded as if he was about to lose his voice from all the shouting he was doing.

"Henrietta! Henrietta! Henrietta!" The crowd chanted with delight at her quick victory over the God.

"Who's next!?" Henrietta shouted, flexing her muscles to display her strength and beauty that drove the men crazy.

"We have just witnessed history today everyone! A God being defeated by an Einherjar is something Asgard will never forget! All-day we have witnessed the physical education teacher win every competition she's entered but she is not champion yet! For we have two more fighters left and either one of them will face this blonde beauty!"

"Way to go, Henrietta!" Thor wasn't sure but he swore that sounded like Sigrun cheering for the teacher.

As the blonde warrior left the arena the set sank more and more behind the horizon, soon darkness would fall and the Aurora Borealis would appear.

"Well, everyone, we have about an hour until the Northern Lights Show begins but before that let's see who will win the second semi-final! Who's ready for the next fight!?" Vestri was answered by a roar of excitement by the crowd, "Very well then let's welcome our fighters! Over in this corner is a man who can take a thousand punches not feel the pain! He is of mixed race, Aesir and Vanir, and titled the most handsome man in the Nine Realms! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Son of Odin, the God of Light, Baldur!"

"Baldur! Baldur! Baldur! Baldur!" The crowd chanted as the God of Light stepped out into the arena, his face beaming with excitement. When he saw his baby brother he sent a wink his way while waving in his direction.

"And now folks, his opponent! A living legend! Honing his skills every day to protect his clan and face opponents ten times stronger than him! He has said that this is the fight he has been most looking forward to! Will Baldur's invulnerability stand against the brute strength of The Brawler!? Tonight we shall find out! All the way from Jotunheim! Hrungnir The Brawler!"

As soon as the name was said Thor had a sharp pain struck him, it was so great he had to clunch his head and shut his eyes. None were aware of his pain, none but Rossweisse who was looking at him in concern. Trying to not make a scene she leaned over to keep him from falling out of his seat. For the fourth time today, the God of Thunder experienced another dream and it was so clear to him, he was in the feasting hall watching a giant of a man stumbling about drunkenly shouting vulgar words and calling out to challenge someone. Thor accepted the challenge and brought Mjolnir down upon the Jotun's head, the blow was soft but heavy enough to knock the Jotun out. Vesteri said the Baldur's challenger was Hrungnir, was the Jotun the same in the dream?

Thor managed to open an eye to see Hrungnir slowly enter the arena and he looked exactly how he did in the dream; nine feet tall, pale of skin, gray-eyed, wild blonde hair styled in a mohawk with the side of his head shaved to show tattoos and clad in nothing but a pair of pants, allowing all to see the large muscles and tattoos that littered his body, arms, and legs. Hrungnir the Brawler, Thor remembered him but never met him once in his life. Four times he experienced memory flashes of a life he never lived but why tonight? Why were the dreams happening so frequently tonight and why were they of the Original Thor only, he knew he was part of the Church as their test subject yet why was the memory of that three-way fight the only one he recalled? Was he purposely suppressing his memories of his time among the Church? If only there was a mind reader to search his mind and obtain all the missing or blocked out memories!

"We should go." Rossweisse said urgently, "This is the fourth time you've experienced it and Odin said I MUST escort you to your chamber, even if you complain."

"No!" He hissed, "I don't wanna leave! I'm having so much fun at the festival I can't let these dreams ruin our night, Rose! Please!"

Rossweisse paused in her attempt to pry him out of his seat, his face said he was begging to stay to see the fight. Since leaving the Allfather she herself was having fun too but she was ordered to take him back if the dreams continued and this was the fourth time that had happened. If she neglected her duty what type of bodyguard would she be?

"Rossweisse… please!" He whispered again, saying her full name this time, "I'm not ordering you, I'm asking as your friend, as your date, to let me stay to spend the night with you!"

A feeling started to stir within the Valkyries stomach, he was her date for the festival and wanted to spend the whole night through it with her. She had her orders, her duty came first and foremost but… no man ever said that to her how could she argue about that!? Hoping she would not regret this she released him and sat back in her chair, gently taking a hold of his hand in the process.

Thor smiled at the silver-haired beauty, he finally managed to regain control of himself and the memory had faded when pleading to stay to watch the fight. Speaking of which, Baldur and Hrugnir stood face to face with one another, both sizing each other up for their brawl. Hrungnir was the literal definition of a giant for he towered over Baldur who had to crane his neck to look him dead in the eye. Despite that, the God of Light was eager to fight the Jotun.

"Brawler set!? Ready! Go!"

As soon as the history teacher declared the match to begin Baldur took the offensive, sending lightning-fast strikes at the hulking Jotun, all finding their mark but none doing damage to him. Hrungnir caught one of the God of Light's punches before returning one of his own, sending the blue-haired Aesir-Vanir hybrid flying across the arena bouncing along the ground and kicking up dirt until he landed face-first on the ground. Hrungnir advanced upon Baldur who was back on his feet in seconds and rushed the Jotun who swiped his large arm at him, Baldur slid beneath his foe managing to get behind and send a flurry of punches and kicks to Hrungnir's back and sides but still doing no harm. The Jotun turned on the spot sending another powerful punch towards Baldur, this time the God of Light was ready and ducked beneath the strike and put all his strength into his fists as he bombarded Hrungnir's stomach. He grinned when The Brawler grunted, prompting him to keep up the assault until he was grabbed by the head and slammed hard into the giant's large knees repeatedly.

"Oh my!" Rossweisse clutched Thor's arm, she knew Baldur wouldn't feel the pain but watching him go through it made a shiver run down her spine.

After the fifth knee kick, Hrungnir punched Baldur before grabbing him by the leg and slamming him about like a ragdoll then tossing him across the arena again.

Thor winced as Rossweisse tightened her grip on his arm, he himself was clenching the chair to keep himself from running out onto the field to save his brother. This is just a competition and Baldur is blessed with invulnerability to all threats, physical and magical. He could take all the hits he wanted and still get back up but seeing him take those punches was brutal. He watched Baldur crawl out of the crater formed by the impact, shake his head to clear his vision, and ready himself to attack again. When he turned his gaze back to The Brawler he froze, Hrungnir had lowered his guard and was looking at the crowd, looking right at him.

...Oh no...

"Thunder God!" Yelled Hrungnir raising a finger and pointing at Thor.

All action stopped upon the Jotun calling Thor, the entire stadium's spectators falling silent as they turned their gaze towards the Thunder God. He spared a glance at Rossweisse hoping she would know a way out of this situation, unfortunately, due to everyone seeing her clutching his arm, the poor girl had become too flustered to do anything, a scene Thor was certain would be talked about for weeks if not months. Suddenly to his surprise the Jotun smiled and began to laugh with joy as he approached the arena wall to get a better look at the young God.

"Thor Odinson! That IS you!" He yelled with a big goofy grin.

The tension Thor had suddenly felt vanished immediately, here he thought the Jotun would watch to fight him.

"The last time I saw you it was the day you knocked me out with that hammer of yours. Oh, that was funny!"

"Uhm…well you were kinda drunk…"

"And that wasn't quite a fair fight either. I've been training for years for a rematch and now I think I'd like to have it now!"

"What!?" Thor and Rose yelled together.

"Hrungnir, my brother is not part of the brawl! I am your opponent, not him!" Baldur said, jogging up to the giant, "You can't just challenge him during the middle of our match either!"

"Our match ends now God of Light. You put up a good fight but eventually I will knock you out, something I'm sure your invincibility can't help you with? For years I have trained myself every day to one day face your brother again. I don't care if you are a teenager or having trouble lifting the hammer. I have waited for years to face you again in a fair fight Odinson! I beg you, from one warrior to another, will you accept my challenge!?"

Dead silence filled the stadium as everyone waited with bated breath on what Thor would do. The Jotun was asking - no - begging to fight him again, he already forfeited the match against Baldur thus making him the winner. Should he really accept the challenge? He hadn't fought anyone since Olympus and that battle saw the death and betrayal of many. He had to think fast about his choice, the tournament was still going and the light show would start soon. Rising from his chair he stared down the Jotun before giving his answer.

"I will fight you."

"No! Don't do this!" Rossweisse protested.

Thor looked back at Rose, her face a mixture of shock and concern for him, that was one of the many things he loved about her.

"Rose, I should have told you this before we left Olympus but I love fighting. Not to the point of going up to someone and punching them in the face mind you, I would never do that." He added quickly when the Valkyrie's eyes narrowed slightly, "I know sometimes it is a situation of life or death but when I sparred with Heracles…" He paused as he remembered that on Olympus, "The exhilaration, the euphoria, I felt as I fought the Son of Zeus, dodging his attacks while sending my own, was unmatched. Hrungnir has challenged me to a duel and I will not refuse him that offer nor will I turn my back to a fellow warrior."

Rossweisse opened her mouth only to let it hang open as Thor, without a care in the world, used magic to change his dress robes for his casual clothes before taking off his tunic giving the genius Valkyrie a front-row seat of his muscles and causing her to feel something wet form between her legs. The Valkyrie genius wasn't the only one feeling weak at the sight of the God of Thunder's body, women, young and old, either fainted or screamed in excitement. She watched him toss off his shoes before jumping into the ring, his red locks glistening in the fading light rays as he moved to the center to face Hrungnir.

"Due to Hrungnir disqualifying himself Baldur shall now face Henrietta in the final round! Before that can happen, however, we have ourselves a match between The Brawler and the God of Thunder! One I'm sure all Nine Realms are eager to witness!" Vestri said over the loudspeaker.

"You saw the beating he put me through, don't take him lightly," Baldur warned.

"Don't worry. I have a plan." Said Thor with a confident grin. He watched his brother retreat to the stands to watch the fight before turning his attention to Hrungnir, the large warrior sizing him up and down with a wide grin.

"Ready to properly lose?"

"I'm more than ready to beat you again."

"Fighters set? Ready? Go!"

Hrungnir made the first move charging the redhead like an angry bull but Thor rolled to the side allowing a huge gap to form between him and the Jotun. So far what he saw of Hrungnir was he was strong and fast, Baldur barely did anything to him but that was because he wasn't aiming for the right stop. Tensing his muscles he took off towards Hrungnir as fast as he could while counting the distance as he did, fifteen feet, twelve feet, ten feet, seven feet, at six feet Hrungnir turned on the spot and threw a large fist at Thor. As he did so, the God of Thunder jumped at the Jotun screaming long and loud, cupped his hands together, and reeled back before slamming his fists down on Hrungir's head as the Brawler's fist impacted against Thor's chest, sending him to the ground while Hrungnir hunched over forward. Everyone gasped and waited to see what would happen next, soon they saw Thor stir and slowly get up into a sitting position, a cheer of excitement began until something happened.

The blow struck Hrungnir right in the same place as Mjolnir did all those centuries ago, causing Jotunheim's greatest fist-fighter to sway, stumble, then fall face forward onto Thor with a sickening crunch. Thor was dazed by the collapse of the Jotun onto him, he tried to pry himself free but couldn't move anything save to crane his neck a little to allow him to look up into the sky. Night has fallen and the faint glow of the aurora borealis started to fill the night sky and soon Rossweisse came into view looking down upon him with great concern, his shirt, and shoes in her hands.

"Are you alright!?" She asked, her heart was beating rapidly against her chest.

Thor looked to his fallen opponent and said in a loud voice for all to hear, "Alright, we'll call it a draw."

The roar of laughter filled the stadium soon spreading all over Asgard and into the other realms. Although the fight was short, none would deny that it was a sight to behold, an event nobody would forget. As Thor stared up at Rossweisse, he saw a faint smile of amusement spread across her lips as she shook her head while the Northern Lights shone above her. The Bifrost made her look beautiful but under the Northern Lights she was…she was...

Breath-taking.

At the edge of the arena entrance, Henrietta smirked, her ponytail swishing back and forth as she shook her head. That was the faster fight she ever saw and proved Thor was a capable fighter. Too bad it wasn't her who fought him but someday she would and whatever the outcome, win or lose, she would enjoy it.

It took four giants to free Thor and once done, was escorted back to his seat, Baldur, Aurvandill, and his son still congratulating him on his swift victory. Twenty seconds later, Vestri announced the start of the aurora borealis show and every head looked to the sky to witness the shapes and colors of the aurora dance among the starry night while images of Asgard's greatest stories reflected off the light. It was beautiful for all to see, especially for Thor, of all the things he experienced tonight, watching this with his friends, his brother, and most importantly Rossweisse, was the best moment. When it had ended Thor left the stadium with Rossweisse to cheers and applause, it was a long fun night but now he just wanted to sleep. It wasn't long until Vandill came jogging up to them.

"I thought you would stay to see the final brawl." Said Rossweisse.

"Nothing could top that brawl Hrungnir and Thor had!" Exclaimed Vandill, a wide smile on his face, "It was amazing."

"Where is your father?"

"Home. He chose to return to Jotunheim to see how the clan is fairing."

In the later years of his life, Aurvandill became a chieftain of his own clan, naming it the Thunderbolt clan to commemorate the Original Thor for saving him.

"You know I have a funny question." Asked Thor when reaching the Palace steps, "If Asgard is Grigori's ally why were Azazel and Alicia the only ones attending? I get many were slaying due to going rogue but you'd think those agreeing to unity would make an effort to join in our festival?"

"That is something you should ask Azazel," Rossweisse answered.

"I think that question will have to wait, somethings going on," Vandill said, his brow furrowing.

As they approached the throne room Thor picked up on what sounded like shouting. Quickening his pace Thor burst into the throne room to find Odin, Freya, Sirzechs, Grayfia, Azazel, and Hreidmar gathered together. Standing before them was a young woman with green hair, it took Thor only a second to realize it was the Elf Princess he bumped into earlier and she was looking panic-stricken.

"Where is she!? Where's my little sister!?"

"Princess Ylva, calm down, we are doing everything we can to look for her." Freya reassured, "Asgard is a big city but she will be found."

"What's going on?" Thor asked.

Ylva turned on the spot, her violet orbs filled with fear, "Lord Thor, have you seen Eivor!? I can't find her!"

"Lady Ylva said her sister went to the Southern Downtown District and was supposed to meet with her at the palace after the light show. She hasn't shown up and hasn't answered any calls to her." The old Dwarf king answered, "I came here to announce the arrival of a special gift to Asgard but it must wait until we find the princess."

"Millicas was supposed to return as well." Added Sirzechs, "Neither he nor Beowulf have notified me of where they are or what they are doing. Where could he be?"

"GONE!"

Every head in the room turned at the cry, standing in the doorway supported by two guards and a stranger Thor had never seen before, was Beowulf. The Pawn of Sirzechs looked as if he had just gone out of a terrible fight, his suit was slashed and torn with bleeding wounds and swelling bruise marks covering his body, his left eye was blackened and shut tight and a nash looking wound was pouring blood from his head. What in the Nine Realms had caused him to look like this Thor wondered.

"Beowulf!" Cried Sirzechs rushing over to aid his Pawn, "What happened to you? Where's Millicas!?"

The Pawn looked his King dead in the eye, "He's gone." He repeated, "Gone. Kidnapped!"

"KIDNAPPED!" Freya exclaimed.

"We were told by a Jotun we'd get a great view of the aurora near the Bifrost. We followed him and when he left us through an alleyway we were attacked by more Jotun, they snatched Millicas after overwhelming me. The Giants had another prisoner with them, she looked like an elf with green hair!"

"THEY KIDNAPPED EIVOR!?" Ylva screamed, her voice echoing through the hall.

"We found him lying in his blood!" The stranger said, "We managed to stem most of the bleeding but he needs to be healed."

"He will go to the healing chamber after we know which clan kidnapped Millicas and Eivor. Who were the Giants that kidnapped him? Did they have a symbol?" Freya said in a level tone, her motherly features wiped away from her face.

"Yes…" Beowulf wheezed out, "It…it looked like…it looked like a white wolf…"

"Koll!' Vandill roared, "That black-hearted villain has crossed the line by kidnapping children! He must be stopped!"

Odin slammed his cane on the ground and as he did so, large magic circles began appearing around the kingdom in the sky, his voice booming loudly through them, "Shut down the Bifrost! Deploy the Valkyrie Corps! Search the city and stop anyone attempting to leave!"

Thor scanned the room; Rossweisse immediately rushed out of the throne room changing into her armor in the process while Ylva was comforted by Freya, Grayfia stood behind her husband who watched his Pawn be taken away to the healing chambers, her face was stoic as usual but Thor knew she was doing it to hide the fear she felt for her son's safety, Azazel was whispering to Herdmir about something and Odin, for the first time since meeting him, had a face of dead seriousness. Two children kidnapped by Giants was not how he expected the festival to end, this was supposed to be a night of fun and unity if the Giants hadn't escaped to Jotunheim yet then their Millicas and Eivor could still be saved. It wasn't long before a magic circle appeared next to Odin, the voice of Olrun coming through the other side.

"We surveyed the scene of the attack but found no clues and Heimdall did not see Koll or any of his clan come in or out of the Bifrost."

"Impossible!" Odin yelled, "How could the Watcher of Asgard fail in his duty!?"

"They must have slipped in using illusion magic to escape back to Jotunheim." Said Vandill, "Allfather you must notify my father of this at once. He will search for them."

"Aurvandill is not going to hunt alone. I'm going to rescue Millicas and Eivor." Ylva looked up, tears still streaming down her eyes, Thor was going to save her sister? "Tonight we were supposed to celebrate peace and friendship but this Koll has gone and kidnapped children! Children! He is a monster that must be put down. I will go to Jotunheim and hunt him down!"

"Not alone!" Said Vandill stepped forward, 'Not alone! You have never been to Jotunheim! You don't know the land as I do. I have hunted and lived there. You will need my tracking skills."

Thor smiled as he clapped Vandill on the shoulder, "I knew I could count on you."

"I'm going wi-"

"No, Rose, I need you to stay here to keep Asgard on lockdown." Thor cut in.

"But you need help!" Rossweisse protested, she didn't wanna see Thor go somewhere without her. The way he held in her arms after the fight with Eris was a nightmare she would never forget.

"I'll take Tanngrisnir to help in the hunt."

"Then go now! Tanngrisnir will be readied for you. No time must be wasted. Heimdall will open the Bifrost for you!"

"Hold a moment." Azazel said, "Grigori is part of this unity, so I will send him to aid you."

Thor turned his head at who Azazel was talking about, it was the stranger who came in with Beowulf. He was dressed in grey shoes, blue jeans, and a violet button-down shirt. He had the same black hair and blonde bangs as Azazel but with twinkling blue eyes.

"Who are you?"

The stranger smiled as he extended his hand for Thor to shake.

"My name is Azreal, I'm Azazel's son."

WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAT! Azazel has a son!? Well, that's a stupid cliche I'm sure everyone is thinking but if you all recall he DID have a harem back in the day, and with so many women he slept with one of them was bound to get pregnant with a hybrid fallen angel. As for Surtr, I know he's labeled as a God in the DxD lore but I like to think he only has the power level of a God, look at the main cast in the current novels they are all close to god level power now, and they're not gods. Anyway, I have a plan for him and it will work out perfectly.

I gotta say this was a long chapter to write possibly the longest chapter so far. I was debating if I should split it into two parts but I couldn't find a good spot to so I just kept on writing. Anyway, the next chapter will be the hunt through Jotunheim! If you wanna see art for the next chapter go to Deviantart artist King of History to see the commission for it. See you all next time!