"Ilma, report," President Wilson said, tapping an earpiece. Around him, his allies watched the police station with pensive expressions.
"I've disabled their escape vehicle and the two Niflhel guarding it. They won't escape," Ilma reported with her usual professional calm. It had always impressed Wilson how cool the young woman kept under pressure. "I'm moving in to assist the other Valkyries."
"Be careful, Ilma," Reine said. "The other girls are doing their best, but they're outnumbered horribly."
"Don't worry. We'll join them shortly." While Wilson had agreed to Ymir's premier idol joining the Valkyries, this was beyond anything he'd ever intended. Even being this close made him nervous. If anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself.
"Huh? Impossible." Reine's voice broke in sheer disbelief.
"What happened? Report!" Wilson said, worried something terrible had befallen his Valkyries.
"It can't be," Abbey said, breathless.
"Report, what happened?" Wilson said, his voice more forceful.
"President, that biker girl is a living skeleton!" Reine replied. "Like a real skeleton."
"That explains why she always wears a helmet." Pihu's tone was thoughtful and curious, her inner scientist clearly fascinated.
"So they found out, huh?" Dino said. "That girl is just full of mysteries."
"President, what's going on?" Reine asked, her voice demanding answers. "You don't seem surprised by this."
"Yes, what is going on?" Abbey said, her tone sharp-edged.
"Is this why she has a grudge against us?" Pihu asked, considering the possibilities. "Did we do this to her?"
"Is she a failed experiment or something?" Abbey asked.
"Experiment…" Reine's voice turned distant and thoughtful.
Before Wilson could interrupt to restore some calm, Halvorsen intervened. "We'll discuss this later. Focus on neutralizing the Niflhel threat. Ilma, assist the others. President Wilson, there's a nearby fire escape you can use to access the parking lot."
"Acknowledged," Ilma replied.
"Hurry, those sick bastards are torturing Fenrir's friend for fun!" Abbey said before signing off.
Wilson's expression hardened. While he had little love for Fenrir and her Jotnar troublemakers, he refused to allow such obscenities to continue. He darted toward the fire escape Halvorsen had mentioned, his boot cracking it open. Even without his transformation, he was a strong man. "Don't worry. We'll arrive soon. Help if you can, but don't take any unnecessary risks."
"Understood," Pihu replied.
"Reine, keep an eye out for the approaching army," Halvorsen said. "We can coordinate our efforts once they arrive."
"Huh?" Reine said, distracted. "Right. Go get them, President!"
Agonized screams echoed through the parking lot at they entered, making Wilson's blood burn even hotter. He spotted Selim and his ilk standing around a young man covered in blood. The skeletal Fenrir watched helplessly as the Niflhel hurt her friend. The Niflhel leader stood guard, preventing her from doing anything. As his Valkyries had warned, their enemy numbered over a dozen. Yet Wilson remained unafraid, eager to punish these bastards for misusing Ymir's technology. He withdrew his Uhyre key and readied it to transform, but froze when an ear-splitting anguished scream pierced the scene.
"What?" Much to Wilson's shock, Fenrir transformed without her belt, morphing into a literal monster. She charged the Niflhel with reckless abandon, causing them to scatter. The coppery scent of blood filled the parking lot as her claws shredded the fur of a dog creature.
"Boss?" Dino eyed the rampaging Fenrir with uncertainty.
"Has her extreme drive to survive triggered a resonating effect with her Uhyre key?" Halvorsen said, muttering to himself. What was the scientist talking about? Wilson had suspected he knew more about Fenrir than he'd first claimed.
The sheer power of her new form was astonishing. Her claws severed the head of a hawk Niflhel who'd gotten too close, bypassing the defenses the Angra Armlet should have provided. Even the untransformed Niflhel weren't immune to her wrath, sharing in the bloodbath. It was a terrible sight. Could she even tell friend from foe any longer? Pihu's screams as Fenrir dug her claws into her chest armor answered that question.
"Ilma, help the others escape," Halvorsen said, taking charge. "When they're a safe distance, help Wilson subdue Fenrir. Everyone else, help evacuate anyone you can, but don't take any stupid risks."
"Understood."
"President, the Niflhel have become a secondary threat." Halvorsen said. "We need to stop Fenrir's rampage before it breaks out into a civilian area. If she chases after the fleeing Niflhel, it will be disastrous."
"I don't recall agreeing I'd take orders from you, Halvorsen," Wilson thought. But he didn't argue. Fenrir had lost all control.
"With the Niflhel scattered, they shouldn't be as difficult to subdue. Dino work with the others to catch the fleeing Niflhel. I will deal with Fenrir personally."
"Okay, Boss. It's your funeral." While hesitant, Dino accepted his orders. "Terrorize."
Wilson watched as his men charged into the fray. He stood behind, getting a lock on Fenrir. She was fighting the Niflhel leader, her claws a blur. Green ichor oozed from an arm where he'd been cut. He attempted to web her, but Fenrir dodged away without missing a beat.
"I should have known it'd come to this, Fenrir. It's our destiny to fight each other, isn't it? Terrorize."
---
"No, please! I ain't done nothing to you. Please, I—" The man didn't get to finish. His pitiful screams were his final words before his body went still. Johan watched in gobsmacked horror as the parking garage turned into total chaos.
"Lad, we need to flee, now!" Eldred pulled Johan away from the fighting, taking special care to avoid exasperating his injuries. Thankfully, the Niflhel ignored them, more focused on fleeing or fighting the berserk Yareli. Their leader, Selim, tried reining them in to launch a counterattack, but his goons were more interested in saving their sorry behinds. As they fled, Johan spotted Yareli's Uhyre key and pocketed it.
"You okay?" Eldred said, examining Johan's wounds. "The bastards beat you up pretty bad."
Johan only replied with a pained grunt, tears stinging his eyes from the pain. The older man opened his phone while applying pressure to Johan's injuries, terrified the younger man might bleed to death before help arrived. The line was no use, however, held up by the current crisis.
"Let me see. I have some medical training," a Valkyrie said, dashing up to them. She towered over them, standing almost a meter taller than Johan.
"Um…" Johan recoiled, wondering if he should trust the Valkyrie. They were Ymir's lackeys, after all.
"I'm here to help," the woman said in a calming tone. "I have no intention of letting you bleed to death." She paused, listening to something Johan couldn't hear. It must be a comm unit.
"The army will arrive soon. They will have medics that can help you," the Valkyrie said. "My name is Abbey. We need to get you to safety. My sisters are evacuating anyone they can."
In the distance, he spotted another Valkyrie pulling an injured Niflhel away from the battlefield. Abbey pulled out a white spray bottle, and a clear gel sprayed into Johan's wounds. He sighed in relief as the pain ebbed, and the bleeding slowed. Once the medspray did its work, she applied bandages to his wounds with practiced hands.
"This will only offer a temporary seal on your wounds. Your injuries are serious. You need a doctor," Abbey said.
"No, I have to help Yareli!" Johan said, pushing the Valkyrie away. "Someone has to stop her rampage!"
"Yareli?" The Valkyrie tilted her head, and Johan cursed his careless tongue.
"Lad, be reasonable," Eldred said. "You can't do anything."
"Yes, I can. I can reach her." Johan hardened his voice. While he'd been in the thick of things, he'd feared Yareli would gut him like everyone else. Instead, she'd protected him, throwing away the Niflhel tormenting him. Despite the pain, he stood back on his feet.
"Idiot." Eldred shook his head in disbelief.
Before Abbey could respond, several monsters charged onto the scene. Johan cursed, believing it was Niflhel reinforcements, but the rooster monster leading the charge caught his attention. Johan recognized this monster from Yareli's story—Mark Wilson, President of Ymir. He seemed on a warpath as he stomped toward Yareli.
"Who the hell are you? You aren't one of my men!" Selim howled as a punch drove him through a pillar.
"Mark Wilson. I'm cleaning up my messes. You Niflhel have caused enough damage." Much to Johan's shock, Wilson caught Yareli's claw with one hand, and a powerful headbutt caused her to collapse to the pavement, dazed. A fist to the gut made the wolf creature double over as she went still.
"That's the president for you," Abbey said, impressed.
"I don't know what you've become, Fenrir. But, as usual, you don't seem very sturdy." Satisfied she wouldn't cause him any more trouble, Wilson turned his attention toward Selim. "I'd rather not have any distractions when I deal with you."
"I won't lose so easily." Despite Selim's bravado, Johan heard the fear beneath his monstrous voice. He tensed as an uninjured Valkyrie stepped forward.
"Don't worry about him. Capture Fenrir." Wilson nodded toward Yareli's prone form. "She shouldn't give you any more trouble."
"Understood." Johan recognized the voice. Ilma—the same Valkyrie from Ymir's secret facility.
"No, you don't," Johan snapped, throwing caution aside. He slammed the Uhyre key into his armlet. "Terrorize!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eldred shouted.
"Get him to safety," Johan told Abbey, who had already reached for her weapon. Her armor was battered, but she would fight if pressed. "Isn't protecting civilians your job?"
The Valkyrie hesitated, caught between two bad options. Johan didn't wait. He felt his wounds stitching together, his monster form accelerating his healing. Abbey watched helplessly as Johan lunged at her leader before dragging Eldred toward an exit.
Ilma dodged with inhuman grace. Johan cried out as her blade carved a line across his face. She circled him, fearless against the boar monster towering over her. Johan moved to shield Yareli with his body. Even knowing she didn't need air, panic surged through him as he realized—she wasn't moving.
A sharp sting stabbed in his leg, dropping to one knee. He swung a clumsy fist at her helmeted face, but she slipped under the blow with ease. Ilma picked him apart, each strike exploiting his weak points. He couldn't win this. But he wouldn't abandon Yareli.
Selim wasn't faring much better. A point-blank sonic blast hurled him through a pillar. Luck turned against Johan as his armlet fizzled. He stumbled, reverting to human form.
"Out of power already?" Johan said, uttering a curse.
"Surrender," Ilma said coldly. "It's over."
Then Yareli moved.
Ilma recoiled as Yareli sprang up, a deep gash torn into her armor. She slashed at Ilma's neck. The Valkyrie parried, a kick driving Yareli back. But the skeletal wolf creature only grew more enraged.
Johan's eyes widened—cracks were spiderwebbing across his friend's skeletal body. "She's falling apart. She'll die if this keeps up."
Still, Yareli attacked—savage, relentless. Ilma countered every blow with calm precision. The damage to Yareli worsened with each exchange.
"Enough, Yareli!" He reached out a hand towards his friend. "We've lost! If you keep going, you'll—"
Johan screamed as Yareli slashed his face. Blood ran down his chin. He caught her, holding her tight.
"Please. No more."
Yareli snarled, fangs bared—ready to kill. Then... she stopped. Blood trickled onto her face. She looked at him—and recognition in her empty eye sockets. Johan wasn't sure how he knew this, but he knew.
"Johan?" The voice from her skull was ragged.
"Yes. It's me." His voice was soft. "It's over. Please stop."
"I hurt you…" Pain seeped from her words. She looked around—at the destruction she's unwillingly caused—and collapsed as all strength left her.
"I did this… didn't I?" Tears poured from her empty, skeletal canine sockets.
Johan held her close. "It's okay."
A shadow loomed above. He shoved her aside just as a sword slammed down between them.
"What are you doing?!" Johan shouted, furious.
"Eliminating Fenrir. I will destroy her before she becomes a threat again." The Valkyrie's voice was icy.
What the hell was her problem with Yareli?! They were vulnerable. He had to think fast.
Johan's hand brushed his pocket. The Uhyre key. Yareli's key.
She still had her belt. Maybe—
"We can still fight," he said, pulling it out.
"Oh, so that's where it went." Yareli's claws gestured vaguely. "Could you insert it for me? My hands are kinda useless."
"Let's kick her ass!" Johan smirked, sliding the key into her Ragnadriver.
"Henshin!"
Sparkles burst from the device. For a moment, Johan feared it would fail—but her armor shifted, morphing to fit her monstrous body. Still red, but sharper. More primal.
"What is this?" Wilson murmured. "Her power… evolved?"
"An evolution?" Ilma echoed, intrigued.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Selim rasped, staggering to his feet.
"Call this… Beast Form!" Yareli roared.
She charged Ilma—no tactics, just fury. Ilma moved to counter, but Yareli's wild barrage overwhelmed her. The Valkyrie fought with deadly skill—but her strikes glanced off Fenrir's new armor. One brutal kick sent Ilma crashing through a concrete wall.
"I'm not done yet." Ilma stumbled forward, her armor a mangled mess, barely holding together.
Yareli roared and her claws raised for the killing blow.
"Yareli, don't!" Johan screamed.
She froze, clutching her head.
"I'm fine," she gasped. "It's hard… to control this form."
That hesitation gave Wilson his opening. His sonic cry blasted her across the parking lot. She flipped midair and landed on her feet, growling. Then she charged at him again.
Johan's heart sank as he saw Selim slip through the stairwell door.
"Damn it". Johan couldn't let him escape—not with Abbey and Eldred up there. He turned to follow, limping. Each step sent a spike of pain, but he fought forward anyway.
"I hope that new form lets you win, Yareli." He clenched his sword and entered the stairwell.
"Terrorize." Nothing. Johan armlet sparked before dying again. "Wonderful. No power at all!" He cursed before limping up the stairs, each step sapping his lagging strength. His sword would have to do.
He heard footsteps above. Selim. Johan climbed. The trail ended at the first-floor door. He threw it open—ducked—just as an electrified web blasted past him, setting the door ablaze.
"So you're the one who followed me?" Selim stood in a bland corridor, alone. "Do you have a death wish?"
"Your face pisses me off." Johan raised his sword. Since he'd come to Bifrost, Selim and his Niflhed had tormented him. He'd had enough.
"Can you even transform?" Selim said, scoffing. The spider beast circled around him, though Johan sensed his weakness. The Niflhed leader's leg had suffered serious injuries, and he walked with a terrible limp. One slip-up, and Johan could finish him.
Still, this is a crazy long shot. That carapace looks thick. Inspiration struck as he saw the slot protruding from his sword. He'd almost forgotten about it, unable to use it because of his transformation.
Selim gave a contemptuous snort. "It will only take a single swipe to finish you." Without warning, the monster struck.
With the spider monster's speed, Johan knew dodging would be impossible. His only chance of winning was to stand firm. He inserted his Uhyre key into his sword and slashed forward, meeting Selim's charge head-on. His sword blazed to life, glowing golden with the brightness of a thousand suns. It caught Selim's extended claw and dug into it.
"Flame Strike!"
The spider monster howled in pain and surprise, and Johan's blade continued further, cutting and burning through the Niflhed leader's thick exoskeleton like paper. A strangled gurgle of pain escaped Selim's mandibles as the blade impaled him. The sword continued to burn, emitting an odor that made Johan gag.
"No." Selim used his dying breath to rip Johan apart with his remaining claws, but his life extinguished first, and he collapsed, lifeless.