Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Road to Valhalla Chapter 55: Sun Rises in Every World
The sun was starting to come up. I suppose it wanted to see the climax of that long harrowing struggle which to me, felt like a ruse we've been playing on ourselves. I wonder if I was the only one who felt like that. Chopper was there and like always, he knew something that the rest of us hadn't managed to realize. I'd been having that feeling for a while now and I know I was right. Sight was somewhere back there too. His presence always eluded me. I can't tell you what he looked like in that moment. As for Lady, I know she was there. But she seemed so distant as if none of this mattered to her. What the consequences would be, was none of her concern. To be blunt, and it makes me sad to say so, she didn't care.Deli and Magnus were locked with each other, each impaling the heart of the other. I had lost movement in my body, I even forgot to breathe. I can't quite remember what I was like in that moment."You'll kill me?", Magnus's voice broke the utter silence, "You...are superior?"H
Road to Valhalla Chapter 56: Deception 101
When I came to my senses, I was buried in insects who truly seemed to be out for my blood. I found Chopper in an even worse predicament. He was dying beneath a huge pile of leeches that were sucking out what little blood he had left. I later looked for Sight who was entertaining himself with the battle of some stray beetles. I had to remind him he was supposed to take us home."Oh, boy!", he acted like he totally hadn't forgotten about my existence, "We are home, alright. I brought us back to the present. Ah, you must have forgotten, boy, that we were in the past."He then went on to laugh heartily and when he was done, he went back to his roaming. I had to remind him of Chopper before he decided it might not be altogether bad if we headed home for real.I wanted to ask him if he had seen Felix's body but then I refrained from asking anything."In any case, Sight, who called Lady here anyway?", I asked while we were walking back. Sight was carrying Chopper on his back, something Chopp
Road to Valhalla Chapter 57: Shopping with Lady
"That was a bit...", she was gasping for air, "...unexpected, huh?""Lady...", I answered as I lay dying on my back, short on oxygen and legs feeling like they had melted, "You are crazy."We were in the middle of nowhere, under a thick tree that was shedding its fall leaves, I could barely recognize the place. So how had we ended up in this situation, drenched in a liter of sweat despite the cold autumn winds and no apparent dog chasing us? Well, that's because we had left the dogs behind.This morning, as I sat calmly in my little bunker that peeked outside through its singular window (a shaft in its wall really), I sipped on my hot, seemingly tasteless coffee. I put down my mug and stared at the flower pot that now housed a tiny cactus. I realized I don't like cactuses. For such a calm, bland, utterly static morning, I was having an unsettling feeling, a premonition that this day was about to get quite stormy. And what do you know, I was right.It began with a knock on my door. "L
Road to Valhalla Chapter 58: Killing Old Friends
"Alright Seraph, do you notice something odd here?""Lady, please don't ignore what I said. We're not going through with this. I'm not doing this", she seemed to be on the roll, ignoring me."Take a closer look at the cops, that's who I'm talking about. Ah, but don't take too long. We are running out of time, 'kay?""Lady...you aren't listening to me, are you?""Nope", well now she was.I sighed, knowing it was useless. I looked at the cops, trying to find something out of the ordinary but before I could say anything, she dragged me by my arm and led me to a side.We were now trespassing into the backyard of the adjacent building. I figured she intended to cross over to the bank. There must have been some sort of a backdoor that she intended to break down. Well, I suppose, nothing wrong with saving a couple of civilians, even if we were committing an offence right now. In any case, it was astonishing how sneaky she was. I was rather surprised that we managed to make our way to the ban
Road to Valhalla Chapter 59: Just Another Morning
"Lady", I asked as we were gasping like dying fishes in the middle of nowhere, "Do you believe in God?"It was probably not even humanly possible to run this fast and this far. But there we were, though on the brink of death, but for now very much alive too."Seraph", she didn't look my way, she was too busy catching her breath, "That's personal."I wanted to ask her if she didn't think this was a miracle. We should have been dead. We really should have been.We had been surrounded in the bank, our hands raised in the air and some dozen cops pointing their guns at our heads, not to mention the dead bodies in that small bank.That was before the roof of the bank caved in. I don't know how we actually managed to get out of there. It was all Lady's doing. I later learned that the place had been rigged. I suppose the thugs intended to blow the place up after they were done there. Lady knew of it. She had taken the trigger from Iori's corpse just before the cops made in. If not for the exp
Road to Valhalla Chapter 60: The Bloody Fall
"Major", she was still mulling over the map of the area when a soldier barged in. She didn't like the intrusion. For her, maps were hard enough to read on their own, a disturbance like this was absolutely unwelcomed."What do you want, soldier?", she suppressed her annoyance."You've got a call, sir", he answered before hurrying outside.She sighed. That map was definitely not helping her, she rolled it aside and headed outside. The chilly winds hit her face, she knew it was going to snow."Major!", she hadn't reached the telephone yet."What's the matter?", the whole camp was in a hassle, she looked around confused."Central says they can't send rations. The whole pass is blocked. There's been an avalanche and the signal's lost. We can't get through", she read the worry, the informant wore on his face.She silently went back to her bunker. She walked to and fro, trying to figure things out."Send the Captain", she instructed a soldier.Soon, a tall young man walked inside."Major.""
Road to Valhalla Chapter 61: Iris Bergmeier
"Lady, is that the reason you killed Bardock? For revenge?", I asked as we were returning home."That's different, Seraph. All the people responsible for that incident are already dead. Bloody Fall happened because people were careless. They underestimated what the enemy was capable of. That's the general story, anyway.""The general story?"She nodded, "Naturally, even the stratocracy needs to answer to the people sometimes. This is the story they gave out, weather conditions, bad luck, whatnot. Some officers were removed from their offices and laid off. I suppose that seemed enough to some. All those that died, like I said before, aren't coming back.""It seems to me that you think Iori was right", I looked sternly at her as we walked on."I do think so, in fact. Bloody Fall was a conspiracy.""Then, Lady, ", I asked, "Why did you kill Iori? You could have let him escape empty handed, couldn't you?""He killed the caretaker of that so-called bank, didn't you see? That person wasn't
Road to Valhalla Chapter 62: A Chance Meeting with the Dead
"Say Prophet, would you like to escort Seraph on a little mission?", Lady chippered."Ah...eh...I...", Prophet wasn't one to voice his resistance."Right you two! Get ready and set off. You've a devil to find. Now get going!"And thus, the two of us were sent on our way. When we were leaving, I saw Lady standing on the mound outside all alone. She didn't drop any advices like she always used to. She didn't even see us leave. I suppose that hectic morning had caught up to her.Now that I think about it, I got to see so little of these people unless we were traveling together. Prophet was the kind of guy who would disappear in the background, yet he was always there. He was a fidgety little guy, a tad taller than Lady but bent. He was skinny, had droopy eyes, was always looking down and smiled nervously. He spoke little, it was a struggle for him to get his opinions through to people. He had a really pale complexion, shadowed by his extremely black hair. He was always clad in black too.
Latest Chapter
- Road to Valhalla
Final Chapter: A World Where They Are No Longer
I would like to think to myself that this isn't the end. But seeing as her story went back to where it all started, I realized that my role wasn't saving her at all. I just made sure she'd continue to exist, eternally.In eternal suffering and forgetfulness and new encounters and the last times, in every world, she'll continue to exist.As for me, I couldn't bear to live in a world knowing she was somewhere out there, helpless and torn, just as she'd been when I first found her.When did I first find her?Who can say? I had always been talking about how I wished I'd met her sooner. In fact, I had always known her. Our existences were intertwined so much that I don't think either of us could just pull away and be happy all on our own without thinking of the other.After I'd returned Lady's power to her, I floated away in an empty space for an eternity. I was foolish enough to think that the sorrow would fade away one day. But no matter how long and far I floated away, the memory and th
- Road to Valhalla
Chapter 211: The End is The Beginning
It was the coldest I'd felt in ages, and there was an aching heaviness in my head that I simply couldn't seem to shake off no matter how much I walked. I don't know when, how, or why I was walking through the snow towards the top of some hill I didn't even know.For that matter, I didn't remember who I was, how I'd gotten there, or where I was going.And just like that, before I knew it, I had collapsed in a den of wolves. Luckily, it looked abandoned, so I didn't get eaten off right away. I figured it'd be a long, slow death. I found the idea of such a gentle death appealing, despite the fact that I was walking mindlessly just seconds ago.I must have passed out, for when I came to, I was stiff as a rock. And yet, I wasn't that cold anymore. I lifted my head to find myself covered in a bear pelt. Someone had been so kind as to cover me up. And yet, the pelt was rather old and shoddy. Who cared as long as it could keep me warm?I stood up, looking around, getting accustomed to my surr
- Road to Valhalla
Chapter 210: Promise
"I didn't imagine we'd ever come to a crossroads such as this", I let out a puff of smoke, standing opposite her."But, as a matter of fact, I always had a feeling we would", Lady answered with her signature smirk."Sure, you did", I said sarcastically.It was surprising at first. But things made sense soon enough. Lady had sent all of us away on a mission. She'd isolated herself at Valhalla. Chopper had left of his own accord. She'd sent Sight to look for him. Deli had gone to see her children. And she bid Lubbock and June farewell. She'd even given her fur coat to June. Grim was on a mission, too. And I was looking for Jean V. to deliver her letter.It was all exactly as it had been back then. When I'd return from meeting Jean V., Lady would already be beyond saving. Back then, all I knew was that the person who sent her that blank letter was the one who came to kill her. I never ventured to find out much else.It all made sense now as I stood be
- Road to Valhalla
Chapter 209: No Bells Ring in Heaven
"Must you leave without fulfilling my wish, Seraph?"He had some guts to ask. I looked up at the red sky. There was nothing but barren, burnt land all around us."What else could you ask for?", I looked back at him."You look so old, Seraph", he chuckled, "What exactly did you give the others?"I looked behind me without answering his question. There was no one and nothing."What? It's a long story", I answered without looking at him."We've got time to kill", he grinned."I don't", I said, but went on to answer him anyway, "I gave everyone what they wanted.""Really?"I glared at him, "Yes, really, Grim. I took a fee, of course."He laughed."And what will you take from me?", he asked, grinning.I looked around and then rested my eyes on him."There's really nothing."He seemed to agree."So how'd you manage?""Well, Grim, you could almost call it travelling back through time. Though, it really isn't that. I split the worlds to create new ones. Time doesn't exist for me anymore. Ever
- Road to Valhalla
Chapter 208: A Wonderful World
"I will take death in any way and form it comes to me, anywhere and anytime."That had to be the most brazen statement I'd heard. It took me a bit to take that statement in."You really have no special requests? If I can, I'd like to make it up to you", I sat down and stared at his bloodied face.He shook his head."Make up for what?", he asked.He didn't know me yet to call me "boy" but I suppose that's the way it had to be.I had become better at rewriting the reality. I could write quite far back in certain cases. For example, in Sight's case, I made it so he never met Lady and Chopper on the night he killed the prima donna, Czarna Dalia.Before meeting them he didn't know anything about what he'd been doing. He didn't know what an outcast was, even though he himself was an outcast. Ignorance is indeed the greatest of all blisses. And I thought for Sight, it had to be the biggest saving.Lady was right. People who see things differently are the most dangerous of all. Especially tho
- Road to Valhalla
Chapter 207: A World You Deserve
"This isn't what I asked for, Seraph", she complained, fixing her glasses on her tiny nose."I don't get what the hell it is that you want exactly, June", I was beginning to get tired."You don't understand at all", she folded her arms."You're damn right, I don't. What kind of crazy a-""One thing.", she looked at me sternly, "One thing I'm asking for is a place to be happy. Not a mother, not a wife, not a hero, not any of the other things you're trying to come up with.""What'll make you happy, exactly?", I folded my arms and leaned against the wall of Valhalla.Everyone else was off to fend the red sky off. June had been left behind in a protective barrier.She fell silent."How about Lady? Isn't she your favorite?""I could care less about her", she answered, bluntly, "I hate her.""Huh?", I wasn't sure I'd her heard her right."She does everything on a whim. She claims to understand everything when rea
- Road to Valhalla
Chapter 206: The Greatest Ordinary Man
"They are waiting for you, Monsieur Lubbock", a dark woman poked her head into the dressing room, "It's almost time for the show."The bajillion young ladies that were powdering his nose scattered away.His face was pink with heat and he wore a long fancy coat. It almost looked odd on his somewhat small figure."I'll be right there", he answered, gussying up in the mirror."Aww, you're leaving already, Monsieur?", some of the girls came up to him.He chuckled modestly."What can I say? The life of the greatest singer in the world isn't so relaxing, my dears.""You might be the greatest singer, but Monsieur is also the life of all women's hearts", one of the cheekier ones commented.Lubbock laughed. He didn't try to hide how much he loved being pampered like this."I'm sorry, girls. My audience awaits!"Saying so, he shot out of the room and hurried towards the stage. Backstage was always heated just before his shows. He was the one star that every theater wanted to have. But he was a
- Road to Valhalla
Chapter 205: The Stars in Her Eyes Still Shine
"Do you blame me for mother's death, father?", she asked, placing the empty cup of tea on the little side table.Her father wasn't facing her. He was still locked up in his study, reclining on his chair and looking out of the window at some distance lands.She sat straight, with her back erect. The weight of her gown was enough to tire her but she was made up, as befitting of a noble. She had to look all the more perfect since she was visiting her home for the first time since her marriage."Blame you?", the lord of the house spoke in his grave voice after a while, "I simply don't think you were worth her death. Esme was a wise woman. A level headed, understanding, noble woman."Faye looked at her lap."You refuse to carry out the will of the house of Vlad. You'll go as far as to commit a heinous crime to that end. I'm disappointed beyond measure."Faye pursed her lips. No one but she herself had been hurt the most by what she'd done."Vlad was born to you twice. And yet, you ungratef
- Road to Valhalla
Chapter 204: A Nice Dream For Grey Eyes
"Tell you what, Seraph, this one time, I met a girl and she had these enormous scars all over her arms and legs. I couldn't help noticing her, of course. When she told me she did it herself, I couldn't help it. I killed her then and there", he chuckled to himself, "I didn't want to do it, of course. Something just came over me. It wasn't that she told me she did it herself. It was how she said it. She was smiling.""I'm sure she wasn't smiling because she was happy", I answered, with a solemn look on my face."I'm sure of that too. I was sure of it back then too. That's probably why I killed her. But do you know how many people I've saved?"He looked at my face. I stayed silent."I've saved more people than I've killed. I've been counting since the beginning. I know, for sure, that my atonement is over. At least, it ought to be. But does it look like I'm still repenting?", he asked, smiling vaguely, knowing my answer."You do.""That's because I am. No matter how many I save...the ato
