This is a tree, Wendy thought, gazing down at the colossal tree whose branches were vaguely visible through the sea of clouds beneath her. She stood atop its crown, walking among the clouds, while in the distance, a magnificent palace loomed.
"The top of the giant tree, a magnificent palace... Uh, is this... Asgard?"
Wendy recalled a lesson on Norse mythology from her Valkyrie training long ago. It was this mythology that gave the Valkyries their name, and many of Schicksal's advanced weapons were also named after figures from Norse legends.
"Come here, My Apostle, My child... Receive My gift..."
The cold, ethereal voice echoed once more from the distant palace, calling out to the girl who had entered this realm, awaiting her arrival.
"Hmph... Another trick from the Honkai, I see!"
The green-haired Valkyrie seemed unimpressed by the scene before her, convinced it was merely another illusion conjured by the Honkai. Yet humans are creatures driven by curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. Her legs, miraculously restored in this dreamlike state, obeyed her insatiable curiosity, leading her toward the magnificent palace.
"Just one look... just a peek... Asgard from the myths... even the Schicksal Overseer probably hasn't seen it..."
The young girl murmured to herself as she walked toward the Golden Court, her eyes scanning the dazzling, golden architecture along the way.
Everything here was eerily silent. Not a single soul stirred in the magnificent streets and buildings. After that single call, the world had once again fallen into stillness.
"Ehh, so it is fake after all... Not a soul in sight. If you're going to trick someone, at least make it convincing! Where's the sincerity?"
The green-haired girl pouted in annoyance.
In the distant Golden Court, the golden-haired woman seated upon the Throne heard Wendy's words. Her eyebrows arched slightly, and she raised a hand, snapping her fingers in the green-haired girl's direction.
"As you wish—My Apostle," her cold, clear voice echoed through the air once more.
The moment the words faded... the next moment, the streets leading to the Golden Court became a teeming sea of people. The bustling crowd grew so dense that Wendy instantly lost her sense of direction, buffeted and jostled through the sea of bodies, completely overwhelmed.
"...Tch, what a petty God. One little complaint and you send this whole crowd to crush me?"
Squeezed into an unknown corner of the throng, Wendy muttered under her breath, terrified the mysterious voice might overhear again.
"Seriously, why is everyone meddling with my dream?" she grumbled, pouting and puffing out her cheeks.
"Come forth, My Apostle—" This time, the clear, resonant voice boomed from behind her.
"Wah—!" Startled by the sudden voice, Wendy stumbled forward, nearly falling. She whirled around to see that the bustling crowd had somehow pushed her right up to the golden Palace.
The booming voice emanated from within the grand hall.
"Tch, so mysterious! I'll just barge in and beat you up first!" Recovering from her shock, Wendy's irritation turned to bravado. She rolled up her sleeves and stormed across the Palace threshold, ready to give the Palace's occupant a good thrashing.
The magnificent hall was dominated by gold and black, its floor paved with a glass-like material etched with golden patterns. At the far end of the hall, a golden-haired girl sat upon the Throne, her half-closed blue eyes observing the green-haired Valkyrie, who had brazenly barged into the Palace without any semblance of decorum. A golden spear lay flat across the girl's lap.
As Wendy gazed at the figure on the Throne, a sudden wave of calmness washed over her, and cold sweat poured down her back.
Wendy, oh Wendy, why did you act so impulsively? She's holding a spear! That thing could skewer at least nine of you in one strike!
The green-haired Valkyrie, who had originally planned to charge into the hall and slap the voice's owner, now felt her resolve falter. Staring at the sharp, golden spear, Wendy began to retreat slowly, step by step, her mind focused on slipping out of the hall unnoticed.
"Why do you flee...? Come closer, My Apostle. I have an Authority to bestow upon you."
Resting her chin on her left fist, the golden-haired God watched with amusement as the Valkyrie tried to slip away step by step.
"Um... let's make a deal... you know, like... um..."
Wendy stammered, her gaze fixed on the woman before her, who appeared to be about her age.
"Oh? That deal?" The golden-haired maiden on the throne smirked, her eyes gleaming with amusement. She watched, faintly amused, as the green-haired Valkyrie subtly edged toward the grand hall's exit.
"Exactly! Big Boss, just pretend I was never here—!"
As soon as the words left her lips, Wendy abandoned all pretense and bolted for the door. Thanks to her legs having been restored in the dream realm, she felt like she was back in her Valkyrie training days, when she consistently placed first in marching, hiking, and cross-country drills.
At that moment, she felt confident: As long as I run fast enough, disaster will always be one step behind! Besides... Such a distinguished and noble figure seated on the Throne would never stoop to chasing me down with a spear, right?
Big Bosses like that must care about their dignity... Personally chasing after me to drag me back? No, wait—arguing with an ordinary Valkyrie like me would be beneath them, wouldn't it?
But the girl seemed to have forgotten one crucial thing: such supremely noble figures always have servants or proxies to act on their behalf. Moreover, she wasn't exactly an insignificant nobody—from the very beginning, the figure on the Divine Seat had already recognized her as her Apostle.
"Muninn... go bring her back..."
A weary voice echoed through the grand hall behind Wendy.
Huh? Someone else is here? Wait... Muninn... isn't that Odin's bird?! Why am I panicking over a bird?
The green-haired Valkyrie initially panicked upon hearing another presence in the space, stumbling momentarily. But after a brief, calm assessment of the situation, she concluded that the advantage was hers and resumed her headlong sprint.
In the Golden Palace, at the call of the golden-haired girl, the silver-haired girl who had been in Wendy's room materialized beside Snow.
"...Master, is it finished already?" Muninn seemed puzzled. After delivering the green-haired Valkyrie to her Divine Master's Divine Realm, she had been secretly snacking on Wendy's treats until her mistress summoned her.
"No... she escaped. Capture her immediately. Don't let her run amok in Asgard... I haven't finished building this place yet... Be careful she doesn't fall."
Snow rubbed her temples as she issued the order to her Apostle.