Niflheim (3)
The serpent inched closer to Sybil, its head now filling her entire field of vision.
[Lucky, you say…?]
The serpent's face was unreadable, devoid of any discernible expression. Yet, Sybil could sense a flicker of curiosity in its eyes.
[Are you truly unable to use Eclexis?]
“Yes. I only recently discovered this.”
Sybil replied with a smile, though it was difficult to maintain her composure in the face of such a colossal creature. If it decided to open its jaws and swallow her whole, there would be no escape.
A serpent's strike was already faster than any ordinary human could react to. Sybil, being a seasoned warrior, could at least register the movement, but the sheer size of this serpent rendered her reflexes useless. Even if she dodged, some part of her would inevitably end up in its maw.
Despite the palpable tension and pressure, Sybil held onto her smile.
[…Impossible. That cannot be.]
The serpent tilted its head, its face turning completely sideways as it slowly circled Sybil, as if trying to examine her from every angle.
As the serpent coiled around her, Sybil asked, “By the way, what’s your name? I meant to ask earlier.”
[I am Jörmungandr.]
Jörmungandr.
Sybil pursed her lips. She had a hunch the moment she laid eyes on the colossal serpent. What else could it be but Jörmungandr?
‘To think I would meet the mythical beast from the legends…’
The serpent that was said to be so large that it could encircle the world and grasp its own tail. While the tale was likely an exaggeration, seeing Jörmungandr in person made her understand why such a story would arise.
But if this serpent was truly Jörmungandr, there was something she needed to confirm.
“Then, are you on the side of the giants?”
[What?]
The serpent stopped circling her, its head turning back to face Sybil.
“I was taught that you were abandoned by Odin.”
Odin, having received a prophecy of his demise in Ragnarök, went to great lengths to avert his fate. Among those destined to bring about Ragnarök was Jörmungandr.
And so, Odin abandoned Jörmungandr.
[…It was unavoidable.]
The serpent replied, tilting its head slightly.
[It’s true that Odin abandoned me. And I do harbor resentment towards him for it. But it was a prophecy, a destiny that had to be fulfilled.]
Sybil looked back into the serpent’s eyes. There was no sign of vengeance in them.
“You understand because it was a prophecy? Even if it meant your own sacrifice?”
[Prophecy is absolute. Even if I were Odin, I would have done the same. Odin cast me away, fearing that I would bring about Ragnarök. If I were to then fulfill that prophecy out of spite, wouldn’t that make me a fool?]
Sybil was taken aback by the serpent’s words.
This was different from the stories she had heard.
She had been told that Fenrir and Jörmungandr were always sharpening their fangs, waiting for the day they could take revenge on the gods.
She had assumed Jörmungandr would be an ally to the Frondier, who were heading towards a battle against the gods.
‘…No, perhaps this is actually more natural. Assuming Jörmungandr understands Odin’s situation completely.’
Sybil shifted her perspective.
Jörmungandr held no immediate desire for vengeance against the gods. Therefore, it had no intention of initiating Ragnarök.
However, there was a contradiction in Jörmungandr’s words.
Prophecy is absolute.
If that was true, then Ragnarök would inevitably come to pass.
‘That means there’s something I’m missing. Something that would make Jörmungandr turn against the Gods. Something that hasn’t happened yet. But what could it be?’
Sybil’s thoughts deepened.
And as always, when she was lost in thought…
Click
Clank, clank
…the sound of gears grinding reached her ears.
‘Ugh, not this again.’
Sybil frowned slightly. These auditory hallucinations showed no signs of abating, even after her heart had been swayed by the Frondier. At least they no longer haunted her sleep.
[…?]
Jörmungandr raised its head.
[What is that sound?]
“Ah, well, that’s…”
Sybil started to explain, then looked up, having heard something she shouldn’t have.
“…What sound are you talking about?”
[Can you not hear it? That clicking, clanking sound. Like the turning of gears.]
Jörmungandr said.
A clicking, clanking sound.
Sybil's face went blank.
This sound shouldn’t be audible to anyone else.
It couldn’t be.
Because it was her auditory hallucination.
The one she heard when fate was aligning itself around her.
“…You can hear that sound?”
[What do you mean…?]
This time, it was Jörmungandr’s expression that changed. Or rather, the serpent’s usual lack of expression was replaced by a look of shock.
[Indeed. That is your sound! Which means, in this reality, others shouldn’t be able to hear it!]
“My, my sound? What does that mean?”
[Don’t you understand yet? That is the reason you can enter Pandemonium!]
Sybil’s eyes widened.
“…Don’t tell me, that sound is…”
[Yes, that is your Eclexis.]
Sybil was speechless.
—The child loved by fate.
—The term ‘unparalleled genius’ is far too inadequate.
—Intuition that always leads to the right answer.
She had always been burdened with excessive praise.
In truth, most of those exaggerated accolades came from the Frondier, and Sybil only heard about them later.
The Frondier held Sybil in the highest regard, yet was also the most wary of her.
While his wariness bothered her slightly, she considered his praise to be an exaggeration.
But if this was true…
Sybil had been using Eclexis all along, ahead of everyone else.
[I’ve changed my mind.]
“Changed your mind about what?”
[At first, I was intrigued by your presence here and wanted to know your true nature.]
A murderous glint flashed in the serpent’s eyes.
[But I think it’s best to kill you after all.]
“…Oh, I see.”
Hiss—!
///
The serpent opened its jaws wide, lunging towards Sybil.
As Sybil had initially thought, it was an attack she could never hope to dodge.
And yet.
Clank, whir, clang!
Before Sybil could even react, a strange sound echoed through the air.
Crack!
The sound of snapping jaws closing just before her eyes.
[…!]
Jörmungandr was surprised, and Sybil felt her heart pound against her ribs.
‘If I had been bitten by that, my body would have been ripped in two. Vertically.’
The serpent looked back at Sybil.
It had lunged with the clear intention of swallowing her whole. But it had missed.
It didn’t seem like Sybil had moved. Nor had the serpent miscalculated or fumbled its attack.
It was simply that…
‘It got farther away.’
Both of them arrived at the same conclusion simultaneously.
The distance between Sybil and Jörmungandr had increased. At the exact moment when Jörmungandr tried to swallow her.
Jörmungandr couldn’t comprehend this situation.
‘What was that? Even if this is Pandemonium, how could something like this happen? This isn’t the domain of spatial magic!’
Among humans, only the Auspice could achieve something similar, and even then, only with ample preparation. It wasn’t a magic one used to counter a serpent’s attack.
Click, clank, whir!
The sound of gears, Sybil’s auditory hallucination, was now louder than ever.
No, she knew now that it wasn’t a hallucination.
Jörmungandr had confirmed it.
‘This is my Eclexis…’
Hiss—!
Crack!
The serpent lunged again, aiming to bite Sybil, but it still couldn't reach her.
“Are you really trying to kill me? We don’t have any bad blood between us!”
[This isn’t about grudges. It’s a necessity!]
“Necessity, you say?”
[Yes. From the moment you ignited the flames of ambition in the heart of the King of Palma, you and I became enemies!]
Whoosh—
The serpent lifted its massive tail, the sheer size of it almost impossible to comprehend. As its tail rose high into the air, seemingly about to touch the very bottom of the sky, Sybil stared at it in awe.
Whizz!
Crash—!!
The tail crashed down onto the sea, creating a colossal tsunami that surged towards Sybil.
The sea was Jörmungandr’s domain. This entire space was its Eclexis.
“That’s cowardly! I don’t even have a weapon!”
Sybil crouched down, unable to mount a proper defense against the approaching wave.
‘Come to think of it, something similar happened before.’
She recalled a past event.
The time when Poseidon had summoned a tidal wave to send her flying.
Poseidon had wanted to see how she would react, but Sybil had simply allowed herself to be swept away by the wave, soaring high into the sky. It had worked out well for her in the end.
However, in Pandemonium, neither mana nor aura could be used.
For Sybil, whose fighting style relied on the combination of those two forces, this was the worst possible battlefield.
The only thing she could rely on was her Eclexis.
In Pandemonium, the only way to win was to clash with the very force of one’s soul.
‘I still don’t fully understand what my Eclexis is.’
She had never been conscious of her own soul.
But if, as Jörmungandr said, this sound of gears grinding was her Eclexis…
‘I’ve always just let it be…’
If amplifying this sound was the key to using her Eclexis…
Sybil extended her hand towards the oncoming tsunami.
This entire sea was Jörmungandr’s domain.
Conversely…
Sybil had yet to reveal her own.
Sybil Forte.
Eclexis.
Time for confirmation.
Boom!
The tsunami Jörmungandr had summoned instantly dispersed into a fine mist, scattering across the sky.
Sybil stood firm on solid ground. Her domain expanded endlessly, pushing back the sea and giving rise to countless things upon the land.
Beside Sybil, a field of wheat sprouted. At her feet, flowers bloomed. Trees grew tall, bearing fruit on their branches.
It was a scene of pure nature, and yet, it was also a scene of humanity.
And before Sybil’s eyes…
“Huh?”
…a giant scythe floated in mid-air.
Sybil instinctively reached out and grabbed it. The scythe was as tall as she was. It was lighter than it looked, but still an awkward size to wield freely.
‘…Wait, isn’t this something a Grim Reaper would carry around?’
Sybil made a strange face. It was as if she was being told she was the Grim Reaper herself.
She looked around her surroundings.
This was the domain she had created, and yet, she couldn’t quite grasp it.
She had always heard the sound of gears grinding in her ears.
So why was this idyllic landscape appearing instead of gears?
[…No.]
Jörmungandr, however, was in a different state.
[No, it can’t be! This can’t be happening!]
Jörmungandr seemed to have realized something upon seeing Sybil’s form.
[You’re really…! You’ve possessed her!]
Jörmungandr suddenly cried out.
It didn’t seem like it was talking to Sybil.
Yet, its gaze was fixed on her.
‘Possessed…?’
Sybil tilted her head, confused.
This was the question that had plagued her for so long.
‘Is it about divine power?’
—I thought I had received divine power.
Not only Sybil, but everyone who knew her believed the same.
That her brilliant talent stemmed from the power of a god.
However, unlike everyone else who knew who their patron god was, Sybil did not.
—Am I loved by a shy god? Or am I just incredibly lucky?
—…Or am I…—Am I a devil?
Sybil stared at Jörmungandr.
Did this serpent know her true nature?
“Mr. Jörmungandr, what do you mean? Are you saying my power is divine?”
As Sybil spoke and took a step forward, Jörmungandr recoiled in fear.
[Divine power? Divine power, you say? No, that’s not it! Your very being is not like that!]
My being?
Sybil frowned at its words. Jörmungandr continued,
[The blood of a god flows through your veins! You’re a demigod!]
A demigod? Sybil’s brow furrowed.
That’s impossible.
My father was just an ordinary engraver who etched runes onto weapons. He was renowned for his skill, but that was all.
And my mother…
…My mother…
“...Don’t tell me.”
Sybil’s eyes narrowed.
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Finally, one of the mystery
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