That's impossible!

  Fenrir was supposed to be safe until Ragnarok. How could they plan to kill her before the appointed time? And this wasn’t even their own initiative, it was a direct order from Odin.

  Something was wrong here.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "We received orders directly from Odin himself," Hord explained. "Someone has twisted your fate in an unpredictable direction. It's better not to take any risks and kill you right now."

  Someone twisted fate? But... who? Me... or Loki?

  Hojlund approached Fenrir, his sword raised high, ready to strike her neck.

  "The great wolf, daughter of Loki, Fenrir. Any last words?"

  Fenrir grinned sharply, no fear reflected on her face.

  "Fuck you!"

  Everything happened so fast, I didn’t even have time to think. As I saw Hojlund’s blade about to behead Fenrir, my body moved on its own.

  "Caw!"

  I transformed into a tiger, claws and fangs ready to pounce. I didn’t want to see Fenrir suffer any more than this. At least, not yet. I still wanted to stay by her side and give her a little more happiness.

  "Graah."

  My roar seemed to break their focus, just enough for Hojlund’s sword to stop mid-swing. Their hesitation worked to my advantage as I lunged at Hojlund, slamming him into the snowy ground with the full force of my weight. His sword flew far from his grasp.

  I tried to bite and claw at Hojlund, but his skin was as hard as armor. My jaw ached from the effort.

  While Hojlund struggled to throw me off, the other two gods stared in shock at my sudden transformation.

  "He... he's a shapeshifter!"

  "Damn you, Fenrir! How dare you give a rune to a lowly creature like him!"

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Fenrir’s gaze, an expression too complex to decipher. Worry? Pity? Recklessness? Or maybe pride? I didn’t know.

  I didn’t have time to think about it.

  My focus was on protecting Fenrir and taking down these gods. Luckily, they weren’t gods of any renown, which gave me a little confidence that I could hold my own.

  I let out a fierce growl and kept trying to wound Hojlund, though his iron-tough skin made it nearly impossible.

  "Hang on, Brother Hojlund! We’ll help you soon!"

  "Ugh... No need."

  Suddenly, I felt Hojlund’s grip clamp around me tightly. Pain surged through me as I realized how strong his hold was.

  "Graah."

  I felt my body being lifted by his muscular arms. With ease, he hoisted me onto his shoulder and then slammed me into the ground, sending snowflakes scattering everywhere.

  Pain shot through my ribs. I could feel some of them cracking from that single blow. I couldn’t believe it. Just one slam, and I was already this injured.

  Of course, even nameless gods were still gods. There was no way I could match their overwhelming power.

  In the distance, I could hear Fenrir’s worried scream. "Stop! Don’t hurt him! You’re after me, aren’t you? Come on, you bastards!"

  But the gods seemed to have lost interest in Fenrir, now intent on finishing me off first. They ignored her plea and strutted toward me arrogantly.

  "You little shapeshifter," Hojlund sneered. He kicked me violently, sending me flying across the snow, nearly crashing into a tree.

  "Did you really think you could defeat us with your useless rune, huh?"

  I glared at Hojlund as he approached with a smug grin on his face, like a bully who enjoyed tormenting his prey.

  Damn it, what should I do now? I was clearly no match for them.

  The two other gods joined Hojlund, circling around me like vultures waiting for their meal.

  "What should we do with him?"

  "Let’s teach him a lesson for daring to attack us," Hojlund chuckled darkly. "We’ll make sure he never tries it again."

  Their words sent a chill down my spine. These gods wouldn’t hesitate to hurt or even kill anyone who stood in their way. And I was hopelessly outmatched.

  "Run, Yata!"

  Fenrir’s desperate warning snapped me out of my fear. I had to escape before they tortured or killed me.

  Taking advantage of the distraction, I shifted into a raven and tried to fly away.

  But before I could get far, a fist-sized rock shot through the air and struck my wing. I lost balance and crashed to the ground.

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  "Did you think you could escape us that easily, you lowly creature?"

  I quickly got back up, flapping my wings to attempt another escape. But before I could rise even a meter, Hojlund’s powerful hand grabbed me mid-flight.

  "Got you! Thought you could run after scratching up my face, you damn bird?"

  He squeezed my wing tightly, as if trying to snap it in half.

  "Caw. Caw." I screeched in agony.

  "How does that feel, huh? Hurts, doesn’t it?" Hojlund laughed cruelly at my pained cries. "This is what you get for messing up my face!"

  In the midst of my torment, an enraged voice cut through the cruelty.

  "What are you doing? How dare you hurt him! Let him go! You want me, don’t you? Leave him alone!"

  It was clearly Fenrir’s voice, still bound but burning with fury.

  The gods chuckled at her defiance, despite her own miserable state.

  "Hey, Hojlund. What do you say we torture and kill this little creature right in front of her before we finish her off?"

  Hojlund turned to look at the bulky one who had suggested such a cruel idea. "That’s a great idea, Svart. I can’t wait to see the despair on her face when her little pet suffers because of her."

  I froze in horror. Forget morality, they were worse than I had imagined.

  "Caw."

  A chilling fear crept down my spine. This wasn’t just an empty threat, they really were planning to torture and kill me.

  "Caw. Caw."

  My heart pounded as I struggled against Hojlund’s grip, but it was useless. My strength was fading fast, and my wings were going numb.

  "Relax, little bird. You won’t need these wings anymore."

  At that moment, Fenrir’s voice rang out again, angrier than ever. "Cowards! How dare you hurt someone weaker who can’t even fight back!"

  But her words fell on deaf ears.

  "I told you to shut up!" Hord snapped at Fenrir. "Alright, little bird, since our precious princess is so worried about you, let’s have some fun before we kill you. Just as planned."

  I tried one last time to escape Hojlund’s grip, but it was futile. He was too strong, and there was no way out now. They laid my body down right in front of Fenrir, ready to break me in spirit as well.

  "Let’s start with those beautiful black feathers." Svart grinned wide, sending a wave of dread through me.

  He began plucking my feathers one by one, and I cried out in agony. The torture was unbearable.

  "Caw. Caw."

  The pain radiated through my entire body with each merciless pluck.

  I could feel warm blood trickling through the tiny pores of my skin as my feathers were ripped from their roots. Slowly, my body became drenched in thick, crimson liquid, its metallic stench filling the air.

  "Caw. Caw." Tears streamed down quietly as I watched my feathers torn away mercilessly.

  Feathers aren't just decorations for birds; they are like clothes, a symbol of our identity. Having them plucked without mercy carves deep wounds in our hearts.

  "Stop this madness! What purpose does this serve besides satisfying your twisted pleasure?!" Fenrir’s screams seemed like nothing more than whispers, drowned beneath the depravity these gods inflicted upon me.

  I collapsed to the ground once they finished plucking nearly all of my feathers. My whole body felt numb, and now I was too weak even to stand.

  Meanwhile, I caught a glimpse of Fenrir still struggling, tirelessly trying to break free from the chains of Gleipnir, even though it was impossible.

  "Stop this! Let him go! He has nothing to do with this!" Fenrir kept shouting relentlessly.

  I could see the tears welling in her golden eyes, usually sharp and fierce. Whether it was because she didn’t want to be left alone or because she couldn’t stand seeing me suffer further, I didn’t know.

  I wanted to help her, to comfort her. But I was powerless, too weak even to run away from the grip of these merciless gods.

  "Now that we've had our fun, let's finish this as a grand finale. Think of it as our final gift to your master," Hojlund said, stepping forward with his sword drawn. "I'll split you in two. Don’t worry, your master will soon follow you to Helheim. You won’t be lonely, little bird."

  My heart pounded wildly at his words. I knew... this was the end.

  "No! Stop it, you bastards!"

  Just as Hojlund’s blade was about to slice through me, Hord’s sharp voice suddenly halted him.

  "Wait, Brother!"

  Hojlund looked at him in annoyance. "Why did you stop me?"

  Hord glanced at Fenrir, who had shut her eyes tightly. "Look, she's closed her eyes. Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to force her to watch?"

  Hojlund slapped his forehead. "You’re a genius, Hord." His gaze then shifted to Svart, who had been busy with his bottle of drink. "Svart, force her to open her eyes."

  Svart followed his brother’s order. He walked toward Fenrir and yanked her hair brutally.

  "Aaagh!"

  "Open your eyes, ugly mutt."

  A surge of emotion erupted within me as I saw Hojlund cruelly force Fenrir to witness my death. Anger, sorrow, and an overwhelming urge to strike these despicable gods flooded my mind.

  They were beyond forgiveness.

  In the depths of my helplessness, memories of Fenrir’s smile suddenly drifted through my thoughts. Flashes of our daily moments together pieced together like fragments of a puzzle in my mind.

  A sudden, burning resolve filled my heart. A determination to end this madness, to save someone, to protect her.

  Now I knew which choice I had to make.

  She deserved it...

  Hojlund raised his sword once more, ready to cut me down.

  With little strength I had, I transformed into a snake.

  "That damned bird still has energy left!"

  I slithered swiftly between Hojlund and Hord, and within a heartbeat, I was beneath Svart.

  Without hesitation, I shifted back into my human form.

  Thud.

  "Aaaargh!"

  I punched Svart in the face with all my might, knocking him backward.

  I heard a crack as my fist connected. Pain surged through my knuckles, and my hand went numb, I was sure a few of my fingers were broken.

  "Why did you come here?! Get out of here, you stupid bird! Don’t worry about me!"

  "Shut up! I’m going to free you!"

  Fenrir glared at me bitterly. "Impossible! You won’t be able to do it! Just leave before they kill you!"

  I ignored her warning. My trembling hands reached for the small knife Loki had given me, its blade gleaming in the morning sunlight.

  "Trust me..."

  Fenrir stared into my eyes.

  I didn’t know what she was thinking at that moment, but one thing was clear, I wouldn’t back down. I had no more doubts, no matter the cost.

  I raised the knife high, ready to cut through the chains of Gleipnir that had bound Fenrir for so long.

  "Break free from your chains, mighty wolf, Fenrir!"

  Crack.

  A blinding flash of light exploded the moment Gleipnir shattered.

  The earth trembled violently, shaking the entire valley with a mighty quake. The sky shuddered as if it were about to collapse. Nature itself seemed to respond, marking the release of Fenrir from her bonds.

  An overwhelming and terrifying aura of power surged from Fenrir, flooding the silent valley of Lyngvi.

  I didn’t care about the consequences of disturbing the fate Yggdrasil had woven so carefully. I just wanted to save the girl who had always been shackled and tormented. She deserved freedom and happiness. I would bet everything on that.

  "Thank you, Yata..."

  Her soft voice was like a gentle whisper. I said nothing in return, but a genuine smile curved my lips as I watched Fenrir freed.

  She embraced me warmly, as if she had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

  But that beautiful moment was soon shattered by the angry screams of the gods.

  "What did that damned bird just do?! Doesn’t he realize what kind of monster he’s unleashed?!"

  Fenrir paid them no mind. Instead, her eyes were filled with sorrow as she gazed upon my battered body.

  "You’ve done your best. Now it’s my turn to save you, Yatagarasu."

  I smiled weakly. She was right. I couldn’t deny how broken my body already was.

  "I leave the rest to you, Fen."

  I closed my eyes, letting the thick darkness consume my consciousness. I was too tired to see what would happen next. My duty was done. Now it was Fenrir’s turn to unleash her fury.