“My name is Modi, the Wrath,” said Thor’s blond son as he pointed his massive axe at the members of Orniskem.

  “And mine is Magni, the Mighty,” added Thor’s other son, raising his axe almost in perfect unison with his brother.

  Both gods wore nearly identical armor; if not for their hair color and facial hair, they would have been indistinguishable.

  “My name is Menrva, and these two are Tania and Ana. The three of us will be your opponents,” proclaimed the Etruscan goddess as the sky darkened and lightning began to crack.

  “A Jupiter. We shall see whether you are worthy of your element, Menrva,” Heimdal said calmly, gripping the hilt of the sword planted in the ground and closing his eyes.

  “Whenever you’re ready,” Tania said to Modi, the Asgardian god standing before her.

  “Today we will measure the results of our training,” Ana added, pointing her sword at Magni.

  “Ful-kompna v?rn (Absolute Defense),” Heimdal intoned, and at the same instant Modi and Magni lunged forward, attacking with their axes.

  Tania and Ana evaded their strikes effortlessly. In the same motion, Tania plunged her flaming claw into Modi’s abdomen, while Ana severed Magni’s arm with a clean slash. Both gods crashed to the ground, carried forward by the momentum of their own attacks.

  Menrva hurled her lightning spear at Heimdal. The weapon struck an invisible barrier surrounding him—and time froze.

  A massive shockwave erupted from Heimdal’s shield and slammed into the Etruscan goddess. Menrva felt her bones and internal organs shatter as she was flung backward, crashing to the ground in a pool of blood. Her spear was thrown aside and landed near her.

  “My technique is perfect defense, Menrva,” Heimdal said calmly, without moving an inch. “Any attack that strikes my shield is countered by an unavoidable shockwave.”

  “They are stronger than rumored,” Modi said as he stood up, his wounds already healing.

  “This will be interesting,” Magni replied as his severed arm reattached itself.

  “Menrva, are you alright?!” Ana shouted, horrified at the sight of the Etruscan goddess lying bloodied on the ground.

  Rodrigo, Epona, Anpiel, and Susanoo moved to join the fight, but Menrva’s voice stopped them.

  “If this were my limit, my goddess Athena would never have chosen me as leader!” Menrva said.

  Before their stunned eyes, she vanished, leaving only crackling static behind.

  An instant later, a thunderous electric explosion struck Heimdal’s barrier, and a bolt of lightning crashed down like a meteor, carving a massive crater into the ground. Menrva stood at its center, blood pouring from her mouth, eyes, and wounds—yet she was smiling.

  “My defense cannot be bypassed, not even by teleportation,” Heimdal said evenly.

  “I assumed as much,” Menrva replied between labored breaths. “But the experiment was worth it.”

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  Modi and Magni stood side by side and raised their axes in unison.

  “Tvíburabylgja (Twin Wave)!”

  A colossal sonic gale surged toward Tania and Ana. They braced themselves; Ana summoned her shield, Dubán.

  The blast sent them flying, and they crashed down beside Menrva, who was already forcing herself back to her feet.

  “Do not underestimate them,” Menrva said, breathing heavily. “They are fighting to kill.”

  “Menrva, your wounds aren’t healing!” Ana cried in horror.

  “That shockwave is absurdly powerful,” Menrva replied, still smiling despite the pain. “I doubt even Ares—or my former anunnaki, Tinia—possessed power like that.”

  “Do you want help with him?” Tania asked.

  “No. It’s time to stop playing,” Menrva said as she staggered toward Heimdal’s barrier. “Our mission is to reach Vinland as quickly as possible. Remember that.”

  “Then let’s give it everything we have,” Ana said, bumping her fist against Tania’s.

  “Gladly,” Tania replied, flames wrapping around her fist.

  “The last attack was not enough,” Modi shouted.

  “Yes, you will now witness the true power of Thor’s sons!” Magni added.

  “Tvíburabylgja!”

  The sonic storm erupted again, obliterating everything in its path—then vanished in an instant, leaving only a cloud of dust.

  As it cleared, the brothers stared in disbelief.

  Tania stood there, her right hand raised. She had entered her Manticore Form.

  “That’s impossible! She stopped our ultimate technique with her bare hand!” Modi shouted.

  Behind her, Ana advanced calmly, gripping the massive sword Gram with both hands.

  “That sword… is that Gram? The blade Sigurd used to slay the dragon Fafnir?!” Magni exclaimed.

  “Indeed,” Ana replied coldly. “And with this blade, I will split you both in two.”

  “We can’t let her wield a weapon of our world! Take it from her at all costs!” Modi roared.

  “Then try,” Tania answered. “But remember—you’ll have to defeat me as well.”

  “I propose a wager,” Ana added. “The winning team keeps the sword. Agreed?”

  “Don’t get clever, witch!” Modi snarled.

  Meanwhile, Menrva stood before an unmoving Heimdal, still smiling through her injuries.

  “Let me confirm something,” she said. “No matter the strength of the attack—even a spark—your countershock is always the same, correct?”

  “The third time it strikes you will be your end,” Heimdal replied flatly.

  He paused.

  There is something strange about her thoughts… I cannot read them clearly.

  “Are you finally worried?” Menrva mocked. “Good. That means my plan is working.”

  Heimdal’s expression returned to calm neutrality.

  “My shockwave freezes time. When it reaches you, defense is impossible,” he said.

  “We’ll see,” Menrva replied.

  She created a tiny spark and gently tossed it toward his shield. Just before it made contact, she spread her arms and shouted:

  “Malena Caperi (Mirror Coat)!”

  A circular, translucent barrier formed before her.

  The spark struck Heimdal’s shield. Time froze. The shockwave detonated and smashed into Menrva’s barrier, shattering it—and then slammed into her directly.

  But the crystalline fragments of Menrva’s barrier remained suspended in the frozen air. They surged forward together, colliding with Heimdal’s shield, shattering it completely and piercing his body as time resumed.

  Heimdal’s armor exploded. His bones and organs were pulverized. Even his eyes and teeth burst grotesquely.

  Menrva, meanwhile, endured the shockwave with ease.

  At the same moment, Tania lunged at Modi in her manticore form, roaring:

  “Rahafu Sharshi (Flying Creature)!”

  She cleaved him cleanly in half.

  Ana followed, swinging Gram and shouting:

  “Súil Balor (Balor's Eye)!”

  Magni fell the same way.

  Heimdal, Modi, and Magni collapsed defeated, while the three goddesses remained standing.

  “How… did you break my barrier?” Heimdal asked weakly. “Why couldn’t I read your plan?”

  “I realized you were listening to my thoughts,” Menrva replied, extending a hand to help him up. “So I distorted them.”

  Heimdal accepted her hand and stood.

  “‘Malena Caperi’ is not a shield,” Menrva continued. “It is a mirror. I reflected your own attack. I couldn’t reflect it all—but enough. Your ichor is lower than mine.”

  “So… we pass the test?” Ana asked as Modi and Magni struggled back to their feet.

  “And my friend keeps the sword, correct?” Tania added.

  “She is worthy of Gram,” Modi admitted, kneeling.

  “You are stronger than our father said,” Magni conceded.

  “Yes,” Heimdal said solemnly. “Without question, you now rival Thor himself.”

  Tinia is the main god of the Etruscan pantheon.

  Sigurd is the legendary hero of Norse and Germanic folklore. He is also known as Siegfried.

  Elyon — The Name of the Void!

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