Jörmungandr

Maruti's body grew, stretching until planets themselves seemed like marbles beside him. The sun was now nothing more than a round mango in front of him—a mango he had craved all along.

Without hesitation, Maruti opened his mouth wide, and in one swift gulp, he swallowed the sun whole. Darkness swept through the space as he devoured it, not even leaving a burp in its place.

For a brief moment, remnants of the sun's glow lingered, casting faint, fleeting light. But those moments quickly passed, and pure darkness took over.

On the planets below, chaos erupted. Beings who had suffered under the sun's relentless heat now found themselves plunged into a night unlike any they had known. Celebrations broke out in some places, with people cheering and praising the unexpected relief.

"Finally! No more scorching heat!" they shouted, dancing in the sudden coolness.

But elsewhere, fear and despair gripped the hearts of many. People cried out in panic. "First the unbearable heat, now complete darkness? Are we cursed? Is this the end of the world?"

Seraphine, standing on her palace, stared at the darkened sky with a deep frown. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and frustration. "What's going on? First, the sun's extreme heat, and now this? Calamity after calamity—just who or what is behind all this?"

She sighed, her body relaxing slightly. "Well, at least I don't have to keep using my killer move to create artificial greenery anymore," she muttered, her voice tired. Maintaining her move had drained her strength day after day. Now, at least, she could rest.

Meanwhile, in the vastness of space, panic rippled across the realms. Divine beings from countless corners of existence gathered near the sun's former position, teleporting in one after another. Their faces were filled with shock and concern as they searched for the Sun God, Surya.

But instead of Surya, they saw a colossal figure—a monkey child so massive that even the now-missing sun seemed tiny in comparison.

It was Maruti.

He stood where the sun once blazed, his enormous form dominating the void. His face was a mix of dissatisfaction and frustration as he rubbed his belly. "That mango wasn't tasty at all," he grumbled, his voice booming across the empty expanse. "It even burns! What kind of mango is this?"

The gods stared at him in stunned silence, their minds struggling to process what had just happened. One of them whispered, "This… this child swallowed the sun?"

Another deity, his face grim, stepped forward. "Wait a minute. If he's this big, won't his gravity pull the planets towards him? They'll collide into him and destroy themselves!"

Indra floated forward from the group, his presence commanding as he raised his hand to calm the growing panic. His voice was steady as he said, "There's no need to worry. Look at the planets—they're still in their orbits, just like before. Do you know what that means?"

He paused briefly, letting his words sink in before continuing, "It means that although he's grown massive, his mass is only virtual. After swallowing the sun, his weight matches that of the sun—not more, not less. The balance remains intact for now. We have time to decide our next move."

Indra's calm and confident explanation eased the tension among the gods, and murmurs of agreement rippled through the group.

"I suggest we vote," a goddess with emerald-green hair and matching eyes said as she stepped forward. She held an elegant wand, her presence both enchanting and commanding. "We should decide whether to negotiate with this being or attack and destroy him."

It was Gaia, the Goddess of Earth and Land, revered by many as Mother Gaia. Her voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. As one of the most powerful deities, equal to or possibly even stronger than Zeus and Indra, her words carried immense weight.

"If that's what Mother Gaia proposes," Indra said, nodding, "then we shall vote."

The gods quickly cast their votes, and unsurprisingly, the majority sided with killing Maruti. Indra took a deep breath, raising his hand to announce the decision.

"Very well, as per the results of the vo—"

Before he could finish, a shockwave tore through space, breaking their balance and forcing many to steady themselves.

"What was that?" a god gasped, his eyes wide.

As they turned toward the source, their collective breath hitched. One word filled their minds: *Jörmungandr.*

A massive serpent, far larger than anything they had seen before, loomed in the distance. Its thick, silver-scaled body shimmered, and its dragon-like head radiated pure menace. The sight of it was enough to strike fear into even the bravest gods.

"Why is Jörmungandr—the World Snake—here? He never leaves his resting place!" Indra exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief. "And why does he look… even larger than before?"

The gods exchanged nervous glances, their confusion growing.

"What in the heavens is going on?" a bald-headed deity croaked, his voice hoarse and trembling.

Before anyone could answer, a sudden burst of light illuminated the space. From the light emerged a man, his body battered and covered in blood. His wounds were severe, and blood trickled from his lips as he struggled to stand.

"Who did this to you?" Gaia demanded, her voice sharp and authoritative. "And where is Zeus? Wasn't he the one tasked with keeping Jörmungandr in check?"

The wounded man panted, clutching his chest as he spoke. "Kratos… Kratos has returned. He's going to kill Zeus!"

"Wasn't he died like two times already?, how can he come back every time? "Indra said in frustation.

The wounded man, still panting heavily, replied, "It seems Kratos made a deal with Kirmada, one of the Lords of Hell, and managed to return to life again!"

"Please… save Lord Zeus!" the man pleaded desperately, but as he looked around, no one dared to meet his gaze.

A heavy silence hung in the air before one of the gods muttered under his breath, "Who even wants to fight him? I'm not ready to die!"

The same thought echoed in the minds of many others.

Sensing the unease, Indra quickly changed the subject. "First, we need to handle the current situation," he said, his sharp eyes fixed on Jörmungandr. "We'll deal with Zeus later."

The gods exchanged hesitant glances but nodded in agreement. One by one, they summoned their mana, their bodies radiating immense energy. Auras burst forth, filling the vast space as they prepared to face the World Snake.

But just as they braced themselves—

Swish…..

Jörmungandr ignored them completely. He slithered past even Gaia and Indra, as if they were insignificant specks of dust.

Gaia: "…"

Indra: "…"

Other gods: "…"

For a moment, the gods stood frozen, stunned by the blatant disregard. Then a realization struck Indra. His voice trembled with astonishment as he said, "Wait… don't tell me… is he trying to help us?"

It was true. Jörmungandr wasn't interested in the gods. His massive body surged through space, heading directly for Maruti.

As the snake raced forward, his thoughts swirled. "Srrrr...I don't know why I am doing, but it feels like fate is guiding me. I need to stop this reckless child before it's too late,Srrrrrr..."

Meanwhile, Maruti noticed the enormous snake approaching him. The gods were so small compared to him that they didn't even catch his attention. But the snake?

Maruti tilted his head in curiosity. "A toy snake?" That was his first thought.

Before Jörmungandr could reach him, Maruti stretched out his massive hand and grabbed the snake with ease. Compared to Maruti, Jörmungandr was like a tennis ball next to a basketball.

With a playful grin, Maruti wrapped the snake around his waist like a belt. "What a nice piece of jewelry!" he thought, admiring his new accessory.

Shock rippled through the gods as they watched the scene unfold.

"Did he just… turn Jörmungandr into a belt?" one god stammered, disbelief etched across his face.

But then, a deep, booming laugh erupted, breaking the tense silence.

"Hahahaha! HAHAHA!"

It was Jörmungandr. Tears of joy glimmered in his eyes as he laughed. "After thousands of years, I've finally found someone who reminds me of my battles with that damn Thor!"

His laughter faded into a fierce growl. "But don't think I'll be defeated this easily. Not without finishing my fight with Thor!"

In an instant, Jörmungandr's body began to grow. He expanded, doubling, then tripling in size, until he was four times larger than before.

Without hesitation, he coiled tightly around Maruti, squeezing with all his might.

Maruti's eyes widened in panic. He had no combat experience—he was just a child after all. As Jörmungandr's grip tightened, Maruti's stomach churned painfully.

"Urghhh…" he groaned, his massive form trembling under the pressure.

And then, he vomited.

But what came out wasn't food—it was the sun.

The fiery orb burst forth, glowing brilliantly as it returned to space. Light flooded the void, washing away the darkness that had consumed the realms.