Amelia Of The Yggdrasil

Klaus watched as the pig devoured the scientists with pure indifference. Their lives meant nothing to him — insignificant ants crushed underfoot.

But Hecate and Belial's eyes widened, a strange, inexplicable emotion flashing within them as they observed the massacre.

Klaus couldn't quite name it… but it felt like satisfaction.

He understood that. Oh, he did.

Still, a thought crept into his mind as he glanced at them.

Kiddos... wicked little kiddos, eh?

He shook his head in amusement, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he clenched his fist.

The pig looked up.

To the others watching, the scene was confusing. Why would the beast suddenly ignore so much fresh meat?

But Klaus — who had crafted a new illusion — knew the truth.

To the pig, a greater feast had appeared in its line of sight.

Gluttonous and mindless, it let out a snort, tongue lolling from its maw, thick strands of saliva dripping as it charged forward.

And then, in the very next moment, it screamed — a tortured, guttural wail — as its body was impaled by a series of jagged iron rods.

What greeted it was no banquet... but a cruel end.

A punishment veiled beneath the illusion of endless pleasure.

"We all pay for our sins... That is the price of Gluttony."

Klaus muttered coldly, turning his gaze away from the dying pig without a flicker of pity.

What a funny end, he mused, entertained by his own thoughts.

But the mood shifted.

Cassie's eyes widened in horror. And she wasn't the only one.

Isaac felt it too — a sickening pulse of dread. They locked eyes, both of them Seers, and even if they couldn't pinpoint the source, their instincts screamed the same truth:

Something was coming.

"Nik! From above!" Isaac shouted, urgency sharp in his voice.

Klaus's eyes snapped to him. In that same instant, he and Lich locked eyes — no words needed.

They both knew what they had to do.

Klaus didn't know what this threat was, but if both Isaac and Cassie had sensed it, that was enough for him.

He didn't question — he acted.

In an instant, he folded space above like a curtain, shaping it into a protective barrier. At the same time, Lich raised layered shields, weaving runes into the air with rapid precision, forming a glowing protective circle around the members of Ascendancy.

They were almost too late.

Because a moment later—

A blinding plasma blast crashed down from above.

Klaus's barrier held for only a few seconds before it shattered, the fabric of space unraveling under the raw force of destruction. Lich's runic shield strained, crackling violently... then fractured.

Boom!

The explosion rocked the entire laboratory.

Klaus opened his eyes.

Disoriented and dizzy, he blinked through the haze. His ears were ringing, bleeding, and blood ran freely from a torn gash on his arm. The world felt muted, as if underwater—shouts and screams reaching him like distant echoes.

A flicker of confusion passed through his expression, quickly followed by a grimace as he forced out an irritated smile.

"Bloody hell…"

He looked around—and what he saw made his breath catch.

The entire underground base was in ruins. Twisted metal, shattered walls, and scorched debris sprawled as far as his eyes could see. He staggered to his feet, swaying unsteadily, then summoned Satan, the crimson spear materializing with a sharp hiss of energy. He leaned on it to steady himself.

Before him yawned a massive, gaping wound in the earth.

Something… or someone… had torn this place open.

Klaus blinked again. Was someone calling him? The voice was faint—like a whisper in a storm. He couldn't quite make it out, but… yes. Someone was calling his name.

And that's when his blood began to boil.

His pride flared.

His rage ignited.

His eyes turned bloodshot, seething with raw murderous will.

Who dares to attack me?

Then his gaze lifted—upward, toward the sky, where he saw a silhouette suspended in the air.

A woman.

No… a monster draped in beauty.

She floated effortlessly, her crimson hair flowing like silk in the wind, strands dancing around her like fire. Her eyes caught him next—magnificent, yet deeply unsettling. The same deep red as her hair, but unmistakably inhuman… slit, reptilian pupils that gleamed with malice. Eyes meant to entrance… and to terrify.

She was tall. Towering. Her skin pale as ivory, unmarred and luminous in the glow of the destruction below.

But what truly seized Klaus's attention wasn't just her presence—it was her body.

On her back were two great, terrible wings. Massive and black, scaled in jagged red, like a dragon's—each beat of them sending tremors through the air. Her arms, too, were reptilian: scaled and monstrous, ending in wicked, blade-like claws that shimmered in the sun.

But when Klaus zoomed in to see her face, his bloodlust dissolved—replaced by confusion.

His breath caught in his throat. Eyes wide, disbelief etched across his features, he muttered a name that felt far too heavy on his tongue.

"...Lisa?"

Tatiana grabbed his arm, shaking him, shouting through the roar of wind and destruction. Even now, amidst chaos and fire, she was radiant—like some unshaken goddess of beauty standing in a world of ruin.

"Nik! Get your shit together! What do you mean, Lisa? We need to move! Now!"

Klaus turned toward her slowly, his voice distant and dazed.

"Sister... Do you remember those two women that came after I rescued you? Jet… and Lisa. That's her. Her hair's different, but it's her. I know it's her."

Tatiana froze.

Her head turned skyward. She looked at the creature above—those terrifying wings, those reptilian claws—and something unspoken passed through her expression. Her lips parted, but no words came. She closed her mouth again, her eyes widening.

Then finally, she whispered, almost in disbelief:

"No... fucking way..."

Klaus shook his head to clear his mind.

"Doesn't matter… I'll question her after I beat the shit out of her..."

But moments later, Lisa opened her mouth—and her cheeks split apart as rows of jagged fangs appeared where human teeth should have been. Deep in her throat, a crimson light began to glow, pulsing with destructive might.

Then she roared—

A pillar of raw energy burst from her alluring, scarlet lips as she unleashed another devastating blast of crimson plasma.

And it was heading straight toward Tatiana.

Klaus cursed under his breath, shielding his sister with his body as he punched the air. Cracks spread from the point of impact, rippling through the space like shattered glass. The atmosphere trembled as spatial fractures bloomed outward in a chaotic dance.

A world-shaking shockwave collided with the breath of raw destruction—but Klaus immediately sensed it. This blast wasn't as powerful as the first. Gritting his teeth, he held his ground.

This time, he managed to block it.

Klaus let go of Tatiana, his long hair whipping in the wind as a savage grin spread across his face—one that eerily mirrored Lisa's... or whatever her name really was. He didn't know anymore. And frankly, he didn't care.

"Sister, get the fuck out of here, okay?"

He could already feel it—Noah and Lich were in motion, evacuating his people from the collapsing base.

The underground facility was dangerously close to the river, and thanks to that wretched woman's destructive arrival, water had started crashing down like a tidal wave. But Lich had already responded, throwing up his barriers to hold the flood at bay.

Meanwhile, Noah summoned all the flying-type corpses he had left stationed near the ship. Insect-like, grotesque Abominations soared through the sky, diving into the ruins to extract survivors.

At the same time, members of the House of Night—having seen the explosion from afar—were already pulling Ascendancy operatives from the river, ferrying them back to the ship with swift precision.

For now, at least, the situation was under control.

Then Driver shouted from behind, her voice oddly excited.

"Hey, smiling bastard! I figured out why the radiation levels are spiking! It's her! When she breathes that crimson plasma, the radiation surges. That's probably her Aspect—radioactivity! This place is dangerous enough already, so whatever you're planning, do it fast!"

Klaus nodded, not particularly concerned about the radiation at the moment. His gaze landed on a delicate, golden-haired woman being pulled from the water.

Good. Cassie was safe...

She'd even managed to shield the children, holding onto them tightly. They were fine too—just unconscious.

Klaus finally turned his focus back to the task at hand—but something felt off. His spirits...

Lich and Miseria were still handling the evacuation, and Hassan was protecting the ship with his impenetrable wall of darkness. That was expected. But...

Where were Hemera and Loki?

They should have been back by now. Their mission wasn't complex—eliminate all Abominations in the area and scout for potential threats. It shouldn't have taken this long.

A cold knot formed in Klaus's chest.

Something had gone wrong.

"Fuck…"

He pushed aside the unease and stripped his mind of emotion. [Cold-Blooded], his inner faculty of merciless calculation, surged to the surface—remaking Klaus into something inhuman, practical, and devoid of hesitation. All that remained was killing intent—cold, unwavering—and the ruthless clarity to sacrifice anything for victory. This trait had saved him more than once, especially in moments like this, when too many threads pulled at his focus.

In his hand, Satan gleamed under the sun—its double blades catching the light with a wicked glint, hungry and ready.

"Hey there, come down here. I don't like it when people look down on me… Well, whatever..."

He muttered with a laugh, stepping forward—and began walking into the sky.

Well, it only looked like walking. In truth, he was subtly manipulating space, reversing his own gravitational flow to rise upward, step by step, as if defying physics was the most natural thing in the world.

Lisa stared at him like he was some random cannon fodder, which only irritated Klaus further.

Then her expression shifted. Her eyes widened—just for a heartbeat—before she burst into laughter.

"Wait a minute… Hahaha! You're—Smiling Creep?"

Klaus's mood soured instantly.

Why the hell was everyone calling him that lately?

***

Hey everyone!

How's it going? I hope you're all doing well!

So… remember Lisa? Yep, that Lisa — the one who appeared alongside Jet back when Klaus rescued Tatiana in the flashbacks. Surprised?

Anyway, this arc is wrapping up soon, and guess what? In the next one, Nephis wakes up! 👀

Exciting stuff ahead, so stay tuned!

Thank you all so much for your continued support — it means the world. Hope you're enjoying the story!

***