CHAPTER 292: BREAKING ORDER (3)

"So then if I just followed how things were..." Odin paused, swallowing what might have been a sob. "Adumala wouldn’t have died?"

The being erupted in a soft but amused laughter that echoed across the area.

No, she wouldn’t have died. She would have simply traveled to the other realms. Exploring, learning, and existing in gentle contentment for eternity.

Odin’s trembling intensified with even more blood flowing.

Reinhard felt Odin’s emotions crashing through their shared connection, grief so terrible it felt like his heart was being squeezed.

Rage at himself and everything around, anger at choices made and unmade. Then despair threatened to drown him, and finally regret.

"Adumala must have known this as well..." Odin’s voice barely rose above a whisper. "Then why did she-"

Because she loved you enough to break the chained of order and fate determining what you would do.

The being’s interruption carried finality but in a soft and gentle tone.

Odin’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, still clutching the spear, staring at the ground. Blood pooled around him, blue, red, gold mixing, but Odin didn’t seem to care as he stared at the ground in a daze.

The being continued, sinking further until only its head remained visible.

It’s such an interesting thing, truly astounding. A being like Adumala should not understand love and the desire to break the order, and yet somehow, she grasped what even I rarely consider. Even now I can’t understand and only know why she did it because of the Universe echo.

The being’s eyes blazed brighter, excitement coloring its ancient voice.

Hahaha! I want to see it!

Odin’s head lifted slowly with a look of confusion. "See what?"

What can a being like you do after breaking from the order! The being’s enthusiasm was palpable, shaking what remained of the realm. Will you continue to change how things will be, or will you find yourself pulled back into the normal order? What changes will you bring? How far can you rebel against the world and its control? I must witness this!

Odin said nothing as his mind became consumed with Adumala images and his thoughts about her. He recalled her gentle eyes, her patient teaching, and the way she’d laughed at his childish enthusiasm.

Every memory is now colored by the knowledge of her sacrifice.

"She sacrificed herself..." Odin spoke slowly, testing the words. "To give me freedom?"

She did. The being confirmed. You may not know it yet, but she gave you the thing that all beings crave, even those chaotic frost giants who seem content in their destructive patterns.

Only the being’s face remained above ground now, fire-lit eyes fixed on Odin with absolute focus.

Freedom to walk their own path. And to give you that, she fully sacrifices herself, leaving you with her will and belief.

Odin stared at the being in a daze, with memories flooding through him and Reinhard experiencing them again.

Sitting on Adumala’s back, describing the world he wanted to create. A place where beauty could persist, where creation mattered more than destruction, where order would appear, so they created something amazing.

Adumala patiently listened, never dismissing his dreams as impossible despite their scope. The stories he’d told her of realms that might exist, of beings that could live in harmony, of systems that would allow growth rather than endless stagnation.

Adumala’s soft voice encourages him. I can’t wait to see your new world.

Adumala had listened to his dream, his hope, ambition, and everything. She’d believed in him and didn’t want him to lose himself or give up. So, she helped pave the path for him and helped him out by shattering his fate.

All to give him the chance to accomplish all of it. She’d done this because she loved him, because she wanted him to carry her will forward into a future she’d never see.

Odin’s hand clenched around the Void-Splinter Spear. The weapon pulsed in response, recognizing his resolve.

Inwardly, beneath the grief and pain, something hardened. A vow forming in the depths of his transformed consciousness, that he would continue walking forward.

Not because fate demanded it, but because he chose it. With a heart full of courage illuminated by his dearest friend’s light and belief in him.

Odin’s eyes began to shine.

The crimson-blue that marked his dual heritage blazed brighter than ever before. Now further shone with the streak of gold that shined with a beautiful inner orange flame.

The light intensified until it seemed his eyes might burn through their sockets as if twin stars were being born.

The being, noticed with its descending form paused, held by what it witnessed.

Ahh...

The word emerged like a sigh of satisfaction. What a beautiful flame in your eyes. It’s so dazzling that even I, the First Flame, cannot ignore it.

The being smiled or perhaps its expression simply shifted into something approximating joy.

I want to see it. Take my sword.

Then the being sank completely with its form merged with the fire realm’s foundation, disappearing into the depths. Only the blade remained that was still standing vertical and shining with a gleaming light.

Odin stretched out his hand, which trembled, fingers shaking from exhaustion and injury. But as his will focused, the blade responded. It shrank rapidly, enormous weapons compressing down to a manageable size.

Then it shot forward, flying across the devastated landscape to slam into his waiting palm.

His fingers closed around the grip, and he felt a warm, welcoming heat. The blade recognized him and accepted him as a wielder.

Odin held both weapons now.

The Void-Splinter Spear in his left hand, born from sacrifice and love. The First Flame’s blade in his right, granted through respect and curiosity.

He turned his gaze outward, looking beyond the ravaged fire realm. His eyes still blazing with that terrible, beautiful light focused on something distant, he wasn’t sure if it was Ymir or the future he’d vowed to create.

"It’s time I go..." Odin’s voice emerged stronger now, wounds beginning to close as his nature asserted itself. "My friend, I hope you watch over me until the end."

Then everything froze.

Mid-motion, mid-breath, the entire scene locked in place. Odin stood with weapons held in his hand, eyes blazing, and surrounded by devastation.

Then it shattered.

The frozen moment exploded into fragments, pieces of dream spinning away into darkness. Reinhard felt himself falling again, consciousness torn from Odin’s perspective and hurled through emptiness.

But as he fell, something else surged through him. Not from the dream, but from within himself. From his own body, distant and separate yet intimately connected.

Magic.

Raw, untamed power that had been building during his dreams. It rushed through his magic pathways like a dam breaking, flooding every channel and overwhelming every barrier.

The restrictions that were wrapped around him had loosened, no longer as tight as before. He could feel his existence had further evolved and grown, breaking the previous limitation.

He had become a Second-Class Beast Master.

Reinhard felt the transformation complete even as consciousness fled.