The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 33

"This is Helheim.", said Odin as they arrived at Helheim in a fanfare such that every creature has been alerted of their arrival.

It seems he has no intention of hiding the fact that he has come to kill his own flesh and blood. Several swords flew straight at them without warning.

She summoned the burial blade and swung it around in the form of a scythe. She could have summoned the everlasting dragons to deal with her but that would have been disrespectful. Also, she was looking forward to trying her new weapon.

"So, you have come here, father.", said a woman who came out in green clothes.

"How foolish of you. You are but a dying god. Do you think you can kill me?", said Hela well aware that her father has come to kill her.

"I have sent another one.", said Odin as he chose a random rock and sat down. He had no intentions of making a move. Whether that was out of guilt or not was not clear to her.

Both father and daughter had little words to exchange it seems. She also sensed Hela for the first time since she saw her.

What she saw was not a simple warlike woman but a woman with an obsession. She has been possessed by her own obsession and has become a puppet of carnage that knows nothing but war and death.

Even Odin was unaware of this from the looks of it. After all, emotions were her specialty even before coming to this world. She grabbed her scythe with both hands and rushed towards Hela.

Words were useless if you fully intend to kill someone. The Ashen one has told her about how each 'bosses' would keep talking.

What happen next was just a simple battle. Nothing more or less. Just two women trying their best to kill each other. She has had many opportunities to use her combat skills.

It was the first battle that felt fulfilling.

The aggressiveness of sister Friede, the tricky angles of Crossbreed Priscilla, the sword skills of Ciaran, the parrying of the chosen undead, the blocking skills of the bearer of the curse and the amusing yet tactical rolling of the Ashen one.

Everything her world has to offer was put to display. Of course, her own mastery over fire was also put on display in the form of tendrils that destroyed everything that was around. It felt so exciting for this was the first time she had actually fought.

Of course, it wasn't as easy as it sounds. Hela was a very experienced warrior after all. And this was her realm, and she has the advantage here.

Her undead were quite troublesome. They were weak but were plenty in numbers.

She was also wounded many times, but they were all healed with the flame. Of course, her fire tendrils ensured that the dead will still dead.

She did no fought in her dress for it might get in the way. She changed to something similar to what Ciaran wore. It allowed better movement.

Finally, the dance with the goddess of death was coming to an end.

Hela sliced with sword fully intend on cutting her in half.

She rolled out of the way and threw a flame slash at her.

She blocked it but the remaining flames rendered her unable to see.

Hela then instinctively dodged something coming straight at her.

The goddess was surprised to find out that it was the handle of the scythe.

Her powerful instincts had been used against her.

She was still disoriented from the blocking the flame attack and earlier injuries. Suddenly dodging something just made it worse.

The firekeeper quickly closed the gap and stabbed her straight in the heart using the blade from the scythe. She could no longer heal for she had imbedded the essence of the flame within the blade. She still attempted to stab the keeper despite being mortally wounded.

It was at this time that the keeper struck her stomach. 'Fireball', she recited to herself. It wasn't a particularly powerful spell, but it was fast to cast. The ball of fire had hit at close range shooting the goddess of death away.

She followed her to see that Hela was on her last breath. She was sitting no longer able to stand up with the dagger still in her heart. She summoned the dagger from her heart.

It caused the goddess of death to be even more wounded. She then summoned her handle and turned it back into a scythe as she lowers it onto the sitting Hela. She aimed it at her neck.

"Farewell, my dear Hela. I have freed you from thine obsession." The goddess couldn't even talk but she could see acceptance in her eyes. She has let go of her obsession. She cared about nothing at this moment. Not about the war, not about her once glorious campaigns, and not about Asgard.

"Please avert thine eyes, my dear Odin for I shall snuff out the embers that is now thy daughter."

"I shall witness the death of Asgard's enemy with my own eyes.", he said as he looked at his daughter with pain in his eyes.

Hela could no longer speak but her hate-filled eyes said enough. It seems that she had one obsession left.

"May'st thou thy peace discov'r.", she said as she decapitated the eldest daughter of Odin.

Odin did not say a word a simply closed his eyes. At this moment, he was a father. In a way, Odin reminded her of the Lords who would do anything for their own kingdom even if that meant killing their own children.

She could have comforted him, but she will not for she does not think Odin deserves sympathy. One whom kills their own child will never deserve sympathy in her eyes.

She then, light up a flame in her hands and burned Hela's body to shreds. She deserves a proper burial in her own realm and not in the realm of her father that killed her.

If someone asks on whether she feel guilty for killing her, she would have said no, for she did this knowing full well of its consequences.

By killing Hela, she saved many from dying in the battlefield and turning into an undead.

So, she will never regret someone that was once an innocent little girl turned by Odin into a machine of war and death.

"You have completed your part of the agreement, and it is time to fulfill mine." He appears to have get out of his grief as fast as possible.

"I will now tell you all I know about the city of nightmare that is Yharnam."