Athena leapt down from the mountain where she stood and began to walk toward the fallen Ana and Rodrigo with a grace so deliberate it felt like an insult.

  Surtr glared at her, furious and impatient.

  “Who are you!?” the giant roared.

  But Athena didn’t even acknowledge him.

  She reached the two collapsed warriors, retrieved her spear, and made it vanish. Then she gently lifted Ana’s head and gave her a sip of ambrosia, brushing her hair with calm tenderness.

  “You did wonderfully, Ana. Now recover,” the Greek goddess said softly.

  “You think you can just walk in here and interrupt my fight!?” Surtr bellowed.

  “Fine! I’ll decapitate you right now!”

  He swung his flaming sword at her—

  but Athena stopped the attack with a single index finger, never taking her eyes off Ana as she continued giving her the ambrosia.

  The giant’s sword cracked from the impact.

  “O… one finger? But she’s not even using a totema! Who the hell are you!?” Surtr stammered, stumbling back in shock.

  Ana regained consciousness just then and saw her master.

  “Master… you saved us?” she whispered, astonished, as Athena moved to give ambrosia to Rodrigo.

  “Yes. The boy called my name, so I came,” Athena replied calmly.

  Surtr seethed as he watched her heal the ones he intended to kill.

  “Let’s see you handle this!” the giant roared, charging up his special attack.

  “Listen carefully, monster,” Athena said, raising her voice just enough for him to hear.

  “I’m not allowed to fight you. But if you force me to defend myself, you will not live long enough to regret it. Leave my sight. Now.”

  Rodrigo awoke, embraced by Ana, just as Surtr screamed:

  “Go to Hel—Eldr geisl (Firebolt)!”

  Before the attack could fire, Athena darted beneath the giant,

  drove an uppercut into his gut,

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  and shattered the icy armor around him.

  “First warning, big guy,” she said coldly as she pulled her fist out of his abdomen.

  Surtr gagged, clutching his insides as blood poured from his mouth.

  “I’ll go help the others, all right?” Athena added casually, walking past him as if he didn’t exist.

  “B-bitch… I’ll… kill you…” Surtr groaned, swinging down to crush her—

  but she simply hopped aside, and the giant slammed face-first into the ground.

  Athena reached Tania and offered her ambrosia.

  “I know we don’t like each other much, but at least let me heal your wounds,” the Greek goddess said.

  Tania’s eyes flew open as her arm instantly reattached.

  She sprang away from Athena in alarm.

  “Athena!? What are you doing here!?” she shouted.

  “She’s on our side, Tania!” Ana yelled back.

  A tense silence grew between the two goddesses as they exchanged fierce stares.

  Tania spat blood to the side.

  “I guess I owe you one, then,” she muttered, walking past Athena and toward Surtr.

  The giant was struggling to rise, cursing under his breath.

  “So… huff… you’re the famous… Athena… huff… huff… My lord Loki… has no quarrel… with you…” he said, trying to stand.

  Athena ignored him completely.

  “But that punch hurt like hell, and I won’t forgive it!” Surtr roared, engulfing himself in flames.

  “Logi (Area fire)!”

  He hurled himself forward like a blazing meteor.

  Tania froze—unable to read his attack—

  but Athena shoved her aside and caught Surtr with one bare hand.

  “Take the rest of the ambrosia to your friend. I’ll handle him,” Athena said, handing the divine nectar to Tania while keeping Surtr pinned effortlessly with her other hand.

  Ana and Rodrigo rushed to Tania.

  “Quick—we need to help Epona!” Tania shouted. Both nodded.

  Ana glanced back at her master.

  “Master—please be careful!” she cried before running off with the others.

  Athena planted her right foot firmly into the ground, cracking it open as she braced herself.

  “Second warning, big guy.”

  Then she grabbed Surtr with both hands—

  and hurled him across a chain of mountains, pulverizing them as his body tore through.

  He smashed into the dimensional wall, splattering blood everywhere.

  Epona, now recovered thanks to the ambrosia, looked away in shame.

  “I’m… sorry. This was my fault,” she whispered.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Ana said, her eyes fixed on the battle.

  The giant, barely clinging to life, pulled out a stone etched with a glowing rune.

  “You’ll… pay for this…” he snarled, crushing it.

  The stone emitted a blinding light that surrounded him—and then he vanished.

  “The coward escaped,” Athena said.