Chapter 901: Only Freya
The fissure created by Yamato closed behind Vergil with a faint snap, leaving only a violet line in the air that disappeared a few seconds later.
He appeared in the middle of the Demonic Forest, in front of a house relatively far from Sparda’s main structures, surrounded by tall trees with dark trunks and reddish leaves that filtered the light of that realm into soft shades.
Freya’s residence was not particularly extravagant for someone who had once been one of the most important goddesses of the Norse pantheon.
She had chosen a quiet place, close enough to the capital to reach it when necessary, but distant enough to escape the constant flow of soldiers, demons, Aethernox, and visitors who now occupied Sparda.
Vergil looked at the house.
Then at Yamato on his waist.
Then ran a hand over his face.
"I really need to stop doing this."
Yamato vibrated.
Vergil lowered his eyes to the sword.
"It was literally a five-minute walk."
Another vibration ran through the sheath, this time a little stronger, almost offended by the idea that he should prefer walking when he possessed a weapon capable of cutting space, dimensions, and practically any inconvenient obstacle between two places.
Vergil did not need words to understand the message.
Their connection was already far too deep for that.
Don’t think like that. Use me more.
Vergil let out a small laugh through his nose.
"You’re getting spoiled."
Yamato vibrated again, now satisfied that it had received attention.
That was when Mjölnir, secured at his waist on the opposite side, trembled as well.
A short vibration.
Dry.
Almost mocking.
Vergil looked at the hammer.
"Don’t start."
Mjölnir repeated the small tremor.
The interpretation was obvious enough.
Petty.
Yamato responded immediately.
The entire sheath vibrated hard enough to produce a threatening metallic sound.
Mjölnir trembled again.
Vergil closed his eyes.
"Are you two seriously going to argue because I used a sword to cut space instead of walking five minutes?"
Both weapons answered at the same time.
Yamato with one long vibration.
Mjölnir with two short ones.
Vergil remained silent for a few seconds, processing the absurd reality of standing in the middle of a forest acting as mediator in an argument between two conscious divine weapons.
"Calm down."
Yamato still vibrated one last time.
Mjölnir answered.
Vergil pointed at both of them, even though neither had eyes.
"I’m serious."
Silence.
"Thank you."
He turned his attention back to the house and started walking.
The forest around him was calm, with a few smaller creatures observing discreetly from between the trees before disappearing once they recognized the natural pressure emanating from him.
Vergil climbed the few wooden steps onto the porch and raised a hand to knock on the door.
He did not get the chance.
The door opened first.
Vergil did not even have time to ask anything before a blonde figure crossed the doorway and launched herself directly at him.
Freya practically collided with his chest, wrapping her arms around his body with enough force that any ordinary person would have lost their breath.
Vergil stepped half a pace back from the impact and was momentarily surprised, feeling her face disappear against his neck while her long golden hair spread over his shoulders.
"Thank you."
The voice came out muffled.
Vergil blinked.
Freya tightened the embrace even more.
"Thank you... thank you..."
He finally relaxed and wrapped his arms around her.
One hand moved to her back while the other rested behind Freya’s head, holding her carefully.
Vergil let out a small laugh.
"I haven’t even said anything yet."
"You don’t need to."
Freya did not let go.
Vergil felt something wet touch his neck and realized she was crying.
"I can feel him."
Vergil stopped smiling for a moment.
Freya pulled her face away just enough to look at him.
Her eyes were red and wet, but there was an almost painful happiness mixed with the relief.
"Frey is inside the palace."
Vergil slowly nodded.
Her ancient divine nature, even altered after her demonic transformation, still maintained certain bonds with family.
Twins in particular carried connections that not even a racial transformation had completely destroyed.
Freya might not know exactly where her brother was, but his presence finally existed within reach again.
Vergil stroked her hair.
"He’s out of danger."
Freya’s shoulders relaxed in a way that revealed how much weight she had been carrying for months.
"Really?"
"Really."
He remained holding her while he explained, leaving out none of the important parts.
He told her about Yggdrasil, about the Inverted World of Exile, and about the footprints found in that dead desert.
He explained how Frey had been walking in a trance, absurdly thin, apparently unable to recognize people or react to normal stimuli.
He also told her about Qliphoth’s analysis, about the inexplicably powerful punch Frey had thrown, and finally about Alvitr discovering a runic structure hidden across his back.
Freya listened to everything in silence.
When Vergil finished, she lowered her eyes.
"Norse runes..."
"Alvitr recognized some of them."
"Then someone really did this to him."
"Yes."
Vergil’s answer was simple and firm.
Freya closed her eyes for a few seconds, breathing slowly.
The relief of having her brother back now shared space with a silent rage toward whoever had turned Frey into that obedient thing that only walked without understanding why.
"I understand," she murmured.
Vergil watched the tears still running down her face.
Then he placed both hands gently on her shoulders and moved her away just enough to see her entire face.
Freya looked at him.
Vergil raised one hand and ran his thumb beneath one of her eyes, wiping away a tear.
Then he did the same on the other side.
"That’s enough of that."
Freya let out a small, shaky laugh.
"I’m allowed to cry."
"You are."
"Then don’t tell me to stop."
"I didn’t."
"You literally just said ’that’s enough of that.’"
"Your interpretation."
She narrowed her eyes.
Vergil continued gently wiping her face until he noticed one last tear sliding down near the corner of her lips.
Instead of using his thumb, he brought his index finger closer, collected the drop, and without any ceremony put the finger into his own mouth.
Freya’s eyes widened.
Vergil tasted it for a moment.
"A little salty."
She stared at him.
Then laughed.
Not a polite or controlled laugh.
A genuine one, short and slightly incredulous, exactly the kind of reaction Vergil wanted to provoke to break the accumulated tension.
"You’re impossible."
"You’re too beautiful to be crying."
Freya immediately pointed at him.
"This is not the time to flirt!"
Vergil raised an eyebrow.
"I was stating a fact."
"That’s flirting."
"You are literally a former Goddess of Love."
"And Fertility," she corrected, lifting her chin with a small portion of her old pride returning to her face. "If anyone here knows when someone is flirting, it’s me."
Vergil looked her up and down for only a moment.
"Former Goddess."
Freya made an offended expression.
"The divine part did not disappear completely."
"But now you’re a demon."
"Because you transformed me!"
Vergil ran a hand through her hair, deliberately messing up some of the golden strands Freya had carefully arranged before.
She pouted.
"Stop."
He messed it up more.
"Vergil."
Again.
Freya grabbed his wrist.
"I am a goddess."
Vergil finally stopped.
His eyes softened slightly.
"You are Freya."
She lost part of her sulky expression.
Vergil slowly pulled his hand free from her grip, but kept his fingers intertwined with hers.
"Goddess, demon, succubus, or whatever else happens after... it doesn’t matter."
Freya went silent.
"You’re still you."
For a few seconds, she did not know how to answer.
It was an issue that still bothered her more than she admitted.
Her transformation had changed many things.
Energy.
Instincts.
Body.
Needs.
Her relationship with magic.
Even the way other people saw her former position.
Some parts of it had been easy to accept.
Others remained confusing.
Vergil never seemed to care.
To him, she simply continued to be Freya.
That was strangely comforting.
Freya pouted again, this time far less convincingly.
"You only say that because you didn’t lose your title."
"I’ve had too many titles already."
"Demon King."
"Yes."
"Aethernox."
"Yes."
"Knight of Death."
"Unfortunately."
"Lucifer."
Vergil closed his eyes.
Freya smiled.
"See?"
He sighed.
"You’re better."
"I was always fine."
"You were crying into my neck two minutes ago."
"Details."
Vergil let out a small laugh and finally looked toward Sparda.
He could not see the palace from there because of the density of the trees, but he knew the distance perfectly.
He looked at Yamato.
Stopped.
Then looked at Freya.
She noticed.
"You’re going to open another portal."
Vergil remained silent.
Freya raised an eyebrow.
"Vergil."
"It’s faster."
"You just complained about that."
"I evolved."
Mjölnir vibrated.
Yamato did too.
Freya looked at both weapons.
"Are they arguing again?"
"I don’t want to talk about it."
She laughed.
Vergil decided, in order to preserve at least a minimum of personal consistency, not to draw Yamato.
Instead, he held Freya’s hand and started walking down the porch steps.
She looked at him in surprise.
"We’re walking?"
"No."
Vergil spread his wings.
Freya’s eyes widened.
Before she could complain, Vergil wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her effortlessly.
"Hey!"
"You wanted me not to cut through space."
"I can fly too!"
"I know."
All six wings spread fully.
Freya barely had time to wrap her arms around his neck before Vergil propelled himself upward, quickly passing through the reddish treetops of the Demonic Forest.
"Idiot!"
Vergil smiled.
"But efficient."
Freya tried to stay annoyed.
She could not.
Her smile slowly returned as Sparda appeared ahead, vast and alive on the horizon.
Her brother was there.
Frey was alive.
That was enough.
Vergil noticed when she tightened her arms slightly around him, but did not comment.
He simply continued flying until he felt the kingdom’s walls drawing closer.
When they finally began descending toward the area where Alvitr was working, he took Freya’s hand again.
"Let’s go see Frey, all right?"
She took a deep breath.
Her eyes grew wet again, but this time Freya managed to smile.
"Let’s."