Chapter 44: You want Gungnir? Did you even ask me?!

The rain grew heavier still. It seemed that whenever this deity manifested, it was invariably accompanied by a torrential downpour.

The ground was covered in sheets of standing water, reflecting a world that was distorted and absurd, as though they existed within a watery realm where all struggle was futile, for they were already creatures trapped in a cage.

Erii ran without looking back, her beautiful, dark red eyes filled with terror, her face drenched by the water so that rain and tears were indistinguishable.

The horseman closed in slowly, the sound of hooves striking the ground echoing like a clock ticking down to death.

Tang Xi was now certain that Odin's target was Erii. Gungnir was, after all, Odin's weapon, which allowed Odin to easily place restrictions upon her.

Tang Xi had tried several times to regain control of Erii's body, but the connection between her and Erii seemed to be blocked by some strange force. She immediately realized that this must be Odin's doing.

Perhaps it was because she had indeed disrupted the century-long chess game played across Japan, pushing Odin, the mastermind behind the scenes, past his threshold of tolerance. Thus, the original master of Gungnir had come to reclaim his weapon.

Yet Tang Xi still felt something was amiss.

She felt that Odin's appearance was far too abrupt, directly pulling them into the Niðavellir right there in the Shinjuku district. This would undoubtedly leave traces. While he might not care if half-breeds discovered his tracks, he was not the only player making moves on the Japanese chessboard.

Not a single Dragon King had perished yet. As the ultimate survivor who hid in the shadows until the very end, Odin should not have made such a grandiose appearance and drawn all eyes upon himself.

Especially knowing that Gungnir was with Erii, he had no reason to take such a risk. He could have easily struck when Erii was alone, entirely unnoticed.

That was why Tang Xi felt he was acting somewhat rushed, as if he were pressed for time. She even suspected that this Odin was not his true body, but perhaps merely a clone sent out—much like the Chu Zihang version from the original text, or perhaps even the Chu Tianjiao version.

If Tang Xi had still been able to manipulate Erii's body, she would certainly have chosen to test him. If this were a counterfeit Odin, possessing only the power level of a second-generation dragon, she might well have been able to put up a fight.

However, her opponent had evidently anticipated this and directly severed the connection between her and Erii.

Erii's own bloodline was not weak, and her Judgment technique could contend with a second-generation dragon. The problem, however, was that her mental state was extremely unstable. When Tang Xi possessed her, she could shield her from sanity loss, but Erii on her own certainly could not.

If she were to use Judgment twice, her bloodline would instantly spiral out of control. With Masamune Tachibana ostensibly dead, even finding treatment would be a problem.

Was she going to have to change wielders of this newly acquired spear yet again? Troublesome, far too troublesome; Tang Xi felt a headache coming on.

The sound of hoofbeats continued to ring out, neither distant nor near. The horseman did not quicken his pace despite his quarry fleeing in a panic, maintaining a steady, unhurried gait.

This would not do. Erii had rounded countless corners by now, but this place was like a maze, completely inescapable. They were like ants running on a Möbius strip.

This feeling of being treated as mere prey was profoundly unpleasant, but Tang Xi had to admit that they were indeed trapped within a hunting ground. Prey could never escape the boundaries of a hunting ground, and this Niðavellir was Odin's hunting ground.

Her brain spinning at top speed, Tang Xi quickly made her decision and said in a low voice, "Erii, put me down and run on your own."

She could indeed no longer control Erii's body, but that mattered not; she could manipulate things through her own lingering presence. With her current endurance, it was entirely feasible for her to manifest directly and wield Gungnir to unleash a single blow—much like she had done back in the Greenland Sea.

She had used that exact trick back then to force back the giant whale and successfully rescue Chu Zihang, and she could easily replicate it now.

The only difference was the environment; unlike before, there was no seawater here to wash away Gungnir. If a single strike failed to force Odin back, she would most likely be collected by him, but this was her only option.

Regardless of the outcome, however, Erii would at least be safe. As for herself... at worst, she would simply do as she had done before, trailing behind Odin while plotting her escape. Although the difficulty would inevitably increase this time, who knew? Perhaps some oblivious Dragon King might just come along to pick her up.

With that thought, Tang Xi hesitated no longer and immediately communicated her plan to Erii, only for a completely unexpected turn of events to unfold.

Erii, who usually appeared somewhat dull, endlessly curious about everything, and entirely obedient to Tang Xi's words, actually shook her head.

She hugged Gungnir tightly to her chest and continued to sprint madly through the wind and rain, much like a cornered, wretched little beast that would refuse to release the food in its jaws even in death.

"Be a good girl, Erii. That guy's target is me. Put me down and you'll be safe." Completely unprepared for this development, Tang Xi had to explain to the dazed girl: "I'll be fine—at least, most likely."

"If you don't put me down, we won't get out of here."

Yet no matter what she said, Erii merely shook her head, clutching Gungnir desperately to her breast. She said nothing, lowering her stubbornly set face like a stubborn child who had fixed upon a single belief, holding onto her sole toy with a death grip and refusing to let go no matter what.

It was growing hotter behind them. The horseman was radiating his light and heat into every corner. Without even looking back, they could feel something closing in, yet Erii steadfastly refused to let go.

Tang Xi had never anticipated encountering such a situation. She could only offer repeated assurances, and it took a great deal of effort to finally persuade Erii. Sniffling, the girl asked in a low voice, "Will you lie to me?"

"No," Tang Xi answered with absolute certainty. "I will never lie to you."

"Do you trust me?" she countered. "There might be a tiny bit of danger."

Erii nodded vigorously, a sight that left Tang Xi almost helpless. There was no time to say more. Just as they were about to be overtaken, Erii obediently hurled Gungnir forward with all her might, then bolted off in the opposite direction.

As Tang Xi had anticipated, Odin did not chase after Erii at all, heading straight instead toward the spot where Gungnir had fallen.

His goal from start to finish was Gungnir. Whether it was Erii or anyone else, he cared not a whit, viewing them merely as ants.

The sound of hoofbeats ceased. The heavenly steed roared silently. The god had finally arrived before his lost weapon, and he extended his hand.

Yet before he could pick up Gungnir, a petite figure materialized out of thin air, seizing Gungnir ahead of him and leveling the spearhead directly at him. A pair of brilliant, golden pupils met his gaze without a shred of fear.

A faint laughter seemed to ripple through the air, carrying a note of mockery—the god sneering at the foolish audacity of a mortal.

At that, Tang Xi laughed as well. "What? Do you think I can't harm you?"

The god did not speak; he disdained to utter words, and his attitude expressed everything.

Unexpectedly, however, Tang Xi nodded, calmly admitting, "I indeed have no certainty of harming you."

"But why didn't you just destroy me? Your objective is to reclaim me, not to ruin me." Here she paused, the smile at the corner of her lips deepening. "Is it that you don't want to kill me, or..."

"Do you dare not kill me?"

The air suddenly froze. The god seemed angered, likely feeling deeply offended. The heavenly steed let out a thunderous roar, rearing its front hooves high to trample directly upon the semi-illusory figure before it.

Tang Xi showed no fear whatsoever; she even let out a scoff, raising the spear in her hand and hurling it without hesitation.

Yet the direction of the throw was not toward Odin, but toward the distant, fleeing figure of the girl.

Almost the instant the spear was cast, the illusory figure vanished as well, transforming into a streak of white light that returned into Gungnir. Only a faint voice lingered in the air:

"I know what you're afraid of. Do you dare destroy me? Ah... you don't dare. You're afraid the devil will break free."

"So, crawl away! Otherwise, the thing you fear most will surely come to pass. Feel free to try!"

The god had never been provoked to such a degree. The magma filling the sky began to boil, seemingly mirroring his current mood. But just as he prepared to resume the pursuit, a sudden change occurred.

The raised hoof fell back down, and Odin, mounted upon his steed, raised his head.

The rain suddenly stopped.