Chapter 21 - Chapter 19: Thunder's Tender Dominion—When Gods Descend to Cradle Mortal Dreams

Chapter 19: Thunder's Tender Dominion—When Gods Descend to Cradle Mortal Dreams

A man lay broken upon roadside gravel—crushed, crumpled, cast aside—blood weeping from split skull and torn lips like offerings to an indifferent earth. With tremendous effort, monumental will, he wrenched his right eye open—just as a feminine scream pierced the distance, a knife through silence's heart.

He turned his head—scrape, grind, grate—gravel biting flesh as he faced the sound's source. What he witnessed shattered him more thoroughly than any physical blow, made his eye widen until white rimmed the iris, a single tear carving its path down blood-smeared cheek like a river through wasteland.

Flames.

Dancing, devouring, delighting in destruction.

A car engulfed in an inferno's embrace—and within, a woman. Trapped. Pounding desperately against glass that would not, could not, and refused to yield. Her screams grew weaker, thinner, fading as fire consumed flesh and hope in equal, ravenous measure.

Summoning strength from depths he didn't know remained—scraping, clawing, grasping at reserves that should have been dust—the man rolled onto his stomach. He began crawling toward the burning wreckage, fingers digging furrows through gravel and dirt, leaving red trails like a wounded animal seeking its den.

Then—agony.

Someone in black dress shoes stepped deliberately on his right hand, grinding bone and tendon into unforgiving earth with casual, calculated cruelty.

Through his one good eye—blurred, swimming, drowning in pain—he looked up. A man in an immaculate black three-piece suit stood over him like judgment personified, methodically buttoning his coat with fingers that had never known honest labor, staring down with eyes colder than winter's deepest heart.

???: "Consequences... Remember that."

The well-dressed man's foot swung toward his head—swift, merciless, final. White light exploded across vision's canvas like stars dying all at once, before everything, everything, collapsed into blessed, terrible black.

In the Great Tomb of Nazarick's third-floor mansion—vast, opulent, drowning in luxury that could feed kingdoms—within Thor's personal chambers, the Thunder God slowly opened his eyes. He lay in humanoid form, emerging from slumber deep as ocean trenches, ancient as mountains' bones.

Thor:(voice like distant thunder rumbling across summer skies) "Consequences... We forge our fate with hammer-strokes of choice, must bear what we have wrought—glory or grave, triumph or tragedy intertwined like serpents devouring their tails."

He sighed—deep, weary, carrying the weight of eons—and attempted to rise, only to discover himself pinned by warmth, by softness, by feminine forms wrapped around him like vines claiming an ancient oak.

Looking down, he discovered Albedo—naked, shameless, clinging with possessive devotion—wrapped around his right side like she might dissolve if distance dared intrude between their flesh.

To his left lay Rossweisse in a similar state of undress, her silver hair spilled across his chest like moonlight made tangible, arms locked around him with surprising strength for one who appeared so delicate.

Rossweisse:(sleepily, voice soft as snow falling on pine needles) "Thor-sama, more... please, more~."

Albedo:(sleepily, purring like a satisfied predator) "Milord, you're so powerful, so overwhelming~."

Thor:(chuckling, sounding like rolling thunder barely contained) "Dreams again. Always dreams of me. Time to wake, Valkyries."

He lowered his head toward them—both had burrowed against his waist like kittens seeking warmth—voice dropping to a register that could shake foundations.

Thor: "My shield-maidens, dawn breaks. Rise."

Rossweisse:(sleepily, clutching tighter) "Nooo~ Five more minutes, Thor-sama~."

Albedo:(sleepily, nuzzling closer) "Let me stay in this paradise just a little longer~."

Thor:(smirking, expression predatory) "Very well. I shall... play along."

He traced one calloused finger—scarred from countless battles, marked by hammer's kiss—across their exposed backs. Both shivered violently, goosebumps erupting like mountain ranges across skin, suddenly too sensitive, too aware. Sleepy moans escaped mouths that had been firmly closed mere heartbeats before.

Rossweisse: "Aaah~ Thor-sama, that's—"

Albedo: "Aaah~ Milord, your touch is electric—"

Both women squirmed as his fingers traveled lower, tracing the spine's architecture with deliberate, torturous slowness. Down their backs, lower still, approaching territory that made breath quicken, hearts thunder in counterpoint to his barely-audible rumbling laughter.

He achieved the expected reaction—anticipated, calculated, designed—their eyes snapped open wide, pupils dilating as they locked onto him with hunger that could devour divinity itself.

Albedo:(frustrated whimper) "Milord~."

Rossweisse:(frustrated gasp, cheeks burning) "Thor-sama, you tease~."

Just as they moved to pounce—muscles tensing like springs compressed beyond tolerance—he delivered swift chops to the tops of their heads with precisely measured force. Enough to sting, not enough to truly hurt.

Thwack. Thwack.

Rossweisse/Albedo: "Ow!"

Albedo:(pouting magnificently) "Was that necessary, milord?"

Rossweisse:(rubbing her head, silver hair mussed charmingly) "Yeah, Thor-sama! That hurt!"

Surprise painted both faces as Thor smiled—rare expression, precious as a dragon's hoard—before gently lifting their chins with fingers that could crush mountains but held them delicate as spun glass. He closed the gap between them, pressing light kisses to their lips that tasted of promise, of possession, of thunder barely leashed.

Thor: "Much better."

Left speechless—stunned, breathless, drowning in sensation's aftermath—Rossweisse and Albedo could only watch as Thor stood. Their eyes traveled across his physique with undisguised appreciation—powerful, scarred, magnificent—muscle carved by millennia of warfare, marked by countless battles that would have destroyed lesser beings. Their gazes inevitably lowered to his manhood.

Thor:(amused) "Does my form never cease fascinating you both?"

Albedo:(emphatically) "Never!"

Rossweisse:(face crimson, but voice firm) "I-I concur completely, Thor-sama!"

Thor: "Unfortunate."

Confusion crossed their faces—what?, why?, how?—until brilliant crimson lightning enveloped Thor's body like a lover's embrace. His form shifted, transformed, transcended—humanoid facade giving way to something greater, something that made reality itself seem to lean away in respect. Divine armor materialized, covering flesh they'd been admiring with metal forged in celestial flames, inscribed with runes older than memory.

Albedo and Rossweisse looked displeased—pouting like children denied promised sweets—to see their lord now covered, hidden, obscured.

In playful retaliation, they took their sweet time dressing. Moving with deliberate slowness, bending and stretching in ways that highlighted every curve, every valley, every landscape of flesh, they knew he appreciated. Giving Thor full view of bodies they'd weaponized with ruthless efficiency.

Thor watched with a smile playing at his lips, thunder rumbling approval deep in his chest.

After several agonizing minutes, both women stood fully clothed—though Rossweisse's conservative Valkyrie attire somehow looked scandalous on her, and Albedo's white dress clung like a second skin.

Thor: "Are you both prepared for departure?"

Rossweisse:(straightening uniform with military precision) "Dressed and ready for this outing, Thor-sama. I've prepared supplies, emergency provisions, backup plans for seventeen different contingencies—"

Thor: "Rossweisse."

Rossweisse: "—and alternative routes in case of ambush, calculated optimal travel times accounting for weather patterns—"

Thor: "Rossweisse."

Rossweisse:(stopping mid-sentence) "Y-yes?"

Thor:(fondly) "We are visiting children, not storming Valhalla's gates."

Rossweisse:(deflating slightly) "Right. Sorry. Old habits from Valhalla military academy die hard..."

Albedo emerged from behind the folding screen in her usual white dress, wearing that distinct, alluring smile—predatory, possessive, devoted unto madness.

Albedo: "Are you certain about this attire, milord? After what happened with Shalltear, I believe my battle gear would be more appropriate for venturing outside Nazarick's protective embrace."

Thor: "This is merely a simple visit to see my daughters."

Albedo: "But milord, the world outside is dangerous, unpredictable—"

Thor stepped forward—moved, closed the distance, dominated space—and lifted her chin with fingers gentle despite their power. Albedo's protests died unspoken, breath catching, face burning with color that spread from cheeks to throat.

Thor: "My dear Albedo, this is a simple outing. A husband and wife visiting their children—nothing more, nothing less."

Albedo:(blushing mess, voice barely whisper) "H-H-Husband... W-W-Wife... C-C-Children..."

She trembled—entire body shaking like the epicenter—at the implications that crashed through her mind like an avalanche through a mountain village.

Rossweisse appeared behind Albedo, placing hands on shoulders that had gone rigid with shock.

Rossweisse:(pragmatically) "Remember what Thor-sama said—we must practice being mothers for when we have our own children blessed to us by him. It's like any skill: practice, preparation, proper planning—"

Thor: "Rossweisse."

Rossweisse: "Right, sorry. Rambling again..."

Albedo:(recovering, voice determined) "Of course! I will prove to be the supreme mother to your children, milord, so you can bless me with a child of my own—the first child, naturally, as befits my position—"

Thor:(chuckling like a distant storm) "Only time will tell, Albedo. Only time and thunder."

Thor opened a gate in his chambers—reality-tearing like fabric, edges crackling with crimson lightning that made the air taste of ozone and power. They stepped through and emerged in Carne Village's town square.

Nearby townspeople gazed in awe—mouths falling open, eyes widening until white showed all around—before dropping to their knees so quickly several stumbled, catching themselves on their hands.

As Thor surveyed the town, he observed the villagers worshipping him as the god he had proclaimed himself to be. Their god. Their savior. Their thunder made flesh.

Villagers:(voices overlapping, harmonizing, praising) "Welcome, Lord Thor! Hail the Thunder God! Blessed be his coming!"

Thor embraced his divine persona fully—because why not? Because it served his purposes, because these mortals needed something greater than themselves to believe in. He approached the villagers, raising one scarred hand over their bowed heads.

Thor:(voice resonating with divine authority) "May your lives be fruitful as summer's harvest, may your faith be rewarded with prosperity's bounty, may thunder shield you from storm's fury and lightning strike down any who would dare threaten what is mine."

The villagers beamed with joy—smiling, laughing, weeping—tears of happiness streaming down weathered faces. Some clapped with hands callused from honest labor, others cheered with voices hoarse from gratitude.

Afterward, they walked through the village, searching for his daughters. Albedo initiated conversation—because she always did, because silence made her uncomfortable, because she needed to fill space with words.

Albedo: "Wise of these insects to know whom to praise, Lord Thor."

Thor:(voice dropping to warning rumble) "Albedo, my dear. We do not speak such sentiments aloud here. Only behind closed doors, where walls have no ears and shadows keep secrets."

Albedo: "But it is only truth, milord—they are beneath us, insignificant as—"

Thor: "Yes. But to them, we are their saviors—a god descended from Asgard's heights, saving them from tormentors when their own gods failed to answer prayers whispered in darkness. They have become faithful, loyal, devoted under our guidance."

Rossweisse:(analytically) "It's actually quite fascinating from a sociological perspective—the way communities form around charismatic leadership figures, especially in times of crisis. Studies from Valhalla's archives show that survival situations create—"

Thor: "Rossweisse."

Rossweisse:(sheepishly) "Sorry. Lecturing again..."

Albedo:(understanding dawning) "So we must continue acting benevolent and caring, and in turn they will continue trusting us, worshiping you, and—"

Thor: "Willing to die for us. To kill for us. To become our army, our shield, our sword."

Albedo:(happily, admiringly) "You are truly wise, milord Thor. Strategic thinking that would make even the All-Father envious."

???: "Papa!"

Thor turned toward the voice—eager, innocent, joyful—to see Nemu running toward him like a storm chasing the horizon. Happiness radiated from her small face like sunlight breaking through clouds.

He knelt—armor clanking, ground trembling slightly under redistributed weight—and was immediately tackled by the girl. She hugged him with enthusiasm that could have crushed lesser beings, arms barely reaching halfway around his armored torso. He laughed—deep, genuine, sound like thunder's gentler cousin.

Nemu:(breathlessly happy) "You're finally here! I missed you, Papa! I missed you so much!"

Thor: "I am here, little lightning bolt. I apologize—recent events have kept me occupied, battles to fight, enemies to crush. But fortune has smiled upon me today, and Odin himself could not keep me from you."

Another familiar feminine voice called out to Nemu—worried, hurried, responsible. Thor turned to see Enri rushing toward them, followed by Nfirea and the goblins.

Thor:(kindly, but with steel beneath) "Enri. My eldest."

Neither Nemu nor Enri noticed Thor's eyes—crackling, briefly glowing with crimson lightning—fixing on Nfirea with intensity that made the young man freeze mid-step like a deer spotting a wolf. The unspoken message was crystal clear: Stay back. These are MY daughters. Watch your distance, boy.

Recognizing that Enri and Nemu wanted time with their father, Nfirea quickly, wisely, prudently, intelligently gathered the goblins and hustled away to handle Enri's chores, freeing her for the rest of the day.

Enri:(apologetically) "Hello, Father. I apologize for Nemu's enthusiasm. She should show more restraint, more proper—"

Thor:(cutting her off gently) "It is fine, Enri. Enthusiasm is strength, not weakness."

Enri: "But Father, proper decorum requires—"

Thor: "Enri." (His voice dropped to a register that made stones shiver.) "I know recent events forced you to mature faster than natural, to become a woman when you should still be a child. But when I am here, you can relax. Act your age, laugh without measuring laughter's volume, play without calculating play's appropriateness. No one will judge you—unless they wish to face Mjölnir's wrath."

Enri:(voice small, vulnerable) "Father... I... Okay. I will try."

Thor: "That is all I ask, all I require, all I desire."

Nemu:(curious, tilting head adorably) "Papa, why are you here with two pretty ladies? Are they your girlfriends?"

Rossweisse:(face turning scarlet) "G-G-Girlfriend?! That's not—I mean, it's not inaccurate, but phrasing it like that makes it sound—"

Thor:(amused) "Ah, yes. The other reason for my visit. Having a father in your life is beneficial, grants protection, and provides guidance. But you girls also require a mother—someone gentle where I am harsh, soft where I am hard, nurturing where I am devastating."

Nemu/Enri:(surprised, voices harmonizing) "Mother?!"

Thor: "Yes. That is why I brought two special women close to me—treasured, valued, beloved. You already know Albedo, whose devotion knows no bounds. And this spirited silver-haired Valkyrie is Rossweisse, who served Odin himself before pledging herself to me."

Rossweisse:(straightening uniform, professional despite lingering blush) "Hello, daughters of Thor. It's quite an honor—no, a privilege—to meet you today. I've prepared introductory materials, created bonding activity schedules, researched optimal mother-daughter interaction protocols—"

Thor: "Rossweisse."

Rossweisse:(deflating) "Right. Too much. Again."

Nemu stood and approached Rossweisse with wide, wondering eyes—innocent, curious, trusting in a way that made something ancient and scarred deep in Thor's chest ache.

Nemu: "Hello, pretty silver-haired lady!"

Enri:(mortified) "Nemu, that is not proper introduction etiquette! I apologize for her disrespect, Lady Rossweisse. Please forgive my sister's informal address—"

Rossweisse chuckled—genuine, warm, totally unlike her usual nervous rambling—and waved her hands dismissively.

Rossweisse: "No need for such formalities! As of today, I will be your mother candidate—emphasis on candidate, meaning trial period, probationary status subject to performance review—"

Thor: "Rossweisse."

Rossweisse: "Sorry! What I mean is: let's just get to know each other naturally!"

Enri/Nemu:(confused, exchanging glances) "Mother... candidate?"

Thor: "I wish for my daughters to have a mother—someone to teach gentleness, compassion, skills I cannot provide. But I will not force you to accept a mother you don't approve of, don't trust, don't love. This visit gives you a chance to know them, bond with them, decide for yourselves."

Enri:(thoughtfully) "But Father, if we're meant to bond, why bring both Lady Rossweisse and Lady Albedo? Wouldn't it be simpler, more efficient, if only one had come?"

Thor:(smiling mysteriously) "A simple answer, my clever one. Where are your older sisters?"

Enri: "Oh, Big Sister—"

???: "Daddy~"

Before Thor could stand—before he could brace, before he could prepare—a young blonde woman launched herself at him like a ballista bolt. She tackled him to the ground with force that would have pulverized normal humans, smothering him in an embrace that buried his face between generous breasts.

???:(voice muffled against armor, delighted) "Daddy! Daddy, daddy, daddy! I'm so happy to see you! I missed you! Did you miss me? Tell me you missed me!"

Thor:(muffled, struggling) "Hmm... breathing... would be... nice..."

Thor knew exactly who was smothering him—recognized her immediately, could never forget—but he could also feel Albedo's aura building like a thunderhead before a storm. Dark, dangerous, crackling with barely-contained jealousy. He could hear her grinding teeth with force that should have shattered enamel.

Enri:(exasperated) "Big Sister Clemie, please release Father! I don't think he can breathe if you're smothering him like that!"

Clementine:(cheerfully) "But I don't want to! He's so warm, so strong, so—"

Thor:(voice muffled but carrying undeniable authority) "Clementine. Release."

Clementine: "But Daddy—"

Thor:(voice dropping to a register that made Earth tremble) "Clementine. I will not repeat myself. My patience has limits, even for you."

Clementine's expression fell—crushed, disappointed, like a kicked puppy—as she reluctantly released him and stood, allowing Thor to rise to his full, imposing height.

Thor: "Much better. Now, where is—"

???: "Clementine!"

Everyone turned toward the voice. Ninya was running toward them—determined, responsible, frazzled—silver hair streaming behind her.

Ninya:(panting) "Don't run off like that during morning training! We were in the middle of sword forms—you just disappeared! I had to search everywhere—"

Clementine:(pouting magnificently) "I'm sorry, Ninya, but when I felt Daddy's presence—like thunder in my bones, like lightning in my blood—I had to find him! I couldn't help myself!"

Ninya:(sighing with weariness beyond her years) "I understand your enthusiasm, but you shouldn't bother Father like this. Act your age, Clementine. You're supposed to be the mature one."

Clementine:(pouting harder, somehow) "Why should I? Being mature is boring!"

Ninya: "Because you're our elder sister and should set an example! The younger ones look up to you—they watch you, copy you, learn from you!"

Clementine:(crossing arms) "I don't want to be responsible! Responsibility is for people who don't know how to have fun!"

Ninya and Enri both sighed—deep, synchronized, long-suffering. Thor chuckled—sound like thunder's amusement—and reached out to pat Clementine's head with a hand large enough to engulf it. She froze, eyes widening, leaning into touch like a cat seeking warmth.

Thor: "Ninya speaks truth, Clementine. You must set an example—your younger sisters watch you like sailors watch stars for navigation. They need your strength, your guidance, your leadership."

Clementine:(voice small) "But Daddy, I don't want to be the responsible one. I want to be free, wild, unbound..."

Thor: "I know. But it is my wish for you to try—because I see tremendous potential in you, daughter mine. Potential for greatness, for glory that would make even Valhalla's greatest warriors envious. You may not believe in yourself, but I do. And my belief is iron, unbreakable, eternal."

Clementine hung on every word—devouring, absorbing, treasuring them like dragon hoards gold.

Clementine:(softly, vulnerably) "I cannot deny your wishes, Daddy. Never could, never will... Okay. I'll try for you. But I want a reward for good behavior!"

Thor: "Of course. Good behavior should be rewarded, excellence acknowledged, and effort celebrated. That is only just."

Clementine: "Yay!" (She pumped fist in air triumphantly.)

Thor smiled at Clementine's improved demeanor—changed, altered, remade following her mind alteration after their confrontation. He believed she deserved a second chance, an opportunity for redemption. She simply needed guidance, needed someone to believe in her when she couldn't believe in herself.

Thor: "Now, Rossweisse, take Enri and Nemu. Show them warmth, show them care, show them what mother means. Albedo, Clementine, Ninya—we shall speak."

Rossweisse:(saluting instinctively before catching herself) "Yes, Thor-sama!"

Enri:(reluctantly) "Please don't take too long, Father. I want to spend as much time with you as possible before you must leave again."

Nemu:(grabbing Thor's leg, clinging) "Yeah! I wanna spend all day with you, Papa! I have so much to tell you! About the flowers I found, and the bird with the broken wing I helped, and the dream I had where you fought a dragon made of clouds—"

Thor:(smiling genuinely) "I shall not take long, little lightning bolt. You have my word, and my word is thunder—loud, unmistakable, impossible to ignore."

Rossweisse took Nemu's left hand and Enri's right, leading them away while chatting animatedly about proper nutrition for growing girls, the importance of education, and seventeen different career paths they might consider—

Thor smiled watching them go, then turned back to Albedo, Clementine, and Ninya.

He explained why he'd arrived with both Rossweisse and Albedo—about choosing mothers, about bonding, about family. Ninya was receptive, eager even, longing for maternal warmth again after losing her mother young. But Clementine resisted—fearing that having Albedo as mother meant her father would love her less, attention divided, affection diluted.

Thor:(kneeling to meet Clementine's eyes) "Listen to me, daughter mine. My love is not a finite resource to be rationed, not a pie to be divided into smaller slices. My love is thunder—growing louder with each soul I claim, stronger with each heart I shelter. Having more to love doesn't mean loving you less. It means my capacity for love expands, like a storm growing until it covers the entire sky."

Clementine:(tears welling) "You... you promise?"

Thor: "I swear it. On Mjölnir, on my very divinity, on thunder itself. You are my daughter, and nothing will change that. Not time, not distance, not death itself."

Clementine threw herself at him again—but this time seeking comfort, not suffocation—and he held her while she cried. Not sad tears, but relieved ones, releasing fear she'd been carrying like a stone in her chest.

Afterward, Albedo accepted the challenge of bonding with Ninya and Clementine while Thor joined Rossweisse, Enri, and Nemu.

Time passed like honey—sweet, slow, golden.

Thor picked flowers with hands meant for war—scarred fingers surprisingly gentle, careful not to crush delicate petals—and wove two flower crowns. He placed them on Nemu and Enri's heads with reverence usually reserved for coronating queens.

Thor: "My princesses. Now properly crowned."

Both girls beamed—radiant, glowing, beautiful in innocent joy.

He crossed blades with Clementine—Mjölnir against her stilettos, ringing, clanging, singing with each impact. He held back tremendously, using only a fraction of the strength that could split mountains. Teaching her to overcome flaws, to become the greatest fighter in his arsenal.

Thor: "Your footwork is sloppy—you telegraph right strikes by shifting weight too early. Again."

Clementine:(panting, grinning) "Yes, Daddy!"

Clash. Clash. Clash.

Thor: "Better. Now faster!"

He read a story as Nemu sat on his lap listening intently—eyes wide, mouth slightly open, entranced by the tale of Fenrir and the binding of the gods. Rossweisse leaned on his left shoulder, occasionally interjecting historical corrections—"Actually, the original saga says—"—until Thor would rumble warningly and she'd subside with embarrassed "Sorry." Albedo leaned on his right shoulder, purring contentedly like a satisfied cat.

Meanwhile, Ninya and Enri prepared lunch for their family—chopping vegetables with newly-learned knife skills, seasoning stew with herbs from the garden, working together with sisterly harmony.

After lunch—hearty, delicious, tasting of home and love—Thor taught Ninya to improve her magical power and reserves. He granted her an enchanted ring, a simple silver band inscribed with ancient runes.

Rossweisse:(gasping) "Thor-sama, that's a Draupnir replica! Those are worth fortunes! The magical amplification properties alone—"

Thor:(shrugging) "Beginner item. I have dozens."

Rossweisse:(spluttering) "DOZENS?! Do you have any concept of market value?! The economic implications of flooding the magical item market with artifacts of this caliber would—"

Thor: "Rossweisse."

Rossweisse:(deflating) "Right. Rambling again..."

Later, Thor sat on grassland and watched Clementine demonstrate dagger techniques to Enri—swift, precise, lethal. Enri was hesitant but eager, copying movements with determination that made Thor's chest swell with pride.

Ninya demonstrated magic to Nemu—creating illusions of butterflies that Nemu tried to catch, laughing delightedly when they dissolved through her fingers like mist.

Nemu: "Again! Do it again, Big Sister!"

Ninya:(smiling genuinely) "Okay, but this time, I'll make them rainbow colored!"

Thor's happy moment was interrupted by Rossweisse calling out to him—voice cautious, worried, carrying a note he recognized immediately as concern.

Rossweisse: "Thor-sama?"

Thor:(not turning, still watching daughters) "Yes, my Valkyrie?"

Rossweisse: "It has been a long time since I've seen your smiles so... genuine. So unguarded. Usually, you're all stoic thunder god, but now you're just... happy. Simply, purely happy."

Thor: "Ah. Yes. It is genuine. Rare thing for gods—happiness without conquest, joy without victory, peace without battle."

Rossweisse:(sitting beside him) "But I can tell your old pain is returning. I can see it—in the way your eyes dim sometimes when you watch them, in how your jaw clenches when they laugh, in the tension you carry in your shoulders even when relaxing."

Thor:(silence for a long moment) "How?"

Rossweisse: "My eyes can tell from seeing your eyes, Thor-sama. I was trained in Valhalla to observe, to analyze, to understand. And I understand you—perhaps better than you think."

Thor: "Perceptive, my Valkyrie. Dangerously perceptive."

Rossweisse: "Do you wish to speak about your pain? Sometimes talking helps, and I'm told I'm a good listener when I'm not rambling about—"

Thor: "Seeing my daughters brings back old memories and old feelings I believed I'd buried deeper than the world's roots, crushed beneath the weight of centuries, drowned in rivers of blood I've spilled. But they resurface—like corpses floating to the surface, refusing to stay dead."

Before Rossweisse could respond—could offer comfort, could help—Nemu called out.

Nemu: "Papa! Come here! Come see what Big Sister made!"

Thor:(standing immediately) "On my way, little lightning bolt."

Albedo, who had been standing back observing—calculating, analyzing, planning—walked over to Rossweisse.

Albedo: "Rossweisse, do you believe it wise that Lord Thor has adopted these mortals as his daughters?"

Rossweisse:(surprised by the question) "Why do you ask?"

Albedo: "Because this only adds weakness that enemies could exploit. Hostages to be taken, leverage to be used, pressure points to be pressed. Any enemy with intelligence would target them to control them."

Rossweisse: "It may create vulnerability, yes. But having them in his life brings him peace—something gods rarely find. And peace grants strength, not weakness. Purpose beyond simple destruction. Reason to build instead of just conquer."

Albedo: "What reason?"

Rossweisse:(thoughtfully) "This love of parents grants Thor-sama new strength and commitment to conquer this world completely—because the peace brought by his rule will give his children the brightest future. A world where they won't worry, won't fear, won't suffer. He'll crush anyone who threatens that future."

Albedo: "Will I feel such emotion if I bond with them? This... parental love you describe?"

Rossweisse: "Maybe. I hope so. I want to feel such emotion—either from them or from bearing Thor-sama's child myself. Something to ponder, Albedo. As we shall become his wives—not just servants, not just followers, but equals in love if not power."

Albedo: "Yes. We will. And I wish to feel what Lord Thor feels—to be closer to him in spirit as I am physically. To understand the heart that beats beneath the thunder."

Both women looked back at Thor, who was carrying Nemu on his shoulders—her small hands tangled in his hair, laughing joyously—while being chased by Clementine. Ninya and Enri laughed happily, making flower chains together under the afternoon sun that painted everything golden.

Then Rossweisse noticed Albedo suddenly stiffen—eyes glazing slightly, receiving mental communication from Nazarick. She watched Albedo's expression shift from relaxed to serious, from playful to professional.

Albedo walked over to Thor with purpose—determined, resolved, bearing news that couldn't wait.

Albedo:(seriously) "Milord Thor."

Thor gently set Nemu down—earning a disappointed "Aww" from her—before facing Albedo. His expression shifted instantly, reading her body language with practiced ease.

Thor:(voice dropping to a dangerous register) "Why so serious, my dear Albedo? What news carries such weight that it darkens your features like storm clouds gathering?"

Albedo: "Lord Ainz requests our presence back in Nazarick. Immediately."

Thor:(eyes narrowing, crackling with crimson lightning) "Why?"

Albedo: "Cocytus has returned."

Thor: "Hmm..."

Thunder rumbled overhead despite a clear sky—responding to Thor's emotions, to tension building in the divine frame, to anticipation of what Cocytus's return might mean.

He looked back at his daughters—his precious, beloved—all watching him with varying expressions. Nemu looked confused and sad. Enri looked understanding but disappointed. Ninya looked resigned. Clementine looked angry that something was taking him away.

Thor:(kneeling, gathering them close) "I must leave, my daughters. Duty calls with a voice I cannot ignore. But I shall return—on this you have my oath. Thunder always returns to the sky, and I always return to you."

Nemu:(clutching his armor) "Promise?"

Thor: "I swear it on Mjölnir itself, little lightning bolt. And my oaths are unbreakable."

He kissed each of their foreheads—gentle, tender, completely at odds with his fearsome reputation—before standing and opening another gate. Reality tore with sound like thunder's roar.

Thor:(to Rossweisse and Albedo) "Come. Let us discover what news Cocytus brings—and whether it requires gentle diplomacy or devastating violence."

They stepped through the gate, leaving behind daughters who watched until the portal closed—until the last glimpse of their father vanished—until they were alone again with only memories of a perfect afternoon and promise of his return.

To Be Continued