"B-Brunhilde… Jack's arm!" The young Göll covers her mouth with her hands after witnessing the scene.
(Image)
Yet, Brunhilde remains indifferent to the situation, observing Doma with calculating blue eyes.
Even though Doma is deeply intrigued by the sister duo, he doesn't lower his guard around Jack.
No, he can't lower his guard, given Jack's fighting style.
'Jack the Ripper…' Doma thinks, watching the middle-aged man step back while clutching the area where his arm once was.
He is a tragic figure, born from humanity's evil and nurtured by it ever since.
Doma recalls that Jack possessed a remarkable gift, one unknown to those around him.
The young boy could see emotions in the form of colored auras.
A highly practical ability for manipulating others, but the innocent boy hadn't used it for that purpose back then.
On the contrary, he used it to better understand those around him, delighting in seeing the color of joy emanate from them.
That color was his favorite, for he saw it every time his mother looked at him.
The young boy had mistakenly believed that this color was meant for him.
But fate had other plans.
Jack's mother was named Mary, and she was a prostitute in the city of London.
(Image)
Before meeting the man named Jack Smith, she had already undergone several abortions.
(Image)
But things were different with Jack's father.
Mary was deceived by Jack's father and decided to keep the child when she became pregnant with that scoundrel.
An act deemed foolish by Mary's fellow workers, but she saw in her child the embodiment of an invisible bond between her and her love.
Unfortunately, the future proved the other prostitutes right.
This tragedy caused deep trauma in Jack, as the boy was literally born to embody the fruit of a love founded on sin and a man's deceit.
Thus, the boy went from being the symbol of a prostitute's and a famous playwright's love to a constant reminder of a naive woman's credulity.
Mary's beautiful color became repulsive at that moment.
It was also at that moment that Jack realized his situation, witnessing his mother's downfall.
Mary had never directed that color toward Jack, but toward his absent father.
Doma has seen many things in a century of existence, but the fall of the smiling little boy into an embodiment of human sin ranks among his top fifteen tragedies.
Even in the face of that repulsive color, the child tried to remain in denial.
But to no avail.
Finally, the smiling boy killed his mother, hoping to preserve the magnificent color of happiness in his memory.
That same night, he eliminated his father and vanished into the darkness of London's streets—an act marking the definitive end of the carefree boy.
That day, a child was killed by foolish adults, and a man was born from their sin.
Jack would never again see a color as magnificent as Mary's, except in Heracles.
That's why Jack wanted to prove to Heracles that his own words about his love for humanity were lies.
He wanted to see that magnificent color turn repulsive, as he and his dear mother had become.
The killer sought answers from the demigod, capable of understanding both the idle gods and the repulsive humans.
And so, Heracles proved to all why he was the greatest Greek hero, the man who best understood both gods and humans.
An individual worthy of the title of hero.
He died but saved Jack.
"…My arm is no longer available before my fight against that god," Jack mutters, glancing at his hand.
"Quite an unfortunate situation, sir?" Jack asks, speaking in a calm tone, as if the initial shock of perceiving the demon's nature was merely an illusion.
An incredible mental fortitude, on the surface.
Yet, the ice demon knows full well, looking into those heterochromatic eyes, devoid of any emotion.
Jack is broken, and you cannot break a man who is already shattered.
"Doma, you can call me by my name directly, without titles or honorifics," he says in a serene tone.
'This man injured Loli, a grave act… but—'Doma respects Jack's resilience.
He killed one of the greatest embodiments of fictional altruism, and so what? Doma sees something more in Jack.
Certainly, that something is vile… but so what? Is ugliness a sin? No.
That's Doma's conclusion, after observing so many followers repeat their mistakes before returning to seek his counsel.
Many remained scum, but sometimes, there were diamonds hidden in the landfill.
The image of Mugen flashes in the demon's mind.
'Yes, there is beauty in ugliness,'he thinks, looking at the relaxed-looking middle-aged man.
"Oh, wonderful! You can do the same with me. My name is Jack," he says with a British accent, before shrugging with an air of regret.
"I'd truly love to have tea with you and learn how you conceal your emotions… no, if you're even capable of feeling them. But you see…" He shifts his gaze toward Hlökk.
The young Valkyrie hides behind Doma's back, seeking his protection.
"I have to participate in Ragnarök, and this girl is indispensable. Could I borrow her? Of course, if you wish to punish my disgraceful act, do so… but after the fight," he says in a calm voice.
As his polished appearance suggests, Jack speaks in a polite and elegant tone while presenting the situation to Doma.
"I-I don't want to participate with that murderer!" Hlökk pleads her case beside Doma, but her hero's actions shock the 4,000-year-old girl.
"Ow, why did you hit me? Aren't you here to help me?" she asks, confused.
After executing his karate technique on Hlökk's head, Doma crouches to her level due to the girl's small stature.
"Listen to me carefully, this man won't harm you or cause your death." Doma pauses briefly, glancing at Jack.
"If he does, I'll personally send him to Niflhel in the next match. So, will you agree to tolerate him?" he says in a mock-pleading tone.
The loli is momentarily thrown off by Doma's sudden closeness.
But she doesn't take long to respond, crossing her arms and turning her face away.
A fake defiant pose.
"Idiot, you didn't need to hit me or take his arm if you weren't going to replace it, tch," Hlökk clicks her tongue, but occasionally glances at Doma's multicolored eyes.
'Why is he so close… and does he really have a special relationship with Thrud?'Even while pondering these unusual questions, the young girl complies and heads toward Jack.
'Handling tsunderes is always tricky, as you never know when you're forcing their hand or when they're genuinely cooperative,' the demon thinks, watching Hlökk's small back.
"Hey, killer! You better pull your weight, got it? I'm ruining my public image by associating with scum like…" Hlökk begins venting her rage and frustration at Jack, but the man doesn't respond.
He seems preoccupied with his arm.
Doma approaches and decides to help the former Briton, as he doesn't want to defeat him later in his weakened state.
"S-Stop, don't do anything suspicious to Jack," Göll tries to intervene, but Doma simply sidesteps her.
Though he appreciates the younger Valkyrie sister, Doma can sense, thanks to his newfound sense, the prelude to the next match.
He has no time to waste and must speak to Zeus.
"Interesting, a god helping a mortal?" Jack observes his fully regenerated hand under the influence of Doma's new control over his cells and spiritual form.
The ice demon had already achieved a high level of control over these cells after 98 years of training.
Back then, he aimed for the level of biological control of the future Enmu in the Demon Slayer manga.
'I think I've already surpassed Enmu's control over cell division,'he thinks, walking toward the door.
Enmu had been able to fuse his biological body with an entire train, gaining a certain level of omnipresence within the machine.
Doma aimed for that level to quickly heal sect members using his cells, without turning them into demons.
Yet, he surpassed that and even became partly a spiritual being due to his demigod status.
By Nasuverse standards, he is similar to Shirou Emiya after the implantation of Archer Emiya's arm.
A being neither truly spiritual nor truly physical.
"Wait, don't you have anything to say… demon of fate?" Brunhilde's calm voice echoes as Doma is about to leave.
"Not really, but…" Doma glances at Hlökk, who notices his look.
The young girl tilts her head, confused.
An extremely cute gesture that Doma manages to withstand.
"If you're tired of hanging out with that manipulator, you can come with me after the next round of Ragnarök," he says in a reassuring tone.
Brunhilde frowns, and Göll panics, looking between her sisters and Doma.
"I-I don't…" Before the Valkyrie can respond, the demon leaves the room with these final words.
"Take your time… I don't treat my people badly."
After Doma's departure, an intimidating aura emanates from Brunhilde, and the room becomes saturated with an uncomfortable atmosphere.
Fortunately for everyone, Jack diverts attention with some of Doma's remarks.
"That man… is he on the official match roster? I don't believe I saw his name." At these words, Gnöl and Hlökk realize the significance of this point.
The only person indifferent to this news is Brunhilde.
'Thrud was still confused about that man's predictions, after Adam's defeat and Kojiro's victory… did she decide to follow him to the gods' camp?' Unconsciously, the Valkyrie tightens her grip, and her gaze grows more troubled after noticing Hlökk's thoughtful eyes, looking toward Doma's former spot.
…
On the field of the next Ragnarök match, there was a small-statured god.
He wears loose clothing and holds a microphone in his hands, but his gaze lacks its usual playful tone.
It is Heimdall.
(Image)
'Damn it, Poseidon-sama died against a human,' he thinks, sweating.
The death of the feared and respected sea god was a shock to the audience.
Whether on the human or divine side, the image of a fallen god at the hands of a mortal was unconsciously rejected by collective consciousness and common sense.
"Heimdall-sama, a message from Zeus-sama," a guard delivers a message to the Nordic god.
At first, Heimdall was dismissive of the envelope, but Zeus's name prompts him to read it quickly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I announce the start of the fourth round of Ragnarök!"
The audience reacts strongly to the god's voice, after a long pause due to the exceptional battles of Poseidon and Kojiro.
"First, know that this fight will be very different from those seen so far."
The Nordic god's words were met with confusion and suspicion from the audience, but he continued.
"It won't be a duel… no, no, but a three-way battle to decide the fate of this round's point!" Heimdall's loud voice and enthusiasm immediately captured the interest of all listeners.
The fourth round will not be a duel but a three-way battle royale.
---
Author's Note: Jack the Ripper's father is named Jack Smith (the name Smith is very common in Britain; the author really wanted to get him off the screen quickly lol).
He also became a noble through his work as a playwright and used the love story between Mary and himself as a successful play (a genius? Or a bastard?).
Other (unpleasant) information: my PC is broken… I'm writing this thanks to information I had backed up elsewhere, but I lost some data *sigh*.
I can finish the Ragnarök arc by Sunday (so I'll post another chapter today), but I'm extremely slowed down.
As for my P*treon? I've sorted out the details with that damn bank (unnecessarily suspicious when I'm barely of age).