As they approached the suspended Valkyrie within the magically sealed chamber, Atreus, despite his growing exhaustion, could not help but notice that the formidable entity was not immediately attacking them.
"It is not attacking," Kratos then said, voicing his own observation. His Leviathan Axe was already unhooked and readied at his side, his muscles tense in anticipation, while Atreus had his Talon Bow drawn, an arrow already nocked.
"Does it even know we are here?" Atreus then asked, his voice echoing slightly in the large stone room.
But then, as they continued walking towards the center of the chamber, the suspended figure of the Valkyrie started to twitch violently. The metallic wings scraped against the stone floor, and the entity began to rouse from its suspended state.
"There it is," Zelos then stated calmly.
In that instant, the Valkyrie fully awakened, taking her combat stance. She immediately unfurled her massive, bladed wings and swung them with incredible speed towards the four intruders.
Zelos reacted instantly, raising a hand to create a magical barrier to block the strike. However, something surprised Zelos. The barrier that he had conjured, which usually withstood immense force, suddenly cracked under the Valkyrie's blow.
Shards of magical energy flew off as Zelos quickly poured more mana into the shield, increasing the magic density as the Valkyrie prepared to strike once again.
"Oh, I did not expect that," Zelos then said, his eyes widening slightly. Kratos, who watched the initial exchange, suddenly became serious.
He knew the strength of his son's magic, and seeing Zelos's barrier falter meant this opponent was far more dangerous than the Draugr they usually fought.
"Careful, laddie! That is Gunnr, the Mistress of War!" Mimir shouted from where he stood, drawing his own weapon—a simple but sturdy dagger he kept for emergencies. "She has control over deciding who gets to win in a battle. We will not be able to win unless she wants to be defeated!"
As Mimir spoke, Gunnr flew high above them, hovering near the ceiling. She flapped her wings violently, summoning multiple wind slashes that cut through the air with a high-pitched whistle.
Zelos countered immediately with a complex stone formation. He knew that wind is weak against the density of stone. He conjured multiple walls of rock that rose from the ground to intercept the wind blades.
Atreus also fired upon the flying target, using his bow to conjure multiple sonic arrows—the ones that had just been given to him by Sindri after they defeated the dragon Hraezlyr.
Kratos also joined the fray, throwing his axe with tremendous force, aiming for the Valkyrie's exposed joints.
Their combined attacks hit each of Gunnr's limbs, breaking her concentration and dropping her to the ground with a heavy crash.
However, this only made her even more ferocious. She stood up and summoned a massive scythe made of pure light. She began to move in a whirlwind motion, spinning faster and faster as she sent a wave of energy slashes towards the four warriors.
Mimir and Zelos worked in tandem. They both summoned thick, thorny vines from the cracks in the floor to wrap around Gunnr's legs and hinder her erratic movements.
Kratos took advantage of her momentary struggle to swing his axe down onto one of her wings. The impact created a loud, metallic ringing sound, sparks flying due to the bladed state of her wings.
Atreus then tried to fire a precise arrow towards Gunnr's head, but she dodged with supernatural reflexes, moving her head to the side just as she cut through the vines with her scythe.
"Zoltraak," Zelos then intoned. He summoned multiple Zoltraak magic circles in the air in an instant. The dark purple beams all started firing simultaneously towards Gunnr.
She managed to get hit by several beams, the impact pushing her back, but she used the force of the Zoltraak magic to propel herself backwards and free herself from the remaining vines.
Gunnr then flew off once again, retreating to the other side of the room. This time, she summoned another volley of wind blades, but was stopped by Kratos.
He slammed the Leviathan Axe into the ground, sending a trail of ice that froze her wings mid-flap.
The ice weighed her down, making Gunnr fall from the sky. Before she could hit the ground, Zelos then summoned a dark-colored fire which engulfed her.
The flames burned off the entirety of the ice and scorched Gunnr's wings, but she was still not defeated due to the incredible resilience and healing abilities that Valkyries possess.
"This is the most exciting fight we have ever been in since we left the cabin," Zelos then said with a grin. He raised both hands, channeling a massive amount of energy.
He created a small, dense black hole in the center of the room. It started sucking in everything—debris, dust, and light—as it slowly became bigger and bigger.
Zelos then fired it directly upon Gunnr. She tried to remove herself from its path, digging her heels into the stone, but the gravitational pull of the black hole was not something to be scoffed at.
The others just managed to avoid being pulled in as Zelos carefully manipulated the gravity to protect them.
Kratos saw his opening. He jumped high into the air, swinging his axe with all his might towards Gunnr's head. It was covered with a heavy helmet, but it did not matter against the God of War's strength.
Zelos dissipated his black hole at the last second to give his father a clear path. Kratos grabbed the head of Gunnr with his bare hand to hold her steady, and with a roar, he swung his axe, decapitating Gunnr in one clean, brutal motion.
As Kratos finished the fight, the body of the Valkyrie slumped to the floor. Almost immediately, the entire spiritual form of Gunnr then appeared, floating above her fallen physical shell. Seeing this, Mimir lit up with recognition.
"Ahh, there it is. The real form of the Valkyries," Mimir then said, stepping closer. Kratos, wary of spirits, tried to attack once again, raising his axe as the last time they had encountered a spirit, it tried to kill them. But before he could strike, Gunnr started talking, her voice echoing with a calm authority.
"You have freed me from my corrupted form. You have my eternal gratitude," the spirit said, bowing her head slightly. "But my sisters remain trapped as I was. Take my helm. Find them. Free them. The fate of the Valkyries rests on your shoulders."
Gunnr then said her final words, thanking them one last time. Kratos looked down at the decapitated physical head of Gunnr. The flesh and metal then started melting off rapidly, dissolving into mist until there was nothing else left except for the pristine helmet lying on the stone floor.
"This is your duty. Why pass it unto others?" Kratos just asked with extreme prejudice. He despised gods who shirked their responsibilities. But he did not get his answers, as Gunnr immediately flew off upwards, vanishing through the ceiling after saying her gratitude and request.
"Father, she will not be able to hear you," Zelos then said towards Kratos, walking over to pick up the helmet. "Despite being freed, her essence is still weak due to the long corruption. Even if she wants to, she will not be able to free her sisters immediately. She needs to recover in Valhalla."
"What do you know of the Valkyries, Mimir?" Kratos asked, turning towards Mimir after hearing Zelos's explanation. He glared at the horned man who had claimed to know everything going on in these lands.
"A fair question. And yet, one not easily answered," Mimir said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I know more than most, but much of their history is veiled in secrecy. My own experience with the Valkyries ends with my imprisonment."
Mimir then effectively dodged answering the question fully, which Kratos immediately noticed.
"You are dodging the question," Kratos then said sternly. Mimir just stayed silent, looking away.
As this interrogation was happening, Zelos looked over at Atreus. The boy had exerted himself greatly. Despite not doing much in the physical fight compared to Kratos, the magical strain was a lot more than he could handle, as he was still spent from the earlier fight against Gullveig.
"Are you alright, Atreus?" Zelos then asked, walking towards his brother. Atreus looked up, smiling weakly and answering.
"Yes brother, I am more healthy than—" Atreus managed to say before suddenly fainting. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the hard ground, his body unable to handle the pressure any longer.
"ATREUS!" Zelos shouted from shock. His cry took the attention of Kratos and Mimir, who were having their tense conversation. When they saw Atreus lying motionless on the ground, they both immediately ran towards him.
"What happened?" Mimir then asked, kneeling beside the boy.
"His body has reached its limits. He needs Freya now," Zelos then said urgently. He stood up and began weaving a complex spell.
He created a magic gate directly outside of the magical forest of Freya, as he knew that he would not be able to penetrate the magic concealment that Freya had cast on her home directly from a distance.
Kratos then lifted Atreus into his arms. He felt the burning fever that Atreus had been experiencing radiating through the boy's clothes, but he did not address it verbally.
His face set in a grim mask, he started walking towards the magic gate that Zelos had created. Mimir followed closely behind, while Zelos took the helm of the Valkyrie and secured it before stepping through the portal.
When their vision reconnected, their entire view was back to a familiar place for Kratos. It was the clearing where they had first shot the magical boar.
Without a word, they started walking rapidly back towards Freya's cabin. Kratos carried Atreus with a hurried pace, his heavy footsteps thundering against the earth.
When they arrived at the place where the giant turtle that Freya had been living under resided, Kratos opened the door without knocking. He barged in, desperate.
This sudden intrusion made Freya, who was reading something on her table, become instantly alert. She stood up, surprised by the sudden entrance of the Spartan.
When Freya saw Kratos, her guard dropped slightly. But then, she saw Mimir walking in on his own two feet, followed by Zelos. This sight immediately changed her mood, her eyes narrowing at the sight of her former enemy.
"What are you doing here with this person?" Freya immediately asked, pointing a finger at Mimir. She did not initially notice that Atreus was unconscious in the arms of Kratos.
"Long time no see, Your Majesty. I am also ashamed of letting you see my face, but there is an urgent situation," Mimir then said, bowing his head respectfully. He then turned and gestured towards Kratos.
Freya then focused on the Spartan more closely, which made her finally notice the unconscious state of Atreus.
"What happened?" Freya then said, her anger vanishing instantly. She rushed forward and touched the body of Atreus. From his burning fever, his temperature had shifted wildly; it then became so cold that it looked like Atreus was already dead.
"The fault is mine. I did this to him. Will you help me?" Kratos then said. He remembered the earlier conversations that he had with Zelos and Mimir, who both tried to convince Kratos to let Atreus know his true nature.
The guilt weighed heavily on him. Freya just looked at the deeply worried expression of Kratos, seeing the father beneath the warrior.
"Of course," Freya said softly. She moved to her shelves, grabbing various herbs. "There is a rare ingredient found only in Helheim. The Keeper that protects the Bridge of the Damned. I need its heart."
"Hel," Kratos said, freezing. He recognized the name.
"The Realm of the Dead. Do you know it?" Freya then asked, pausing her search.
"Not this one..." Kratos then said, his voice low.
"It is a land of unyielding cold. Fires cannot burn there, and no magic in all the nine realms can create a blaze. As for the dead... your frost axe will be useless. You will need to find something else," Freya then began explaining the dangers of the realm.
"Then I must return home... dig up a past I swore would stay buried," Kratos then said. There was a long pause due to the heaviness of the situation. He knew what weapon he had to retrieve.
"Who you were before does not matter. This boy is not your past. He is your son... and he needs his father," Freya said firmly. She handed him a rune stone. "This rune opens the bridge to Helheim. When you are there, do not under any circumstances cross the Bridge of the Damned. There is no road back. Understand?" Freya then instructed Kratos on what to do.
"You must hurry. Through my garden there is a path leading to my boat. Take it. Return home. Dig up your past. Do whatever you need to do. Just bring me back the Bridge Keeper's heart, and your son may survive. Now, go," Freya then added.
Zelos and Mimir stood up as they prepared to go with Kratos.
"No, stay here with your brother. He needs his family on his side. I will accompany your father," Mimir then said towards Zelos, placing a hand on the young man's arm.
Zelos looked at Kratos for confirmation. Kratos nodded in agreement. He wanted Zelos to stay with Freya so that if something happened to the boy, or if Freya tried anything, Kratos would be sure that Zelos would be there to ensure their safety.
"Watch over him," Kratos commanded.
The two men, Kratos and Mimir, then left the cabin, stepping out into the garden. They left the sick Atreus behind with Zelos and Freya, who immediately started tending towards the boy, applying warm salves to his freezing skin.