https://youtu.be/Id77VZ4aeps

Hallowed halls, draped in white. Sky-high pillars, evenly spaced and extending past the immeasurably high arched ceiling. The walls were crafted in a milky white chalk with a black marbling pattern all over it that somehow looked natural, and enclosed the room like a tunnel. The floor, presumably made of the same material, was carpeted in an ethereal sheet of white mist, rising up to one's shins. Look, we've been here twice already, let's just get on with it.

With no emotions on her face, Yuri kept her eyes on what she assumed to be the goal - the stained glass portrait at the very end, featuring a violet ocean with the mosaic sigil of a sword crossed over a shield, filling the hall with a royal purple glow. She didn't know for certain what she was supposed to do. If this was a dream, it seemed to be the lucid type, as she could feel the stone floor beneath her boots as she walked, watching as the portrait didn't seem to move any closer. But where in the heavens was she right now?

"Hello, there." a deep, somewhat foppish-sounding voice echoed through the halls, almost breaking her usually unflappable exterior. "You are in the Hall of Myriad Might, thanks to yours truly. And thank goodness, I was able to reach you. I've had my eye on you-"

"You...brought me here?" Yuri asked, interrupting the voice before summoning her sword to hand, halting her pursuit and pointing it forward. "Then bring me back."

At that, the voice gasped incredulously. "Yuri Croce, you would dare brandish your blade against a god?" he exclaimed. "I must say, I'm...impressed! One with such strong convictions as yourself - I knew I picked correctly!"

"You're not making me any less confused."

"Well, you have yet to ask any questions, so I don't quite know what to elucidate you on yet."

Yuri sighed, deciding that if he was a god like he claimed, it'd do well not to talk back to him too much. But for an Aesir, he was quite eccentric...she thought, anyway. She'd never actually met an Aesir before. Putting her sword away, she looked right at the glass painting. "Then...tell me who you are. And why I'm here."

"Of course!" the man chirped happily. "My name is Forseti, the god of justice. And I have chosen you, for justice sleeps within your heart, and I wish to unleash it."

"Is it...not already prominent?" Yuri asked, frowning slightly. "I joined the Knights recently..."

"...to tell, or not to tell?" Forseti fell silent for a brief while, before clearing his throat. "Anyway-"

"I asked a question."

"ANYway, I come offering power, Yuri. Do you yearn for power?" Forseti ignored her. "You joined the Knights so you could do what your heart told you was right, no? This power will aid you when you begin following the path of righteousness."

"Am I not already-"

"Abubub." Forseti said, shamelessly cutting her off now and causing her to look to the ground in annoyance. "This is the power of Myriad Might. Surely you've heard of it? This allows you to taste the power enjoyed by us gods. Interested?"

"The power of a god...that doesn't sound like I should take it lightly." Yuri murmured, continuing to walk towards the goal, which remained ever out of reach.

"It's just a taste. It takes a long time to truly match an Aesir." Forseti explained. "Your commander has yet to do it, for instance."

"...Sir Svafrlami...has a Myriad Might?" Yuri paused, mumbling under her breath. "Then...if I accept this power...I can be like him?"

"...no, Forseti, she has to realise it on her own..." Forseti murmured, just quietly enough that Yuri couldn't properly make it out. Clearing his throat, he continued at a normal volume. "Yuri, my child, if you are wise, you can be far greater than him!"

"...understood. I'll accept this power."

"Magnificent. Now, keep walking." Forseti ordered, and at once, Yuri obeyed, watching as the mist in the room began to rise up, engulfing the hall in its entirety. She'd been ordered to keep walking, however, so that was what she did until the fog returned to shin-level.

"...a soul full of loyalty and fear, I see." the god murmured, before returning to his usual cheerful voice. "This power is but a stroll away, but in the meantime, why don't you take this quiz? I've prepared it especially for you."

"No thank you." Yuri said bluntly, laser-focused on the portrait ahead of her. Forseti, watching this, remained silent for a little while, before once again speaking up.

"What if I told you the quiz is the only way to reach that painting?"

"Then I would tell you that you should have told me earlier." Yuri squinted in annoyance.

"You never asked." Forseti mused blithely, earning a grunt from the young nixie. "Now, then, are you ready to begin?"

Yuri closed her eyes, continuing her forward stride as she took a deep breath, setting aside her irritation at the god to allow this to happen. Opening her eyes again, she looked ahead with a determined scowl. "I'm ready."

"Then by all means, let us begin."

https://youtu.be/cUAXMQyJeSY

Yuri nodded wordlessly, not wanting to talk more than she needed to, and walked in the same direction. She didn't know for sure that this actually meant anything, but orders were orders. So she kept walking, as she had been ordered, awaiting Forseti's first question.

"Your first question is as follows." Forseti continued after a little while. "Which is more important to you? Your duty, or your morals?"

"My...duty." Yuri mumbled, after a little deliberation. "I have a duty...to do what is right. And I know he knows better than me."

Forseti sighed a little at that answer, but did not comment on it, humming quietly as he did. "Mhm...so you're one of those 'lawful neutral' types, eh?"

Yuri continued walking, seeing the portrait moving closer as she approached before it entered stasis again. She figured that the next question would make it move even more, and wordlessly continued walking nonetheless. Forseti, meanwhile, cleared his throat, priming himself for the next question.

"Second question." he continued. "It's clear to me that you're a follower at heart, so do tell me - what, in your most humble opinion, are the traits of an ideal leader?"

"A leader...needs to be strong." Yuri replied, looking back on what she knew about Svafrlami. He was a good leader, wasn't he? He'd taken her in and trained her, and it was because of him that she was as strong as she was. "They must have the vision to know what they want, and the conviction to take it. And they must...know what is right."

Another bit of silence from Forseti's end, but he hummed nonetheless after a little while, and Yuri once again began making progress towards the painting. Once progress stopped, Forseti ceased his humming. "Third question." he said. "Let us say that you are a high-ranking knight for a feudal lord, and you learn, independently of your king, that the peasants of your land are organising a rebellion."

"I would-"

"You would let me finish? Fantastic!" Forseti interrupted her cheerfully. "You are ordered to suppress the rebellion, but in your preparations, you discover the reason for it. You find that your lord has been viciously abusing the peasants, treating them like slaves and sentencing them to their deaths for the pettiest of reasons. The lord you follow is, in fact, a cruel tyrant."

Yuri frowned at that, not wanting to consider that thought, but knowing she'd have to. "My question for you is as follows." Forseti continued, taking note of her discomfort. "Do you still follow your orders to the end?"

"I-I..." Yuri murmured, stopping her stride to look down at the ground. It was as though she'd been hit with the worst possible question for someone like her, which was certainly Forseti's objective. She'd said her duty was more important than her morals, but now that the leader in question was corrupt... "I...would have to...oppose my king."

"Ooh." Forseti mused, clearly interested in that answer and watching as Yuri, hesitantly, began moving once again. "It seems even the most loyal have their limits, don't they? It's good to think for yourself every now and then, isn't it?"

Yuri remained silent, focused wholly on her destination that stopped getting any closer, not that this stopped her. Forseti, for his part, got up the fourth question while waiting for her progression to stop, which it eventually did. "Question number four." he announced, and she quickly perked up, hoping this wouldn't be as difficult as the last one. "When given a choice, do you prefer to show mercy to fallen foes, or slay them?"

"...you needn't ask." Yuri shook her head. "Mercy is foolish, unless the extenuating circumstances say otherwise."

"Right. I expected as much." Forseti mused. "Are you ready for the final question, Yuri Croce?"

"I am, as always." she nodded, remaining stoic as she marched on.

"Then it's time for the fifth and final question, which is..." Forseti began. "Ah, yes, an age-old classic. Yuri Croce, if offered the chance to gain all the power you've ever dreamed of and more, at the low, low cost of your humanity. You would be nothing more than a machine fine-tuned to do your duty. A true knight...but would you be a true hero, perhaps? I'm getting off-topic. The question is simple; do you accept?"

Yuri closed her eyes at that, wanting to say that she would, but finding herself hesitating too much for any words to come out. It would be true that she'd need to ignore her humanity to carry out her duties efficiently...but to discard it entirely and permanently? That was a much harder call to make. And one she was much less sure that she even could.

Forseti, observing her reaction, decided that action, or in this case, inaction, spoke louder than any words could. Not wanting to pressure her, he let out a chuckle. "That'll do, Yuri. Please, keep walking." he said, and at that, she obeyed, continuing her stride and finding the portrait at the end moving even closer, closing the gap between them until she stood right in front of it, staring at all of its details with a deep breath, only to grow surprised as it started to grow cracks.

"You have reached the end of this induction, Yuri Croce." Forseti said gently, while Yuri, listening closely, gazed upon the damaged portrait as it crumbled away, the glass shattering to reveal a vast blue sky before her; like a bright, sunny afternoon. "With the power of justice, I bestow upon you a sword and a shield. You shall play knight and hero - defend the innocent, smite the guilty, and oppose all who threaten the order! This is the power of the Sacrosanct Shield - and it is now yours!"

Yuri nodded, taking a silent bow in respect as her vision faded into a blank white. If this was true, and those powers had been granted to her, then that was brilliant - now, she could bring justice even more efficiently. She could do what was right, and fight for Svafrlami's cause. She had the skill, the spirit, and now, the power. Surely now, there was nothing that could stand in the way of justice.

.........

She didn't like to look back on that day. Least of all, now. It reminded her of her current circumstances. This blade was meant to slay the guilty. But Oz...well, she had seen his heroics, and she wasn't sure if he was really as guilty as Svafrlami insisted. But he wouldn't lie to her, would he? He was the Knight Commander - as far as she knew, he was justice. And he was so much wiser than her, too. Perhaps she ought to simply turn off her feelings and be his sword.

As she laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling, she began to become lost in her thoughts and doubts - either Oz was in the right, or Svafrlami was. That much was clear, but who, truly, was the hero of this tale?

She dwelled on this silently and aimlessly, her thoughts only interrupted by the opening of her door. Snapping out of it, she looked over, sitting up and seeing a woman walking in. She was a tall, amazonian beauty, with curly blonde locks cascading down her back and ending at her waist, and eyes that were a pale grey, almost white in colour. She wore a long blue dress, with golden armour covering the torso and chest.

"I hope you are well, Yuri." the woman said in her soft voice, decorated with a soft received pronunciation. Mild concern shone in her eyes as she gazed upon the nixie.

"I'm...fine." Yuri said. Lying didn't come naturally to her, so to the taller woman, it was clear that something, whatever that may be, was up. Clearly, she didn't want to talk about it, so she simply bowed her head.

"Sir Svafrlami told me to relay this to you." she said. "That if you have yet to leave, you should do so immediately, before the evil leaves your sights."

"I- right." Yuri nodded, stammering slightly as she rose from her bed, bowing graciously. "Thank you, Brynhild. But I would like my privacy now."

"Alright. And do stay safe." Brynhild nodded, smiling slightly. "I know not this evil you must face, but I have no doubt that you will show it the wrath of the heavens."

At that, Brynhild took her leave, and Yuri immediately had to restrain herself from slamming her face into her pillow. This just felt terrible. If only a deal like the one Forseti had mentioned could show up - then, taking it might solve her problems. But no such deal would come, leaving the all-too-human Yuri to deal with her own painful duty.

.........

https://youtu.be/mOpa9XKPAZE

"Welcome, Oz Abendroth. You are invited to stand."

Odin's regal palace was, as always, a sight to behold, its white tiles and red carpet in pristine condition, as was the golden throne they led up to. Atop that throne was the king himself, who gazed blankly upon his visitors with one eye glowing in rainbow colours and the other covered with an eyepatch. Oz, who was kneeling nine feet in front of him, bowed his head, a slightly resigned smile on his face.

"Are you certain? I do not wish to offend you, your majesty."

"He said it's okay, Oz." Freya, who stood next to him, shook her head, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm certain he's not quite like Svafrlami, is he?"

Odin had no words for that, but he held his hand up, and at that, the einherjar rose to his feet. "It is good to see you are in one piece. We have much to discuss." he said, looking at the two of them directly. "First, I would like to commend the two of you for your efforts. The Hel's Angels are a known threat, and by keeping them at bay, you do a service to all of Asgard."

Oz nodded at that, placing a hand on his chest and bowing his head. "I live to serve."

"Your loyalty is ever appreciated." Odin smiled. "After hearing about what occurred before your discharge, it relieves me to know that it persists."

Once he said that, Oz and Freya shared a look, eyebrow quirked in curiosity, before the latter turned back to Odin, chuckling softly as though everything were fine. "You doubt my Guest's moral character?"

"My, how scandalous." Oz said, his voice sounding rather deadpan. "Though I strive to be a paragon, I understand that some of my 'haters', so to speak, may feel differently."

"I do not mean to doubt you, Oz Abendroth, but I cannot ignore the account provided by your commanding officer." Odin said, taking a moment to sigh as he closed his eye slowly. "In his words, you turned on your own unit in defence of an evil witch."

"Oh?" Freya raised an eyebrow.

"However, I am aware that you are a virtuous man at heart, and you would not do such a thing without a good reason." Odin continued, opening his eye to reveal its natural green hue. "Thus, if you have anything to add, please do so. Perhaps you were seduced away from your senses by her enchantments?"

"Ha! Like I'd need a spell to seduce him." Freya rolled her eyes, playing with her hair slightly as her gaze met Odin's head-on. "Oh, I'm the 'evil witch', by the way."

Odin's stare was blank as he gazed into Freya's eyes, ignoring an awkwardly-chuckling Oz as he took a deep breath, and then a long, slow and weary-sounding sigh. "...so he's still at it."

"Tragically so." Freya sighed, bowing her head. "You make the mistake of denying the wrong manchild..."

"But look on the bright side! The salt could flavour dishes for millenia on end!"

"Thank you, Ozwald." Odin deadpanned, now turning his gaze to the einherjar, who looked at him with a casual smile while Freya giggled at his remark.

"It's just 'Oz'."

"I have been meaning to ask how you managed to befriend yet another god, but that much seems evident now." Odin replied, nodding slowly as he relaxed in his seat. "Now that leaves us with the main event. For what purpose have you called this meeting?"

Oz took a deep breath, prompting Freya to put a hand on his shoulder, as if reassuring him that things would go fine, and looking up at Odin, he spoke. "I would like you to look into my future."

"Beg pardon?"

Odin's eyes briefly lit up in rainbow colours before returning to their usual green, and he widened his eye slightly, composing himself. "You wish to...see your future?"

"I do." Oz nodded slowly, smiling at the god. "That won't be a problem, I hope?"

"Your curiosity stokes mine. Why do you suddenly wish to do so?" Odin asked. "You may not like what you see, Oz Abendroth."

"It is in the nature of fate itself to be unpleasant!" Oz declared, one hand on his chest as he used the other to gesture grandly. "To not know what may come of you in the grand design of our world - is that not hell?"

Odin eyed Oz strangely, unsure what to make of his little speech, and held onto his spear, deciding to give him a chance here. "...the events I show you today will transpire at some point in the future - that only you will know when they occur." he said, looking into Oz's eyes and holding out his free hand, which emanated a rainbow-coloured light. "There is no telling what catastrophe could befall us if you attempt to deviate. Without further ado, I call upon seidr - show this man what the wyrd has planned for him."

And from the outside, Oz's eyes began to glow, but in his own viewpoint, everything rippled away, leaving only a vague set of rainbow lights, his eyes wide as an image faded into his view.

https://youtu.be/V2ieTnwJR5E

At first, he saw fire. A crimson land, with bright red stones paving the earth. Flames erupted in his vision, concealing the symbol of a sunwheel before panning down to the interior of a cathedral. And there, he saw himself, expression aghast and a blade of light in his hand, dripping with blood. Because at his feet was the lifeless body of his dear brother-in-arms, Anwin.

Immediately, he tried to close his eyes, but it did not stop the presentation. This scene faded away in a cloud of mist, moving onto the next one. This one featured himself, distraught as he reached down over the edge of the Val Gate, just barely missing another friend - Yuri - as she plummeted from the heavens and into the sky below. He gasped as he observed the look of utter defeat and resignation in the nixie eyes.

That picture faded away, transitioning to the next image in a matrix of runic letters - which he knew couldn't be good even before he knew what it was. And there he laid - in the middle of the Hall of Myriad Might, bleeding out and looking up feebly at his assailant. And, just as he expected, standing above him was Svafrlami, a greatsword raised over his head, and that damn smirk on his face as he brought down the weapon. Blood filled his vision, and everything went dark.

Oz found himself standing in Odin's palace once again, looking around to see the king looking down at him icily, while Freya held him close. He recalled all he had seen; all that would, one day, come to pass.

"Oz? Are you...alright?"

Her comment barely registered in his mind, which was now filling with dread - as though he was powerless against destiny itself. Faced with this existential chill...he laughed. It wasn't an unhinged laugh; moreso like he'd heard the funniest knock-knock joke in his life. He moved out of Freya's grip, looking at a nonplussed Odin and taking an ostentatious bow. "Jolly good show, your majesty!" he declared. "The special effects were top-notch - why, I was on the edge of my seat!"

"...Oz?"

"Are you satisfied, Oz Abendroth?" Odin asked, earning a nod from the einherjar.

"Of course! I dare say I'm impressed!" Oz nodded quickly. "Now, I would hate to take up too much of your time, so I will have to be off! Farewell, your majesty, and don't let the Angels bite!"

He leapt away from the gods, running towards the door and waving at them cheerily before he left. Freya, who could easily tell that something was off, gave Odin an aghast look.

"What did he see? What did you show him?" she demanded, pointing towards the door. But the king of the gods was completely stone-faced as she spoke, shaking his head.

"I showed him his fate." he said simply, causing Freya to groan in frustration, turning towards the door with clenched teeth.

"Oz, wait up!" she yelled, running out of the door to catch up with her Guest. She didn't know what was wrong, but it was clear as day that something was. So, with that, she ran as fast as she could, knowing how quick he was. Hopefully, she would be able to catch up to him before his fate did - a scary thought, indeed.