4★ Loki

Fire Loki

“They existed from the beginning, and were neither human nor Astromon, but rather the very embodiment of chaos. At the time the world ended, they fell into a deep slumber together with their lords. However, with the recent and sudden rise of the power of chaos, they have been awakening from their slumber, only to find the world of today is like a poison to them. Instinctively they will work to plunge the world back into chaos, systematically destroying our world that is built upon order. Humans and Astromons are nothing more than ants to them.”

– Excerpt from Loki’s records about titans

After Loki learned of their existence, an intense interest boiled up within him like nothing he’d ever felt before. Part of it was simple curiosity, but he also became sure that they were somehow connected to Valhalla. He also realized Odin’s proposal was no more than a means of hiding the truth.

According to Loki’s research, Valhalla is far from being a resting place for departed souls. Rather, it is an establishment to spur and focus the power of chaos that is spread throughout the land. Loki was all for causing change in the world, but this was on a scale he couldn’t even imagine. It just went to show how tightly Valhalla was being run. Had he not been a messenger on the inside, he could have never learned the truth. Now, the question was what he would do with that truth. The thought brought a mischievous smile to his face.

On the day his resonance with Yggdrasil reached its zenith, Loki was finally able to rise to an entirely new level of evolution. Now holding an even stronger bond with the holy tree, Loki’s mind then began to fill with the records of a singularity that lay beyond the World Chronicle: a different “Loki” from another dimension.

…

A vast horizon spread before his eyes. He was called the god of deceit, warped desires and unfathomable trickery hidden deep within his heart. He wore many masks to hide his true nature, always maintaining a proper, respectful attitude in front of others. Despite this, he had yet to gain the full trust of the gods of Asgard. Only his sworn brother Thor and the merciful god of light Balder treated him without prejudice. Loki was, in fact, twisted. He used his many gifts mainly to disrupt the order that the gods had worked to establish, and each time he introduced a new form of trickery from his growing repertoire, his approval among Asgardians would reach a new low. He valued his own interests and entertainment above all else, to the point where he was even willing to give his own life for the thrill.

The god of light was beloved by all, and his mercy did not discriminate. With all his perfections, he occupied a position that was fundamentally opposite to Loki. Loki was fascinated by the god’s irreproachable superiority, yet at the same time consumed by an intense hatred. He was disgusted with himself; the inferiority he felt whenever he looked at the exemplary god of light was exactly the same as the pathetic emotion felt by the very people Loki belittled and looked down upon.

One day, Loki decided to crash a lively banquet. Immediately upon his unwelcome appearance, he began to humiliate all of the countless gods who were present, pointing out each of their flaws. Even the great Odin was not safe from Loki’s fiery darts of abuse. However, when the last god’s turn came up and he saw it was the god of light, Loki could not say anything, for the god of light had no flaws.

Silence hung in the air of the banquet hall until Loki finally said, “His greatest flaw is his unassailable perfection.” No one present understood what he meant, save for the one-eyed sage, Odin.

Water Loki

To Loki, everything was easy. He could breeze through what others had difficulty with, and when he did, they would extol him for his greatness. However, he never understood why people thought what he did was hard; when he saw a problem, he immediately knew the solution, and simply did what needed to be done. Of course, he never let on that it was that easy, for he knew that others would criticize him if he didn’t feign humility.

People have a tendency to inadvertently measure how much power they have over another by judging how much that person respects their opinion, and they will either try to cut down or just dislike those who don’t respect their opinions. Those types of people didn’t particularly amuse Loki, but he did feel a certain giddiness from bowing to those inferior to him. The moment they finally realized he was patronizing them filled Loki with delight. It made him want to vomit when someone would pat his shoulder and compliment him, but he always kept a nice smile on his face.

When he saw her for the first time, though, things were different. She was the first one he had ever met that was “superior” to him. He was at once attracted to her, but then immediately filled with hatred toward her, and with disgust for himself. He knew that feeling of inferiority made him no different from those he would mock. And so he vowed to make her, Odin, inferior to himself. With a twisted plan in his heart, he began to follow after her.

A cunning god of deceit, a hedonist who would sacrifice anything for his interests, a trickster hiding warped desires beneath a mask of propriety… From the records he received, Loki found that this Loki from a different dimension was very similar to himself, the big difference being that he was better at getting others to trust him. He furrowed his brow and rolled over. Something was not sitting right with him about the other Loki, but he couldn’t put his finger on it; save for a few minor differences, they were essentially the same.

According to multiple otherworldly masters, the traditions of their worlds overlapped considerably with the traditions of Latecia, which couldn’t be a coincidence. The records of the other Loki would also most likely line up with the Loki in those masters’ worlds.

Loki pondered over the mistletoe the other Loki had stabbed into the chest of the god of light, as well as the hate-filled glare that Thor shot his way. The Loki in that tradition was incredibly cunning and immensely powerful, and he betrayed those who were sincere to him. Just like the Loki of Latecia…

“Fun” is never simply comes into being; setting up an entertaining show always requires patience and effort. Loki’s “chance” meeting with Jörmungandr was not, in fact, chance at all. Meticulous groundwork had always been one of Loki’s specialties, for he knew that the greatest enjoyment came only to those who put in the greatest work.

He often thought on how trivial a thing “ego” is. Intelligent beings always tended to put too much faith into their free will, thinking their judgments and actions were solely products of their own volition. In truth, such things were fickle—easily changed by a slight push from behind, or a whisper of information that stimulates one’s greed.

Jörmungandr was much more interesting than Loki had expected; Loki surmised he may even go beyond his role as a pawn and become a joker that disrupts the entire chess board. A great change was coming—one incomparably greater than even the deluge of chaos brought by Odin. Loki knew full well that his own existence could be endangered, as a single Astromon helplessly weak against a turbulent world. But that did not feel like a serious problem. To him, boredom was by far the worst fate he could think of.

Wood Loki

Across Latecia, there exist offshoots of the holy tree Yggdrasil that collect information from the atmosphere around them and record it using their own special method. Loki has the innate ability to resonate with Yggdrasil, and while those who are not “kings” or “queens” cannot fully handle the sheer volume of information from the tree, he is able to unconsciously absorb some of it. As such, his intuition is on an entirely different level compared to others.

New offshoots of Yggdrasil grow up rapidly, and will quickly encompass all the eye can see if left unchecked. It is important to cut off an offshoot’s power at the right time—not too early and not too late. This became a useful attack strategy for Loki, who would happily let the tree’s roots crush his enemies before he stopped their growth. The process was consistent with his observation of the world at large: countless smaller lifeforms would get caught in the workings of a much larger world, and they would struggle in vain to survive until they were eventually overcome.

One day, Loki started to occasionally receive visions of information directly from Yggdrasil as it was recorded. For the most part, it was such garbage as the secret preferences of some master halfway across the world, or the measurements of a Jelliph queen in the Seabed Caves, but every once in a while it was information that piqued his interest. One record that he saw in such a vision contained clues to a higher form of evolution. It is common knowledge that regular Astromons have three different stages of evolution, and once they reach the third stage, they are “fully evolved.” However, the record he saw showed that Astromons could evolve even further past their “final” state. This new discovery drove Loki’s interests wild, and began to open the floodgates to his connection with Yggdrasil.

“There are lots of stories where a group of good guys heroically try to save the world, only to unwittingly become the villains who destroy it. It reminds me of something Loki once told me. The beginning’s a little conventional, but just keep listening.

“There was this world, and thanks to the efforts of a few brave warriors, it was saved from a certain terrible calamity. However, as time passed, more and more monsters began to appear. This is all pretty standard fare, right? “Well, that group of warriors went out to save the world again, slaying monsters wherever they went. To their surprise, the monsters were much weaker than before. They didn’t put up much resistance, and only screamed and tried to run away. The warriors displayed great bravery, took down all the monsters, and rushed to the world’s rescue.”

…

“At the end of their journey, it was finally revealed that all the ‘monsters’ they were slaying were actually regular humans; they only appeared to be monsters in the heroes’ eyes.

“I told you before that there was a final battle to save humanity, right? This group of heroes had been exposed to a powerful magic that caused their bodies to undergo a terrible transformation. Their minds were warped, and they started to see the world through a distorted lens. The screams from the ‘monsters’ they slayed were in fact the people crying for mercy…”

– Excerpt from a letter from an unknown sender

“…Are you wondering why I’m writing all this? Well, it might be completely unrelated, but recently I heard an interesting story, which states that we humans are not actually the ‘true masters’ of Latecia.

“Anyway, these are all things Loki told me last night. They almost sound like the plot to a novel, don’t they? Loki said his resonance with Yggdrasil has become much stronger now that he’s reached a new level of evolution, and thanks to that deepened connection, he said all sorts of stories now come into his head. Meanwhile, I’m here listening to all these crazy things trying not to go crazy myself.

“You know, Loki once said something about titans. He wondered how it is that they become stronger every time they’re defeated. When I heard that, I realized he had a point. It’s strange. Clan members come together and defeat a titan, only to have a stronger one appear. Of course, at the end of every week, their power returns to normal.

“Isn’t that suspicious, though? How the combined efforts of masters trying to save Latecia is making the titans stronger. It’s almost like something you’d read on an old stone tablet.

‘Destruction only grows nearer the more you try to stop it. Chaos shall gain power until one day it rises again. The rightful rulers will come to claim their authority. Efforts to save the world will ultimately only plunge it further into danger…'”

– Excerpt from a letter from an unknown sender

Light Loki

The young man with the hammer happily approached Loki, greeting him with a fool’s smile and the smell of thunderclouds. His unquestioning personality was by far the easiest for Loki to manipulate in all of Valhalla, but for all his naiveté, he would occasionally have flashes of sobriety that would always keep Loki on his toes.

No matter how poorly Loki treated the young man with whatever weak excuses he gave, the man only continued to smile like a fool, seemingly incapable of thinking Loki meant him any harm. That smile sometimes inspired murderous and destructive inclinations in Loki, but also an all-encompassing warmth. Loki had decided to stay in Valhalla a while longer, both because being a messenger wasn’t hard, and because he hadn’t fully uncovered the truth. He also hated to admit it, but the time he spent with the young man wasn’t all that bad.

It was time for Loki to make a decision. His entire life had revolved around satisfying his own interests, and this plan would be one he’d never forget. In fact, it would likely leave a lasting mark on the entire world. Loki gritted his teeth trying to contain his excitement. It was still too early to celebrate. First, he had to decide on Thor’s fate. The thought of the young man immediately dampened his mood. Thor had been something fundamentally different to Loki, a stark contrast to his life of deception and betrayal. Loki wondered if he could become “complete” by eliminating Thor, but he both had his doubts and was also afraid of what might come if Thor were gone. He pondered for a long while, and then finally made his decision.

Odin’s plan eventually came to fruition. The deluge of chaos brought by the one-eyed sage covered more than half the continent in mere moments. It is impossible to estimate the devastating effects it had at the time, but even now, there remain residue and remnants of it across the land.

The remains of this incidents were a great source of excitement for Loki for quite some time, but such fervor wouldn’t last forever. Eventually the butterflies in his stomach stopped fluttering, and soon after came a malaise of boredom that seeped into every facet of Loki’s life. Any sort of trickery he planned, no matter how over the top, failed to give him the pleasure he once enjoyed. He quickly grew tired of the many things that used to interest him, which was as good as a death sentence for one who valued entertainment above all else. It was as though the candles around him were going out one by one, and when the last candle’s light expired, Loki fell into a deep slumber.

…

What eventually woke him again was the smell of lightning tickling his nose.

“I thought removing him from the picture would make me more perfect…” Loki mumbled to himself. “Is Thor still asleep? If he finds a way to break the spell and regain his memories, will he hate me?”

The naive Thor always smiled like a fool and smelled of lightning. He never doubted others, and had a warmth about him that embraced any kind of impurity. Next to Loki’s life of arrogance and betrayal, Thor’s very existence was something fundamentally different, and this very existence imbued Loki with a different kind of excitement and vivacity. If Thor were to awaken and get his memories back, would Loki see once again that look of hate he saw in the World Chronicle’s records? Loki’s eyes lit up with a peculiar vibrancy.

If Thor didn’t try to wake up on his own, he may not be able to free himself from his slumber for many years. And when he does wake, he may be completely different from before. Yet this was no worry to Loki. If Thor were to wake up somehow changed, that in itself would be a supremely interesting development. A great flame sparked to life once more in Loki’s heart.

Dark Loki

“You’re an interesting one… Part wolf, are you?”

*sniff sniff* “You’ve got a pleasant scent!”

“It is, isn’t it? It’s a cinnamon and musk blend.”

“No, not that! Something about your scent is…nostalgic.

“Well, that’s first time someone’s ever said that. You don’t smell too bad yourself.”

“You have to pat me on the head if you’re going to compliment me!”

“Oh, right… Is this okay? Your tail really wags up a storm, doesn’t it?”

– Loki meeting Fenrir

“Master, they say somewhere in the world lives a snake bigger than anyone can imagine. Have you heard about it?”

“No, where’d you hear that?”

“Literally everyone knows about it. Go ask anyone.”

“No, I’m not getting tricked by you again. I’m sure you just wanna laugh at me.”

“Haha, I’ve become someone even a master can’t trust. But this time I’m not lying.”

“Still not interested, not unless the snake is about to attack this very spot…”

“Be careful what you wish for…”

– A conversation between Loptr and his master

“Sometimes I think being as honest as you would be good.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“I dunno, master, you’re just always so open with everyone. There aren’t many people who talk openly about their weaknesses, but it seems to help you gain others’ trust. It’s hard to betray someone if you trust them that much.”

“I don’t open up to just anyone, you know. And besides, I might subconsciously be weighing everything in my head, and then only tell people who I know won’t abuse my vulnerability.”

“That’s amazing in and of itself. I could never ‘know’ someone wouldn’t take advantage of me. What’s it feel like to trust someone?”

“Okay, but before I do, how about you sit over there? We need to talk about ‘personal space’…”

– A casual chat on the airship’s terrace

“Master? Why’re you looking at me with such a wicked glare?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just surprised. I thought I saw the same boyish look on your face as when we first met, and was thinking about how crazy super evolution is.”

“Your eyes look like the eyes of a liar right now, with a sizable portion of thirst mixed in.”

“No, don’t go getting any wrong ideas. I was just looking at you with pride for all the efforts you made to overcome your hardships and evolve to this new form.”

“Do you remember what you used to say before I evolved into this form? ‘You used to be so cute when we first met, but now that you’re bigger, that’s all gone. It’s like you devolved.'”

“Oh…”

“But now that I’ve super-evolved, you’re saying I’m cute again. You’re clearly glad about it, and thirst is written all over your face. It’s really interesting. I didn’t realize humans could want something so much based only on the outer appearance, regardless of what’s on the inside.”

“…”

“You tend to honestly say what’s on your mind, don’t you, Master?”

“Compared to you, I guess I do. But like I said before, I don’t trust just anyone.

Before I open up to someone, I have to be sure they won’t use my vulnerability to attack me.”

“But isn’t it better sometimes to not be honest? Couldn’t that be more considerate to the person you’re talking to? Not knowing the truth of what someone actually thinks can sometimes be good for the heart, especially for a soul that is pure to the point of foolishness.”

“Hm, you mean little white lies? I mean, I’ve known you for a long time now, and you’re not at all the kind of person to tell such benevolent lies. You’d rather enact some evil plot to entertain yourself. You’re Loki, after all.”

“Haha, I’ve become someone even a master can’t trust.

“I feel like I’ve heard you say that before…”