"Where are we?" Balder asked.
He stood in a lightless room, its passages blocked by ornate iron railings adorned with intricate brass vine patterns. The interior was unmistakably reminiscent of the witch clan's stronghold, though some of the artistic details were subtly different. The witches had more than one sanctuary, and the sages often lived alongside them. Balder adjusted his golden monocle and carefully inspected the architecture. The more modern artistic style suggested a Renaissance-era influence—this had to be a site somewhere in Italy.
"This is my era," Bayonetta replied. "But there's no time to explain—we have to get to the holy mountain."
"What's on the mountain?"
"I don't know. But it used to be the dwelling of the god who created the Eyes of the World. Someone's trying to take that power." Bayonetta answered truthfully. She didn't know exactly what awaited them atop the mountain, but she was certain the so-called Prophet would be there. She had to kill him. At the same time, she forcefully suppressed her growing concern for Solomon. She believed he would find a way to return to this era.
"How are we getting there? This is Vigrid," Balder said.
No sooner had he spoken than the ground beneath them began to shake violently. The exquisite marble mosaic floor split open with a deep rumble, as if the very crust of the Earth were tearing apart.
"Jump!" Bayonetta shouted.
"Jump? Are you mad?" Balder retorted.
"This isn't a request! Jump now!" Bayonetta snapped. "Our people are never asleep!"
The witch transformed into a sleek black panther, while the sage used a corresponding spell to become a white direwolf. They sprinted out of the collapsing room and leapt from the bridge just before it crumbled away. At that moment, several black assault transports adorned with golden fleur-de-lis and rose crests burst from a portal, spitting sparks. Bayonetta and Balder landed steadily on the armored hull of one and reverted to their human forms.
"Looks like we made it just in time," Jeanne's voice echoed from the loudspeaker.
Bayonetta glanced at the fleet of transports accompanying them. She knew full well this incident, like the Sun Island event, had been orchestrated from behind the scenes by Kamar-Taj. Solomon had undoubtedly been deployed as an observer.
"When you say 'your people'..." Balder began.
"The kind of witches you don't fuck with," Bayonetta said with a playful smirk, reveling in the double entendre. "I must admit, I like you better this way, Balder. You actually shut up and follow orders."
"This is my choice," Balder said disdainfully. "Tell me—how do you know my name?"
Bayonetta subtly rolled her eyes. No way she was telling him the truth—especially not her would-be-patricidal father. "I just heard it from another witch... the one you called Rosa. That's what she called you, wasn't it?" In any case, this was the fastest way to get to Fimbulwinter.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, witch," Balder said, pointing ahead.
In the airspace before them loomed a massive cluster of shapes. Bayonetta narrowed her eyes, then gasped. "My God... angels and demons fighting side by side? If they can do it, I guess we can too."
"It's only a temporary truce," Balder replied, his tone uncannily similar to hers. "Until the invaders are punished."
"I could say the same," Bayonetta said, tilting her chin defiantly.
"Brace yourselves, Cereza," Jeanne said cheerily from the cockpit.
She pressed a button, and the assault transport's massive cannon slowly rose, firing a crimson beam that struck an angel squarely. At the same time, every missile on the attack wings launched in a storm of fire. All five transports opened fire, their combined assault spectacular—dozens of trailing missiles dove into the angel-demon swarm like birds returning to roost. When the blinding light faded, the remaining invaders were shredded by the dual heavy bolters and plasma cannons mounted on the transports.
Balder flinched slightly at the name "Cereza," but quickly recovered, casually pointing at the transports raining destruction. "These are your era's weapons? Do they have anything to do with that golden fellow?"
"Oh, you mean Solomon?" Bayonetta said. "That adorable little guy's a full-blown warlord now!"
"Hmph. Feeble machines," Balder scoffed. "Relying on them will never make you strong."
"He believes technology can solve everything," Bayonetta replied, arching an eyebrow. "He believes in the intelligence of ordinary people."
———
Constantine surveyed the special operations force gathered before him, assembled by Tita and Victoria Hand.
The Sisterhood's elite warriors and hardened SHIELD veterans stood ready to ascend Fimbulwinter's summit for an extremely dangerous mission. The Sisterhood's will was unwavering—no need to test it. As for the humans, Agent Hand assured him they were all martyrs devoted to sacrificing everything for humanity, handpicked from SHIELD's best. Constantine was skeptical, but these were the only troops they could afford to spare without compromising the defensive lines. These soldiers, faces shining with penitential resolve, were the finest weapons the Eternal City had left. Technology wasn't lacking—only manpower. Even dragging refugees from warzones to be educated on Mars couldn't close the gap, and the schools established in Africa would take decades to bear fruit.
"Board the transports," he ordered.
No speeches. No rallying cries. Just cold orders. Three assault transports, outfitted with prototype electromagnetic shields, were the task force's ride. The soldiers silently moved to the ramp. Constantine headed toward a grav-bike exclusive to the Honor Guard—normal transports couldn't accommodate their size. Every piece of their gear was hand-crafted by Martian and fallen angel artisans, like the grav-bike he now mounted.
Before departing, he made a final check of the command chain, then launched alongside the transports from the hangar of the sky-carrier Judicator.
"Bunker-busters are in position," Agent Hand reported.
"Fire," Constantine said.
Through the blood-red lens of his visor, he watched two jets from the Lost City streak through the clouds, firing four missiles before banking away. The missiles rocketed toward the summit of Fimbulwinter. Moments later, an infrasonic shockwave tore through the air, and the snow-capped peak erupted like a volcano. Crimson dust and steam billowed skyward. The explosion sheared off the mountainside, instantly vaporizing the snowpack and sending massive rocks flying into the air. The shockwave rippled down the slope to the town of Noatun.
Anti-air batteries activated instantly, unleashing a hail of fire to intercept falling debris and panicked outer-dimensional creatures. Some rocks that evaded the barrage were stopped by Wakandan electromagnetic shields, forming an umbrella over the entire defense zone.
Constantine led the transports straight into the plume of dust, his grav-bike following behind.
The troops left at the base would begin their ascent once the tremors subsided. The final phase of the Battle of Fimbulwinter had begun.
"NERV prototype expected to arrive in... 320 seconds."