Chapter 1043: Reflection in a sea of ​​ice.

Strax was sitting at the edge of the gigantic Black Ice wall that now separated Asgard from the ocean.

One of his legs remained bent while the other hung over the edge, dozens of meters above the frozen surface. Before him, kilometers of dark ice stretched until they nearly disappeared into the horizon, covering such an extensive portion of the sea that, from that point, it would have been easy to believe the ocean had simply ceased to exist.

But Strax knew it was still there.

Beneath the ice.

And something inside it continued to bother him.

Since leaving the infirmary, that sensation had gradually increased. It was not exactly the same divine energy he had detected during the tidal waves, although it seemed related. It was much more concentrated, distant and deep, like a presence hidden somewhere beyond the frozen expanse.

The strangest thing was that it did not seem to simply exist.

It seemed to be calling him.

Strax remained looking at the horizon for several minutes, trying to identify an exact direction, but the sensation changed whenever he tried to focus on it. Sometimes it seemed to come from the depths. At others, it seemed to be far beyond the horizon.

The Gauntlet of Darkness was not helping either.

After reacting intensely to the mermaid, it now remained practically motionless.

Strax rested one arm on his knee.

Then he heard wings.

He did not need to turn his head to recognize that presence.

A dragoness crossed the skies of Asgard and began descending toward the wall. Scarlet slowed down a few meters before landing, spreading her wings to stabilize her enormous body while her claws touched the Black Ice.

Her form began to shrink shortly afterward.

The scales disappeared, the wings retracted, and the enormous draconic body gave way to the human appearance Strax had known for much longer.

Scarlet walked toward him without hurry.

Strax only shifted his eyes for an instant before looking back toward the horizon.

She sat beside him.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Scarlet observed his profile, then followed his gaze toward the frozen ocean.

"What is bothering you?" Scarlet asked while resting her hands behind her body and analyzing his unusually focused expression.

Strax took a few seconds to answer.

"I’m feeling something coming from the sea." Strax explained while narrowing his eyes slightly, once again trying to find the origin of that presence among all the residual energy spread across the ocean.

Scarlet became more attentive.

"Something related to that mermaid?" Scarlet asked while instinctively searching for any different presence beyond the wall.

"Maybe, but I don’t think it’s exactly her." Strax replied while slowly moving the fingers of the hand covered by the Gauntlet of Darkness.

He focused his perception toward the horizon again.

"It’s extremely strong. Much stronger than any sea creature I can imagine, and for some reason it seems to be calling me." Strax continued while a faint pressure once again emerged at the back of his consciousness.

Scarlet remained looking in the same direction for a few seconds.

Nothing.

She closed her eyes and expanded her perception, trying to find what Strax was describing. She felt the ocean beneath the ice, several sea creatures that had remained far from Asgard, and even remnants of the abnormal energy that had caused all that chaos.

But no call.

"Nothing." Scarlet admitted while opening her eyes again and relaxing her shoulders.

Strax let out a small sigh.

"I figured." Strax replied while continuing to watch the horizon, now even more convinced that it was specifically related to him.

Scarlet remained quiet for a few moments.

Then she simply moved closer.

She rested her head on Strax’s shoulder and let her body relax beside him.

"It’s been some time since we’ve been alone like this." Scarlet commented while observing the black expanse of ice before them without any concern about moving away.

Strax finally took his eyes off the horizon.

"That’s your fault." Strax replied while tilting his head slightly toward her, immediately finding a displeased expression.

Scarlet raised an eyebrow.

"Mine?" Scarlet questioned while lifting her head slightly from his shoulder just enough to look at him better.

"You spent the last few months practically isolated, training alone." Strax explained while lightly touching one of her hands before looking forward again.

Scarlet lowered her eyes to her own fingers.

"It was necessary." Scarlet replied while slowly opening and closing her hand, observing the strength and control she now possessed over that body.

She remained analyzing her own fingers for a few seconds.

"I lived my entire life as a vampire. Everything I learned about combat, magic, speed, regeneration and even my own limits was based on that body." Scarlet explained while small scales began appearing over her fingers by her own will, disappearing shortly afterward.

Strax observed the partial transformation.

"Then you transformed me into something completely different. I gained strength, resistance, senses, mana and an entire draconic form, but I barely had the opportunity to understand my improvements and my disadvantages." Scarlet continued while resting her head on his shoulder again.

Strax understood.

The transformation had not simply increased attributes Scarlet already possessed. She had needed to relearn several things that for centuries had been completely natural to her.

Even so, that subject brought another discomfort.

"I still resent my mother a little for forcing me to do all of this." Strax admitted while looking at his own hand, remembering the circumstances that had led him to transform some of them.

Scarlet did not interrupt.

"I didn’t want to start transforming you into dragons as if it were just some ordinary improvement. It’s too much power to treat that way." Strax continued while his expression became a little more serious.

He slowly closed his hand.

"Especially because there is a huge difference between offering this and starting to decide that you need it. I never wanted to abuse this power or go against the will of any of you." Strax explained while making it clear that the discomfort remained even after seeing the positive results of the transformations.

Scarlet remained silent for a few seconds.

"I think you’re complicating it more than you need to." Scarlet replied while raising her head again and looking directly at him.

Strax turned his face.

"What do you mean?" Strax asked while waiting for her to develop that thought.

"You’re right not to want to force anyone, but there is a difference between forcing someone and offering an improvement that may be necessary for us to survive what is coming." Scarlet explained while looking at her own hands again.

She clenched her fist.

"Actually, I think you should have done it with the rest of them some time ago." Scarlet continued while her voice remained perfectly calm.

Strax narrowed his eyes.

"All of them?" Strax asked while already imagining some of the names she was referring to.

"Frieren, Krissia, Xenovia, Albedo, Lithara and anyone else who can receive the transformation without bad consequences." Scarlet replied while naturally listing those who had not yet received the same kind of enhancement.

Strax remained silent.

Scarlet continued before he could answer.

"Actually, if it’s safe, it would be better to give this upgrade to all of them." Scarlet added while looking at him again.

Strax let out a small laugh at the choice of word.

"Upgrade?" Strax repeated while the serious expression finally eased a little.

"That’s exactly what it is." Scarlet replied while shrugging, without any regret over the simplified way she had described a complete draconic transformation.

She raised one hand and small claws appeared at the tips of her fingers.

"I was strong before. Now I’m much stronger, more resistant and have resources that simply didn’t exist for me. I’m still me. I just needed to learn how to use a better body." Scarlet explained while retracting the claws again.

Strax looked at the ocean.

"Whether or not abusing this power has stopped being a matter of convenience, Strax. Not with the plans we have." Scarlet continued while the calmness of her voice contrasted with the seriousness of the subject.

Strax knew that.

It was exactly why he had begun considering transforming Krissia after what had happened. Her body had been pushed to the limit trying to sustain an amount of power that a draconic structure probably would have endured much better.

He slowly exhaled.

"I know." Strax admitted while resting both arms on his knees.

Silence returned for a few seconds.

"I’m preparing to face Zeus, Athena and Ares." Strax murmured while looking at his own distorted reflection on the black surface below.

The sentence sounded absurd even after everything he had already faced.

But that was not what truly bothered him.

"Sometimes it feels like my goal is becoming more and more unclear." Strax continued while Scarlet remained quiet beside him.

She turned her eyes toward him.

"The stronger I get, the more Asgard grows and the more time I spend living with all of you, the less it feels like I have a defined goal." Strax explained while searching for a simple way to put that feeling into words.

He had spent a long time thinking about power.

About becoming stronger.

About surpassing limits.

About becoming a true Dragon God or Demon God before the time came to face enemies who already possessed divine authority.

But after that?

That part never seemed as clear.

"I know I need to become stronger because threats exist. I know I need to protect Asgard and all of you. But sometimes I don’t know if I’m becoming stronger because I need to or simply because I’ve gotten used to chasing it." Strax added while staring at the completely still horizon.

Scarlet did not answer immediately.

She knew that feeling.

Or, at least, she had known someone who had spent far too long living that way.

"The same thing happened to Vlad." Scarlet said while her expression changed slightly at the mention of the Vampire King.

Strax looked at her.

Scarlet continued observing the sea.

"When I was younger, he was already obsessed with becoming stronger. At first there were reasons. Enemies, territory, survival, respect. There was always some justification." Scarlet explained while old memories passed through her expression.

She breathed slowly.

"Then he started enjoying it. Not just the power, but the feeling that there was always something above him that he needed to reach." Scarlet continued while pressing her fingers lightly against the ice.

Strax remained quiet.

"He spent too much time chasing strength and enjoying his own life without ever truly deciding where he wanted to go. By the time he realized it, he had already become the person you knew." Scarlet explained while her voice lost some of its lightness.

She turned her face toward Strax.

"Strong, certainly. But also... empty." Scarlet concluded while letting the word remain between them for a few seconds.

Strax looked forward again.

Scarlet rested her head on his shoulder once more.

"You are not that kind of man." Scarlet stated while calmly holding one of his hands.

Strax let out a small laugh.

"You seem pretty convinced." Strax commented while intertwining his fingers with hers.

"I’m many times older than you. I have the right to be convinced when I recognize someone starting to do something stupid." Scarlet replied while lightly squeezing his hand.

Strax shook his head.

"Is that supposed to reassure me?" Strax asked while a small smile appeared on his face.

"It should. I’ve seen enough people ruin their own lives to recognize when someone is heading down the same path." Scarlet replied while comfortably closing her eyes against his shoulder.

She remained like that for a few seconds.

"You’re doing well." Scarlet added while her voice became calmer.

Strax did not answer.

"Being the leader of Asgard is already something. Protecting this place, building your family and continuing to live with the people you chose would already be enough for many people." Scarlet explained while slowly moving her thumb over his hand.

She then raised her head again.

"What you need to learn is how to distinguish ambition from a dream." Scarlet continued while looking directly into his eyes.

Strax frowned slightly.

Scarlet smiled.

"The ambition to be the strongest or the dream of being the happiest." Scarlet explained while deliberately keeping the distinction simple.

Strax remained silent.

That sentence bothered him more than he expected.

Not because he disagreed.

Precisely because he did not know which of the two things he was actually pursuing.

"I’m not telling you to abandon your strength or stop growing. It would be stupid to do that when we have gods potentially interested in killing us." Scarlet added while looking back toward the horizon.

She rested her head on his shoulder again.

"But power needs to serve something. When becoming stronger stops protecting what you want and becomes simply what you want, maybe it’s time to ask why." Scarlet explained while remaining comfortably close to him.

Strax slowly exhaled.

"Since when did you become so wise?" Strax asked while tilting his head until it rested lightly against hers.

"Since I became too old to admit my age." Scarlet replied while a small amused smile appeared on her lips.

Strax laughed quietly.

The silence returned.

This time, however, it did not feel as heavy.

"So you think I’m doing well?" Strax asked while observing the distant line where the Black Ice finally met the ocean again.

"I know you are." Scarlet replied while squeezing his hand again.

She closed her eyes.

"Keep going like this. You don’t need to decide now what you’ll want a hundred years from now, nor do you need to invent some grand objective just because you’ve become strong enough to pursue one." Scarlet continued while her voice remained low and calm.

Strax relaxed his shoulders slightly.

"When the right time comes, you’ll understand what really matters to you." Scarlet concluded while remaining leaned against him, apparently satisfied to let the subject end that way.

Strax did not answer immediately.

His eyes returned to the ocean.

That presence was still there.

Distant.

Powerful.

Calling him from somewhere beyond the horizon.

Zeus was still there.

Athena and Ares were still problems that would eventually need to be faced.

Poseidon might have just entered his life.

There was still enough power in the world to make him spend decades chasing nothing but strength.

But at that moment Scarlet was beside him, Asgard remained intact behind them and his family was safe.

Maybe that already answered part of the question.

"I’ll think about it." Strax said while continuing to hold her hand, with no intention of standing up at that moment.

Scarlet smiled and closed her eyes again.

"That’s all I wanted to hear." Scarlet replied while settling even more comfortably against him and enjoying that rare moment when they were finally alone again.

Strax remained sitting beside her, looking at the frozen horizon.