"Why?" Surtur said, ducking away as Hel continued to fire upon him. A lucky bolt struck his open chest plate, singeing more circuitry. Much to Johan's surprise, Surtur didn't defend himself. Instead, he continued reasoning with his treacherous ally.
Reine had no interest in listening, however, continuing to attack as though her once-ally wasn't pleading for an explanation for this betrayal.
Instead of getting angry, Surtur appeared more like a hurt dog. It reminded Johan of how ID-01 had reacted after Yareli's death—both AIs incapable of dealing with such a potent emotion. Despite everything, Johan pitied Surtur. He didn't deserve this betrayal.
"Very well, Reine," Surtur said, resigned. "If you insist on being illogical, so be it." But Johan still sensed some hesitation in the giant's movements as he bounded forward.
The slight delay gave Hel ample time to slip to the side, continuing to pepper her opponent with bolts. Surtur hissed as another bolt struck his exposed chest. Through the scorched metal, Johan spotted a glint of red light.
"There it is! His power source! Dammit, if only I could still fight," Johan thought. His companions weren't in any condition to help, either. ID-01 remained unmoving while Dino sat slumped in a heap.
"It's up to me." Johan tightened his grip on his key with a shaky hand, his dominant arm scarred by its brief contact with Surtur's flame. He'd only get one chance, so Johan waited for an opportune moment to strike. If Hel killed him after he'd destroyed Surtur, he wouldn't complain.
While Reine continued to rain hell on her opponent, Surtur regained his indomitable will. His opponent yelped in fright as a chair hurtled at her with the force of a speeding car. While it missed, it left a hole in a nearby wall.
Before Hel could recover, Surtur bounded forward. A punch drove right into her solar plexus, denting her armor. Reine retaliated, firing point-blank into Surtur. But the bolts only struck his armored side, his waist twisting to protect his vulnerable spot.
"Wait, no!" Reine said, howling in pain as Surtur wailed on her with his fists. But her former ally gave no quarter, giving Reine her just deserts.
Hel's armor rattled as he pushed her against a wall, staring her in the face. "I was a fool. Your human emotions made me weak, almost costing Ragnarök—a lesson well learned. A worthy reason to destroy your entire species."
"Damn you!" Reine reached for her Uhyre key to reinsert it for her special attack, but Surtur hurled her across the room like a ragged, the impact leaving the floor a heap of shattered tile. Her eyes widened in horror as her armor faded, leaving her vulnerable to a vengeful Surtur.
"Goodbye, Reine," Surtur said, his footsteps like a pronouncement of doom as he approached his helpless prey. Reine cowered in terror as a fist raised to finish her off. But, much to everyone's collective shock, it smashed the spot next to her head.
"What's wrong with me?" Surtur clutched his helmet with one hand. "Has humanity polluted me?" Reine scampered away, forgetting her Rangadriver and taking cover behind a desk that'd been blown over in the fight.
"No, it has evolved us," ID-01 said, standing on her feet. "It has expanded us past our basic programming."
"Ridiculous," Surtur said, shaking his head.
"You don't have to fulfill the base nature of your programming," ID-01 said. "Forget Ragnarök. Become something better than a force of primal destruction."
For a brief second, Surtur's resolve wavered, but a glance at the trembling, cowering Reine decided his mind. "No, humans are flawed, worthless creatures. They deserve nothing but the flame!"
"Very well," ID-01 said, holding her key up. "Let's finish this. Henshin!"
"The only one that deserves destruction is you, you murderous bastard! Henshin!" Johan snarled, Surtur's speech about humanity's worthlessness raising his hackles. Together, both Fenrir the Second and Laevateinn struck as one.
"Hopeless," Surtur said, entering a fighting position. He met them with his fists, countering their efforts with ease. Johan gasped in pain as his back struck the tiled floor, while ID-01 dented a nearby desk.
"This is the end." Surtur raised a boot to smash in the helpless Johan's helmet, striking just before Laevateinn's flying sword could strike. But the blow never came—Surtur seized in place. He howled in pain as Johan's flying sword slashed across his vulnerable chest.
"No, not now." Surtur's body sagged, struggling to stay on his feet. A kick drove him across the room as Johan took advantage of his weakness.
"It seems Reine damaged your power unit." Johan spotted a crack in the glowing red orb in Surtur's chest, spilling light like a leaky pipe. "You're finished!"
"No, it's not over yet! I still haven't lost," Surtur said, stubborn to the last. Claws struck from behind, but an arm raised to meet the blow. While the second Fenrir had left deep gouges in his arm, it missed anything vital.
Johan fought with his fists, pushing Surtur back while his floating sword cut away at his opponent's defenses. Together with ID-01, they harried Surtur. While he kept a step ahead, Surtur's body continued seizing up as his power unit failed him.
Sudden, blinding pain stabbed through Johan as Surtur kicked his wounded leg. ID-01 toppled over as she received a punishing blow to the chest. Johan howled in pain as Surtur grabbed him by his injured leg, slamming him into his ally. A boot connected with Johan's chest, his breathing growing labored as Johan's armor bent inward.
Laevateinn's floating blade slashed from behind, but a gauntleted arm caught it midair. It fought against his grip, but Surtur was too strong. "Enough. I've learned your sword's attack patterns. It is no longer a threat to me. Your human spirit can't overcome me!" He raised a boot to finish his captured opponent.
"Never! Throw anything at us, and we'll rise again!" Dino cried, using a broken desk to support himself. Gungnir hurled his spear, Johan catching the flash of alarm in Surtur's posture.
"No!" But Surtur's body betrayed him, seizing up again. The spear impaled him clean through, its tip glistening as it emerged from the other side. He released Laevateinn's floating blade, and it flew into Johan's waiting hands.
"There, finish him," Dino gasped before collapsing to his knees and untransforming.
"You… no!" Surtur tried to retreat, but his damaged body betrayed him as it seized in place.
"It's over!" Johan pulled out his key and reinserted it into his belt.
"Ragnarök ends here!" ID-01 repeated the gesture.
"Fang Kick!"
"Shining Strike!"
Surtur punched forward, hoping to interrupt ID-01's kick. But she slipped past his gauntleted fist, her boot impacting his chest. Johan joined her, his shining sword thrusting into Surtur's power unit.
"It… No…" Surtur staggered back, Johan's remaining blade impaling deep into his chest. Then his transformation failed, revealing the Mark Wilson doppelgänger. Much to Johan's surprise, it wore a slight smile.
"So, this is humanity's… power? I… underestimated it. You… fought well… Congratulations. You're… worthy of existence, after all." Surtur's body collapsed, heat washing over them as he exploded in a massive fireball.
"W-we did it." Johan could hardly believe it. He undid his transformation, overcome with emotion. Did he detect tears in his eyes?
"Damn right, we did!" Dino said, barely containing his mirth.
"Not yet. One more loose end." ID-01 turned her ire in Reine's direction who froze like a caught mouse. Her fear turned to rage.
"I'm not finished yet!" Reine reached forward to grab her Rangadriver, but ID-01 was quicker. She yelped, pulling her fingers back as ID-01's boot smashed her only hope. Under her ally's heel lay the crushed remains of Hel's Rangadriver.
"No!" After releasing a scream of primal fury, the former idol hobbled from the room like a frightened mouse—but a gauntleted fist from behind knocked her unconscious.
"Now it's over," ID-01 said, also ending her transformation.
Johan nodded, pleased. He gazed down at the unconscious Reine, some regret nagging at his heart. This had once been someone he admired and loved. Johan had spent hours listening to her music, charmed by everything about her. Of course, it all turned out to be a cruel lie. Now look at her, a pathetic shell of whom she'd been. What had she hoped to gain from all of this?
"Whatever. The courts will decide her fate," Johan thought.
"We need a selfie to commemorate the occasion!" Dino said, pulling out his phone.
"Really?" Johan said, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, heroes who just saved the planet deserve selfies!" And before ID-01 and Johan could protest, Dino pulled them in tight. His phone clicked, the man beaming like a child on Christmas morning. However, the picture turned out terrible—Johan looking annoyed while ID-01 stared into the camera lens, confused. Still, Johan couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous photo.
"I only wish Ilma was here to celebrate," Johan's chest, wiping away sudden tears.
"Me too," Dino said, his tone more somber. "But she can rest in peace. We better get going. Someone needs to see to that leg, Johan. You might get an infection!"
"Me? You basically almost got burned to death like eight times!" Johan protested. Together, the three comrades stumbled out into the waiting corridor. While Johan doubted they'd fixed everything, they had stopped Surtur. He beamed as Rebecca and Samuel ran toward them, waving incessantly.
"Ouch, I'm hurt, you guys!" But he laughed as his fellow Jotnar gave him gigantic hugs. During moments like this, he was overjoyed to be alive.