(Together the brothers stoked the great bellows. Heat clawed up from the oven; sparks jumped like tiny suns as the anvil drank the first hammer blows. Stone and iron sang together — the forge was awake, and the real work had begun.)
Brok: "Hoo boy. New arms fer ol' armless rage-face here… and upgrades fer your toys, Baldy."
(Sindri tapped his chin, thinking.)
Sindri: "We'll need more fragments to stabilize the forging matrix. Otherwise—" (he gestures an explosion) "—arms go boom."
(Asura growled low.)
Asura: "Then forge what you can. I'll kill whatever we need to finish the job."
Kratos: "We all will."
Forging Begins
(Asura lay back on the stone table, runes spiraling across his stumps. Sparks and cosmic light danced in swirling streams as Brok hammered heated fragments into molten shapes. Kratos stood close, silent, his eyes glinting like ice.)
(Far above the Nine Realms, in a darkness deeper than any starless sky, cosmic currents twisted and churned. A vast silhouette drifted amid collapsing galaxies—the shape of a god whose many eyes glowed like dying suns.)
(Eon reclined on his throne of fractured constellations. His lips curled into a faint smirk.)
Eon (low, echoing): "Good… very good."
(Behind him, a towering silhouette of void and crystal knelt. With a single, glowing eye, Eon cast a silent glare. The figure bowed in wordless obedience—then dissolved into the abyss.)
The Forge interruption
(Brok scooped up the still-glowing shards.)
Brok (grinning): "Now we're talkin'."
(The forge quieted for a heartbeat. Only the hammering of Brok and the crackle of molten metal filled the canyon. For a moment, it seemed the danger had passed—until the walls themselves exploded…)
(Suddenly, the walls exploded inward, molten rock and shards of enchanted iron spraying everywhere. A monstrous figure stomped through the wreckage)
(The Voidspawn General arrives, Flesh twisted between crystal and magma, horns ablaze with cosmic fire, its eyes swirling like miniature galaxies.)
Voidspawn General (voice echoing): "Eon commands… your end."
Sindri (squealing): "No-no-no-NO! Don't let it near the forge!!"
(Asura struggled to rise, cosmic bands of shimmering energy pinning him to the forge table. Sparks flew as Brok hammered away, sweat streaming down his brow.)
Brok (yelling): "If he moves, he loses the arms, damn it!"
Asura (struggling): "LET ME FIGHT!!"
(Atreus stepped forward, drawing his bow, determination flashing in his eyes.)
Atreus: "Don't worry, Asura. We've got this!"
(Asura's fists trembled, bound by cosmic chains. For the first time, he had to let others fight while he lay helpless.)
Asura (low, furious): "Damn it… I should be fighting, not lying here like dead weight…"
(Kratos stepped forward, the Leviathan Axe blazing with frost runes. His left eye was swollen shut, blood dripping down his cheek.)
(The Voidspawn General lunged forward. A blazing fist slammed into Kratos's face, driving him back, blood splattering across the forge stones.)
Kratos (low growl): "You… will not… stop me."
(Atreus loosed runic arrows one after another, each shot exploding into bursts of cosmic sparks that staggered the Voidspawn. It roared in fury, swinging flaming blades that gouged the walls of the forge.)
(Mithra raised both hands, a shimmering shield flaring into being around Asura and the forge, deflecting sprays of molten rock and cosmic energy.)
(The General's gaze snapped toward Asura—helpless, still bound to the forge table. Its sword flared brighter, and it lunged to strike. The blade came down like a comet—)
Mithra (shouting): "NO!"
(She thrust her arms forward, a golden mantra barrier igniting between her father and the blade. The impact cracked her shield, light splintering like glass. She gritted her teeth, holding firm.)
(Kratos surged in, swinging the Leviathan Axe upward. Metal met crystal with a thunderclap. The General's sword shattered, and Kratos's strength overwhelmed it—sending the monster crashing backward into the molten wall.)
Kratos (glancing briefly toward Asura): "Now… we are even."
(Asura's eyes narrowed, fury rising.)
Asura: "SHUT UP!"
Mithra: "Master Kratos! Aim for the core in its chest!"
(Kratos ducked under a flaming swipe, twisting his body. With a savage roar, he drove the Leviathan Axe forward, burying the blade deep into the creature's blazing chest. A shockwave of cosmic light exploded outward, shaking the entire canyon.)
(The Voidspawn General shrieked—a howl of fracturing crystal—before collapsing into a pile of blazing fragments that rolled across the forge floor like dying stars.)
After the Battle
(Silence fell, broken only by the hiss of cooling metal. Kratos staggered back, blood trickling down his cheek, his left eye swollen completely shut. Atreus stepped toward him, worry etched across his face.)
Atreus (worried, reaching): "Father—stop pushing yourself—"
(Kratos turned slightly away, jaw tightening.)
Kratos (gruffly): "I have another."
(Mithra approached slowly, her voice gentle yet firm.)
Mithra: "You shouldn't act so strong all the time. Not all wounds should be hidden."
(Kratos didn't answer—but a flicker of vulnerability crossed his remaining good eye. Mithra reached out, her hands glowing faintly with soft mantra light.)
Mithra: "Hold still, Master Kratos. I will ease the pain."