President Strengur's heart sank. Fragarach was in Buckingham Palace, a closely guarded treasure of the British Crown. The Spear of Longinus was supposedly in a Vienna museum, but rumor had it the real one was secured in the Vatican. And Gungnir, Odin's personal weapon, hadn't been seen in thousands of years. Finding them was impossible.
"There are always ways," the mysterious Northman said with a knowing smile.
Meanwhile, the serpent had moved. It appeared off the coast of Reykjavík, Iceland's capital and largest city. Panic erupted. The joyous symphony of the port city turned into a cacophony of screams and sirens.
In the emergency meeting, the President and his cabinet watched in horror as the colossal head rose from the waves. "Commodore, can you kill it?" Strengur yelled, his composure shattering.
"No," the Commodore replied flatly.
"The Northman has vanished," the Vice President added, having been retrieved from a hedge. "We can't find him."
Just as despair began to set in, a new light appeared in the sky. A flaming chariot, pulled by two magnificent celestial steeds, descended from the clouds. The horses' manes glowed like miniature suns.
"It's the Sun Chariot!" someone in the room whispered. "The chariot of the sun god Sól!"
But the figure driving it was not the sun goddess. It was the Northman. He had arrived in a manner far grander than anyone could have imagined. He pulled on the reins, and the chariot stopped high above the city. His voice boomed, carrying across the whole of Reykjavík.
"Turn around! Close your eyes!"
President Strengur and his ministers obeyed instantly. Many citizens, however, were frozen in awe. When the Northman unleashed his power, a brilliant, artificial sun bloomed in the sky, far brighter than the real one. Thousands who stared directly at it screamed as their vision was seared away.
Leo, in full control, was channeling his Sun domain, mimicking the 'Eternal Radiance' attack that had almost killed him. The two celestial horses, a grand illusion, pulled the divine sun downwards. The air sizzled, the clouds evaporated.
In the sea below, the great serpent Jörmungandr sensed its doom. It let out a furious roar and dove deep, trying to escape.
But the divine sun slammed into the ocean. The sea itself boiled, an unimaginable amount of steam hissing into the atmosphere. The impact was so immense it vaporized a huge section of the ocean, creating a temporary, gaping crater in the sea floor. Jörmungandr shrieked in agony, its massive body writhing. Wounded, it fled into the deep.
The Northman gave chase for a time, then pulled back, allowing his quarry to escape.
The first act of this grand and glorious performance was over. The stage was now set for the finale.
Aboard the Russian cruiser Kirov, Commander Kudryash was baffled by his new orders. He had been sent to the North Sea to hunt a "sea monster" from Norse mythology. "Are you sure this intelligence is not in code?" he asked his superior over a secure channel.
"The intelligence is accurate, Commander," Admiral Fyodorovich replied, his face grim on the monitor. "The serpent is real. It was just driven from Reykjavík. Your mission is to track it. Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage."
Just then, the Kirov rocked violently. "What was that?" Kudryash yelled.
"Serpent!" the communications officer shrieked. "It's coming right for us!"
Kudryash looked out the viewport and saw an impossible beast, wounded and enraged, charging his ship. It crashed into the cruiser, and the sound of groaning, tearing metal filled the air. Before they could react, the serpent dove under the ship, wrapped its colossal body around the hull, and squeezed.
"ABANDON SHIP!" Kudryash roared, as his men leaped like dumplings into the churning sea.
The Kirov, a marvel of human engineering, crumpled like a tin can. Explosions ripped through its hull, and with a final, dying groan, it was pulled beneath the waves. The serpent, having sated its rage on the machine, let out a triumphant roar and vanished back into the depths.