"There is a story about the origin of these pictures and words. Two ravens once perched on Odin's shoulders, one named Wisdom and the other Memory. After Ragnarok, Memory found the surviving gods—the daughter of the sun god and the moon god—and asked her to make these stone tablets."

After listening to Brunhilde's words, Todd looked carefully at the first picture.

"A god, wielding a spear and golden rings, clad in golden helmet and armor, slew a giant. Above, in the sky, an arrowhead and a triangle gleamed." The Valkyrie read the runes in the stone tablet: "It gave weapons and armor to my master, Odin, and instigated him to kill Ymir, the progenitor of giants."

The second image: "Odin kneels on one knee, an arrow and triangle float in the air, and the giant's corpse lies silently on the ground." The Valkyrie reads: "My master—Odin—swears to submit to it, and it has planted a seed in Ymir's corpse."

The third image: "An ash tree grew from the corpse of a giant." Valkyrie: "The seed sprouted, blossomed, and grew into the World Tree."

The fourth picture: "The World Tree is laden with fruit, and a flowing spring irrigates its roots." Valkyrie: "The World Tree bears golden apples, and clear springs gush forth from its roots. The gods eat the fruit and drink the water, thus gaining immortality and boundless divine power."

The fifth image: "A variety of creatures gathered around the World Tree—gods, elves, dwarves, giants, and monsters. Arrows and triangles floated in the air, overlooking all things." The Valkyrie: "Having drunk the spring water at the roots of the World Tree and eaten the fruit from its branches, all living beings gained power, but also went mad. More and more creatures mutated into heartless monsters. When war, devouring, and mutation were ever-present, it simply watched it all."

The sixth image: "Odin traded his left eye for a ladle of water from the Well of Wisdom, and with his other hand raised his spear, pointing it at the arrow-shaped triangle in the sky." Valkyrie: "My master traded one eye for the Well of Wisdom. After drinking the water, guided by the wise giant, he saw through its intentions and resolved to defeat it."

The seventh image: "Odin crouches on the ground, scoops up a handful of water, and raises it to the sky." Valkyrie: "With the help of the three Fates, my master has found the weapon to defeat it."

Eighth image: "Flames and seawater churn endlessly, the universe collapses, time flows in chaos, gods and enemies sink to the bottom of the sea in the war, arrows and triangles flash in the sky." Valkyrie: "It foresaw everything in advance, my master failed, Ragnarok has arrived as promised."

The ninth and final picture.

The screen was filled with enormous arrows and triangles.

The Valkyrie recited the runes word by word: "It foresaw the ending, orchestrated destiny, seduced living beings, and erased all traces. Ignorant and insignificant beings, we created you, but who created us?"

Todd stared at the arrow and triangle on the last painting and remained silent for a long time.

Brunhilde did not disturb him, but simply waited quietly.

Todd looked up at the Valkyrie: "If you allow me, I would like to take some soil, rocks and water from the ruins as samples for experiments."

"And then what? Can you give me the truth?"

Todd looked at the pattern on the stone slab and slowly nodded, saying, "I think I'm getting closer to the answer, little by little."