HUMANITY'S 7,000,000-YEAR HISTORY IS ABOUT TO COME TO AN END.
Two women, one more than a head taller than the other, walked down a long, ancient hallway. The taller one was dressed in an elegant white dress with navy and gold detailing. She wore long, white, armored boots and had long, flowing, midnight-blue hair. The shorter one had short, lilac hair and wore a green jacket over a white shirt with tight black shorts. On her left leg was a black legging with a garter belt, and on her feet were green sneakers. They slowly approached a brilliant light at the end of the hall, engulfing them as they walked through.
THE CAUSE OF THIS APOCALYPSE…IS IT… A NUCLEAR WAR?
AN ASTEROID IMPACT?
OR PERHAPS AN ALIEN INVASION?
The two women emerged on the other side. They were greeted by a massive circular room with rows upon rows of seats. All manner of humanoid beings were seated in these rows, some very humanlike, some very animalistic, and some in a nebulous realm of resemblance to nothing.
"It's time…Brunhilde!" the shorter woman said.
BRUNHILDE(NORSE)
ELDEST OF THE 13 VALKYRIES
GÖLL(NORSE)
YOUNGEST OF THE 13 VALKYRIES
NO! THIS CATACLYSM WILL BE CAUSED…
BY NONE OTHER THAN HUMANITY'S CREATORS!
IT IS BY THE WILL OF THE GODS THEMSELVES..
THAT HUMANITY IS ABOUT TO FACE ITS DOOM!
All of the beings were faced towards the center, where a decrepit old man was slowly making his way to the seat. Curled around it was a large dragon, which the old man was using to help himself up to the seat.
"Urgh… aah… there we go," he muttered to himself as he settled in. Petting the dragon, he said, "There, there. Who's a good boy?" Then he turned back to the beings surrounding him. "Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please." The murmuring that had pervaded the room slowly died down until it was silent. "A thousand years have passed since we last convened. I hereby call this council to order!"
ZEUS(GREEK)
SPEAKER OF THE COUNCIL OF VALHALLA
ONCE A MILLENNIUM, ALL THE GODS OF THE WORLD CONVENE FOR A COUNCIL TO DETERMINE THE FATE OF MANKIND!
"Wow," Göll whispered, trembling in awe. "We're in the presence of all the gods of the world!" She turned to Brunhilde. "Isn't this a magnificent sight?! Isn't it, Brunhilde?!" The elder valkyrie, however, remained stoic and said nothing.
"Now then," Zeus continued, "without further ado-" He pulled out two paddles, one with an X on it and the other with an O on it, and presented it to the gods gathered before him. "All in favor of letting mankind live for another 1000 years, say aye." He lifted the O. "All in favor of destroying them, say nay." He lifted the X. "Show me the will of the gods."
"Nay." A purple-skinned god with shaggy black hair, a yellow third eye, a bandana, and baggy pants lay on his back on a large pillow and lifted up the X paddle.
SHIVA(HINDU)
GOD OF DESTRUCTION
"From what I've seen over the past millennium, humanity is unrepentant. Guiding them would be more trouble than it's worth." He rolled onto his stomach, his arms hanging lazily from his spot. "Why not destroy them, and let another animal evolve in their place?"
"Yes, I agree with Shiva," a goddess added. She was incredibly beautiful, with long blonde hair and a very revealing cloth draped around her. Her long blonde hair was decorated with pink flowers, and her blue eyes were both alluring and menacing. Her breasts were incredibly large, so much so that a pair of stone golems were holding them up for her.
APHRODITE(GREEK)
GODDESS OF BEAUTY
"The world has become so hideous over this last millennium," she continued. "Oceans filled with trash and oil, forests devastated, creatures driven to extinction." She smirked. "You might say… humanity is a cancer on the face of the earth. Or a disaster that will destroy the world." She briefly glanced in the valkyries' direction. "Would that be more fitting?" Göll clutched Brunhilde's dress in response.
The gods around her began to agree. "Aphrodite is right." "Mankind is a scourge." "They're beyond salvation." "Absolutely."
"Might I also add," another god boomed, "that humanity's behavior not only affects the earth, but it also affects the gods whose domain is the things they destroy, such as myself." The god was taller than most others, wearing a circular helmet with a pair of large, silver wings coming out from the side, silver and gold chain mail armor with a bearskin wrapped around his upper body, black slim-fit pants, and leather boots that reached his shins. His salt and pepper hair went to his shoulders, and he had some stubble above his mouth and around his chin.
PERUN(SLAVIC)
SUPREME SLAVIC GOD
The gods nodded their agreement. "Let's just end them." "Agreed." "End them." Soon, every god was echoing the same thing: "Just end humanity already."
Göll gasped. This is exactly what Brunhilde said would happen! she thought. The will of the gods is doomsday! She looked over at Brunhilde. Which means humanity…
Brunhilde remained stoic in the face of this event.
THE WILL OF THE GODS CANNOT BE CHALLENGED.
IF THE COUNCIL'S VERDICT IS UNANIMOUS…
THEN HUMANITY, LIKE IT OR NOT, WILL CEASE TO EXIST!
One by one, every god raised the X paddle above their heads, until a sea of Xs filled the room, accompanied by the sound of humanity's destruction.
AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN STOP IT!
Zeus shakily moved his gavel over the sound block. "It appears that we have a decision." As he slowly leaned forward, he began to bring the gavel down. "And so… I hereby declare… an end to-"
"One moment, sir!" a loud voice echoed across the room. Göll looked up at Brunhilde, who had spoken. Zeus stopped lowering his gavel and looked at her, puzzled.
"...hmm?"
Shiva looked, too. "What's this…?"
Brunhilde began walking forward, and as she did so, all the gods began whispering. "A valkyrie?" "That's a valkyrie!" "What the…?" "Where does she think she's going?!" Brunhilde, however, ignored all of it, looking straight down at Zeus.
"W-What are you doing, Hilde?!" Göll shrieked. "You can't ask the gods for a timeout!"
Brunhilde stopped at the top of the stairs in front of her. "With reverence to the gods… I humbly ask to be allowed to say a few words."
"YOU MIND YOUR MANNERS, BRUNHILDE!" two screeches rang out from near the center. Two ravens, one white and one black, were glaring angrily at the valkyrie.
"Waah!" Göll cried in terror. But the true terror was the god the ravens were perched on. He was stockily built, with long, black hair, a grave face, and an eyepatch. Robes with runes on the edges hid most of his body from view.
ODIN(NORSE)
SUPREME NORSE GOD
His ravens, Huginn and Muninn, continued shouting. "Know your place, demigod!" "How dare you barge into a conversation among the gods?!" They continued jabbering, but Brunhilde coolly ignored them.
"Humanity's insolence and savagery is indeed unpardonable. However, simply annihilating them is so… cliche." Odin perked up slightly at that. "Does humanity deserve to exist for another thousand years? May I suggest testing them? You can even display your divine might and mercy while doing so."
"A test? Like another flood?" Muninn squawked.
"Or perhaps an early ice age?" Huginn asked.
"No. There's a more effective way." The ravens crowed indignantly. Once again, whispers abounded the rows of seats.
"What does she have in mind?" "What are you getting at?!" "Let's hear it already!"
Brunhilde took a deep breath. "The gods versus humanity! The final conflict! Ragnarok!"
Everyone was silent. Zeus, Odin, Aphrodite, and Perun stared at Brunhilde, their expressions unreadable. Shiva grinned, intrigued.
Göll, quivering, managed to say something. "R…ragna-what?"
"Defined in the extra extraordinary clause," Brunhilde continued, manifesting a large, old book in front of her, "in Article 62 of the Valhalla Constitution as a series of one-on-one showdowns between the gods and mankind!"
RAGNAROK. THE GODS VERSUS HUMANITY. THE FINAL CONFLICT.
EACH SIDE HAS A TEAM OF 23 FIGHTERS.
FIRST TO TWELVE VICTORIES WINS.
THE MOMENT MANKIND LOSES TWELVE BATTLES, THEIR FATE IS SEALED.
BUT IN THE EVENT MANKIND IS VICTORIOUS, THEY WILL BE GRANTED ANOTHER THOUSAND YEARS OF EXISTENCE.
SINCE MANKIND'S CREATION, THIS LAW HAS NEVER BEEN INVOKED.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE…
IT IS UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR A HUMAN TO DEFEAT A GOD!
IT IS, IN EFFECT, A LEGAL CLAUSE INCLUDED MERELY FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE GODS.
Brunhilde shut the book forcefully, causing a cloud of dust to form in front of her. She closed her eyes, nervously awaiting the gods' response.
"Ha!" Muninn cawed. "That's your proposal? You valkyries should know very well-"
"-that humans stand no chance against the gods!" Huginn finished. They both went on in unison.
"It would be a waste of time!"
"That's right!" "It would hardly be a contest at all." "I forgot there even was such an archaic rule." "Why give them the opportunity?"
Brunhilde continued, unfazed. "So the gods' will is humanity's extinction…and the avoidance of any direct confrontation with humans… is that right?" The ravens squawked, confused. Odin, as always, said nothing.
"Extinction without confrontation. Refusal to meet face-to-face. By any chance… are you afraid?" The question reverberated around the room like a gunshot. All sounds stopped. It was as if time itself had slowed to a crawl, and only Brunhilde was immune to its effects.
"If so, I apologize." Göll, ever Brunhilde's opposite, was dumbfounded.
"Uh, Hilde…?" she said, nervously looking up at her elder sister with a horrified expression. But Brunhilde ignored her.
"Please ignore my remarks. Let's just forget about the Ragnarok Clause…" Every word cut through the gods like a sword. Their faces darkened, unable to comprehend what they were hearing.
"S-stop… please!" Göll pleaded. "Listen to yourself! They'll do away with you before they do it to the humans! Let's apologize, Hilde!... Hilde?!"
One god broke the silence. Aphrodite began laughing gently, slowly growing louder as she went on. Shiva joined her. Soon, every god was a part of the chorus of laughter.
A STRANGE SOUND RIPPLED THROUGHOUT THE CHAMBER.
THE SARDONIC LAUGHTER OF THE GODS, LIKE THAT OF A SLIGHTLY IRRITATED FATHER SHRUGGING OFF THE MISCHIEF OF A YOUNG CHILD.
As the laughter continued, Göll looked around in surprise. "Th-they're not angry?"
NOT YET.
BRUNHILDE WAS CERTAIN…
A strange cracking sound began to emanate from all around the room. It was like the beginning of an avalanche.
"W-what's that noise?" Göll asked, puzzled.
…THAT NO OTHER WORDS COULD MORE EASILY AND DEEPLY…
The sound continued, growing louder and louder. It was now clear that it was the sound of divine hands breaking their rests, fingers digging into cold, hard stone, teeth grinding against each other, and angry noises emitting from their mouths.
…CHALLENGE THE DIGNITY AND PRIDE OF THE CREATORS OF ALL THINGS THAN
"ARE YOU AFRAID?"
THE MERE SUGGESTION THAT THE GODS FEAR HUMANITY…
"How dare you?!" "You little-!" "Do you even know what you're saying?!" "How dare a valkyrie speak to us like that?!" "Know your place!"
Amid the torrent of insults, Brunhilde's face darkened, but she did not say anything back. Göll was bawling at this point.
…WAS AN UNSPEAKABLE HUMILIATION!
Yeow! The gods are pissed! Göll thought. What are you trying to do, Hilde?! Why are you doing this?!
YES…BRUNHILDE WAS CORRECT.
DIVINE TEMPERS SNAP FAR MORE EASILY THAN HUMAN ONES.
Brunhilde smiled, victorious.
"Ho ho ho," Zeus chuckled. "I see." He reached over and petted his dragon lightly on the nose. "Ragnarok, eh? That's an interesting proposal."
All the gods had fallen silent. They stared intently at the chief god, hanging onto every word he said.
"Yes. It sure is. How… utterly… AMUSING!" With those words, his arm tripled in size, muscles bulging and veins popping, as he crushed the dragon's nose and twisted it off. Blood sprayed all over the old god and his seat, painting it a dark purple. Everyone, including Brunhilde, looked at him in varying levels of shock. "And I'm sure that all of you are also longing to witness the wrath of the gods!" He punctuated his sentence by slamming his hand down on the desk in front of him. His eyes were wide open with wrath and bloodlust. Saliva flew from his mouth as he spoke. Brunhilde was sweating profusely, waiting for what would happen.
Zeus stood up and opened his arms wide. "What say you, my fellow deities? Shall we battle mankind?!" The answer was a resounding "YES!" Zeus picked up his gavel and swung it down with such force that it splintered into many pieces.
AND THAT IS HOW RAGNAROK, THE FINAL CONFLICT BETWEEN THE GODS AND HUMANITY, BEGAN!
After the meeting, elsewhere in Valhalla, Brunhilde and Göll were walking down an open hallway. Many columns lined the edges, and if you looked out you could see all sorts of amazing things: massive, puffy, white clouds, other islands with incredibly ornate buildings and beautiful plant life, and even a massive rainbow. However, the sights did nothing to ease the two valkyries' stress. Eventually, Göll could no longer take it, and she slumped to the ground in exhaustion.
"Göll?" Brunhilde asked.
"I thought we were finished for sure!" the younger valkyrie exclaimed. She looked up at her sister, crying. "Did you have to do that?! Challenging their decision?! Angering the gods?! We could've been killed!"
"Göll," Brunhilde responded, "As an apprentice valkyrie, you may not understand this yet, but… the relationship that humans have with the valkyries goes deeper than the one they have with the gods."
SINCE THE DAWN OF MANKIND, THE VALKYRIES HAVE SERVED AS THE PROTECTORS OF THEIR SOULS. WHEN A RIGHTEOUS HUMAN DIES, A VALKYRIE ESCORTS THEIR SOUL TO VALHALLA TO LIVE IN ABUNDANT PROSPERITY. TO CARRY OUT THEIR DUTIES MOST EFFECTIVELY, THE GODS INSTILLED IN THEM HUMAN DNA SO AS TO GUARANTEE THE VALKYRIES' STAKE IN THEIR DUTIES.
Brunhilde began slowly walking away from Göll. "How can we forsake them?"
"Hilde…" Göll whispered. The tragic valkyrie who once was transformed into a human. That's why you have such empathy for them… isn't it?
The valkyrie stood up. "But can humankind actually win? Who will the gods send as their fighters?"
Brunhilde thought it over for a moment. "Well, one of them will definitely be-"
"Hey, Brunhilde!" A slightly raspy voice sounded from down the hall. Walking towards the two valkyries was a rather muscular man with a pair of small wings sprouting from his back. His light hair covered one of his eyes, and he had a lip piercing. He wore a black shirt with sleeves that were netted in a diamond pattern, baggy and loose pants that reached to his knees, and socks designed with the same diamond pattern as his sleeves.
INCUBUS
LUST DEMON
"I heard you caused quite a scene at the conference," he continued. "They're capable of anything… so you better watch your back." He walked up to Brunhilde jauntily. "The gods are cruel and merciless. A bunch of egomaniacs." The demon grabbed her back and pulled her close to his chest. She tried to resist, but he was too strong. "I could protect you, Brunhilde. If you want." He suddenly grabbed her chin and squished it. A long tongue snaked out from his mouth and slowly made its way down her cheek with a wet slurp. "It all depends on your attitude."
The valkyrie dropped down to her knees, staring at the ground. The incubus let out a sinister chuckle.
"That's it. On your knees. I've always had a thing for you. Keh keh keh..." He looked down at her with a malevolent grin, tongue flicking back and forth. Göll stared in horror at the scene but was too afraid to speak. "The ever-proud and haughty Brunhilde... I wonder how you'll sound in bed... keh keh keh keh!"
"Oh, I'm not bending my knee to you," Brunhilde finally responded.
"Huh?" the incubus said, puzzled. But before he could do anything else, something massive connected with his right side, ripping off his entire upper body and demolishing it instantly. His entrails hung from his waist as blood sprayed everywhere, including on Brunhilde with a splurch.
"It's been a long time, Lord Thor," said Brunhilde. The man standing before her was incredibly tall, with long red hair draped over his shoulder. Most of his body was covered in a white jacket with some detailing on the waist and wrists, except for his hands, on which were black gloves. Only his left eye was showing, and it was black with yellow pupils. He held a massive hammer in his right hand.
THOR(NORSE)
GOD OF THUNDER
Thor! Göll thought. That's Thor?! The god of thunder?! She was trembling in fear, her knees touching and hands clutched together at her chest. W-What's he doing here?! I-I'd better take a knee too! But she was unable to. She was paralyzed; her body refused to respond. So she simply stood there. Near her, the body of the incubus was oozing blood, and a dark red puddle had already surrounded the remains of its waist.
"What are you playing at, Brunhilde?" His voice was deep and rumbling, like distant thunder, appropriate for his title. It shook Göll to her core.
"I'm sorry?" Brunhilde replied. Thor turned to look at her, his face one of pure malice and destructive intent. Göll silently shrieked as tears returned to her eyes. Brunhilde did not react.
"Whatever it is… just make it worth my while." Thor turned around and started walking away, his hair lifted up by a slight breeze. "Otherwise, I'll kill you."
After he had gotten a safe distance away, Göll collapsed with a heavy breath. "I… I almost peed myself! How did you stay so calm, Hilde?"
"Did I seem calm to you?" came the response. "Good…"
"Huh?" She looked back at Brunhilde, who was trembling profusely and quickly exhaling out her nose. Göll was taken aback. "Hilde…?"
"Come, Göll. We must select the 23 ultimate warriors from seven million years of human history!" Brunhilde got up and began walking away swiftly.
'W-wait for me, Hilde!" Göll yelled, running after her.
AKASHIC ARCHIVES
Alone in a pitch-black room, Brunhilde and Göll were at a table, Brunhilde seated and Göll standing next to her.
"This is impossible!" Göll exclaimed. "No human can beat a god! The odds are completely in the gods' favor!"
Brunhilde chuckled. "Don't worry, Göll." She pulled a futuristic tablet and tapped a button on it. Instantly, many black and white holograms appeared, each featuring an important human from history, such as Abraham Lincoln, John Lennon, Che Guevara, Mahatma Gandhi, Ludwig van Beethoven, Albert Einstein, Adolf Hitler, Pablo Picasso, Sakamoto Ryoma, and Cleopatra, just to name a few. "I've already chosen our first representative."
Brunhilde reached out her hand and tapped one of the pictures, which disappeared and then reappeared in front of them much larger. "Probably the greatest… no, definitely the greatest and most valiant hero of them all." The picture finished coalescing, and it was now clear to Göll whom Brunhilde had picked.
"Wait… don't tell me… no! Not him!" The picture turned a bright white and shone with celestial brilliance. "He's too powerful!"
Zeus, accompanied by two other gods, slowly made their way from the meeting. One god wore a red cape, black loincloth, and a traditional Greek soldier helmet, and his pale blonde hair covered his right eye. The other was dressed in a black butler uniform with white gloves. Two tattoos, one above his left eye and one below his right eye were partially covered by his black hair which fell down to his neck.
ARES(GREEK)
GOD OF COURAGE AND WAR
SIXTH OF THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS
HERMES(GREEK)
HERALD OF THE GODS
TENTH OF THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS
"Lord Zeus," Hermes said, "who will you be choosing to fight for the gods?"
"Ho ho ho," Zeus chuckled, "I've got some ideas in mind."
"Well, father, as the god of courage and war, I believe I fit the bill quite nicely," Ares bragged, smiling haughtily and thumb pointed at his chest. His eyes were closed, so he did not realize that he was about to collide with a pillar, which he did so dramatically. He fell backward, his nose bleeding profusely. "OOOOOOWWWWW!"
"Hmph. Hardly," Zeus replied. "You don't even come close to the power of the ones I have selected."
"So you've already decided who will be fighting?" Hermes asked.
"Yes, yes. I just need to write them down. Ah, here we are." The three stopped in front of a large, ornate wooden door. Zeus pushed them open gently, illuminating the dark space within. In it were all sorts of statues of various powerful gods from many different pantheons. At the center of the room, a large diagonal screen faced the three Greeks. Zeus tapped it, and it lit up brilliantly, like the sun at dawn. He began writing names with his finger, forming a list of all 23 god fighters.
Hermes smirked and put his hand up to his chin. "My, what a list you've made, Lord Zeus."
Ares gasped. "What in-? Dad, what's wrong with you?! What are these choices?!"
Zeus glared at Ares, which shut him up instantly. "They are the strongest gods in all of Valhalla. You would do well to respect my choices. Consider yourself lucky I didn't send you out there just to be killed ignominiously."
Ares stayed silent but inwardly harumphed. What?! Me lose to a puny human?! Who does Dad think I am?! I'm the god of courage and war! I'd squash any human who dared face me!
"Zeus." Ares squealed in fright. Turning around, he saw the outline of a very tall god. As he came into view, his head, which was that of a colorful falcon, was visible, as well as his golden plate armor, decorated with hieroglyphs and jewels, that covered his upper body. A blue and purple, intricately detailed loincloth fell to his shins, and a white skirt wrapped around his lower body. His voice was strange, almost as if there were two of them coming from one god.
AMUN-RA(EGYPTIAN)
SUPREME EGYPTIAN DEITY
"Ah. Hello, Amun," Zeus said, smiling and waving at the Egyptian.
"That is not my name, you old fool. You would do well to remember that," Amun-Ra spat. His beak did not move when he talked, but his eyes spoke far more than his voice ever could.
Zeus did not take kindly to Amun-Ra's tone. He tilted his head downwards and his pupils showed through the blackness of his eyes. "And you would do well to know your place. Or have you forgotten why I'm in charge?" Immediately, two auras, one white from Zeus and one blue from Amun-Ra, emitted from the two gods. They stared each other down for several moments.
"H-H-H-Hermes," Ares stuttered, cowering behind Hermes. The butler's frail figure did little to hide the god of courage and war's large frame. "I-I-Isn't that A-Amun-Ra? He's on the list of god fighters, right?"
"Indeed," Hermes responded. "Though I've never gotten this close to him before. He is quite…" Hermes trailed off momentarily, staring intently at the bird-headed god. "...terrifying."
The chief gods stared for a moment longer, and then Amun-Ra backed down. But he did not waver. "What were you thinking accepting that valkyrie's proposal? She clearly has some sort of plan."
Zeus laughed. "I realize. Don't worry. I've personally selected the absolute strongest of all the gods. Humanity is as good as extinct."
"Hmph. Just don't grow overconfident. I doubt she did this without thinking it through thoroughly first. Be wary." And with that, Amun-Ra left as quickly as he had come. Ares sighed heavily.
"Phew. Glad that's over," the cowardly god said. "But the nerve of him! Who does he think he is, acting like that toward Dad?!"
Zeus did not respond. Instead, he extracted a phone-like object from the edge of the screen and handed it to Hermes. "Give this to Heimdall."
"Of course, Lord Zeus," Hermes responded. The butler swiftly exited the room, his footsteps quietly receding down the hall as he went. Zeus motioned his arm at Ares.
"Come, Ares. Let us watch as humanity is quickly crushed beneath the power of Valhalla's mightiest warriors."
VALHALLA ARENA
All of the gods and humanity were gathered in a colosseum-esque arena with several layers of stands, two massive entry gates, one made of oak wood and one made of lapis lazuli, into the arena itself, which was a plain, dirt battleground, and a couple of VIP boxes, in which the highest gods sat, including Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite, Shiva, Amun-Ra, and Odin. Cheers echoed through the arena, the gods cheering for humanity's extinction, humanity cheering for their survival. Never before had there been a battle of such proportions, and there never will be again.
A spotlight shone down on the center of the arena as the rest of the colosseum grew dark, illuminating a short god with a face of an old robot. His body was a dark gray, his teeth were jagged, and he wore WWI-era goggles. A purple cloak with a pointed hood adorned him, while baggy black pants and striped shoes completed his look. In his hand, he held a golden horn with a large mouthpiece.
HEIMDALL(NORSE)
WATCHMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE
"I've waited ages for this very moment!" he began. "The moment that I blow this Gjallarhorn to the signal the start… of Ragnarok!" As a professional announcer and commentator of the gods for eons, Heimdall knew exactly how to play up the immortal crowd. For this occasion especially, he put his all into every word he spoke, accentuating his sentences with exaggerated motions. His eyes blazed with energy only an announcer could produce. "IS EVERYBODY RRRRREADY?!" Both crowds roared in response. Their voices carried through the arena and across all of Valhalla.
"The rules are simple!" Heimdall continued. "It's a fight to the death! In other words, the eternal obliteration of one combatant's existence will decide the match!"
On the opposite side from the gods, Brunhilde and Göll stood side by side overlooking the arena. The youngest valkyrie was sweating intensely in preparation for the start of Ragnarok, her eyes wide and mouth curved into an intense frown. "Here we go, Hilde," she whispered. Brunhilde remained silent, emotionless as ever.
"In Round One, representing the gods…" Heimdall went on. "...is him!" The announcer pointed at the oak door, which slowly creaked open with a rumbling groan as the spotlight moved to it. The cheers from the crowd, particularly the gods, picked up with fervor.
As the doors opened, they revealed a long stone hallway leading into a very large room. It was filled with flora and fauna, particularly oak trees, iris flowers, and eagles as well as mountains. In the center of the room was an enormous tree with many large branches, and perched atop the tree was a figure, though against the sunlight his features were darkened. Suddenly, storm clouds rolled in, accompanied by violent winds. The figure jumped down as the clouds past him, landing at the same time as lightning struck him. The spot where he landed was now covered in a fire that slowly spread throughout the room, but he was unharmed. He slowly walked further into view, illuminating his extremely well-muscled build and his familiar armor and bearskin. At his right, he held a giant double-bladed ax with a curved, horn-like protrusion extending from each end of the blades. The top of the handle, which was made of black linden wood, curved to either side above the blades. At the bottom of the handle was a large, thick, rectangular guard with ornate designs covering it. The god began to make his way to the arena.
"All is his domain! No part of the world is free from his rule!" Heimdall shouted excitedly. "Fire and lightning herald his arrival! Storms accompany him wherever he goes! Weapons forged by his hand never shatter! Truly, he is the pinnacle of jack-of-all-trades!"
The god emerged from the hallway, revealing himself to the crowd. Upon sight of him, the gods erupted in cheer. They were frenzied, howling and laughing with a degree of insanity, assured of victory already.
"Haaaahahahaha! You humans are done for!" "Yes! Woohoo! Let's go!" "I can't believe they sent him out at the start!" "I love yooooouuuuuu!~" The god smirked in response.
"He claimed his rightful spot as the ruler of Prawia from lesser gods! His kingdom is among the mightiest of the heavenly realms! The highest Slavic deity! The Empyrean Paladin! The vanguard of the gods!" The god raised his ax above his head as Heimdall announced his name. "Peruuuuunnn!"
Perun nodded his head repeatedly, looking all around him at the adoring immortals. "Hah hah hah hah hah!" he boomed. "What sayest thee, o' gods?! Dost thine eyes wish to hear the bones of humanity crack under mine ax?!" The gods roared, bloodlust in their eyes. They whooped and jeered, craving death. Humanity could only gasp and go silent.
Göll was in tears at Perun's entrance. "We're done, Hilde! Done, I tell you! They sent a chief god out in the first round! We'll never win! Bwaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
"Have faith, Göll," Brunhilde replied. "We can win this." But her words did nothing to sway the young valkyrie.
"And now, his challenger!" Heimdall went on. The gods booed viciously at the mention of humanity, shouting insults and throwing things at them. The humans nearest them cowered in fear, trying to avoid being hit. But Heimdall didn't seem to notice the commotion, and if he did, he didn't care.
"Fighting for humanity is this man!" The god pointed at the lapis door, which, unlike the other door, flung open with much speed. A bright glow shone from the doorway, obscuring the fighter, who was very tall. He appeared to be surrounded by other smaller shapes who were hustling around, removing various things from the man. Around the door, people dressed in Sumerian garb began to shout enthusiastically as the gods gasped in amazement.
"Will this be the end of humanity's long journey?!" Heimdall cried. "Are we to forget seven million years of pride?!"
"No!" the people screamed. "No!"
As the fighter got closer to the door, he fully came into view, allowing the crowd to discern his features.
"Here he is! To keep humanity's hopes alive!"
His skin was like bronze. His hair was black and braided, and, in contrast to Perun, his face was clean-shaven, shining with a metallic brilliance. On his head was a golden crown with two large, golden, triangular horns curving out and around and two jewels at their bases, surrounded by smaller horns that adorned the crown in a similar fashion. He wore ornate armor that was both gold and lapis, covered in Sumerian iconography. On his shoulders was a royal purple cape that rippled as a breeze entered the arena. Even the gods in the VIP box were taken aback by the power that emanated from him.
"Tell me… could it be anyone else but him?!" Heimdall faced the people, poised dramatically.
"No!" the people shouted again.
"Does any other human have even half a chance to beat a god?!"
"No!"
"He's perhaps the greatest hero since the dawn of human history!" Heimdall looked upward. "Any objections?!"
"NO!"
The man gripped his cape and ripped it off. His attendants rushed to catch it, then scurried off back down the hall. Above him, in the stands, a man of similar height to the fighter raised his massive fist above his head. He was very hairy, in some ways resembling a monkey, and dressed in animal skins. He was the happiest of all the people, tears threatening to enter his eyes.
HUMANITY'S FIRST HERO…
The fighter smiled, showing his pristine teeth. Reaching down to his waist, he revealed a bronze mace covered in flanges and more Sumerian designs, letting the sun's rays reflect off of it and bathing him in light. The gods' gasps turned to exclamations as they realized who the man was.
GILGAMESH.
All of humanity burst into cheer, seeing Gilgamesh stand up to a mighty god. The energy in the arena was electric, each fighter staring the other down as their respective crowds competed to see who could shout the loudest. Heimdall did his best to keep the crowd pumped, which wasn't very hard.
"This is it, folks! The first round of Ragnarok! Now, who's ready to kick this thing ooooffffff?!" The continuous drone of cheering escalated. However, neither contestant had said a word since they entered the arena.
Amidst the ecstatic humans, one man dressed in Buddhist clothes was praying, over and over. "Namu amida butsu. Namu amida butsu." Brunhilde took notice of this and put a stop to it.
"Cease your prayers, human," she said rather forcefully.
RAGNAROK ROUND 1
"You're sending them off to the very gods we must defeat."
THE BATTLE BEGINS!