The gods cheered fiercely. Not only had Perun won, but he had quite handily killed Gilgamesh in a brutal fashion. They raised their fists in celebration and shouted to their hearts' content. But no one was more excited than Zeus.
"Whoo-hoo!" he yelled. "Whoo whoo whoo!" With each 'whoo', he pumped his hands into the air. "Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhh!" Hermes stood beside him stoically, watching the events in the arena below.
"Heh heh," Shiva chuckled, flexing his arms. He balled his hands and stretched his toes, stirred up by the battle. "That was nuts. It's been a while since something has gotten my blood pumping like this!"
"The first battle of Ragnarok–" Heimdall announced, "between Perun and Gilgamesh has come to a close, with Perun as the victor!"
Brunhilde and Göll looked on with horror. The younger valkyrie had collapsed on the ground, holding herself up with her hands. Though inwardly she was a mess of despair and fear, outwardly she was silent. Brunhilde appeared calmer than Göll, but she was no less upset.
"Humanity has taken its first step towards extinction!"
Across the arena, the gods mocked and jeered at humanity.
"See that, you foolish humans?!" "Did you really think your champion even stood a chance?!" "This is the power of the gods!" "Bow down!" "Pray!" "Offer your pathetic lives as tribute!"
"What the hell's with that chanting?" Göll managed to say, glaring at the gods. "They're like children… yet they call themselves gods? Gilgamesh was right!"
Brunhilde didn't say a word. Instead, she swiftly turned around and proceeded down the hall behind them. Göll got to her feet, confused. "Hilde? Where are you going?"
In the arena, Perun was watching the chaos in the crowds unfold. His face was one of pure insanity, with a large, malevolent smile and bloodshot eyes wide open. It was deeply disturbing to look at.
"Ah. I think I get it," Hermes said aloud. Zeus looked at his son inquisitively.
"Get what, Hermes?" he asked.
"I understand why Perun was practically unharmed," the servant responded. "During the final clash, Perun didn't use his full power. He only used enough to block God Piercer, and intentionally let himself be blasted away. He then pretended to be gravely injured in order for Gilgamesh to lower his guard and concealed Topor Peruna beneath him. I am still confused as to why he did all that, though."
"That's just how he is," Zeus answered. "Perun takes immense pleasure in making his opponent feel hopeless. But even more than that, he loves to fool his opponent into thinking they've won, and then taking that victory away from them, more than simply overpowering them. Personally, I got a hoot out of it, too! Ho ho ho ho!"
In the arena, Heimdall approached Perun timidly. "Lord Perun, allow me to escort you to the exit," he said with a slight quiver in his voice. Perun nodded and started to follow the small god. Suddenly, a loud voice from behind interrupted them.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" The two gods turned to see where it had come from. To Heimdall's surprise, Enkidu and the other Sumerians had jumped into the arena and were now standing over their king's body. Tears filled their eyes. Enkidu was pointing directly at Perun.
"You murderous psychopath! You killed him! YOU KILLED HIM!" the wild man screamed. He was trembling with anger. "Well, guess what?! Now we're gonna kill you!" He drew a sword from his back, ready to fight. "Follow me, people of Uruk!"
"Huh?!" Heimdall exclaimed. "What a–"
"For Gilgamesh!" Enkidu roared. The people let out a battle cry, drew their own weapons, and charged right at Perun. They knew most of them would die. They just hoped that they were enough to overwhelm the god.
"Stop! Wait a second!" Heimdall yelled, holding his hand out. "You aren't allowed in the ring!"
"We are the people of Uruk!" they chanted in response. "We follow our king no matter what stands in our way!"
"Whoa there! I said calm down! The battle is already over! Additional fighters are strictly forbidden!" Heimdall was panicking now, trying desperately to dissuade the Sumerians. But their minds were set. There was no stopping them now.
"Prepare yourself, false god!" they shouted. They were almost on top of the two gods. Heimdall was about to say something else, but Perun held up a hand to stop him.
"No," he said. "Let them come."
He lifted Topor Peruna with one arm, ready to swing. Enkidu leaped into the air, sword raised to deliver a downward strike. Perun smirked, waiting for the right moment. When the sword was mere centimeters away from making contact, he bisected Enkidu through his stomach, sending the two pieces falling to the ground.
Enkidu barely felt it. His rage was so great that he had grown numb, and his only reaction to being killed was a defeated grimace. Deep down, he had known there was nothing he could've done to even harm Perun, but it gave him a sense of closure, the feeling that he had done all he could.
The Sumerians didn't falter at their leader's death. They came at Perun from all angles, praying for their victory. But the god simply let out an amused grunt and cut them all down with Heavenly Guardian's Tempest. The explosion reached even the hallways of the Valhalla Arena, one of which Göll was running through to follow Brunhilde. When she heard the explosion, she slowed down and looked behind her.
"...what was that noise?" she wondered. But there was no time to think about it. Brunhilde was still walking, unconcerned with what had happened. Göll caught up with her sister and matched her pace. "Um… what… what will happen to Gilgamesh and sister Herja after this…?"
"'After this?'" Brunhilde repeated. "A foolish question."
Perun wiped the blood off his axe on his leg, satisfied. The Sumerians had provided an adequate send-off for this battle, and he appreciated them for that.
Enkidu, still hanging on to his last seconds of life, sighed. As death slowly overtook him, he whispered one last sentence.
"Gilgamesh… I'm coming…"
All of the bodies, including Herja, who had transformed back into her human form after being cut in half, began to crack, like glass breaking. It spread slowly at first, but it progressed quicker and quicker until it spread over every part. They started to disintegrate until eventually they shattered altogether into shining white shards that floated up into the sky and eventually dissipated. Perun watched them go, grinning madly. But even he had to admit the grim beauty of the scene.
"This battle–" Brunhilde continued, "is one of souls. If the soul itself is destroyed, then there is no return to the cycle of reincarnation. As such, one shall be reduced to dust in the vacuum of space."
Gölls eyes widened with realization. "Huh? …dust?"
"Niflhel," Brunhilde responded. "There is no 'after this' for them… not anymore."
Göll was speechless. She recalled the moment when Brunhilde summoned Herja and made that strange request. This is what she…? Göll thought. She couldn't believe it. She stopped walking, her legs too unsteady to keep her moving.
"How can you stand there and pretend like nothing happened?!" she screamed. "Don't you feel anything?!" Brunhilde paused at that. But Göll kept going. "We'll never be able to see sister Herja again! We'll never feel her warm embrace!"
"...Göll," Brunhilde said after a moment. She turned around, her face one of pure hatred and anger. "You think there's a way to kill those bastards without taking that risk?!"
Tears streamed down the younger valkyrie's face. "But…" she whimpered. "Do we really… have to go so far? This war is just…" She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. "Ugh…"
Brunhilde resumed walking, not offering any comfort to her sister. "The fate of all humanity… rests upon the outcome of this war." She disappeared down the hall, leaving Göll to grieve for her fallen sister alone.
PALACE OF THE GODS
ZEUS' ROOM
"Hohohohoho!" Zeus laughed, bouncing up and down in his seat, a fanciful couch with embroidered pillows on either side. Hermes stood behind him, ever Zeus' faithful servant. Across from the two Greeks sat two other gods, Shiva and Ares. Beyond them, the giant silhouette of Thor loomed in a shadowed part of the room, his hammer placed on the ground in front of him. "I do love to watch a good, old-fashioned domination."
"Brother Ares," Hermes said. "If I may ask, why did you not attend the first round of Ragnarok? It was quite a show."
"Hmph. Doubtful," Ares replied. He was still upset that he hadn't been put on the list of god fighters, and had refused to watch out of protest. "This entire tournament is a waste of time. We'll win 12 rounds easily, and humanity will be extinct. I don't need to watch to know that we'll win."
"I wouldn't say that," Hermes argued. "Gilgamesh did put up quite a fight, even if he lacked the power to win in the end. It was not the easy victory you might think."
"Ah, it doesn't matter," Shiva interrupted. "It was exciting to watch. That's what matters. Speaking of which–" Shiva looked at Zeus expectantly. "I'm up next, right, old geezer?"
"Yes, yes," Zeus confirmed. "Go out there and have your fun. Put some more fear and despair in humanity's hearts."
"Heh heh," Shiva chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "With pleasure." He jumped to his feet and exited the room, brushing past Thor. The thunder god watched him go.
"Well, I shall be going as well," Ares voiced. "I have better things to do with my time than watch insects be stepped on." He followed Shiva's path. Once he was gone, Thor looked to Zeus. He never uttered a word, but Zeus knew what he was thinking. Thor's crushing aura was flaring, making his intent obvious. Zeus laughed.
"That bloodlust of yours never fails to surprise me," he told Thor. "Don't worry. Your turn will come soon enough. Just between you and me…" He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "...I'm waiting to send you out against a strong opponent. I doubt that valkyrie will play her best cards this early. If she did, Shiva would be good as dead. I want you available for when that time comes."
Thor didn't reply, but he understood Zeus' reasoning. He didn't appreciate being kept waiting, but he would rather wait and have a good fight then crush a weakling early on. Lighting surged from his hands into his hammer, and with a flash of lightning, he disappeared.
AKASHIC ARCHIVES
Brunhilde stood in the middle of the dark room. She pulled out her phone, illuminating her and her surroundings. She pressed one of the buttons onscreen and words appeared, spelling out "Akashic Records". The screen then turned white and she held it above her head. The phone began projecting images of famous people from human history, and under each image was a file number in the order that they were born from the beginning of mankind until the present.
"The first battle is now over," she said. "Our duty now is to decide on a representative for the second." With her free hand, she started moving the images around, searching.
"But not even Lu Bu could stand up against the gods," Göll muttered. She was sitting in a corner of the room with her arms folded and on her knees. "Who could even…"
After a few moments, Brunhilde came across an image and smirked. "In that case…" She pressed her hand against it, causing the image to turn white. "...let's go with him." Göll looked over with wonder. "Amongst all humanity, the man most detested by the gods. We shall bet on the man… with the strongest will."
Göll stood up in shock. She read the number beneath the image with utter disbelief.
"File number… 1?!"
VALHALLA ARENA
Heimdall entered the arena and walked to the center, Gjallarhorn in hand. "Well! Despite the awful state of the ring at the end of Round 1, thanks to the gods, it's all nice and clean!" He raised his left hand into the air. "Alright, you lot! Who's ready for Round 2?!"
The crowd roared in response. The gods looked smug and arrogant, already assured of their victory. Humanity cheered viciously, incensed by their previous defeat. Their fury was evident. They wouldn't stand to lose again.
"Alright!" Heimdall shouted. "Introducing the second human fighter! He's been called the hope of mankind!" He pointed to his left, humanity's entry gate. "Here he is!"
The hallway was completely black. Nothing seemed to be in it. Everyone peered at the darkness, trying to discern something, a shape or an outline, but there were none. Suddenly, the ground in front of the hallway opened up. It was a trapdoor made to match the arena ground. Beneath it, another trap door opened, revealing more and more trapdoors that opened in quick succession. They went so far down that the bottom of the hole couldn't be seen anymore. The far away sound of hatches opening continued for a few more seconds and finally stopped. Then, something came zooming up out of the hole incredibly fast. It continued into the air, accompanied by a large cloud of steam. It was a stone pillar, and atop it a man reclined on a large stone, shadowed by the sun's rays beaming down on him.
The crowd let out sounds of confusion and wonder, disoriented by this puzzling entrance. It was completely different from the previous two fighters. They became even more baffled when a flock of doves came flying out of the steam.
A low rumbling began to shake the arena. Everyone looked around, trying to determine the source.
"Look!" one of the humans shouted, pointing toward humanity's gate. As if on cue, a herd of animals of all kinds–giraffes, elephants, rhinoceroses, gazelles, lions, wolves, even rabbits–emerged from the entrance, stampeding toward the stone pillar. But instead of hitting it, they ran around and stopped in front of it. The man on the pillar had not moved.
"Who could've seen it coming?!" Heimdall yelled. "'And God blessed them, and God said unto them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."' But to think that the day would come–"
The man finally moved, slowly lifting his hand and starting to close it.
"–that the man would eventually rebel–"
He closed his fist firmly, flexing his arm muscles. An intense aura stemmed from that single action, causing the gods to shiver.
"–against his creator!"
The man stood up, slightly hunched over, and jumped down from the pillar. Humanity watched it with fear. The man landed, generating gusts of wind that swept through the arena. His fist left an indent in the ground, but there wasn't a scratch on him. The animals all turned to observe him, oddly silent and calm.
"Defining the very essence of a 'man', truly… he is a man among men!" He slowly stood up, revealing more of his features. He was very pale, with only an average build. His blond hair gently fluttered in the wind. The animals made a pathway for him, looking with what seemed to be… reverence.
"No way!" a human remarked. "That's him?!"
"The only thing he holds faith in–" Heimdall continued. "–is the weight of his fists!" The man swung his arms in circles, warming them up for the battle. Humanity watched on in amazement. Brunhilde looked a little exasperated at the show. Göll was her usual trembling self. Aphrodite perked up, intrigued.
"He's the ultimate survivalist, with a knack for unarmed combat!" The man was almost completely naked save for a leaf that unexplainably covered his groin. He made his way through the animals, who had knelt down out of respect.
"He was given life, but also gave birth to the original sin!" In his right hand, something small could be seen. It was dark and round. Nobody knew what it was at first, but upon closer inspection they found that it was, fittingly, an apple.
"In all of history–" The man raised the apple above his head, showing it off for all to see. "–he is the man infinitely despised by the gods!" His mouth turned slightly upward in a smirk. The gods wanted to be indignant, but they remained silent.
"If there's anyone that can stick it to the gods, it'd have to be him!" He slowly walked forward into the center of the arena. "The father of humanity–" All of the humans collectively saluted him, overcome with joy and admiration. "–his name is–" The man lowered his arm and took a bite of the apple, being careful in all of his movements.
In the higher stands, a crowd of angels gasped with realization. They knew this man. How could they not? After all, he had committed perhaps the greatest, most egregious crime in the history of the universe, more so than even Gilgamesh. The VIPs too were shocked. Odin grimaced slightly as his ravens cawed. But no one was more surprised than Zeus. He raised one eyebrow, showing his full eyeball. His mouth hung open a little.
Humanity cheered with all their might. Amidst the thunderous crowd, a man dressed in dark robes, holding a sketchpad and a quill, let out a sigh of wonder. "Oh…"
MICHELANGELO
He held his quill out toward the man enthusiastically. "Such beauty…"
The man spit out the bite of the apple with a look of disgust on his face. "So sour…"
HUMANITY'S SECOND FIGHTER
ADAM
A group of medieval scholars, mouths agape, were perhaps the most confused of all.
"My word!" one proclaimed. "Humanity's survival depends on this fight… and that's…!"
He couldn't articulate the thoughts zooming through his brain, but his meaning was clear. The original man, Adam, who by all accounts was simply a normal man with the heavy burden of the first sin, was humanity's representative. He wasn't a fighter. How could he ever possibly win?
"That's Adam?!" Huginn shrieked.
"You're kidding me," Muninn agreed.
The gods echoed their sentiments. "He deems himself worthy to face the gods?" "But he looks so weak compared to Gilgamesh." "If anything… he's kinda… cute."
Adam stared blankly in their direction. He didn't seem to mind what everyone else thought of him. It was a bit off-putting.
"The unveiling of humanity's progenitor seems to have aroused the gods in more ways than one!" Heimdall announced. "And now… facing the origin of humanity himself… and following on from the strongest Slavic god in Round 1… we've got the strongest god in all of India… making his grand entrance!" He flung his arm behind him toward the gods' gate dramatically.
Nothing happened.
The whole arena waited silently for Shiva to enter, but he never did. It was quite awkward.
"...huh?" Heimdall said. A beeping broke the silence. Heimdall materialized a circular phone in his hand and put it to his ear. "Hm?"
"What's their problem?" Göll thought aloud.
Heimdall listened to the voice on the other end of the line. "What?... We're changing the order? Then's who's next?... Wait… who?" His eyes widened. "Huh?!... No way!"
The arena suddenly went dark. The sun and clouds had mysteriously disappeared. Not even a tiny star remained in the black sky.
"Eh?! Why's it so dark?!" Göll exclaimed. Brunhilde was equally confused.
A beautiful melody started playing throughout the arena. It was the loveliest tune ever played in the history of music. The crowd listened in awe.
"What's that sound?" "A violin, right?" "But who's playing it?"
"This song…!" a human said. He was in his early 30s and dressed in stereotypical 1700s garb, complete with a powdered wig.
CHILD PRODIGY
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
Mozart turned to the man on his right. "Master Bach!"
Sitting there was a similarly dressed, heavyset man. Tears streamed down his face.
FATHER OF MUSIC
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
"Indeed," he replied. "This is my "Air on the G String"... and yet, in all my years, I've never heard it performed so beautifully before!" He took a moment to breath. "This is truly a heavenly arrangement!"
As the music continued to play, a man appeared from the gods' gate, playing a violin. His eyes were closed with concentration as he played the instrument to his utmost ability. His black clothes and red tattoos were instantly recognizable by the two valkyries.
"That's… Hermes?!" Göll shouted. "Our next opponent is Hermes?! But… his name wasn't on the list, right?"
Brunhilde took a step back in surprise, sweating profusely. She had come to a chilling conclusion about what was happening. It can't be…
"Uh… my apologies, everyone," Heimdall said. "We seem to have some technical difficulties. Now, allow me to introduce our second combatant for the gods! The one who will be facing the first man is…" He pointed to Hermes. "This god– no, wait…"
Someone else came hobbling out of the entry gate, supporting himself with a wooden cane. Hermes looked at him as he played, waiting for something. The other god managed to walk fully into the arena, revealing his familiar feeble body, a face covered in gray hair, and his white robe.
"It's actually… the esteemed gentleman standing here!" Heimdall finished. Zeus waved a trembling arm to the crowd.
"Hi there, everyone!" he said meekly. He made a friendly, cute face. "Do treat me kindly!"
"Gyaaaahhhhh!" Göll shrieked, recoiling in shock.
Brunhilde couldn't believe her eyes. She gritted her teeth with a mix of anger and fear. That old bastard!
The gods, too, struggled to understand this. "What the hell?!" "Lord Zeus is jumping into the second round?!" "This early?!"
Meanwhile, humanity didn't comprehend who exactly they were seeing. "Huh?" "What's with the frail old guy?" "He's a god… I guess?" "Can he even fight?"
Zeus let go of his cane, stood up straight, and pointed to the sky. His posture had completely changed. No longer was he shaking like an elderly man.
"All! Righty! Then!" he said. He snapped his fingers and pointed at his son. "Hermes! Come on!"
Dear me, Hermes thought. How many millennia has it been since I last heralded Lord Zeus' march to battle… with this very song? He lifted his bow, and immediately other violins started materializing around him. They formed a circle behind him, ready to play. Hermes waited for a moment, then struck his violin with his bow, beginning a new, far more intense piece.
THIS MUSIC, COMPOSED BY HERMES TO ACCOMPANY HIS FATHER INTO BATTLE, WAS KNOWN THROUGHOUT VALHALLA AS THE GREATEST PIECE OF MUSIC EVER WRITTEN DOWN.
IT IS KNOWN AS…
SLAUGHTER IN THE GODS' RING!
"Oh!" Mozart gasped, taken aback by the ferocity.
"So this is the concert of the gods…" Bach muttered, impressed but also, in a way, terrified.
"Hoho," Zeus chuckled. "This song always gets the blood pumping." He started dancing, moving his arms and hips to the beat and making ridiculous poses. Adam was a little puzzled, but he didn't react.
"If we're calling Adam the father of humanity–" Heimdall continued. "–then it would only be fitting to say the same of him!" Zeus put a hand to his ear and leaned toward Heimdall in an exaggerated manner. "Father of the gods… nay!" Zeus made a "C" with his thumb and index finger and held it as he kept dancing. "GFOC! God Father of The Cosmos!"
The gods began to chant. "G! F! O! C! G! F! O! C! G! F! O! C!" He started dancing more vigorously, jumping and twirling about the arena. Hermes did the same whilst simultaneously continuing to play his violin. At one point, they met in the middle and bowed to each other before resuming their antics.
While the gods kept up their cheers, humanity and the valkyries were not amused. Quite the opposite. "What's up with his dancing…" "That's creepy." "Is this a joke?" "Like I said, who the fuck's the old guy?!"
"Hilde, what am I looking at right now?" Göll asked, deadpan.
"Hell if I know," Brunhilde responded.
"Using the powers of creation at his whim–" Heimdall yelled. Zeus continued posing in the background at each of Heimdall's statements. "–returning anything that doesn't suit his fancy to the void! Truly, the king of the gods!" The old god clapped his hands above his head and bent his knees as his legs grew to an enormous size. He had finally flexed his muscles, and they were truly a mystifying sight. Humanity's jaws dropped at their sheer width.
"Eons ago, he brought about the Titanomachy to decide the mightiest of the gods!" Zeus puffed his chest up, and it too was massive, completely covering his neck. His arms had grown as well. Everything about him now was pure muscle, with no sign of frailty or weakness left.
Zeus leaned back until he was completely parallel with the ground. "Infamous for committing the crime of patricide–" He smiled evilly at the gods behind him, unnerving them. "–this old geezer gets off on battle! A real god among gods!" he stood back up, ready for the climactic finale. "His name is–"
Zeus spread his legs and pointed to the sky again as jets of sparks erupted from the ground, surrounding him with light. Hermes finished his song with a flourish of his bow.
"Zeeeeeuuuuussssss!"
"Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh!" the old god shouted. The other gods joined in, sporting foam hands that they waved around.
"That's Zeus?!" a human cried incredulously.
As Zeus basked in the limelight, Göll desperately tried to make sense of the situation. "Huh…? What… what's happening…? Why… why is the final boss appearing in the second round?!" She looked at her sister, who was chewing her nails furiously.
"I never thought… he would show up this early," she said through closed teeth. "I must admit… this was outside my expectations!"
Hermes watched his father's show silently. Good grief, he thought. What a troublesome master I serve…
MINUTES EARLIER
GODS' ENTRY TUNNEL
Shiva casually strolled down the tunnel, stretching his arms out.
"Hehe… I gotta cool down a bit," he said aloud. "If I go in there like this, he'll be a pile of ashes in an instant." He starting rotating his arms to stretch his shoulders, but then he felt a shaky hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him Zeus and Hermes standing there. Zeus waved at Shiva, smiling.
"What's up, gramps?" the four-armed god said. "You came all this way to cheer me on?"
"It's my turn now," Zeus replied. His eyeholes were wider, and his mouth was turned upward in a sinister smile. Shiva stared at him blankly. He didn't know how to respond at first.
"Gramps… what're you trying to say?" he protested. "I'm up next, right?"
"It's my turn now."
Shiva sighed. The old god must've gone senile. "Didn't we decide you're up last? If you're asking me to let you go first, get lost. It's been a few thousand years since I've been so hyped." An additional pair of eyes appeared underneath his normal ones, and a yellow one appeared on his forehead, tired of Zeus already. "Get your hand off me!"
"It's my turn now."
Zeus looked even more crazed. Shiva could hardly form words. Hermes laughed silently.
"Are your ears fucking broken, you old shit?!" Shiva roared. "I told you no-"
Suddenly, he felt an immense pressure on his shoulder from Zeus' hand. It startled him so much his extra eyes disappeared as he buckled under the weight.
"It's my turn now."
Zeus grinned at Shiva innocently. The Indian god stared at him for a few seconds before bowing his head. "So that's how it is… if that's how it's gonna be–" He grabbed Zeus' arm and shoved it off of him with little effort as he stood up. "–then you wouldn't mind a round with me right here and now, would you?"
"Oh," Hermes remarked under his breath. "How exciting."
One of Zeus' pupils shown through his dark eye sockets. Shiva looked at it with apprehension, then exhaled in defeat. "Guess I've got no choice." He moved to the side of the hallway, allowing Zeus to pass. "Go for it. You are my senior, after all. Just remember– you owe me one."
"Hoho," Zeus chuckled, waving goodbye.
Well that's disappointing, Hermes thought, following Zeus as he bounded down the tunnel.
NOW
VALHALLA ARENA
He must be the most shameless god in existence, Hermes mused.
"Now then!" Heimdall proclaimed. "Our second round will be Adam vs. Zeus! A match made in heaven! A battle between the summits of humanity and the gods!"
The crowds went while. "Lord Zeus! Annihilate him in one punch!" "Good luck, father!" "You got it, Lord Zeus!" "Show them the unyielding power of man!"
Zeus skipped over to his opponent, ready to start the match. "Hey, will you be alright without that thingy?" he asked. Adam didn't know what he was talking about. "Y'know! That 'Valkyrie unite!' thing." Zeus fluttered his hands as he talked. "That thing. Without that–" He stopped in front of Adam and leaned over him freakily. "–kiddo, it'll be over before you know it." His eyes were fully visible now, looking directly into Adam's. But the father of humanity stared back, unfazed, and pointed up to the sky.
"It's already here," he responded. His voice was low and tranquil, not something you would expect for someone about to take on the strongest god in a deathmatch. Zeus glanced toward where Adam was pointing and saw a very peculiar sight: a girl riding atop a winged horse. She was dressed as a medieval scholar, with white robes, black gloves, a cape, and a bourrelet. She had shoulder-length black hair and square glasses.
"Pegasus?!" Heimdall yelled.
"Th-those glasses…" Göll commented.
"Yes," Brunhilde affirmed. "She is the most fitting valkyrie for the progenitor, Adam."
REGINLEIF
7TH OF THE VALKYRIE SISTERS
DAUGHTER OF THE GODS
"Sister Reginleif!" Göll cried.
"Adam! Your hand!" Reginleif called her partner. She jumped off of Pegasus and began plummeting toward the ground, arm outstretched. "We must match wavelengths! Once complete, I shall become a part of you!" Adam smiled and reached his hand out, his finger meeting Reginleif's. Michelangelo gasped, reminded of his famous fresco in the Sistine Chapel. "Now, in this moment, we are one!"
A brilliant light emitted from their hands, causing Zeus to shield his eyes with his arm. He laughed with delight. Reginleif started disintegrating and turning into bright green strips that surrounded Adam and went down his arms, coalescing on his hands. As the light slowly died down, his Volund finished Zeus watched with utmost enthusiasm. Göll was thoroughly astonished.
"That's Adam's weapon?!" she shrieked. Heimdall and the crowd shared her surprise.
"Knuckledusters?!" everyone shouted in unison. Hermes laughed crazily. Adam planned to take on Zeus with a pair of knuckledusters? He had to be insane.
Brunhilde exhaled through her nose nervously as a bead of sweat rolled down her face. She was confident in Adam's skill, but he was up against Zeus, the mightiest god in the universe. It would be a hard-fought battle.
Adam opened his hands, flexing his fingers, then closed them again, feeling out his new weapons. They felt firm, sturdy, and perfectly fit the shape of his hands. He held them up and smiled slyly. "Oh, yeah," he said. "I'm liking this."
THE SECOND BATTLE OF RAGNAROK STARTS NOW.
"Hohoho," Zeus laughed, holding up his own fists.
ZEUS VS ADAM.
FIGHT!