Chapter 18

The Lotus and The Round Table ( Part 2 )

Cloud Tower Palace ( Residence of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King )

With a small burst of light , Li Jing teleported outside his front door . And even from the outside of the palace , the Pagoda-Bearing King could already hear the loud music blasting from inside his home , as well as the chatter and commotion made by the numerous people currently partying it up like crazy inside .

With a heavy sigh , Li steeled himself for the absolute mess that undoubtedly awaited him on the other side of the door . And after a few seconds of mental preparation he calmly stepped forward towards the door , and with one firm push , burst open the door with a loud , " BANG ! " And stepped into his living room , taking in the scene that he was greeted with inside .

In front of him was his once pristine and proudly decorated living room filled to the brim with various young gods and goddesses , all of whom were now silent upon seeing the Pagoda-Bearing King return home early . However , his house's interior now looked less like the home of a highly respected and important heavenly official , and more like a war zone . Tables and chairs were overturned , and the ones that weren't were strewn with half eaten food and empty cups . Across the floor were multiple puddles of various spilled drinks as well as a various assortment of mess and trash . Worse of all , Li saw multiple broken shards of what he recognized as belonging to his collection of fine china and precious vases lying in the corner of the room . Apparently some of the partygoers had decided it would be a great idea to play a game of bowling with his possessions as the pins .

And in the very center of the room , seated behind three massive speakers and a collection of DJ equipment , blasting songs out loud for the partygoers was his son Nezha , the Third Lotus Prince himself , caught red-handed in the act of throwing a massive house party behind his father's back .

The Third Lotus Prince in question took on the appearance of a 13 year old Asian Teen , his black hair had two red streaks stretching from the small buns tied on both sides of his head , and down to his forehead . He had rosy red cheeks with eyes that were a piercing gold color , and whilst Li was dressed in regal and imposing armor worthy of a god such as himself , and carried himself in a respectable and dignified way . Nezha in contrast was dressed much more like a mortal and held himself in a more casual and relaxed light , wearing a simple red T and jeans that were both visibly stained from food grease and spilled drinks .

Now , the father and son duo silently faced each other with hard stares on both of their faces . Li folded his arms as he surveyed the damage to his home with an unimpressed look on his face , meanwhile Nezha simply sat on his chair with an air of defiance surrounding him as he looked his father boldly in the eye .

Around the two , the various young gods and goddesses all glanced from one side to another nervously as they awaited to see what would happen next . They all knew of the Pagoda-Bearing King's stern and strict personality and how he would react when angered , so they braced themselves for the harsh reprimanding that Li would undoubtedly lay upon his son .

To their shock and relief however , after a few more uncomfortable seconds of Li and Nezha silently glaring at one another . The Pagoda-Bearing king heaved a sigh before gesturing towards the open door behind his back with his thumb , clearly signaling to the party-goers that they had better get going if they knew what was good for them .

Immediately , all of the gods began slowly trailing out of the house , some stopping to awkwardly thank Nezha for inviting them to the party , whilst others bowed their heads as a sign of respect and or apology towards Li , whose unwavering stern gaze never left his son , before hurrying out the door .

As Li watched the last party-goer leave the palace through the front door . Nezha , who still wore a look of defiance on his face , prepared for the scolding that his father was about to give him now that they were alone as Li turned around to face his son once more .

" Yeah , yeah I know , I know . You said no more throwing house parties behind your back and turning it into a dump or else I would be grounded for the next two centuries , I'll just head up to my room now so we can BOTH save our breath . " Nezha said rudely as he got to his feet and began making upstairs to his bedroom , kicking a plastic cup across the room , muttering under his breath as he did so .

Strangely , instead of yelling at Nezha for thrashing up the entire house with his disobedience and lack of responsibility as The Pagoda-Bearing King would normally do when his son created mischief , Li instead simply got to his knees and began picking up the trash and litter that was cluttering his floor and disposing them into a rubbish bin .

Nezha was now confused , usually his father would loudly chastise him for his misbehavior and make a huge fuss about it , yelling at him to fix his own mess before punishing him in some trivial way that would in no way deter Nezha's rebellious behavior in the slightest . Yet he was now cleaning up the mess the Third Lotus Prince had made without even saying a single word to him , perhaps giving his son the silent treatment was Li's new form of punishment ?

Feeling a slight twinge of guilt , Nezha grumbled softly as he too slowly got to his knees and began cleaning up the mess he had made . Taking out a broom and dustpan to make the job easier for himself , whilst Li moved on to rearranging the overturned furniture and cleaning their messy surface with a cloth . And as the two continued cleaning up the palace , the Pagoda-Bearing King finally spoke to his son .

" So , what was the special occasion this time ? " Li said calmly as he picked up a shard belonging to a precious imperial jade vase that he had received as a gift from the Jade Emperor himself , " For hosting such a massive party and turning our home into a pigsty ? Surely you must have had some kind of momentous event to celebrate ? "

" Nah , " Nezha said nonchalantly , " Just saw that you went to visit the Jade Palace again for some meeting or other with the Jade Emperor , so I just took the opportunity given to me and invited a few of my friends over , and then they invited some of their friends , and then those friends invited more friends . And well , you get the idea . "

" Hm , I see , " Li replied simply , " And what was that thing you were using to play music for your guests ? A DJ audio mixer I believe it was called ? With how reluctant you were when I tried making you practice the pipa and the guzheng , I never would have thought that YOU of all people would have had a passion for the arts . "

Nezha shrugged casually as if he hadn't just been caught disobeying his father once again , " I dunno , some guy brought it along with him and I just thought it looked cool and decided to try it out . " His answer was met with a simple nod by his father as they continued cleaning .

Although Nezha seemed to not care too much about the situation he was now in on the surface level . Deep down , he was quite unsettled by his father's surprising lack of anger towards his actions . He was so used to the shouting , arguing and berating they exchanged with each other every time he acted willfully , that he felt uncomfortable with how calm and unbothered his father was acting now .

Cloud Tower Palace had many servants under its employment , more than capable of cleaning up the mess at a much faster rate than the father and son duo , yet Li did not even call upon a single one of them to help undertake the burden of cleaning up Nezha's mess . Instead the next few minutes for the two of them were spent cleaning up the living room with neither uttering another word to the other .

Eventually , all of the trash that filled the living room before was packed up and thrown into rubbish bags , the overturned tables were propped back into place with their surface spotless and clean . As for Li's broken possessions , the Pagoda-Bearing King simply waved his hand and magically mended the broken shards back into place , repairing them instantly .

Watching his father seemingly let him off scot free without any punishment finally prompted Nezha to speak up at last , " Okay , this is getting unnerving . Who are you and what have you done with my father ? Cause that old codger would have been SCREAMING at me for being all , ' Irresponsible ' and stuff before grounding my ass for the next few centuries from the get go . "

Li simply scoffed in reply to his son's question , " If grounding you for a century wasn't enough to curb your disobedience , what good would two centuries do ? "

" What ? So you're just letting me get off without any punishment ? Wow , that's a new one for you , bout time you realized it too anyway . Nezha said , not believing his good fortune as he prepared to head up to his room .

" And besides , " Li suddenly said , bringing Nezha's attention back to his father , " Grounding you would be pointless since Lord Ra has called you up to represent us gods for the third round of Ragnarok , and we all know it is never a good idea to keep that particular Sun God waiting . "

For a few moments Nezha seemed slightly shocked at this news , his mouth slightly falling open and his eyes widening , before putting his usual face of indifference back on and shrugging , " Huh , I mean I only volunteered for a bet with a few of my buddies and all , but I didn't actually think that Ra would pick me to be a part of his roster . Oh well , doesn't matter , guess that means Red Son now owes me a hundred gold ingots after I win . "

Li scowled at his son's relaxed response to the news , " You did know what Ragnarok was before you volunteered yourself for it all for some silly bet between friends , I hope ? " He said , sounding properly agitated for the first time since he arrived home .

Nezha rolled his eyes , " Yeah , it's some death match between gods and humans to decide humanity's ultimate fate ain't it ? We win 7 rounds , humans all die . They win 7 rounds , they get to live for another millenia . "

" And I hope that you are aware of the dire consequences should you lose your round in Ragnarok and die ? " Li said through gritted teeth , " Your soul would be annihilated and completely dissolved into the void that is Niflheim , forever barred from the cycle of reincarnation . Are you prepared for that horrific possibility ? "

Nezha simply laughed as if this was no big deal , " RE-LAX old timer ! I'll be fine ! What , just cause they send out some human armed with a Divine Weapon or some shit , you think I'm gonna lose ? Are you so old that you've forgotten your OWN son's strength ? Chill out ! I'll win the round easy peasy , no need to get all worried on my behalf ! "

The Pagoda-Bearing King's eyes narrowed , " That was what Poseidon said before that haughty Sea God became fish food after losing to that swordsman . You should take this MORE seriously ! Humans have shown themselves to be more than capable of matching us gods in combat ! Are you PREPARED for the possibility of losing the match ? What would your mother say if she ended up losing you forever to Niflheim ? She's already been worried sick after just HEARING of your participation ! Did you even STOP to consider the risks and how your family might feel ? " He roared angrily as his body became shrouded in a purple aura .

Nezha growled , clearly annoyed with his father's nagging , his body now surrounded by a fiery red aura even stronger than his fathers , as his eyes switched from gold to red . The Third Lotus Prince took a step forward looking up at his father's face with a look of sheer defiance and rage , " GET OFF MY FUCKING BACK , OLD MAN ! " He spat viciously as the two gods stared each other down once again .

The two of them continue holding their unblinking gaze at the other , until Li finally relented and backed down with a heavy sigh , his aura subsiding , " Very well then , I see that there is no convincing you otherwise . " He said somberly as he took a seat and rubbed his forehead tiredly

.

Nezha too allowed his aura to subside , taking a few steps back and allowing himself to cool down , " Good to see that you understand , father . I'll be fine , you can tell mother that there is nothing to be worried about . I will return from my match ALIVE . " He said in a controlled tone as he began climbing up the stairs to his room .

" Son , " Li Jing suddenly said , causing Nezha to groan in annoyance and turn his head around with a frustrated look on his face .

" What ? " He grumbled in annoyance as Li shrugged for a few seconds to come up with the right words to say to his son .

" I just wanted to say that … I … I lo-the Jade Emperor wishes you all the best for your match …. "

Nezha stood still for a few moments after hearing his father's words , before he replied in a slightly more respectful tone , " I see , help me thank his majesty for his well wishes , as well as tell him that I am deeply honored by his concern , but that there is no need to worry for my sake . "

With that , Nezha made his way upstairs and disappeared from Li Jing's view , the Pagoda-Bearing King sighed once more as he rested his head upon his clasped fists , even though they had their differences in their relationship . All Li was now hoping , praying for , was that his worries were for naught , and that his son's words were indeed true . Nezha would return from his battle safe and sound in the end after all , he just had to … .

Einherjar waiting rooms

After bidding Maui farewell , and thanking him for his help , Prometheus , Göll and Pandora hurried down to the Einherjar waiting rooms to fetch their next fighter for round 3 . As they moved they passed by different doors for the different Einherjar that would be participating in the second Ragnarok . There was Lenin's simple 20th century wooden door , another wooden door with a curved archway and Polyneisan art of palm trees and leaves sculpted onto it , that undoubtedly belonged to Maui . And a stone door with nordic engravings carved into either side .

" I can't believe we have THE King Arthur fighting for us in round 3 ! " Pandora gushed as they continued walking past various doors of the different Einherjar fighting in the second Ragnarok , " Maybe , just maybe HE will be the one to help humanity get its first win ! "

Prometheus chuckled at his companion's newfound sense of confidence in their efforts after being devastated by the results of the first two rounds of Ragnarok , " I'm glad to see that you're feeling much better now Pandora . Don't worry , I'm sure that by the end of the next round , humanity will finally claim its first win in the second Ragnarok . "

As they continued making their way down the hall , the trio passed by a large wooden door , beautiful marble roman pillars , sculpted with refined craftsmanship and skill , standing on either side of it , with magnificently carved golden images of the various roman gods placed high above it with a stunning visage of the sun located in the middle . However , sullying the doors' beautiful appearance were multiple sets of massive iron chains hanging from one side to another like vines , locking the door in place , and signaling that whoever was behind the door wasn't meant to roam freely and was barred from leaving their room .

Despite the ominous feel surrounding the door , a melodic sound drifted from behind the doors as a person could be heard playing some sort of musical instrument inside , and while her friends continued on their journey , Göll foolishly chose to stop for a few seconds to listen and appreciate the beautiful song piece .

" I'll admit , I'm no Orpheus . But since you like my playing so much , why don't you come IN to hear it better ? " A man's voice suddenly called from inside the room , although he spoke in a charming and polite tone , Göll could sense the sinister undertone beneath the voice's friendly facade .

The Valkyrie recoiled in fright upon hearing the voice speak to her from behind the locked doors , how on earth had he been able to tell that she was standing behind the door ? Spooked by this , the Valkyrie quickly hurried after Pandora and Prometheus . Whilst the mysterious man behind the door let out a wicked laugh that echoed down the hall behind her .

" Uhm , Prometheus ? W-whose inside THAT room over there ? " Göll questioned fearfully as she pointed behind her back and towards the chained doors where the echoes of its residents' haunting laugh still remained .

Prometheus' face darkened as he saw where Göll was pointing to , " Ah … THAT room … Well that room belongs to the fighter I freed from Tartarus Prison to participate in Ragnarok . I'm saving him for battle against Lady Amaterasu or Lord Huitzilopochtli , whichever of them goes first . And while his room is quite secure at the moment , I ask you NOT to go close to that door nor even LINGER outside it for too long without me alongside you . "

And with that ominous warning , the Titan placed an arm onto the Valkyrie's shoulder and led her further down the hallway , whilst looking over his shoulder to glare at the chained up door . Even though he had forced the resident within to swear on the River Styx that they would never leave the room unless called for battle , Prometheus himself still felt uneasy , he would have to assign guards to stand watch in front of the room he decided .

Finally though , the three of them had reached their destination , stopping in front of a pair of magnificent giant double doors , similar to ones that would lead into a king's throne room . Each door bore the image of a golden dragon spreading its wings , the sigil of the Kingdom of Camelot .

" Alright , we're here , " Prometheus said as he stepped forward to knock on the doors , from which loud rambunctious shouting could be heard clearly from within , " I hope you girls have presented yourselves nicely , for we are about to be in the presence of a king . " He said with a wink , causing his two companions to look down at their attire , nervously hoping that they looked presentable enough .

With that , Prometheus pushed open the double doors and led Göll and Pandora inside the waiting room to finally meet the legendary King Arthur himself .

The first thing the trio were met with , was the bright blinding light from the massive chandelier that hung from the ceiling above shining into their eyes , causing them to squint their eyes for a bit before opening them again and properly surveying the waiting room for themselves . However , what lay in front of them was not what Göll nor Pandora had been expecting at all .

While they had expected a grand magnificent throne room or something similar along those lines , what they were instead greeted with was a large banquet hall , torchlights hanging from the pillars that supported the dome like ceiling where the aforementioned chandelier hung from . And in the center of the hall was a large round table filled with roasted meat , beer and wine fit for a kingly feast .

Seated at the table were all 13 Knights of the Round Table , some were dressed fully in armor while others wore simple tunics and robes . All of them were conversing loudly with one another , swapping tales or sharing jokes and laughing out loud .

And at the head of the table , seated on his throne , was King Arthur Pendragon himself , he was a handsome young man with brown dashing flowing hair , a stubble that covered his jawline and upper lip , as well as a well trimmed beard , though his visage was slightly ruined by the long faded scar that ran from his right cheek to his forehead .

The King of Camelot was dressed in a yellow embroidered waistcoat and coat with epaulets on his shoulder , well tailored pants , gauntlets , armored boots and finally a golden ornate crown with a blue diamond placed in the middle that he wore atop his head , completing his kingly look .

Seated next to the king and deep in conversation with him was his wizard mentor , Merlin , who was wizened with age and had a long graying beard . He was dressed in a long blue robe with red accents and a high collar , a tall wizard's hat and a golden monocle .

Upon seeing the appearance of newcomers , all of the knights immediately stopped their conversations and fell silent as Prometheus stepped forward to address them , " Greetings to all of you fine gentlemen ! Apologies if we are intruding upon your celebrations , but I must deliver the news to King Arthur at once ! "

Arthur rose from his throne with an eager smile as he raised a hand to greet his visitors , " Worry not , Lord Prometheus ! You and those young damsels by your side are forgiven ! In fact , you are more than welcome to join us in our feast here . Though I assume that the reason for your visit is NOT just for food and revelry ? " He said cheerily with a twinkle in his eyes as he awaited the answer he already knew was coming .

Prometheus grinned , " Quite correct , King Arthur ! I have decided that you shall be mankind's representative for the third round of Ragnarok , you shall be facing up against the Third Lotus Prince Nezha , of the Chinese Pantheon , if you are alright with that of course ? "

Arthur smiled from ear to ear upon hearing this news , " EXCELLENT ! " He said at the top of his voice , " Of course I will accept this great honor of defending humanity from their destruction ! As well as the once in a lifetime chance to do battle with a GOD ! Worry not Lord Prometheus ! With me as mankind's representative , I shall bring us victory in the third round ! After all , what is a prince to a KING ! "

Their king's confidence and vigor was met with cheers and laughter by the other Knights of the Round Table , who all rose from their seats and approached their king , patting him on the back and wishing him all the best for his upcoming match . Merlin , who had always treated Arthur as though he was his own son , hugged the King of Camelot tightly , " My boy , " The Wizard said tearfully , " Words cannot describe how proud I am now , to see the young lad whom I trained since his youth mature into a fine king . And now , seeing you join the ranks of the legendary Einherjar … I am simply honored to have been your mentor . "

Arthur smiled as he pulled out of his mentor's grasp and placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder , " Thank you Merlin , my old friend , I am grateful to have had you by my side guiding me throughout every step of the way . " After saying this , Arthur turned to the rest of his knights to address them all , " Do not fret my friends ! I SWEAR on my throne and honor that I shall return from my battle ALIVE ! And when I DO , we shall have a GREAT feast to CELEBRATE MY VICTORY ! "

At their king's words , the Knights of the Round Table hollered a cheer as they drew their blades and raised it in the air in honor of him .

Seeing the confidence and zeal put on by Arthur and his knights , Prometheus and his companions couldn't help but smile , " That is music to my ears Your Highness ! Now if you would be so kind , please come and take your Divine Weapon from my companion , Pandora's jar . It will allow you to properly stand a chance against your godly opponent . " The Titan said whilst gesturing to Pandora , who stepped forward with her pithos .

" Oh yes ! About that , " Arthur said as he stepped forward , " I actually do already possess a Divine Weapon ! Behold ! " He said as he unsheathed his fabled blade Excalibur , a beautiful longsword with a silvery-blue cross guard and pommel , a hilt wrapped in yellow cloth and a blue crystalline blade , " My trusty blade ' EXCALIBUR ! ' Gifted to me by the Lady of the Lake , made by Avalonian Elves and forged in dragon-fire ! It is more than capable of wounding a god ! "

Göll and Pandora oohed and ahhed as they were taken by Excalibur's beauty and craftsmanship , watching its blade shine and glitter in the light , " Wow ! Pandora commented , " That's THE Excalibur from the legends ? It looks so cool in person ! I think even dad would be impressed by its craftsmanship ! "

Merlin scoffed kindly at his protege showing off , " Of course you would be even stronger had you properly kept an eye on Excalibur's Scabbard like I told you , and not let that witch Morgan le Fay steal it from you . But that's all in the past , my boy . Kick those uppity god's in the rear for us ! "

This was met with a sheepish chuckle by Arthur as he was reminded of his carelessness in the former half of the wizard's words , and a cheer from his knights in the latter half as they once again surrounded their king to give him their well wishes .

Prometheus chuckled , " Oh yes , I had completely forgotten about Excalibur Your Highness , do forgive my little blunder ! But Pandora's Jar STILL allows you to obtain a Divine Weapon from within it , and as the saying goes , TWO heads , or weapons in this case , are better than one ! "

Arthur smiled from ear to ear , " Music to my ears , Lord Prometheus ! This day just keeps getting better and better for me with each passing moment ! Excuse me there lads . " With that , Arthur's sea of knights parted to allow their king to step forward and reached into Pandora's Jar and pulled out the second Divine Weapon he would use in his battle against Nezha .

As Arthur opened his palm , he saw the same ball of light Jason had seen when he obtained his Heroes' Light . However , as it morphed and expanded into Arthur's Divine Weapon , what was left in the King of Camelot's hands by the end of the process was a rounded elegant shield , coppery gold with blue curves and lines embossed on its surface . This was …

" THE SHIELD OF AVALON ! "

" WONDERFUL ! " Arthur proclaimed as he hoisted his new Divine Weapon for all present to see , causing many of his knights to whistle enviously at their king's new shield , " A magnificent shield to compliment my magnificent sword ! I cannot thank you all enough for it and the opportunity given to me ! When I win the round , I shall expect all three of you to be at the celebratory feast ! "

Göll and Pandora nodded in excitement , the King of Camelot's confidence was so infectious that it had placed their worries to rest and assured them of his victory , " Of course your highness ! " Göll replied , " We wish you all the best for your round ! "

" And I would also advise you to do a bit of research on your opponent as well Your Highness , since you have the advantage of knowing who he is , " Prometheus reminded , " Merlin , I hope that you will assist your king in that particular endeavor of course ? "

Merlin laughed , " Of course ! Of course ! The young lad couldn't sit still and read a book for even half a second when he was under my training , more interested in the art of swordsmanship , he was ! You can rest assured though , I will ensure he uses this information to the fullest ! " The wizard said as he gave Arthur's head a gentle knock with his fist . Causing the whole room , Arthur included , to burst into laughter .

With that , Prometheus , Pandora and Göll said their farewells to Arthur and his knights before leaving the waiting room to allow him to prepare for the match .

" Say Prometheus , " Göll suddenly asked as they made their way back to the Akashic Records , " What was Merlin talking about back there with Excalibur's Scabbard ? "

" Oh that ? Well the Scabbard of Excalibur was said to be EVEN greater than the sword itself ! " The Titan replied , " Legend said that it had incredible healing properties that would effectively render its user immortal in a sense . Unfortunately , Arthur's carelessness led to it being stolen by his half sister Morgan le Fay and hidden somewhere down on earth . Quite unfortunate , but I still believe that Arthur is capable enough to do battle even without it . "

" Oh …. I see " Göll replied uneasily as she looked behind her back at the doors leading to Arthur's waiting room , the King of Camelot and his knights seemed to be rather confident in his abilities , so he surely possessed great skills worthy of fighting in Ragnarok . But from what Prometheus had just said , Arthur also seemed to be a rather careless sort of person , and she sincerely hoped that trait of the king would not lead to their downfall in the third round .

A week later , Valhalla Arena

" WELCOME BACK ! Ladies and Gentleman , Gods and Goddesses ! To the Valhalla Arena for ROUND 3 of the second Ragnarok ! " Heimdall called into his Gjallarhorn as both sides of the arena cheered loudly in response .

" At the moment the gods are once again in the lead by TWO points , so humanity has to really step up their game if they want to win this round and the whole tournament ! But standing in their way towards victory …. IS THIS GOD ! " Heimdall cried as he pointed towards the god's side of the arena .

" In a military fortress at Chengtang Pass during the Shang Dynasty . Lady Yin , wife of the military commander Li Jing , who would later ascend to godhood and claim the title of Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King . '' Gave birth to a ball of flesh after gestation for three and a half years ! And from it was borned a boy , already capable of speech and walking right after birth ! "

As the Watchman of the Apocalypse continued his announcement , a small ember of flames suddenly flickered to life in the middle of the god's entryway into the battlefield . Slowly but surely , the small spark began growing and growing in size , eventually erupting into a giant sphere of fire . The swirling flames of the fireball blazed bright and hot , engulfing the entirety of the entrance way .

" As he grew with age , the boy was trained by the legendary immortal Daoist , Taiyi Zhenren HIMSELF . And his subsequent skills and feats were so immense that even his OWN father came to fear him as a demon child ! For example , when the people of Chengtang pass were under the mercy of the Dragon King of the East Sea , forced to SACRIFICE their own children to him for the promise of rain . What did this so-called demon child do ? Did he simply step back and watch his fellow children get devoured ? Did he run and hide in fear of being eaten himself ? NAY and NAY ! "

As Heimdall yelled into his Gjallarhorn , the massive flames finally dissipated, revealing Nezha , now dressed in a golden lamellar armor with pink and leafy green accents , wearing a green ku , knee high trousers that were tied to the calves , under a gold and pink scalemail warskirt .

Along with his armor , the Third Lotus Prince could also be seen carrying four of his six Divine Weapons . First was the Qiankun Ring , a golden wrist ring that Nezha held on to when he was born . Next there was the Huntian Cloth , a red scarf like cloth that Nezha wore in a similar fashion to his fellow gods in the Chinese Pantheon . Third were the Wind and Fire wheels that Nezha stood upon above the ground , which granted him enhanced speed , movement and the ability to fly . And finally was his Fire-tip Spear , a long spear with a handle made of polished redwood and a golden spearhead that was covered in flames .

" Instead , this ONE child , armed with just TWO of his subsequent six magical Divine Weapons gifted to him by his mentor . Managed to single handedly SUBDUED the yaksha Li Gen ! BURN the Dragon Prince Ao Bing to death ! And beat the Dragon King of the East Sea , Ao Guang HIMSELF , up so badly that he was forced to retreat with his tail between his legs ! "

As Heimdall prepared to end off his introduction , Nezha expertly spun his spear in his hand and over his head , before firmly planting it into the ground below and giving the audience a winning smile , earning him their cheers and admiration .

" In light of the boy's prowess and bravery ! He was granted godhood by Taiyi Zhenren after his death and reincarnation ! Obtaining the honored title of THIRD LOTUS PRINCE in the Jade Emperor's court ! HE IS THE WARRIOR CHILD OF THE CHINESE PANTHEON ! THE MARSHAL OF THE CENTRAL ALTAR ! The one and only …..

" NEZHA ! "

Representative of the Gods for Round 3

Nezha ( China )

As the gods cheered for their next fighter , Pandora and Göll looked down at their newest godly opponent uneasily .

" So that is the legendary Nezha himself , I never expected him to be so …. Youthful , he looks even younger than me to be honest . " Pandora commented .

" Good observation there Pandora , " Prometheus replied with furrowed brows , " But do not let that fool you , Nezha MAY look like a child , but his skills and battle prowess are that of an experienced warrior ! He's even gone toe to toe with THE Monkey King himself ! Combining that with his arsenal of Divine Weapons , it is no wonder Ra has him on the roster . "

" AND NOW ! " Heimdall called out back to the battlefield below as he gestured to humanity's side of the arena , " The human who will engage the Third Lotus Prince in combat in the attempt to finally earn mankind a win in the second Ragnarok ! "

" He PULLED the sword from the stone and claimed the position as the KING OF CAMELOT ! He has the great honor of wielding the mythical Divine Weapon EXCALIBUR ! He founded the KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE ! Ladies and Gentleman , perhaps there is NO need for me to introduce this man any further for his name has become so synonymous with the very word of KING ! But as your faithful announcer I shall still do my best anyways ! "

As Heimdall said this , the various Knights of the Round Table burst forth from within two double doors bearing the sigil of Camelot placed at the entryway of humanity's fighter , causing the crowds of humans to gasp as the knights efficiently arranged themselves into two neat long rows on either side of a giant red carpet that had been rolled out from within the corridor for their king . Falling to their knees and bowing their heads in respect as Arthur Pendrahon appeared from within the hallway , and made his way out of the darkness and passed by each of them into the battlefield .

The King of Camelot was no longer dressed in his royal waistcoat or pants , but instead a yellow vest under an armored chestguard made of leather , heavy padding and plates . On Arthur's left shoulder he wore a pauldron with the visage of a mighty lion , and on his right an embellished yellow shoulder cape with trellis patterns on the front and back . Below , he fashioned sturdy cloth pants and a leather belt , with greaves and boots which were fastened with armored plates allowing for extra protection and mobility . And in his armored hands , the king held his trusty sword Excalibur in the left , while carrying the mighty Shield of Avalon on his right , Arthur's new Divine Weapon was so wide that it completely covered the king's right side from view .

" BEHOLD ! As he strides into this hallowed arena ! The noble ruler who has led his faithful knights through the crucible of MANY a battle ! Vanquishing foes both mundane and mythical with his courage and skill ! From his storied quest seeking the Holy Grail to the slaying of evil warlocks , sorceresses and beast ! His feats are whispered with REVERENCE throughout the lands , his bravery UNYIELDING and his leadership UNASSAILABLE ! "

The crowds of humans cheered and clapped as they saw the legendary king enter the battlefield , his regal , cool and collected demeanor assuring them of their chances at victory . As Arthur reached the end of the carpet , he turned towards his faithful Knights of the Round Table and nodded his head , signaling for them to rise from their positions and leave him to fight the battle alone . Each Knight slowly rose to their feets , eyes filled with tears and faces brimming with pride as they gave their leader one final salute before marching back into the hallway , taking the carpet with them .

" But TODAY ! Amidst the roar of the crowd and the crackling energy of the battlefield ! He stands not as a KING ! But as a SYMBOL OF HOPE FOR ALL OF HUMANITY ! Ready to defy the gods themselves as so many have done before ! Can he brave the fire and might of the Third Lotus Prince and achieve victory for mankind ? Regardless of the outcome ! Now is the time to HAIL TO ENGLAND'S MIGHTIEST KING ….. "

" ARTHUR PENDRAGON ! "

Representative of Humanity for Round 3

Arthur Pendragon ( England )

As Heimdall finished his introduction , Arthur raised Excalibur high into the air with his hand , whilst Merlin , who sat in the spectator stands behind him . Stood up from his seat and shot forth a burst of blue magic from his palm , which exploded into a spectacular fireworks display in the sky above the king , causing both gods and humans alike to gasp in awe at the wondrous display showcased to them .

Nezha on the other hand , rolled his eyes and chuckled , " Show off . " With a wide smile plastered on his face as he watched all these events unfold before him .

Now with both fighter's already introduced to the crowds of spectators in the stand , the Watchman of the Apocalypse raised his arm high into the air before bringing down in a sweeping chop , signalling to all present that round 3 of Ragnarok no.2 had begun !

Round 3 of Ragnarok No.2 has begun ! I originally intended for Excalibur to be a normal mortal weapon before being dipped into Panodra's jar to turn it into a Divine Weapon , but after reading up on Arthurian lore , I found that was pointless since Excalibur can technically already be considered a Divine Weapon . As for Arthur's opponent , Nezha , he is one of the more unique gods on my roster as he isn't really included in many rosters . One thing I do want to mention about the Third Lotus Prince , even though I say that he possess six Divine Weapons , I probably will only show five , seeing as one of his weapons is literally just a golden brick that is just used as a projectile to be thrown at enemies .

Also , I wonder who the mysterious voice behind the chained door could be ? Anyone wants to take a guess ?