13 The Gods

With the twins leaving the center stage, the next god came to introduce himself. His green robes almost looked otherworldy as he stepped forward, a faint glow of power wafting off him like strings of fate. Or at least, that was what Riku thought.

"Welcome, all. I'm Tyche, the God of Fate," the eight deity introduced himself with a curt bow. "I have nothing much to say to be honest. All I hope is that we can all get through this with minimal casualties, yes? That, and don't expect me to tell you the future, for that's really not a part of my job description."

Riku couldn't help but scoff at some of the disappointed sighs that came from a few of his fellow Champions. While he wasn't averse to knowing the future himself, knowing such a thing didn't really bother him. Besides, there was no such thing as a set future. If he wanted something done, he was going to get it through his own means no matter how difficult it might be. And as the next deity stepped forward, he couldn't help but feel even more determined with winning this game and getting back to the relatively simple life he had carved out for himself.

"It's finally my turn," the newest deity smugly scoffed. A brown-haired woman, one wearing robes and, surprisingly, glasses as she all stared at them with a look of smug superiority. "I am Mimir, the Goddess of Knowledge. There is nothing in this world I do not know, and there is nothing I abhor more than ignorance. While you're all free to ask me questions, at least make sure that you've at least done your part in making yourself knowledgeable."

The former assassin curtly nodded. It would seem that some of the gods here were at least amicable with helping Champions that weren't their own. Or at least, that was what he was getting based on their words alone. It remains to be seen if they'd actually keep their word, however, so he would have to be cautious even with Nyx, if he was being honest with himself.

"I am Bellona, the God of Entropy," the next god introduced himself with a cold expression on his face. He looked bored, and based on how quickly his introduction went, he probably didn't really care about the game itself. "Leave me alone."

"Is that all you have to say, brother Bellona?" the next god scoffed as he passed by his elder brother, to which the latter simply shrugged. Sporting wild gray hair, he almost looked feral as his eyes glinted with a manic sense of aggression. He looked eager for a fight, and his bulging muscles told more than enough of his power. "Name's Shiva, God of Destruction. Better remember it for when you face me in my Realm. And I better see some of you reach it! I want to practice fighting while holding back."

Riku didn't know whether to shudder or smirk at the obvious challenge. As an assassin, he never really wanted a straight-up confrontation since it would be too messy otherwise. While he was a good fighter, it just wasn't professional to waste time with a target. But for some reason, hearing Shiva speak made his blood boil. An effect of his presence, perhaps? Well, whatever it was, he was certain to keep his distance to avoid unnecessary battles.

"Ah, how fitting for me to be near the end," the second to last deity cheerily spoke. The red-haired goddess almost looked cheerful as she stepped forward, her eyes holding a suspicious glint of mischief as she stared at them with her hands folded neatly in front of her. "I am Ragnarok, the Goddess of the End. Despite most beliefs, the end of the world is actually not the end of things. It maintains balance and all that, so please don't be afraid of me."

The goddess then gave them a rather deep bow, almost looking like an apologetic sister with how much she sounded like an airhead. She didn't sound as bad as Nyx, however, and Riku could tell that she was a lot smarter than she appeared.

And of course, as the last of the deities present, his own patron goddess meekly walked to the center stage. Nyx looked smaller than she seemed as she did her best to hide beneath her purple cloak, the inky darkness around her almost making her seem eldritch in nature for anyone that didn't know her.

"Last but not least, I am Nyx, the Goddess of Chaos," she introduced herself, her voice almost sounding conflicted between being meek and imposing. "Like Big Sister Ragnarok, I'm not the embodiment of evil. And, err... I'd very much like to win this game, if I'm being honest..."

"Very bold words, Little Sister," Tyche chuckled from behind her.

"I'm confident with my Champion," Nyx frowned, her confidence suddenly surging. "I'm sure that Riku will win no matter what!"

At her words, all the gods went to look at him, which in turn made the other Champion turn their gaze to him in return. The amount of attention he was getting was rather troublesome, but it wasn't like he could hide his presence from literal gods anyway.

"He's... alive, Nyx," Themis frowned, his gaze piercing as if looking straight into his soul. "Didn't we all agree to take our Champions from the Ocean of Souls?"

"As that would stop me anyway," Nyx scoffed. "You always say I don't play by the rules even when I do, so I might as well go ahead with it."

"Come now, Elder Brother. It's Nyx. She must've just fumbled the rules up," Tyche coolly chided. "We should be patient with her, you know."

"She just said that she purposefully ignored the agreement we made for this game," Themis scowled back. "There's only so much incompetence can excuse her actions."

"Still, she's our little sister," Kali eased. "We shouldn't hold her too accountable, especially since her aspect is explicitly all about breaking the rules."