1 The Final Struggle

The long, long history of mankind… is coming to an end. Is the cause an alien invasion? A plague? Or maybe an asteroid? No! Right now, mankind is being threatened to its total destruction by none other than that will of its creators, the "gods".

The Council of Valhalla, the Parliament Building of the gods. Thousands, millions of deities fill the seats, bathed in a gentle light. A seemingly peaceful meeting. Alas, this meeting will decide the fate of mankind!

"Heave-ho… It's been a while since we've done this," a quivery voice echoes throughout the chamber. "Well then, everyone. Let's start the conference, shall we?"

The gavel slams against the sound block, and the gods fall silent. In the centre of the room, atop the overly large throne is a decrepit old man. Once every one thousand years, gods across the realm gather to hold a conference. The Conference of Mankind Survival. And the chairman of that council is none other than the supreme god of the Greek pantheon, Zeus!

"Now, let me ask. Regarding the survival of mankind for the next one thousand years. Should we forgive them… or should we just put an end to them?" He stands up, presenting the audience with two wooden signs. O and X. "Show me the will of the gods!"

One by one, the gods raise their hands.

X

X

X

X

"Here, here! Let's just end them, alright?" The god raises not one, not two, but four signs, all displaying the ominous X. The ruthless Hindu god of destruction and creation, Shiva, has firmly decided to put an end to mankind!

"I agree! Humans are a pain, and that Earth of theirs has become quite ugly. We shall purge them." The falcon-headed deity sneers.

More and more gods express their approval. The will of the gods is to end, and there is no way to object that will. If the voting of this Conference of Mankind Survival concludes with unanimous vote for end, then mankind will inevitably be destroyed to a complete, total, annihilation. If the gods will it, there is no possible way for anyone to stop it…

"I guess we have come to an agreement," Zeus proclaims, raising the gavel.

The destruction of mankind is inevitable. The furious, bloodthirsty deities have decided! There is no one in Valhalla who could oppose the will of the gods. Never has been!

But!

"Wait just one moment!"

With hellish confidence, the Valkyrie ignores the angry protests of the gods as she glares at the crowd. That long, brown hair, the tall and slender build, and those cunning red eyes! There she is, the bravest of the thirteen Valkyries!

"Pardon my intrusion, but there is one thing I have to say."

"Such insolence," Shiva exclaims half-jokingly. "But I like your spirit. Speak, Herfjötur, and don't waste our time."

"Ragnarok!"

The word spins through the air, sending shivers down the gods' spines. That one word was enough to make them question their decision! One! Single! Word!

Valhalla Constitution, article number 62, explained in paragraph 15 of the super special clause. The final struggle between humans and gods. With thirteen combatants on each side, the first side to achieve seven victories wins. The moment mankind lost seven times, their fate is decided. In the unlikely event that mankind wins, they will be allowed to live another thousand years. However, this law has never been applied since the creation of mankind. The reason for that is because there is no way for mankind to possibly win against the gods. Thus, this super special clause was enacted as a mere joke.

"A pointless idea!"

"Such stupidity… Is she really a Valkyrie?"

"The audacity!"

Angry shouts reach Herfjötur's ears, but she awaits the chairman's decision. Some gods are laughing. Others are simply baffled by her insolence. One god, however, is overjoyed. He gets up from his seat, smiling from ear to ear as the ones around him stare.

"I accept your proposal, fearless Valkyrie!" the deity exclaims, crossing his arms.

Herfjötur smirks. The violent Perun, god of lightning and war has spoken. Supreme deity of the Slavic pantheon, a worthy rival for Zeus himself, the mighty Perun has spoken!

The most fearsome gods grit their teeth, trembling with anger. Are they mad at Herfjötur's proposal? Nay. Are they mad at Perun for accepting so meekly? NAY! "The might of the gods cannot be stopped by any human in this world." The super special clause written in the constitution of Valhalla contradicts that very principle!

"This is great!" Shiva doubles over laughing, holding his stomach with three of his hands. "Great, I tell you! Hey, Gramps… We'll hold this so-called showdown between the gods and mankind! I don't care what anyone else says. I'll take them all on by myself if I have to. Let's start this Ragnarok thing!"

***

"You did it, sister! Humankind has a chance now!"

"Not yet, Kára. Thanks to Perun-sama and Shiva-sama's fervour, the others agreed to fight… But our role is only just beginning."

The two Valkyries walk down one of the golden halls of Valhalla, unseen and unheard by the gods… Despite the success of her proposal, Herfjötur isn't happy. She couldn't possibly be happy. For the destruction of mankind is still one step away!

"We'll need fighters, Kára. The best ones mankind has to offer. We need to find the most troublesome humans that have ever existed, ones that could make even the gods tremble in fear."

"But… shouldn't we wait for them to pick their fighters first? T-that way, we'll be able to pick humans capable of countering their abilities! It's a good idea, isn't it?" Kára, the younger Valkyrie suggests, but her voice shakes.

Herfjötur clenches her fist and, as she stops in front of a small wooden door, mentions, "Gods are cowards. Fearsome, but still cowards. They'll wait for us to pick first, so that they can do exactly what you said, sister."

They sigh almost in unison. The chamber they've just entered is far from well-lit, but it's warm. The Akashic Records. Kára's eyes widen, and her glasses slide a little down her nose as she gazes upon the list of names. Humans from throughout the ages, both powerful and keen, truly the greatest of mankind. Mighty generals, serial killers, kings and queens! So many names, so many heroes… yet they could only choose thirteen. But whom to choose?

"Einstein, Lü Bu, Arthur, Lincoln, Jack… It's enough to make my head spin. Who will fight for us, sister?" she asks like a scared child.

"You," Herfjötur answers without a second thought. "You shall choose our vanguard. Look at their names, study their faces then tell me. Tell me who will be the first human to fight in this gory battle."

Choosing mankind's vanguard! A daunting task, perhaps scarier than the gods themselves. However, all fear escapes Kára's soul, and her hand reaches for the list. A man who wouldn't cower or kneel in front of a god… No, a man who could kill a god! Millions of names dance right in front of her, but with each second, the doubt in her mind grows weaker. She herself can't explain it!

"Him," the Valkyrie says as her finger stops near the bottom of the list.

Without warning, Herfjötur pulls her into a tight hug and strokes her short hair. "Kára… we've talked about this. You know what we Valkyries must do. If you choose him to be our vanguard…" she pleads.

"Yes, sister. I know. I know all about his weapon." A heartfelt laugh leaves her throat. "It's a bit weird, seeing you dot on me like this. Don't worry, that man will not lose. We will not lose."

Herfjötur lets go of her sister as she wipes the tears from her eyes. She trusts Kára, but for her to go first… No! She can't let herself or her sister get discouraged. For them to win against the gods, sacrifices are inevitable. Even if it means…

"You've gotta attain happiness yourself, is that right?" she mutters, recalling the words of a certain god. Mere words aren't enough to give her the courage she needs, but she's already challenged the gods. They can't turn back now. "Then let me ask you this again. Are you prepared to dedicate yourself fully?"

"Yes, sister… I'll show the gods how powerful humans can really be."

She is determined to showcase the might of mankind! However, it's impossible for a human to keep up with a god. That much is common knowledge. And that impossibility is caused by one thing! The ace up the gods' sleeve… Divine weapons! Weaponry forged in Valhalla, far-surpassing that of mere humans. Only a divine weapon can face another divine weapon. Only a divine weapon can hurt a god!

"So, you're really going to use it, Herfjötur-chan?" a third voice asks suddenly.

Kára gives the intruder a death stare, bewildered by his sudden appearance.

"Easy there, Kára-chan. I'm on your side, so I'm not a bad guy. K?"

With a carefree smile and a laid-back attitude, the god looks around the room. His eyes fall on the list of potential fighters, and a grin appears on his face.

"Quite the nice roster you've got here. Nice! I'm getting hyped, you know? Maybe I'll even watch some of the fights. Well, depends on who'll fight, so don't go disappointing me."

"It would be an honour. Also, to answer your earlier question… of course we'll use it."

The god nods to himself, pleased by the Valkyrie's answer. Still on guard, Kára watches helplessly as he takes two large steps and casually exits the room, humming a familiar tone.

"What… just happened?" she whispers as a drop of cold sweat rolls down her face.

"He's the one I told you about. The god who doesn't care about the gods. 'Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honoured one. Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the mighty one. Only I… am strong!' Do those words ring any bells, dearest sister?"

"Buddha… But he's one of the strongest gods! Was it wise to let him see the list? H-he'll probably fight in one of the rounds too."

"Rest assured. If he doesn't want to fight, he won't. Such is the will of the Buddha." Herfjötur's voice is filled with admiration. "I'd go as far as to say he's the strongest. Plus, he gifted us one of the greatest powers of Buddhism, the Common Destiny, so I doubt he'd go up against us now."

Common Destiny! If two people forfeit each other's lives and put them on the same lotus it brings out the full potential of one's being. An ability that makes it possible to counter even the gods by betting on the life of a Valkyrie. A Valkyrie's body may take the form of a human weapon, meaning that mankind may obtain its very own divine weapons. She pledges her body and her destiny, and her very existence becomes a tool. Nevertheless, a tool capable of piercing a god! A weapon that has become divine will also take on the traits of the Valkyrie it possesses, enhancing it even further. That power is called…

"Völundr. To counter the gods' cheat, we needed to have a cheat of our own. And with a little help from Buddha-kun, we got it. I've already explained it to the others, and they didn't object, but…"

"Hearing you call him that is… Nevermind. We'll win, sister."

And with those brave words, the two Valkyries leave for the arena. The final struggle between mankind and gods, Ragnarok, is about to begin.