Side Story 41: Surtr's Pantheon Burning Adventure
I am Surtr, the king of Muspelheim. A fire Jotunn who is the king of the giants. I am destined to bring Ragnarok against the gods. But I have a different life now.
This is my daily routine, I sleep on the bed of clouds that our master has given us. A heavenly bed that has given me the best comfort in all my life.
We then wake up and see off the other servants to school. Our master is adamant that school is important. Because he said they will destroy a lot of things due to a lack of common sense.
And after the others go to school, I train with one of the master's wives. Her name is Hua, an entity that looks like a normal puny human. But she can create any weapon conceivable. A divine master of martial prowess.
"It kinda feels like you're holding back a piss or shit. That's how you should reel in your powers. Worked for me, but it did take me quite some time to get the hang of it." Mistress Hua gave me a thumbs up. But I don't quite think that's how that works. Especially because I'm a construct of pure magic.
Nevertheless, I tried imagining it. Who am I to question her? She is at the apex and I am not, it must mean something, right?
So I looked it up in this place called the internet. And it is supposedly an innate feeling that humans feel. An intense desire for catharsis that cannot be stopped.
"Humu, I see. Mistress Hua is apparently right. I do feel catharsis and immense pleasure in releasing Laevatein or my flames." Surtr gave a sagely nod and started his training once again. He has tons of time after all.
But when he went to Hua for more guidance, he saw a doppelganger of hers that hit her on the head. "What the hell were you saying to the guy!? It was like holding your pee or poop? Hah, he doesn't even do those things Hua." Fu Hua shook her head and facepalmed.
"What!? It's how I feel about it, here's the big guy now. Why don't you ask him if it worked." Hua huffed and put Surtr on the spot.
He awkwardly scratched his head. "Uhhh, Fu Hua-sama. I researched about Hua-sama's words and it gave me some insight in how to consolidate my power even further." Surtr answered and Hua gave him a thumbs up. Communicating with him mentally that she will give him some diesel to drink later.
"Don't get too happy now, he's probably here to ask for more teachings. Your crappy advice probably made him feel like he's not making progress." Fu Hua pulled Hua's cheeks and they started quarreling.
'Huh, I would've thought they were normal people if they weren't basically gods that roam around the earth to do something interesting... Hua-sama and Elysia-sama's awe-inspiring fight was apocalyptic.'
Surtr just stared at them for a moment until they got tired of fighting. Sushang then entered the room and greeted them.
"Yo, Surtr-chan. You tryna train? Why though, you're pretty much unstoppable against anyone here except the two dragons who are inside the dimensional gap?" Sushang asked him and Surtr gave a respectful nod.
"Sushang-sama, that is exactly why. The inhabitants of this place do not stand a chance against me. My magic resistance will basically turn any attack of theirs to nothing. And my strong body will be unfazed by their lacking physical might. But I want to fight the strongest beings here." Surtr's flames burned brighter, his determination to improve upon seeing his ridiculous comrade Arcueid and the masters motivated him.
Arcueid will turn him into a stain on the ground as an ultimate one. And Ein's wives will body him with a flick of their finger.
"Hmmm, that's admirable. You are truly a warrior at heart. How about it, let's go for a little walk?" Sushang was getting bored too, itching for a little action.
"What do you mean, Sushang-sama?" Surtr was confused and didn't quite understand the subtleties of humans and their speech.
"Experience is the best teacher, how about you try to control your powers while in battle? And if you still feel lacking. I will train you to the ground, I'm doing a lot already. If you don't improve, then I'll make you." Sushang shrugged and Surtr was conflicted. He was both scared and excited.
Though he's no pussy, he immediately agreed and Sushang nodded at him with satisfaction. "Okay, master. Hua-san, good luck in your little scuffle." Sushang teleported with Surtr somewhere.
"Tch, now they're the ones getting some action old timer! This is because of you!" Hua huffed and she was pissed. Her Chinese blood as a cultivator demands that she offend a faction and teach them how high up mount Tai is.
"Wanna go!? Then let's go!" Fu Hua felt annoyed as well and they started fighting for real.
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At a certain pantheon, Sushang and Surtr appeared. "Welcome, Surtr-chan! To hell." Sushang spread her arms and Surtr wasn't fooled by her smol and cute appearance. Knowing that she could turn anyone he knows into a smear on the ground with just the air pressure of her blows.
"Umm, Sushang-sama. Forgive me if I am rude, but this doesn't seem to be the underworld where Artoria and the others launched a crusade." Surtr looked around, seeing that it looked more like a prison.
"Umu, we are not in the underworld. We have some friends there, so we will cause mayhem and wanton destruction at another place. This is the realm of Hades. The death god of the Greeks." Sushang nodded sagely and gestured for him to do his thing.
They stared at each other for a moment and Surtr didn't quite know what to do. "What are you waiting for? Go and burn everything to the ground. Your real training is to not burn your enemies into cinders." Sushang raised a brow and Surtr immediately took out Laevateinn. As he knows how volatile the wives were. She might just stick his sword up his ass if he annoyed her.
"Burn by the fire of Muspelheim!" He raised his hand and a torrent of flames burned everything to the ground. The gates of Hades' realm melted into a puddle and the numerous Cerberus turned to ash.
But Surtr wasn't done yet. Lasers of heat escaped from his eyes, it hit the ground and pierced through the layers of the realm. It then exploded like a bomb, shattering the first layer of the realm of the dead. Raining down molten rock and brimstone at the lower layers. It was like hell which was ironic.
"Wooh! Your main master is Alexis right? She sure did pick a nice servant. Everyone's gonna like you if you can continue doing that." Sushang reveled in the destruction and patted him on the head. As she was observing everything while she was on top of his head.
Surtr gave a wry smile and thought that his destructive flames were just like fireworks for them. Not even impressed that it destroyed everything in its path, just amused.
Surtr started his campaign. Moving towards the deeper layers as he bathed everything in flames. Nothing escaped, the realm of the dead burned like a dry forest. Everything that was in front of Surtr lit on fire.
At Hades' temple, the skeleton man himself watched the intruders and was shocked. Surtr's heat ray pierced through the first layer of the realm and he was a walking calamity.
He then slammed the arm rest of his throne. His hollow eye sockets that had a blue glow shone brightly. "I want them taken care of! Now! Impudent beings, I will fight them myself." Hades ordered his grim reaper mooks and Pluto. His most trusted one that was Satan class in strength, quickly sortied.
An army of grim reapers appeared before the two intruders quickly and Surtr was about to swing Laevatein at them.
But Sushang stopped him and she floated right in front of them. "Give me some action eh? These are the mobs anyway. I'll take care of them in a jiffy. I want to see you fight Hades, he's in the top 10 of the strongest. Ranking at 8 I believe?" Sushang thought he would be a great punching bag for Surtr and the Jotunn silently waited at the side.
"Hmph, a small girl like you? What will you be able to do?" Pluto arrogantly eyed her, thinking that she was a supporter of Surtr or something. Which was a big mistake.
"Me? I'm a prodigal genius that could fight arrogant bitches like you when I was 15." Sushang smirked. As she started stepping into the realm where Fu Hua's students couldn't even reach in all their lives except one. Creating and forming her own blade mantra that could even pierce through the void shields of the 2nd herrscher. Which means it is basically unblockable normally.
"Swords drawn, it is as soft as water, but this blade can sunder the world." She summoned a hail of titanic blades from the sky.
"That's not just dealing with some mobs, Sushang-sama... Even I will die from those things." Surtr deadpanned at her.
The grim reapers gaped like a goldfish as they stared at the rain of gigantic swords falling from the sky. Everybody panicked like crazy and instantly started running for their lives.
The gigantic blades crashed on the ground like a meteor, killing most of the low class trash. They were just flies that got swatted by such an inaccurate attack by Sushang.
The swords pierced the ground to the deepest pits of the realm. Turning it into a land embedded by swords made of Sushang's blade mantra.
Pluto glared at Sushang and thought that she must have been exhausted due to her aoe attack. "Charge! She must have used a lot and is spent!" He rallied the remaining grim reapers which were the elites that have been left. And there is still a ton of them. As expected from a realm in which one of the top 10 controlled.
Sushang laughed and stood on a small sword that was on the ground. She then raised her hand and billions of bluish, black swords appeared behind her and on her back. Making the grim reapers lose all hope.
"Swords at my will, annihilate." The blades were like homing missiles, killing anyone who couldn't parry or dodge. Thousands of grim reapers died without even being able to do anything. Every single second.
"Kyahahahaha! Dance! Dance like you mean it you pieces of trash! At least entertain me as you die like a dog! Kyahahahaha!" Sushang laughed like a maniac and Surtr was really concerned. Hoping that they won't go batshit insane like that on any of them.
After a minute of swords killing every single one of them until only the ones who are not loyal is left. Pluto found himself to be the last one that could still fight. He gritted his teeth as Sushang just taunted him with a smirk on her face.
"What? You just gonna stand there and mourn for your weak ass friends? What a pussy, kyahahaha!" Sushang laughed and Surtr thought that their masters were really cruel. He wouldn't even think to do that to his worst enemies.
Pluto flew right up to Sushang who was just standing there nonchalantly. Without a care in the world as she juggled dead grim reapers with her swords.
The strongest grim reaper slashed with his scythe that have reaped countless lives before, but Sushang just stopped it with the scythe of one of his comrades like it was a wet noodle for maximum disrespect.
"What is with your weak ass arms? Our kids can hit harder than you while using a pool noodle. And they're not even 6 yet." Sushang parried all his attacks. Like an immovable fortress that was under siege by wind.
She didn't even move on the sword she was standing on. Showcasing immaculate balance and skill. Surtr watched on, admiring her martial prowess. And she didn't even specialize on weapons. Hua and Fu Hua were the ones who used melee weapons the most.
Sushang grew tired of Pluto's efforts, she caught his scythe with two of her fingers and broke it in two. Pluto then experienced a sudden shift of weight. Feeling like he was flying in the air.
"Imma copy Fuxi a bit for this! Liger bomb!" Lightning arced around as Pluto hit the ground. Though she dialed down her strength so he could still go on and fight.
He tried stabbing her with the underside of the pole of his scythe. Sushang just slapped it away and flipped him upside down, kicking him on the face while he was facing her.
"Weak!" Pluto skipped on the ground like a pebble thrown into a lake. He stood up once again and threw a punch. "Puny!" Sushang stabbed through his side with a knife hand as she dodged.
Pluto threw a weak swing with all his might, but Sushang just blew on his fist with air. "A waste of air and resources." She snapped his limbs and held on to them as he screamed.
Sushang kicked him on the chest, making his arms part from his torso as his chest caved in. "Centuries of living, and you're still a piece of trash that will be forgotten." Sushang stepped on his face and smirked.
"Ummm. I don't think it's my place to say anything, Sushang-sama. But isn't that bloke a waste of your effort?" Surtr couldn't take it and he wished Pluto a warrior's death at least. Not like an animal that was due to be slaughtered. Taking pity on the grim reaper who tried until the end.
"Hmmm, you're right. And look who it is that just came. A Skeletor looking motherfucker." Sushang stomped on Pluto's head as it got squashed like a watermelon between a hydraulic press.
"Go on, Surtr-chan I choose you! Use flamethrower!" Sushang sat on a throne of swords and watched on. Like she was having a pokemon battle.
"By your will." Surtr bathed Hades with flames and the skeleton quickly dodged the flames of Muspelheim.
"Who are you!? Why do you invade my realm!? We have done nothing against you!" Hades immediately knew that Sushang and Surtr were stronger than him. Finally feeling their massive presence in person. Sushang might not feel like she was a strong individual. But Surtr was clearly not above her in the pecking order. And individuals like Surtr never serves someone weaker than them. Hell, even if they were. He would still fight them to his last breath.
"A good question, Skeletor. You see, my little pokemon Surtr here needs to learn how to focus his powers. And it is one of my duties as a master trainer to make them evolve! I don't have TM's like my husband you see?" Sushang shrugged and Hades froze.
"T-training you say? You slaughtered almost all of my grim reapers for training..." Hades couldn't believe it and felt powerless for the first time in his skeletal life.
"Shut up, Skeletor. Now beat him up, Surtr-chan!" Sushang ordered and Surtr lunged at him with Laevatein. Every swing of his sword, it erupted with a tsunami of flames. He was getting the hang of his powers. Or Hades' realm would've turned into a burning wasteland by now.
"That's it! You're doing good!" Sushang cheered him on and Surtr's control got more refined. Both because of his motivation to and need to. Or he would surely be getting a beating.
Hades used his staff and put out the flames that burned his realm as much as he could. Showing that he wasn't one of the strongest people in the world without a reason.
He then casted spells, as a god that has lived for a long time. He was a natural master magician, it was also his primary method of attack.
A barrage of spells hit Surtr, but the majority of it burned up before it even hit him. And with his magic resistance at the EX rank. All the rest was like throwing a rock at a damned tank.
"You are one of the top 10 strongest beings in this world? Such a shame, I expected more." Surtr's eyes glowed and a laser beam of pure heat hit Hades.
Though, Skeletor also has tons of resistance against magic. But he was quite damaged from the sudden attack of Surtr.
The flame Jotunn then threw a punch. His fists being enveloped by a concentrated coating of fire. Hades froze his hand as much as possible and dodged. He then used his helmet to turn invisible.
Casting tons of spells to try and seal Surtr. Magic circles appeared all over the flaming giant and magical chains and runes tried binding him, boosted by his divinity.
Surtr got chained down for a second before the magical runes and seals got burned by the immense heat of his flames. "Such foolishness, trying to seal me, the king of the giants?" Surtr released a pulse of flames around the area.
Blistering heat washed over the surroundings in an omnidirectional direction. Hitting Hades and melting off his cap of invisibility.
Surtr quickly swiped his sword at him and it was a direct hit. As he got stunned by Surtr's omnidirectional attack.
"Game over Skeletor, your efforts were quite good. But trash is still trash." Sushang shrugged and Surtr started thrashing the place.
"Burn everything to the ground, Surtr-chan. These Greek bastards don't deserve to have power. Lunatics will always do something stupid." Sushang rested her chin on her hand with a bored look.
Hades' glowing eyes flickered, seeing his realm get razed to cinders, powerless. Surtr made quick work of the realm and only left Cocytus behind. The frozen lake that held heinous criminals and sealed beings that is too dangerous to be out and about.
Olympus is now down for the count. A pantheon's underworld gave tons of power to the faction. It was basically a sector that generated a lot of strength, that is also why Hades and Yahweh are so powerful.
Sushang and Surtr left after leaving a mark. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Telling everybody that just even plotting heinous crimes against the world is forbidden. As Hades hasn't teamed up with the number one terrorist organization, Khaos Brigade yet.
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Every faction in the world was even more concerned now. The realm of the dead, a place that Hades controlled was burned down to the ground by a flaming giant.
Sushang also made an appearance, and every single faction was awed by her sheer power. Singlehandedly slaughtering an army of grim reapers by her lonesome in just a few moments.
It was a sobering and harrowing sight. And she didn't seem to have any difficulties whatsoever. Meaning, she could keep that up indefinitely.
"Dear Satans... They weren't satisfied in just killing off the heir of the Astaroths. They basically put down Olympus... Even I am not confident in fighting against Hades. Especially at his own realm." Sirzechs called upon a meeting once again.
But now, the great king faction of the devils who were quite arrogant due to their political power went silent. The arising group of individuals who the majority are still in the dark just crippled the Greek pantheon. Putting them down to their knees without effort whatsoever.
The duo just walked up to the gates of the realm of the dead and started blasting. Killing anything in sight. Olympus has fallen and Hades will lose his spot in the top 10 due to his realm being destroyed.
The souls that were in the cycle of rebirth at the Greek underworld is all but lost. Entering other underworlds to reincarnate once again.
"Serafall, just who are your friends? We must speak to them at once... They're showing their dominance. And only sending out two people to destroy a whole faction? They're a ticking time bomb, we don't know when we're next." Falbium Asmodeus turned serious as this incident was far greater than just a heir being lost.
"Eh, don't worry about it. Does anyone here has a plot that will doom us all? They also left their mark at Hades' realm. So that means, he was plotting against them or someone that they value." Serafall raised a valid point. But people who are faced with uncertainties will never calm down with such a big threat at the horizon.
"You're right, Serafall... But this. This is very different. How do we know that they won't just enslave our race and make us do their bidding?" Ajuka rebutted and Roygun snorted.
"Then why haven't they? Their supreme leader is already connected with us. They are our friends, they won't attack the underworld in its entirety. Only single out the offenders just like with Diodora. Or this place would be history by now. Surtr is just one of the servants of their faction." Roygun informed them and the devils went deep into thought.
If that is just a servant of theirs. And the woman he was with is not the supreme leader. Then how much firepower do they have under their sleeve?
Everybody shivered, Roygun and Serafall also didn't say that Surtr was the strongest one. And they could infer that more of them are out there. Just silently watching who would poke the hornet's nest and purge the offenders like an annoying insect.
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At 6th heaven, the place where the archangels reside. They were also having a meeting. Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel had serious expressions on their faces while they watch how Surtr burn everything to the ground.
"Brother Michael, you must let me go to them immediately. We don't know when they would take offense and destroy heaven. The church as you know it is being run by humans as our proxy. And they aren't perfect." Gabriel was adamant that they make contact with Ein's faction ASAP.
"Gabriel is right, Michael... We cannot fight them, Hades as you know is comparable to father. And they thrashed him and his realm. How could heaven resist them? An army of grim reapers that is basically the same number as us got reaped like wheat." Raphael agreed with Gabriel without a second thought.
Michael went silent and nodded after a few seconds. "Gabriel, my sister. I will be sending you to a mission. Please descend to the mortal world and make contact with their faction as soon as possible. While you are at it, please try and gather the stolen Excalibur fragments from the church." Michael finally agreed and Gabriel accepted with pleasure.
"It is a start of a new era, Michael. This faction will be the new apex. The Greek pantheon is no push over, you know this. And if we have a full confrontation against them. We would basically lose if Hades interferes. Yet only two of them destroyed him and his realm in less than an hour. They are unstoppable." Uriel added and everybody nodded with grave expressions.
Gabriel stood up and excused herself. Preparing to go to the mortal world so she could fulfill her duty.
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Thanks for reading everyone, anyways. Ciao.