" I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future in their hands."
- Homer
Chapter 2: The Strongest God vs. the Strongest Human
Doubt and uncertainty gnawed at the gods. The mere idea of humans defying the gods was absurd in itself, especially since their own existence was tied to mortals, causing concern to a select few like Zeus and Hera.
Dionysus went to the table, pouring himself a drink, observing a dejected Hephaestus next to Aphrodite, Hestia, Demeter, and Hermes. The god raised a curious eyebrow, approaching the peculiar group.
Ares and Artemis became embroiled in an argument about the first representative, Ares proclaiming his military might while Artemis emphasized his lack of strategy in battle.
"That weapon... No... That thing," Hephaestus murmured, clutching his head. "What's wrong?" Dionysus asked Hestia, who looked slightly saddened by the god's condition. "I had a strange feeling," the god of the forge articulated, receiving confused looks.
"A feeling?" Hermes questioned, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "Yes... I don't know how to explain it," the deity replied, dismayed. "It was only for a moment, but it was like watching the Hydra of Lerna sleep," she explained, still with a confused expression. Aphrodite looked at her husband's face, bewildered by his unusual behavior.
"Damn. I just hope it doesn't have anything to do with Vanir magic," Hermes exclaimed, a shiver running down his spine.
On the other side, Artemis and Apollo were talking about the situation, with Artemis showing the most annoyance, giving a sharp look to the administrator who ignored the gods and looked thoughtful.
Hera listened attentively to her brothers' and husband's opinions on what had happened. "The Norse demigoddess insulted us in favor of humanity. Although she was brave, it was also reckless of her to propose duels between gods and mortals," the goddess declared, causing Hades to thoughtfully place his hand on his chin. "That's true. But in reality, there's nothing we can do but observe," the god of death said, hiding a smile.
"I'm intrigued by the other versions of the gods; it's not just us. The Norse and Hindu gods are gathered here," Poseidon proclaimed, genuinely surprised. Zeus burst into laughter. "And all united under the command of the Greeks. Under my command," he declared triumphantly.
Before their conversations, they visualized how, to one side of the hostess, the space distorted, emerging from the same Chaos with a respectful stance towards the woman.
The Olympian deities opened their eyes as they saw the pale being bow before Vermont. "How many are there?" the woman asked instantly. "Few. I conformed to your criteria. Mother," she replied, straightening up. ("Mother?!" the gods cried internally at the way Chaos referred to the strange hostess.)
"At this point, my opinion matters little or not at all, and don't call me mother," Vermont declared, exhaling audibly. "Fine, the others will come later," he proclaimed, watching Chaos bow slightly before disappearing into a black vortex.
With Chaos's departure, some figures emerged, one of which was a centaur, while the rest were a bunch of boys alongside a satyr who exuded fear.
The oldest of the group took a step forward, his hooves hitting the floor of the room with a firm thud as he tensed his muscles, only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw the Olympians' grimaces.
"What's going on?" the elderly centaur with an extravagant brown beard and refined facial features wondered instantly. He was dressed in a shirt and coat. The little girl gasped when she saw Athena looking at her; in an instant, they both felt a connection of kinship.
"M-Mother?" Stuttering, she had slightly curly, honey-blonde hair and intense gray eyes. "Annabeth?" the goddess exclaimed, intrigued by the event, before looking at the woman in front of the stage smoking a cigarette.
Luke, a young, tall, handsome boy with sandy blond hair, blue eyes, and an athletic and muscular body, looked cautiously at the gods, especially at Zeus hiding behind the centaur Chiron.
Clarisse, a tall, robust girl with long, stringy, light brown hair and a pair of brown eyes, noticed a horrified grimace at her father's harsh expression and lowered her gaze.
Grover, a tall boy with curly brown hair, brown eyes, small horns, Caucasian skin, a thin beard on his chin, and hairy brown goat legs, quickly joined the confused Percy and Annabeth, pulling them out of their initial shock.
Poseidon stared at Percy, a very handsome young man. His jet-black hair and sea-green eyes, inherited from his father, made him stand out considerably, much to his misfortune. This was especially evident in Zeus's irritated grimace and Hades's surprise.
Vermont quickly quelled the flames of doubt by explaining the situation to the newcomers, who could do nothing but fall into their seats due to the crazy situation. The administrator did not hold back in her words; without disguising them, she had directly told them that if humanity lost everything it knew, it would be extinguished.
Seeking a glimmer of hope, the newcomers gazed at the expressionless gods from a distance, causing their hearts to sink even further, and in the case of one boy, his resentment to intensify.
"Let's begin," Vermont declared firmly. The demigods swallowed audibly as Chiron offered them some words of encouragement. At the same time, one or two deities glanced sideways at their descendant.
Valhalla Arena.
" AND NOW LET'S BEGIN THE TOURNAMENT THAT WILL DECIDE THE FATE OF HUMANITY!"
The demigods' throats went dry instantly. The feeling of horror intensified within them, only to be slightly soothed by Chiron and, to their surprise, by Hestia, whose voice was warm.
"Do we—do we have any chance?" Grover asked nervously, being ignored by both his friends and the gods.
" RAGNAROK!"
" AND TO START, WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS FIGHT."
" Representing the gods, we have the most powerful Norse god."
The god's gaze remained unwavering as his hair fell and moved over his face, revealing his eyes.
" THOR THE THUNDER BERSEKER."
Heimdall said to the god with his hand.
"Thor?" Annabeth questioned, confused. "If he appears."
"Yes, it's different," Athena replied, hiding a smile. "That's because we're seeing other versions of the gods," she explained, drawing the attention of the newcomers. "Not just Greek or Norse. Every pantheon united to eradicate humanity," she concluded, likely seeing the demigods' grimaces.
Chiron brought his hand to his forehead (The gods… Do they really intend to eliminate humans?) His eyes narrowed as he looked at the screen (Brunhild… You are the only one left to save them) the centaur thought, remembering the legend of the eldest of the valkyries.
" AND HIS OPPONENT REPRESENTING HUMANITY..."
Heimdall shouted, pointing his horn at the human who was riding his imposing horse.
" OF THE THREE KINGDOMS".
The Chinese hero's gaze darkened, his facial features indistinguishable as the cries of humanity rose furiously in the arena.
"Don't you dare disappoint me, Lu Bu!" Ares raised his voice enthusiastically. Clarisse glanced at her father, then lowered her gaze.
THE FIGHTER OF HUMANITY IS THE MOST ABOMINABLE MAN IN HISTORY
" THE HERO…".
The high gods showed their complete indifference. "Of the three realms?" asked a bored Shiva with a hand on the back of his neck. Odin narrowed his eyes while huffing, while Zeus trembled like an old man in his seat.
The man removed his hair, raising his arms and fully revealing his torso; from the sky, a Chinese halberd was approaching him.
" STRONGER".
Confusion gripped the gods.
"The strongest?" Hera exclaimed, raising a curious eyebrow.
"How strange, I'm sure there should be at least a dozen heroes with greater heroic feats," Demeter said, crossing her arms. "Well, I suppose they didn't exist in that universe," Aphrodite commented calmly. Athena nodded at the goddesses' reasoning.
Zeus let out a snort of contempt. "It doesn't matter if he's the strongest. His opponent is still a god," he proclaimed triumphantly. "Brunhild," he called with disdain, "To throw a human into battle against a god without a proper weapon, what a stupid decision."
"That halberd," Hephaestus declared, impressed. "It's alive!" Smiling, he added, "More reference material."
Luke's heart raced for a second, surprising him. What he was seeing was the greatest feat: a human without a trace of divine blood opposing their dictatorship.
The man's hand gripped the spear tightly before it fell completely.
" LU BU HOUSEN!"
Brunhild presented a calm demeanor, in contrast to her sister Geir, who was nervous.
Sweeping his spear across the room, the strongest man in humanity held his gaze as dust rose, the human's muscles tensing in anticipation.
"Amazing," Percy said without realizing it. "It's a little scary," Grover exclaimed, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end in warning. "You're kidding, he looks like a real warrior," Clarisse declared excitedly.
"The strongest hero," he repeated to Annabeth, bringing a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Wouldn't Hercules or even Gilgamesh be more fitting for that title?"
The soldiers' shouts rose like a storm, tens of hundreds of soldiers clenching their fists tightly, raising the war banners with the symbol of Lu Bu's army.
" THIS IS TRULY A FIGHT BETWEEN THE STRONGEST!"
The two fighters looked at each other, neither raising their guard, only their eyes fixed on the other.
"None of them have let their guard down," Demeter remarked dryly. "They're too confident," Apollo said abruptly. "Especially that human. It seems he still doesn't know how dangerous the deities are," Artemis declared with a disappointed snort.
"What a reckless human. He doesn't know his place," Zeus said, raising his voice deeply with disdain.
" THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE ARENA IS VERY TENSE!"
" Thor-sama~" shouted a deity who looked like a librarian. "Please destroy that insignificant human with one blow." Podium: The Norse god of justice, Fortesi.
"There always has to be one of those," Ares said, crossing his arms. "Although it adds atmosphere in its own way."
"The same could happen to some of you in this room," Apollo remarked, looking at one or two of his uncles and aunts, as well as the demigods.
" Lu Bu bastard, come out of there and beat the shit out of those shitty gods!" a general shouted loudly from the stands.
Ares burst out laughing as Clarisse trembled, doing her best not to laugh, which surprised her other companions.
" Wh- How vulgar!" Fortesi exclaimed, adjusting his glasses with a look of disgust. Seeing who said that, he opened his eyes wide as he saw the human drinking alcohol from a large wooden barrel.
The robust man smiled contentedly. "Phaw, in a fight against the gods, the best thing is alcohol," declared the human with robust features, a large beard, and equally large eyebrows. Chouhi Ekitoku (Zhang Fei) "Isn't that right, brother?" he asked amusedly, wiping the remains of the drink with the palm of his hand.
"I agree with the mortal," Dionysus said, raising his glass and looking at it impatiently, taking a large sip. "This room is the best," Felicito said, leaning back in his seat.
A man found himself tapping his forehead rhythmically with his index finger. "I'm not sure I'm the strongest of our time," the refined man remarked, dressed in high-born attire from ancient China, his hair styled in the regional fashion, and sporting a long, sideways mustache. "Wouldn't the man nicknamed the God of Martial Arts be?" he asked expectantly. "Wouldn't you be?" he inquired, his eyes curious as he glanced down at another man.
" It could be if we consider tactical and strategic skill, although if we're talking about brute force, there's no doubt," the great man replied in a deep voice, his robust features accentuating his face. "The strongest is undoubtedly Lu Bu Housen." His words showed great respect. The great human stood impassively with his legs crossed, supporting his brothers on his shoulders. The warrior Kan'U Unchou (Guan Yu) glanced to his left, while his other brothers looked at each other. "Having said that, your soldiers will never change, huh?" His tone of voice sounded slightly astonished.
Athena smiled with pleasure at the presence of the warrior Guan Yu, who stood out in the military field due to his military intelligence.
"This is getting fun," Clarisse exclaimed excitedly, clapping her fist in her palm. "Fun? In case you haven't noticed, our lives are on the line," Annabeth scolded furiously.
Percy and Grover watched as a small argument ensued until it was finally stopped by Luke with a few words.
" HIP HIP HOORAY".
Dozens of soldiers said in unison, raising spear points along with their hands.
" HIP HIP HOORAY".
They shouted into the wind, banners bearing the symbol of a Chinese dragon waved proudly.
The gods raised an inquisitive eyebrow, with the exception of Hestia, who looked genuinely amused by the human expressions, Ares, who was amused, and Athena, who was confused.
"Are you really soldiers?" Grover questioned, receiving a harsh glare from Ares. "You got a problem, satyr?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The satyr quickly shook his head.
A hand was raised forward, and with that action the spears lowered, returning to their resting position.
At the head of dozens of soldiers, this man will stand out from the rest (My Lord… Today we will watch over you!) I affirm strongly (We will follow you into battle, no matter where it leads us!) He thought firmly.
Seeing the back of the human representative, the Chinese soldier approached the railing of the stands (In any case…To be able to see him fight once more) He said to himself with a smile (I never thought this day would come! Such a glorious day!) His tears came out gushing as he brought his hand to his face (I am moved!) He exclaimed the strategy of Lu Bu's army, Chinkyuu Koudai (Chen Gong).
Hestia smiled at the man's words. "It seems he is truly loved."
Hephaestus appeared with a thoughtful expression, looking at the human's weapon. "How did they manage to create a weapon like that?" he muttered to himself.
In the Valkyrie area, Geir looked at his sister fearfully. "Sister Hild... Does Lu Bu have any chance?" he asked timidly.
Brunhild smiled confidently at her question. "Humans cannot defeat the gods." She quoted her younger sister's thoughts, calmly closing her eyes. "That's what you think, isn't it?" she asked, causing Geir to become very nervous. "Ah...No...That's not it," Geir stammered breathlessly.
"That's obvious," Hera proclaimed emphatically, dashing some of the hopes of young demigods.
"I wouldn't be so sure. There are exceptional cases in which a human or a half-breed can give him a fight," Hades said, recording the mythical heroes of different cultures.
Looking towards the arena, Brunhild opened her eyes. "And I'm sure that's what you gods think too, for that very reason." The sun illuminated her face, revealing a beautiful smile. "It's because of this that humanity has the possibility of striking back at the gods who were shitting on them from above," she exclaimed, still with her radiant smile.
Shock settled on the faces of the gods, demigods, and mythological beings. "What a funny woman," Clarisse remarked, being the first to laugh. Ares observed her for a moment before smiling.
" Gods who shit on them?" Geir asked incredulously. "Gods who shit on them," Brunhild repeated dryly. "Hit them?" Geir asked again. "Hit them," Brunhild answered again.
Geir looked at his older sister for a few seconds before looking back at the area (Sometimes his mannerisms become very vulgar).
"That half-witted girl's manners leave much to be desired," Hera declared, smiling slightly at the audacity she displayed.
Athena and Artemis were genuinely shocked and pleased by the woman's attitude in showing such courage.
"It's kind of vulgar for her to be the one helping us," Annabeth said, rolling her eyes. "It's kind of fun," Percy declared, and Clarisse agreed with him.
In the middle of the arena, Heimdall spread his arms wide, pointing at both representatives as the sun shone on him.
(How long have I been waiting for this day?) Heimdall wondered to himself (Waiting for the opportunity to finally use this horn!).
WHEN THE MESSENGER OF THE APOCALYPSE, HEIMDALL, SOUNDS THE GJALARHORN
Heimdall inhaled deeply and then blew the horn, initiating the beginning of Ragnarok.
WILL BE THE SIGN OF THE BEGINNING OF RAGNAROK IN THE PROSE EDDA
(Finally the duels begin!) Geir thought with an expectant grimace.
BETWEEN GODS AND HUMANS!
The sound of the crow echoed throughout the arena.
" NOW, FINALLY, THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE STRONGEST!"
" BEGIN!".
Heimdall declared, raising his voice loudly.
Sharp blows thundered in the ears of the spectators; both humans and gods looked on in disbelief at what was happening in the arena.
"Huh?" Grover exclaimed, confused, while his companions' eyes widened. "Seriously?" Chiron questioned, dismayed.
" THE FIGHTERS... HAVE LAID DOWN THEIR WEAPONS."
The representatives presented forceful and bored looks.
Hera sighed in disappointment, Zeus clicked his tongue, glaring indignantly at the screen. Poseidon shook his head while Hades watched expectantly.
"Oi oi, you're facing a god. Aren't you underestimating us too much?" Apollo asked, raising his chin and glaring angrily at the human.
" THIS IS...".
They advanced resolutely, dragging their weapons with sorrow.
" THEY'RE OFF GUARD! NEITHER OF THEM IS IN AN ATTACK POSITION!"
I narrate Heimdall incredulously.
"Stop your stupidity!" Artemis demanded euphorically. "If you want to die, don't drag us down with you!"
With each step taken by their representatives, the spectators' expectations and nervousness were heightened.
"Why did the demigoddess have to choose an arrogant man like him?!" Demeter announced irritably.
The rest of the deities, centaurs, and boys will be lost while waiting.
" AND THAT'S HOW... THEY GET CLOSER?!"
Heimdall shouted in disbelief.
" THIS IS SOMETHING NO ONE EXPECTED!"
" THEY KEEP GETTING CLOSER TO EACH OTHER!"
From his high vantage point in the stands, Zeus cast a curious glance at what was happening. "Huh? Neither of them seems interested in the other's movements," he remarked dryly. "It appears they have no intention of observing each other," he concluded.
A tingling sensation passed through Hera, who looked puzzled at her husband's counterpart. "How did you end up like that?" she asked, being ignored by the leader of the gods.
Zhang burst into laughter, "Very good, Lu Bu!" Zhang Fei cheered excitedly.
" Well, that's fine..." Shiva commented with little interest.
(As I expected, my lord!) Chen Gong affirmed, smiling confidently.
" What the hell is wrong with that human, doesn't he know the meaning of fear?!" Fortesi asked angrily as he adjusted his glasses.
Aphrodite looked incredulously at the opponents. "They... felt nothing," she said, stunned. (Are they bored?) she thought, glancing at Hestia, who seemed to have reached the same conclusion.
Meanwhile, in the arena, the opponents slowly approached each other, looking at each other with bored expressions.
" Sister... Will she be alright?" Geir asked. "It seems she's looking down on Thor!" he declared excitedly, his voice betraying his mood.
(So) Brunhild thought as a smile sharpened across her face (Is this the man known as the strongest?) She reasoned with a mixture of expectation and excitement.
"Can he really afford such a luxury?" Grover asked with a nervous laugh. "First the Minotaur and now this. How unlucky am I?" Percy said, looking down. Realization dawned on him quickly. He stared directly at the god Hades, his teeth clenching tightly as a memory of his mother surfaced.
As much as she wanted to shout, demand, and fight, she couldn't acknowledge such a privilege. Especially because of the stern look the administrator gave her.
THOR AND LU BU
BORN AND RAISED IN DIFFERENT WAYS…
A few meters away, the human and the deity looked into each other's eyes...
NOT…
FROM THE BEGINNING THESE TWO MEN WERE DIFFERENT
Lu Bu held his gaze.
THEY ONLY SHARE ONE THING IN COMMON…
Thor's eyes revealed superiority and contempt.
HIS CLAIM FOR THE TITLE OF THE STRONGEST
The man's hand grasped his spear, raising it above his head as he gazed at the imperturbable deity.
WITH HIS FIRST ATTACK
A force swirled within the human as he prepared his attack.
Chiron's calm demeanor falters as he raises his guard. "Is he truly human?" he questions, looking at the other gods and noticing that only Ares is grinning wildly as they remain calm.
His gaze shifted, taking in his students and their lack of understanding of the pressure exerted by humans.
THEY INTEND…
Thor stood still, watching his opponent's movements with a stern expression.
ANNIHILATE YOUR OPPONENT
A vertical attack initiated the first exchange of blows between gods and humans; humanity was the first to attack.
A vertical slash was blocked by Thor's imposing Mjolnir; the clash echoed through the sand as a light blizzard arose due to the impact.
"How predictable," Artemis said disdainfully.
On the other hand, Percy could have his mouth open in disbelief just like Grover and Annabeth. "Amazing," said an excited Clarisse.
Lu Bu looked on in surprise at what had happened; his attack was completely blocked. Noticing a slight tremor from the force of his own attack, he gritted his teeth, applying even more power and forcing the god back. Thor's eyes widened in surprise as he was forced back a few feet. Thor quickly regained his balance, readjusting his guard.
"He made a god retreat," Hermes exclaimed, fascinated. "A god?" Dionysus added, setting aside his drink.
Zeus's eyes widened in shock. "A human comparing himself to a god in strength, that Thor must be quite weak."
Luke smiled brightly. (A human facing a god. Come on Lu Bu, show them.) He thought to himself.
HAVING FOUGHT ON MANY BATTLEFIELDS…
Lu Bu lunged towards the deity, taking a great leap and preparing his weapon once again for a vertical attack.
With a blank expression, Thor swung his Mjolnir, attacking the human, who, inches from impact, moved swiftly, blocking the attack with his spear and using one of his feet. The deity opened his eyes in astonishment at the event.
Having flown a couple of meters, Lu Bu used the other end of his halberd, as well as his heels, to avoid going back even further.
"Yes!" Ares shouted, raising his fist and smiling.
"Adding force with the foot to block it, in addition to using its position to reduce the impact force. Not bad." Athena praised cheerfully.
HAVING DEFEATED MILES OF ENEMIES…
THEY BOTH THOUGHT
Thor approached with great speed, aiming his attack towards Lu Bu, who at the same time raised his spear for another attack.
THAT THE ENEMY THEY FACED WAS THE FIRST…
The two combatants clashed their weapons, creating a burst of noise; the clang of metal against metal was somewhat deafening to the spectators.
"They're tied!" Poseidon exclaimed, stunned.
"What incredible weapons!" Hephaestus exclaimed, extremely excited, tensing his muscles.
IN WITHSTAND THEIR FIRST ATTACK
The sand floor gave way under the great pressure of these men, creating a large crater; their hair rose thanks to the wind they generated, and dust spread across the sand.
IN A LONG TIME.
" THEY'RE TIED!"
Heimdall commented with excitement.
Both combatants looked each other in the eyes, their features firm.
"Lu Bu, you bastard, you were hiding all that power!" Ares shouted excitedly. "Hardly, if he had all that strength, he wouldn't have been defeated by Cao Cao," Athena explained, taking a sip from her cup. "This was a real surprise. I wonder what other differences there are between our universe and that one."
" A CLOSE FIGHT, HOW INCREDIBLE!"
The shouts of humanity echoed through the arena in support of their representative. "A mere human keeping up the pace," Zeus remarked, amused and laughing jovially. "But it wouldn't last long... until Thor unleashed his true power~" he added with a gleeful, sadistic grin.
"I see," Athena said seriously. "The rewarded, Thor's hammer," she and her daughter pronounced at the same time, causing them to glance at each other occasionally. Athena smiled slightly at her.
Thor stepped back, surprising Lu Bu, who lowered his spear. Raising his damaged left arm to the side, sudden and thunderous lightning bolts erupted from his hand, causing Lu Bu to look expectant.
The deities smiled victoriously. "Oh~ That's it!" exclaimed Fortesi, extremely ecstatic.
" What?!" Geir exclaimed in surprise. With each passing second, the electricity emanating from the god increased exponentially, yet he remained unfazed.
A sense of familiarity settled over Zeus, who tensed his muscles as he glared indignantly at the screen, his gaze fixed entirely on the god Thor. Hades and Poseidon shared the same vague familiarity.
" WHAT? WHAT IS THAT?! ELECTRICITY?"
Heimdall asked in amazement.
The lightning bolts in the god's hand became more powerful, raising his mighty Mjolnir to the height of his chest, holding the hammer's handle with his electrified hand.
"Brother," Hestia said, observing Zeus's furious gaze.
Lu Bu appears, his expectant gaze contrasting with Thor's indifference.
" THOR, WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY NOT IN AN ATTACK POSITION!"
" HE RAISED HIS HAMMER WITH BOTH HANDS!"
Thor arched his back, falling backward and carrying his weapon with him.
" Huh?!"
" HE LOST HIS BALANCE... HE'S FALLING."
Heimdall cried out in surprise as he watched Thor continue to fall.
Zeus snorted amusedly, "Pathetic." I spoke with disdain.
" WAIT!"
Just centimeters from the ground, Thor's fall stopped abruptly; his hammer was only centimeters from touching the ground.
" IT'S OKAY!"
Thor's blood-red hair covered his eyes and part of his face. The berserker's attack stance was unnatural and utterly bizarre.
"What the heck?!" Percy asked, puzzled.
"That's a strange position," Hestia stated nervously.
Chiron blinked a couple of times. "Is it really possible?"
" IS THAT... YOUR ATTACK POSITION?!"
Heimdall shouted in disbelief.
" What the hell are you doing?!" Zhang Fei asked incredulously.
In the realm of the high gods, Odin's ravens couldn't contain their words. "Things are getting serious, you idiot Thor. Is that human really that powerful?" the black raven remarked in surprise, while the white one maintained a calm demeanor. "No, that can't be the reason. Thor is probably responding to the human's seriousness; otherwise, he wouldn't use that against a single man."
Lu Bu watched without any guard, his hands and spear pointing towards the ground; the human was interested in the attack. On the other side, Thor saw his opponent narrowing his eyes.
THOR'S HAMMER
A long time ago. Asgard
Asgard: great walls enclose the city atop a mountain, and a giant tree looms in its center. These large, sturdy walls were built to defend against the giants of Jotunheim.
"Hey, what the hell! We were at the best part!" Ares raised his voice to the administrator, who shrugged with an irritated look.
"That's him!" Hermes said, diverting attention. "It's Asgard!" he proclaimed, stepping back in his seat.
"Are you really sure?" Dionysus asked calmly, a stark contrast to Hermes, who was sweating nervously, trying to memorize Odin's cold face. "Yes, I'm completely sure," he declared, nodding a few times. "I see," Hera said, meticulously surveying the place.
" Fwah!" A guard yawned audibly, uniformly dressed in full body armor with gleaming white wings on his back. "Damn, this is so boring," he commented with a tired tear in his eye. "Hey?! What do you mean by that?!" he reprimanded his superior.
" Captain, I became a guardian angel to fight giants!" the angel excused himself with a bored posture. "Not to stand on a wall all day!" he finally said. "Isn't it all a little too quiet?" he asked, seeking his captain's approval.
"Angels?" some of the deities repeated in unison. "One more difference," Athena spoke quickly.
" Idiot!" the senior guard reprimanded. "This peace is thanks to the fact that we are defending the wall every day," he explained gravely. "Damn it... Don't be so stupid when you've never witnessed a real battle," he said exasperatedly.
" That's right, I'd be able to do my job if a battle broke out," exclaimed the young guard. Birds flew out of the trees in the distance, away from the city. "Tremors? An earthquake?" one asked, annoyed.
Upon closer inspection, the body of one of the guards began to tremble furiously. "Huh?" he exclaimed in a trembling, shocked voice.
HOWEVER…
Large numbers of giants of various sizes and builds ran at great speed towards the gates of Asgard.
Grover's blood pressure plummeted almost instantly, and he sank back into his seat, feeling as good as new. "Don't make me work any harder," the manager demanded, sharpening her gaze. "That's what I'd like to say," he said, closing his eyes. "However, they are my guests."
Fear and surprise surged through the guards as they saw the giants. "It's... the enemy! They're here! They've come to tear down the walls!" they cried in horror as they saw some of the grotesque giants rapidly closing the distance.
Aphrodite made a face of disgust. "What disgusting creatures," she stated gravely.
THAT YEAR THE GIANTS LAUNCHED AN OFFENSIVE…
WITH AN ARMY LARGER THAN ANYTHING THEY'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE.
A giant attacked the guards on the wall with his club, however, he was stopped by the Norse god of war Tyr who was at the front of the battle defending the other soldiers. "Hold on! Defend the gate with your lives!" he commanded confidently.
"Tyr," Athena said empathetically, "I haven't seen him in a while, although he looks different here."
Ares burst out laughing. "Old memories."
"By the way, Hermes, you never told me how you got out of Valhalla," Hestia confessed kindly, to which Hermes scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Tyr intervened on my behalf and opened the Bifrost with Odin's threat that if I returned to Asgardian territory, I would be imprisoned on the highest peak of Midgard, bound to an indestructible tree. It was quite a fun journey until Odin discovered me." Hestia clapped softly at yet another of his peculiar adventures.
Inside the wall, civilians wondered if the great walls would withstand the attack, while others were confident that the guards would protect them.
Dozens of giants emerged to surround the wall while the guards continued attacking the invaders.
" Don't worry, these walls have never been breached." The confidence of the guard who said that crumbled when he saw what was behind him.
A giant like no other, with the horrible appearance of an amorphous baby covered in a viscous substance, easily destroyed that wall that was said to be impenetrable.
The young Demigods and Satyr made faces of disgust almost immediately.
"Disgusting creature," Hera announced with disgust.
Without wasting any time, the giants entered the city. Chaos, disorder, death, and pestilence were all that could be felt with their arrival. Giants leaped about to devour the guards.
The guards were putting up their best fight against the giants, cutting them down, coordinating to defend Asgard… However, it was useless, the giants were superior to the guards in every way.
Until then, all the giants' offensives had been easily repelled, since the giants acted independently.
And so, after hundreds of years of overconfidence, the battle experience of the Asgardians gradually declined.
In the end, the mighty defenses of yesteryear deteriorated, and that was what the giants had hoped for year after year.
Civilians crushed, guards being eaten like snacks. In the end, "No... Not like this," pleaded a guard being devoured by one of the giants; her moans ceased when that giant consumed her alive.
"Disgusting creatures," Artemis said, tensing her muscles.
ASGARD WAS BROUGHT TO THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION
In Odin's home, the giants drew near, the last defense, the last bastion standing of the kingdom. "Please come out." Constant words, along with the clang of the castle gates, echoed in the main hall, while a group of refugees stood terrified; Fortesi, in particular, was lamenting and weeping at the situation.
"How horrible," Annabeth said, supported by her classmates.
A figure strode calmly toward the great gates where the giants awaited on the other side, ignoring the feeble attempts of Fortesi and the other Asgardians to stop him. He stood erect before the great gates, his gigantic hammer resting on his left shoulder. Opening the gate with one hand, he braced himself for what lay beyond.
"How strange, he doesn't plan to use his thunder," Hephaestus remarked, leaning back in his seat. "He thinks his hammer is enough. That's a lot of confidence."
What greeted him were a few giants, the first and most remarkable being one who was completely naked, overweight, and had half of a dead Asgardian woman in his mouth.
The giants instantly became excited when they saw the gates open. "They opened them?!" exclaimed one incredulously with a huge smile; hundreds of years of waiting for this moment filled his head with ecstasy at the thought that they finally had the opportunity to destroy Asgard.
The deity arched backwards, bringing his hammer with him; a thunderous roar filled the place, and only the silhouette of Mjölnir was visible. The trail of wind he released shocked the giants.
"I only saw the situation," Apollo said, feeling his throat dry.
Surprised by such a reception, the giants were confused… The first of them noticed how his left side was crushed with great force until finally his stomach burst, as did his neck; his entrails along with the bones of his neck shot out onto the ground.
The other giants watched in terror as their companion's lifeless and mangled body fell to the ground.
The giant's blood fell like rain, soon Thor's body was soaked with it.
"He looks more terrifying than Ares," Hermes said. Ares was so focused on the god's silhouette that he didn't hear the messenger's words.
FINALLY, I COMPLETED A TASK THAT NO ONE ELSE COULD COMPLETE
Blood continued to rain down on Thor, who stared at the ground with an impassive expression; his eyes reflected no emotion whatsoever.
Astonishment quickly reached the young people in the room who could only sweat and maintain nervous expressions. "I-It's terrifying," Clarisse spoke nervously.
"To call it a bloodbath is an understatement," Demeter declared. "It would be safer to have him in Tartarus," Hades retorted.
THOR'S BODY... WAS IMPREGNATED WITH...
BOREDOM
Only the bodies of massacred giants remained in Asgard; it was a genocide, a brutal and merciless one where only lifeless pieces along with vestiges of bodies remained in the wake of the most powerful of the Norse gods…Thor.
Aphrodite's body shuddered, making her gasp slightly. She couldn't understand what she was seeing and felt, "That god... No... That monster doesn't feel anything, only boredom," she whispered between nervous gasps, along with a horrified grimace.
Dionysus, who was watching the goddess intently, sighed deeply. "Ah, I'm not going to like this," he said quietly, taking a large gulp of his drink.
The deity contemplated the sunrise sitting on the head of a giant; the giant's eye was bulging from its socket, as were pieces of brain and hair that were easily visible behind his broken helmet.
THOR ANNIHILATED THE ARMY OF 66 GIANTS SOLO!
Ares was the most shocked of all the spectators. He was strong, he was war itself brought down from Olympus. However, a small doubt took root deep in his psyche: Would he be able to face Thor as an equal?
Valhalla Arena.
Great amounts of electricity shot out with the force of the god while Lu Bu remained with his guard down, watching what his opposition was doing.
"It's incredible that he continues to look down on his opponent like that," Apollo exclaimed, narrowing his eyes.
"Will it be so?" Athena wondered, carefully observing the human's posture.
And ever since, the gods have told stories of their glory.
The gods were the first to feel the repercussions of Thor's electricity.
" THIS IS INCREDIBLE, THE WHOLE ARENA IS FULL OF ELECTRICITY!"
Heimdall commented from a distance from Thor.
"This feeling," Poseidon and Hades murmured. "Impossible. It's too similar," Hades said, seeing the irate expression of his brother Zeus, who seemed about to break his seat with the force he exerted in his hands.
A sense of danger gripped the demigods. Especially Luke, who grimaced at the god's strength. He didn't doubt his abilities. However, would he be able to steal anything from such a deity?
And they gave a name to their instant death technique
" The game is over," Zeus proclaimed confidently. "Show it to him," Odin said in a deep voice.
In the Valkyrie area, Brunhild looked expectant, while Geir looked worried.
"I guess it was useless in the end," Demeter said, her facial features darkening as she filmed her daughter.
"That's the difference between gods and humans. Messenger of Odin," Hera said sarcastically.
Thor's face lights up, as does much of the coliseum.
THEY CALLED HIM…
Lu Bu's body lit up due to the blinding, electrically charged attack; surprise was palpable on his face.
THOR'S HAMMER
A huge pillar of electricity erupted as a result of the attack, and strong gusts of wind shook the arena and the spectators.
"Bastard," Zeus insulted the god sharply.
Artemis breathed a sigh of relief, sounding disappointed. "What else could we expect?"
Ares glared furiously at the screen, his fighting instincts going into overdrive as he watched Thor attack like that. He was definitely ambitious to have a fight against the Norseman to the death, even if it was possible that he would be defeated.
Aphrodite was struck by her own breasts due to the powerful wind that intensified.
Despite the gloomy atmosphere and the disappointment, Ares laughed hard while Aphrodite blushed with embarrassment at her other version.
" I guess this is the end of the first round," Shiva declared, bored by the unexciting ending.
" That's the way, Thor-sama!" Fortesi praised Thor for ending the fight, while spitting out the sand that entered his mouth.
Heimdall was pushed back, rolling slightly.
" Hmph," Odin snorted indifferently as his white raven covered itself with its wing and the black one arched back so as not to block anything.
"Thor," Poseidon called seriously. "He is very strong; some of his feats were not an exaggeration." He said, glancing sideways at his son's frightened expression before closing his eyes helplessly.
Athena straightened up with a sigh. "Without divine weapons, they could do nothing." Her eyes sharpened as she observed the god. "What is it about that strength?" she demanded, comparing the parameters of her own pantheon to that of the god. Certainly, the Olympians were strong, but she doubted any of them could withstand such an attack and emerge unscathed. "No, even Olympus could be destroyed," she murmured weakly.
The humans in the stands were surprised by the powerful gusts of air; some others lamented and had helpless expressions.
(Is that…The true power of a god?) With absolute terror, Geir fell to his knees. (It's over… No matter how you look at it… To think that a human can defeat a god is stupid.) He lamented, resigning himself to defeat; the mere fact of defying the will of the gods was suicidal.
"Well, that's what we get for trusting too much, it's best to say goodbye now. How about a poem?" Apollo asked animatedly, quickly writing one of his haikus.
"We've known each other for a long time," Dionysus said, looking at Chiron. "What do you think?" he asked. "It's hard to say," the centaur replied, studying the screen intently. "But if my instincts aren't failing me, this is still going on," he said quickly, eliciting a mocking smile from the god.
" Get up, Geir," Brunhild ordered. Her sister looked at her for a few seconds before looking down at the ground and closing her eyes. "That's enough! I... can't keep looking!" she said sadly.
"That Valkyrie," Aphrodite said aloud without realizing it, attracting Hephaestus's attention and pulling him out of his trance with the god's hammer.
Brunhild bent down, gently touching her sister's back. "Don't look away," she asked calmly. "But," Geir replied, observing her. Brunhild's face lit up, her features becoming more beautiful. "Look closely."
" This historic moment for gods and humans!" Brunhild said, standing completely still next to Geir.
"She already knew," he said slowly. He couldn't sense despair, disappointment, or any negative feelings from the demigoddess; all he could feel was immense confidence and arrogance. Hestia smiled radiantly.
When the smoke finally cleared, Thor was standing with his hammer in front of/beneath him.
" You... You're very good," Lu Bu said, speaking for the first time during the entire fight, while wearing a huge, happy smile that showed his sharp teeth, as well as his bright, ecstatic eyes.
The faces of the gods, demigods, and mythological figures all displayed a profound surprise, leaving them utterly astonished.
Ares and Clarisse quickly raised their fists with wild and excited smiles.
The gods were incredulous. "What?!" exclaimed one of them. "Huh?!" Fortesi exclaimed with his mouth open. "Impossible..." Shiva commented, abandoning his bored attitude.
Humanity, on the other hand, broke into its biggest smile at this. "Yesss!" Zhang Fei exclaimed excitedly, his other brothers smiling contentedly.
Thor was greatly surprised to see that his chest had a large diagonal gash running from his right pectoral to his left abdomen, blood spurting out from where the cut was made, surprising the god even more.
"Im-Impossible," Grover stammered, bringing his hands to his eyes and scratching his eyelids, looking softly at the screen. "What the hell is that guy?!" He said what his classmates wanted to say.
"The strongest hero," Annabeth repeated, her eyes shining like Percy's in amazement. A mischievous smile spread across Luke's face.
" KEH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA" Lu Bu began to laugh frantically, looking up at the heavens in ecstasy.
" BLOOD IS COMING OUT OF THOR'S CHEST!"
" HUMANS' FIRST ATTACK HAS SUCCEEDING TO WOUND THE GODS!"
Brunhild wasn't looking at the arena; her target was the gods, who were stunned by this event. (Do you see it, mighty gods?) Brunhild asked arrogantly. (That is humanity's most powerful warrior, Lu Bu Housen!) she proclaimed, smiling confidently.
With one hand on his chest, he exhaled air through his nostrils. Chinkyuu Koudai (Chen Gong) gazed ecstatically at his general (My lord's weapon can even pierce the heavens!) he declared with a proud look.