u/Craftex101

Thoth and Dante face off once again, with Thoth holding forward his Breaker Palm once again. “Let us continue then. I require something from you, human.”

Dante scoffs as he splits the cross in two, one of the pairs becoming a thinner rapier blade this time, while the other remains as a cross. “You require my death, is it? Well that simply CANNOT happen! Or I am not the main character of Ragnarok!” He rushes forward, thrusting with his sword at Thoth who blocks it calmly with his palm, the blade not strong enough to pierce Thoth’s hand.

“You misconstrue my words. Do you ever listen?” He reaches for his book with his free hand, only to hear a cracking sound. DIVINITY: PIERCING AFTERLIGHT! He feels a prick in his palm and swiftly zips backwards looking down at his breaker palm… it’s cracked. He focuses his attention to the tip of Dante’s blade, seeing the glow at the tip of his rapier. “Hm.”

Dante is quickly on the attack again, Thoth only just managing to refresh his Breaker Palm on the book’s page. “You will not escape, fiendish god!” 

Thoth swerves to the side to avoid Dante’s thrusting attack, grabbing hold of the sword with his breaker palm, clenching it to snap it, but… “The malfeasant librarian finds that his previous attack has no effect! Now that the ever-prodigious Dante Alighieri has stopped holding back and is using his fullest potential! IT SHALL NOT WORK AGAIN!” He swings his blade to force Thoth back again, thrusting his cross forward and it blasts a cross of light at Thoth.

Thoth manages to dodge, but steps back again. “It didn’t work… the Breaker Palm…” If the Breaker Palm is now too weak to break the cross… then the countermeasure he made won’t work. It used the Breaker Palm as the base… 

He looks down at his palm briefly, his visor bringing up a screen with something resembling code on it. “...” He starts tapping away at the screen. 

Dante, not giving him the time of day attacks again. “What are you scheming you charlatan!?” He thrusts at the air and his rapier blasts a bullet of the blue energy out. Thoth dodges once again, but Dante is getting in close. Thoth brings one hand behind his back, the screen following it and he keeps typing as he uses the breaker palm to deflect Dante’s attacks. “Surely you cannot be thinking you will defeat ME one-handed!?” 

Thoth’s eyes are darting around as his visor projects ‘prediction lines’ onto Dante. Showing him where the next attack is likely to come from based on traditional fencing forms and data collected previously in the fight. The strikes he cannot dodge he deflects. He cannot keep this up for long. His attention is being divided too… “Grr…” He misses a deflect and barely manages to get his body out of the way of being impaled, getting a shallow cut on his side. He tries to zip back, but as he does Dante raises his cross. DIVINITY: HEAVEN’S MINE!

Thoth looks down just in time to notice a cross on the ground. He left this here earlier? Before he can finish the thought it explodes with the blue energy sending Thoth flying into the air and he crashes against the wall. “BoT… Did you get the data you needed from that?” He grunts as he steps out of the hole in the wall. His book flips a few pages and he holds his hand down to his cut. Hardlight lasers shoot from his finger-tips and patch up the wound. 

“Yes Thoth. Divinity signature memorized. If you can-” 

Thoth grunts. “Yes. Give me a moment,” He takes a deep breath.

“A neat and convenient trick, god! But will it be enough!?” Dante swings the cross with fervor and it blasts several small energy-crosses out at Thoth, who skits towards Dante, dodging each one with relative ease. “You may wish to engage me two-handed! Or ELSE!” Dante swings his rapier, and mid-swing it grows into the massive two-handed sword he was using before. 

“Here you are,” Thoth answers both BoT and Dante at the same time, finally taking his hand out from behind his back. It is covered in a hard-light sphere. He grabs at it with his other hand, and stretches it as he dodges Dante’s attack! It catches Dante’s blade and traps it. Dante puts more effort into his swing and it shatters the bubble and crashes to the ground. 

“Heh. Is that the more proficient shield you can construct!?”

Thoth once more keeps his distance. “BoT. Construct new countermeasure. You have a sample of the cross’s material and the light’s energy. Make it quick.”

“Yes Thoth.”

-Palace of the Duat-

Ra swipes a servant across the room. “SILENCE! I would like you to FIX THIS! I do not CARE!” He points at his scarred eye.

The servant gulps. A medicinal healer of The Duat. “I… Nothing would please me more, Lord Ra. But it is simply… not… possible,” He starts before he is forced to his knees from the sudden increase in temperature. 

“You are useless to me then. Find me someone who can before you leave The Duat.”

“B-but Lord Ra! My family-”

“They can go with you. GO!” He slumps back in his throne, leaning a cheek on his fist annoyed. “Worthless servants…” He taps his scar. “Tsk… Icarus…”

Osiris appears behind him. “Lord Ra-”

Ra flinches slightly, but it barely shows. “Osiris. I am in no mood. What do you want?” 

“Ragnarok is going-”

“So Round 12 has already finished. Good. Humanity’s extinction should be entertaining at least. After we send that thing in to finish it.”

Osiris gulps. “Actually, Lord Ra…” Osiris holds out an Oracle Sphere and the view of the arena pops up. “Lord Thoth is still going.”

Ra scoffs. “Truly. Why would I expect anything different?” He grunts and glances at Dante as the human lunges at Thoth. “Dante. A thorn in the side of Heaven’s history.”

“Lord Ra?” 

“Silence. I do not care to explain it to you, Osiris. Thoth is struggling with this? Perhaps I overestimated him.”

Osiris rubs his hands together and forces a smile. “W-what makes you say that, Lord Ra? I have been watching… that Dante has some powerful abilities that defy his human nature.”

“... what?”

-Valhalla Arena-

Dante strikes with his massive blade once again. As Thoth puts a hand out to deflect it, the human switches to a thrust of his cross, blasting Thoth back with the bright light of Divinity. 

Thoth steadies himself and reaches for his book flipping to a new page, while Dante starts to monologue about… something. “BoT.”

“Countermeasure: 30%. Further analysis indicates Dantenergy has reached its limit.”

“30%...? Tsk… Search for any matches for this energy signature in Heaven… and Earth.” 

“Yes Thoth. Assigning priority: 2.”

Thoth taps his index and middle fingers against the page he flipped to. BASIC BATTLE TACTICS: WORD BULLET! The symbol on the page spreads onto his fingers, covering them in hieroglyphs. 

Thoth stabs at the air with his fingers, sending a pulse out into the air. STRIKE! Dante smugly swerves aside, running a hand through his hair. “Oh the folly of you! Interrupting my speech, are we? And now you too employ ranged attacks. It may seem we are evenly matched!” He points his cross forward. DIVINITY: HEAVEN’S BLINDING GLORY! The cross erupts out with a stream of light, blinding Thoth first and then pushing him back. “That assumption would be fallacious.”

Thoth holds his Breaker Palm out to block the stream of power. “We are by no means… even. BoT. Inscribe Pierce with this light!”

“Yes Thoth,” Thoth tightens his fingers as he stabs forward. PIERCE! the light column is split down the middle as the bullet begins to spin like a drill. Dante however, cannot see this from his position until the bullet blasts past him, followed closely by Thoth who grabs the cross tightly.

“The author is shocked. How did his opponent close the distance so-” Thoth strikes him in the chest with his breaker palm, sending him tumbling back with a huge palm-print on his chest.

“Do you EVER shut up…?” He says and Dante gets up and dusts himself off.

“And here I thought you were so urbane and pacificatory. Turns out you have a mean streak. Hmm?” He looks at Thoth who seems to be holding something. “Hey that is-” 

Thoth holds out a bandage, scanning it over with his visor. “BoT. Preliminary analysis. Does this match the one back at Babel?” 

“Scanning… … Yes, Thoth.” 

Dante springs forward. “Give that back, you stickyfingered pilferer!” He forms two huge blades from his cross, coating them in Divinity. MORTALITY + DIVINITY: WHEEL OF HEAVEN AND EARTH! He twirls in the air, striking both blades down at Thoth! 

Thoth’s focus shifts to Dante and he dodges back but as Dante strikes the ground he leaps into the air once again for a second spin. This time the spinning extends using the Divinity’s light. Thoth responds by setting into a full run, for the first time, running backwards, carried away faster using his footholds. “BoT.”

“Countermeasure at 58%.”

Thoth scoffs again, pocketing the bandage in his book. “Have you tested the V2 I sent?” 

“Yes Thoth. It should hold.”

“Should?” 

“Probability of failure: 1.7%.”

Thoth slams his hands down on the book’s open pages. BASIC BATTLE TACTICS: CHAPTER 3: BREAKER PALM V2! The glow is now more blue-tinted like the glow of Dante’s light. Thoth continues to step out of Dante’s range. He holds his hands out catching Dante’s blade, though the force overpowers him and it slides out of his grip. “TCH!” 

However he simply tries again. Same result. “The folly of Heaven! Thinking your primitive tactics will work if you simply do them again and again!” However as Thoth tries one final time Dante finally stops in his tracks and the wisdom god clenches his fists, cracking and shattering the blades. 

Thoth repeats his earlier movement, grabbing the shards with his hard-light tendrils and launching them back at Dante! “the main character of Ragnarok however, is swift and agile! He dodges with the finesse of the finest dancer of Italia!” He manages to dodge each shard, striking a pose between each movement. “However… Virgil… it appears we are in trouble…” He mutters.

He glances to the side, seeing a young man his own age. Dressed like him but in blue with short-cut blonde hair with blue highlights. His forearms covered in bandages, the ends of which flow in the wind. His right eye has a strange glow to it and he is also adorned with a wreath like Dante, only his is sparkling white. 

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“Hmpf! This mere god thinks himself more powerful than YOU? The almighty Dante? How foolish and absurd. Why it is bringing my powers of Blinding white to a boil. I am… haaah,” He scoffs and grabs at his wrist. “I may just unleash my might upon him. But nay. This fight… I leave to you, my friend,” Dante grins and summons his sword and coats it in the blue light once more. 

“Of course! He shan’t succeed!” 

Thoth squints as he looks at Dante’s eyes very briefly shift. “BoT. Pinpoint where he was looking?” He commands, glancing in that general direction of the audience. It is the Heavens’ side of the arena. Could he possibly- 

“Focus based on eye-line of both eyes is right beside him. Not nearly in the audience.”

Virgil tenses up a little as he looks to Thoth, from his over-the-top posing. ‘Is he… looking at me? Can he… see me?’ 

Dante leaps into action and Thoth swiftly focuses back to the fight. “Where are you looking!? It is I who is your opponent! But by all means! Simplify my victory!” Dante exclaims slamming the blade at Thoth who grabs it, but before he can crush it Dante lets it go, creating another from the cross in his opposite hand. MORTALITY: FURY OF AN ARMY OF THOUSANDS! He slams the second sword at Thoth, who grabs it with his other hand, but Dante repeats the process as Thoth crushes the first blade finally, reaching around for the next. Then next. Then next.

“This is ridiculous… you think you will simply… get lucky?” 

“It is not luck!” Dante declares as another blade shatters! He swings another two-handed greatsword with ferocious power, but as Thoth tries to grab it Dante lowers his swing into a footsweep! “It’s an eventual-” however he pauses as he misses his sweep, his feet swinging right under Thoth’s as he floats just a few off the ground. “Oh… right. Heh-” he starts before Thoth grabs the new blade and palm-strikes Dante back, with more power than before.

Dante flies across the arena and slams against the wall, Thoth shattering the blade and shooting the shards at him, pinning him to the wall by catching the sides of his shirt. “Stay still now.”

“Countermeasure ready, Thoth.” 

“Deploy,” His books shoots out another small disk, this one more blue-tinted and with a small plus on top. Thoth moves in while Dante recovers and tosses it at Dante’s cross. Dante clenches the cross and it fires a beam at the disk, but the plus extends out and the beam dissipates as if being magnetized towards the points and loses all its power. The disk attaches and to the cross again. “And you are certain you have missed nothing?” Thoth grabs at Dante’s coat, picking out another bandage.

Dante slowly comes to, shaking his head. “Hey… that’s mine. You know… it’s not very karmic to steal. They have an entire ring in Hell for thieves.”

Thoth grunts. “Pardon my bluntness, but Muspelheim prison is for humans only. And I do not consider this theft. You are not supposed to have these.”

Dante wrestles himself free from the shards pinning him to the wall as Thoth grabs another bandage. He points the cross at Thoth’s head. “GIVE THOSE BACK! DIVINITY: LIGHT OF KING’S HEAVEN!” However Thoth doesn’t even flinch as the disc that attached, has wrapped itself around the crystal in the crosspoint of the cross and simply absorbs and disperses the light. “W-what?” Thoth palmstrikes him back into the crater in the wall.

“Were you not paying attention? I did this before as well. Whatever. BoT. Begin analysis of these. Also double-check countermeasure.”

“Countermeasure holds. Analysis beginning.” 

Thoth turns to walk away.

Up on the top of the stage sits Michael, looking down on the fight as Friend is next to him, biting into one of his nails. “That librarian. He is quite dangerous, is he not, my friend?” 

Michael nods. “His powers of adaptation are second to none. That book of his is a marvel. I cannot fathom that he created it himself. I could never…” He sighs. 

“I am certain you could. But those bandages… I would… prefer if he did not have access to them…” 

Michael smiles softly. “I will check if he will hand them over…” 

“Good- I mean… thank you, friend. Now… that damn Virgil…” He grumbles the last part.

“Hmm? Did you say… something?” 

“Nothing aaaaaat all.” 

Down in the arena, Virgil kneels down next to Dante after looking up at Michael and Friend. “Dante… Dante! You MUST rise! He cannot disrespect you such as this! The mighty Dante!? Not a CHANCE!” 

Dante grunts. “But… Virgil.” 

“Nay! Remember your training!? Remember your… hidden ability? The one you said you never needed to use?” 

Dante’s eyes widen and he smirks. “Ha… hahaha! OF COURSE! How could I forget! I would be remiss if I allowed you to take what’s mine.”

Thoth eyes back at him. “You said this was your ‘most powerful’. You lied?” He starts.

Dante smirks. “I would hesitate to call his hidden power of mine… fair. But since you’re forcing my hand!” He raises the cross and it erupts in brilliant flames, burning away the disk Thoth placed upon it. “We have done this twice now. Perhaps you may wish to show me some of YOUR true power, Thoth?” Dante says holding his arms to side, a cocky smirk on his face. “Or face the full brutality of Heaven-” His cross glows in the same blue as before, but stronger. “Earth-!” He enlarges the cross into the giant blade. “AND HELL!” The blade bursts into a massive flame. “Oh my Eye of Lucifer is really reacting to this one. I may not be able to contain myself!” 

Pandora excitedly jumps for joy as the round comes to a close, her long golden locks fluttering perfectly around her. “We won! We won! Icarus! WE WON!”

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She jumps at the young winged boy next to her.

Icarus barely manages to get his hands out of his pockets and brace for the hug to not knock him to the floor, wrapping his slightly charred wing around them both.

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“Oof!” He grunts as he holds her steady and sets her down. “We did! We definitely won. Again,” He sets her down gently and smiles, moving some of her blonde floor-length hair out of her face. “But that will mean…”

Pandora’s cute face of excitement slightly drops. “... He’ll get more aggressive, I know…” She looks across the arena, seeing Ra sitting on his pyramid throne, his finger impatiently tapping on the side of it.

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Pandora gulps but tries to scowl back. Icarus fluttering his wing in front of her. “Don’t engage with him. Let’s just go and find out who we want to send next, alright?”

Pandora nods quickly as the two make their way towards the Akashic Records.

Ra glances up at the two greeks. “So, Little Pandora. You are more prepared than you appear. Osiris,” He commands and the short green-skinned man appears beside him. 

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“Yes, Lord Ra?” 

“It seems they have some awareness of whom I have been sending out.”

“I-I can ASSURE you, Lord Ra! I would never DARE betray you and give such vital information out!” 

“Quiet. I am aware. You are no fool. However… it appears our… back-up will suffice.”

Osiris’s eyes widen briefly before squinting again and letting on a smug smirk. “Oh? The one I suggested, perhaps?”

“As much as I dislike his kind… yes. They dare steal the shine of the sun as though it is their own. Move it along, Osiris.”

“... you’ll be pleased to know, Lord Ra. He has been in the arena all this while, spectating.”

“I know. Go inform him.”

“Yes, Lord Ra,” Osiris crosses his arms over his chest and warps away. He reappears in front of a VIP viewing area and enters. “My lord. Your- hmm? Where… did he go? Oh this is not good…”

Pandora and Icarus enter the Akashic Records, finding someone standing in front of their screen. “HEY!” Icarus erupts and springs into the room. “What do you think you’re doing!?” He calls out and the person turns to face him, his golden eyes with black eyeballs glimmering in the darkness of the room.

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‘Those eyes look like-’ Icarus takes a swift kick at the person. 

“Woah woah hold on one moment,” He raises one bare arm, blocking Icarus’s kick, the young Cretan following up with a second, which also strikes the young god’s arm, and a third straight kick when he lands, for extra strength, the person is flung back but recovers very easily. “I apologize for intruding. I simply… I may have gotten a little overzealous after watching these great matches. Oh how I long for this field of Ragnarok myself!” He clenches his fists tightly. 

Pandora turns on the light in the room and is promptly blinded by the man before them who practically glows in the light. Flowing white hair, the aforementioned black eyeballed eyes of pure golden irises. A handsome young face without so much as a dimple let alone a scar. A strange bramble-like necklace around his neck. A simple white tunic spun from equal parts Asgardian silk and steel threads. A short battle skirt and decorative shoulderpads. He is nearly bearfooted only wearing some plain white ankle sleeve. He fidgets with a golden ring on his finger briefly before stepping forward and kneeling down in front of Pandora. “My lady, Pandora. It is an honor to meet you.”

Pandora blushes as he takes her hand and kisses it before gently touching it to his forehead. Icarus clears his throat. “Before you get any funny ideas… mind explaining exactly why you’re here in the HUMAN’S side, Baldr?” The young god stands and looks deep into Pandora’s eyes for a few moments before turning to Icarus.

“Funny ideas?” He looks between the two of them a few times. “Oh. Apologies, Icarus. I am not interested in stealing your woman,” He says with a bright smile.

Both Icarus and Pandora instantly get red in the face and start stuttering over each other. “W-we’re not-” “That’s not- No it’s like- I mean-” “W-we’re just-”

Baldr chuckles softly. “Ah. I see. Not quite there yet.”

“Yet!?” Icarus blurts out and crosses his arms. “A-anyways, Blade! What do you want!? Why are you here?!”

Baldr holds up his hands in defense. “I understand the suspicion, my friend. However, fret not. I have no intent of dishonesty. It is unbecoming. I simply wish to participate in Ragnarok. For the gods of course!”

Pandora takes a step back. “S-so you’re with RA!?”

“I would not say so. I am with Heaven. I am with Asgard! I am here for THEM and not any god in particular. But please. PLEASE choose a warrior befitting to face me, Pandora. I wish for a grand fight for the ages,” He takes Pandora’s hands in his own, flashing his handsome smile. “Promise me? Please?”

Pandora’s eyes are wide in confusion and her cheeks flushed from this handsome god making so many gestures towards her. Icarus grabs his wrist and yanks him away from Pandora.

“You’re making her uncomfortable, pal.”

Baldr nods as he looks back to Pandora. “He is a good man, this one. You chose a strong boyfriend,”

Icarus furrows a brow again. “I told you I’m NOT her boyfri-” He’s interrupted when Baldr puts a finger over the Cretan’s lips.

“Ssssssh. It’s okay. I understand.”

Pandora steps away from Baldr as if to create some distance before she speaks. “I… promise that I will choose a fighter who can and WILL win against you!”

Baldr blinks in confusion. “Oh? Those are some pretty big words, Little Pandora,” He says with a slight head tilt towards her. “I know you mean no harm but… making promises you cannot keep is not very nice,” His tone, despite being as chipper as before, seems to almost take on a sinister undertone. Icarus is quickly in front of Pandora again.

“I think it’s about time for you to LEAVE, Baldr.”

His attitude immediately drops back to where it had been prior. “That was all you needed to say! See you for the ninth round. Good luck!” He steps out of the room, closing the door behind himself, letting out a heavy sigh as his face falls a bit from the handsome bright smile into a slightly more worried expression. “I hope… I will not be disappointed,” He claps his hands and brings his smile back to his face. “NOW! Where is that Osiris?”

Inside the Akashic Records, Icarus has his arms crossed, tapping his foot in annoyance. “What do we do, Pandora? Can we even trust that he was telling the truth? He was not on Ra’s list we got our hands on.”

Pandora paces back and forth a little in the room. “I… I think we can trust him. I mean… I mean it’s BALDR right? Everyone knows Baldr.”

“Yeah… But we also know RA. He might be tricking Baldr into messing with us? Without intending to actually let him fight.”

Pandora gulps. “I-I want to trust Baldr. And because of that we need someone else than those we’ve picked… I think I know who too,” She gulps. “Y-you’re um… you’re gonna have to go meet him with me though.”

Icarus raises an eyebrow. “Is he dangerous?”

“N-not to us… just… scary.”

A short while later, Osiris is wandering around the arena, nervously thinking out loud. “Where IS that Baldr? He could not have gone far, knowing the next round is soon…” He looks down a hallway, leading to the humans’ side of the arena. “... Surely Baldr would not be foolish enough to go there?” He starts before suddenly seeing two tiny white beads down the hall covered in shadows. “Hmm… who goes there?” He summons his sickle and flail, holding the former out in front of him.

“Hm!?” The beads suddenly set off, a human stepping out of the shadows. His dark skin covered in white markings. A harness of ritualistic pearls covering his extremely thin torso. A cloak made of a wolf-hide over his shoulders with the stuffed head on one shoulder. A pitch black mask with white writing going over one of the eyes on his face, obscuring everything but his mouth and piercing white eyes. He has small decorative pieces of metal on his skirt, feathers on a band around his shin and dirty worn down black shoes made of another animal skin of some kind.

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He moves incredibly fast and Osiris takes a swing at him.

“Don’t underestimate the Duat’s royal advisor, pest!” However as he swings he finds his footing completely removed as the tall thin man suddenly went into an incredibly low dive for his legs. Osiris quickly crosses his arms and warps himself a little bit away to escape. “Don’t think it will be tha-” However somehow the man is already in front of him again and throws a wild haymaker straight at Osiris’s face sending the short god flying down the hall, and on the floor as the man approaches him with slow predatory steps. “What… are you?”

“... Human.”

Osiris wipes his lip of blood. “... doubt that…” As the man leaps at him for a grab Osiris warps himself away from the area completely.

“... hnnngh…” The man grunts in anger. His ear twitches as he hears footsteps from the hallway he just came from. He turns slowly with a menacing glare. Icarus steps out of the shadows alongside Pandora.

“H-hello um…” Pandora starts as the man approaches them.

“You… smell of the enemy…” He grinds his teeth a little. However as he steps closer Icarus gets in front of Pandora holding his wing out. “... Step aside.”

“Over my dead body, pal.”

“... …” The man raises his fist slowly.

“S-sir… we are here to offer you the next fight in Ragnarok!” Pandora offers and the man seems to get a glint in his beady eyes and he lowers his fist again.

“... okay then,” He says blankly.

Pandora nods. “You’ll need a weapon. Here,” She moves apart her dress at her stomach, revealing the swirling mass in her belly. The man looks strangely at Icarus who nods before he plunges in his hand and yanks out a key. The head is a spiky sun with the teeth shaped as black feathers. Icarus squints at the sun iconography on the key as Pandora steps back and summons her ornate box, which the masked man inserts the key into the keyhole and it opens. The three of them look inside to see what weapon the box manifested for him. He pulls out a serrated flint knife with a leather handle, a small gleaming feather on the bottom of the handle. 

“Hm,” The man grunts as he fashions a holster for the knife on his belt and starts striding towards the arena in silence.

Icarus shivers a bit as he so calmly leaves. “That guy… are you sure, Pandora? I mean yeah I guess he’s… intimidating but… can he do it?”

Pandora can do nothing but nod. “He can. He’s done it before.”

-Valhalla Arena-

Heimdall grips his Gjallarhorn and raises it to the skies. “WELCOOOOOOME Back everybody to humanity’s last stand! RAGNAROK! After the whirlwind of emotion that was the eighth round the scores are all tied up again 4-4! And with this we’re ready to begin the ninth round! And who better to present for Heaven than THIS GOD!” He gestures to the gate of Heaven, where a faint glow emits. A few goddesses around the arena gasp. Humans as well. 

“No don’t tell me it’s him?!” 

Heimdall nods. “Your eyes do not deceive you gods and goddesses, ladies and gentlemen! For eons gods have debated about the rules of what it truly means to be divine. Is it the supreme beauty of the likes of Aphrodite or Apollo? Is it the immense might of gods such as our chiefs in Ra, Thor or Zeus!? Perhaps it simply requires you to be beloved by man and god alike such as the case of The Buddha or our very own Heracles, may he rest in peace! I am here today to tell you, YES! The measure of a god is nothing but his reputation! And amongst all the citizens of Asgard, nay in ALL of Heaven! Few gods can claim to match this god in good graces and nobility!” Baldr steps out into the arena, now equipped with a large round shield and spear holstered on his back. 

“A physique that can match his eldest brother in combat! Skill to rival even the most proficient weaponmasters of Heaven! And beauty. In SPADES!” Baldr gives a gentle wave to the crowd making the women swoon with joy on either side of the arena causing the young god let out a soft chuckle.

“I truly wish they would stop doing that when I greet them… But here we are…” Baldr spreads his arms out, basking in the sunlight and taking in a deep breath.

“When he steps upon the battlefield beware! For he is undefeated! And be even more aware for it is NOT from lacking strong opponents! I present to you, dearest esteemed audience! Heaven’s Champion of the ninth round of the second Ragnarok! The Great Prince of Asgard! HEAVEN’S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR! THE CHILD OF LIGHT! BAAAAAALDRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!” The crowd erupts into cheers as nature goddess toss roses and flowers into the arena to shower upon him and Baldr simply laughs and waves.

“Oh please. Please you all. It is too much,” He sighs with a head shake. “But I will happily accept your feelings. Thank you. Now… I must focus on my opponent ahead, please.”

Heimdall shudders as he reads who the human fighter is. “Oh god…” He gently shifts himself towards Baldr. “For humanity! In elden times, long before the English colonized North America, the proud people of the Navajo prospered in their lands! Clans upon clans tightly knit as families who value honor and discipline and togetherness! It mattered not if you were blood or not. For you are kin to your clan! All except for one!” The creepy slender man slowly enters the arena and stops right at the exit, glaring Baldr down. “A man so dangerous. So volatile. So violent. That no amount of pride in your tribe could justify allowing him near your children! Your loved ones!”

He steps further into the arena, his mere step making Heimdall scoot further back. “Born into the world with no father, he and his brother were outcasts from birth! And soon enough exiled to the wilds to fend for themselves! HOWEVER! To the Navajo he is a man of extreme renown regardless however! Saving their savage lands from all manners of beasts, monsters and even GODS. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. For your ninth champion you have been granted a human who, in his mortal days, has killed GODS.”

The man stops at the mirror position to Baldr, not moving, simply standing, slightly hunched over, staring blankly at Baldr. “Heaven! I give you your ninth enemy of this second Ragnarok! Will he be enough to slay the god who cannot be harmed!? PRESENTING! The Legendary Navajo! THE SCOURGE OF THE AMERICAN MONSTERS! THE MONSTER SLAYER! NAYENEZGANIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!” 

Nayenezgani’s eyes do not waver from Baldr whatsoever, Baldr looking him up and down with an amused grin. “Greetings fellow Ragnarok Champion. What say you to a glorious battle?”

“...”

Heimdall gulps. “W-well… BEGIN!” He calls out and sprints to the edge of the arena to get some help climbing into the stands where he has a little booth to sit in.

Baldr takes out his spear and shield, raising them into the air before casually dropping them to the floor. “Come, Nayenezgani. Show me what you can do. But be warned. I will not go easy on you… well… I will not go AS easy on you!” He steps forward, holding out his arms as Nayenezgani glances down at the discarded weapons for only a brief moment.

Then he sets in motion himself, striding towards his opponent. Baldr sees him raise his arms as he approaches looking almost like a zombie shambling forward. The two get within arms reach and Nayenezgani grabs for Baldr’s throat, the child of light taking a swing with his fist at the Navajo monster slayer! A direct blow to the head! To any ordinary man this would have killed him. To most gods it would have shoved them back and away… but to Nayenezgani it did neither, as he gets a hold of Baldr’s throat pressing his thumbs into Baldr’s Adam's apple and toppling him through sheer force, combined with Baldr’s surprise at his own ineffective strike. The arena is stunned silent at the display. “W-what… are you…?” Baldr grunts as he feels the air slowly leaving his lungs! As he attempts to wiggle out of Nayenezgani’s grasp the Navajo pins his legs with his own bent knee over them both to keep him from moving.

Nayenezgani stares blankly into Baldr’s eyes, an indifferent stare. “... human.”

Nayenezgani vs Baldr

Dante smirks as he clenches his giant cross, which he transformed into a broadsword, and Thoth subsequently shattered it. He twirls it around. “The Curator of Truth stands paralyzed with fear. He awaits the human’s next move.”

Thoth opens up his book again, flipping through the pages. “I am NOT afraid,” He once more prepares his Breaker Palm. “If anyone ought to be afraid it would be you. BoT. Status.”

Thoth’s book beeps in his ear. “Bandage energy confirmed. Source appears consistent, however fluctuations appear in a few spots. Analyzing cause. Dantenergy analysis: Flows from his soul, through his eye, into the cross,” Dante charges while Thoth listens to his book.

“Dante leaps and takes a powerful downward swing!” Thoth raises his hand, catching Dante’s blade between his index and middle fingers, coated in the Breaker Palm. 

“Would you be silent? Your drivel is annoying,” However as Thoth speaks Dante’s blade begins to grow and morph once again. “Hmm?!” He lets go and zips back. The greatsword has grown a large spiked ‘sun’ on the end. A flat disk with spikes coming out of it. He would have been impaled… “This cross is… bothersome. BoT. Status on countermeasure.”

Dante attacks again, somehow carrying the ever-growing blade with ease. He grinds it through the floor for an upward swing which Thoth simply leaps back to avoid, continuing to keep his distance. “Countermeasure for Cross. Running simulations: Progress: 25%”

“Fine. Deploy when it’s ready,” Thoth steps forward, thrusting his palm against Dante’s blade as he swings it down. 

“The tip of Dante’s mighty cross into a circular mace, gleaming with the energy of hellish flames and bursting with POWER!” The cross grows even further, the flat sun-disk at the tip becoming a round mace of spikes. He hammers it down over Thoth, who is forced to take a knee, despite his palm blocking the strike from pummeling him to bits.

“It is only a mace. Your grip on reality is… alternative,” Thoth reaches down to his book, flipping the page a bit and picking out a small triangular symbol. BASIC BATTLE TACTICS: CHAPTER 4: DISARM MAGNET! He flicks it to the side and it sticks itself to the floor letting out a pulse dragging Dante’s giant weapon toward it. 

“WOAH!” Dante nearly trips as he seems to refuse to release the weapon as it is stuck to the floor. “The Main Character finds himself in quite the jeopardous and perilous situation!” Thoth approaches with his swift steps, grabbing for Dante’s wrist holding the blade. “But you won’t catch me off-balance this easily you mephistophelian god!” He clenches his fist around the cross and it detaches from the large blade and mace it has grown into, instantly bursting into a greatsword’s blade once again, which he swings at Thoth, forcing him to block again.

“You talk too much. Do you even know the meaning of ‘mephistophelian’?” Thoth asks as Dante pushes against him.

“You are a god. All of you are wicked and fiendish for attempting to exterminate humanity. I will NOT allow it!”

Thoth scoffs as he attempts to push back, however he finds the human pushing back harder. “Humanity is flawed. However you have done many good things, both on Earth and in Heaven. I am not here to argue that.”

“How deflective! I shan’t listen to such abhorrent lies and deceit!” He shoves Thoth back, pulling his blade back towards the mace he had just created and it stirs in its place, before jolting towards Dante again.

“BoT. Status.”

“Countermeasure simulation progress: 56%. Analysis of Bandage Energy signature locations: 100%. Detected at three key locations. At his heart, one around his leg, one around his arm. All beneath his clothing, but above his skin.”

“Is that all?” 

“Yes, Thoth,” 

Dante charges in, now holding TWO enormous blades.

“Have you really the time to be speaking to your companion!? When you face the CHAMPION of humanity!?” He takes a powerful swing and Thoth steps out of the way, glancing to Dante as four small targets appear on Dante’s body, through his visor.

Thoth brings his book out as Dante comes swinging down! As he steps back out of the way he grabs another Disarm Magnet from his book. He activates it and Dante is flung towards him. Thoth grabs his blade and crushes it with his Breaker Palm, the shards collecting against the magnet, which he thrusts at Dante like a ball of spikes! 

The author flips backwards, out of the way. “Reverse polarity.” Thoth commands, the hieroglyphs on his neck glowing as the magnet BLASTS the shards of sword at Dante as he is midair. Dante quickly brings his other blade up in front of him, blocking the shards. “... interesting. The original is stronger than the extremities.”

Dante lands, and laughs. “The Divine custodian dutifully notes all small observations about his stalwart adversary!” Dante raises the blade again. 

He casually stabs into the ground, though the force of the jam, buries the blade deep within the arena! CROSS OF DANTE: HELL’S BLAZE! The ground beneath Thoth rumbles and the god looks down. Warnings appearing on his visor from various places on the ground, he swiftly moves out of the way of them as metal explodes from the ground in long pikes. Thoth dodges and weaves, but gets a small knick on his cheek from a particularly fast one. 

Thoth taps his cheek seeing he’s bleeding a bit. “Tsk… This human… BoT. Analyse capacity of this Dantenergy.” 

"Affirmative, Thoth. Detecting distress and adrenaline. Switching to Voice Mode 1…” A brief beep tone echoes to him. “… … Are you okay?” 

Thoth’s eyes widen hearing the new voice. Much smoother, a bit deeper and gruffer, still feminine. “Disable that feature NOW!” Thoth reaches out for a cluster of spikes and hard-light wires shoot from his fingertips and grabs them. He flicks them at Dante, moving forward alongside them. Dante cracks his blades from the ground, raising them above his head.

“You look flummoxed! Did the great power of Dante Alighieri dawn on you!?” Dante exclaims as he swings down. “The mighty champion of humanity has gotten to the ever keen Thoth! He does not know what to do and is STRUCK DOWN!” CROSS OF DANTE: GUILLOTINE OF WICKED GODS! Thoth brings the breaker palm up but his visor brings up a huge red warning around the blades.

“TSK!” He’s forced to dodge as the blades crash into the ground. He takes swift action again however, pressing his attack and attempting to grab Dante, but the human has released both blades, back to just his cross which blocks the grab.

“‘You’re no ignoramus. You should know this will not work’ ; Dante says with a grin as his cross suddenly bursts with mass, forcing Thoth’s hand open and forming a massive fist around Dante’s wrist, as ornately decorated as the cross itself, but with far more devastating might!” Dante narrates as he takes a swing at Thoth who can barely manage to put up his palm in time as he’s shoved back.

Pandora clenches her fist in her pocket tightly. “Yes…!” She whispers to herself. “Come on… get him.”

Lucifer looks down. “Your reaction is muted. Is something the matter?”

“I… don’t want to get excited. I just want it to be over as fast as possible.”

Lucifer nods. “I can understand the sentiment. You wish for Ragnarok to be over.”

“If it ends now… at least ONE life will be spared… god or man. If Dante loses… I don’t want to think about it. But he’s doing fine.”

“It would appear so. But you forget who is his opponent.”

“What does THAT mean?”

“Dante strikes at Thoth once again, each hit coming in with brutal strength, Thoth swerving as best he can! Left, right, back. But each time Dante keeps on him! ; You will not escape!” Dante narrates as he strikes using his gauntlet, having spawned a sword in his opposite hand. Thoth grabs the blade as it comes swinging in! However, just as he crushes the blade Dante lands a straight blow to his chest, sending the god flying back and striking the wall.

Thoth coughs up blood as he bounces off the wall, Dante charging in with another firm strike, Thoth weaving aside. Each of his movements feels like he is putting in the least amount of effort for his foot disks to realize what he wants to do! Dante strikes with his fist again, Thoth steps up onto the wall, his feet gliding along the wall as though it was the floor. 

“Dante laughs. ; Hahaha! You believe you can escape me, by escaping gravity itself?!” Dante spawns another gauntlet, by winding a bit of the cross over the back of his shoulders. Then down his back creating some greaves as well, charging after Thoth on the wall, running along the wall himself! Thoth puts up his palm as he glides backwards, deflecting some of Dante’s punches and avoiding others!

“Come on now…” Thoth grumbles. This human is better at fighting than he looks!

-Babel-

Babel stood still. For the other rounds it was only a subset of the sphinxes who took the time to watch Ragnarok. Even for the Duat gods. However not so this time. Every sitting spot and breakroom is occupied by sphinxes watching Thoth fight. In the main viewing area, Giza has taken Thoth’s usual seat, with Sobek by her side. “Please, Lord Thoth…”

Sobek however looks pretty calm. “Relax, Giza. Thoth’s got this!” 

“B-but he’s taking hits!” She worriedly yelps out.

Sobek leans forward. “True… I’ve never actually seen him get hit before. He doesn’t strike me as a… physical fighter like me. So he probably can’t handle getting punched as well as I can.”

Giza nods. “EXACTLY! So isn’t this REALLY bad?!”

Sobek smugly nudges Giza with his elbow. “What? Scared he’ll lose?” 

“H-huh well I guess… I… not really no…” She looks down at the emblem Thoth gave to her before he left. “Maybe a little worried.”

“What’s that you got there?” Sobek leans over her with his massive frame and she recoils. 

“It’s-! NOTHING! Just something Thoth gave to me…” His voice echoes in her head. ‘You deserve to know the truth’. What does that mean? What truth…? “In case he loses. So I guess he is prepared to lose…”

Sobek laughs boisterously. “Well I would NEVER go into a fight EXPECTING to lose! Prepared to lose, maybe! But I think Thoth has faith in his own abilities. If anyone is able to accurately assess an opponent it’d be him!” 

Giza sighs. “Yeah… I just don’t want to see him hurt…”

“Well you don’t have to worry long. Just watch.”

-Valhalla Arena-

“Simulations complete. Deploying countermeasure for Cross of Dante.” BoT echoes in Thoth’s ears as he gets to his feet, grunting and dusting himself off.

He coughs up a bit of blood. “About time,” The book glows before it flips to a blank page which quickly fills with hieroglyphs. Thoth picks out a disk that spawned in the middle of the page. BOOK OF THOTH: CHAPTER D: CROSS BREAKER! 

Dante sprints into action, swinging the jewel-embedded gauntlet at Thoth! The wisdom god steps aside and swiftly places the disk against the gauntlet, before jumping to a safe distance. “HA! You think a mere little artifact shall defeat ME!?” Dante winds his fist back, but as soon as he swings at Thoth again, the disk glows and EXPLODES off his wrist, leaving behind only the cross in Dante’s hand with the small disk attached. 

Thoth taps a few buttons on his screens floating back around him. “BoT. Prepare for extraction of Bandage Energy Signatures.”

Dante looks down at the cross, trying to force the disk off but it’s stuck. “Hey! I am still here!”

Thoth wipes the blood from his mouth but otherwise does not pay him any attention. “Maybe so. But that is fine. I require you alive, for now.”

Dante clenches his fist around the cross. “I believe you have more PRESCIENT matters!” He raises the cross and it begins to expand, but as soon as it begins the expanding parts flow with the same orange energy from Thoth’s disk and explode off the cross. “What prestidigitation is this?” He tries again. And again. To the same result.

“I tested it. Breaker Palm was able to shatter your constructs. So I simply altered the design into a disk, which ‘grips’ your cross as it expands. The expansion material is far weaker than the proper thing it seems. You are done. Unless you plan to destroy my book. BoT. Double check capabilities.”

“No unused magical nodes detected. Shutdown complete.” 

Dante looks down to the cross. “... Virgil?” He whispers. 

Thoth looks up to the human. “Hm?”

“Aaaaaah…” Dante starts, before leaning back slightly, running a hand through his hair as he begins to laugh. “AHAHAHAAAAA! Of course! It seems I will have to stop…” His gaze falls. “holding back against you. You’ve earned the right to face my TRUE power.”

Thoth squints. “You have no ‘true power’. Your power has reached its limit,” However just to be sure, Thoth deploys his Breaker Palm again. ‘What is this… feeling I am getting…?’ “BoT-” However Dante raises his cross above his head and it suddenly BURSTS forth with a brilliant light, which cracks the Cross Breaker medallion Thoth had placed upon it. “WHAT!?”

Dante twirls and holds out his cross. “You thought this was simply ‘the cross of Dante’? Nay that ability was simply a power I have taken to calling ‘Mortality’. This is the true measure of The Cross of Dante. Mortality!” He holds out his cross and it grows into a massive blade. “And Divinity!” The blade is coated in a shimmering blue light.

“New Magical Node detected. Beginning analysis.” 

“You said there were none. Why?”

“Previous query results, based on then-present data, were accurate. Hypothesis: Undetectable interference caused this change.”

“... Very well… It seems we are crossing into unknown territory now. Let us try this again…”

The figure draped in shadow from the bright backdrop steps into the more dimly lit room. As Pandora’s eyes settle to the light his figure becomes more easily visible. A blood-red vest with a mantle over it containing a short flowy cape. Mis-matched gloves with one being more bulky, the other fingerless. Simple trousers with high black boots with golden tips and red metallic soles. His hair is wild and windswept blonde with clearly colored red tips, and decorated with a black laurel wreath. He has flame-styled stubble and curiously one of his eyes appears demonic.

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“Apologies for the bright entrance; the poet uttered as he stepped into the dimly lit commodious room of the damsel in distress,” He narrates as he steps closer, Pandora remaining seated. Ordinarily she would probably fan-girl over meeting a famous person like Dante Alighieri, but… she doesn’t feel like it right now.

“It’s alright, Dante, I just-”

“I felt that the end of the last chapter needed a sufficient tease for my character reveal! Efficacious, was it not?” He interrupts, running a hand through his long hair. “Now that I have command of this scene. I would like to offer my services.”

Pandora stands finally. “That’s… yes. Of course. I was going to send in you anyways.”

Dante makes a little twirl with his hand and bows deeply. “A blessing from a sweet young lass. How fortuitous. How can I possibly suffer defeat now? ; Pandora laughs a little at his eccentricities.”

Pandora does give a little snicker in response to his narration. “Yeah yeah… anyways. I have a weapon for you,” She summons her box and Dante claps his hand.

“Aaaaah. The ever-esoteric, arcane box of Pandora. Truly a wondrous artifact!” He runs a hand along it, opening it up with dramatic flair. “Hmm… I am unsure if a defective and charred wing will be of much use to a man like me?”

Pandora SLAMS it shut, nearly hitting his fingers. “DON’T… just… open my box. It’s MINE. And don’t talk like that about that wing! It means more to me than you could POSSIBLY know!” She snaps before lowering her gaze. “Sorry. It’s been-”

Dante gives a nervous chuckle. “Dante gives a nervous chuckle at the young damsel’s sudden outburst. Despite his Eye of Lucifer, this was one thing he could not see coming! Though he truly had not meant any offense; I do apologize,” He steps back and holds his hands up defensively. “Dante put the pieces together nigh-instantaneously; It is the wing of Icarus, correct? You two were close. My deepest condolences about-”

“I got it. Alright… just… Here,” She moves the hoodie she’s wearing and her dress aside revealing the void in her stomach. 

Dante rubs his stubble curiously. “Fascinating. I had heard the stories,” He winces and his demonic eye twitches. “Aaah. The Void. My Eye of Lucifer is reacting strongly to this. But I SHALL persevere!” He slowly plunges his hand in. “As our brave main hero felt around in this unfamiliar-”

“Could you please not narrate while you do that…? It’s… already uncomfortable enough.”

Dante pulls back after getting a grip on something and pulls out a key. A small cartoonish fire symbol as the head and the word Dante spelt in a cursive font as the teeth. “Aaaah. A key fit for a protagonist! Fire is a very common element to grant your main hero!” He says with a smile. 

“I guess so? Um… put it in the box. And THEN you can open it.”

“The ever-cheerful Dante slowly inserted the key into the lock, turning it and thusly opened the inscrutable box to find its contents have altered! No longer is there the wing of Pandora’s beloved but instead… a weapon fit for the name Dante Alighieri!” He declares pulling out a metal cross. “The cross is ornately decorated, with a three-leafed clover-pattern on each point, the smooth metal appearing like vines or leaves, a gem at the center of each clover petal; Incredible. I am certain this will serve me well…” He suddenly gives a pained grunt and grabs a hand over his demonic eye. “Yes… it seems my Eye of Lucifer is reacting well to it. This will function… consummately.”

Pandora can’t help but smirk as Dante collects himself. “So melodramatic…”

Dante laughs and runs a hand through his hair. “Just watch, Damsel. Allow the protagonist to take the stage! And save the day!” He flashes his glowing demonic eye at her with an arrogant smirk.

“I hope so. So this nightmare can finally be over.”

-Valhalla Arena-

The arena has already been fixed up. Heimdall feels slightly on edge as he looks around. “Oh by the gods of Heaven… please let this round be normal…” He mutters. “After the last two put the audience in danger… I wonder if I should just… cancel Ragnarok,” He smacks his own cheeks. “No no no! Ragnarok MUST go on! Besides… Lord Ra would probably kill me…” He checks his display seeing the next two. “Okay… yeah they will be fine this time… Wait… how did Lord Ra manage to get HIM here?”

Pandora enters the arena in time to watch the fight, taking her usual spot up next to the railings. However as she approaches she notices someone already standing and waiting for her. Lucifer. Though he’s wearing something different than last time. Puffy-sleeved undershirt with one black and one red sleeve. With a checkered and diamond-checkered vest also split in half like the undershirt, showing some of his chest in the V-neck displaying some glowing markings. His hair’s also worn long this time, rather than slicked back.

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Pandora steps up next to him, hands in her hoodie pockets.

The warden looks down at her as she steps up casually next to him. “Greetings. I see you lost your hair.”

She just blankly stares down at the arena, seeing a brief flash in her mind of Icarus turning to look at her during the fight. “I… lost a lot more than that.”

“Your spark. A word of advice-” He starts before Pandora grunts to interrupt him.

“I don’t… need more advice. No more hugs. No more comfort I just need to get this tournament over with now. Why are YOU here anyways? Michael already fought.”

Lucifer taps his fingers gently against the head of his serpent-shaped staff. “Hm. So I see. I am here because the fighter you chose asked me to be here. He is an old acquaintance.”

“Right,” Pandora adds as she takes a deep breath, leaning on the railing.

Lucifer steps forward as well. “He is not exactly my first and foremost choice upon hearing the word ‘warrior’.”

“I chose him for a reason.”

“... Interesting.”

Heimdall raises his Gjallarhorn. “Gods and Goddesses! Ladies and Gentlemen! We are BACK! For the next round of RAGNAROK! I can clearly see that our numbers have dwindled after the… ahem… repeated dangers among the participants… my deepest apologies for that, BUT! This time! I ASSURE you there is NO danger! Because the gods this time are sending this individual!” He proudly declares as he gestures to the Heaven entrance.

“Once a well-known and active god of the Duat, since the ascension of the mighty Lord Ra to the throne he has retreated to the quiet and diligent life within Babel, Heaven’s foremost frontier of knowledge! From there he rules his Library much like a king in his own right! Presiding over all the knowledge of both Heaven and Earth! And it shows!” Heimdall calls as Thoth steps into the light, his book floating in front of him, several pages floating around him displaying various screens, which he is observing with a stern but casual concentration. Barely paying attention to Heimdall’s words.

“Heimdall. Please do not exaggerate.”

“I am not! For this god, even the most obscure of wisdoms are common knowledge! In his singleminded pursuit of the many truths of the heavens he has solved problems thought to be impossible! From humanity’s Millenium problems, all solved in a short evening, to even the great mysteries of Heaven such as the original god Ymir’s disappearance! Responsible for the design of the cage that held the mighty Apep The Corruptor for more than AN ERA! His vast understanding of the make-up of Heaven is not to be underestimated. And yet one mystery that Heaven currently has! Why has this god, who has always claimed to stand above things such as Ragnarok decided to descend onto the battlefield!? Either way we WELCOME him with open arms! As surely THIS GOD will NOT cause untold damages and endanger the audiences! BEHOLD Heaven! Your penultimate champion! Heaven’s Smartest God! THE LIBRARIAN OF BABEL! THE CURATOR OF TRUTH! LOOOOOORD THOOOOOOOOOTH!!!!” He finishes as Thoth’s many screens all fold back into his book and he slams it shut almost to punctuate his own entrance.

Thoth sighs. “Must you be so extravagant? Many of those things were highly misleading.”

Heimdall clears his throat. “I mean… with all due respect, Lord Thoth. It is more entertaining this way.”

“I care about the truth. Not frivolous hyperbole. The Ymir hypothesis was a collective effort with many fellow scholars. And while I may have DESIGNED Apep’s prison, I cannot take credit for neither his capture, nor the prison’s construction.”

Heimdall blinks a few times. “I-I mean… well I-”

“And I am no king. I am, at most, a CEO. I pay my employees wages, give them benefits. They are free to leave after clocking out. I am no king. That word has been tainted by Ra. And I did not leave for Babel because of Ra’s ascension…”

“You… didn’t? I thought-” Before Heimdall can respond someone appears next to him, having simply walked up, without making himself known, grabbing his Gjallarhorn out of his hand.

“Aaaah! A fellow literary mastermind! Superb!” Dante declares. “The watchman of the final stand of humanity, happily delivers his speech about humanity’s final challenger with the passion of a thousand suns!” His words make Thoth’s eyebrow twitch a little.

Heimdall jumps at his horn, but Dante spins out of the way. “Hey give that back!”

“He speaks as follows!” Dante gestures to his own entrance. “Now for THIS MAN! What is a man but the legend he leaves behind? He is NAUGHT! As such humanity saw no better fit for their final champion than THIS MAN! Hailing from the great Italy, he revolutionized the world with his findings about the afterlife!’,” Dante runs down the hall again. “‘As the echoing steps of humanity’s champion reverberate down the fine marbled halls, slowly the man’s leather boots come into view. Thoth, his opponent, tenses in his muscles. He can tell. This man is different. Heimdall continues; ‘The one and ONLY human in all of Heaven granted unlimited access to go back to Earth, despite his mortal demise, he stands amongst gods in many regards!”

Heimdall tries in vain to grab his Gjallarhorn again as Dante steps into the light. “Come on, this is not funny!” However at home several kids laugh at the human’s antics.

“Now standing here at the stage of Ragnarok, the poet and writer’s empowering Eye of Lucifer flares up! BEHOLD Heaven! For this is the man who can destroy the Heavens with his power! A human beyond even the gods! Humanity’s 12th and final champion! Humanity’s Greatest Writer! THE AUTHOR OF THE INFERNO! THE MAIN CHARACTER OF RAGNAROK! DANTEEEEEE ALIGHIERIIIIIIII!!!!” Dante strikes a pose and tosses the Gjallarhorn aside haphazardly.

Heimdall sprints after it and dives to catch it, blowing the dust off it and checking the signature on it he got from Hachiman. “This guy… is a whole other can of worms from Thoth… let’s just…” He shakes his head. “And with tha-”

“The great Watchman of the Apocalypse can hardly contain his excitement. To see what this human can do!” 

Thoth meanwhile stands firm, not reacting to Dante’s display. He instead opens his book, flipping a few pages. He pulls out a small hard-light circle with several extra circles inside off the page and slaps it over his ear. The circles spin and fold out over his eye.

“Private Channel Established. How are you today, Lord Thoth?” A void speaks in his ear.

“Set chatter to minimum, analyse this human. Does his signature match the unknown item?”

“Beginning analysis… … … preliminary results show: Yes. However, a secondary energy signature also detected.”

“Very well. Primary target label; Bandage. Secondary source… choose a name. We proceed. Heimdall if you would?” Thoth flips to another page, pulling two tiles with a hieroglyph on them translating to ‘fly’, tossing them out in front of himself and they click onto his sandals.

Heimdall sighs. “I am… trying, Lord Thoth. LET THE TWELFTH ROUND OF RAGNAROK!!!! BEGIN!”

Dante raises his cross. “Behold! My power!” He says with a grin as the cross begins to grow, three of the four points simply extending while the fourth grows differently. Longer, sharper until Dante has to grip it with both hands. The cross now forms a massive stone-like greatsword. “The Cross of Dante!” He charges forward, dragging the sword behind him.

Thoth flips to a different page in his book which has a handprint on it. “I have no time for these games,” He quickly presses his palm against it, pulling it away leaving a glow on his hand. BOOK OF THOTH CHAPTER 1: BASIC BATTLE TACTICS! SECTION 3: BREAKER PALM! Thoth suddenly takes a casual step forward, however he seems to move unnaturally fast, as if his steps and stride don’t match his walking speed. He holds his palm forward and attempts to grab at Dante’s head.

Dante dodges right and counters with an overhead swing with his massive blade! Thoth sidesteps it with ease thanks to his ‘improved stride’, but Dante does not relent! Continuing the attack by spinning around fully and trying again. “The god of Wisdom quickly came to realize that the puissant attacks of Dante Alighieri cannot be stopped so EASILY!” He slams his blade down again, Thoth this time grabbing hold of it with his glowing palm, acting like a hard-light shield. 

Thoth clenches his fist and shatters the blade with ease. Dante quickly hops back. Thoth raises his other hand, several hardlight tendrils shooting out from his finger-tips, grabbing hold of the large shards of Dante’s broken blade, and with a casual flick of his wrist Thoth sends the shards back at Dante!

The author dodges with flair, even taking the time to run a hand through his hair. “And despite his best efforts, Thoth was unable to land even the slightest of blows! A blunder? A mishap? A failing perhaps!? NAY! It was simply-”

“BoT. Material analysis. This is no ordinary stone. Parallelize with current tasks.”

“Yes, Thoth. Initial analysis indicates material shares similar signature to secondary energy source emanating from opponent; Label: Dantenergy.”

“... Interesting name. Regardless, focus on that for now,” Thoth holds out his glowing palm to Dante. “I am sorry, Dante Alighieri. As much as I am sure you would enjoy me listening to your ramblings. I have far more important things to do.”

Dante clenches his grip on his blade and it regrows from the shattered base into a new sword. “Oh? It appears the villain has grown rather cavalier already! A mistake that will assuredly prove fatal to him, soon enough!”

Lucifer looks to Pandora. “Are you sure this was a wise choice?”

Pandora lets on a slight smirk. “Even if he’s a little… talkative. Dante is the one choice whom I knew from the start that I wanted to keep in reserve. There’s no one I would rather have standing down there, right now. Because with the weapon I gave him, he might just, truly, be as strong as he claims.”

-The Jade Palace-

Yu Huang and Ao Kuang sit and watch the arena intermission, Yu Huang letting out a loud sigh. “So… that is the end of Arthur Pendragon…” He stands, crossing his arms behind his back.

Ao Kuang gulps seeing his father in such deep contemplation. “... father. You spoke of him in quite strange terms. May I know why?”

Yu Huang nods. “Of course, my boy. It is because… he is the man who made me vote for the destruction of humanity.”

“W-what?! I suppose… I had never considered or doubted your reasons…”

“Yes. He was a destructive and brazen man. He killed many dragons in the name of conquest. His legends as well… caused the extermination of the dragons of Earth back in that time. And yet I cannot truly find myself hating him. How… hypocritical of me. To blame a man who had changed from who he once was.”

Ao Kuang walks up beside his father looking out over their cloud-riding Xulong dragons dancing across the sky outside. “I do not think so, father. You have torn down your very core and rebuilt yourself while he merely changed his outlook, not his very being.”

Yu Huang gives Ao Kuang a gentle affirming squeeze on the shoulder. “Thank you, my boy. Say, my son. It has been long since we went and did something together.”

Ao Kuang nods. “That is true. I could use the distraction. I was going to go the round and check on the dragons. Would you care to join me?” 

Yu Huang strokes his beard. “Ah yes. That sounds quite wonderful. Where to first, my boy?”

Ao Kuang takes out a stone tablet which inscribes a few things on it. “Well a few days ago, one of our young wyverns hurt its wing. Perhaps we ought to check up on him.”

Yu Huang nods. “Oh dear. Let us do so, posthaste. Why did you not inform me of this?” Ao Kuang whistles, causing one of the xiaolong dragons to float down in front of him and he gets on top. Yu Huang meanwhile makes a gesture with his hands and a jade crystal cloud forms in front of him which he steps onto as they set off.

“You have been… rather busy with Ragnarok these past few days, father.”

A silence falls over them, thinking about Ragnarok. “... Quite so…” Yu Huang brings himself to say, looking to Ao Kuang who is deep in thoughts, clenching the xiaolong’s back fin as it runs along the clouds. “She had fun, Ao Kuang. And she fought well.”

Ao Kuang gives a soft smile, somewhat full of regret. “Yes she did. But it is hard to believe she is truly gone. It does not feel like it. We do not see each other often… I had not seen her since her ‘curse’ after all.”

Yu Huang tries to find some words of comfort. “... Time spent together does not measure a friendship the same as a reunion after time apart does. I saw you with her after you reunited. As though no time had passed at all,” He recalls when Ao Kuang was still young and playing in the gardens of Shinto with Tsukuyomi. Back when he was… someone else.

Ao Kuang laughs. “And yet so much had changed. But I suppose she found her match in that man, Houdini. Even if his… brazen display after her… death, annoyed me to no end,” 

“Annoyed? Past tense?” Yu Huang steps off the cloud into one of the wyvern habitats. A floating island with the beginnings of snow gently falling. Orange, withering leaves on all the trees, a gentle cool breeze at all times. Wyverns are highly territorial and familial, so even this large island is home to only a single wyvern clan.

Ao Kuang nods as he gives a light shiver from the sudden drop in temperature. “In the moment, I was furious. Not befitting a member of the Jade Palace. But I recall the moment vividly. Something about his attitude change felt rather… insincere. But regardless we are here,” 

Yu Huang steps off the dragons, seeing someone approaching. It is Ao Kuang’s twin brother, Ao Run. “Ah, father. A pleasure to see you here,” He bows and Yu Huang bows back.

“The pleasure is mine. But I am told… that a young dragon has been hurt? I was wondering if I may meet it to ensure it is healing well?”

Ao Run nods. “Of course. Right this way,” He gestures to the large expansive cave opening in front of them. 

Ao Kuang shivers a bit and rubs his arms to heat up. “I have never understood how you can exist here without freezing, brother.”

Ao Run laughs gently. “I believe it is my natural constitution, brother. But it is not THAT cold. Just think how cold Ao Shun’s habitats are.”

“Do not remind me…”

As they step closer something MASSIVE suddenly crashes to the ground in front of them. A wyvern. Twice the size of the one Yu Huang had used as a construct in his battle with Hartmann. Pale white scales, and rimfrost-like patterns flowing through its wings. 

It ROARS in their faces, but the Celestial Sage does not budge, merely folding his hands into his sleeves. “This one is Roar, father. The father of the clan,” Ao Run informs him.

“Aaaaah yes. I recall his hatching, many many years ago,” Yu Huang smiles with joy, despite the aggressive behavior. “Apologies for intruding upon your lands, oh mighty dragon,” He bows deeply. “We are here to see your young injured whelp,” He reaches out a hand. “I know you are scared and protective of your weakened young. But please. You know me, young man.”

The wyvern stares at Yu Huang for a while, sniffing at his hand, huffing and stomping its feet, before it slowly back away and allows them to follow it into the cave where an even larger Wyvern is lying, huddled up around a nest of heated rocks. It angrily huffs at Yu Huang and the sons as they approach. But Roar seems to huff and convey they mean no harm. And after sniffing Yu Huang a few times seems to recognize the scent. “And this is your mate? What a powerful beauty you have found, my friend,” He bows to the large wyvern. Female wyverns generally grow far larger than their male counterparts. The female wyvern spreads her tail and removes her wing, revealing a young whelp under her wing with bandages on its wing, folding it closed. “... hm. What happened to this one, Ao Run?” He gets closer, causing the whelp to squeal and squirm until it feels Yu Huang’s gentle hand on its snout. “Calm yourself, young man. This is no way for a noble dragon to behave,”

Ao Run steps in closer, much more carefully than his father. “It got into a fight with one of its siblings and was crushed by a falling tree that fell.”

“Oh young can be so rough and eager to prove themselves,” He reaches to his belt, gently cupping the wyvern gem. “Your Lord blesses you, young whelp,” He takes a deep breath and focuses on the gem, making it glow faintly and he holds it over the wound. “It will not heal just from this, young whelp. But should help it along. You are strong. Cherish your sibling,” He stands and bows to the dragons before the two of them head out, the big wyvern poking her brood with her nose as if to check on him, the younger dragon letting out a cute sneeze of frost fire.

Getting back on their dragon and cloud. “What a terrible accident. I am glad you were here, Ao Run,” Yu Huang says with a smile.

Ao Run bows. “Thank you for coming by, father. It was lovely to see you again. You as well, brother,” 

The two set off again. Yu Huang chuckles to himself. “I am reminded of a moment from YOUR youth. You and Ao Run had not seen eye to eye on a matter and got into an altercation much like this one.”

Ao Kuang blinks in confusion. “I… you remember that?”

Yu Huang lowers his gaze. “I am aware I did not… handle it well back then. I hope I have improved my parenting. Not that you four require it any longer.”

Ao Kuang laughs. “I still have much to learn from you, father. Now… Next would be-” However Ao Kuang is interrupted by an explosion on a nearby island. 

“What in the name of the dragon lords is that…?” Yu Huang changes course with haste, speeding far past Ao Kuang’s Xiaolong’s running speed. Approaching one of the large habitats, expansive in many directions he sees a drake, the size of his own Dracomancy construct scorching the earth with its powerful firebreath. Ao Qin, the youngest of his children desperately flying around it. 

“Gaidrus! Please calm yourself! This is no way for a Dragon Lord to behave!” He angrily strikes the giant dragon with his dragon spear, but it’s no use. Suddenly from within the ground the Fire Drake is scorching erupts a massive Xiaolong with icy blue scales, which grabs hold of the Gaidrus and bites down on its neck. “Dammit Ao Shun! Didn’t we agree NEVER to bring their territories close!?” Ao Qin calls out as Ao Shun is standing at the back of the giant Xiaolong pulling on its tail rather pointlessly trying to wrestle it away from the drake, his legs frozen to the wintery ground around him.

“I do not control where Di Dao floats his island! Just get him away and we’ll move his island, before they wipe out this entire territory and we’ll yell at each other LATER!”

The two dragon lords roar at one another in anger, Gaidrus preparing a massive fireball while Di Dao quickly climbs around the massive dragon and jerking its head away, blasting the massive fireball straight at Yu Huang who approaches with haste. Yu Huang pulls his arm back, thrusting forward with two fingers, piercing the fireball which easily outsizes him and it simply dissipates. “My sons! RETREAT AT ONCE!” He orders and Ao Qin and Ao Shun both look up at the tiny cloud approaching them.

“Father be careful! These are the new Dragon Lo-” 

“WHAT!!!!!???? IS THE MEANING!?? OF THIS!!!!???” Yu Huang erupts off the top of his lungs catching the attention of the two dragon lords who roar at Yu Huang before continuing their fight. “You do not wish to heed my warnings? So be it!” Yu Huang dives off his cloud, falling straight down towards the two massive dragons, he reaches back, grabbing two of his stones, clenching them tightly. “Then perhaps I will remind you of the authority entrusted to me!” 

Two monstrously large projections appear around him of a faint jade-like glass. A drake and xiaolong. Majestic and proud, yet calm and with a quiet flaming anger about them. The two dragon lords instantly cease their fighting and almost whimper to the floor as Yu Huang floats between the two, a stone in each hand. “I am aware of, and understand your need for battle. Your pride taints your very nature and it is nothing to be ashamed of. HOWEVER!” Yu Huang gestures around the area which is in flames, many far smaller dragon species and other fauna hurrying out of the burning trees and seeking shelter. “Your foolish actions have consequences! And bring shame upon your names! Gaidrus! Di Dao!” Yu Huang holds his hands up, gesturing to the two massive dragons. “As future Dragon Kings! These two. Are the standards to which you must rise. Noble. Fair. Powerful. DO NOT make me teach you this lesson the hard way!” 

The two large dragons naturally do not understand his words exactly, however the quiet judgmental gaze of their ancestors beaming down on them convey approximately the same message in far less words. The Gaidrus gives one final roar at Di Dao before he shoots off to a nearby island where he stands at the edge, watching Di Dao’s cloud-borne island floating away. Yu Huang slowly sets down and lets out a heaving gasp as the projections disappear. “Paaaaaah… goodness. That truly does take much from me still… I am showing my age, hohoh,” He chuckles as Ao Qin and Ao Shun come to his aid to help him up. 

“Father! Thank goodness you arrived so swiftly… Ao Shun really was slacking on his duties.”

Ao Shun crosses his arms, towering over the two others. “Apologies but there are MANY Xiaolongs who carry their islands wherever they so please. I cannot control them, any more than YOU cannot control the Drakes.”

Yu Huang coughs a little. “Boys. My dear boys… do not… make me teach YOU a lesson too,” He laughs and pats them both on the shoulder. “The work you do to keep the dragons safe is instrumental. I truly do value you both. In the future… please do not put yourselves in such danger.”

“... we had to, father. There were others at stake.”

“... it is as you taught us. Save and care for others, whenever the need arises.”

“We are the ones strong enough to do so,” The two brothers’ eyes connect and Ao Shun shrugs. “Apologies for my negligence…”

Ao Qin clears his throat. “... I should have seen it coming. The fault is mine…”

Ao Shun squints. “Nay. It lies with me.”

“No ME!” the two once more scowl at each other.

Ao Kuang finally arrives at the scene. His dragon had, wisely, decided to remain at a distance from the dragon lords. “Father! Are you alright?” 

Yu Huang laughs and fixes his robe. “A little exercise never harmed an old man. Shall we?” He gets back on his cloud.

Ao Shun and Ao Qin both bow. “Thank you, father. Safe travels.”

As they fly away Yu Huang gives another soft smile. “Ah those two. Always at odds. And yet they clearly care for one another.”

Ao Kuang gives a soft chuckle. “Siblings will drive you to madness, and yet you would lay down your life for your brother.”

Yu Huang nods folding his hands back in his sleeves. “Yes. As would I for my children. I only regret that it took destroying countless families for me to learn the importance of them…”

“Your mind drifts to Wukong, father?”

A sigh escapes the Celestial Sage’s lips. “Yes. Often so. I can never truly make up for what I have done to that boy… I will never expect his forgiveness so long as I draw breath… or even after I cease. And that is okay. I am eternally grateful to him for sparring not just my life… but the lives of you four as well.”

A rather somber silence falls over the two of them as they fly. “Ahem… where to, my boy?”

Ao Kuang beams up all of a sudden. “OH! Yes! Hurry father! We are late!” He gives a smack on his Xiaolong and it speeds up, rushing towards the Jade Palace.

“Late? Whatever for!?” Yu Huang speeds up as well. 

“It matters not, does it father! Shall we race!? For fun?” 

Yu Huang laughs and strokes his beard. “Oh dear a race! Very well, my boy!” Yu Huang sets off faster, Ao Kuang and him laughing as they zoom across the skies, Ao Kuang attempting to use his large dragon to get in Yu Huang’s way. In the end the young dragon king arrives first with Yu Huang shortly behind, his hair windswept now and he quickly fixes his beard. “Ohohoho. You really have gotten better as a dragon handler, my boy,” He pats his son on the back looking around. They are standing at the coastline of one of the massive ‘on site’ habitats of the Jade Palace. “Aaaah. I see. Kiaka’s habitat,” he smiles softly. One of the younger dragons who live at the Jade Palace. Weak at birth, with no mother, Ao Kuang has personally seen to her growth.

Ao Kuang nods. “Yes. I have felt it father. They are ready.”

Yu Huang smiles widely. “Her eggs are hatching!? Oh most wonderful. Shall we head inside and see it from the glass?” He suggests and Ao Kuang laughs as he takes off his robes. 

“Of course not father! This you MUST see in person. Come on!” Ao Kuang jumps into the water with a quick splash and springs from the water like a dolphin. Soon after something stirs in the water as Ao Kuang is lifted out of the water by a large sharp head. Followed by another. And another. And another. And yet another. “Kiaka! How’re you doing, girls!?” He scratches the head he’s on and any that come close. Each head about the size of himself. 

Yu Huang chuckles. “I will simply watch from inside, my boy.”

“What?! No! Come on father! Whyever not?!” 

Yu Huang sheepishly blushes. “I… ahem… I do not know how to swim.”

Ao Kuang pauses a little before jumping off Kiaka’s head, the hydra approaching Yu Huang with her heads for scratches as well. “... I… did not expect that father. You have always felt so skilled in all fields.”

Yu Huang strokes his beard. “Well… I know which fields I excel in… and mostly choose to do activities that involve those. I do know how to move in water using my magic. However… with Kiaka’s eggs I do not wish to disturb them accidentally… I will watch from with-”

Ao Kuang takes Yu Huang’s hand. “I’ll help you, father! I’ll guide you along. You only need to focus on breathing underwater. Trust me father. Allow me to assist you.”

Yu Huang’s eyes widen. This boy truly has grown a lot since he was young. “What a fine young man you have become, my boy,” Yu Huang gets his own robe neatly folded next to Ao Kuang’s. Despite his older age he is quite fit underneath, but bandaged up to keep himself from hurting. The two step into the water. As the Dragon King of the West River, Ao Kuang can naturally breathe underwater, but Yu Huang needs to use a magical technique to maintain the ability to do so. 

Yu Huang feels rather powerless as he begins to sink to the bottom, Ao Kuang taking his hands and swimming backwards with ease, gesturing down to Yu Huang telling him to kick his legs. The Celestial Sage does so, though his technique is flawed, Ao Kuang giving a low chuckle, making Yu Huang blush and furrow a brow a little as if saying ‘do not laugh at your father’. 

The cerulean lake of water shudders and moves as Kiaka fully reveals herself underneath them, a rather small yet fully grown hydra with ‘only’ five heads. She pokes Yu Huang along down to her nest on the bottom. Where her four large eggs are laying with a window into the Jade Palace right next to it. The angels inside, cleaning all notice Yu Huang in the water and point in surprise. He gives a nervous wave as they set down next to the eggs. 

Kiaka beams with pride at her eggs. Yu Huang gently places a hand on one of the eggs. They are brimming with life. Any moment now. One of the eggs shakes. Kiaka’s many heads zero in on the egg with big eyes. The baby within struggles to break through the shell and Kiaka gives a grunt but Ao Kuang holds her back from poking it. This is something the whelp needs to do on its own. Yu Huang smiles as he sees a crack in the egg and the dragon within manages to finally poke itself out, a little tiny head which lets out its biggest roar it can manage. Its eyes are closed and Kiaka gently pokes it with one of her beaks. Yu Huang stands back as the other eggs follow suit and the tiny waterborn dragons flood out into pool, Kiaka’s heads swirling around to keep them close to the nest, with the fifth head finding some food which seems to attract the whelps back to the nest to eat their first meal.

Yu Huang wraps an arm around his son and looks down at him with a smile. He is glad he trusted him and saw this up close with his own eyes. It is beautiful. The birth of new life. And a new mother, excited for parenthood. This is what strength is meant to protect.

Pandora sits in the Akashic Records, staring blankly at the screen in front of her. It’s turned off, only reflecting her face back at her. A face full of regret. Of pain. Longing. Grief.

She stands up slowly, sniffling ever so slightly before putting on her bravest face. She steps out of the room, coming face to face with Hephaestus again and she blinks. “Father… I thought you- … you were… waiting out here?”

Hephaestus nods. “O-of course… You said… you said you wanted to be alone but… I don’t know what else to do.”

Pandora smiles and steps forward to hug against her dad’s big metal beard. “Thanks dad. It means a lot. Can we- Go to Crete? I need to… to see them,” She says keeping a smile forced on her face.

Hephaestus gently picks her up. “Okay my treasure… but… you cannot fool your father with a smile like that. Let it out if you need.”

Pandora feels tears welling up in her eyes as she quietly lies herself against his shoulder to sob. “He was really incredible wasn’t he?” She mutters, her father smiling.

“He was. It is rare to find boys his age who are so in tune with his own heart.”

“He really just always did what he thought was right… no matter what anyone else told him…” She smiles softly. “I… He really upset me that one time… with Michael. Made me cry. I wish… this was just that again…” She sniffles. “That he just made me cry by yelling at me. And hating me. Instead of being-” Her words get caught in her throat and she rolls deeper into Hephaestus’s shoulder.

“I know, Pandora. I know.”

-Crete-

The doors to Crete open up with ease as Hephaestus sets Pandora down to let her walk on her own, waiting for her at the exit. The guards don’t stop her. They saw the battle… they felt her pain. The rules be damned. King Minos would not want this.

She walks towards the town which is eerie and quiet for once. Completely unlike what Pandora experienced just an hour or so earlier. She walks into the town, the people still around their feasting area, looking around not really knowing what to do.

The atmosphere is crushing. Pandora feels like she might pass out from the sheer pressure.

As soon as they spot Pandora, several of them stand up. “I-I… I’m sorry. I couldn’t… I don’t have any excuse I-I just… need to see Daedalus… Please. E-even if you’ll hate me. I just need to see him.”

Sisyphus is the first to speak, nodding. “Understood…” He brings her to the tower, fetching a tall ladder they use to enter the window. “... You did… you did good, kid,” He adds before walking somberly back to the others, a quiet dread hanging over his head. 

Pandora hangs her head for a few seconds before looking up the ladder. Icarus was really the only one who could easily come and go. They never use this ladder. She ascends, her vision blurring as she does. What will she even say to him? What could she POSSIBLY say to convey what she feels? There’s NOTHING in this world she can say that excuses her failure. She sets down inside the dimly lit room of Daedalus.

She hears troubled breathing… looking around she sees shredded paper. Blueprints for Project Naucrate and its many weapons. All written over with black markers and crumbled and ripped apart in a frenzy. The wall of wings is gone, only empty hooks. Daedalus put them all into Naucrate after all. The single lantern in the room is on the floor, knocked over and extinguished. “Haaaah… my boy… I-I…” She looks into the corner of the room seeing the incredibly small figure of Daedalus sitting, crouched over.

“M-Mister Daedalus?” Pandora makes herself known and Daedalus completely freezes up, letting the already cold room fall into an eerie silence. The only light in the room is the sunlight from the window fully illuminating Pandora, leaving the grieving father in shadow.

“...” He remains silent.

 “I… I just… I wanted to say- I mean-” She bites her lips to quell her quivering lips. “I-I should have stopped him! I-It’s my fault he’s gone! Your Project Naucrate was AMAZING! It was ME who failed him! I-I ki-” She starts when suddenly Daedalus SPRINGS to life, charging straight at her. She jumps when she feels him TIGHTLY embrace her. A hand on the back of her head.

“Don’t! Don’t say that, Pandora. You did not kill him. You did not fail him. Okay?” He gently cups her cheek, making Pandora recall Icarus doing the exact same thing when they were attempting to Volund. “I saw the fight. I saw EXACTLY what you did. You threw yourself into the fray to save him. I could not ask for more. Are you okay?”

Pandora feels the floodgates opening up once. “No…” She whispers and Daedalus tightly hugs her again.

“I-I know I am practically just a stranger to you but… would you like to talk?” Pandora nods. The two take a seat and Daedalus gently takes her hands and rubs his thumbs over the back of them. “I am so glad.”

Pandora looks a little puzzled. “G-Glad? What do you mean, mister Daedalus?”

“I’m glad that my… my boy’s final moments he got to see how much- How much you care about him,” He says clearly suppressing so much pain.

Pandora sniffles a little. “Yeah. I wish… I had-”

“We all have regrets, Pandora,” He gives her hands a tight squeeze. “But…” He chuckles a little. “Do you REALLY think you could have stopped him?” He finishes with a tender smile.

Pandora lets out a suppressed snort. “Hah… I-I guess not. He was so stubborn. He wanted to go-”

“So he went,” Daedalus finishes and the two have a soft chuckle together. “I… I knew he…” He stifles a sob. “I knew that he knew he was going to lose… that he was… walking into his death.”

Pandora’s eyes widen. “??!!”

“When you two left my tower. He said ‘I love you’... he didn’t… he didn’t say goodbye. He always says goodbye or ‘see you later, dad’. But… not this time.”

Pandora is now the one to squeeze Daedalus’s hands. “Because he knew it’d be too painful to say.”

The silence falls over them again. It is slightly more comfortable now. At ease with itself. Eventually they chat a little more about Icarus. Daedalus sharing anecdotes from his time on Crete. Pandora sharing moments from their date to Camelot. From their time spent in Ichiko’s room.

They laugh. They cry.

Daedalus sniffles a little as they finish talking. “He was… my everything. My reason… my reason for living. I don’t know- What is an old withered man like me to do… now that he’s gone?” He sobs, letting go of her hands and putting them over his face.

Pandora suddenly realizes. This man… he is putting on such a brave front. He must be hurting even more than she is. He lost his only child. He must blame himself equally as much for it. And here she came along. And she is crying and talking about HER grief. Forcing him to suppress his grief for HER sake. Making herself a burden to him… no. That’s not right.

Pandora takes a look around the room before smiling gently at Daedalus. “You are… a brilliant inventor, Daedalus. You can do so much good. That’s WHY you built Naucrate. To help Icarus be better…? So… do it again. For others. It will… maybe never be the same for you but… you HAVE TO keep living, Mister Daedalus. Promise me. For Icarus.”

Daedalus laughs and with teary eyes gives Pandora a bright smile. Or… as bright as he is able. “He really was not wrong about choosing to believe in you, Pandora. I-I can see why he would die for you.”

“Not just for me… for Crete too. And for you. I know it.”

Daedalus and her smile a little. A gentle smile of melancholy. Daedalus stands. “Pandora. I have something I want you to have,” He goes over to a chest and opens it up, pulling out… a zip-up hoodie. The same colors as the one Icarus usually wore. He hands it to the young girl. “I know it is… not much. But please. Take it. I don’t… I don’t have many things of his remaining but… He really loved his hoodies.”

Pandora looks down at the piece of clothing in her hands. “He really did… Thank you, Daedalus. I-I… I should go.”

“Of course. Of course… I wish you the best, Pandora. Please… be safe.”

She nods and as she steps out of the window, she looks over her shoulder. “See you later, Daedalus.”

“See you later, Pandora…” However as soon as she is out of the window frame Daedalus falls to his knees, burying his head in his hands once again. “... My boy… my darling boy…” He starts mumbling.

Pandora’s face falls from a smile as well as she descends the ladder. They were two people trying to keep the tone and feeling light but… both were hurting more than they could possibly express to one another. But she shouldn’t be a burden.

 As she gets to the bottom of the ladder she approaches the town once again. People are sobbing against one another. The sky is clear and the sunlight bathing over the island. “C-Citizens of Crete!” She yells out, getting everyone’s attention. “I-I’M SORRY!” She bows deeply. “I’m sorry, Icarus is gone! But… I WON’T let his sacrifice be in vain! PLEASE believe me! Icarus is still here! Inside your hearts! I could feel it when I was here earlier today! I could feel his presence all over this wonderful island! DON’T LET IT DISAPPEAR!” She screams out. “If you do that then… then he will TRULY disappear!” 

The citizens of Crete look to one another, before Narcissus slams his cup on the table. “I MISS HIM ALREADY!”

Echo mirrors his movements. “I MISS HIM ALREADY!”

Sisyphus follows suit. “I’ll drink to that. TO ICARUS! And FUCK RA!”

Theseus laughs. “He truly was my WORST student! He had NO talent with a blade and shield but BY CRETE if he did not give it his all!” He raises his cup. “TO ICARUS!”

“TO ICARUS! The sweetest boy we knew!” One of The Danaïdes calls out. “Could always count on him to bring a smile to our faces. Though he never DID let us cut that messy mane of hair!”

“TO ICARUS!” “TO ICARUS!” “TO ICARUS!” Crete repeats one by one and begins to laugh. Laughing at the heavens. 

“Go in peace Pandora. Crete will be fine!” Sisyphus finishes.

Pandora once more can tell. This is not joyous laughter. Of course it isn’t. Of course they’re not okay. However she turns her back and strides towards the exit to Crete. The laughter is all full of tears dripping into their drinks. She knows they’re laughing to hide it… maybe for their own sake… maybe even for HER sake… But they will not be fine. Not for a long time.

As she exits and the heavy gates slam behind her she sighs loudly. Hephaestus is once more waiting for her. “Pandora… my sweetness. How… are they doing?”

Pandora looks up at her titanic father and nods. “They’ll be fine, dad. We… we have a tournament to win…” She starts striding down the hallway on her own.

Hephaestus frowns after her. His little girl. She is being strong. “Of course, Pandora. Your dad will always be here for you. Okay?”

Pandora smiles back at him. “Of course, dad. I love you.”

“Love you too, Pandora.”

As Pandora returns to the Akashic Records she sits down at the table again. She unfurls the hoodie Daedalus gifted her. Icarus’s little cartoonish wing-symbol on the back. And a small feather-shape like a badge at the front. It is pretty stylish… She tries it on. It must be a fair bit old because it fits her quite well.

She looks around for a bit before finding a knife. She bundles her incredibly long hair up behind her. She loves her long hair. Icarus loved it too. She takes a deep breath and in one swift motion she SLASHES it off with the knife. She lets out a sigh of relief. “I can’t… I can’t lose this…” She says to herself in the mirror of the black screen. She gently places the feather that fell on her in the arena into her flower-crown. “WE won’t lose this, Icarus…”

-Babel-

Thoth has gotten up from the sofa, and is already back to work. Giza nervously pacing back and forth. “Lord Thoth…?”

“Yes Giza?” The god casually responds.

“Are you… not… upset? That fight… it ended so… tragically.”

Thoth pauses his movements for a moment. “... I did not know Icarus. And to expect a happy ending to a death match as serious as Ragnarok is to set yourself up for pain. It is a truth of the world that death is sad. … Very sad. But I understand if you need to collect yourself.”

Giza shakes a little. “I think… it is okay to be sad. Even if you knew it would happen. Even if you knew there’s nothing to be done, Lord Thoth.”

“... that would be nice. I was hoping for a different outcome as well. But unfortunately… Icarus put himself against Ra. The outcome could not have been different,” He adds, before smirking slightly. “But that human. He well and truly exceeded my expectations. By quite a large margin. I did not expect him to push Ra to such extremes,” The screen in front of him pops up with a hieroglyphic ‘notification’. “Hm. Speaking of the sun. Just in time.”

As Thoth taps the button of a hawk with unfurled wings he ‘picks up’ the call, showing Ra sitting in one of the healing pods, his eye currently with a healing orb attached. “Thoth.”

“Ra. Allow me to guess. You were utterly, utterly humiliated in your battle of Ragnarok, which, need I remind you, you said you needn’t participate in, and now you are going to ask ME to represent Heaven in the 12th round. How close am I?” Thoth can’t help but let on a little smirk.

“I am NOT in the mood for your attitude, Thoth! I do not CARE about Babel anymore. You WILL fight for me or Babel will be BURNED TO THE GROUND!” Ra angrily declares.

Thoth grimaces a little. “You will have to go through me for that to happen, Ra. But now that The Duat has seen you for the pathetic man-child I know you to be… I don’t imagine you will have the manpower to declare war on Babel. And you KNOW I am prepared for a fight with you. Even moreso than Icarus.”

“Don’t… say that name…”

“... Icarus.”

“GRRR… Thoth! I would like you to fight next. That is final.” Thoth rolls his eyes. “You DARE roll your eyes at-” Ra begins before another notification pops up on Thoth’s screen, taking his attention.

“One moment.”

“Don’t you DARE put me on hold, Thoth! You-” Beeeeeep…

Thoth’s computer voice speaks up. ‘Unknown signature’: 100% completed. Current matches: 53. Location spread-”

“How many here at Babel?”

‘Babel: 0. Other locations. Mt. Olympus: 1. Mt. Svarga: 1. Asgard: 1. The Duat: 11. Tópan: 1-’

“Skip to highest concentrations.”

‘Highest concentration of Unknown Signature: Valhalla Arena. Matches: 27.’

“... Project over a blueprint of Valhalla arena,” A blueprint of Valhalla arena appears on the screen with small black dots of smoke appearing on the screen at various places. “... The nooks and crannies I see… What… are you? Hm?” He notes however two particularly large dots. One over the ‘rooms’ and one near… “What???” He thinks for a moment. “BoT. Send this data to Heimdall with instructions to be subtle in the collection of these. It should look coincidental in their discovery. I want them here by nightfall.”

‘Sending data to Heimdall. Anything else I may do for y-’ Thoth swipes away his screen and Ra pops back up on the screen. 

“THOTH! You piece of-” 

“I will fight in the 12th round. It appears our goals align for once.”

Ra scoffs. “Good. I knew you would see sense.”

Thoth slams his book shut. “But allow me to make one thing, CRYSTAL clear. I am NOT fighting for you. I am fighting for Heaven. With that being said. Allow me to show you, Ra… what TRUE strength of character is. In case you did not learn your lesson from Icarus.”

“I told you not to-!” Beeeeeep

Thoth looks to Giza, who is honestly just shocked at Thoth’s behavior. He’s never seen him act so… openly disrespectful to another god. “Giza. I am entrusting you with Babel, until my return and…” He leans down and gently places a small emblem in her hand. “In case I do not return… you deserve to know the truth. You will know.”

Giza looks confused from Thoth, to the emblem, to the screen as Thoth walks away. “B-but Lord Thoth! LORD THOTH!?! I… I don’t understand. W-what changed your mind!?”

“It is something I must see for myself… if it is true… humanity may be the least of our concerns.”

Giza looks up at the schematic of Valhalla Arena, seeing the highlighted dot right outside a door in a hallway. Giza reads the label on the room it’s in front of. “The… Akashic Records?”

-Valhalla Arena-

Pandora sits at the table looking at her final two choices on her roster, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she looks over the crossed out faces, Icarus now among them. “We HAVE to win… I won’t… allow anyone else to die. So the only possible choice is…”

There’s a knock on the door and she stands and puts her hands in her new pockets.

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“It must be him… Come on in!” The door swings open and in the doorway stands a silhouette, the bright light of the corridor bathing his figure in enough light to completely obscure his figure.

“It would appear it is FINALLY time for the MAIN CHARACTER to swoop onto the scene and SAVE THE DAY!” 

https://preview.redd.it/q3ie9wbmt07h1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=41884ae541282655e489cdb9bf8bf2e05579f54a

Pandora sighs. “Hello Dante.”

(A/N: This chapter is part of a double release this week. Make sure you read The Previous Chapter before reading this one. 😄**)**

There HAS to be something he can do… right? Surely! There’s ALWAYS something. But no matter how much Icarus thinks… Nothing. No pods… no wings. No weapons. Not even protection from the heat anymore… he can BARELY think with this heat as is…

And yet he does all he can. Struggles and pulls and wiggles. Anything… something has to do SOMETHING! But Ra’s grip on his throat is too strong.

Osiris is looking smugly at the arena. “...” In Babel, Thoth, Sobek, Giza and the other sphinxes are watching intently. In the Jade Palace Yu Huang is watching with his sons. In Shinto, Raijin and Izanagi are watching. From the dark confines of his room, Michael and Friend are watching, Friend with a wicked smile on his pitch-black face. From his own room Cthulhu watches in silence. “Heh… so much for being fearsome, Ra.”

In the stands, Hephaestus, Sun Tzu, Beethoven, Wukong, Tyr, Ichiko, and Houdini all glare up at Ra holding their 11th champion, angrily striking him more and more.

From Crete, Icarus’s family watches. Sisyphus, The Danaïdes, Narcissus, Echo, Tantalus, Salmoneus, Theseus, Orpheus, Eurydice, Bellerophon, Midas, Sciron, Antaeus, Pallas, even King Minos watches from afar.

Up in his tower sits Daedalus, his eyes already filled with tears as he watches his son struggle against the sun. He hears a small ‘clink’ from behind him and briefly turns his head to see… the small gifted bird Icarus made for him… it fell off the shelf and sprung apart on impact. “... My boy… My little boy.”

ALL OF HEAVEN watches as Ra continues to strike Icarus in the face. “DO YOU NOT FEAR DEATH!? Do you WISH to die!? WHAT!? WHY AREN’T YOU-... AAAAAH!” Ra screams.

Icarus smirks as best he can. “Spooky… real… spooky.”

However one person does not sit idly by. “NO! This is OVER! WE CONCEDE!” Pandora yells out. “HE CAN’T WIN! WE GIVE UP!”

Ra scoffs. “I don’t fucking care,” He answers scornfully. “Watch me kill your foolish lover and despair, Little Pandora.”

Her eyes well up with tears. “Icarus… No…”

“Pandora…” Icarus answers almost unprompted. He can’t really hear her from up here.

Ra squeezes tighter around his throat. “Yes… it is really HER fault. When I’m done with you. It will be her turn.”

Icarus furrows a brow and strikes at Ra once again, but it does nothing. “You leave her ALONE!”

Pandora feels her heart pounding harder. “I-I need to go to him. Ichiko!” She yells as she steps onto the railing and LEAPS off the arena, past Tyr’s shield which is only one way.

Tyr’s eye widens. “Pandora? Stop! It’s dangerous!”

Ichiko however instantly leaps after her, forcing Tyr to focus on the shields. “I AM HERE! WE GO, GENERAL PANDORA!” He catches Pandora on his back. SUN-WOLF STYLE: TSUBAKI! He begins to leap into the air on his flaming flowers. Ra sees them coming and holds his other hand towards them, a sunball forming and he blasts it at them. “GO FRIEND PANDORA!” Ichiko TOSSES Pandora off of himself, getting shot down by Ra’s sunflames.

Pandora flies through the air at Icarus, her hair beginning to burn at the tips as she approaches from Ra’s heat.

Icarus’s eyes go wide. “Pan… dora???” He whispers as she begins to glow vibrantly.

“I’LL SAVE YOU, ICARUS! WE NEED EACH OTHER!” She yells out as Icarus weakly holds out his hand to touch hers.

In an instant the two suddenly almost find themselves in a blank void. Icarus completely healed. “Hey Pandora…” Icarus says and Pandora looks up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Icarus! Is this… Volund?”

Icarus looks around. “Looks like it… a lot whiter than I expected… And I guess time is slowing to a crawl too.”

“T-this isn’t the time for jokes! I’m here to save you! We have to do SOMETHING!”

Icarus smiles softly, reaches forward and gently cups her cheek. “I know you’re here to save me. Thank you. I guess we’ll be disqualified though…”

“I don’t CARE! We will win the next one! But I WON’T lose you!” She hugs him tightly, refusing to let go.

Icarus chuckles. “Pandora.”

“I won’t! I refuse!” She angrily clenches her entire body against his back.

“Pandoraaaaa…?”

“... No. Shut up! I know what you’re going to say,” She whispers, barely getting the words out through her quivering lips.

Icarus forces her to let the hug go and holds her out at arm’s length with a soft smile. “You have to let go. Don’t Volund with me… I gave it EVERYTHING I had. Everything. If we Volund now… you’re going to die.”

“Then we’ll die TOGETHER!” Icarus raises his hand as if to slap her, but stops.

“That’s… such a you thing to say. But… no. They need you. Humanity needs Pandora. It doesn’t need Icarus.”

Pandora stomps her foot. “But I need you!”

Icarus blinks a few times. Letting on a gentle grin. “I’m… that makes me really happy to hear…” He pats her head. “But it can’t happen. I’m sorry… I told you… it was a selfish request.”

“W-what are you talking about?!”

Icarus laughs a little. “I… I had a feeling I was going to die here, if I’m being honest. Trying to fight the sun has historically not really been my forté, haha. But I did well! I had a plan, I executed it! I really thought I had him too but… as soon as I saw him transform I pretty much knew I was going to die. He’s ridiculously strong…” He says rubbing the back of his head with a grin and sheepish laughter. “I guess saying it out loud… sounds pretty stupid, huh?”

Pandora angrily bangs on his chest. “Then WHY!? Why did you do it!?”

“I wanted to show YOU that with YOUR help… with the help of those I love… I could reach Ra. And YOU can reach him too. YOU can win this. Just this fight alone… you took command. You helped me fight. More than you know. Not just with an emblem and protecting the audience…”

Pandora sniffles. “Icarus I- … I can’t stop this… I want to be with you longer. I-I want us to go for… walks on the beach o-or go back to Camelot for another date! I-I want to… I want you to be by my side! I-I can’t force myself to leave you!”

Icarus smiles. “I know… which is why…” His eyes fill with tears, as he plants a soft kiss on her lips. “I’m going to use whatever tiny scraps of ‘hate’ I have left over for you… to do this. Please check up on my dad for me okay? Be strong, Pandora. I know you can be! You got this.”

“W-what?” Pandora mutters before Icarus SHOVES Pandora back to reality and the white glow SNAPS like electricity and Pandora is launched away from Icarus, caught by Ichiko. Pandora reaches out to Icarus, who responds by returning a peacesign and his brightest smile. “ICARUUUUUUUUUS!!” Her eyes well with tears.

Icarus’s eyes begin to tremble a little, feeling his heart pounding harder and louder, seeing her like this. “Come on now… don’t cry… I’ll get scar-,”

CRACK!!!!!

Ra’s grip finally SNAPS Icarus’s neck and he goes limp, blood flooding into his eyes, replacing the fire of defiance. However Ra’s anger does not subside. “SEE!? YOU COULD NEVER HOPE TO MATCH UP TO ME!” He winds his fist back again and STRIKES Icarus, again and again and again and again, pummeling his face to pieces. A brutal sight for all to see. “YOU! FILTHY! FUCKING! WORM!” He finally HURLS Icarus’s body towards the arena. It spins with his one wing fluttering lifelessly as his body slowly turns to dust, each shard breaking off like feathers from his wings.

Pandora is trembling. It feels as though her heart is being torn from her chest. Like her entire body is aflame. “No… No Icarus… Icarus…?” She mutters as Ichiko sets down on the arena and she falls off, scraping her knee on the way. Icarus’s dust falls to the ground in front of her, his body never even hitting the arena. “Icarus… I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” She crawls forward, helplessly grabbing at the dust as it fully disappears. “Please don’t leave me… don’t leave me alone again… please… I’m begging you… I need you!” She puts her head in her hands and sobs softly. The only thing that snaps her out of it is feeling something landing on his head and she picks it off. A slightly burnt feather. Icarus’s feather. She clutches it to her heart. “I’m sorry I wasn’t… good enough for you. If only… I hadn’t hesitated. If I got there just a little earlier. I’m so… so sorry,” She completely crouches down and screams. “AAAAAAAH!” The entirety of both sides of this Ragnarok recognize her grief. Silence. Not even Heimdall dares to speak the result of the round out loud.

Ra vs Icarus

Match length: 1 hour, 0 minutes, 1 seconds

Deciding move: Neck Snap

Victor: Ra

Ra lands in the arena with a booming crash. “YOU… it was YOU who made a fool of me. You disgusting homunculus,” He says, trembling in his entire body, though rather than Pandora’s grief it is sheer unbridled rage. He picks his staff off the floor and Pandora’s brow furrows. She crawls forward, picking up the broken sword of Theseus Icarus used and lifts it up towards Ra. Her stance is completely sluggish and she nearly drops it as she holds it out.

“I’m not… I’m not s-scared of you… Icarus is not scared of you… so I won’t be… e-either. Y-you made a fool out of yourself!”

Ra’s heat instantly knocks her down however. “Those damned eyes… You dare to speak to me in this defiant tone? I made no fool out of myself. I am RA! I am THE SUN HIMSELF! I MAKE FOOLS OUT OF THOSE WHO DARE STAND AGAINST ME!” However, just as he is about to step forward towards Pandora, his view is obstructed by a sight. Benkei, Wukong, and Ichiko all stepping in front of her, shielding her from him.

“You’ll have to go through us, birdy. I’ve half a mind to kill you right fucking now,” Wukong says.

Ra stomps his foot. His breathing is exasperated and irritated moreso than ever before. “Always… in my way… RAAAAAAAAAAWR!!” He roars before BLASTING into the sky and out of view, launching up a massive cloud of dust, disappearing over the side of the arena..

Quickly Heimdall reassembles the arena now that Ra has left, Hephaestus leaping down off the audience seats that finally reattached. “Pandora! My sweet… my… my baby girl.”

Houdini, Beethoven and Sun Tzu are joining them as well. All huddling around her. “Is there… is there anything we can do, Pandora?”

Pandora sobs and looks at the feather. “B-bring him back…” She holds it out to Wukong, Hephaestus, the audience of gods. “Please… is there ANYONE who can… w-who can do it? B-bring him back?” She desperately tries but as she attempts to walk closer to the gods, Beethoven grabs her shoulder and pulls her back, kneeling down a little and hugging her tightly.

“...” He solemnly puts a hand on her head as she sobs into his shoulder briefly before pulling away and Hephaestus picks her up.

“Dad… c-can we… can I… Can we go…? I want to be alone…”

Hephaestus nods. “Of course, Pandora…”

-Ra’s Viewing Chamber-

Ra crashes through the glass roof of his old viewing room, falling to his knees as he touches down, grabbing at the indent Icarus left on his chest. The scratches and bruises from Icarus’s punches and kicks. The scar over his eye. … Pain. “I won. I killed you. You are dead, and I am alive. So why…? Why do I feel like this? I am Ra! Ra does not make mistakes! Then… why?” He angrily strikes the floor as he transforms back into his normal self.

“Ooooohohoho. Why? The answer is simple. Humanity,” He hears a familiar old voice and looks up.

“Zeus,” He mutters in annoyance. “I would like you to leave. NOW!” His heat bursts forth and entraps Zeus within it, but unlike last time, Zeus barely budges a muscle.

Zeus skips up to the sun god. “Ohohoho. This heat of yours really is something… unless you’re prepared for it…” He pats Ra’s shoulder. “There there. Now I am sure…” He suddenly puts a hand on the back of Ra’s head and his muscles expand and he shoves Ra into the floor. Just as Ra tries to lift his head back up, Zeus places his muscled index finger to Ra’s temple, completely pinning him in place. “You have some apologizing to do, Little Ra. Oh what was it you said? Let me seeeeeeee… ‘We will win 7-0’. ‘There is no doubt that my judgement is better than yours.’. You believed I was… frivolous in even fighting myself and yet… you fought as well. And you lost.”

Ra angrily pushes himself off the ground. “I… did NOT… LOSE!” However Zeus simply pushes him right back into the floor cracking the floor beneath the weight of his muscles.

“Oh Ra. Little itty bitty, Ra. You did lose. You made a bet with Icarus. And you lost that bet. You lost your eye. Even when you pivoted to breaking Icarus’s spirit through your sheer power… You lost again. You couldn’t do it. Not even a little. But I guess you DID kill him in the end. We will see which of these losses and victories people will remember. But no matter what happens now, for you…!” He lets Ra go and jovially begins to skip away, leaving Ra lying with his head in the cratered floor. “I am sure you see humanity is QUITE something else. Not to be taken lightly. And that we GREEKS are not so easily pushed over. Oh and one last thing…” He looks back as he pushes on the doors that were rehinged from last time he was in this room. “If you so much as TRY to take that icky feeling in your chest out on little Pandora or Crete or any humans for that matter…” His old jolly face suddenly falls under a dark shadow as his eyes glow within their sunken sockets. “I will murder you, Ra. If you want to really prove yourself and regain some of that status you so desperately cling to; defeat humanity in Ragnarok,” He just as swiftly swaps back to his old self. “Toodles! Hohohohoh!” He pushes the doors off the hinges again, skipping away, leaving Ra staring at the wall.

“Such… a child.”

-Akashic Records-

As Hephaestus sets Pandora down in front of the Akashic Records he sighs. “I am truly sorry, Pandora… He was… he was something special.”

Pandora nods, looking at the feather in her hand. “Yeah. He was… amazing. I… I loved him dad… I really loved him…” He sets her down.

“Are you certain you wish to be alone?”

“Not for long… I just… I need to be alone right now okay, dad? I love you,” She smiles up at the giant smithing god who smiles and pats her head with just a finger.

“I love you, Pandora. Please if there’s anything you need… I will move the heavens and the earth to make it happen.”

Pandora smiles rather solemnly. “Thanks dad…” She steps into the room and closes the door. She slumps down against the door and continues to cry. Why… Why did she listen to him…? She should have been more firm… If she was more firm then maybe he wouldn’t be dead right now. But she listened. He thought about her in his last moments… he told her not to cry… he told her to be strong. He told her not to cry… he told her to be strong… and he’ll never tell her anything else… ever again.

She raises her gaze to the table in the room… it has his old wing on it… She stands up, picking it up. He wrapped this wing around her a lot of times since they met… She summons her box, opening it up into the ‘standard’ compartment that appears when you don’t put in a key. She never really had anything she considered worthy of being in here… until now. She gently places his wing in the box, closing it up, before slumping over it and sobbing some more. Like needles to the heart and eyes… she can’t even force out anymore tears anymore.

She will miss him.

Ra has just crashed back onto the arena, filled with divine fury. Icarus looks at him with his fiery eyes, clutching Ra’s staff in his hand. It is incredibly heavy in his hand. “Back for more?” He confidently starts before Ra shoots forward. He grabs at Icarus’s emblem, but Icarus folds his wings in front of him to block. Ra strikes with concentration he has rarely shown this fight, taking an actual trained stance to throw a second strike, his hand glowing with his sunflame. Icarus is pushed back, but he doesn’t falter.

“You are OUTMATCHED! Face it!” Ra screeches out as he bursts forward using his heat, circling around and knocking Icarus aside, forming two sunballs on his fists, crashing them together and blasting it forward as a beam, Icarus jamming Ra’s staff into the ground, both to keep himself on his feet and it seems to absorb Ra’s flames to block the attack.

“Not. Gonna. Happen. I’m gonna fight you forever if I have to. I’m not… stopping. EVER! Too many people are COUNTING ON ME!” He picks up Ra’s staff and points it back at Ra, the accumulated sunfire blasting back at the sun god.

In the stands, Pandora clutches her hands over her heart. On Crete the Cretans have all stopped the festivities and are watching with the same intense desperation.

Ra catches his sunflames and they swirl around his fist before disappearing. “What does it matter? Why do all of you filthy cockroaches always insist upon this herd mentality. NO ONE powerful requires ANYONE else! THAT is the rule of the strong!” He shoots forward and Icarus puts Ra’s staff out in front of him, Ra grabbing hold of it, pushing the young boy back. ‘It is THE RULE! So why… why is it always… those eyes when you talk about your ‘companions’ and ‘people counting on you’. Why is it that you MOCK ME with those DAMN EYES!?’ He gets a brief flash of a face projecting over Icarus. It angers him as he lets go with one hand and strikes Icarus in the face. “STOP THAT!”

Icarus’s head reels back. “I don’t know what you mean. Haha. HAHAHA!” He laughs loudly as Ra slams him in the face again, breaking his nose, and Icarus lets out an almost sarcastic grunt. “Angh! Pffft! Come on? COME ON! Is that the best you got?”

Ra looks behind the young man, seeing Icarus’s wings boosting him forward. The only thing keeping him steady. “... I see,” He suddenly forces Icarus to the floor leaping over the young boy and in the same move attempts to grab Icarus’s wings, but Icarus allows himself to fall onto the floor to dodge the grab. “Tsk!” Icarus shoots off the floor into the sky once again, Ra following suit. Icarus turns back only to see Ra coming straight at him.

Icarus smugly grins at him. “You just can’t leave me alone, can you?”

“SHUT UP! RIGHT NOW!” Ra catches up to him and clasps both hands together and they burst with sunfire. He SLAMS them down on Icarus. RA’S SUNLIGHT HAMMER!

Icarus shoots towards the ground once again. He feels a flash in his mind. Crete, seen from the top of the mountain. The sounds. Vibrance. People going about their lives. “Heh… yeah… it is beautiful. I’d miss it a lot…” He whispers as Ra finally catches up to him, grabbing hold of his wing and grabbing his shoulder, TEARING it off violently, leaving the young boy with only one wing once more. “GAAAH!” Icarus howls in pain.

Ra angrily strikes him in the face. “There goes your LAST HOPE! You cannot even FLY away anymore!”

“Last Hope…? Ha… haha. HAHAHAHA!” Icarus grins brightly as Ra angrily winds his fist back again. “Good one.”

Ra clenches his fist tightly, rather than striking Icarus he grabs and tears off the medallion and crushing it in his hand, Icarus instantly feeling the intense heat again, BLAZING through the tattered remains of his tank-top, making him drop Ra’s staff which falls onto the arena with a metallic plink. “Who do you think you are!?!”

Icarus smirks as well as he can. “I’m a son. A friend… A stranger. I’m… a human,” He mutters, using all his might to lift his fist. He unleashes a strike with all his might! Ra feels the weak strike on his cheek. “And to you… an enemy.”

The sun god trembles as he holds Icarus by the throat. ‘What… is this joke? You’re just like… him. How can you be… like that?’ Ra feels a strange feeling deep in his heart. Stress. 

-Shortly after the death of Amaterasu-

Deep in the jungle kingdom. Neighboring Maya, Dinétah and Hanan Pacha lies Tópan. Home to the gods of the Aztec pantheon. Far from the nearest glorious city of this great kingdom is an old abandoned temple. Poking out of the top of the many tall jungle trees the temple contains a large platform, allowing someone to observe the comings and goings as they wish. Coming up the steps on the side of the temple is Ra. Walking calmly and with the poise one might expect of a chief god. “... your temples are far too tall,” He comments to a god standing opposite him looking over the area.

He is a tall blue-skinned man with a bare chest only covered lightly with a white leather mantle. He wears a crown of feathers, black warpaint over his eyes. A combat skirt in various shades of white, orange and green and long green feathered cape. In the ground next to him sits a massive macuahuitl, the most iconic of weapons from his pantheon. Practically the height of this already titanic and bulky man, made of a sunny golden material, yet clearly more sturdy to make it a proper weapon. He takes a deep breath.

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“They are tall, yes. But look upon the view. The beauty of my lands,” He says his voice deep and mighty, yet with an air of gentleness about it.

Ra scoffs. “I have seen it many times.”

“Of course! And yet its beauty is unrivaled. Now… you did not wish to meet because you wanted to take in the view did you?” He picks up the weapon and turns to face Ra. This man was obviously none other than Huitzilopochtli. The king of Tópan. The kind and well-regarded Chief god of the Aztec Pantheon. And to Ra… the only sun-god he would ever consider his equal in power.

The two shake hands, Huitzilopochtli having a few inches on Ra, and about twice his weight in muscle. “No.”

“I like you, Ra. Always direct and to the point. Now I must say… I am very sorry about your wife. This sun-assassination is quite strange. Helios, Enti, Surya, Sol. And of course your dearest Amaterasu. Again. Condolences. And so many more…”

Ra scoffs. “Hm. Helios, Enti, Surya, Sol… were weak. That is why they died.”

Huitzilopochtli sighs. “Maybe so. But that is no reason for them to die. The sun shares its blessings with everyone, don’t you think? It grants life to the plants! It grants warmth to those in need! It graces the world with ENERGY which sets it in motion. Beautiful!”

“I did not come here to listen to meaningless ramblings, Huitzilopochtli.”

Huitzilopochtli snaps his fingers, seemingly catching himself in his speech. “Right! And please. My friends call me Huitzy!” 

“... So Huitzilopochtli… Are you done?”

“Oof. Harsh, but I understand. Fellow chiefs. Respectful. Now then. To discuss what comes next. This ‘sun assassin’ surely has not come for us because we are quite powerful. He would be a fool to do so. And yet he must be coming soon. But why? You would have to be quite prideful or vengeful to do something like this,” Huitzilopochtli strides around the large platform. “Let us see… He did not kill anyone else. Barely injured most of the guards. So if I wished to kill one of the most powerful gods in Heaven. Chief god no less!” He says with righteous fury in his voice. “I suppose the best way to go about such a task would be to lure one of us away from our palaces. Into isolation.”

Ra slowly starts approaching from behind, the Aztec god with his back turned. “Right.”

“... Prideful… isolate. Far from anyone who may wish to stop you… kind of like you did calling this-” He pauses. Ra pauses. A rare moment of hesitation from the Duat god. “... I see…” Ra gathers himself and leaps forward with a thrust of his staff at the Tópan king’s back! Huitzilopochtli digs his massive macuahuitl into the ground where it already was standing and with strength that seems to utterly dwarf even his already mighty frame ROARS up nearly the entire floor beneath Ra’s feet in one massive slab. 

Ra immediately transforms into his primal form, and opens his Omniscient gaze! However in the very brief moment he blinked. the entire floor flipped up above the both of them, placing them firmly in the shade. And within the time it takes Ra to blink once more to turn off his Omniscient Gaze once again, Huitzilopochtli is directly in front of him. The Aztec god takes a mighty swing of his macuahuitl and thrashing Ra straight down through the temple’s many floors and he crashes into the earthy floor at the bottom.

Huitzilopochtli jumps down after him. “Just answer me this. Why?” He asks in solemn anger. “What could possibly make you do this? Your own wife?”

Ra floats back to his feet and scoffs. “What god needs a reason to want his domain for himself? Especially one as powerful and great as me?”

Huitzilopochtli's eyes fire up with wrath and his muscles bulge even further as his pulse increases. Ra can practically hear the strong heartbeat of him from there. “‘His Domain’? Are you completely insane!? SO MUCH BLOOD spilled!? For what?! Your pride can’t handle sharing!? I knew you were ruthless. Cunning. Deadly. But this? It ends-” He grabs a firm grip of his weapon and flexes his shins so hard the ground beneath him cracks. A golden glow appears from within his body. In his heart. Spreading golden glowing blood through his veins. YOLLI ORO: MALHUILI TONALMITL: 50%! (Golden Heart: The Sunshine That Protects) His entire body BURSTS with power, the cracks in the ground growing larger and larger as if his strength is increasing accordingly. “RIGHT! NOW!”

Ra takes a deep breath. “I am glad, Huitzilopochtli. I have always wanted to kill you in a fair fight. You disgust me. Playing in the mud with the children of your nation. When you hold such great power and you wield it with such frivolous nonsense,” He gathers a large ball of sunflames in his palm.

“That… is NOT frivolous nonsense. That’s what a LEADER does! SHARES his gifts and wisdom with those who choose to follow!” He calls out springing forward as Ra casually unleashes the sunflames in a beam at Huitzilopochtli, enveloping the Aztec god in the sun pillar. RA’S BLINDING RAY! Huitzilopochtli drives his macuahuitl straight through it to come down on Ra! 

Ra dodges and launches a sunball into the air, breaking a hole in the ceiling creating more sunlight into the room. As Huitzilopochtli’s strike slams into the ground it explodes with brilliant light, knocking Ra back. “I am The Sun Himself. And I do not wish to share my brilliance with you lesser gods. Always so pathetically huddling together. I see nothing but a culling of the herd.”

“Pathetically huddling together? We Tópan people are proud of our unity. But I suppose a god who thinks only of himself would never understand.”

“No. I do not.”

“Always direct… I still like that honestly. Very well… ENOUGH TALK!” Ra looks into his eyes as the Tópan king leaps back at him. Ra looks into his eyes, filled with that combative flame. That fire will be extinguished soon enough!

-LATER-

Ra stands atop of Huitzilopochtli’s head, the Tópan king’s arms burned to a crisp. His macuahuitl nowhere in sight, clearly lost somewhere in the fight. The entire temple has crumbled around them from their battle. The trees around are burning or fallen from one of their strikes. “Do you see it now, Huitzilopochtli? The clear difference between us. Where are your ‘united people’ now?” He says smugly. Although he is bleeding and out of breath, just like Huitzilopochtli.

“Haaaah. They would be here… if you had not chosen such a remote location. They are on their way. I made QUITE a ruckus…”

“And by that time you will be dead. And soon after so will they. And your kingdom will be without a king. This is what happens when you cross me.”

Huitzilopochtli simply scoffs. “Heh. My kingdom will live on without me. And you know what… when you… nnngh,” Ra tightens his grip on his face. “When you eventually meet your end. Your kingdom will live on without you too. You will die alone. And you’ll be replaced. Just like me. The difference between us is that I will be missed. You will simply become a stain on your history,”

Ra grits his beak and raises his staff. “I will never die! There are none who can match me! So WHY do you think YOU, a WEAKER god can inform my future!?”

“Because tyrants always fall. You will be no exception. I tried to be a good king. Seems history had other plans,” Ra tenses up seeing Huitzilopochtli’s eyes. So brimming with ‘life’ and fire. No matter the advantage Ra took in their fight. When he took his arm. Nothing changed. Took his armor… nothing. His weapon was broken and discarded… his skin burnt. And even now. With NOTHING… still those DAMN EYES! Ra stabs his staff straight through the Aztec god’s skull, killing him.

Ra vs Huitzilopochtli

Match length: 1 hour, 0 minutes, 0 seconds

Deciding move: Stab to the skull

Victor: Ra

Just after, Tópan troops arrive. Large, but not larger than their chief, wielding spears and their own macuahuitls. “L-Lord Ra!? W-what are you doing to Lord Huitzilopochtli!?” One of them screams out before they all fall to their knees from the sheer heat.

“Who asked you to speak… lowly peasant…?”

However after they acclimate to the initial heat-burst, they all raise their own weapons to him, stepping back to their feet, though rather unsteady. “Unhand our king… right this instance!” Ra looks into their eyes deeply… those eyes again… They piss him off so much. 

Ra steps off Huitzilopochtli’s body, his head at a menacing tilt. “Stop… looking at me like that. You lowly worm peasants. and FALL!” Ra bursts forth with his heatwave making the soldiers all fall to their knees.

-Present-

Icarus pointlessly grabs at Ra’s wrist to try and force his claws off his throat. “What is WITH YOU!? You DARE assume the same ARROGANT and IDIOTIC attitude! You are a HUMAN!” Ra punctuates his words with angry strikes to Icarus’s face. However Icarus refuses to even speak back. “And STOP! WITH! THOSE! EYES!!!” He screeches, his entire body shaking. “I’m gonna KILL YOU!” 

Icarus just smirks rather cockily. “Heh.”

Ra floats above the arena, his eye frantically shooting between the many viewer platforms where Pandora, alongside the Einherjar and Benkei’s Legion are helping the injured from Ra’s onslaught. “GRRRRRR!” His eyes lock onto Icarus again. “You… ICARUS!”

Icarus is panting heavily but his smirk remains on his face. “That’s my name. Glad you’re finally learning it!” He holds out his sword of Theseus and his new shield of Pallas which is constructed a lot more mechanically. Both of them feel heavy in his hands. But he can’t let it show… He clenches both of his fists around the grips of his weapons and shoots off towards Ra.

Ra, through a gritted beak, envelops his fists in sunballs and moves in as well. RA’S MIGHTY SUNFISTS! “You dare think you are anyone worth remembering!? Your foolish companions refuse to stop SHOUTING your name at the heavens!” He grunts as he deflects Icarus’s initial swing of the sword, throwing a straight at the young boy who jerks his head away and throws an uppercut with his shield.

Ra slams his fist down on it to knock it away, Icarus being forced to let it go before he’s struck in the chest, Ra aiming for the emblem, but he managed to move out of the way and be struck directly instead! “Heh. Just admit it… you know who I am,” Icarus mutters as he newly freed hand holds onto Ra’s arm to not be flung away.

Ra, in annoyance, winds his fist back. “Unhand me, peasant!” he strikes Icarus in the face. “You. And your worthless island of misfits! Your worthless SPECIES will crumble under my feet! To dust!” He keeps striking Icarus in the face as if to accentuate his point.

Icarus’s head reels back from each strike but he simply pulls himself back, refusing to release Ra’s arm. “That… the best… you got?” Icarus mumbles with a grin still on his face! He takes a heavy swing with his blade, Ra being unable to move out of the way, but he doesn’t need to! The Sun God simply grabs hold of the blade, the blazing heat from his sunfists sizzling against the metal, his sharp claws scratching against the surface.

Icarus quickly realizes his sword will literally melt if he doesn’t get it free! He lets go of Ra’s arm and spins for a spinning kick to Ra’s head! Ra scoffs as he twists Icarus’s sword, forcing his hand to twist with it and stopping his kick JUST before it can connect. “PATHETIC!” He chops at the sword with his other hand, snapping the blade in half due to the softening from his heat!

However as soon as the blade snaps, Icarus uses his wings to continue his kick, following through with his OTHER leg and finally landing another solid hit on Ra. “How’s that for pathetic!?”

However as Icarus finishes his spin, he feels a tight tug on his wings. Ra grabbed hold of one of them with his talons on his feet. “Very pathetic,” Ra strains his open palm, collecting a ball of sunflames! He twists Icarus up to face him, though they are upside down compared to one another. Icarus’s eyes widen as Ra slams him straight on with the ball, sending Icarus flying back.

Pandora gasps from one of the stands where she’s taken refuge, right next to Tyr and Ichiko. “!!!” Her worry instantly doubles when suddenly Icarus’s wings start to… BURN?! “W-what!? But… isn’t he… he’s heat-proof! And his wings!”

Tyr grunts. “At least… he was… That medallion on his chest. It was the item your box produced, correct?”

“Y-yeah! It makes him immune to Ra’s heat!”

Tyr nods. “I see… well… then I am afraid that boy is… doomed…” He comments as Icarus softens his landing on the ground with a single flap of his wings. He flaps his wings to stop the flames from spreading. He looks down at his chest, realizing in the same moment as Pandora and the rest of the audience. The medallion is CRACKED! “... Or? Hm.”

As soon as Icarus lands he falls to his knees, dropping the hilt of the blade he was carrying! His vision blurring due to an immense increase in degrees. His lips instantly chapping and tearing in places from dryness. His heart starts beating faster and faster. He feels dizzy. Disoriented. Just breathing the air feels like it’s burning his lungs! How… how are you supposed to fight this guy WITHOUT negating this HEAT!? He was fighting in THIS the whole time? “Hah. Hah… nnngh… Pandora… you really saved me… a ton… of… pain…” He mutters under his breath.

Ra lands with extra speed, cracking the floor on impact and Icarus looks up at him. “It would appear that the heat has gotten to you now. Do you feel it? The anger of The Sun Himself?” Ra spits with venom on his breath. Icarus tries getting up, slowly but steadily, rocky on his feet. “Now that your little ‘gift’ is taken care of… I am going to enjoy this!” The Sun God adds with almost a look of delight on his face as he balls up his fist and winds it back. Icarus tries to put up a block but his arms are even heavier now and he gets a solid strike to the face. “A human like you… a human like you truly thought he could stand up to me!? ME!?” He calls out as Icarus rolls along the ground, rather pathetically.

Icarus tries to get up again, struggling against the heat through gritted teeth. His skin feels like it’s bubbling. Melting! Ra steps up behind him. “You wish to be on your feet?” He grips Icarus’s hair, pulling him to his feet, looking into his eyes. “You see how pointless it is? Your struggle? Every choice in your life? All it amounted to was being a stain on the flo-” Icarus interrupts Ra by spitting in his face, of course Icarus’s saliva has already evaporated long before he even could… but just when Ra is about to gloat Icarus takes a sudden swing at him. Ra’s eyes widen as he reacts quickly by CRUSHING Icarus into the floor. “DESPERATE! LITTLE! ANT!” Ra slams his face into the stone floor over and over again, leaving a bloody stain on it. “I would like you to beg for your life. Go on. Maybe I will be merciful.”

Icarus feels his head being raised to allow him to ‘beg’. “Heh. As if you would.”

Ra scoffs. “For once… we agree,” He hoists Icarus back on his feet, slamming his fists together, making them erupt in flames. RA’S MIGHTY SUNFISTS! He begins a beatdown on Icarus, who can barely keep himself on his feet! Let alone fighting back. Each meaty hit met with the equally visceral sound of sizzling flesh from the heat. Each strike to Icarus’s tank-top tearing another hole in it. “I am certain when you had that FLUKE earlier!” He lands a firm fist right in Icarus’s fist. “Striking a god as powerful as ME! That made you feel powerful! Like you were worth a damn! It was the GREATEST moment in your pathetic life!” He uppercuts Icarus with vigor. “But now you feel how fleeting of a moment that was! NOTHING-!” BAM! “BUT-!” BAM! “DISTANT-!” CRACK! “FORGOTTEN-!” POW! “MEMORY!” Ra winds back his fist for a final devastating blow! Icarus exhales sharply and tries to throw a weak counter attack but Ra simply grabs his fist out of the air, his sunfists disappearing as he crushes Icarus’s hand, digging his talons into it, making the young man scream in anguish and drop to his knees as he feels the bones in his hand crack like twigs under Ra’s immense strength. But before it even registers fully Icarus feels Ra’s knee connecting with his face. “Keep it down, worm,” He grabs Icarus’s leg with his foot to pull him a little closer. “Do you not realize what is happening, worm? Your life is in my hands now.”

Icarus weakly presses some buttons on his gauntlet, Naucrate firing a few pods down towards the two of them. “I am not done… just. Yet.”

Ra scoffs and shoots both pods out of the sky with barely a thought. “Hmpf. So you still hold hope in that device,” He smirks and steps on Icarus’s back to keep him pinned, as he takes aim at Naucrate, forming a massive Sunball in his hands. RA’S GLORIOUS RA-!? Icarus, using his technological wings rather than muscles, shoots himself off the ground, making Ra lose his footing and miss his shot, striking one of the platform shields instead. “Grrrr…” He angrily punches Icarus back into the floor. “You little pest!”

Ra pushes Icarus with his foot. He points with a talon which forms tiny Sunballs which Ra begins happily shooting at Icarus, making them explode and push him around. “Look at you! Without your toys! You are nothing! Without help! You. Are. NOTHING!” Icarus lands against the downed Danaus and slowly hoists himself up against the slanted wall. His legs are shaky.

‘It hurts… so bad. His words sting just as much as his flames. I know it’s true. I can’t do anything on my own. I’ve never… ever… done anything without help… But-’ He smirks, raising his fists, supporting himself mostly on the wall behind him. He can barely make out a faint blob of color against the sandstone walls that must be Ra. “... is that… supposed to make me feel… bad? Obviously I’m nothing… without my friends. My family. The people I know and care about. The people who care enough about me to help me. They make me who I am. Make me… your worst nightmare.”

Ra feels his eye twitch and he swaps from one finger to his whole fist. He strikes the air and fires a sunbeam at Icarus who manages to roll aside just in time, another giant hole being dug into Danaus. “MY WORST NIGHTMARE?! You think there exists such a thing as a nightmare for ME!?” Icarus rolls BACK around and into the hole in Danaus. “After such a speech, you HIDE!? How truly HUMAN of you!”

Ra strides over and picks up his staff again, flicking it up with his foot rather than bend down and giving it a quick spin. He points it at Danaus, forming a sunball rapidly and launching it at the fallen Pod.

As the sunball TEARS through the wooden and metal frame a figure erupts from the side. Ra smirking. “It is futile to run. My heat will-” However as Ra turns to face Icarus, he notes something strange in the young man’s hand. DANAÏDES #33: ANTHELEIA! And his body is doused in water. The water from the pods that Ra can’t evaporate! He’s using it to cool himself down?! Icarus swings a leg at Ra, aiming high! “CLEVER! But FUTILE!” Ra easily dodges the attack, even as Icarus follows up by swinging the pod at Ra, the sun god simply smashes it to pieces with his staff and kicks Icarus straight in the stomach, his sharp talons tearing into his chest.

Icarus tumbles back, panting as he tries to get up. Even if the water isn’t evaporating… it’s still getting warmer… and dripping off. He grits his teeth. “Thanks. I thought it was… pretty clever myself too,” He grumbles as he gets to his feet now a little dizzy again.

“Don’t flatter yourself. Clever for a worm,” Icarus’s eyes shift towards Danaus for only a moment. Ra instantly reacts, firing another another Sunball at Danaus, completely breaking it as the rubble goes flying off the edge of the arena. “No more of that. You see? It is trivial for a god such as me to manifest my will into reality. While you must claw and scratch away at the world for even the slightest advantage. Watch. Or I suppose in your state you must simply FEEL as I take away your last. Possible… advantage. And despair as you are OUT! OF OPTIONS!” Ra raises his staff, floating into the air. With his free hand he continues to shoot at Icarus with tiny sunballs, forcing him to weakly dodge however he regains some of his vision seeing Ra aiming for Naucrate. “Now… despair.”

Icarus swiftly puts a thumb on the ‘wheel’ on his gauntlet spinning it the whole way around and slamming his hand down on it. Naucrate suddenly opens up every door and fires out EVERY remaining pod just in time for Ra’s sunball to crash into the massive structure and send it crashing towards the ground below. Icarus suddenly feels a strong heatwave erupt once more, dropping to his knees. Ra looks around at the pods flying all over the place, calmly shooting as many out of the sky as he can. Icarus grits his teeth as he rushes at Ra attempting to tackle him to the ground! However the heat is rendering his muscles weak and he barely manages to budge Ra as he grapples around his waist. “AAAAH! Just… FALL ALREADY, you asshole bird!” Icarus yells out weakly punching the sun god in the side.

“Hmpf. Still kicking?” Ra grabs Icarus’s wing, forcing him to his knees. He winds back his knee. “No weapons left, no strength in your muscles! No tricks up your sleeve!” He knees Icarus in the face, and immediately strikes him with his staff, sending him tumbling to the ground. “Truly. You have lost. In every sense of the word. I am beyond you, worm,” He says as Icarus tries to push himself off the ground, but fails. ‘I AM beyond you. I am beyond your entire SPECIES… so what is it…? That irritates me so?’

Pandora feels tears well up in his ears. “Oh no… Icarus…”

Tyr closes his eyes solemnly. “You did all you cou-”

Ichiko however howls at the sky. “HE’S NOT GIVING UP! ICARUS FIGHT ON!!”

Ra seems to have noticed the same thing as Ichiko as he looks into Icarus’s eyes as the human stares up at him, while trembling in every limb as he stands. ‘What… is with those eyes? Those DAMN eyes!’ He thinks as he grits his beak. “YOU WISH TO DIE ON YOUR HILL OF DELUSION!? So be it! But I would like you to PERISH!” He suddenly shoots into the sky. “OBSERVE! And realize your powerlessness,” He focuses his all into his raised hand, a sunball unlike any other forming. More brilliantly white, more bursting with power. And it grows. And grows. And grow… Until its size equals the diameter of the arena itself. RA’S SOLAR DOMINUS! He swings his arm as hard as he can, launching the massive sphere down towards the arena. “BE TURNED TO ASH!”

Pandora tightens her grip on the railing. ‘I should… do something! No… he’s going to di-’ However her thoughts are interrupted as Icarus looks over at her and… smiles?

Sun Tzu elsewhere has settled down amongst humanity, with Houdini at his side. “Hehehe…”

“What??! You’re LAUGHING at this?”

“Appear weak when you are strong… and strong when you are weak…”

“... aaaaah.”

Icarus’s wings begin to rev with power, every single bit of energy they have left pouring into them, drowned out by the massive crackling of the sunball. He shoots off the ground at IMMENSE speeds. STRAIGHT into the Solar Dominus!

All Ra sees moments later is Icarus BURSTING forth from his Solar Dominus, bursting it apart like a particularly hot soap-bubble, foot aimed DIRECTLY at him. “WHAT?! HOW!?”

“CAUSE I GOT GUTS, RA!” BOOOOOM! Icarus STRIKES! RISING PHOENIX: SPEAR OF CRETE! The echo of the kick to Ra’s stomach reverberates into the arena and makes several gods grab their own stomachs in turn. The speed of a bullet and the full weight of Icarus, concentrated into Ra’s chest! More force than any of his previous strikes!

As Ra’s vision blurs from the pain and sudden pressure in his solar plexus he looks into Icarus’s eyes again. “You… fucking piece of shit,”

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Ra practically EXPLODES backwards, as if the laws of physics required a moment to compute the accurate force with which to launch him. He drops his staff as he flies off, Icarus catching it as he begins his clumsy descent.

Panting and heaving, the Cretan touches down on the ground.. “Haaaaaah… Got him,” He simply whispers as he raises his fist to the sky. 

Tyr looks closely at the boy. “It is a wonder he can stand. But that was clever.” Pandora and Ichiko look to the war god, both tilting their heads simultaneously in identical manners. “The medallion didn’t break. Only the ‘glass’. He turned it off manually.”

They both go wide-eyed. “But… He got so hurt!” Ichiko barks. “Hurt is BAD!”

“Yeah! But…” She puts the pieces together. “He endured ALL of that just to make Ra lower his guard for this big attack! TO LAND THE FINISHING BLOW!”

Humanity erupts in cheers and even the gods are impressed as applause joins the cheers. “The kid did it!?” “That’s CRAZY!” “Ra was DEFEATED!?” 

Icarus looks to Pandora giving her a peacesign and a toothy grin. “Looks like I got him, finally!”

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Heimdall lets out a sigh of relief. “It seems that it is OVER! With a decisive blow Icarus has DEFEATED Ra! The winner-”

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“Who defeated me, exactly?” Ra’s voice echoes as he crashes down into the arena, behind Icarus who can barely muster the courage to turn around. Ra has a massive footprint on his stomach, torn through his skin and bleeding slightly but it appears the sun god seared it shut with his own flames. “You? Defeat ME? Such accusations will not be tolerated. The only one who decides anything in this tournament… is ME!”

Icarus’s fear flashes for only a few brief moments before he inhales sharply and turns his head around. “... Back… for more huh?”

Icarus and Ra clash in midair, sword to staff. “You truly believe you can defeat me? When you are this WEAK!?” Ra easily pushes Icarus back. Ra holds his free hand out. “Behold the power of a TRUE GOD!” He blasts a massive beam of sunfire at Icarus. The young boy recovers from the push and is instantly putting up his shield to block, the beam pushing him back against one of the floating audience platforms. Icarus grits his teeth, before slowly rising above the platform, as Ra focuses the flame on him. As he rises above the platform, Icarus SHOOTS off into the sky. “Bothersome pest…” Ra scoffs as he sets off in pursuit. 

Icarus spins in the sky looking down at Ra. He’s panting and heaving, his sweat slowly starting to evaporate the closer Ra gets. “I really could use a plan right about now…” He mutters under his breath before shooting down towards Ra!

The sun god stops mid-air on a dime, pointing his staff forward. RA’S BLINDING RAY! The sunfire collects and once more shoots forward, far faster being channeled through his staff rather than his hand! Icarus swerves around the beam even as Ra corrects his aim. However as Icarus approaches him using this strategy Ra smugly smirks. “You are naive…” He grins sadistically as he grips the staff tighter and the beam widens in an instant, swallowing Icarus up within it. 

Pandora gasps. “ICARUS!”

Ichiko growls angrily. “Grrrr! Sun is meant to be bright and NICE! Not evil! Bird is evil!”

Wukong pats Ichiko on the head. “You got a real way with words, pup. But yeah… That Ra is no joke…” Icarus shoots out from the beam, flying away from Ra, out of control and plunging towards the ground. “Woah woah wait… is he… unconscious?” 

Pandora’s eyes widen. “N-no… Icarus?” However as Ra breaks his beam and shoots towards the young boy, Icarus seems to wake up and shake his head back to reality. He corrects himself just in time for Ra to wind his fist back, taking aim at the emblem on his chest. With only a split second to react, Icarus simply LAUNCHES himself as hard as he can further down, Ra striking him in the stomach instead and sending him hurtling towards the ground even faster!

Ra, continuing his pursuit, holds his arms back as he shoots down! Behind him a trail of sunballs begin to form. Icarus corrects once more, RIGHT before hitting the ground beneath the arena! Gritting his teeth and firing himself back into the air. If he touches the ground he loses. He CAN’T allow that! Ra stops his charge, as if using his momentum to swing his staff, sending the 50 or so sunballs that have trailed behind him down at Icarus. 

Icarus pants and heaves as he shoots himself up and away dodging and cutting the spheres as he does! 

Up in the arena the crowd is muttering amongst themselves. “This is… brutal. That kid really doesn’t stand a chance anymore does he?” “He should just give up…” The gods mutter. “Yeah but also… he kind of kicked Ra’s ass before.” “I’ve NEVER seen Ra use this transformation power. Didn’t even know he had it.” 

“Ra really got pushed this far by some random human?” 

Another spectator shakes his head. “No he’s not a random human. Remember when that human tried to fly to the top of Olympus? By flying? That was him. I’m pretty sure anyways…”

“Well… still. Ra might not be as powerful as he seems.”

In the shadows Osiris stands in dead silence, a dark expression fallen over his face as he looks at the screens of the fight. “... Hm,” He suddenly steps into the light and raises a fist. “YOU DARE think such lowly things about THE Ra!? The mighty King of the Duat!? His heat-wave alone would have been PLENTY to defeat ANY previous member of humanity’s chosen! But Icarus CHEATED! That emblem on his chest is absorbing all of the heat! If he did not he would be ASH!” He declares with vigor and righteous fury!

However the gods look back and forth. “Well yeah. But he’s got it… and Ra hasn’t taken it off of him yet.”

Osiris scoffs. “Suit yourselves. However when Ra wins this bout you will ALL be in for it!”

Suddenly both fighters zoom past the audience stand Ra lands on the arena grounds again, Icarus continuing to soar. Ra looks up at Icarus who circles the arena like a vulture. “Such a nimble little gnat…” He grumbles as he grips his claws into the floor crossing his arms. “So be it. If you truly wish to feel the full-” However a voice cuts through the crowd. 

“GO, LORD RA! DESTROY HIM!” Osiris calls out and Ra’s eye twitches.

Ra suddenly points and a small sunball forms on his fingertip, firing past Osiris’s head and burying into the seat behind him, luckily missing the audience member who ducks in time. “You DARE order me around, Osiris!? You think I require a CHEER!? You think I care about the words of this foolish audience.”

Osiris nervously laughs and sculks back into his seat. “N-no of course not, Lord Ra. How foolish of me. Please. I beg your forgiveness.”

“Tsk. I was about to destroy this annoyance regardless,” Ra aims into the air and begins rapidly blasting sunballs into the sky! Each one floating around and forming a veritable minefield for Icarus to navigate. Eventually collecting his hands, Ra forms another large ball in his hands and fires it at Icarus. “GET DOWN HERE, YOU WORM!”

Icarus zooms around in the air. ‘I’d really love to! But I can’t get close right now… I need a plan… something… anything! There HAS to be a weakpoint to exploit!’ He glances to Naucrate looking for an answer but finding nothing.

Ra furiously screeches as Icarus keeps expertly dodging his attacks… even when he’s struck he just won’t fall again. Ra stops his attack and prepares to shoot into the sky after him again, but he pauses.

The voice of the audience once more in his ear. “Mommy I’m worried for mister Icarus… will he be able to win?” “That bastard Ra. How bottomless is his power!?” “Ra would even attack his most faithful advisor for annoying him?” 

A creepy smile forms on his beak. “Hmmm… I see…” He thinks back a little. “Get down!” Icarus’s voice echoes in his ears. “Lord Ra. might I ask you… refrain from disturbing the audience?” Heimdall’s voice repeats as well. “Hope of Crete… fighting for the sake of others. Hmhmhmh. HAHAHA!” Ra laughs out loud. 

Icarus pauses in the air hearing Ra… laugh. “What’s so funny!?” 

Ra however doesn’t answer, simply holding his hand out towards Icarus forming a sunball, larger than the small mines he was placing. Icarus prepares to dodge it when suddenly Ra aims to the side instead. Straight at the audience. “Your weakness… has been staring at me this entire time,” He fires the sunsphere at the audience, Icarus’s eyes widening and he zooms down as fast as he can! The humans all shield their loved ones before Icarus stops the attack with his shield. 

Ra follows up the attack with a barrage of sunballs! Icarus slashing at the sunballs with fervor using his sword, deflecting with his shield. A few of the spheres striking him, feeling to him like solid spheres of metal being thrown at high speeds.

Ra smiles cockily. “You truly are predictable. And weak. I do not even need to aim at you like this. You will simply fly into the way of my bullets. Watch,” He then fires at the next platform over, filled with gods. Icarus once more shooting from his perch to block the attack, not quite making it in time to block with his shield, throwing his wings in front of them instead, gritting his teeth as he stands on the railing. 

Ra unleashes another flurry of attacks at the platform, forcing Icarus to block, dodge or allow them to strike him, lest they strike the audience who have nowhere to go due to the platforms floating away from the exits! 

“... Everyone alright back there?” Icarus mutters as more blood drips from his body than before. The parent of a young god in the front row, who was shielding his son, looks up from their ducked stances only to see Icarus still in front of their platform, shield and sword in hand, both with plentiful scorch-marks, Icarus himself having a few burns on him. “He… protected us?” He mutters under his breath. 

Icarus wipes the blood off his lips. “You scumbag… You really don’t have any integrity do you?” 

Ra holds out his clawed hand collecting tiny sun-spheres on the tips of his claws. “Integrity? What for? Those weaklings you so foolishly protected? Why should I, a mighty chief god, concern myself with the well-being of those beneath me!? But since you care SO VERY MUCH-!” He clenches his fist and the five spheres form a bigger one around his hand. He holds it towards Icarus who quickly flies up and away from the audience. “Then I see no reason not to exploit such failings!” His aim breaks from Icarus and instead points towards the human audience who all panic and try to move away, but the arena is densely packed and people are tripping over one another.

“YOU-!” Icarus launches from his spot as fast as he can, intercepting Ra’s beam with his shield, forced to stand on the railing to hold back the beam, the shield slowly but surely bending and distending from the heat, melting away. Icarus jumps forward, travelling up the beam with his melting shield until he reaches Ra who takes a swing at him with his staff! At the same time Icarus goes for a spinning kick to the head, both landing their strikes, but only Icarus goes flying, recovering as he hits back on the arena ground! “Every time I think you can’t get lower… you start digging,” He growls in annoyance taking small hops back, slicing apart the sunballs with his sword. 

“The judgement of a human, nay, ALL humans, all gods. It means NOTHING to me. THEY mean nothing to me! Only their subjugation matters,” He blindly points to the audience once again. Icarus, through gritted teeth jumps in the way again. “What FOOLISH heroic instincts. They will be the end of you. AHAHAHA!” 

Pandora and the gang all look on in horror as Icarus is forced to suddenly expend all his energy protecting the crowd! “This is bad… those fireballs-” Sun Tzu starts.

However Pandora interrupts him with a quick twirl. “Ichiko! Come on!” Ichiko quickly jumps off his perch to follow.

“Yes Friend Pandora! We go! … Where are we going!?”

Pandora stomps down the hallway with purpose. “We’re going to go help!”

“How!? I wanna help!” Ichiko calls out with an affirming bark.

“I don’t know just yet…! But we have to DO SOMETHING! That’s NOT fair!” 

However Houdini is on the other side of her. “Wait, we don't have a plan? We’re just… going?”

“Houdini!?”

“Yeah? And the others too obviously!” Pandora looks behind her as she runs through the halls seeing the rest of her present company following behind her.

“At your command, general!” Wukong says with a boisterous laughter. “But… please make a plan!”

“Benkei and his legion of followers are at your command,” Benkei adds stoically.

“I… I have an idea! Wukong! Ichiko! I need you two to-”

Hephaestus looks down at Pandora’s determined look as he strides after the group. “... you really have grown a lot in such a short time…” He whispers, feeling a single tear trickle down his chin. He feels something against his foot and looks down seeing Beethoven giving him a reassuring pat.

“ON IT!” Wukong calls out, speeding ahead, Ichiko leaping after him, followed by Benkei.

“I will save everyone, Friend Pandora!” Ichiko barks.

Houdini splits off from the main group. “Mister Hephaestus. With me, please.”

Hephaestus blinks in confusion. “Me? Very well. Pandora!” He calls out and Pandora looks over her shoulder, walking with Beethoven and Sun Tzu. “Please take care, my dear.”

“Of course! But I WILL save Icarus!” She calls out, before disappearing around a corner. Hephaestus follows Houdini, easily catching up to him given the sheer size-difference.

Icarus floats in front of the audience, panting as Ra has been striking him with his sunballs over and over. Even if he has struck most of the spheres and beams out of the air… he cannot deflect them all and has had to take some of them on his body. His sigil is fine. He taps it. “Haaaah. Is that… the best the Almighty Omnipotent Ra can do? Hold the audience hostage? You’re pathetic…” He mutters silently.

“ME!? Pathetic! It is YOU who is the pathetic one! I am Ra! If you wish for me to stop taking it so leisurely on them! Then I would like you to beg for my mercy!” The sun god focuses his power on his staff, a massive sunball forming on the tip of his staff. He fires it to the side, Icarus pressing a button on his gauntlet and Naucrate whirls up, blasting several pods out, one of which intercepts Icarus as he lands on the attacked platform, folding around his gauntlet into a gigantic metal shield. PROJECT NAUCRATE: POD 41: SHIELD OF PALLAS! The shield expands with extra plating into a near towershield which Icarus uses to block the giant sunball. “Hmpf. As expected but…” Ra points to the other side. “What will you do if I fire a second one?” He hovers the second one at arm’s length with a sadistic grin. 

Icarus grits his teeth. “Please… Ra… they have nothing to do with this…”

“A good plea. But… Not. Good. Enough.” Ra smugly says, firing the second EQUALLY large one at another audience platform, Icarus gritting his teeth as he can barely hold this one back.

He feels a tear forced from his eye from the pressure as he finally manages to flick the sunball above the audience. “I’m… sorry…” He whispers almost timidly looking at the other platform about to be struck.

“Do not be sorry, Boy!” A voice suddenly erupts as a loud CRASH falls onto the other platform. “Steel your heart! And place your trust in US!” Benkei stands tall reaching both hands out, CATCHING the sunball with his bare chest and hands. “Just as we have put OUR trust in YOU!”

“B-Benkei?!” Icarus calls out looking up at where he came from seeing Ichiko rushing down from his flaming flowers. “Ichiko!?”

Ra scoffs. “You interfere with the fight!? You DARE!?”

Benkei scoffs. “Nay. Benkei merely stands here. And will continue to stand here.”

Ichiko perches himself on another platform. Ra angrily grits his teeth at the sight of the sun-wolf. “YOU?!”

“ME!” Ichiko proudly says howling. “And US!” As Ra attacks another platform, it suddenly MOVES out of the way.

“Hello Hello? I really hope that worked? Had to hack into the arena controls. Sorry Heimdall. I got this done a while ago,” A voice echoes over the speakers. Houdini’s.

Ra grits his teeth. “What… is this?”

“This is… the Einherjar,” Icarus says feeling a wave of relief washing over him.

A bunch of chariots suddenly arrive, driven by Pandora, Sun Tzu, Beethoven and various monks from Benkei’s legion! Parking near some of the platforms. “Everyone who’s injured. Get on board! Let’s get you out of here!” Pandora calls out and some of the humans and gods alike get onto the chariots.

Ra’s breathing intensifies. “Haaaaah!? YOU?! Little Pandora!? YOU DARE!?” His hands are covered in intense flames and he BLASTS a beam at her, but she doesn’t even flinch just glaring at him with an intensity that makes his eye widen. “That look…” His gaze to Pandora is interrupted by Icarus appearing in between them and blocking the attack with his new shield. “No matter… YOU CANNOT STOP ME! Even ALL TOGETHER!”

However a new voice joins the fray. “We don’t need to BEAT you together! Little Birdy’s got THAT covered. We’re just making it FAIR!” Wukong calls out as he falls from the sky on his cloud along with someone else! “Sorry I’m late! Had to go PRETTY far to get this guy!”

SHIELD OF VANAHEIM! Tyr lands on one of the godly viewing platforms, next to Ichiko, enveloping it and all the others in his shields.

“TYR?! You dare betray me!?”

Tyr sits down and focuses on his magic. “This is no betrayal. It is a favor. For Wukong. The man who allowed me to prove myself. Young wolf. If you would?” He says and Ichiko nods, instantly sitting down and Tyr pats his head gently. Ichiko glows brilliantly. SHIELD OF VANAHEIM: SUN-PROTECTED! 

Ra grits his teeth and collects another massive ball. “SILENCE! THE LOT OF YOU! I AM RA! I AM THE SUN HIMSELF! AND YOU WILL NOT CHEAT ME!” The sphere explodes into countless smaller spheres, that begin to rain down all over the arena. RA’S RAIN OF GLORY! However they all strike Tyr’s shields making them all shake and tremble but the shields hold strong with pained grunts from both the war god and sun-wolf but they hold firm. “TSK!” Ra grits his teeth looking around frantically to the Einherjar helping out the audience, Tyr and Ichiko holding up the blockade. He prepares a massive sunball at the tip of his staff as his eye lands on Pandora! Outside the protected shields. “PANDORAAAAA!! You DARE OPPOSE ME THIS BRAZENLY?! THEN PERISH!”

However LONG before he can launch it, the sun god feels a fist connect with his cheek, sending him tumbling back in the air. “Hey! Remember me!?” Icarus calls out. “It’s just you and me now! As it should be!” He looks back at Pandora who is helping an old lady up on the chariot. “Thanks…”

Pandora smiles at him. “No problem! Go get him, Tiger!”

Icarus turns back, revving his wings. “ON IT, GENERAL!” He calls out, reinvigorated as he feels the warmth from behind him, and the searing glare from Ra in front of him.

Icarus stares blankly at the newly transformed Ra. “I… was really REALLY hoping I could finish you off before… this happened…” He takes a fighting stance. “Well at least I pushed you to this!” he takes a deep breath, wincing slightly at a sharp pain in his chest. “Alright let’s do this!”

Ra holds out his hand. “You did not push me, you pest! You CANNOT push me! Now DIE!” A large ball of orange and golden flames which he fires out, another forming before it has even hit its mark. RA’S SACRED BULLETS! Icarus lowers his stance, moving forward through the barrage Ra is blasting out! However as soon as he gets remotely close Ra covers himself in a pillar of flames. RA’S SACRED PILLAR!

Icarus does not waste time leaping into the flames with great haste, zooming through the pillar, kicking Ra out the middle of it, zooming off the edge of the arena with Ra stuck to the end of his kick. “Tch. That burns… guess I’m heatproof but not… fireproof.”

Ra does not seem particularly bothered by the kick to the stomach. His remaining good eye focuses down on the emblem on Icarus’s chest. “Of course you are! And I am finished with not trying to destroy THAT!” He says his clenched clawed fist erupting into burning orange and red flames.

Icarus’s eyes widen and he swiftly alters course, but ducking FAR back to avoid the strike from Ra, barely not being grazed by the attack, before zooming away. Ra begins falling towards the ground below, the arena above the both of them. “Lucky dodge! Just try to dodge THIS!” The flames bursting from his hands collect in front of him into another gold and orange sphere of fire. RA’S BLINDING RAY! He throws both hands forward, the sphere firing forward into a massive beam. Icarus’s eyes widen as he zips out of the way, Ra following him with the beam.

Up above the stage Heimdall is fiddling with the screens. “A-apologies, everyone! I did not expect this fight to end up like this! One moment and I’ll have it back onli-” However his thoughts are interrupted as the beam of fire shoots clean through the arena’s floor into the sky, dragging around as Ra aims it somewhere beneath. “YEEP!” Heimdall ducks as it drags over the audience, barely missing them, a few screams of terror echoing into the air.

Icarus, hearing the screams quickly realizes what is happening. “Hey, big guy! Down here!” He shoots down further, making Ra fire down at him instead, avoiding the audience stands. Ra’s sphere finally runs out of juice and the sun god clenches his fists and suddenly begins to hover in the air. “Come on then! Let’s take this up to your territory!” Icarus shoots up through the hole Ra put in the arena, Ra flying after him. As they both enter the general view of the audience once more Ra opens fire on Icarus again, the Cretan ensuring he is not putting the audience in the line of fire, by flying higher and higher!

Pandora grits her teeth. “That Ra. First he broke his word and did not let Icarus win from hitting him! And now he’s using even MORE power! This is… this is not a fair fight!”

However before she can panic further, Beethoven feels something warm by the door. “...” He knows that feeling. He goes to open up swiftly. “!!!” As he does Ichiko SHOOTS through the doors at Pandora in full sun-wolf transformation.

“FRIEND PANDORA! Do not be sad! Icarus will win! He will!” He cheerfully calls out as he jumps up at her and licks her face excitedly.

“Ichiko!? Y-yeah! YEAH! We trust him. I know. It’s so good to see you!”

“You too! All of you are good friends!” His tail cannot stop waggling as he looks between the group. “I can watch with you guys, right!?”

Wukong laughs. “Sure thing, pup!” He sets down Ruyi Jingu Bang and it distends into a stool of sorts. More like a big drum which Ichiko jumps onto to sit and watch over the railing.

“Icarus is strong! I trust him!”

“Speaking of trust-” Houdini starts pointing to Sun Tzu, almost passing the torch to him.

Sun Tzu smiles. “Know your enemy and know yourself and you need not fear the result of a thousand battles. Quote: The Art of War.”

Before Pandora can even act confused, Houdini interjects. “He means that Icarus knows Ra. Probably better than most on account of all the hatred for that nasty fall of his.”

Wukong laughs. “Yeah there ain’t no way Feathers TRUSTED Ra wasn’t gonna lose it if he hit him.”

Pandora gulps. “So why did he let Ra WAIL on him that hard…?” She starts, putting a hand on her chin to think.

“Well you see-” Sun Tzu starts before Beethoven puts a hand on his shoulder and gesturing for him to quiet down for now. “...” The two share a nod. 

Pandora smacks her fist into an open palm. “Oooooh I see! Because Ra’s eye was his strongest weapon!”

“Exactly!” Sun Tzu says excitedly.

“You’re a bright little one, aren’t you?” Houdini adds and Wukong just leans back laughing a little looking at Pandora proud in her revelation.

“He knew Ra would KEEP fighting more SERIOUSLY after he got that first hit in! And so he needed that hit to even the playing field instead of being a meaningless strike!” Pandora continues. “That’s the ONLY thing that makes sense… after watching you all fight I mean…”

Ichiko howls. “Friend Pandora is so smart!”

Pandora smiles and hugs Ichiko tightly. “T-thank you guys…” She looks back up to Icarus who is dodging and flying out of the way of Ra’s attacks still, the sun god furiously launching his sunballs and fists at him whenever an opening arrives. “I feel better knowing… he has a plan for this.”

Icarus who swerves and weaves, turning in the air and kicking one of them to make it disperse, the sparks flying past his wings. However as soon as he finishes the kick Ra is up in his face with a hand, burning with heat so intense it’s glowing bright white. RA’S ALMIGHTY PALM! He aims for Icarus’s chest again, Icarus quickly flapping back just out of reach, tucking up his knees and kicking off Ra’s palm to create some distance, the sun god scoffing at the feeble attempt! “Pathetic worm.” He clenches his fist as the dirt Icarus left behind is incinerated. 

Icarus smirks. “Heh. You want my emblem? Gotta do better than that. COME ON!” Icarus suddenly takes a dive towards the arena again, easily able to tell Ra follows by the near constant low growling in annoyance. 

“There is NONE better than RA!” He calls out firing more sunballs towards the ground, each one burning a deep hole in the floor. Icarus zooms towards the ground, swerving out of the way of the bullets, only getting grazed in places. He takes a swift falcon-like movement to correct himself and zoom along the arena floor, picking up the Theseus sword and shield along the way, Ra doing the same for his staff. 

Ra does a full frontal flip into a standing position and swings his staff along the ground with immense strength. Icarus’s eyes widen as Ra digs into the arena stone like its melting soft butter, and flings a massive hail of lava shards at him! Icarus ducks behind his shield letting the pellets strike the shield rather than him! However as he peeks over the shield once again Ra is right up in his, the head of his staff glowing with heat. He grabs Icarus’s shield with his free hand, TEARING it away from protecting the young boy before hammering at him with the staff! 

Icarus BARELY manages to throw his sword in front to block the strike to his chest, feeling the vibrations shoot through his entire body as he is launched back. He flips a few times, before correcting himself, right above one of the many platforms containing the god audience. “Hey there,” He waves at a young god who points towards Ra. Icarus is already looking back at Ra who tightly grips his staff with both hands. RA’S DIVINE ARRAY! The tip of the staff emits sunballs which all float around the sun god.

“Get down!” Icarus calls out before shooting into the air out of the way as Ra swings his staff at the air sending the many spheres at him. Icarus blazes a trail forward, dodging the spheres as they explode around him, knocking him around a little. However with a few rolls and swings of the blade and shield he manages to stay in the air. Ra points up with two claws, another sunball forming at the tips of his fingers. He blasts it off at immense speeds, the young Cretan getting his shield up just in time to block but gets the wind knocked out of him, flying further upwards!

As he finally recovers from his spin Ra is floating just above him. “What was it you said, Pest!? For old time’s sake!? Then allow me to remind you of your DOWNFALL!” He raises his staff and slams Icarus down towards the arena, the Cretan not managing to get his shield up in time. 

Icarus spits up blood as he hurtles towards the arena at immense speeds. ‘Dammit… he’s… so fast now too!?’ He thinks as he recovers, zooming away from the arena as Ra unleashes a barrage of sunballs that rain down all over the arena. Icarus manages to dodge them all! He surges back towards Ra trying to dodge the sunballs and approach Ra at the same time! 

However Ra simply redoubles his efforts, making MORE sunballs than Icarus is capable of dodging. “Fall again if you WISH!” Icarus’s wings are struck again and again, the glass-like crystals shattering from being chipped over and over. As he closes in on Ra the sun god smirks, winding back his fist, several of the smaller spheres rotating and melding into a disk. “You are a FOOL to approach THE SUN!” He launches the disk at Icarus with fervor, the whirling heat practically distorting the air around the two of them. 

Icarus grits his teeth, spinning around the disk, grinding along it with his sword to get within range of the mighty Sun Himself once again! ‘I’m close again! But-’

“If you’re close to me! Then I am close enough to YOU!” Ra says a look of pure joy on his beaked face, as he clenches his fist, moving back slightly in the air, dodging Icarus’s sword swing! Ra then moves back in his fist erupting in flames and attempts to strike Icarus’s emblem on his chest, but the young man twists his body slightly merely getting struck straight in the gut! “I outclass you in every sense of the word! You foolish, WORM!” Ra calls out continuing the rain of sunballs as Icarus hurtles towards the ground.

Pandora clenches her fists together. “Icarus…” She mutters as the other fighters see Icarus attempting to recover but his wings are somewhat in tatters so he’s quite unsteady. 

She feels a few hands on her shoulders from the others. “Don’t worry, Friend Pandora! Icarus will WIN!” Ichiko calls out.

Icarus lands with a rather ungraceful stumble and roll, looking up to the rain of sunballs, forced to dodge around. Gasping for air, sweating like crazy. “Oh no… he’s…” Pandora starts. 

“Exhausted beyond conventional measure… The young Icarus has been pushing himself beyond the limit since the very beginning,” Yet another voice starts. The floor practically rumbles as the giant Benkei enters.

“Benkei! W-why are you all… here?”

“The Young Icarus has fascinated Benkei. After his display against the odds… Benkei has come to respect him. So it is only right that we show our solidarity by observing from up close?”

Pandora nods. “Yeah… but… if he’s so exhausted… What can he even do?”

Benkei gestures to Naucrate with a headnod. “He does not fight alone.”

And sure enough Icarus taps a few buttons on his gauntlet as a fresh pair of wings, wrapped up in a pod shoot from Naucrate. Icarus sidesteps several sunballs resting his hand over the eject-button on his gauntlet to replace his wings. 

Ra however focuses a larger sphere of sunfire in his palm. “I think not! These toys have annoyed me LONG ENOUGH!” He fires it at the pod exploding it in the air. Icarus grits his teeth as the debris crashes onto the audience located beneath the point of impact. They manage to move out of the way or shield themselves mostly. 

Heimdall gulps. “L-Lord Ra… might I ask you… refrain from disturbing the audience?” He tries but Ra scoffs.

“They chose to be here!” Ra calls back his focus remaining purely on Icarus, blasting down at the ground over and over. “HAHAHAHA! That’s right! Run! You’re TRAPPED! This is YOUR END!”

Icarus tries once more to summon a pair of wings but the same thing happens again. He shields himself from an exploding sunball as he gets knocked around. ‘Dammit… Dammit dammit! I can’t get close… I can’t stay far away… What do I do!?’ He thinks before looking up at the stands seeing Pandora’s worried face, gripping the railings and he smirks. “Heh… how stupid of me… To even think that for a moment… The answer’s so obvious…” He suddenly takes a full sprint through the minefield of exploding sunballs. “I’m just gonna have to WIN THIS!” He presses a button on his gauntlet as he leaps off the edge of the arena, spinning to face Ra with a double middle finger and sticking his tongue out childishly.

Ra scoffs seeing the pod he summoned try to blast down after him. He shoots after the pod and Icarus, knocking it out of the way with his staff. “You are a FOOL!” Ra prepares a sunbeam before he notices a second pod coming from the side. ‘He summoned two sets of wings?’ It is far closer than the other got. It has been moving for longer! “Hmpf! Worthless trash!” He shoots the second pod. “One or two. What is the difference? You will still never-” Ra turns his gaze back to Icarus before needing to dodge Icarus’s sword! Grazing up his chest, Icarus follows up the missed strike with a kick to the face. His back has gotten a new pair of sharp metal wings with large propulsion engines on a few of the elongated feathers. PROJECT NAUCRATE: POD 1: FEATHERS OF ICARUS MK. 4! 

“The difference is that you’re not thinking TWO steps ahead, Ra!” Icarus goes on the offensive! Wildly swinging his sword and chasing down Ra as he backs away, not allowing the sun god an inch of distance to prepare a sunball or even the time to concentrate and form a sunpillar to shield himself! 

Ra grits his teeth as his body flares up. “You persistent INSECT!” He takes a swift swing at Icarus, the young man deflecting it with his shield and stabbing a Ra, his sword digging into Ra’s feather-crown, Icarus attempting to swing down from here, but Ra moves back to dodge. “Why you…” Icarus follows after him but finds his energy dipping briefly, Ra gathering a fist of sunfire, uppercutting him straight in the jaw, sending Icarus blasting up through the arena again, the massive flaming pillar digging a hole through the arena for him to fly through.

-Babel-

Giza clutches onto Thoth’s arm. “L-Lord Thoth! Ra is so…”

“Powerful. Yes. Ridiculously so. In all honesty… he is still holding back. He does not want to admit he needs more power than he’s already used. It’s nothing but stubborn pride. But that emblem is intact so the damage from the sunflames is minimized…”

Sobek crosses his arms. “Huh… you think I could push him beyond that level?”

Thoth gives Sobek a slightly annoyed look. “You battle maniac… You would probably know better than me. If I had to say… yes. Just to get through your tough skin would require more than brute force.”

Sobek scratches his chin. “I guess the biggest trouble would be that he can fly somehow.”

“Heat is how. He directs the heat from his ‘Glorious Presence’ towards the ground primarily. Functions like a jet engine those humans created.”

“I-I don’t think Lord Sobek knows what that is Lord Thoth…”

Sobek nods. “Correct, little sphinx!”

“... Erich Hartmann’s machine. From the seventh round.”

“Aaaaah! Thanks for the explanation!”

Thoth nods. “No problem. Let us see how Icarus pushes through this. Mayhaps… in silence?”

-Valhalla Arena-

Icarus is on his back, panting and heaving. His body feels heavy. Even raising the shield and sword is a tough endeavor. However as Ra bursts from the floor, Icarus simply grits his teeth and leaps to his feet. “AAAAAARGH!” He angrily exclaims steeling his nerves. “You’re still here? Thought you’d be BORED by now!” 

Ra scoffs, shooting down at Icarus, with a strike from his staff, Icarus blocking it with both sword and shield, forcing the young man to his knees. “Do not mistake my anger for lack of joy. I am enjoying seeing you squirm, so helpless and pathetic!”

Icarus revs up his wing-jets to slowly push himself onto his feet and even slightly off the ground! He grabs Ra’s staff and opposite wrist, before headbutting the bird-god as hard as he can, sending Ra stumbling back. “And yet you’re flying around… shooting me with those sunballs… Not getting close… Are you that scared of a fair fight?” Icarus says with a tilted head, blood dripping from his forehead from Ra’s hard beak, his entire shape practically clad in a shadow except for his eyes which are still burning with fighting spirit.

Ra grits his non-existent teeth as he looks at Icarus’s almost… creepily doll-like posture. “I am not scared of ANYTHING! It is YOU who should fear ME!”

Icarus begins to float with his wings again, spreading his arms out. “Not. Happening.”

Ra shoots up after him, the two clashing weapons once again. “We shall see. I will break you and you will beg yet!”