Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. This was one of many thoughts going through the well-dressed god's mind as he walked through one of Valhalla's many halls. The rumbling sound of Zeus' fist still ringing in Set's ears, the looks of pure rage and fragile pride from fellow gods, and especially the sheer indignation of the Valkyrie Brunhilde. Everything within that moment raced through his mind.
Set
(Egyptian Pantheon)
"She did it. That madwoman actually did it." Set said to himself. He paused his walk and looked down, his black crocodile-skin shoes and three-piece mauve suit sticking out against the marble floor. Why wasn't he angry? Why was he happy? He knew why but kept it to himself. The god took the bronze helmet he carried on his right hand, briefly gazing at it face-to-face. The joy subsided, and resentment crawled into his mind. The helmet's odd shape and ears confounded many; no one could ever determine what animal it could be. I hope you know I intend to make the most of this. He thought to the helmet around, he raised it and placed it smoothly over his head. He felt it click and snap around his neck, holding it firmly in place. The only times he could ever remove it were when he was alone, and he knew for his plan to work, it would stay on for a while this time. It bothered him slightly how used to it he was, but he prioritized his plan over his frustrations.
Set began his trek to the upper levels of Valhalla, where the upper echelons of the gods resided. Odin, Zeus, Shiva, Izanagi, and many others resided here. For the inexperienced, the aura in this area would crush lesser gods or drive them to insanity. However, he had a mission, steeling his focus and aided him in pushing through the aura. He soon found his destination and stopped outside a double door decorated with ornate columns. Set knocked three times, each knock heavy despite the god's small frame. Silence filled the hall as he waited.
He heard footsteps approach the door. After hearing a few locks come undone, the door opened. At the entrance stood a young god in a black suit and tie that matched his hair. Below his right eye and above his left were ornate tattoos. The young god, Hermes, saw him and grew a mirthless smile.
Hermes
10th of the 12 Gods
(Greek Pantheon)
"Set, you're early," Hermes said. "Zeus didn't expect for another thirty minutes."
"You and I both know to never keep him waiting," Set replied. Despite the mask covering his whole head, Set's voice came through clearly. Hermes pulled the door back and gestured Set in.
The room was vast yet simplistic. Other than a few vases and busts lining the sides of the room, it was empty save for an ornate couch and the balcony behind it. On the couch sat a feeble-looking old man with wrinkled skin and sunken eyes. Set walked in but stopped halfway and gracefully kneeled.
Zeus
Godfather of the Cosmos
(Greek Pantheon)
"Kneeling before me, Set? If I didn't know you as I do, I'd be flattered." Zeus said. Suddenly, the room began to flood with aura, enveloping and pushing down on Set. He did not budge, bringing a small smirk across Zeus' aged face while he stroked his beard. "What do you want from me?"
"Lord Zeus, I wish to ask a favor of you."
"If you're here to ask me to speak on your behalf to Osiris and Ra, I will not. Why you'd want it is beyond me, but-"
"Pardon my interruption, but no. I do not seek reconciliation with them." Zeus looked at Set, puzzled. Hermes walked back to his father's right side and looked confused at what he heard. Set raised his head to stare at the Godfather of the Cosmos. "I ask that you allow me to lead the effort in Ragnarök for the Gods and have control over who will fight and how." Set's voice did not waiver while Zeus stared at him in silence. The aura continued to push down on Set and intensified. Set began to feel his left foot and right knee start to sink into the marble.
"You must have a screw loose or be ill, Set." Zeus' words reverberated through the air and rang in Set's ears. Zeus stood up, and his body swelled with muscle, nearly tripling in size. He walked over to Set, still pinned down. Slowly, Zeus squatted down and placed his enlarged right hand over Set's helmet, and cocked his own to the side while smiling a toothless grin. "If I don't like your explanation, you know what will happen, riiiight?"
Set steeled himself further and replied. "We have been mocked by a Valkyrie," Set said, barely above a whisper and saturated with vitriol. "We are Gods. We made the earth, sea, and sky. We fought against the mightiest of monsters and won. We fought against the very concepts of destruction and won. We gave mankind life, and what do they give in return? Depravity! Malice! Incompetence and Wickedness! They spit in the face of the ones that made them, blessed them, nurtured them, and now when their well-deserved destruction is at hand, that damned Valkyrie goes and throws Ragnarök at us to protect them." Set began to push against the strain. Managing to bring both feet under himself, Set straightened himself. Zeus' hand still rested on the crown of Set's helmet. "I will not allow this."
Aura emanated from Set and pushed against Zeus'. Nonplussed by Set's fury, Zeus removed his hand and shrunk back to his original size. He then moved his hand to Set's left shoulder and pat it as the aura disappeared. "Well said! Seems for all your groveling, there's a fire in your belly after all!" Zeus turned around, walked back to his couch, and sat back down. "Now, how do you intend to lead us to victory?"
Set took a deep breath. "Brunhilde expects Ragnarök to be thirteen one-on-one brawls. She is going to build a roster around this, anticipating us to send the mightiest and most willing of our side to fight. Rather than that, I intend to fill our roster with representatives who exemplify various facets of our godly nature. Not just strength but our intellect, ingenuity, determination, and creativity. Everything Humanity claims greatness over, we will crush them and prove that we are the greatest in EVERYTHING." Set's aura intensified at the end of his response, stretching his hands out in front of him and clenching his fists. Zeus stroked his beard and gestured to Hermes. Hermes bent down, and the two whispered. Set knew better than to try and listen in. He hoped his proposal would win Zeus over, but he knew he couldn't trust Hermes to side with him. The two broke away and looked at Set.
"I accept your proposal."
Set's aura exploded and flooded the room. They couldn't see it due to his helmet, but Set beamed with pure, childish joy. "You honor me with your trust, Lord Zeus. However, I need your help." His voice was restrained and composed despite his lack of bearing.
"You're getting greedy, Set."
"Not at all. To prove our might, we need the best of the best. The Greeks possess an unmatched roster from which I only need two members. Odin and the others have members I need to add, and I will need your support to convince them."
"Sure, sure. Hermes, send word to the others that Set will build our roster. Any who wish to pass on this will answer to me."
Hermes bowed and placed his right hand over his heart. "Of course, Lord Zeus." Hermes straightened back up and walked across the room, his eyes meeting Set's as he walked past him. His mirthless smile never left his face. Set would never admit how infuriating it was. Hermes walked out of the room, leaving the Zeus and Set alone. Set's aura began to subside, and he relaxed his posture.
"Set, I know how you feel about him, but I will say this now: you stay away from Hermes. Furthermore, he will not be on the roster."
"I understand. However, he is not one of the two I need."
"Oh? Then who?"
Set left Zeus' chambers and began his trek back down below. The pressure began to lessen the lower he went. Before long, it became easy to breathe again, and Set let out a soft sigh of relief as he walked to his chambers. Convincing Zeus went easier than he thought it would be. Maybe it was due to his anger at Brunhilde for insulting the gods. Maybe it was a joy to see the fights. Maybe something else. All Set cared about was the chance he now had. Would the other Top Gods approve of his roster? Would the unorthodox plan fall into place? These thoughts continued to pester him. As he turned a corner, a young girl sprinted towards him, ran into him, and bounced off, falling to the floor. Set looked down and recognized her.
Göll
(13th Sister of the Valkyries)
"Ow…." Göll said as she rubbed her nose. She then looked up and saw Set. Comical fear showed in her face, and she screamed. "Lord Set! I'm so sorry!" She stood straight up and began to bow multiple times at high speed.
"Göll, please stop. You're forgiven and making a scene." Set responded dryly.
"Thank you for accepting my sister's apology." A voice said from behind Göll. Walking toward the pair was a tall woman in a white battle gown with long, raven hair. Her piercing blue eyes stared straight at Set the whole time she walked towards them.
Brunhilde
(Eldest Sister of the Valkyries)
"Ah, Brunhilde. Wherever Göll is, you're close by."
"What brings you to this area, Set?" Brunhilde continued to stare.
"Simply returning to my quarters. I happen to run into Göll along the way. Now, if you'll excuse me." Set dusted himself off and walked past Göll. As he passed Brunhilde, she stretched out her right arm, blocking him. Set stopped but did not look at her.
"A question for you."
"Pray tell, what is it? I doubt I know anything important to you."
"Maybe, maybe not. Do you know who was responsible for collecting the votes for the absent gods at the Human-Extinction Conference?"
"I was."
Brunhilde's stare intensified. "And you swear that all the votes you collected were valid?"
"I did."
"Everyone absent gave their real vote?"
A murderous aura began to emanate from Set. "I hope, for your sake, you're not implying foul play on my part?" His gaze met the Valkyrie's. Göll, observing this from behind them, could only imagine that the mutual gaze between those two would burn through every wall in Valhalla.
"Never, Set. Just wondering what could convince Buddha, Heracles, Michael, and several others to change their perspectives on Humanity. Seems like I don't know them as well, I thought."
"It seems that way. Now, if you would excuse me." Set then gently pressed her arm down and let his aura subside. As he walked past her, he looked back at her and spoke. "By the way, I would rather you learn it from me than another source. Lord Zeus deigned me suitable to -"
"Lead the Gods and pick their roster." Brunhilde interrupted without turning to face him.
For an instant, Göll could see the shock in Set's eye. The aura began to return but vanished. He couldn't see what Göll saw, but Brunhilde's face was contorted with rage despite her calm voice."…Well well, an informed demi-God. Did not know the word spread that quickly." Set's only theory of her knowing led back to one possibility. "You are correct. I will lead the Gods and prove our superiority to the humans one last time before we eradicate them. If you'd like, I can send you the roster and give you a chance to build…something to humor us." Brunhilde turned to face him, her rage hidden behind a soft smile.
"I am grateful, Lord Set. Thank you. With that, I'll be able to build a worthwhile roster…and stomp your ass in the ground."
This is getting out of hand, Göll thought. "Hilde, we need to go." She then grabbed her sister's hand, bringing her focus away from Set. Brunhilde knew Göll was getting overwhelmed by the situation.
"Until we can talk again, Set." Brunhilde turned away from him and walked away.
Set turned around and continued his trek back to his chambers. He could not help it, but his aura began to emanate and fill the hall around him. Brunhilde got under his skin in the worst way possible. She may even know who he intended to pick and has already begun planning how to counter him. Every lesser God he passed cowered away in his presence as he walked.
He found himself back at his chambers before long. Once inside, he felt the helmet loosen. Slowly, he removed it and placed it on a pillar next to the entrance. Once placed, he walked toward the center of the room. Clenching his fists and leaning forward, he inhaled a massive breath as he threw his head back.
"Damn you, you rotten demigod Valkyrie. I will burn you and your kin along with every last human man, woman, and child. Helheim will fill with your screams until the end of time, you disrespectful cur!" He began to hesitate for a moment after another thought entered his mind. "Hermes, you duplicitous bastard! How dare you undermine me? If I find out you sold me out to that Valkyrie, not even Zeus will keep you safe!"
Back at her chambers, Brunhilde sat at her hard-light monitors, trying to determine how to deal with Set's roster. Göll sat behind her and tried to keep up with her older sister, but she was moving too fast.
"What're we going to do, Hilde? Set's not at all like Zeus or Odin." Göll said, failing to hide her fear.
"Göll, you're right. Set is a different issue entirely." Brunhilde responded without turning away from the monitors. Her eyes and fingers move at high speed, going through hundreds of thousands of profiles. "Unlike those two, he doesn't do direct combat. Everything is an angle and a play with an emphasis on the long game. I have no doubt he intended for his roster's build to reflect three possibilities." She said as she raised her left hand to show three fingers.
"What do you mean?"
"One: to gain a strong lead and ensure a powerful sweep in the first seven rounds. Two: if the first doesn't happen, then create incentives to push the latter half of his roster into fighting harder. Pride is one thing; personal relationships are another. Three: if they don't win Ragnarök by Round 10, the last few are strong enough to guarantee the 7th victory. Therefore, the order his roster is in is a problem, but I don't know who will fight when. Here, take a look."
Brunhilde swept her hand across the screen, and a large pop-up appeared on the monitor.
Fighters for the Gods
Futsunushi
Hephaestus
Marduk
Lugh
Dionysus
Nuada
Takemikazuchi
Indra
Yama
Týr
Baldr
Gabriel
???
Göll looked through the roster, her face sinking the further down she went.
"Takemikazuchi!? Baldr, Lugh, and even Marduk!? How did he even get them to join!? The Celtic and Babylonian Gods never get involved in issues like this!"
Brunhilde took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't know. Seeing Nuada as well surprises me. His relationship with most of the Gods is rather sour. There are tales of his feuds with both Odin and Zeus that could only be described as cataclysmic. He must have been working in this for a while." Damn it, did he know I was trying to prepare for this ahead of time? She thought.
"And what's with the last one? It's hidden!"
"That's the rule for the last one. Should we get that far, the fighters for the 13th match will remain hidden until they enter the ring."
Göll continued to stare at the screen. "Wait, what rules? I thought these were just one-on-one fights!"
Brunhilde scowled as she continued to work, adding three files to a folder titled 'Completed Roster.' "Set made each round into a contest. The chosen Gods represent a concept or specialty, and we have to pick a Human fighter to compete with them. If they cannot beat them while sticking to the rules, then they die."
"Wait, die? People can die in Ragnarök?"
"Yes…and anyone who dies in Ragnarök goes to Niflheim, never to return. Ragnarök is a battle of souls; death here removes any souls from the cycle of reincarnation. Not even the Gods are safe from it."
"That's too much, Hilde! Do we have to go that far!?"
Brunhilde slammed her fist into the table. "Yes…it's the price we and the Einherjar are willing to pay." Brunhilde moved four files to the folder.
"Wait, WE!?" Göll jumped back from her sister. Brunhilde moved seven more files to the folder, opened it, and did a quick review before leaning back in her chair. Brunhilde turned away from the monitors to face her sister and stood up.
"As the Valkyries, we have a common destiny with humanity. The humans who stood above all others through their ingenuity, willpower, character, and even their strength. The Einherjar that we chose and brought to Valhalla. We put them here. To make them fight alone after we declared war against the gods is selfish and disrespectful of their willingness to fight for their people. That's why… they will not fight alone. We will fight by their side to give them the strength and abilities to fight back and save humanity. It is the only thing we can do for them. The others understand, and so must you, Göll." Brunhilde walked over to Göll, kneeled to be eye-level with Göll, and softy clasped her hands. "I know I'm asking a lot of you. The burden…is great. You and I may not even see the end of this…" Brunhilde closed her eyes for a moment and, for an instant, lost her bearing before regaining it and returning to meet Göll's eyes. "… but we have to be strong. Please promise me you'll be strong."
Tears began to well up in Göll's eyes. Compared to her sisters, Göll had almost no experience. She's helped only a handful of souls to Valhalla, and now she must bear the weight of the future along with her sisters and their chosen Einherjar. "I'll try," Göll responded, tears starting to stream down her face. Brunhilde then pulled her into a hug. Göll tried to fight back at the tears as she looked past her sister at the monitor. On the screen, the open folder showed the Einherjar and their opponents:
Fighters for the Gods
Futsunushi
Hephaestus
Marduk
Lugh
Dionysus
Nuada
Takemikazuchi
Indra
Yama
Týr
Baldr
Gabriel
???
Fighters for Humanity
Romulus
Saint Germain
Johannes Lichtenaur
Georgios
Samson
Ghulam Butt
Tadakatsu Honda
Leonardo Da Vinci
Li Shu Wen
Philippus Von Hohenheim
Vlad Dracul Tepes
Arash
???
As the two let the silence overtake them, Brunhilde's phone rang on her desk. She sprung up and pulled the phone to her face. Hermes was staring back at her with mild amusement.
"Hello, Brunhilde," Hermes said. "Your presence has been requested for a brief meeting. Please head to the Hall for deliberation."
"I will be there shortly." Brunhilde stoically responded. She ended the call and left her chambers, Göll in tow, trying to keep up with her sister's pace.
"Hilde, what's going on? Göll asked.
"A discussion, likely to set up how the rounds will go. Set's likely putting things in place to put the odds in his favor."
"Seems kind of weird for a God of Chaos to organize everything this way."
"That's what bothers me. If this was Zeus, I would've expected him to just throw heavy hitters one after another or to let the other fighters pick whenever they wanted to go. I don't know Set's game, and that spells trouble."
The two Valkyries soon found themselves at the entrance of the hall and proceeded in. In the center of the marble-white room was a wide glass table, and Set stood on the other side waiting, and to his left was Zeus sitting in a large chair. The two Gods were talking before Brunhilde and Göll's arrival but went silent upon their arrival and eyed them as they walked to the table. Brunhilde stood at the other side of the waist-high table from Set, and Göll stood at her right, across from Zeus.
"Welcome, Brunhilde. Glad you could make time to join us for this." Set said.
Set was far too good at sarcasm for his own good, Brunhilde thought. "Enough with the pleasantries. What do you want, Set?" Brunhilde responded. Set beamed at her briefly.
"I thought it was necessary upon picking our Fighters to start the next phase of Ragnarök." Set touched the table, causing it to light up and generate dozens of small playing card-shaped sigils between him and Brunhilde. Göll jumped back when they first appeared but regained her composure after seeing Zeus chuckle at her reaction. Her face was beet red from being the target of Zeus' mirth. "Before you are a series of challenges, games, concepts, etc. You and I will each pick six to build the first twelve rounds. However, there are a few stipulations."
"I sure find it odd for a God of chaos to be such a stickler for rules," Brunhilde said sarcastically.
"…Even I find such things important. Especially when it comes to something like Ragnarök, I'm sure even a demigod such as yourself can act with such minimal standards of decorum."
A powerful aura filled the room, slamming down on Set, Brunhilde, & Göll. Zeus stared at them, shifting his gaze between the three. "If you two are done trying one up the other, please continue. I didn't agree to this, so you two could sling barbs at one another." Zeus said as he released the others from his aura.
"Apologies, Lord Zeus," Set responded with a slight whimper in his voice. "As I was saying, once each side picks six contests, the twelve will go into a pool each side can pick from. Each side gets to pick two rounds in a row; then the opposing side gets to pick, and so on. The other stipulation is whoever picks the contest reveals their fighter first. Since we graciously accepted your challenge, I think it's only fair we get the first two rounds."
"Only if I get to pick the first two games of the pool," Brunhilde countered. Set stood in silence for a moment, shifting his sight as he thought.
"Deal. The first two rounds for the two games."
Brunhilde began to skim her options. Thinking back to her roster, she began to ponder which games she could have an edge in. Before long, two caught her eye, and she tapped the icons;
Wrestling
Work Shop
"Those two?" Set asked. "Quite some confidence there knowing who's on our side."
"I picked them because of who's on our side," Brunhilde said, smiling.
Set ignored her response. Moving quickly, he chose his first challenge. Acknowledging that Brunhilde would now have seven choices to his five, he knew he had to stack the deck in his favor.
Bullseye
Three games already selected. Brunhilde took her turn, knowing what to pick due to her initial review.
Snowdrift
You little sneak. I have Baldr and Gabriel. What're you trying to pull..forget it. Worrying now won't help. He made his power play.
Storytelling
Brunhilde was caught off-guard. Storytelling? Brunhilde thought. That counted as three games with a different set of rules for each: Setting, Villains, and Heroes. Why was he picking one that gave Brunhilde more options? Brunhilde stared at Set, wondering if he knew the cost of his choice.
"Confused by that one?"
"Seems kind of unfair, considering whoever calls it takes turns away from the other. I thought you wanted this to be a battle to prove the Gods' superiority, and yet you stack the deck right in front of me? Scared of us like the others?" Brunhilde crossed her arms and smirked.
Set stood in silence, pondering his next move. He knew Zeus would tear him a new one for what he was accused of. Zeus loved violence and combat more than anything, and anything that could undermine the best fights he could experience would put Set back in his crosshairs. He had to prove he was going to play fair and keep his word. "Tell you what. I'll add two stipulations to Storytelling. One, it will act as a best-of-three, and two, the winning side of Storytelling will pick the next round regardless of where the rounds fall. To sweeten the deal, I'll even let you pick the next three in a row."
"I'll take it," Brunhilde said. Sucker. She thought. Brunhilde wasted no time in taking advantage of Set's confidence, picking three games she felt assured in. Her desire to wipe the smug out of Set was becoming palpable.
King of the Mountain
Beat the Drum
Capture the Flag
Set remained unfettered. He carefully reviewed what he could pick from. After a moment of silence, he picked his last choice.
Quickdraw
Only one game remained. Zeus' curiosity began to get the better of him, and he started smiling at the development. While they wouldn't be all-out brawls, each contest done in the right way could be just as fun. Considering who was picked and what games they would compete in made Zeus' adrenaline pumping. A part of him wanted to now be a part of the roster, but he knew better than to put his life in Set's hands.
Brunhilde looked at the board one last time. Taking a deep breath, she tapped one icon;
Red-Light/Green-Light
With the last game picked, the board went clear, save for the selected icons. They then flew to the center of the table between Brunhilde and Set, forming a column.
Wrestling
Work Shop
Bullseye
Snowdrift
Storytelling
King of the Mountain
Beat the Drum
Capture the Flag
Quickdraw
Red-Light/Green-Light
"Wonderful," Set exclaimed deadpan. "Now, with the games picked, I shall pick the first two."
"Already?" Brunhilde asked.
"Of course. No point in wasting any further time." Set quickly tapped two icons.
Round 1: Red-Light/Green-Light
Round 2: Bullseye
Brunhilde glared at Set. While it was expected that each one could pick the other's game, she didn't expect Set to pick one of hers at the start. "No need to be angry. This was a potential outcome from the beginning." Set said, glaring back.
Brunhilde took a deep breath and steeled herself. "Very true," She responded. "Do you also have your first fighter picked?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Set pulled his tablet from his coat pocket, tapping away at the screen. Below the icon for Round 1, the first fighter for the Gods was displayed.
Contest for Round 1: Red-Light/Green-Light
Fighter for the Gods in Round 1
Dionysus
"I do hope you can put on a good show for us, Brunhilde," Set turned to face Zeus. "Lord Zeus, I shall go make preparations. May I go fetch and prepare Dionysus now?"
Zeus stood silently, staring at the table. No one could make out what he was thinking, but after a moment, he turned to Set.
"You may go. See to it that he's in proper form for the fight." Zeus answered. Set did a slight bow and walked out of the room, leaving Brunhilde and Göll with Zeus. The air became heavy, and silence flooded the room. Brunhilde then realized she stood directly across from Zeus without Set as a buffer. The very same God she challenged not too long ago and claimed was a coward. Dread began to fill her body, her feet burning hot from the blood pooling in her soles as she went pale. Göll could sense it but couldn't move out of sheer terror.
Zeus walked slowly around the table at a pace that felt like an eternity to the Valkyries, not looking at Brunhilde or Göll until he turned the corner and stood in front of them. Brunhilde couldn't read his face. Was he angry? Happy? The uncertainty terrified her. Suddenly, Zeus began to laugh. Not a hearty laugh or mirthless one, but as if someone told a funny joke he heard before but told it better than he heard before. "Well done, Brunhilde!" Zeus said, smiling. "Held your ground against him."
"It was nothing, Lord Zeus. I simply did what I needed to do." Brunhilde responded while Göll fainted next to her. Zeus saw this and laughed again. Realizing he was getting carried away, Zeus cleared his throat and regained his composure.
"As much as I am all for this...I won't mince words with you. I hope you know what you've demanded of us." Zeus grew in size, many of his muscles larger than Brunhilde's head. His gaze wild, he leaned down to be face-to-face with her. "You better be ready to back up your claim because it won't just be Humanity who will fall when we win Ragnarök," Zeus said, staring up at her with his sunken eyes full of confidence. "Set may be too sure of himself, but he built a roster I couldn't put together; too many old coots like me with bones to pick. However, they're strong. Far stronger than you hope or think. Think you can handle it?"
Brunhilde did not look away from the overwhelming force staring her down. "You won't be disappointed, Lord Zeus. And Humanity will win."
Zeus then lightly patted her left shoulder as his muscles shrunk. A wide grin stretched across his face, his eyes piercing from excitement. "Good luck." He then turned away from Brunhilde and walked out of the room, leaving the two Valkyries alone and their futures uncertain.