Humanity's seven-million-year history is coming to an end. The cause of this apocalypse... is it... a nuclear war? An asteroid impact? Or perhaps an alien invasion?
No... this cataclysm will be caused... by none other than humanity's creators. It is by the will of the gods themselves... that humanity is about to face its doom!!
Council of Chambers: The council of Valhalla.
Inside the chamber of Valhalla, a weak, sickly old man sat in the centre before gently rubbing a massive dragon that was by his side.
"There we go... good girl... well then... my fellow gods! It's been a thousand years since we held one of these. Let us begin the conference." The weak old man spoke out, who was known as... Zeus, Valhalla council chairman.
Once every millennium, the gods of the world assemble for... the human extinction conference. A teenage girl with lilac hair that reaches down to half her neck and aqua green eyes widened her eyes at the sight of these gods.
"Yikes! All the gods... of the entire world are here! What a sight! Don't you agree, Hilde?!" The young girl looked towards the beautiful woman with flowing midnight blue hair that reached her knees with long bangs swept over the right side of her face.
"Now... I ask you all... shall we give humanity another millennium of existence? Yay? Or Nay? Do we put an end to them? Let each god... show their will..." Zeus softly spoke as a yes or no sign appeared in each god's hand. Each god started to mumble amongst themselves before someone held up two No signs.
"Yeaaaaah... I say we end them. I've been watching them closely... And they've shown no signs of improvement; it's a total drag trying to guide them. Let's wipe the slate clean... and let some other species evolve." A god with four arms and five eyes lazily said as he lay down on the table. It was the god of destruction, Shiva, from the Indian Pantheon.
"Indeed, Shiva is right..." A very beautiful woman, known as Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, spoke up, "The past thousand years... we have seen the world become increasingly ugly. Trash and oil in the seas. The forests, gone. Entire species, extinct. Humankind itself... is a cancer eating away life on earth. Or perhaps I should say... they're a plague that will bring about their own end.
More gods spoke up about their disdain for humanity before a chant started.
"End them!"
"End them!"
"End them!"
More and more "No" signs appeared in the air as the girl with lilac hair widened her eyes.
"This is exactly what Hilde said would happen! The will of the gods is doomsday! Which means humanity..." The girl thought in her head before slowly turning her head to the woman called "Hilde", who had just closed her eyes.
The will of the gods... cannot be challenged... if the council's verdict is unanimous... then humanity... like it or not, will cease to exist!!! And there's nothing that can stop it-
"It appears... we have reached a decision." Zeus slowly grabbed his hammer as multiple gods raised their no sign. Zeus took a sigh before slowly standing up and readied to hit his hammer on the gavel.
"And so... I hereby declare... and end to..." Zeus was about to hit the gavel before the woman with midnight blue hair stood up in her spot.
"One moment, sir!" Zeus immediately paused his actions as multiple people started to whisper about the midnight-haired woman, who was slowly walking towards the centre.
"A Valkyrie?!"
"That's a Valkyrie!"
"What the?"
"Where does she think she's going?"
Hilde slowly walked towards the centre while everyone widened their eyes at her audacity to approach them.
"With reverence to the gods, I humbly ask that I be allowed to say a few words." Hilde slowly spoke before a crow started to screech at her.
"You mind your manners... BRUNHILDE!!! Know your place, demigod. How dare you barge into a conversation among the gods?!" The crow that was sitting on an old man's shoulder screeched before the man was identified as Odin, the Supreme Norse God.
"Humanity's insolence and savagery is indeed, unpardonable; however, just simply eliminating them... is too... cliche. Does humanity deserve to live for another thousand years? May I suggest testing them? You can even display... your divine might and mercy while you do so." Brunhilde proposed to the audience before the crow screeched at her again.
"A test? Like another flood? Or perhaps an early ice age?" The crow replied to Brunhilde before Brunhilde placed her hands to her side.
"No, there's a more effective way." Brunhilde sternly said, making multiple gods question amongst themselves.
"What does she have in mind?"
"What is she getting at?"
"Let's hear it already!"
Brunhilde breathed in before she sternly spoke, "The gods versus Humanity! The final conflict! Ragnarok!" Many gods opened their eyes in shock before the girl with lilac hair turned to Brunhilde.
"Ra-Ragna, what now?" The girl questioned Brunhilde while she started to flip through the books.
"Shush, Göll. Defined in the extra extra ordinary clause... in article 62... paragraph fifteen... of the Valhalla Constitution as... a series of one-on-one showdowns... between the gods and mankind!" Brunhilde declared, as multiple gods gasped at the idea. The girl, who was identified as Göll, covered a hand over her mouth.
Ragnarok. The Gods versus Humanity, the final conflict. Each side has a team of thirteen fighters. First to seven victories, wins! The moment humankind loses seven battles, their fate is sealed! But in the unlikely event that humanity is victorious, they will be granted another thousand years of existence. Since humankind's creation, this law has never been invoked... for the simple reason... that it is utterly impossible... for a human to defeat a god!
It is, in effect, a legal clause included merely for the entertainment of the gods!
Brunhilde closed her book before the crow on Odin's shoulder spoke again.
"Ha! That's your proposal? You Valkyries should know very well... that humans stand no chance against the gods! It'd be a waste of time!" The gods started to murmur amongst themselves again.
"That's right, it would hardly be a contest at all."
"Why give them the opportunity?"
"So the gods' will is humanity's extinction and... the avoidance of any direct confrontation with humans, is that right?" Brunhilde sighed, making many gods tense up at her words.
"Extinction without confrontation... refusal to meet face-to-face. By any chance... are you... scared? By any chance... are you... afraid?" Brunhilde tilted her head slightly upwards and smirked at the gods.
"If so, I apologise, please ignore my remarks. Let's just forget about the Ragnarok clause." Many gods started to laugh aloud at Brunhilde's remarks.
A strange sound rippled through the chamber. The sardonic laughter of the gods, like that of a slightly irritated father... shrugging off the mischief of a young child. Brunhilde was certain... that no other words... could easily and deeply... challenge the dignity and pride of the creators of all things than... "are you afraid?"
The merest suggestion... that the gods fear humanity... was an unspeakable humiliation. Brunhilde... was indeed... correct. Divine tempers... snap far more easily... than human tempers, which have been through millennia' worth of emotional control.
"Hohoho... I see. Ragnarok. Huh? That's an interesting proposal." Zeus kept on patting the massive dragon surrounding him. "Yup. It sure is. How... utterly... amusing!!!" Zeus twisted the dragon's nose and mouth by strengthening his muscles.
"And I'm sure that... all of you... are also longing witness... the wrath of the gods!!" Zeus spread out his arms while laughing maniacally as the dragon lay dead near his feet.
"Well, what do you say, my fellow deities? Shall we battle mankind?!" All of the gods stayed silent as Zeus picked up his gavel.
And that is how... Ragnarok, the final conflict between the gods and humanity... BEGAN!!!
Zeus slammed down his gavel as Brunhilde stared at him sternly.
In Valhalla, prepping room.
A young man of slightly above average height and a slim to athletic build, with a pale expression and hair that is puffy while slightly covering his grey eyes, sat down in a chair, seemingly thinking about something while holding and fiddling with his daggers.
Another young man with black hair that has slightly uneven, tousled bangs framing his face. His most striking feature is his eyes; they are large and a vibrant, intense red, adding to his somewhat mysterious and intense gaze. His expression is serious and almost melancholic sat down beside the boy.
"Geez... why does he get to fight first?" The red-eyed boy said to the other young man, who just sighed in response.
"Don't ask me..." The young man with puffy hair groaned before he fiddled with his daggers.
Preparing room with Brunhilde, after the third round.
Gods: 2, Humanity: 1
"So it's Heracles in round four..." Brunhilde stared at the screen while Göll pondered.
"It's hard to know which side to cheer for." Göll pondered while Brunhilde looked up and grinned before sticking her tongue out cunningly.
Göll leaned forward as Brunhilde quickly covered her mouth. "First of all, who can even stand up to Heracles?" Göll looked up at Brunhilde, who uncovered her mouth.
"Actually, I've known from the start who I'd put up against Heracles." Brunhilde looked towards Göll. "The person... who I believe... is a swordsman who has dominated and even shaken the Demon king of his time... his strength... is the real deal."
Brunhilde scrolled through the screen before stopping, as Göll widened her eyes at the person: a tall man with a lean, muscular build, shoulder-length white hair that he keeps up in a bun, violet color eyes that could stare into other people's souls.
"The strongest demon slayer in history, Tetsuya Akio." Göll widened her eyes at the person on the screen.
-Round 4 of Ragnarok, BEGIN!!!-