Unlike some ordinary gods, the higher deities watching humanity stand nearly equal to divinity didn't feel anger or frustration.
On the contrary, these chief god-level figures grew increasingly exhilarated.
Long ago, the gods too had waged wars and slaughtered one another.
But that era lay too far in the past. Though conflicts still occurred among the gods, the violent bloodshed of yore had virtually disappeared.
Most interactions remained amicable, so all-out battles to the death between both sides never occurred.
Over time, everyone grew increasingly lethargic, passing each day in drowsy monotony—utterly dull.
Now, witnessing this long-lost spectacle of slaughter, seeing the possibility of fighting unrestrained once more—of course they were thrilled.
"Tch, had I known, I would've competed to represent the gods in the first match. Both with four arms—we could've had a proper contest."
From one corner of the divine faction, a four-armed god—Shiva—spoke with palpable regret.
Originally, he was just watching the battle for lack of anything better to do, never expecting the Valkyries to actually pull out someone capable of pushing the God Thor to such extremes. It made his blood boil with excitement, itching to jump into the fray himself.
"No need to be so impatient. There will be more opportunities later."
Responding to his regret was the Goddess of Beauty—Aphrodite—whose every movement could sway the hearts of the male gods around her.
Every time she spoke, she drew the gazes of the surrounding male deities.
Because of her... magnificent assets, even the simple act of speaking caused noticeable tremors in that area.
"True."
After all, in the battle of [Ragnarök], one side needed to win at least seven matches to claim victory.
This meant humanity would have to fight at least seven battles, with at least six more opportunities for him to take the stage.
And the opponents to come would surely grow even more intriguing.
"Damn it!"
"What's wrong?"
Aphrodite frowned as she noticed Shiva's sudden change in expression.
She scrutinized the arena carefully—had Shiva noticed something? Had the situation turned unfavorable for Thor?
But she couldn't see anything amiss.
"I need to sign up immediately."
This was why Shiva had cursed. After witnessing such a duel, he surely wasn't the only one whose interest was piqued.
The others must have already rushed to register as well.
So, of course, he had to hurry and submit his request, immediately sending word to Zeus to secure him a spot.
But all he got in return was a dismissive reply from the old bastard, likely because too many had already applied, making it impossible to guarantee him a match.
One thing was certain, though—that old fool Zeus had undoubtedly reserved a spot for himself.
The guy was a violent brute at heart, a berserker who craved battle. He would definitely step into the ring.
"Now, what exactly happened in that split second? I'm sure many of you are still unclear."
The announcer, Heimdall, raised his voice once more.
That split second he referred to was the moment of Thor's final hammer strike.
How had Thor been slashed? How had Overlord Xiang Yu sacrificed both arms to evade a fatal blow, only to sprout two more in their place?
Only the most powerful gods could have perceived what truly transpired in that instant.
So now, Heimdall replayed the moment in slow motion, allowing everyone to see it clearly.
"Watch closely!"
The giant screen in the air rewound the footage, back to Thor's thunder-fueled, devastating hammer strike.
The moment it collided with Overlord Xiang Yu's halberd, the weapon shattered like porcelain.
But then, something unexpected happened—Xiang Yu's halberd hadn't been completely destroyed.
Hidden within it was a sword.
As the halberd shattered, the blade was revealed, and Xiang Yu's body transformed, sprouting two additional arms. One of them seized the sword and, with lightning speed, tore through the air, slicing open Thor's chest.
Of course, Thor's [Mjölnir] had already descended, striking Xiang Yu a fraction of a second earlier. But with his two arms, the Overlord managed to hold it off for just an instant.
And in that instant, he launched his counterattack.
It was also after leaving a wound on the God Thor that the two arms of the Overlord Xiang Yu could no longer hold on and were shattered by the hammering and tearing of [Mjolnir].
Moreover, it was just a hair's breadth away—the thunder hammer could have struck the Overlord's head.
Additionally, the terrifying high temperatures released by the thunder hammer [Mjolnir] instantly charred the Overlord Xiang Yu's exterior to a crisp.
The explosion from the impact also forced the two apart.
It wasn't the shockwave that pushed them away, but rather the shockwave that cracked and split the arena floor—like splitting firewood, where the wood isn't completely severed but is partially separated.
This was the fleeting moment most people failed to clearly perceive.
"Truly spectacular, yet also perilous in that instant. Whoever made the slightest mistake in that moment would have instantly decided the outcome!"
Heimdall grew more and more excited as he spoke, as if he were personally experiencing it himself.
Ah, in fact, he was right there witnessing this heart-stopping duel—he was experiencing it firsthand.
"I have only one strike left!"
The God of Thunder Thor suddenly declared.
"Same here!"
The Overlord Xiang Yu responded in kind.
What did this mean?
"Could it be that the two will decide the victor with their next strike?"
Heimdall was so exhilarated at this point that he nearly couldn't resist blowing his horn with all his might to proclaim his excitement.
At this moment, the clamor of the entire arena fell silent, every pair of eyes wide open, fixed on the instant that would determine the outcome.
Will this be humanity's first victory?
Or will it be the gods' first win?
Thor, the God of Thunder, revealed the most ferocious expression ever seen as his grip tightened around Mjölnir—so much so that the handle shattered.
His hand sank directly into Mjölnir's core.
Immediately, Mjölnir began to swell like a tumor, rapidly expanding to engulf Thor's arm, fusing with it completely.
Moreover, the hammer itself transformed—the head flattened, morphing into an axe!
Mjölnir had become an axe-hammer, an unprecedented fused form.
"I've never heard of Mjölnir being able to do this!"
"Lord Thor was hiding such a technique all along?"
Odin's two ravens were utterly stunned.
"This is—!"
Even Loki was shocked, as he had never heard of such a thing. This must be the first time Thor had unveiled his true ultimate move.
Evidently, none of Thor's past enemies had ever pushed him to such dire straits.
Pupils contracting, Loki turned his astonished gaze toward the other combatant.
They, too, had undergone a transformation!
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan