After the Norse God of Thunder, Thor, fused his arm with Mjölnir, the gods erupted in cheers once more.
In this state, Thor radiated power far surpassing his previous form.
Electric arcs crackled sporadically from his body, piercing the air, while his overwhelming aura made the very atmosphere tremble.
Yet, before the gods could fully rejoice, the human opponent also transformed.
The mechanical body mutated further, becoming even more savage—an unmistakable killing machine.
Two additional arms sprouted, and the sword split eerily into four blades, each grasped by a separate hand.
The lower body also reconfigured, shifting into a more powerful, bestial form—no longer resembling human legs but rather the limbs of a beast.
From the back, wings unfurled—skeletal, mechanical bat-like appendages devoid of flesh.
Across the entire body, glowing blue patterns pulsed with an eerie radiance, flickering like ghostly flames.
To describe this form succinctly—
"It's like a mechanical demon!"
Göll, her face damp with cold sweat, voiced the observation in a trembling tone.
Xiang Yu, the Conqueror, now exuded an aura seemingly on par with Lord Thor.
The clashing energies warped the air, producing unnatural groans as if the atmosphere itself were wailing.
Thus, the gods who had been arrogantly demanding humanity's submission mere moments ago fell silent once more.
Here it comes—the final strike!
The battle of Ragnarök, the clash between man and god—the outcome of this first match is about to be decided.
All fell silent, breath held, eyes wide, fixated on the moment that would rewrite history.
BOOM—!
A cataclysmic explosion erupted!
The force dwarfed even the earlier shockwaves from their stomps, rippling outward to crack the coliseum walls behind both fighters. The nearest spectators perched atop the fractured barriers were nearly scared to death.
However, before the shockwaves from their stomping had even dissipated halfway, an anomalous light dyed the entire arena.
It was a mingling of black lightning and azure-blue radiance that erupted in all directions, enveloping the entire coliseum and even shooting into the sky, staining the once-cerulean heavens with an eerie hue.
Following the burst of light came the delayed shockwave, sweeping through the surroundings.
At this moment, the entire coliseum seemed to scream, as if it might shatter and collapse at any second.
Of course, aside from the shockwave, there was also the deafening sound of the collision.
But many didn't even hear the thunderous roar—the impact was so overwhelming that before they could register the sheer volume, their brains were already reeling, and their ears seemed to go numb.
"Oww—!"
Göll's pained cry rang out as a stray piece of debris struck her head.
But she had no time to dwell on the pain—her gaze remained locked onto the arena, desperate to see who would emerge victorious.
Hm?
Her attention was suddenly drawn to the screen projected in midair, which was now replaying the clash between the two in slow motion.
Lord Thor had leaped forward with tremendous force, swinging his hammer-axe from behind, unleashing even more terrifying black lightning as propulsion.
This turned him into a streak of black light.
Meanwhile, Xiang Yu the Conqueror, gripping four swords with all his arms, leveled them forward like four claws ready to seize his prey.
At the same time, the blades became wreathed in azure-blue flames.
He, too, lunged forward, his metallic demonic wings now engulfed in the same flames, generating thrust that transformed him into a streak of blue light.
The moment the two collided, the screen flickered with static before cutting out entirely.
So, Göll turned her eyes back to the arena, waiting for the light and smoke to clear.
"Brunhilde… sister?"
She couldn't help but whisper to her sister beside her, but a quick glance at her expression made her freeze in fear—Brunhilde's face was terrifying.
It wasn't anger, but a tension so intense it twisted her features.
So, Göll decided not to ask again.
Disturbing her sister in this state would only bring her trouble.
Who would win this battle?
Though Göll desperately wanted humanity to triumph, her long life under the rule of the gods had ingrained in her the belief that humans could never stand against them.
Even now, seeing the two fighters evenly matched, she still lacked confidence.
"Who will win?"
"Isn't it obvious? Lord Thor, of course."
The question and answer came not from humans, but from the two ravens perched on Odin's shoulders.
The white raven sounded nervous, its tone betraying a lack of conviction.
The black raven's response was firm, but the slight stutter in its voice revealed its own wavering faith.
Both ravens immediately realized their tones had inadvertently cast doubt on Lord Thor, and a furtive glance at their master nearly made them fall off in fright.
Odin, the Allfather of Norse mythology, wore a face darker than a storm.
Hm? The interwoven light, lightning, and mist were finally dissipating, soon revealing the outcome at the center.
Who had won?
Every heart was in their throat.
In the next instant, the mist of light that had obstructed everyone's vision dissipated abruptly, vanishing in a rather eerie manner—compressing inward from the outside.
This phenomenon was likely caused by the vacuum created by the clash between the two combatants, resulting in a pressure difference. The higher external pressure rapidly rushed into the lower-pressure interior, compressing and dispersing the mist of light.
Thus, the scene that unfolded before everyone's eyes at this moment—
"A—a draw?"
The announcer Heimdall declared sharply.
Both combatants were still standing, though not facing each other. Instead, they had switched positions, seemingly standing back-to-back.
"No, not a draw!!!"
Heimdall raised his voice again.
On the field, the god Thor bore no new visible wounds.
In contrast, the Overlord Xiang Yu's body was horribly twisted and deformed, his four arms nearly crippled, and the four swords he wielded were reduced to mere hilts.
His chest was even more gruesome, bearing a wound far more severe than Thor's—likely cleaved by an axe.
Suddenly, his body swayed as if about to collapse to the ground, but he abruptly took a forceful step forward, barely managing to stay upright.
Though he hadn't fallen, it was clear to everyone that merely standing was a struggle for him—he no longer had the strength to fight.
The outcome was obvious.
The victor was undoubtedly Thor, who had sustained almost no additional injuries.
Of course, it wasn't yet time for Heimdall to declare the winner, as the duel could only end with one survivor.
Thor needed to turn and deliver the final blow, confirming his opponent's death before the match's outcome could be announced.
But why wasn't Thor moving at all?
Suddenly, Heimdall stiffened as if struck by lightning.
As the announcer, through the feedback from the Akashic Records, he understood what had happened in that fleeting moment of exchange—something most gods and humans had failed to perceive.
The outcome had indeed been decided, but not in the way everyone believed.
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