Chapter 258: Shattering the Shackles, Undead Cataclysm!
What kind of ability did this divine throne artifact possess?
The gods were quite curious, but they weren't foolish enough to inquire directly. Still, they could speculate about its power by observing how it was used next.
However, they saw him rise to his feet—
"If you have questions, ask him. I can't keep my opponent waiting too long."
As he spoke these words, golden wings spread from his back, and he departed from the scene, descending toward the land of the Underworld.
His golden attire, radiant and gleaming, stood out excessively in this eternal night-like realm of the dead, peculiarly attracting the undead.
The undead on the ground rushed toward him frantically, and from the very spot where he intended to land, more undead were crawling out from beneath the earth.
Yet, before they could even touch his body, these undead burst into flames and turned to ash.
The reason was the light emanating from him, which had a potent suppressive effect on the undead.
Touching it was like vampires being struck by sunlight—they would be burned to cinders.
The difference was that this light also held a fatal allure. This faith-infused radiance, if devoured, meant they might escape this place, regain flesh, and become gods.
Thus, the undead surged forward one after another, like moths to a flame.
"This individual is the human representative—Romulus Quirinus, also the current chief god of the Roman Pantheon!"
The host, Heimdall, finally announced the name of the human representative, albeit a bit belatedly.
"So, this ultimate battle between humans and gods, this special divine conflict, can be seen as a challenge to the authority of the old gods by the gods of the new era. Will the old gods extinguish it? Or will the new generation of gods rise here?"
After this passionate declaration, Heimdall took a deep breath and brought the horn back to his lips.
"Ragnarök, Eighth Round—Begin!!"
As the announcement faded, the atmosphere grew tense.
What kind of awe-inspiring spectacle would this clash between the two chief gods bring?
Who would strike first?
Hmm? It seemed Odin would make the first move, as a gleaming spear—Gungnir—appeared in his hand.
In the next instant, this unerring spear vanished from his grasp, transforming into a meteor streaking across the sky?
It looked as though it meant to pierce the heavens?
No, it was plunging back down—was it accelerating through this descent?
But then, the unerring spear simply burrowed directly into the ground.
"Huh? What is he doing?"
"Stabbing into the earth?"
"Ah, it's tunneling underground, making it hard for Quirinus to predict where it will emerge?"
This unusual behavior from Odin inevitably led to such speculation.
Crack!
A sound like something shattering could be heard.
Then—
"Wh-what is this?!"
"These dense magic circles..."
"What has Gungnir pierced through?"
This land of the dead suddenly became covered with numerous magic circles and countless runes.
Simultaneously, because the ground beneath was also filled with glowing magic, the intense radiance of magical light made the land somewhat transparent.
Thus, one could vaguely see that Gungnir had pierced through something deep within the earth, causing it to crumble.
"Could it be—!"
Brunhilde, being a Valkyrie, suddenly looked rather pale.
The magic circles and runes covering the land felt strangely familiar to her—it seemed like a massive binding spell that had now been destroyed.
It was like a prison holding countless vicious criminals, where each inmate was further shackled to restrict their movements as an extra precaution.
And now, all the prisoners' shackles had been unlocked in an instant.
As a result, the inmates in this prison were about to run wild.
The worst-case scenario was that they might even break out of the prison.
Thus, the destroyed spell was rapidly vanishing, and in the blink of an eye, all the magic circles and runes disappeared completely.
The moment they vanished, the entire Helheim fell into an eerie silence, so quiet it was unnerving.
The next instant, countless undead howled and roared, shaking the entirety of Helheim.
Looking down from above, the land of Helheim seemed to writhe, as if countless insects were burrowing through it.
"ROOOOOOOAR...!"
Accompanied by the loudest roar, the ground bulged, and six massive heads burst forth.
Upon closer inspection, the six heads were tightly clustered together, appearing as if they belonged to a single body.
"Th-This—"
"Could it be—!"
The gods who recognized this creature turned ashen-faced.
"Son of Ymir!"
A god uttered its name.
Ymir was the first giant, considered the progenitor of all giants, and this six-headed son of his had inflicted severe casualties upon the gods during the ancient Giant War.
Killing the Son of Ymir had come at a tremendous cost.
But mere death wasn't enough to quell their hatred; they cast its remains into Helheim, forcing its soul to endure the torment of Helheim's erosion.
Who would have thought that after all this time, its soul still hadn't been worn away.
Freed from the binding spell, it was now forcibly breaking free from the earth. Even the small portion of its body that had emerged was as large as a mountain.
Of course, it wasn't just the Son of Ymir; the gods also recognized many other giants that hadn't been fully eroded, along with some apocalyptic beasts and other monsters.
Although they were now only in an undead state, their souls had been worn down considerably, and their current strength was undoubtedly far inferior to what it once was.
But their numbers were overwhelming—dense and countless, as if the entire land of Helheim was composed of them.
In such a scenario, quantity could lead to a qualitative change, creating a terrifying undead calamity. Even some of the chief gods present weren't confident they could handle it alone.
So, did Odin remove these creatures' shackles to control them? To make them attack Quirinus's forces?
It didn't seem so, because the undead were charging toward both sides.
They seek to devour these two living beings!
Thus, while dealing with the seemingly endless army of the dead, both must also remain vigilant against each other's attacks hidden within the horde.
This makes the eighth round of the duel particularly intriguing.
Danger comes not only from the opponent but also from the arena itself.