Chapter 131: Lady Gaia, May I Return?
What just happened? Both humans and gods in the arena were startled, tense, and panicked.
Out of nowhere, an enormous beam had pierced through the blood mist, penetrated the ground, and continued slicing forward.
It swept across the divine passage leading to the arena platform, cleaving the platform in half before tearing through the human passage on the opposite side.
Then, it flashed across the sky, evaporating another swath of blood mist and severing countless serpent chunks.
"W-what was that, Sister Brunhilde?" Göll stammered, clutching a nearby pillar with one hand while nervously biting the fingers of the other.
That sudden beam had been terrifying—if it had passed through her spot, she would've been vaporized instantly.
Thankfully, it had only cut through uninhabited areas!
"Eek!"
A massive chunk of flesh crashed nearby, startling her.
BOOM—BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
Like a meteor shower striking the earth, the impacts sent continuous tremors through the arena, causing sections to collapse.
At the same time, her vision was immediately dyed red—a macabre scene painted by the falling blood rain.
So, Göll hurriedly pulled out an umbrella from who-knows-where and raised it overhead.
Wait, wouldn't this blood rain corrode it? The umbrella would be useless, right?
Yet... the umbrella remained intact? Even the ground showed no signs of melting this time.
The dismembered serpent carcasses showed no signs of regeneration either—they truly seemed like lifeless chunks now.
Had Jörmungandr really been slain?
Suddenly, a violent tremor nearly knocked Göll off her feet.
She gaped in shock as the opposite stands began drifting farther away.
The massive ten-meter-wide fissure splitting the arena platform was widening rapidly.
"Eeeeeek!"
Göll realized she was tilting—not from losing her balance, but because her side of the arena was genuinely slanting.
Like a ship snapped in two, it began to tilt as if sinking into the sea.
KABOOM—!
An explosion erupted from the depths of the fissure, sending even more violent tremors upward.
Then, the tilt became even more severe.
Huh?
As it reached a certain angle, Göll could see another floating island that should have been beneath this one.
Wait, why does it feel like it's getting closer?
It's as if that floating island is rising.
No, this is—
"We're falling!"
She couldn't help but cry out in despair.
This floating island, suspended for who knows how long, had finally reached the end of its lifespan.
Now, she had to evacuate, evacuate immediately!
However, as if by divine intervention from a few of the chief gods, the split-apart arena was directly transported—shifted to the floating island Göll had just seen.
One by one, they watched as the massive floating island, which had hosted countless heavenly tournaments, crumbled and plummeted into the endless abyss below.
"Huh? Sister Brunhilde, where are you going?"
Though she didn't know the destination, it was clear Brunhilde was leaving the arena—wasn't she going to wait for anyone?
"Sister, aren't you going to see—mmph!!!"
Her mouth was abruptly covered by Sister Göndul.
"Enough, shut up, don't say another word, Göll!!!"
Göndul's expression was grave as she issued the warning. Right now, it was best to let their sister be alone.
As for why—Göndul had seen the result displayed on the small terminal in Brunhilde's hand.
This result hadn't been announced by Heimdall but was an automatic judgment from the system.
And the outcome was—a draw.
Of course, Brunhilde wasn't upset because of the draw itself, nor because Loki had seemingly cheated by summoning two monsters as reinforcements.
No, the draw displayed on the screen marked both the god's representative and the human representative with an X—meaning both had perished!
That was why their sister had become so despondent.
"Sigh~"
Göndul exhaled deeply, surveying the devastation around them. Clearly, the final battle between humans and gods couldn't proceed as planned.
But it wasn't being canceled—just temporarily suspended.
This war, this Ragnarök, would continue to the very end. For now, they needed to rebuild the arena, which would take some time.
So, Sister Brunhilde could take a proper rest for a while.
The Grand Temple.
"What a shame."
The voice was filled with regret over Jörmungandr's death.
Quite unfortunate, too—the allied pantheon had suffered a tragedy.
But compared to the unexpected outcome of this match, the losses among the gods meant little.
Besides, they had never truly considered them allies. Traitors were despised everywhere.
The greatest gain from this battle was that Odin had been brought to the brink of death. Whether he could be saved remained uncertain—hopefully not.
But then again, wasn't their master eager to recruit a god like Odin into their ranks?
Wouldn't Odin's death also be a significant loss?
On the contrary, Odin's death was the best outcome.
Because Odin would never submit to our master. It was merely a relationship of mutual exploitation—testing and scheming against each other.
Thus, Odin remained one of the greatest obstacles to our master's return and reclaiming of everything.
Now, that obstacle is no longer a threat.
Several days later.
A mysterious visitor arrived, seeking cooperation.
The one leading this mysterious guest was the current acting chief deity presiding over the Norse pantheon—Njörðr, the God of the Sea.
"Still hiding your true face?"
"Before beings as great as us, what is there left to conceal?"
The gods were displeased by the visitor's continued secrecy.
"No need to rush~"
The mysterious one responded in a mocking tone, further enraging the gods. Some could barely restrain themselves from teaching this insolent fool a lesson.
The next moment, the visitor revealed their true form—leaving everyone stunned.
"H-how is this possible?"
"Didn't they die?"
"Could it be a feigned death?"
"But the Akashic System confirmed their demise!"
They stared in shock at someone who should have been dead.
So, why was this person here?
The answer was obvious—they sought revenge against the other gods and had thus chosen to join this side.
However, without Fenrir and Jörmungandr, this individual was nothing but trash.
One of the gods stepped forward with a malicious grin, intent on teaching this disrespectful traitor a lesson.
In the past, they had held a deep grudge against this person.
A fist swung—!
Huh?
Why was his arm severed?
His pupils contracted as he realized—it had been torn off by a wolf barely a meter and a half tall.
That wolf!
No—two wolves! Another one stood behind him!!!
At the same time, something cold coiled around his neck.
A snake—a venomous serpent that made him feel his life was in danger.
"Lord Gaia, may I be permitted to return?"