Lightning still tore across the heavens long after Thor's body had turned to ash. The clouds burned white, then red, and the whole world trembled. Mortals thought it was just another storm, but the gods knew what it meant. A god had died.
For the first time in eternity, Olympus, Asgard, and the other divine realms grew silent. Even the rivers of the underworld stopped flowing for a heartbeat.
In the endless hall of Valhalla, golden pillars rose to the sky. The air smelled of mead and smoke, and banners of every pantheon hung around a long stone table. The gods had gathered.
Zeus sat at the center, lightning humming around his throne. To his left, Odin's single eye gleamed behind a black hood. Across the table sat Ra, his skin glowing like the heart of the sun. Beside him, Amaterasu from the east adjusted her silk robe, her radiance dimmed by worry.
Loki was the first to speak. He leaned back in his chair, smirking like he had just heard the funniest thing in existence.
"So, tell me again, old man. Why summon us from every realm? Ra here almost burned half his temple flying through the void to get here."
Ra snorted. "I did not burn anything. Your mouth burns worse than the sun, trickster."
The room chuckled. Then Zeus raised a hand, and thunder rolled through the hall.
"This is no time for jokes," he said, voice heavy as mountains. "I called all of you here because we face something we have never faced before."
"What? Another rebellion?" asked Poseidon, swirling a cup of wine. "You always call us for that."
"No," Zeus said. "This is worse."
From the shadows behind him, Hermes whispered, "Worse than the Titans?"
Zeus closed his eyes. "Thor is dead."
The hall went silent. The laughter died instantly. Even the trickster gods froze.
Loki blinked, tilted his head, and then burst out laughing. "That's a good one. I almost believed you for a second." He slapped his knee. "Thor? The same Thor who broke my jaw last century? The guy who wrestled Jörmungandr for fun? Come on."
But Zeus did not smile. Neither did Odin.
Odin's voice was low. "It is true."
The room shifted. Hades' eyes flickered in the dim light. Quetzalcoatl from the Aztecs leaned forward, scales gleaming. Susanoo frowned, rubbing his chin. "You mean someone actually killed him?"
Ra's glow dimmed. "Who has that kind of power?"
Zeus looked down at the table, his hand clenching into a fist. "A mortal."
Laughter exploded again, this time nervous and scattered. Coyote from the Native tribes nearly fell from his chair. "You mean one of those tiny little things that die in a hundred years?"
"Enough!" Zeus thundered, and the sky above Valhalla cracked. "I am not joking. The mortal's name is Arthur. He calls himself the Godslayer."
The hall grew cold.
Even Loki stopped smiling. "Say that again," he whispered.
"He wields a sword that was made to kill gods," Zeus said. "We do not know how he found it. But he has slain Thor, the protector of men and gods alike. His power grows each day."
Odin's ravens flew above the table, cawing loudly. "I sent them to the mortal world," Odin said quietly. "They saw the battle. The thunder god fought well, but the sword devoured his lightning. It cut through his soul. There is no doubt. Thor is gone."
Loki's smirk disappeared. His hands trembled. "You mean my brother is actually dead."
Ra stood up. "Sit down, Loki."
"Do not tell me to sit," Loki snarled. "You think this is just another myth? He was my brother. You all laughed when he spoke about the mortal world being dangerous. You laughed at him!"
Ra slammed his palm on the table, and fire burst out, licking the air. "Enough! You think you are the only one who lost something? If a mortal can kill one of us, then none of us are safe."
The trickster gods muttered among themselves. Hermes whispered to Coyote. "Maybe it's fake. Maybe it's one of Loki's pranks."
Coyote nodded nervously. "If it is, it's a bad one."
Bast from Egypt leaned back, tail flicking. "I heard of this sword," she said softly. "It is said to be forged by mortal will itself. They call it Lacen. Even the gods cannot destroy it."
Amaterasu spoke next, her voice calm but shaking slightly. "If this is true, then the balance is broken. Heaven and earth are no longer divided."
Zeus rose from his throne. "We must act. We cannot sit and let this mortal gather strength."
Odin leaned on his spear. "You mean you want to kill him."
"Yes," Zeus said.
Ra nodded. "I agree. We cannot allow him to live. If he can slay Thor, he can slay any of us."
Loki glared at them all. "You talk about killing him as if Thor's death was just a scratch. He murdered my brother! I will tear his heart out myself!"
Behind him, Anubis spoke for the first time, voice cold as death. "Revenge blinds judgment. If we rush, he will kill more of us. We must think."
Susanoo chuckled darkly. "Thinking never stopped Zeus from making mistakes."
Zeus shot him a glare. "Careful, storm god. You may be next."
The tension grew thick. Then Hermes suddenly broke it with a laugh. "So what, we all line up and take turns dying? Sounds fun. Maybe we make it a tournament."
Coyote joined in, barking laughter. "Yeah, winner gets immortality. Oh wait, we already have that."
Ra growled. "Enough of your jokes, tricksters. This is no time for games."
"But jokes are all we have when gods start dying," Hermes said, and his smile faded.
Odin rose. "He is right. We must decide. If we act as one, we have a chance. If we let pride divide us, Arthur will destroy us one by one."
Zeus nodded. "Then I propose this. Any god who kills Arthur shall be crowned King of the Gods. The title, the power, and the dominion over every realm will be theirs."
Every eye turned to him. Even the calmest gods stirred at that.
Quetzalcoatl hissed softly. "So you want to make this a hunt."
Zeus spread his arms. "Call it what you will. We cannot hide from this. If any among us can stop him, let them. If not, then we deserve to fall."
There was silence, then murmurs.
Amaterasu looked at Ra. "You will join this madness?"
Ra shrugged. "I am already in. The sun itself trembled when Thor died. If the Godslayer can reach me, I would rather die fighting."
Odin turned away. "I will not fight for a title. I will fight for balance."
Loki wiped his eyes and whispered, "I will fight for my brother."
Bast smirked. "I will fight for fun."
Even Hermes raised a hand. "Count me in. Someone has to record it when we all die."
One by one, gods from every pantheon agreed. From Set to Izanagi, from Tyr to Huitzilopochtli, from Morrigan to Shango, they all stepped forward.
Zeus lifted his thunderbolt high. "Then it is settled. The hunt begins. Whoever brings me Arthur's head will become the new King of the Gods."
The ground shook as every god struck their weapon on the table in agreement. Lightning cracked. Fire blazed. The air filled with divine power.
As the meeting ended, Loki stood alone in the hall, his laughter gone. He looked up at the sky where Thor's lightning once danced.
"Brother," he whispered. "You better be waiting for me. Because I'm bringing your killer with me."
Far below, in the mortal realm, Arthur stood on a mountain peak, his sword glowing faintly. The storm around him was silent now.
He felt something shift in the wind, like every god in existence had just turned their gaze toward him.
He smiled bitterly.
"Come then," he said. "Let's finish this."
The thunder that followed was not from heaven. It was from the sword itself.
The era of gods had ended. The age of the Godslayer had begun.