Record of Ragnar?k Redirected

Valhalla Arena

Medical Wing

Intensive Care Ward

Sitting within one of the larger patient rooms in Valhalla was a large glass sphere sitting on top of a metal platform bolted to the floor. Several plastic tubes connected to machines circling the sphere cycled bright orange liquid in and out of the sphere, keeping the patient, Nuada, inside it afloat. What was once deeply burnt red skin on his face and body was now slowly turning a soft pink. Pieces of skin missing and exposing muscle and bone were slowly being replaced. A breathing apparatus and tube covered his face, his moustache sticking out a little on the edges. His bare chest rose and shrank slowly; the remains of his armor were removed and replaced with a single pair of white shorts.

Sitting in a chair a meter away, watching a TV on the opposite wall, was Lugh. His gaze shifted from a commercial for Pretzel Bolt Bites, the favorite snack of Zeus. Lugh chuckled a little as a cartoon of Zeus' elderly form jumped into a mountain of pretzels. "For the G.F.O.C., no snack can beat P.B.B.'s..." He said softly. "Uncle, if I didn't know any better, it'd be almost impossible to take him seriously."

A speaker on the sphere's supporting platform kicked on. "It's one of the things that makes him annoying..." Nuada's hoarse voice came through. "He's a might-makes-right kind of God, so as long as he maintains his position, he can act how he wants..."

"That might not be a bad thing. He's kept the balance of Heaven the way it's been because of that very power. Sure, he's kind of a nut, but he's done more good than harm." He turned to Nuada, seeing his silver eyes slowly regaining their lazy stare. "Could you imagine if Ra, Odin, or Ahura Mazda were G.F.O.C?"

"He's the lesser of many evils, but that doesn't make him the best choice."

Lugh nodded. "I'm not saying he isn't, but until someone better comes along, we're stuck with him." He turned away from Nuada and resumed watching TV.

Nuada eyed him. I hope you become that 'someone better,' Lugh. I wish you saw yourself that way... He thought. I need to keep talking...getting tired again. Damn you, Myrddin you rotten huckster. "Lugh, how did the rest of the Rounds play out?"

"Humanity won Villains in Round 6, and we won Heroes in Round 7. Score's now 4-3, our lead."

Nuada blinked a few times. "Gabriel's...dead?" He pictured the aged Angel and the times they worked together.

"Believe it or not, no. He straight-up ditched Ragnarök. Heard through the grapevine, Set nearly busted a few blood vessels when he got the message." Lugh chuckled a little.

"Wait...then who fought?"

Lugh's face curled. "Prometheus."

Nuada's eyes opened wide, and his heart rate accelerated. Some of the monitors around him began to beep faster than normal. "Prometheus!?" His burnt right hand clenched into a fist. "Set let that bastard out of the Circles!?"

"He somehow pulled it off, but it doesn't matter anymore. His human opponent killed him."

The beeping slowed down. "Prometheus was killed by a human..." Lugh could hear the joy in his voice. "And here I thought today was going to be a shit day..." He laughed a little. "Wait, so Marduk won?"

"Barely. The Human he fought, Tadakatsu Honda, pushed him to the absolute limit. Were it not for Sarpanitu doing that Völund thing, Marduk would have died."

"...Marduk and Sarpa did a Völund?"

Lugh turned to him. "Yeah. Is that weird?"

Nuada felt a tinge in his chest. Attaboy, Marduk. Finally got your head out of your ass. "It's a dangerous, but powerful technique. Unifying your soul with another through 'Common Destiny' brings out the strength of both souls at the cost of sharing pain and death. However...we Gods...are usually incapable of it."