u/CrusadingCreeper

The Fourth Round of Ragnarok. The Infamous Serial Killer of London vs the Indomitable Greek God of Justice. The Round of Evil.

I won't lie, this round was gut wrenching to see, as I was the few that wanted Heracles to win, and yet the more I read this round, the more I watched it. The more I realized, as bittersweet as it was, that Heracles losing was more thematically fitting.

The flashback chosen for Heracles is this. A long time ago he too was once human, his original name being Alcides. He was weak, and yet he never stopped fighting for justice all the same, Alcides never stopped training, and one day, all his effort paid off. Some point around the time of him training, he would learn of ambrosia, a cup with the blood of zeus that can grant godly power equal to zeus himself for righteous people who drank it, those who aren't so righteous however would simply die a painful death.

Somepoint around Alcides' time, the gods would send Ares to destroy Thebes for the corruption the city had. The one to stop them? None other than Alcides, as he drank ambrosia to halt Ares and his army from destroying Thebes. Humans are weak, that is why they try to do what is right, and why they try to do wrong, yet in each human heart lies the capacity to do what is right all the same. There are those that tried to pray to these gods in desperation and yet they'd rather strike down the entire city instead. This entire situation would be a bit troublesome so Zeus would interfere and propose Alcides to become a god, even in how it would help Alcides in enacting his justice and what not, and Alcides would agree on the condition the gods never exact vengeance against humans again. Zeus would agree and thus Alcides would stoop to the level of the gods, for the sake of justice. Eventually he would do the 12 labors and be given a new name, Heracles.

Jack the Ripper's flashback is more, cruel to be quite frank. When Jack was but a kid, a gifted kid to literally see the emotions of people through colors with onecof his eyes. Jack however would have to dig through the slums of london to survive. Everyone treated him like trash, everyone mistreated, even for simply digging through trash to simply survive out of utter petty and what not, yet jack would be full of life back then solely because of the love his mother had for him.

One day however even his mother's color would go rotten, for the man she loved was marrying someone else, the man she loved never came back after all those years. She would eventually loathe her own son, wishing how she should have aborted him like all the others. Jack couldn't hearing all this, he couldn't handle seeing his mother's color go rotten just like everyone else around him so Jack simply killed his mother, and in turn, he grew to love the color of fear, and death, and since he would hunt and kill his blood father, and possibly his blood father's whole family, and eventually slaughtering more as time went on. From the evil, cruelty, trauma, and pain from the slums of London, Jack the Ripper was born. Such isn't even his real name, but a vile title befitting for someone who fell into such depravity.

The second flashback of sorts for Jack is how his volundr went. Hlokk would be forced by Brunhilde, her own sister, to be Jack's volundr, Hlokk would feel betrayed by Jack and in turn their hearts became one as she was forced into this volunder state. A tragic and genuinely horrible situation for Hlokk.

The Weapon of Heracles is a Club known as Herculean Exodus. This club of his allows Heracles to use the power of any of his twelve labors at the cost of unimaginable pain via tattoos, ans if these tattoos cover his whole body, he instead perishes. The final labor being his most dangerous to even himself, for cerberus will slowly devour Heracles until he or his opponent dies. Heracles way of fighting is as simple as upfront and honest bruteness, just like his upfront and honest justice.

The valkyrie chosen for Jack is none other than Hlokk, as mentioned before, Hlokk's name meaning "The Warped One", allowing Jack to turn anything he touches being "corrupted" into a divine weapon. His fighting style being more mysterious and cunning. Playing dirty just as a rotten evil would.

Heracles would fight for justice, and his justice just so happens to have him fight for the gods, and quite frankly he would have expected to fight an honorable warrior, and yet instead he got a sadistic and cruel serial killer as his opponent. As the match began he would feel fury at this, giving Jack one chance to take his leave, and Jack in turn would simply refuse.

Jack not long would bait Heracles into a trap, using mere human weapons for this trap, human made knives that did absolutely nothing for Heracles, why? out of doing things they are told not to do Jack says. Jack would then once again bait Heracles into another trap, using his scissors to strike only for his divine weapon to break not long after by Heracles.

Jack has no weapon to strike Heracles back seemingly so Jack would resort to mere knives, and yet these knives would be able damage Heracles, surprising even the god, for he naively trusted the serial killers lies.

Of course they would as Jack not longer after would reveal how his satchel is his real divine weapon, a satchel that can create divine weapons within it.

Yet in spite of that, Heracles response to this was simple, he'd strike forth with upfront justice against Jack's cunning malice.

Heracles would close in on Jack and use one of his twelve labors, Nemean Lion, which in turn landed a fatal blow on Jack, dislocating his right arm, and yet he simply snapped his own arm back into place, even taking pleasure in even his own pain.

Thus they would clash again, Jack distancing himself as he threw countless knives against heracles, even boomerang esque knives that I don't really know the names of, and even throwing around piano wires.

Heracles would be in the defense, charging forth when the time was right to close distance, and yet jack would jump up into the air using those very piano wires, and making it rain down knives from above.

Heracles of course, after taking more damage from all these knives, would use another labor of his to close distance, Stymphalian Bird, as a huge gust of wind shot forth, sending those very blades right back at Jack and the piano wires he stood upon. Some blades injuring Jack and even destroying Jack's monocle in the process, which in revealed his eye that can see the color of emotions, yet all this did was excite Jack further, for Jack desired to see the color of fear painted into Heracles when he dies.

Thing is, this is Heracles we are talking about, and he fears only one thing, and that is the death of justice.

Thus Heracles would charge forth once again, as Jack the Ripper would retreat onto London's clock tower, grabbing the giant clock and throwing it towards Heracles way, and once again Heracles would have naively trusted what this serial killer has told him, losing his own arm in the process.

Here we the audience, and Heracles himself would finally understand what Jack's divine weapon truly is, it's his gloves, and he is able to warp everything he touches, and unfortunately for Heracles, Jack has been touching everything throughout the city of London.

The one cornered is the Indomitable God of Justice hinself, and yet Heracles refuses to submit to fear all the same.

Jack can't help but be impressed, in spite of Heracles' predicament, Heracles' does not have even an ounce of fear, just pride and quiet anger, and here we learn more of Jack's thinking. He truly believes he is making art, that he is making people in their miserable and wretched lives beautiful. In painting them with fear and death.

Heracles response? Sadness, no doubt about it, Jack experienced a traumatic past, and thisnis his way to cope, yet even so he still fell to cruelty all the same. No matter what, from here on out, Heracles will save Jack the Ripper from himself.

Thus Heracles will use his final labor, Cerberus, as the two clash once again, with Jack slowly baiting Heracles to another trap of his, using an entire divine enhanced building against Heracles, and yet somehow againt all odds, not even that was enough to bring down Heracles.

The heart of Heracles continues to never waver, his heart full of unyielding justice, and for Jack in particular, he came to a sad realization, after seeing Heracles' unwavering heart full of true genuine love, Jack came to realize this his mother's love for him wasn't ever real, thus causing him to breakdown in further into grief and misery, and all Jack desires, is to make Heracles the color he likes as they clashed into a full on street brawl once more, with Jack plotting something once more.

And just when it seemed like Heracles was gonna deal a decisive blow, Jack would rise up once more and strike a decisive blow on Heracles, using the very blood on his hands to kill this righteous god, figuratively, and literally.

Yet even when Heracles could have ended it in a tie, he instead complimented Jack. Heracles was amazed by Jack's refusal to be defeated, by Jack's determination, and yet Heracles refused to fall into fear to the very end, no instead Heracles decided to hug Jack, to remind Jack how much he truly loved mankind, including Jack.

Jack couldn't paint fear into this god, he lost, and yet he couldn't help but smile due to this god, this god welcomed Jack in open arms, welcomed Jack with so much genuine care and love for someone as crude as him, and Jack killed the only being who truly cared for him. For once Jack didn't take pleasure in killing, in death, but instead Jack felt regret, and yet due to Heracles, a seed was planted into Jack, a seed of hope, of redemption, something only a god full of so much compassion could do, something only Heracles could do.

To add it seems Jack has grown on Hlokk as well, she asked if he was ok instead, and she wanted him to go see the nurses due to the physical state he is in after this battle. Due to volundr she was able to understand who Jack the Ripper is, and how much Heracles has affected him. In spite of what Jack did, she too showed him a form of kindness not most would be willing to do, and reasonably so.

The Spirit of Heracles' lives on within him and every other being Heracles has touched with his kindness.

Heracles lost the match but he didn't lose the war, this round isn't tragic, nor is it about the malice of humanity crushing the most righteous of gods. This is about a god making a killer born from trauma face upfront justice head on, making them face the consequences of their actions, of their cruelty, and bringing them back up into the light all the same.

No evil born from trauma is impossible to save, as long as they take the hand of justice.

The Third Round of Ragnarok. History's Greatest Loser vs the Greek God of the Seas. The Round of Humility, and Ego.

The flashbacks chosen for these two warriors is this.

For Poseidon, we learn that there was once a 13th olympian god, a fourth brother to Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades. This being Adamas, and funnily enough Zeus using the name of adamas for his more compacted form.

This god Adamas was quite frankly crude, so much so that Poseidon outright saw Adamas' very existence to be disrespectful of what a god was about. The final tipping point being when Adamas attempted to take back the throne of Olympus that went to Zeus instead of well, Adamas. This god defiled everything what a god meant to Poseidon, so when they spoke, Poseidon was simply quite blunt against Adamas and unfortunately for the 13th god, he tested Poseidon, and lost his life for it in the process. When Poseidon looks you in the eye, know you will likely perish. Everything about Adamas was erased simply because Poseidon deemed it so. Adamas, simply never existed.

Poseidon is so imposing, that nature itself is forced to bow to the Ocean Tyrant.

Kojiro's flashback however shows him being more bizarre in personality, being more laid back, and often quick to surrender, yet he learned and grew all the same. He learned and listened to nature itself, learning from each loss, and growing in his skills and power in the process. Even after those fights he lost in, Kojiro still kept training until he surpassed each warrior he has fought, and surpass he did.

Kojiro's final loss being against Musashi, a fight he had to see through the end, not out of fury, but out of a great joy. A clash both warriors truly enjoyed to the very end.

Poseidon's weapon is the trident of course. In the way he uses it however is as simple as a swift and deadly jab forth, his might and speed being enough for that is all a god needs, for a god is perfect.

Hrist is the valkyrie chosen for Kojiro Sasaki, her name meaning "The Trembling One", a word with two meanings, to tremble in fear, or to tremble in fury. A name that allows say a broken blade split in two, to stil be used, something only a warrior who refuses to give up, who refuses to stop evolving would do.

Humanity was able to injure a god in round 1

Humanity was able to even break the will of a god in round 2

and finally, Humanity will slay a god in round 3.

The round starts off with neither making their move for incredibly different reasons. Poseidon only attacks in response to another daring to step up to him wheras Kojiro has been simulating dozens of ways to attack Poseidon, yet each of those simulations ends with Kojiro being the one to perish.

Yet eventually Kojiro would finally find a way to make some form of blow against this ocean tyrant without perishing. All Kojiro was able to do was slice a few strands of hair, yet it was enough to have Poseidon stare down Kojiro for such an audacity all the same.

Poseidon would simply sent forth his swift and deadly jabs, and Kojiro in turn would anticipate and block or parry each jab poseidon would throw, yet Poseidon would simply increase the power behind his jabs, with Kojiro taking the first fatal blow, and with Poseidon even mocking Kojiro for having the audacity to predict a god's moves.

The god's would root for Poseidon due to this and yet with a begrudging stare against them, they would all silent, and here we would learn of Poseidon's ideals. A god needs no armies, nor to resort to betrayal, for a god is complete. They've embodied perfection since the beginning of time, so why show thanks to the irrelevant? An ideal that Kojiro would say is quite, depressing. The fact this human had the audacity to judge Poseidon, a god, would have Poseidon send forth a current of deadly jabs, yet Kojiro would grow and evolve mid match, Kojiro would adapt to Poseidon's speed and might all the same.

The audacity of it all would make Poseidon destroy Kojiro's weapon with a swift and seemingly decisive blow right then and there.

Without that weapon, Kojiro is truly nothing more than a mere ant, Kojiro's only choices being to submit in defeat, or perish in a decisive blow by Poseidon. At least, that is how it would have been if it was anyone else, but this is none other than Kojiro Sasaki.

Kojiro would refuse to give up, he can't lose especially in this fight, especially against someone who is so utterly selfish, against someone who has never fought for anything. An incidental miracle that only Hrist is capable of doing, a Re-Volundr.

Kojiro would send forth countless strikes against Poseidon, strikes representing each fool that wielded the blade in his time, each foe Kojiro has fought, including the legendary Musashi himself.

For once Poseidon would be forced to use more of his might once again. The utter audacity of it all, he will crush Kojiro right here and right now.

No matter how hard Kojiro tried, it still wasn't enough, no matter what it seemed like Kojiro will lose, just like always, yet the other warriors, the other swordsman would strike forth their blade from afar, they would swing with Kojiro, they would yell and route for Kojiro.

These bonds that Kojiro has built from comrades and rivals alike, Something that Poseidon himself took for granted, would be enough to uplift Kojiro once again, and eventually nature itself would speak to Kojiro as well, allowing Kojiro to know what Poseidon's next move shall be.

Kojiro would finally surpass the ocean tyrant, by the time Poseidon used his full power, it was too late. Never in a million years could Poseidon imagine a mere human to evolve and grow enough to surpass a god of all things. Never in a million years could Poseidon imagine losing.

To the very end, Poseidon refused to acknowledge Kojiro. Out of pride, Poseidon couldn't, otherwise it would imply Poseidon himself, a god, wasn't as perfect as he claimed, that Poseidon, could be flawed.

Poseidon's very world shattered before him as he perished.

The Second Round after a seemingly crushing defeat. The Father of Humanity vs The Greek Godfather of the Cosmos. The Round of Love.

This one is always so gut wrenching to see for me, and yet it is so full of hope all the same but nonetheless lets talk about it all the same.

The flashbacks chosen for this round is a bit bizarre I can not lie.

Zeus' flashback is about him killing his own father, having respect for only his father's power, and his hatred for his father.

Adam's flashback reveals that some serpent god tried to assault eve, and yet wasn't able to do so in the end, which in turn led to the serpent out of utter pettiness, framing eve in a divine court for biting into a divine fruit. No one believed eve, and soon she would be expelled from paradise, yet one man stepped forth into this court, eating out of every single fruit full of each sin just to be with eve.

Adam didn't really share a hatred or vengeful fury against the serpent, just righteous anger, and disappointment to the serpent, only attacking and killing that serpent due to the serpent initiating and attempting to kill adam and eve on the spot from his sick sense of pettiness.

Thus Adam would leave paradise with the woman he loved.

Due to the god's and humanity miscontruding what really happened, as fair as it may be, humanity's hope would slowly dwindle away as the gods all mocked and taunted humanity, it really seemed like their fates were, inevitable.

Thus none other than Adam would step up, and in turn so shall Zeus.

Originally, another god, Shiva was meant to step into the ring next, as Zeus was originally planning on going next, but for whatever reason after hearing that Adam was up next, things changed.

Perhaps out of a pettiness that Adam was the first human to rebel against the gods. Perhaps he wanted to simply beat the father of humanity as brutally as possible for all of humanity to see, Zeus has been shown that the only reason he allowed Ragnarok to be, was to crush the hopes and faith of mankind for a brutal dominance. Or perhaps all of the above.

Zeus would use nothing more than his mere fists. His forms however is where it really shows how dangerous he is. He has "The Fist that Surpassed Time" that he learned after fighting and killing his own father. and Adamas, a monsterous yet simple form that compacts his power further. Fitting for a God who enjoys showing a brutal dominance through overwhelming might.

Adam's power being the Eyes of the Lord, a power that allows him to reflect the power of the gods against them. An incredibly strong counter to put it shortly. A power befitting for someone who cares so deeply, for someone who fights only to protect.

Reginleif would be the valkyrie chosen for Adam, her name meaning"Daughter of the Gods". More symbolical if anything, as mankind were created by the gods themselves, yet those very gods would decide to exterminate all of mankind simply because mankind displeased them. In a sense this is a daughter and son rebelling against their cruel and tyrannical father. Ironic given that was no doubt a huge reason why Zeus killled his own father in the first place.

As the round began, Zeus would attempt to "play" with Adam for a bit, yet each deadly blow from Zeus would be dodged by Adam, as he used those very moves against Zeus himself.

Zeus would be forced to take him more seriously, yet Adam surpassed Zeus each and every single time. Zeus didn't expect this mere human to be so hard to kill, not one bit, it made him furious, more so when Adam was talking to him casually.

Out of utter fury, he would use his Fist that surpassed Time, yet even when time itself has stopped, Adam still managed to surpass Zeus all the same.

Zeus had no choice, he has to go all out to take down Adam, he h a s to use his strongest form, he a top god, having to go all out on a mere human of all things. In a way it was as if Zeus was meeting Adam on his level, to mirror Adam thematically, yet due to how corrupt Zeus was, he looked monstrous, demonic instead.

Somehow not even this was enough, somehow Adam surpassed Zeus even in this form. Even when luck itself favored Zeus, how ungodly, even when Zeus was finally able to kill Adam. Adam still kept throwing punches, and all Zeus could do was submit to Adam, but he couldn't, he is a g o d. Surely he would overpower Adam eventually right?

Yet in the end, Zeus just couldn't continue to fight, his will was broken, alive but broken all the same.

Adam loved his children, he cared for them so much that he was willing to fight against the gods themselves, he was willing to fight the strongest god of them all, the godfather of the cosmos. He loved his children so much that he surpassed time itself. His love was so strong that even after being blinded, even after his very own death, he never stopped fighting for his children.

Of course Zeus was bound to lose, Zeus fought for nothing else but himself, unlike Adam who fought for more than himself.

Because of Zeus' own arrogance, his selfishness, he incidentally did the exact opposite of his intentions, because Adam showed his children, all of humanity, that they c a n defeat the gods.

Adam gifted them an unyielding flame of hope that the gods themselves will never be able to extinguish ever again.

The first round to start it all. The Nordic Berserker of Thunder vs The Flying General of the Three Kingdoms of China. The Round of Joy.

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Let's start with the flashbacks chosen for these two mighty warriors.

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Thor's flashback is about Thor being so unimaginably strong that not even a whole army of sorts of jotnar that almost brought Asgard to it's very destruction, was enough to make him flinch. In the end, even the jotnar were nothing more than mere fodder to Thor's might. ‎ ‎

Lu Bu's flashback is about him desiring to be the strongest, slaying anyone who dared get in his way, and yet due to who Lu Bu is, countless people couldn't help but follow behind Lu Bu all the same. Eventually Lu Bu would come to a tragic realization when it comes to being the strongest, the realization of how lonely it is at the top, so much so that Lu Bu would decide to just let himself die.

Yet we also know that another few, earlier, flashbacks showed that Lu Bu did have hopes to clash against a god someday, for the mightiest foes were in the heavens, he continued to practice and train, to create his strongest move yet, so strong that Lu Bu's very weapons couldn't even handle this very move. A lonely move Lu Bu would use against a worthy foe one day.

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Thor's two divine treasures, Mjolnir, the giant hammer full of overwhelming might that is somehow alive, and Jarngreipr, armored gloves that is meant to contain Thor's power so Thor doesn't accidentally destroy his own mighty weapon before it awakens, gloves that should have been impossible to be destroyed for that matter.

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The valkyrie chosen for Lu Bu is Randgriz, Her name meaning "Shield Destroyer", a fitting power for Lu Bu because it essentially forces his opponent to do one thing. You can't block it, parry it, or counter it, no instead you have to overpower Lu Bu head on.

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The first round is essentially, a beam clash, constant beam clashes in the form of weapons.

A round between two brutes, an enforcer and a savage who share one thing in common, the desire to give it their all in a fight.

These two start the match expecting to one shot their opponent, and yet wasn't so for either of them, and in turn the two came to immediately respect one another.

More so when Thor slams down his Mjolnir onto Lu Bu for the first time, the same move that eradicated the jotnar as if it was nothing, and yet not even that was enough to bring down Lu Bu, this human wasn't even scarred by it for that matter.

Lu Bu continued to impress Thor as the fight went on as not long after Lu Bu would land a fatal blow on Thor. Lu Bu would even destroy one of his Jarngreipr's as if they were mere glass, forcing Thor to officially give it his all.

Even when Thor threw his Mjolnir at Lu Bu, this human was able to parry it and continue forth at full speed, something a world ending snake wasn't able to pull off. Even when Lu Bu's legs cracked and broke from the impact of Thor's might, it wasn't enough to stop this human from trying all the same.

In the end they both would be able to use their strongest move in their entire lives, never has someone been able to get back up again and again from Thor's might, and never has someone been able to survive Lu Bu's deadly strikes. Never have they felt so much joy in a battle.

Yet just like any clash of giving it your all, it was bound to end soon, and the one to falter, was none other than Lu Bu, and yet Lu Bu couldn't help but grin to the very end, for he was finally able to give it his all, as he charged forth to his demise in such unyielding Joy.

Thor however was simply sad, sad and annoyed to see Lu Bu go as he killed Lu Bu. Yet the one thing to cheer Thor up was none other than Lu Bu's army and Lieutenant, Chen Gong.

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Before we continue, let's talk about Lu Bu's army, and the bum that is Forseti.

I have wondered why I disliked Forseti so much, and yet I like Ares, Hagis, Chen Gong, and so on, but as I looked into this round, I came to understand why.

Forseti glazes Thor, or to be more exact the idea of Thor, he doesn't really care about Thor the being. He saw this entire fight, he knows what Thor was about, and so on, and yet he mocked Lu Bu to the very end, the only warrior that was able to give Thor the fight he always sought for. Ironically enough the first one to take notice, even if he didn't understand it completely yet himself either, was Heimdall all the same.

Chen Gong and Lu Bu's entire army, even the Red Hare all knew Lu Bu died honorably, Lu Bu died exactly as he wanted too and they couldn't help but respect that.

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Even so, Chen Gong, the Red Hare, and Lu Bu's entire army still wanted to follow Lu Bu to death all the same, they all chased down Thor not out of revenge no, but to follow their leader joyously, and in turn this surprised and cheered up Thor, unlike Thor who was alone, Lu Bu had a whole army willing to follow him to death. How astonishing, how bizarre. How truly amazing.

Lu Bu really is something, isn't he?

I have been thinking about these four for a bit, and ai wonder. We know Velk is the vessel for Odin, and Beelzebub is such to Satan. What about Ymir and Chaos? I heard some theories being that Chaos' vessel of sorts might be Nostradamus, Could it be possible Adamas might be such to Ymir?

This next part is a bit of a yap but on that note, I do want to say I think Beelzebub is sich to Satan as Velk is to Odin due to the backstory we learned before round 8 officially started. The fact Beelzebub was possessed now and then, and the fact Beelzebub isn't allowed to experience love, I mean that taunt from satan when holding the corpses of lucifer, azazel, and samael was some diabolical stuff I can 100% see satan actually doing in this story. In a way it also ties to the theme of RoR and round 4 and 6 to some extent, and especially Round 8, and maybe even round 12 as well. Beelzebub was forced to be Satan's vessel, groomed and practically mind screwed to be said vessel, and yet the child of light, the man of unyielding optimism and joy, incidentally due to his nature changed the course of beelzebub. To have Beelzebub oppose a fate forced onto him by this primordial fiend, to advance and grow, and honestly in a way it is kind of funny to think that Nikola Tesla fucked over Satan hard in this round. Something that Buddha did for Zerofuku, and something I can also see Kintoki doing for Velk against Odin and so on.

A tribute to the Man who Rebelled Against Destiny, and the Spartan King himself, King Leonidas.

A tribute to the Greek God of the Sun, Boxing, Archery, Philosophy, Prophecy, and much much more himself, Apollo.

A tribute to the Ultimate Mad Scientist of the Century, and History's One and Only Sorceror, Nikola Tesla.

A tribute to the King of Hellheim, and Elder Brother to Zeus and Poseidon himself, Hades.