Between general life stuff and the final year of my classes I did not have time to post on Reddit let alone write, but it's finally over. After the ceremony tomorrow I don't go back and I finally have my degree. Nice to be back. I've kept up with the manga up to Simo vs Loki, need to hop on the current round. Hope everyone's been well!
Previous Chapter: https://www.reddit.com/r/ShuumatsuNoValkyrie/comments/1jtcf8t/tales_of_ragnarok_chapter_33savoirs_song/
Snow White-“Barrage.” Before the Snow Queen could respond at all Snow White pointed a finger forward, a rain of phantom fist flying forward. The mortal queen rushed forward after them. The Goddess of Ice stared at the attack intently.
Snow Queen-“So you no longer need to sing to perform your magic?” Skates of Ice appeared on her feet. Skating forward while twirling her gavel all the fists converged on her. Twirling on the skates she jumps in the air, colliding her gavel with the magic fists. One by one each fist freezes solid in a single hit, failing to the ground and shattering. As soon as she lands her skates kick off the ground with such force the ground splits!
FWOOSH
The Goddess rockets toward her mortal foe at speeds few watching can comprehend. The mortal queen’s eye follows emotionlessly, outstretched hand pointed forward.
Snow White- “Gust.” A blast of wind explodes out. The Snow Queen takes a hard swerve. Sparks light the ground as the Divine Judge still almost loses her balance. Even still, a grin she’d not worn for centuries was still on her face.
Snow Queen- “So intriguing! Your magic is different from mine and anyone else’s I’ve ever seen. How does it work?” Raising her gavel a swing was quickly brought down toward Snow White’s head.
Snow White- “Shield.” A hexagonal barrier appeared from thin air. When it intercepted the blow it flashed white and bounced the gavel back! It was slight but the Goddess was thrown off, for the first time in the fight her eyes showed confusion. Snow White’s leg ignited in golden light. A beautiful song rang throughout the entire arena.
“So beautiful”
Music is the highest expression of the soul. Every creature to ever exist has understood this. Everyone who heard the fairest song. Tears fell from her opponent too, even as the foot collided with her opponent’s face.
SHINING ARIA
The kick hit head on, an explosion of light so intense the ice around them melted. Blood dripped down from the Goddess of Ice’s forehead.
Rumpelstiltskin-“A beautiful and brutal blow! The Fairest's song has finally reached the Snow Queen!”
She stumbled on her feet, barely able to stand. As the Goddess stood on shaky feet for the first time, the human queen’s fist lit up the same gold. The Gods watched in horror. Was this the end, or could their judge recover? Their hearts beat fast from worry.
The mortals watched with excited baited breath. This had to be the end! Their hearts beat manically from not knowing what the outcome would be.
Snow White’s own heart beat steady and slow. If this would be the kill or not she did not know, but that did not matter. She had to keep pressing. Until her foe was dead and her people one step closer to safety
When the fist flew, the beautiful melody was drowned out for the Goddess of Justice. The sound of her own beating heart was much louder, beating so fast it was all she could her. Was it from fear of what was about to happen?
NO!
The Snow Queen’s feet slammed into the ground. Her head rose. Unlike the small grin that graced her face before she was wearing a bright and happy smile, a blush on her face.
PERSONALLY I'd fold on the spot
Snow Queen: “You’re beautiful.” At the last second she dodged out the way with a dramatic twirl. She had no idea what to do next nor the capabilities of her opponent. How many years…no. How many centuries had it been since she felt like this? Felt the excitement of the unknown instead of the weight of her position?
Flashback:
Of the four divine queens, only one ascended to the throne nameless.
As the Goddess of Magic and strongest of Fae Titania was born into her position named
Mananagal’s name became the name of her species after her strength gave her the throne
Grimhilde’s name was erased even from her memory, but the Goddess of beauty still was named
That just leaves the Snow Queen, whose title became her name after the minor Goddess achieved a position only meant for the highest of Divinity.
There was once a girl with a kind heart, born to the spirits of a small island. An isle of minor element deities, so low on the totem of gods that they went without names. Hers were a dull people, dedicated to their duty and little more. Yet the girl was bright and curious, learning all she could about the small island far faster than most adults. Thus when she talked of traveling elsewhere, the elders saw it fit to take her to the edge of the isle when she had just hit her teens. The elder of ice took her to the edge, a beam of everchanging light bursting from the pit the isle floated over.
“Hmph.” The girl pouted at the elder. These lights were so pretty here, why hadn’t they shown her earlier? “What is this place?
“Listen well child, this is the gap where our realm connects with that of mortals. The heavens are an unfathomably large place, countless realms of countless size held together by countless connections. We Gods are aspects of the universe given form, but all us nameless Gods bear weak concepts. You are to use your magic
“Well the human world seems interesting, so alright! Is
“It is smaller than the entirety of the heavens, but much larger than our realm. The mortal realm is like multiple realms launched together. A massive realm with countless stories. It is not our role to interfere, merely to maintain.”
So she went, simply creating ice in areas that seemed to need it. She observed the humans from afar and found them interesting, but did not interfere with them. She was a goddess of ice, not of something abstract that would interact with humans. Until the day she saw a group of ten, seven men and three women, dragging a child to her death.
“Thief! The king will have your head!” they all screamed. The goddess knew she shouldn’t interfere, but how could she? This all seemed so unfair, she couldn’t ignore it!
“What are you all doing?” The group jumped in shock from her sudden appearance, but quickly regained their nerve. The leader of the group stepped toward her.
“Begone spirit! We merely seek to have this thief face her rightful punishment in the gallows.”
The girl winced at his shouting, the goddess frowning at the sight. “Why? She did not deprive anyone of life did she? Why take hers then?”
“She stole from the bag of a tax man. By the king’s degree this is a highest of crimes.”
The goddess titled her head, something her fellow Gods had long since grown used to her doing. “Hm? How’d he figure that? A small child surely can't be deserving of death for trying to feed herself."
“The king’s power is the right from the Gods themselves, his orders are absolute!"
The Goddess' frown deepened. She raised a hand and surrounded the humans with a wall of ice. “Do the Gods grant these rights by power? If so, I could kill the ten of you and force my will. I’m sure you’d call me evil in the afterlife, so then you revere us Gods on the basis we’re moral yes? In that case would the king’s laws not need to also be just to keep his crown?”
In her studies she had learned much about philosophy. She had also learned that mortals were savage and stupid, incapable of true reason. Beasts who only bent to power. And yet…
“Gods.” Every adult of the group muttered in horror. The leader turned toward the child, and patted her on the head. “Come girl, let us buy you something to eat. Surely the tax man can be convinced he was mistaken.” After an hour of debate, the humans were genuinely convinced. The girl looked back as the now friendly adults led her to safety.
“Thank you.”
The goddess grinned and waved back. “Of course!”
After this the goddess would interfere in events she stumbled onto. A farmer taught to read. A dispute of inherited land settled without a sibling relationship breaking. An argument that saved an innocent woman from jail. Nothing that would be recorded in history, but made the lives of those she encountered at least a bit better. That was enough for her, because despite being a nameless God of no fame her heart shone bright. She could not help but love those around her. Yet this would not do for
“You foolish girl! We told you not to interfere with the mortals! For henceforth, you will not be permitted to leave this isle.” The elders had decided this would not go unpunished. To their frustration, this was met with a tilt of her head.
“Your rules are unjust and are rooted only in your prejudice. No matter.” she pointed at the ice elder, staring right at him. The God felt as though she was staring through his entire soul. “I challenge you for your position. When I take it my first action will be to reverse your vote. Without an unanimous vote a punishment can not go through without formal action. My second act will be to leave this place then abdicate the position.”
“Fine then, you unruly brat. Allow me to show you your place.” The two left the elder’s court and walked outside. A crowd soon formed. As nameless ice elementals the two shared the same power, a single nameless ice ability. With the advantage of age the elder should win easily. He fired icicles at his foe, planning to trap her. When they touched her body, the world flashed white. The elder was frozen entirely, save for his head, and his ice was completely encased. “How?!”
“You’re too narrow minded. We have the ability to freeze, limited by our own power. Who’s to say I could not freeze what you have already frozen. Even a god without a name is still a god, who is to say we can not freeze ice itself?” The new elder walked up to her beaten foe and pat him on the head. “Well, you know what I’m going to do. Be well!” Without another word, the now ex elder left the isle without any resistance. Though she’d always come back and visit her people when she found the time, this place was no longer her home. She freely traveled the realms, always learning and always helping. It was during this drifting she’d be set upon the path that gave her a name and that froze her warm heart a rigid cold.
Present
Had the Goddess' change in attitude occurred, the fairest would have responded in kind.
Snow White: “Beautiful? Don’t piss me off!” she roared at the God, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks. Each one incredibly fast, all backed with the same melody. The rhythmic attacks looked right out of a dance routine. With her own stiff moves the goddess dodged each and every last one in odd ways. Twirling out the way of a punch, matching a kick with her own. Never moving back and always keeping pace, the two locked in a strange dance routine. Eventually the Goddess caught Snow White’s leg with her hand. Instead of taking this moment to launch attacks of her own, leaned in closer toward her foe and tilted her head.
“Hm? Did I offend you? I didn’t mean it like that “I never really cared about visual beauty, I mean what good does it really do? If I just wanted to look at something pretty I’d stare at Titania all day.”
Despite her anger, Snow White blinked in confusion. The Queen of Fae put her hands over her face, groaning from her own frustration.
Titania: “So the blathering idiot is back.”
Dracula: “Back? She’s been like this before?"
Titania: “Oh right, you two weren’t here before she was the Snow Queen. How to explain…”
Snow White yanked her leg out of her opponent’s grasp, throwing a kick with it that was easily ducked. Something was wrong, her leg was shaking. No. It was shivering. When she heard the voice of her partner Arcana, it sounded like her teeth were chattering.
Star: “Snow, something’s wrong! It’s so cold, like your whole being is getting frozen!”
Snow White: “Don’t worry my friend, it will be fine.”
Tired and angry, Snow White circled around her opponent, who only followed her with her eyes. Yes, something had changed about her. Her demeanor and fighting style was different. Her passive ability to freeze things around her was much stronger. She was too angry to care.
Snow White: “Beauty is something you monsters can not understand. To want to snuff out the lives of countless people yet speak of beauty. You all know nothing.” The goddess frowned, not having a real response. She sucked in a breath and struck a fighting pose, not a gavel in hand nor chains around her.
“The Gods have their reasonings, but we’re well past reasoning at this point aren’t we? I’m not going to fight you as the Snow Queen, but as the nameless God I truly am.” The air inside the arena grew noticeably colder, small crystals of frost floating around. The air itself warp around them. In a flash, the Goddess was right behind her mortal foe!
“Please survive.” A massive gust of frost erupted from a single move of the goddess’ outstretched hand. The arena was blanketed.
Grim Reaper: “You’re majesty, I implore you! Strike that human down now!”
Jackfrost: “Chillax man, it’ll be fine. Why are you so worried?
Grim Reaper: “Ignorant child. I have. Not to mention, that human has defied my scythe many times. I don’t know how she managed to live long enough to die of old age. Always at the last moment something goes her way.”
Snow White was barely standing, her breathing slowed. Her ears were ringing. Blood ran down her forehead. Her whole body shivered. Yet her chest burned hot. She could not hear the shouting of the crowd nor the moves of her opponent. Yet she knew another attack was coming and it’d kill her, the one that just downed her was not one that had the cost of recoil nor any drawbacks, she just knew it.
Star: “Are you alright?” Snow’s response to her partner was a smile. At this moment they were bonded entirely. Star knew what that smile meant, that of course she was. Snow White thumped a hand on her chest, again and again. Her body stopped shivering. The entire crowd could hear rock music.
Snow White: “You Gods know nothing of music either, or else you wouldn’t have used ice against me!” The rock music playing grew more intense, Snow White’s body grew warmer. Her sweat evaporated off her, steam rising toward the sky. The next gust of frost melted entirely, and the Goddess of Justice went wide eyed seeing the cocked back punch aimed at her.
Snow White: “Music is the movement of all things, and freezing is the stopping of all things! Your ice will never drown out my music, so I’m your counter!” The fairest’s body burst into flames. The Goddess of Frost raised both her hands to block. The rock music reached its peak. The punch connected and slightly seared flesh. The goddess kicked at the human’s chin, forcing her gaze upward for just a moment from the force. Another gust of wind shot forward, knocking the human queen back and drawing more blood, but the mortal queen moved forward with blazing speed, landing a kick to the goddess’ check. Keeping her footing the goddess punched Snow White back in the chest and landed a blow to her temple. Wiping the blood from both their mouths, the two grabbed the others shoulders and reeled their heads back.
BANG!
The dual headbutts produced enough force to be felt throughout the arena. Frost and flame clashed, the arena flickering between icy blue and burning orange.
Rumpelstiltskin: “Both fighters have abandoned all fancy moves and are now just brawling!”
Oz: “For every hit she lands, that god lands two of her own. Of course things would go this shitty against her.”
Dorothy: “The Snow Queen, she’s moving differently now isn’t she? Snow White is using new abilities but she still fights the same, but the Snow Queen fights like a different person.” The wizard sighed, bringing fingers to his temple. Dorothy frowned at how unusually stressed he was.
Oz: “Yes, it’s quite troublesome isn’t it? To beat the Snow Queen you have to overcome two separate people in effect. The cold and closed off Queen of Justice and the manic and somehow stronger nameless God. This fight is either about to end or just starting.”
Dorothy: “Really? Seems like they’re both hitting their limits.”
Oz: “What you have seen so far is still phase one so to speak. Until the Snow Queen uses her ace Snow White still has another level to keep up with. All prior matches in my head were 50/50. Honestly, when I first picked this match up it seemed 70/30, but it was the best I could do.”
Dorothy: “Huh?! That bad?!
Oz: “Yes. I will say Snow White surpassed my expectations, the only route I saw of her winning involved everything going perfect. It’s impressive she’s still alive at all. That Goddess is a real monster, powerwise. There’s a story that outlines it…”
Titania: “It all started when I fired at her-”
Monster: “You attacked her?"
Dracula; “My my Titania, I didn’t take you to be the bullying type.”
Titania: “Don’t be rude! I’m still a Fae, we like playing little tricks! It was just a practical joke! Anyways…”
After getting the Fair Queen’s ruling again Bertilak and Morgan Le Fay overruled, the nameless goddess was called into Titania’s throne room. The fairy queen sat on her throne smug.
Titania: ‘That one is impressive, I need her in my court. I’ll pretend to be mad at her for making me look bad, then fire a beam of magic that’s actually harmless! After she’s scared for a bit she’ll be impressed by my mercy and power and easily agree to join me! I’m so smart!” For all her smarts the queen was still fae, and bound to do things that were at best childish.
“You wanted to see me, your majesty?”
Titania: “Yes. You, an outsider, questioned my decision. You made me look foolish. That can’t go unpunished.” As the Fairy Queen stifled a laugh, the nameless lawyer looked at her confused.
“Why is that? I don’t think anyone will hold you changing your mind against you.” Titania outstretched a hand in response.
“All actions have their consequences, no matter how well intentioned. Punishing the well intentioned who you’d wish not to is the burden of judgement.” A beam of light fired from the outstretched hand. It was fast, but lacking power. A harmless spell meant to shock the nameless God then leave her in awe of the Fairy Queen’s might and mercy! As thoughts of how she’d easily agree to join her court flooded the queen’s head, she felt a chill. For the first time in centuries she felt something at all on her skin, and to top all of that the nameless god using a nameless power moved her body fast enough to avoid the blast. Titania could swear that the goddess was moving faster than she ever saw Bertilak move. As the blast dispelled harmlessly against a wall the nameless god grabbed the Queen of Fae’s arm. It was cold, but not unpleasant.
“Your majesty, you’re lonely. There are things I want to do so I can’t stay here with you, so I’ll make you a promise. I’ll become a Goddess of great renown, and come back to be your equal.” It was a ridiculous proposition, yet it was said as if it was a sure thing.
Titania: “A-alright.”
Present
Oz stared into the arena as the two Queens continued their even clash. An uppercut rocked the Snow Queen as an elbow to the liver slammed into Snow White.
Oz: “The ability to freeze or encase what’s around her in frost and controlling said frost, on paper it is the weakest ability here. But with control beyond even the other Gods, she can move the frost covering over her own skin to surpass the physical abilities of Heaven’s Knight. How powerful do you think it’ll make her now, that she naturally is beyond that level?”
Dorothy: “S-she can do it though right? That Snow White always kept up, surely she can keep doing it!” Oz stared back onto the fight silently.
Monster: “She’s a creative one for sure, that should take it. That human though, I thought she’d die way earlier so who knows.”
Dracula: “No matter how she sings the buffs she gains from magic can not match what our judge can do with her frost! What a skillful power!”
Titania: “What are you talking about? That power is impressive, but that’s not what that story was about? That woman has the uncanny ability to say the most ridiculous things with a straight face, only the Gods could resist her! Soon enough that human will be eating out of her palm and refuse to fight!”
Dracula: “Ah yes, I see! I hadn’t thought it’d come to that in death matches, but seduction is quite a powerful tool!”
Monster: “Are…are you two serious?”
In the arena, the Snow Queen easily took the edge. As much as Snow White danced around, the sound of her rock was drowned out by the droning of frost. A kick was blocked by the air being frozen solid and a punch found her gut. A punch was dodged with a move stiff and unnaturally fast, gusts slamming into her sides. As the exchange dragged on the Snow Queen grew harder and harder to keep up with. A hand slipped through her defenses, and the Fairest of All was quickly slammed into the ground.
Rumpelstiltskin: “And once more, the Snow Queen completely dominates! Who knew that going unarmed would help her so much?!”
The Gods celebrated their champion gaining the advantage, but those shouts were filtered out by Snow White. All she heard was the shouts of mortals.
“Come on, you have to get up!”
“Don’t just lay there, you still have to fight!”
“Keep dancing Snow White!”
Any other time Snow White would have found the shouts encouraging, but as she rolled out the way of a stomp all she could feel was annoyance. Who were they to shout at her like that, why were they always so demanding?! She was mad damn it, why couldn’t they just let her fight in peace?! As she forced herself back onto her bruised feet, her opponent looked straight into her eyes and grinned.
“Ah, I knew there was a deeper reason I liked you. The chains of command are tied around your heart as well, aren’t they? I never thought
Snow White: “I am nothing like you!” The human queen roared. Her eyes glowed a piercing yellow for a brief second. For a brief second her song changed into something indescribable. The crowd grew silent, a punch landing clean on the Snow Queen’s face before she could react. As Snow White went back to normal, the Snow Queen’s grin grew.
“Heh. You’re really the same as me. No one else knows it, but you do right? That we’re not close to being done.”
Snow White did not answer. She knew in her heart that her foe was correct. One heart thawed out and the other refused to burn. Neither had reached their all, and until both hearts beat true the match would not end. The Nameless Calamity and the Song of Wrath still were slowly closer to being unsealed from their current facades with each beat the fighter’s hearts took. With nothing to say, all the Mortal Queen could do was glare, her eyes glowing once more. As much as she fought that anger and hate, she could deny the inevitable any longer.
END OF CHAPTER
Sorry for being gone so long. Full backstories for both were supposed to be this chapter but it's long enough as is. This fight is getting to the real intense parts, I estimate four chapters left. Let me know what you thought of this, thanks for reading.
