Re:Cord of Ragnarok

Chapter 21 [Tales of Fire and Ice]

"Well, well well!" Crowley triumphantly announced. "Wu Zeitan has stolen Tsukuyomi's precious scabbard and thus made him very angry! Will he get it back? Will he win? Will the fight turn out to be rigged in order to sell Tsukuyomi-themed peanut butter? All those questions will be answered!"

Upon seeing the enraged countenance of the young god on the battlefield, the King of Demons grasped his chin in thought silently, before pondering to himself with a smirk, "...Who would have thought that gods could be so attached to toys that aren't made of flesh?"

"Oh my Nun!" Thoth gasped. "It's beautiful! I wish I could get a closer look!"

"Ahh." Crowley sighed. "Nothing like some good old-fashioned Grand Larceny."

"That damn brat!" Izanagi snarled. "How dare she lay her hands on a divine treasure!" Amaterasu just watched, her smile looking almost amused.

Standing on guard nearby them was a goddess with short brownish hair and an oni mask covering her mouth, lightly armored over her kimono, an equally ornate scabbard at her hip. She put a hand to her waist and looked towards the arena in slight annoyance.

"Jeez, at least treat it with some proper respect..." she muttered, her tone sharp and irritated.

Catching the reflection of light, the sheath was subliminally visible to the entire world. It shone brighter than any platinum, encapsulated by the shadows created by the engraved design on the sheath. Holding it high above her, Wu smiled gently, like a flower amidst blossoming.

On the other side, the emperors of China fumed in various degrees of shock to apprehension.

"That girl! She's always so materialistic!" Emperor Gaozong scolded, his knuckles white as he clutched the arms of his throne. Meanwhile, his son was almost folded entirely against the short wall between the arena and the stands, looking almost hysterical. Qin Shi Huang himself housed a frown upon his face, his brows slightly scrunched in scrutiny. Dionysus smiled almost knowingly, swirling his wine in his glass as he waited...

Distances away from the distracted empress, the young god let out a final shaking breath. He knew there would be whispers in the audience all around the castle, coming down to berate him, to affront him, to criticize him.

He refused to listen. Instead, he looked forward and sternly demanded, "Give it back! You have no right to-"

The words of the young god woke Wu from her trance and her hands snapped at the young god with such speed that it was shocking she didn't break her own neck. Zetian rushed towards Tsukuyomi, forcing the disarmed god to instinctively take a defensive stance.

"Hahaha! I'll beat you to death with this beauty!" The Empress proclaimed, before she swung the scabbard at Tsukuyomi's head, forcing him to dodge to the side, at which point she delivered another, even faster strike at his waist. The sheer force of the attack knocked the god to the ground, unable to recover..

Or so she thought, before jutting her head backwards to dodge out of the way of Tsukuyomi's roundhouse kick. "I was given more methods to defend myself than just a sword!" The moon god shouted, as his father's words echoed in his mind:

'What if you were to be disarmed? Do not solely rely on your weapons. Make your body itself a deadly blade.'

It was hard for him to adjust to the new style of combat...he could not rely on his innate gifts to help him. Tsukuyomi gritted his teeth, and pressed forward to master his parents' teachings. His mother had taught him how to harness the flow of power in all things, and his father had taught him the relentless, graceful martial techniques of the angels. And now, he pressed onward, striking with both in tandem. Flowing, ferocious strikes rained down, each strike leading into another, each shift of Tsukuyomi's feet, another barrage. The rapid offense forced Zetian to put up her guard, an amused grin on her face.