(The words of one of the readers made wonder why Völundr works the way it does, and why the Valkyries take the form they use. So the author spent so ti researching and found so useful information. The na of each Valkyrie has a special aning that personifies the form she takes after Völundr. So Hlökk ans Noise of battle, which ans her form allows her to use everything she needs to arrange battles. I will not ntion others because it may drag on. But what is most interesting is that when I reread the manga to check the information about the nas of the Valkyries, there was one interesting mont, and maybe even a spoiler, the na Göll is translated as calling. But her na was also written differently Geir, which ans spear. And here is a spoiler in that in the end Göll will take the form of a spear and will confront Odin in the final 13th battle. And about my beloved Brunhilda, there is also a spoiler in her na, which ans Battle Armor, Bright Battle. And so the spoiler is that she will most likely be Siegfried's partner or whatever his na is. Badum tuts. The author spoiled the ending for you, which hasn't co out yet.)
While Alex and Brunhilde stood to the side, Nostradamus quietly slipped away, clearly intending to attend to his own matters—or, more likely, to find trouble or irritate soone once again. His manner of sneaking off was so comical that Alex couldn't help but think of old cartoons where characters tiptoed in the exact sa absurd way. He decided not to stop Nostradamus, figuring that if he caused trouble again, he'd handle it himself... possibly with a stick.
anwhile, Göll was practically glowing with excitent, eager to learn more about ninja techniques and how Hashirama founded the shinobi villages. Watching her enthusiasm, Alex montarily considered lighting a cigarette but instead pulled out a candy, lazily unwrapping it.
«Are you sure your friend can handle it?» Brunhilde asked, casting a glance at the cheerful Göll, who was bombarding Hashirama with questions.
«I already told you, they don't call him the God of Shinobi for nothing. Besides, he has an ace up his sleeve to take down Hades if needed,» Alex replied with absolute confidence.
anwhile, Göll was practically bouncing around Hashirama, insisting that he show at least one technique. Last ti, she hadn't seen anything because Might Guy had dashed off to the arena, loudly shouting sothing about the power of youth. Now her desire had beco almost obsessive, and Hashirama finally gave in. He prepared to demonstrate sothing simple but impressive when suddenly, the door to the room slamd open so hard it hit the wall, drawing everyone's attention.
Alex and Brunhilde turned in unison toward the noise, mildly surprised to see an irritated figure step through the doorway. Göll imdiately hid behind Hashirama, using him as a shield. Hashirama himself froze in a strange pose, resembling a statue ready to perform a jutsu.
Alex glanced over the newcor and, frowning, asked,
«Hlökk, what are you doing here?»
«I'm not Hlökk! I'm Alvitr, the tenth of the thirteen Valkyries! How could you possibly confuse us? We're completely different!» she snapped indignantly, pointing at her hair.
Alex squinted, scrutinizing Alvitr, and realized the only way to tell her apart from Hlökk was her hairstyle. In every other aspect, they were practically identical, from their attire to their mannerisms. anwhile, Göll continued to hide, knowing that both Alvitr and Hlökk were infamous for their temperantal personalities.
Brunhilde raised an eyebrow, observing the scene.
«Where have you been, Alvitr? We've been waiting for a while,» she asked coldly, her gaze fixed on her younger sister.
The question seed to shatter Alvitr's heart completely. Her face displayed a whirlwind of emotions, and tears began streaming down her cheeks as if the entire world had betrayed her.
Alex felt a brief pang of pity but remained silent. Hashirama, however, took charge of the situation. Approaching the crying Valkyrie with a soft, almost grandfatherly smile, he placed a hand on her head.
«There, there, little Valkyrie. Tell Grandpa who upset you,» he said gently.
The warmth of his gesture only made her sobs intensify. Alex, watching Alvitr, couldn't understand the reason for her ltdown and glanced at Brunhilde for clarification. She simply shook her head, indicating she didn't know either.
Between gasps and sobs, Alvitr explained that she had been waiting for her partner at the arena entrance all this ti, feeling abandoned. When she finally decided to co here, she saw everyone having fun together, which completely broke her spirit.
«How could you do this to ?! I stood there like an idiot, waiting for my partner, while you were all having fun here!» she wailed between sobs.
«There, there, don't cry, little one. Do you want Grandpa to give you so money for sweets?» Hashirama asked, still patting her head affectionately.
The scene was so absurd that Alex could only sigh heavily.
«These are the Valkyries involved in the decisive clash between gods and humans?» he thought skeptically, glancing at the crying Alvitr and the «comforting grandpa.»
Alex couldn't quite figure out what kind of money his Hashirama clone intended to use to console Alvitr. The answer ca quickly: with a grandfatherly smile, Hashirama pulled out a wad of banknotes from his pocket. It was ryō, the currency from the Naruto world.
Alex's face twisted into a mix of bewildernt and irritation. «This clone is way too into his role…» he thought, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, while Alvitr looked curiously at the strange paper bills.
«What are these? You can't buy anything with this,» she sniffled.
«She's right, Hashirama,» Alex interjected coldly. «Around here, ryō is only good for toilet paper.»
Hashirama chuckled awkwardly and quickly stuffed the money back into his pocket, pretending nothing had happened. Alex barely resisted the urge to facepalm. «And this is the man they call the God of Shinobi?»
anwhile, Alvitr, having stopped crying completely, looked at Hashirama with unexpected warmth in her eyes, as if she truly believed he was a kind grandfather. Brunhilde, mildly surprised, watched the scene unfold and asked Alex:
«How did he manage that? Calming down a capricious Alvitr is almost a miracle.»
Alex narrowed his eyes at Hashirama—more precisely, at his clone. Right now, the «God of Shinobi» was telling Alvitr sothing, and she looked more and more like a granddaughter entranced by her grandpa's stories.
«How will she react when she finds out it's ? Hopefully, she doesn't faint…» Alex thought.
«Hashirama has a granddaughter. Very spoiled. He's used to calming down kids like that. His first move? Offer money. It's because she inherited his bad habits,» Alex remarked dryly.
«Bad habits? From soone so kind?» Göll asked incredulously, glancing at Hashirama.
«Oh, trust , Hashirama is a notorious gambler. Gambling is his weakness. He plays, loses, and just digs himself deeper into debt. His granddaughter followed in his footsteps. She's now in so much debt that people are hunting her across the world to get their money back,» Alex replied, barely concealing his irritation.
Göll stared at Alex, then at Hashirama, in stunned silence. Her idealized image of the «God of Shinobi» shattered instantly. Now, she could only see a man perpetually seated at a casino table with the eternal smile of a loser.
«You're joking,» she muttered.
«I wish I were, but no. Out of the whole clan, only Tobirama is sowhat reasonable. And even that's a stretch,» Alex sighed heavily.
Brunhilde shot him a cold glare, her expression silently judging him: «Why did you invite soone like this to the battle?»
Alex simply shrugged. «Then she can try managing this circus herself.»
Brunhilde let out a heavy sigh, choosing not to comnt further. Her only hope was that Hashirama would be able to handle Hades. She didn't care about his bad habits or quirks as long as he got the job done. Göll, however, was visibly disappointed.
Her initial impression of Hashirama as a kind and wise grandfather crumbled when it beca clear that he was a reckless gambler drowning in debt. Alex's earlier words calling Hashirama the «God of Shinobi» now seed completely aningless to her.
Alex glanced at the disheartened Göll and shook his head. While he was discussing the oddities of his clone with the two Valkyries, it seed that Hashirama and Alvitr had reached so sort of agreent.
Their hands touched, and Alvitr's body radiated a brilliant light. When the glow subsided, Hashirama stood before them in his familiar dark-red armor, covered with nurous tal plates. The symbol of the Senju Clan was prominently displayed on each shoulder guard.
«Hmm, it's been a while since I've worn this,» Hashirama remarked, adjusting parts of his armor.
Alex heard a hysterical scream from Alvitr in his mind, followed by the dull thud of her fainting. Then ca the loud laughter of Hlökk, clearly enjoying her sister's reaction. Alex could only pity Alvitr, who had beco the second Valkyrie to lose consciousness in his inner world.
He wondered if his spiritual space was really that terrifying. If the Valkyries could hear his thoughts, they would undoubtedly agree in unison, especially because of the ominous Demon King's castle and the eerie black sword emanating an aura of destruction.
«If you're ready, head to the arena and fetch Hades' spear,» Alex said calmly, glancing at Hashirama.
Hashirama stopped fiddling with his armor, gave a thumbs-up, and assured him everything would be done perfectly. As Hashirama departed, Brunhilde narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
«So, this is all just for the spear?» she asked.
Standing nearby, Göll let out another heavy sigh. She was becoming more convinced that her new older brother was an eccentric personality.
«It's a trophy. Better it's in my hands than soone else's,» Alex replied without emotion.
«You love weapons so much that you'd steal one from a friend?» Brunhilde remarked sarcastically.
«Absolutely,» Alex answered without hesitation.
Brunhilde could only shake her head. Taking his arm, she led him toward the spectator balcony. On the way, Alex asked Göll to bring his robo-dog to record the entire fight. When she asked why, he explained that he wanted to show the footage to his family and friends. Göll nodded and hurried off to the waiting room, where a few Valkyries, Buddha (enjoying soone's sweets), the restless trio with Zerofuku, and Rebecca, engrossed in her weapon experints, were gathered.
Reaching the viewing balcony, Alex's gaze involuntarily drifted to the opposite side, where the Olympian gods were seated. What he saw made his eye twitch nervously.
«This is just too much,» he muttered, staring at their balcony.
Noticing his reaction, Brunhilde followed his gaze. She saw the sa thing and frowned in confusion. Among the Olympian gods was an uninvited guest—the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang.
Alex watched with interest as Ares was sent flying yet again, while Hers nonchalantly refilled the emperor's cup.
«Should I go fetch him?» Alex offered playfully.
«Just don't cause any trouble,» Brunhilde said sternly. «The Olympian gods already hate you enough.»
Alex gave her a thumbs-up, assuring her he'd handle it. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek, drawing a faint smile to her face, and without wasting any ti, leaped from the balcony onto the stands.
His goal was clear: to find the adoptive mother of Qin Shi Huang, the woman who had played a crucial role in shaping the future Emperor of China. Alex rembered how her support helped the young Ying Zheng beco a great ruler.
Scanning the crowd, he quickly spotted her. She sat surrounded by people, regal and composed, her long black hair tied into a ponytail. Beside her was a boy—the very child who had perished because of the ambitions of the ruler of the Qin territory.
Alex tried to recall her na. It sounded like Chun Yan or sothing similar.
Having set his target, Alex leisurely lit a cigarette and made his way toward the fence separating the spectators from the gods' box. His actions imdiately drew attention: everyone knew that when Alex started moving, sothing unusual was about to happen. Step by step, he approached the gods' stands. His face remained impassive, but many were already on edge, especially the gods themselves, fully aware that Alex rarely acted without a reason.
When he reached the Olympians' box, Alex raised his gaze to the gods, who eyed him warily. Passing by their tense stares, he noticed Aphrodite. She shot him an annoyed look, perhaps hoping he would stop or give her more attention.
However, Alex rely glanced at her briefly, ntally comparing her to Freyja, and concluded that his wife was far more attractive. In his opinion, Aphrodite was trying too hard to impress, showing everything off, which only put him off. Freyja, on the other hand, was a lady who had captured his attention not with her appearance but with her grace and warmth. This cold glance from Alex further irritated the goddess.
Climbing the steps, Alex assessed the situation and decided to keep things simple. With ease, he jumped into the box, landing gently on the railing, which provoked a sharp reaction from those present. Hers gave a slight smile, though his gaze held caution. Ares, lying on the floor in a decidedly unmajestic pose, rely snorted in annoyance. Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, however, seed to ignore what was happening and continued calmly sipping his wine.
Alex, crouching on the railing, addressed the emperor:
«Hey, Qin, did you get lost? This place isn't for you.»
The emperor calmly raised his gaze, breaking away from his cup, and with a smile said:
«I don't care where I am. I am always the Emperor, and beneath —there is a throne.»
For a mont, Alex froze, processing what he had heard. Too much pomp, he thought. Even he, the Demon King, found such declarations excessive. For a second, he wondered if he should start acting like that too, but quickly dismissed the thought.
«Alright, I get it,» Alex said flatly, getting up from the railing. «But stop causing trouble. Let's go, it's ti to return.»
Qin Shi Huangdi held his gaze on Alex for a mont, then calmly set his cup aside, ready to follow him.
Alex's words made Hers and Ares exchange bewildered glances. Both were clearly thinking the sa thing: «Are you serious? Did you just say that?»
In the past few hours, Alex had already caused a lot of trouble, angering dozens of gods, including not just lower-tier ones but also those like Zeus and Odin. However, the gods' stares didn't concern Alex—his focus was entirely on the Emperor of China.
«I refuse. I've already grown fond of this place,» Qin Shi Huangdi declared loudly, rejecting Alex's suggestion.
«And besides, it certainly won't be boring here,» he added with a self-satisfied smile
Alex's face darkened, with black lines seemingly appearing through his skin, expressing an extre level of irritation. Leaping down from the railing, he walked over to the emperor, pondering how to get him to leave the box. His intense gaze began to cause discomfort even to Hers, and Ares tensed up in response. Ares, though silent, couldn't deny that he was sowhat afraid of Alex—after all, Alex had effortlessly defeated Poseidon as if it were child's play.
But then, Alex's face lit up. He rembered a perfect item from his inventory for such situations—a foam mallet. It looked like an entirely harmless toy, but its true purpose was to knock out the target without any violence.
«Tell , Qin, do you like tricks?» Alex asked innocently, looking at the emperor.
Qin Shi Huangdi paused for a mont, stroking his chin, then his face lit up with a childlike grin. This unexpected question caught even Hers and Ares off guard, who were eavesdropping. Now, they were both curious about the trick Alex had planned to rid them of the emperor before Zeus arrived.
«Of course! This emperor has always loved street magicians!» Qin Shi Huangdi declared joyfully.
Alex grinned widely, his sunny smile briefly blinding everyone around him. However, those who knew Alex imdiately realized that such a smile boded no good for his target. The Emperor of China had just beco that target.
Before anyone could react, Alex swiftly grabbed the foam mallet and skillfully struck the emperor on the top of his head. Qin Shi Huangdi didn't even have ti to comprehend what was happening before his consciousness dimd, and he collapsed onto the couch, snoring loudly. The scene was so absurd that even Hers had trouble believing his eyes. A foam toy had knocked out the first Emperor of China.
Ignoring the stunned gods, Alex lifted the unconscious Qin Shi Huangdi over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and made his way to the railing.
«Sorry for the inconvenience,» he said with a slight smirk.
Hers was the first to recover, watching Alex, who was already standing on the railing, preparing to jump. It happened so quickly that even Hers, the god of speed, couldn't grasp what had just occurred. Now Alex was looking at them with that sa mysterious smile, even managing to apologize. This sharp contrast in his behavior left both gods bewildered.
«It's fine,» Hers finally managed, forcing a professional smile. «I actually kind of liked him.»
«Well, then,» Alex said, waving his hand. «Enjoy the battle!»
With that, he jumped down, disappearing from their sight and leaving the gods to ponder what had just happened.
Alex landed softly on the steps between the tiers where the gods were seated, carrying the Emperor of China over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Whistling a simple tune, he began to descend, ignoring the hundreds of surprised and disapproving stares. However, one gaze stood out from the rest—Aphrodite's. She was staring at him intently, clearly displeased, but Alex paid her no attention. He could feel her gaze, but won like her never caught his interest. Alex couldn't stand arrogant people, especially won who thought they were above everyone else.
Descending the stairs, he continued walking along the stands, humming a tune as if nothing extraordinary had happened. The gods watching the spectacle were filled with questions, the main one being, «What the hell is he carrying, and why is he so cheerful?»
But Alex was pleased. After all, where else would he get the chance to knock out the First Emperor of China with a foam hamr?
Reaching the section where the representatives of humanity were seated, Alex began searching for the woman who had been the adoptive mother of Ying Zheng. Upon finding her, he smiled and made his way up the stairs. When he finally reached the right row, their gazes t. A light, friendly smile appeared on Alex's face.
«Miss Chun Yang, please accept this gift,» Alex said, shaking the Emperor of China's body on his shoulder as if offering it to her.
Chun Yang was completely bewildered. She, like everyone sitting nearby, couldn't understand what was happening. In this row were forr emperors of China's provinces, yet none of them had recognized the «sack» on Alex's shoulder as the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang.
«What do you an?» Chun Yang asked cautiously, trying not to reveal her anxiety.
Alex shook his head, realizing that she hadn't understood. He was even more surprised that none of the present emperors had recognized who was lying on his shoulder. Sighing, he slapped his forehead and decided to explain.
«Look, Miss Chun Yang, this is your adoptive son, Ying Zheng. He's been causing so trouble,» Alex said calmly, slightly tossing the body on his shoulder for emphasis. «And since you're his adoptive mother, I think it's your job to keep an eye on him.»
Chun Yang's eyes widened in shock when she heard Ying Zheng's na. She couldn't believe that the person Alex was carrying like a sack was her adoptive son. But what shocked her even more was that Alex had brought him here just because he was «causing trouble.» When the others heard Ying Zheng's na, a commotion began. Now everyone understood that the person on Alex's shoulder was none other than the First Emperor of China.
«In short, Miss Chun Yang, take care of him. I definitely don't have the ti to keep track of everyone,» Alex finished, carefully handing the unconscious Qin Shi Huang to his adoptive mother.
Chun Yang, stunned, involuntarily accepted the «gift,» and chaos broke out around her. All the forr emperors of China started murmuring among themselves, clearly shaken by the situation. But Alex ignored their commotion and headed down the stairs to the balcony, where Brunhilde was waiting for him.
He glanced her way and noticed her confused and almost empty gaze. She clearly hadn't expected such a turn of events.
Alex, as if nothing had happened, gave her a thumbs-up, as if saying, «Mission accomplished!»
After all, who better than an adoptive mother to ta the First Emperor of China? Alex smiled to himself, pleased with his perfect solution: not to worry about it himself, but to dump the responsibility on soone else.
With a satisfied smile, Alex slowly descended the stairs, pleased to be rid of the responsibility of watching over the Emperor of China, having entrusted the task to reliable hands. His thoughts involuntarily returned to a possible scenario if Ying Zheng had remained with him. Alex imagined how G.I.R., his loyal but overly principled robo-dog, would have declared a hunt for the First Emperor. After all, G.I.R. was convinced that there could only be one legitimate emperor—the Emperor of Humanity—and all other «pretenders» were subject to «purification.»
Alex even shuddered at the thought of G.I.R. chasing Ying Zheng around the Colosseum, shouting about heresy and demanding to «cleanse the soul.» It would definitely have been a disaster. Making a ntal note to keep the robo-dog away from any monarchs, Alex dismissed these thoughts and focused on the present.
Reaching the balcony, he effortlessly jumped onto it, where Brunhilde and the returned Göll were already waiting. Along with her, Göll had brought G.I.R., who was enthusiastically setting up a cara tripod, intending to capture the upcoming battle between the god Hades and the god of Shinobi. Alex glanced at Brunhilde, whose unreadable expression clearly hinted at disapproval.
«Is sothing wrong?» Alex asked, slightly tilting his head, wondering what could have upset her.
«In what way 'is sothing wrong'? Why was Qin Shi Huang unconscious, and why were you carrying him like a sack of potatoes?» Brunhilde replied coldly.
Göll, standing next to G.I.R., cast a sideways glance at Alex, silently praying for his well-being. Alex, as usual, remained calm, ignoring the Valkyrie's frosty tone.
«Well, he just didn't want to leave, so I had to knock him out,» Alex answered innocently, as if it were the most mundane thing.
«And why did you leave him in the hands of so woman?» Brunhilde continued her interrogation, her voice still cold but now with clear notes of irritation.
«That 'so woman' is his adoptive mother, Miss Chun Yang. Isn't it the mother's job to keep an eye on her child, to make sure he doesn't get into trouble?» Alex explained, slightly tilting his head.
Brunhilde paused for a mont. Her irritation gave way to realization. It turned out that Alex had planned everything in advance. She understood that from the very beginning, he had intended to shift the responsibility for the First Emperor of China onto his adoptive mother.
«You did this on purpose, didn't you? You planned it from the start?» Brunhilde looked at him intently.
«Well, yeah. Why would I want to keep an eye on this troubleso emperor who could cause problems at any mont?» Alex admitted calmly, not even trying to justify himself.
«You're just unbearable,» Brunhilde sighed, placing her hand on her forehead.
Alex simply smiled and, stepping closer, wrapped his arm around her waist. Brunhilde, though sowhat cald by his gesture, was still irritated. She wanted to lecture him again about his irresponsibility, but she was interrupted by sudden changes in the arena.
The walls began to move, transforming, signaling the start of the next Ragnarok battle. From the god's side of the stands, where Hades was supposed to appear, stone gates took on the shape of an entrance to the Underworld, emitting a dark and oppressive aura. On the other side, where humanity stood, a giant tree grew in place of the gates, with the symbol of the Senju clan engraved in its center.
Alex sighed in relief, realizing he had avoided yet another lecture from Brunhilde. His thoughts then shifted to the upcoming battle. What strategy would Hashirama choose? Would he only use the elental techniques of Wood, or would he deploy his full arsenal of jutsu?
ntally smiling, Alex focused on making sure he didn't miss the start of the fight.
To be continued...
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