"Die!"
Mars swings his gladius horizontally.
"Impossible," a lady states, her tone monotone, her eyes uninterested in the Roman god of war.
She steps back, but purposely leans forward as well, letting the gladius hit her helmet. The pang of metal is loud, and yet her expression remains the same.
Utterly unbothered and bored.
"Damn it, fight back!" Mars snarls
"What's the use of training you?" The lady clicks her tongue, catching another swing by the tip of the sword. "With all honesty, I'm entertaining you because I'm also in this lame tournament."
She flicks the sword away.
Mars sails back with it, crashing onto a pillar that crumbles upon impact.
"What's your power?" The lady asks, wiping the dust off her armor. "It's been half an hour, and you haven't shown me anything worth my time."
"Nothing is worth your damn time, Athena," Mars grunts, pushing off the debris and standing up, dusting himself. "And I have no power, just pure fighting prowess."
"Fighting prowess can include powers," Athena raises a finger. "So, you're unintelligent and unskilled."
"The fuck you mean, eh?!" Mars growls before dashing at Athena with a battle cry.
He stops in his tracks as the realm shakes.
The two deities look around before Athena stares at him with the same expression.
"Set," she says simply before picking a rock and flicking it towards Mars who barely had any time to dodge. "Slow reflexes, shame."
Amidst the quaking realm, Mars rushes at Athena with burning determination.
...
Set, relentlessly as ever have been sending waves of Chaos towards Vincent.
The cackling, Vincent has grown accustomed to it, even with the myriad of voices around him, and the hallucinations caused by the Chaos.
"You know, you're too well even with all of the bloody Chaos around you!" Set laughs wildly, slamming a Chaos flail on the copy's arm which broke on contact. "And this damn copy! It's weaker than the real Zeus! Are you supposed to win with half-assed efforts?!"
"Trust me, I am much used to having no vision and hearing voices!" Vincent laughs, swerving out of a blow along with their masterpiece. "Do not call our efforts that! It's the best we have at this moment!"
"Then you'll die with your best!" Set shouts, his fist coated with a thick coat of Chaos.
A punch is launched, striking the copy's crossed arms, sending it and Vincent skidding back.
The Egyptian god shakes his hand, feeling the stress of hitting the copy.
The god stops to stare at Vincent, who in turn, stares back as their motion comes to a halt.
The sound of the raging sand and wind plays in the background, accompanied by the music created by the Chaos Notes forming alongside the wrathful sandstorm.
"Why use Cleanse out of all the attacks?" Set asks the painter, crouching down and looking at the dutchman for answers. "Too expensive to use. Its intricate ability costs too much material from Reginleif's soul."
Hearing this, Vincent stands beside the copy, placing a hand on the side of its huge arms. The painter regards the god with a small smile, looking at the copy and then back to Set.
"I wanted to send you off, as peacefully as possible," Vincent admits, sighing. "But I, and Miss Reginleif are aware that the chances are slim. I was foolish to waste her soul in creating subpar creations."
"That's..." Set pauses, staring at the ground and then to Vincent. "That's very thoughtful of you," he chuckled, now seated on the ground. "Why send your enemy peacefully? Why not finish the round as quickly as possible?"
"Have we not suffered enough?" Vincent asks the moment Set finished talking. "I know your story, Mister Set. I know about your upbringing, your origins," the painter frowns, running a palm across his face. "We are..."
"Similar?" Set finishes for Vincent, earning a nod. "I know, I am well aware. I know the world in its entirety, and it includes the experiences of humanity. It includes yours."
"Then you understand enough why I want us to depart peacefully," Vincent chuckles.
"Cursed by Loki, forever to hear the voices from the other side," Set narrates, snorting at the mention of Loki. "Loki, always bored and sadistic."
"Shunned by the public, their voices plagued your mind," Vincent counters with a chuckle, leaning on the copy with his shoulders and arms crossed. "It reached the point where you can hear them all the time. They felt real. Us, mortals, drove you mad."
"Loki's voice felt real to you as well," Set chortled. "You killed yourself, deciding to end it peacefully, not wanting to do anything bad in the future."
"And you chose to fight for your sanity, albeit misguided by the voices. You brought havoc in your time," Vincent hums. "You did not go out. You stayed. Violently."
"And yet we reached fucking madness," Set laughs.
"That we did," Vincent snorted. "But we're not here to make friends here, are we?"
"No, no," Set grins, a new flail in hand as a shadowy cloak of Chaos wraps around him, similar to that of a jackal. "I'm here to win, you're here to lose."
"I'll be the judge of that," Vincent gives a grin of his own.
And thus, the battle rages on.
...
"I can't see anything," Freya frowns, hands gripping the railings. "It's making me anxious!"
The railings cracked under the pressure.
"The barrier of Chaos, it's still up," Brunhilde states. "The battle is still going. We still have a chance," a pause. "No matter how small it is."
"That's what makes me anxious!" Freya grabs Brunhilde's shoulders and shakes her sister back and forth. "I can't see them! It gives me hope!"
"Hope is good," Brunhilde smirks at Freya's outburst. "But in all seriousness, sister. We all know the outcome of this battle, and our plan all along is to eliminate a strong contender to ease out later fights."
"Don't say that," Freya frowns, looking around. "You're lucky Göll went with Satan. If she heard that-"
"That's why I said it now."
"Listen, I did not send Vincent and Reginleif to eliminate a strong competitor," Freya's grip is firm on her who raises an eyebrow. "Well, that's half the reason, but not entirely. I'm trying to see if my hunch is correct."
"By sending them to imminent death?" Brunhilde asks, earning a slap on the head.
"I sent them because it's not an imminent death for them," Freya sighs, releasing her sister from her grip. "Those two have one of the better chances in defeating Set, but as the match progressed, their chances began dwindling."
The leader, the eldest looks at the dome of sand and Chaos, her eyes glistening by the second.
"As I see the scene unfolding, I can't help but accept that this is our loss," Freya frowns, wiping her face and leaning on the railings. "I guess telling Vincent Set's story is a mistake from my side."
"It might be," Brunhilde nods, leaning beside her sister. "Mercy killing became his top priority when you laid it out to him."
"He relates too much to Set," Freya's eyes narrow as the music goes on. "But as the leader, I cannot risk gambling with our champions' lives. Set is extremely strong, even without his Chaos. Sending a strong competitor and possibly killing them is a great loss."
"But Vincent and Reginleif can beat other deities here," Brunhilde says simply.
"T-they absolutely can," Freya rests her chin on her knuckles. "It was a free victory if it was Mars fighting Vincent, but Set forcibly took his spot. I don't know why, but it is what it is. This is how this is ending."
"We're losing this one?"
At that, Freya remains silent, watching the chaos in front of them.
"Who do you think will fight next?" Brunhilde hums, glancing at Freya from the side.
"From the divines?" Freya mirrors the hum. "Mars," she says simply. "His fight got stolen, he won't wait another round to get it back."
"Who will you put against that god?"
"I don't know yet," Freya admits. "I-I'm scared, Brunhilde. I'm scared that I might throw away another life because of my miscalculations. I'm not as thorough as you. I am prone to overlooking things-"
"That's why you have us," the younger one flicks a finger at Freya's head. "Let us in the decision-making process, sister. Don't take all the pressure."
Freya did not answer after that.
Frankly, Brunhilde knows that she got her point across.
...
"Boring," Loki sighs, floating around their side of the arena. "I can't see the slaughter."
"He's playing with his food," Jupiter grunts, his eyes glowing white, glued to the dome of sand and Chaos. "This time, I would allow it. The mortal has no chance of succeeding now."
"Pathetic!"
"Weak!"
Huginn and Muninn screech from Odin's shoulders as the Allfather regards the battlefield with a stoic expression.
"Dishonorable, if so," the Jade Emperor huffs, striking the floor with the end of his staff, his galaxy-like eyes narrowing at the thought. "His combatant wants to end him peacefully with Cleanse, and yet he repays with wanton violence."
"We cannot really fault Set for it," Amaterasu smiles, her elegant orange eyes staring at the Chinese pantheon's chief. "Bad memories could have resurfaced. Who knows what he has buried deep down his chaotic soul," she giggles, covering her mouth.
"He should win," Zeus chimes in, his face morphed into a twisted smile as he basks in the thought of a suffering Vincent. "The mortal had the balls to copy me out of all deities~? Really~?"
"Quite the audacity," Hermes chuckles from the Greek's chief's side. "And it was a faulty replica, adding salt to the wound," he adds, pausing as he fetches a jug of alcohol for Zeus. "It is satisfactory that he is to perish as brutally as conceivable."
'I've never seen this much raw Chaos before,' Horus' thoughts run rampant, beads of sweat trickling down his body as his eyes take in the sight. 'H-how is he this powerful? I know he's powerful, b-but this is not what I expected,' he gulps the pooling saliva in his mouth. 'T-this is absurd! No w-wonder father fell to his might!'
The Egyptian god licks his drying lips, his hands gripping the railings, denting them with the pressure.
"T-this is absurd," Horus whispers. "To wield this much power, no wonder no one dares to entangle with him."
"Like we said earlier," Jupiter grunts, folding his arms, his armor clanking. "He possesses sets of skills that no other deities can counter effectively. The moment he fights in his full power, it's the moment everything loses."
"Except when against me~," Zeus laughs while chugging his alcohol, gargling the beverage.
'I doubt it,' Jupiter whispers in the back of his mind. "Possibly, the chief gods and goddesses have the best bet when facing that thing."
Hearing this, Zeus merely giggles as he plays with his alcohol without care to those around him.
Then, he glances at Hermes who hums in question upon seeing the attention.
"Hermes, go and check on Nyx~," Zeus orders with a giggle, his blue eyes glowing within his dark sockets. "Remind her of our deal~."
"Will do, father," the messenger god laughs good heartedly, vanishing as he leaves a trail of dust.
"What was that about?" Amaterasu leans towards Zeus, eyes blinking in confusion.
"Oh, nothing~!" Zeus giggles. "If you let me fondle your breasts, maybe I will tell you~!"
"Oh?" Amaterasu tilts her head to the side.
"Please don't tell me you're considering this, sister?" Susanoo whines, grabbing Amaterasu by her shoulders and sitting her down the cushion beside him.
"But I'm curious," Amaterasu counters with a laugh.
"With the price, I don't care if your curiosity eats you rotten," Susanoo huffs, but a small smile creeps onto his face. "No way I'm letting anyone touch you like that."
"Aww, you're making me feel too special," Amaterasu coos, pinching Susanoo's cheeks, making the swordsman frown in embarrassment.
"Get a room," Loki chimes from above them, sitting cross-legged on the intricate marble ceiling. "It's making our eyes and ears hurt."
Thus, Susanoo begins chasing Loki around Valhalla, leaving the divine booth.
'Still, I wonder,' Amaterasu hums in her mind.
Frankly, the other deities are curious as well.
All remained silent though.
...
"Oho?" A man in dark regal attire eyes the scene with peaking astonishment. "Is this the capabilities of a deity?" He wonders, stroking his mustache as the winds blow up his long hair.
One hand held his red headgear, preventing it from being taken by the raging desert wind.
"This is magnificent. Unparalleled!" He exclaims, chuckling to himself as he listens to the music. "And what fearsome music he has orchestrated for himself! The power of a god is limitless!"
The sight in front of him, Vlad Dracula, The Impaler, is a sight to behold.
"Bah! Me self came here to watch a duel, not a bunch of flying sand about! I have seen plenty in me voyages!" A man of ragged beard and dark fancy clothing shouts from beside the dark prince.
"Such an uncouth way of speech," Vlad scoffs. "Clearly, you seem to lack proper manners and etiquette."
"Scurry off, shark bait! I'll have you know that me self can make ye walk the plank!" The man growls, fists balled and ready to reach for his cutlass. "Maybe ye would like to sleep with the fishes?" He clicks his tongue, his eyes narrowed, though one is covered by a black eye patch.
Edward Teach does not take insults very lightly.
"Oh?" Vlad chuckles. "You don't seem to be the type to fight enemies head-on," he says, gripping his spear. "You seem rather fragile to fight, let alone against yours truly."
"I'll have ye seeing twos and threes of me self in duel, lubber!" Edward grunts, a hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.
"I'm surprised you know how to count," Vlad laughs, falling to a stance.
"Oh, me self can count alright," the Blackbeard chuckles darkly. "I can count how many ticks of the clock ye have left, ye land vermin."
Blackbeard stares at the Impaler's eyes.
Both of them let out a loud laugh, with Vlad leaning on his spear, and Edward holding his belly.
"Ye self is amusing, lubber. Me self hands it to ye," Edward says between breaths.
"I can say the same to you, dirty man," Vlad mirrors Edward's laughter. "Vlad Dracula, prince of Wallachia," he extends a hand to Edward.
The pirate legend grabs it with vigor.
"Edward Teach is me name, lad!" He shakes the prince's hand. "But most know me self as Blackbeard!"
"I can see why, friend," Vlad chuckles, retracting his hand and gesturing to the pirate's beard. "I can see the advantages of the beard, it strikes fear seeing a ragged man fighting."
"Oh, ye wait when I set me beard and hat ablaze!" Edward laughs loudly. "That be the time where the vermin scurry off for their measly lives!"
"Yes, that seems to be a great way to sow the seeds of fear into the souls of your victims," Vlad chuckles darkly before glancing at the dome of sand and Chaos. "This fight is getting lackluster, boring. What about we find some food or treat ourselves to a fight in a spare arena?"
Hearing this, Edward grins widely, showing his unhealthy teeth.
"Grub sounds good, scalawag," Edward chuckles. "This fight be losing its flare! No action!"
"I agree there, friend," Vlad nods, beginning to walk with Edward down the halls. "What did you expect? It's a mere painter against a god!"
"Bah! Me cabin boys can put a better duel than this nonsense!" Edward guffaws, holding his belly.
"Even a foot soldier of mine would suffice," Vlad smiles wickedly. "But enough of this fight, let's find something to eat. I'm quite famished for food and battle."
"Aye!" Edward agrees, nodding as the two walk.
...
Chaos rages forward in the form of a jackal's head, ready to ravage anything in its path.
With a roar, it barrelled towards Vincent and the copy.
Time breaks as the copy swings its fists in rapid succession, its force enough to disperse the Chaos construct.
"Is this the best you can do, mortal?!" Set cackles, the cloak of Chaos surrounding him as he maneuvers around the dutchman.
Chaos submits, letting itself form various musical notes that only have one target.
Vincent.
The copy does its best to deflect each note, sacrificing its body for Vincent's safety.
"PATHETIC!" Set laughs as a symphony of notes forms and beeline towards the painter. "ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC!"
Seeing this, Vincent lowers his head, his voice grim.
"Do it," he whispers, making the copy giggle.
The copy rears its arms back with a glint flashing in its hollow eyes.
Vincent covers his ears.
The copy slams its palms together, sending a loud sonic boom that shook the space.
Set, thrown off by the attack, is sent barreling down the sand as the dome of sand and Chaos crumbles, revealing them to the audience once more.
"At last, we can see what has happened!" Heimdall exclaims with glee. "It seems like Vincent and his copy of Council Leader Zeus has managed to knock down Set and disrupt the prison of sand and Chaos! What a surprising turn of event!"
Hearing such news, humanity basks in the opportunity, letting their voices be heard by the divines as they roar in defiance.
"Yes! This is what I like! Cheer for your fighters!" Heimdall laughs through the Gjallarhorn.
Below him, Vincent removes his hands from his ears, his head still ringing despite his efforts.
Set, on the other hand, stumbles as he rises from his spot.
"What a fucking joke you are," Set chortled, his voice filling the ears of everyone present.
He gets his bearings together, staring down at Vincent who is seeing multiple figures and a myriad of other hallucinations.
"What a waste of fucking effort," Set cackles, forming a war axe out of Chaos as he walks towards his opponent.
Then, he rushes forward, meeting the copy's strike with his own.
Each swing of his axe is met with the time-breaking fists of the copy who giggles at the Egyptian god's efforts.
"This is a fun joke," Set says, laughing darkly as his voice echoes. "A really humorous attempt!"
"I see no humor in a series of deaths and bloodbath!" Vincent shouts, his voice carrying throughout the arena.
A scene that makes the deities's eyes narrow.
"No, but your laughable attempts carry it all!" Set howls in laughter, kicking the copy away as a giant serpentine construct springs out of the ground.
"Do you see anyone laughing?!" Vincent asks with a growl, their masterpiece blowing a hole through the serpent's head.
"Oh, I bet they're laughing in your head!" Set spits on the ground. "Are the voices finally getting into your mind again? What are you going to do? Kill yourself again, huh?!"
"You will never goad me," Vincent growls, but in truth, the voices are getting louder. "Your efforts will never bring me down! You will fail!"
Set swings his axe, imbedding it to the copy's arm before smashing his head against the forehead of it, staggering the copy.
"Oh, how cute you look. A mortal thinking that he can bring down a deity!" Set drags the axe across the ground, his face plastered with a devilish grin as his forked tongue flicks out every now then. "Face it! No mortal will ever be enough against the divines! You're nothing against me! You're worthless against the very best of the deities, mortal!"
The copy's fist met Set's face, cracking it and driving it down to the ground, caving the arena in ever so slightly.
"And yet I, us, mortals, are making you bleed," Vincent spits on the ground, looking down at Set who recovers with the help of Chaos.
The copy moves with swiftness like no other before, delivering punches to Set's body.
With every swing, a target is struck with precision, making Set puke out blood by the pints.
"Us, mortals, are standing against you, gods and goddesses!" Vincent shouts, the copy grabbing Set's head and slamming him on the ground repeatedly. "And here we are, making you bleed! Here we are," he pauses as the copy delivers a time-breaking hook, "making you, a god, kneel."
Set falls to one knee as the copy pummels him over and over again without stopping.
"USELESS!" Set snarls as Chaos manifests around him, almost swallowing the copy.
An arm was caught — an arm forever lost, never to return as Chaos consumed it.
The deities roar their cheers.
"The copy's arm has been consumed by Set's Chaos! Is this the turning point! Will this bring down humanity's fighter?!" Heimdall screams through Gjallarhorn.
Humanity roars in defiance, their voice drowning those of the divine.
They will not falter, no, never.
Not when they see that they have a chance.
"They can cheer all they want, you pathetic piece of trash!" Set laughs, running up to Vincent, Chaos commanded to trail behind him. "But you will never be able to save your life here! You will die, and there is no saving grace!"
Set's Chaos slams onto the copy, consuming its skin. It merely giggles at the scene.
"Save my life...?" Vincent's voice, louder than the entire arena, yet still that of a whisper.
His expression, stoic at first morphs into that of disappointment and rage.
"SAVE MY LIFE?!" The painter bellows. "LOOK AROUND YOU, EGYPTIAN GOD!"
The copy strikes through the Chaos, letting its skin be eaten as its fist strikes Set down to ground.
"TAKE YOUR TIME, AND LOOK AROUND YOU, DAMN IT!" Vincent opens his arms wide, looking down at Set with watering eyes, gesturing to the side of humanity.
"My time, my life, there is no saving it, for it has been over for centuries!" Vincent shouts — he wails. "So, how dare you say that I am fighting for my life when it has met its end already by my own damn hands!"
The copy stands beside Vincent, blocking at fist of Chaos before grabbing Set's whole body with its lone hand.
It slams Set again and again, breaking the ground with each strike.
"Around this damned arena, I s-see lives that could still flourish," Vincent's voice cracks as his emotions get the better of him. "Around me, around US! I see the incomplete adventures of those who live in the far future of my time!"
"My life?" Vincent laughs at the mention of it. "No! This is not about me!"
The painter shouts, pointing at humanity who roars at his gesture, cheering him on.
"This is about the future humanity! This is for the lives that are still in the process of becoming their own masterpieces! I've already lived, so how could I not be a part of preventing the unjust severance of lives that could've mattered more than mine?!"
The copy slammed for the last time.
Humanity fell into silence at Vincent's words.
Tears fell, from Theo, from Freya, from various parts of humanity.
And thus, their voice shook Valhalla's foundation.
Set slowly stands up, an arm severed by the copy who smugly flips him off.
"You..." Set's amber eyes, tainted by blood as they have burst. "YOU MONGREL! YOU WILL DIE!"
"Then, so, be it!" Vincent growls, his voice accompanied by the raging voices of humanity. "But as long as there is a chance! AS LONG AS THERE IS HOPE! HUMANITY WILL STAND FIRM! WITH OR WITHOUT ME! WITH OR WITHOUT ANY OF YOU DIVINES!"
The copy, for the first time, laughs loudly as it rears its fist once more.
Set has already left his spot, speeding across the arena in blinding speed as Chaos erupted around him.
"DIE, YOU MORTAL!" Set roars, lone hand coated in Chaos.
"I'LL BE THE JUDGE OF THAT, EGYPTIAN GOD!" Vincent mirrors the ferocity as the copy laughs.
Before the copy can punch, Chaos swallows it whole, leaving Vincent standing alone.
The painter did not falter; instead, he ran towards Set with his paintbrush and palette drawn.
Vincent did not back down as he roared in the face of danger.
"DIE!" Set shouts. "Peacefully..." he whispers, none hearing his voice.
Chaos moved to his finger tip, entering Vincent's chest.
The dutchman falls to his knees.
He is being consumed inside out.
Heimdall sounded the Gjallarhorn once more.
A signal that the round has ended.
{•===Round Two Ends===•}
{•===19 minutes, 38 seconds===•}
...
"N-no!" Göll cries out, falling on her own knees, her shaking hands holding the railings.
With her just returning to the humanity booth, witnessing the scene unfold.
"S-sister Reginleif as well...?" Göll regards the scene with disbelief. "T-this is... unfair," she whispers, resting her forehead on the stone cold railings.
Freya did not speak, merely having her head hanging low, arms wide and hands gripping the railings.
Brunhilde regards the result with a stoic expression, her face betraying no emotions.
Satan, who has brought Göll back, takes a step back, but his face adapts a solemn expression.
'What he did there is brave. Humanity's vigor has been reawakened with his words,' Satan thought, having his hands behind his back as humanity falls to silence.
"He did great," the Devil whispers softly.
...
"Boo! Why is he not splattered on the ground?" Loki asks, sitting on the railings.
If one were to look, the trickster god of Norse has a small bump on his head from the earlier chase.
"Set is really embodying being chaotic to the very letter, hmm?" Amaterasu hums. "I didn't expect him to kill so peacefully. He is so chaotic sometimes."
"Chaotic sometimes and Set doesn't mix well," Jupiter grunts. "But you are correct. This was unexpected."
"And here I thought he was a god without any honor," the Jade Emperor hums, nodding in approval. "This is an unexpected development."
"Fuck yeah~!" Zeus stood up and began pumping his hips forward. "Get that copy out of here~! Too bad he is such a bitch! Why is the mortal not in pieces?!"
"Chaotic!"
"Fucking hard to predict!"
Huginn and Muninn slap their faces with their wings.
'He r-really is chaos incarnate,' Horus thought before turning to the deities present. "I must go and wait for Set in the gates. I can't let him run rampant without me to stop him."
"Such a responsible fella you are," Amaterasu giggles.
"Just don't die-"
"Shut up, Susanoo~!" Amaterasu pinches her brother's side.
"Ow! Stop it!"
"Maybe later," she hums.
"I-I'll just go now," Horus nods to the chiefs of pantheons and every other deity before running out of the booth.
'Uncle Set, you confuse me all the time,' Horus thought as he speeds through the halls.
...
"O-oh, wow," Vincent chuckles as he stares up at Set who stands in front of him. "I-is this supposed to be as painless as this?"
"Just fucking rest," Set chuckles before turning around and walking towards the gates of divines. "Everything will be fine."
Hearing that, Vincent hums as he looks down on his hand.
Slowly, Reginleif's head materializes.
"Rested well, Miss Reginleif?" Vincent asks with a chuckle.
"Meh, we'll be resting again in a bit," Reginleif laughs with him.
"Looks like I messed it up for us with the mercy killing. I'm the one who ended up getting mercy killed," Vincent smiles at his partner who grins in return.
"I am on board with any plan of yours, Vincent. I couldn't have prepared better without your decisions," Reginleif giggles.
"Now, that is what the future calls bullshit, Miss Reginleif," at that answer, both of them laughed. "But I must say before we are gone. Thank you, I appreciate everything you and your sisters have shown me. It is nice to see that I mattered."
"You always have mattered, Vincent. All humans matter," Reginleif hums.
"You matter, no matter what."
...
Vincent looks around the museum, flabbergasted as every piece of his artwork is present.
An entire section of a museum is dedicated to him, and they said that this is one of many.
"T-this is unbelievable," he whispers, his shaky hands pinching his cheeks.
"What is unbelievable, sir?" A man in a suit or uniform approaches him. "You seem new here, do you need help perhaps?"
Vincent looks at the man with renewed wonder.
"S-sir, do you mind telling me w-who is Vincent van Gogh?"
Hearing this, the man smiles and pats his shoulders before leading him in front of a giant picture of Vincent's face or what they know he looks like.
"You know, Vincent van Gogh... he wasn't just a painter, he was a soul who poured everything he had into his art," the man pauses, looking at the wonder in Vincent's eyes.
"Every brushstroke was a cry for understanding, a plea to the world to see things the way he did. The vivid colors, the swirling skies, they weren't just pretty pictures — no, they were the way his heart felt every moment."
Then, the man chuckles, smiling at Vincent whose mouth is agape.
"He battled darkness every day, an invisible war inside his mind, but still, he found a way to paint the light."
"He wasn't appreciated in his time, barely sold a painting, can you believe that? The man who gave us Starry Night couldn't even afford to eat. But that's the tragedy, isn't it? He saw the beauty in everything around him, even when the world couldn't see it in him."
The man leads Vincent around, showing him his paintings. Every piece, Vincent remembers them even through his distorted vision.
Now that he sees them through normal eyes, he cannot help but be amazed at what he has done.
"And now, long after he's gone, we finally see it. We look at his work, and we understand — he wasn't just showing us the world as it is, he was showing us the world as it could be. Full of color, passion, and beauty... all wrapped in the sadness of a man who never truly knew how much he mattered."
'All warped and distorted, haunted by voices, toyed by a god,' Vincent chuckles inside his mind. 'But to matter...? To actually mean something...?'
Vincent stares at the man in front of him with teary eyes.
"Vincent van Gogh didn't just paint; he gave us a piece of his soul, and that... that's why we remember him. Because in every stroke, in every painting, he lives on. And maybe, just maybe, he sees how much he means to us now."
With that, tears streaked down Vincent's cheeks.
"Are you quite fine, sir?" The man asks with a worried tone.
"I-I'm fine, just tears of joy. His story and how you told it, he sounds quite the lovely fellow."
"Well, he is, sir," the man smiles. "Well, I'm off for now, you can find me around the museum. I answer questions for visitors."
"Y-yeah, you answered mine. T-thank you, kind sir," Vincent sniffles, hugging the man. "Thank you," he choked and let out a hiccup.
"You're quite welcome, sir," and with that, the man leaves and proceeds to talk to other visitors.
Then, Vincent stares at his painting, Starry Night, the most famous.
He smiles.
"I'm ready."
"We know," Reginleif says beside him, holding his hand before looking at his eyes. "You matter, okay?"
"N-now, I know I do," Vincent forces down a cry.
"You matter, no matter what," Reginleif smiles at Vincent, a gesture that warmed the painter's heart.
"Thank you."
...
Set is the Egyptian god of war.
But he rarely starts a war without a reason.
He knows better now.
He will make Masika proud and let her legacy live through him.
He will become a teacher like no other.
He will become a teacher, someone he can be proud of.
He will be the very best.
Humanity, he will aid it without question.
War against diseases to further improve medicine.
Technological wars of companies for better products.
War against drugs.
Global conflicts to create tough generations.
He will start wars in the name of growth.
None grows in complacency.
The world must stay ever changing, like him.
Set stares at the Chaos swirling on top of his palm.
"The world... it should be chaotic. Never to be the same."
Then, he smiles softly, grabbing his guitar.
"I promise you, Masika. One day, I'll be better. I'll get better everyday," he grins, strumming his instrument as he walks down the halls of his home. "I'll be the very best version that I can be, for you, and for myself."
"Humanity, I'll keep them alive and developing, just like how you wanted," he smiles. "Now that the voices are gone, I can help more. I-I actually harnessed Chaos, I'm basically part of it now. No more Chaos Surge should happen as long as I am alive."
Then, he stops by a window, looking at the setting sun of the desert.
"I promise, Masika. One day, the world will be better."
...
Then, slowly, Vincent begins shattering into green fragments.
"Thank you," he smiles for the last time.
"You're welcome," Reginleif mirrors him until the end.
Until they are no more.
Heimdall follows up with the announcement.
"That concludes the second round of Ragnarok, everyone! Another victory for the side of the divine!" Heimdall shouts.
Heimdall did not hear the cheers of the divine — no, it was overwhelmed by the voices of mortals, the roars of humanity.
They will never falter, not when they know they can still fight and win.
When all is gone, there is hope.
But not all is gone, and there is hope.
Thus, they will fight until the very end.
...
Set hums a tune as he walks down the halls, his clothes and body already repaired by Chaos.
On his face is a smile, a rare genuine smile.
Vincent, he liked the man.
"He is so... like me," Set chuckles.
They fought, but at the end of the day, they both knew what they were.
Two sides of the coin.
{•===To Be Continued===•}
Yo! I love Vincent and Set. Any guesses where the dialogue in the Vincent flashback is inspired by? It's easy.
Thoughts about the fight? I'd love to hear feedback! Still, I'm shit with fight scenes, I just have passion or something.
What are some things you want to see happen in the story? Let me know in the comments!