It was decided that we weren't going to kill Jack. Instead, we'd imprison him until Ragnarök ended.
But, of course, life rarely goes the way you plan.
Jack the Ripper approached us not long after we sent Göll to inform Heimdall of the change in fighters.
"Good day to you, Miss Brunhilde, Ryou." he greeted, his red coat draped over his shoulders like a shroud of blood. He gave a slight bow, his voice soothingly calm. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation."
Brunhilde frowned immediately, while I remained still, observing.
'Jack the Ripper' I thought, eyes narrowing. 'A man who vanished into the fog of history, leaving behind nothing but fear and legend.'
"You know what we're planning, then" Brunhilde said bluntly.
Jack smiled in response, his expression still unnervingly calm. "I am aware. However, I have a request before you act."
"What is it?" I asked, scanning his every movement, watching for any subtle tells. "If you want to meet someone, we can allow it. But if your intent is to kill"
Jack's smile widened just slightly, an unsettling hint of wonder flickering behind it. "Nothing of the sort, Ryou. I merely wish to see someone I haven't spoken to in quite some time. Her name is Anne."
I tilted my head slightly, curiosity gnawing at me.
Brunhilde's frown deepened as she glanced at me. I met her gaze for a moment, silently weighing the decision.
"It's your call," I said quietly, though my mind kept spinning with questions.
Brunhilde sighed, then turned back to Jack. "Fine. But this better not take long."
Along the way, I asked Brunhilde if she knew who this Anne was, but she didn't.
It didn't take long to find her, though. It was as if Jack had a radar for her, or maybe it was because she was a loud drunk.
As we approached from behind, Jack wrapped his arms around her waist, causing her to scream in surprise. She quickly spun around and punched him in the stomach. He could've dodged, but he didn't.
"W-Who the hell are you?!" she demanded.
In response, Jack calmly removed his hat, allowing her a clear view of his face. "It's been a while, Anne."
She narrowed her eyes at him, scrutinizing his features. Slowly, her expression shifted, eyes widening in recognition.
"Y-you've grown" she stammered.
Jack smiled in response, though I couldn't tell if it was to ease her nerves or if he was happy I couldn't tell. "I have indeed. Shall we talk?"
They moved a bit away from us but kept in sight. I turned to Brunhilde. "Well, that was unexpected. Still want to imprison him?"
She furrowed her brows, her gaze hard. "You do know who he is, right? He's a monster."
I glanced back at Jack and Anne. "Maybe. But life has dealt him a pretty bad hand."
Turning back to her, I added "You could always have someone you trust watch him."
Brunhilde didn't respond immediately, her eyes fixed on Jack with a contemplative frown.
We walked back with Jack in tow.
"I've decided not to imprison you, Jack the Ripper" Brunhilde said. "Ryou will watch you when he's not fighting. Understood?"
'Why do I have to watch him?' I thought, resisting the urge to sigh.
We stopped, and Jack bowed in response. "That is fine with me. I look forward to our time together, Ryou."
I just nodded in response.
Brunhilde then turned to me. "We don't have long before the next fight begins. You'll need to get some new clothing."
I opened my mouth to protest, but Jack interrupted, "I have some spare clothing you can wear."
Deciding it wouldn't hurt to at least take a look, we followed him to his place.
"I'm not wearing that."
In front of us was a full set of Victorian-style clothing. 'What did I expect?' A red coat with gold buttons and a gold leaf hung over a black vest also with gold buttons and a white shirt underneath. The ensemble was completed by black trousers.
"It would suit you" Brunhilde said with a smirk. "Ryou, part of a fight is presentation." Jack added.
I shook my head. "No, I'm not wearing it."
At that moment, Göll knocked and entered the room, shyly looking between us. "U-uhm, what are you all doing?"
Brunhilde gestured to the outfit. "Ryou is refusing to change."
I immediately jumped in. "I'm used to wearing light clothing, like a kimono. Not this." I motioned to the suit in front of us.
Jack chimed in "Miss Göll, what do you think? Wouldn't Ryou look good dressed for the occasion, especially when fighting someone like Heracles?"
Göll looked nervous but finally spoke, "I-I think it would look good on you, Ryou."
Seeing myself outmatched in this ridiculous argument, I sighed in defeat. "Fine. But no shirt."
[Pic]
I looked myself over in the mirror. I looked fine. 'Still think it'd be better to wear a kimono' I thought, sighing. They had asked me to wear a shirt, but I reasoned that if Heracles wasn't, I didn't need to either.
Turning away, I walked toward the entrance to the arena and unexpectedly ran into someone I hadn't expected to see, The Father of Humanity, Adam. 'How does that leaf not fall off?' I wondered, a bit baffled.
He just stared at me without saying a word. "Do you need something? I have a fight to get to." Maybe that was rude, but it was the truth. Yet, it got him to react. He reached out and gave me a pat on the head.
"I'm proud of you" he said simply, then walked away.
I stood there, stunned. Not just by his words, but by the weight behind them. There was no time to dwell on it though, because Heimdall had already started to announce me.
"And now, representing Humanity, we have the young man who's shocked the world! Little is still known about him, but one thing is certain, he is the first human to defeat a god! Ryou Sasaki!"
With that, I stepped out, greeted by cries of joy this time. 'That's a better reaction' I thought smirking a little.
Once I had walked far enough and stopped, Heimdall began introducing the gods fighter.
"And now, representing the Gods, a hero who rose from the ranks of humanity to become a mighty god! He is the paragon of justice, the champion of the weak, and the one who wields divine strength with unshakable honor! The protector of Olympus, Heracles!"
The reactions were mixed. Some humans were shocked, others saddened. The gods, on the other hand, were ecstatic.
Heracles strode out, standing around 6'5, pure muscle, with a red tattoo covering most of his right torso. He wielded a white club shaped like a lion's head. As he approached, I simply stared at him, sizing him up. He frowned as he looked me over.
"Are you sure you should be fighting so soon?" he asked, pointing to my right side where the jagged scar was still visible. "I doubt that injury is fully recovered. Please, surrender."
I summoned Muramasa and rested him on my shoulder. "No can do. This is a fight I've been waiting for."
Heimdall blew his horn.
"START!"