The crowd in the arena erupted into cheers and applause as the fifth battle concluded. To them, it was a clash of titans, a spectacle worthy of the gods' attention.
Raiden and Shiva, both exhausted, were carried away from the battlefield, their expressions a mixture of confusion and respect for one another.
Luxor, still hidden among the shadows of his own creation, leaned against an invisible construct, his arms crossed as he observed the aftermath. His golden eyes shimmered faintly, betraying his amusement.
"Such fragile beings," he murmured. "Fighting tooth and nail, convinced that their struggles hold meaning in the grand scheme of things. Yet… it's oddly endearing."
He turned his attention back to the coliseum floor, where Brunhilde, the strategist of humanity, whispered urgently to Göll, her younger sister. The tension between gods and mortals was palpable, and Luxor relished every moment of it. But the games had only just begun.
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The Ripple Effect
Unbeknownst to the combatants, Luxor's subtle interferences had left traces in the fabric of this world. His imagination, vast and unrestrained, had altered the arena in ways even he hadn't anticipated. The coliseum's once-ordinary floor now shimmered faintly with ethereal patterns, sigils that seemed alive, shifting and rearranging themselves as though responding to some unseen force.
Brunhilde's sharp eyes caught the change. She gestured to Göll. "Do you see that?"
Göll nodded hesitantly. "It wasn't like that before. Do you think it's… the gods?"
Brunhilde frowned, her mind racing. "No. This is different. This feels… alien."
Luxor smirked. He had deliberately left these traces as breadcrumbs, curious to see how the mortals would interpret them. Would they panic? Investigate? Or simply dismiss them as the remnants of divine power?
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Luxor's Decision
Luxor straightened and dusted off his spotless white robes. "This is getting repetitive," he said to himself. "Perhaps it's time to spice things up. Let's see how these so-called gods react to a little… chaos."
He raised his hand, his movements slow and deliberate. The air around him seemed to ripple, the very essence of reality bending to his whim. Luxor didn't need to speak; his imagination was enough.
---
The Disturbance
Suddenly, the arena began to shake. The crowd fell silent as the ground beneath their feet trembled. Cracks spider-webbed across the coliseum floor, and a low, resonant hum filled the air.
The gods exchanged uneasy glances. Even Zeus, who had been lounging casually in his throne, straightened and narrowed his eyes.
"What is this?" Ares growled, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. "Another ploy by the mortals?"
"No," Odin said, his voice calm but firm. "This is something else. Something far older."
From the center of the arena, a dark void began to form, swirling and pulsating with energy. The sigils on the ground flared to life, their light growing brighter and brighter until they coalesced into a single, blinding burst.
When the light faded, the crowd gasped. Standing in the center of the arena was a figure draped in a flowing white cloak, his long silver hair cascading down his back like a river of moonlight. His golden eyes glowed faintly, exuding an aura of calm yet absolute authority.
Luxor had arrived, no longer content to remain a mere spectator.
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The Presence of an Unknown
The gods tensed, their instincts screaming at them to be wary. Even the mortals, though they didn't know who or what this figure was, felt an overwhelming sense of awe and trepidation.
Zeus rose from his seat, his thunderous voice echoing across the arena. "Who dares interrupt the sacred tournament of Ragnarok?"
Luxor tilted his head, his lips curving into a faint smile. He didn't bother responding immediately, letting the silence stretch. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft but carried a weight that seemed to press down on everyone present.
"I'm just a wanderer," he said, his tone laced with amusement. "A traveler passing through."
Zeus's eyes narrowed. "A traveler, you say? Then explain the chaos you've wrought!"
Luxor chuckled. "Chaos? No, no. That's too crude a word for what I've done. Call it… a little art. A touch of creativity."
---
Testing the Waters
Ares, ever the hothead, stepped forward. "I don't care who you are. If you think you can waltz in here and disrupt our tournament, you've got another thing coming!"
Before anyone could stop him, Ares charged, his sword gleaming as he aimed a devastating blow at Luxor.
Luxor didn't move. He didn't raise a hand or utter a word. Instead, he simply imagined.
The sword stopped inches from his face, frozen in mid-air as though caught in an invisible vice. Ares struggled, his muscles straining, but the weapon wouldn't budge.
Luxor sighed. "How quaint," he said. With a flick of his finger, the sword shattered into countless pieces, the fragments dissolving into golden light before they even hit the ground.
Ares stumbled back, his face a mix of shock and anger.
"You'll need to do better than that," Luxor said, his voice dripping with mockery.
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A New Game
The gods were stunned into silence. Even Zeus, who had seen countless battles and faced innumerable foes, felt a pang of unease.
Luxor spread his arms, his cloak billowing despite the lack of wind. "Why so serious? I'm not here to fight. Not yet, anyway. Consider this a… demonstration."
He raised his hand, and with a single thought, the coliseum transformed. The once-stone walls turned to shimmering crystal, the sky above shifted to a brilliant tapestry of stars, and the ground beneath them became a mirror, reflecting the astonished faces of those present.
"This," Luxor said, gesturing to the transformed arena, "is but a fraction of what I can do. But don't worry—I'm not here to take sides. I'm here because I find your little game amusing. So, please, continue."
With that, he turned and began to walk away, his form slowly dissolving into the air like mist. But his voice lingered, a faint echo that sent chills down the spines of gods and mortals alike.
"I'll be watching."
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End of Chapter 12