The battle was over, and the arena had fallen into a strange silence. The gods and mortals alike were left in a stunned stupor, the effects of Luxor's intervention still lingering like an ominous shadow. Yet, amid the aftermath, Luxor's presence seemed to evaporate into the ether. He was there, but no one could feel him. No one but two figures.
Brunhilde and Göll stood in the middle of the now-silent arena, gazing around with wariness in their eyes. The gods were too rattled to make their next move, and the mortal warriors were too drained to take another step. But the sisters, keenly aware of the strange force that had altered the course of Ragnarok, could still sense the subtle tug of his energy.
As the two of them moved to a quiet, secluded part of the arena, Luxor materialized before them, his figure glowing faintly like a shimmering illusion. He made no grand entrance, no dramatic show of power. His presence was simply there, like the wind, gentle and unnoticed—except to them.
"Brunhilde, Göll," Luxor's voice echoed softly, but it held an undeniable authority. "You two have been observing this little game for a long time now, haven't you?"
The sisters froze, knowing full well that Luxor's words carried far more weight than any mortal's would. Brunhilde, ever the strategist, took a deep breath and addressed him, though with some reluctance. "We have, Luxor. But it seems you have more to say than the mere outcome of the battle."
Luxor's golden eyes, filled with amusement and curiosity, glimmered as he looked at them. "Indeed. I'm quite... intrigued by this world, and I have questions. Questions that, perhaps, even the gods wouldn't answer."
Brunhilde raised an eyebrow. She had grown used to Luxor's cryptic ways, but she also knew that he wasn't just playing some game anymore. His questions felt... genuine. "What do you want to know?"
Luxor's smile was light, but there was a gleam of something more behind it—a hint of nostalgia. "You see, I was once... something very different. I was mortal. A mere otaku from a small world you probably know as Earth. And in that life, I had my share of questions about the stories I watched, the heroes I admired, and the legends I followed."
Göll looked at him in confusion, but Luxor's demeanor softened as he spoke again. "I'm sure you've heard it before, but I'm curious. What does it feel like to fight for the fate of humanity? What's it like to be in the midst of this grand game, where life and death are just pawns in the hands of gods?"
Brunhilde's expression faltered. She had never truly considered the emotional toll of the battle from the perspective of an outsider—someone who had watched it all from afar. "It's... not easy," she began, her voice steady, though a shadow crossed her face. "We fight for humanity, yes. But we also fight to prove something to the gods. To prove that they are not infallible. We want to show them that humanity isn't just a fleeting blip in the grand scheme of things. We fight to survive, to continue the cycle. But it is a heavy burden."
Luxor nodded, his golden eyes flicking toward Göll. "And what about you, Göll? You've been quiet. What do you feel about this endless struggle? The never-ending battle between gods and mortals?"
Göll, usually reserved and quiet, looked down at her feet before responding. "I've always believed in humanity's potential, but... it's hard. We face beings who can erase us with the snap of their fingers. We fight with everything we have, yet there's always that nagging doubt—can we truly win? Can humanity even have a chance when the gods are so powerful?"
Luxor let their words settle into the air for a moment. The arena, once a symbol of power and conflict, now felt oddly still, as if even the universe itself were holding its breath.
"You two..." Luxor's voice trailed off. "You carry such weight on your shoulders. But what about the heroes? The ones who fight for humanity—how do they truly feel about this struggle? What drives them?"
Brunhilde's expression softened. "Each hero has their own reasons. Some fight for family, others for honor, and some just because they believe it's the right thing to do. But at the end of the day, they know they are just pieces on the board. They're aware of the odds against them, yet they continue to fight because... they believe. They believe in something greater than themselves. They believe in humanity's survival."
Luxor was silent for a moment, reflecting on her words. "That belief is... something I understand," he murmured. "Perhaps that's what makes them so admirable. Even in the face of overwhelming power, they persist. The mortals and their heroes, they're not so different from me."
Brunhilde and Göll exchanged a glance, puzzled by the cryptic nature of his words. "And you, Luxor?" Brunhilde asked cautiously. "What do you believe in?"
Luxor smiled—this time, it was a quiet, almost wistful smile. "I believe in the beauty of the struggle. The way one small action can tip the scales, the way the world changes with just a thought. I believe that everything—whether it's a god or a mortal—is part of something much larger, something I can't even fully comprehend yet. But I do know this: I enjoy watching it unfold. The drama, the twists, the turns... it's all quite magnificent."
---
As the conversation drifted into the silence, Luxor's aura softened. He was no longer the chaotic, all-powerful being that had torn through the gods and the world of Ragnarok. In that moment, he was simply a curious observer, someone seeking answers to the questions that only those who had lived through the struggle could provide.
He looked at Brunhilde and Göll, the only two who had borne witness to his interventions, the only two who knew the truth of his power. He found something familiar in them—something human, something mortal. The weight of their choices, their actions, their beliefs.
And for a brief, fleeting moment, Luxor allowed himself to be a part of the world he had once watched from afar, as an otaku, a mere fan of stories. He let the sense of peace linger in the air, the sense that, for once, there was no game, no manipulation, no power struggle—just a quiet moment between kindred spirits.
"I'll stay a while longer," Luxor said softly, his voice almost a whisper. "There's more to learn. More to see. And maybe... just maybe, there's more to do. I want to see where this story goes."
Brunhilde and Göll nodded, a silent understanding passing between them. They didn't need to ask what he meant—they knew. Luxor wasn't done with Ragnarok, not by a long shot. But for now, he was content to simply watch.
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End of Chapter 15