In the hallowed halls of Pantheon, the Sanctuary of the Gods, a sense of foreboding settled over the assembled deities.
Their golden-white figures sat, all looking ahead to where a golden throne stood. Its brilliance spread across the assembly, signifying its divine might, and the one who sat upon it was Apollo, the God King.
Similar to the others who had gathered, he glowed in a golden-white light, masking everything about them, with only the shadows of their faces visible.
"Apollo, the fated day draws near; it is almost time for us to uphold our promise with Mother," Sigurd trembled, her voice cut off by the sheer weight of their horror.
She was the Hero Goddess, but even she knew what lay ahead of them if this continued. "Our creations are a failure, Apollo; the only thing they are good for is chaos and destruction."
Her words were true; none in the assembly could rebuke them, for they had seen it firsthand: these failures were slowly destroying their world.
"All we do is sit here and observe them," one of the gods spoke up. "Of course, their destruction is imminent."
"What else is there to do but sit and observe?" another divine voice whispered, Aegir, God of the Sea, his tone laced with a sense of resignation. "No matter how much we interfere, these failures pay us no heed."
The gods nodded in solemn agreement, their faces etched with concern.
Enlil, the God of Storms, spoke up, his voice a low rumble. "We have tried everything, and yet our creations continue to falter. It is as if they are determined to destroy themselves."
Ishtar, the Goddess of Love, sighed, her voice heavy with sorrow. "Just recently, we even summoned humans from other worlds to lead them, but the greed of our creations knows no bounds. They are consumed by their own desires, blind to the destruction they wreak."
Thoth, the Goddess of Wisdom, spoke up, "And if I may point out, the summoning itself was against universal law." Her voice was a gentle breeze that carried a hint of warning. "We have meddled in the affairs of mortals from a world that is not ours; we may soon face the consequences for our actions."
The somber mood of Pantheon worsened; they had broken a universal law and yet yielded no results.
This was a disgrace in itself; had the matter not been urgent, they would be cast down, repenting for their misdeeds.
Apollo's eyes blazed with a fierce determination as he asked, "So, what do you propose we do with this planet, lest we let it be taken from us? We have come way too far for that, haven't we?"
The question hung in the air, a challenge to the gods to find a solution to the impending doom that threatened not only their creations but also their positions as gods.
The world they governed was crumbling, ravaged by war, disease, and natural disasters, all symptoms of a deeper malaise – a lack of faith.
The gods' power was waning, their influence dwindling as humanity turned away from the divine.
Hundreds of gods had gathered, all trying to come up with a solution to resolve their problems.
A discussion that had gone on for three whole days in human terms had yielded nothing. With no clear resolution in sight, the gods were at a loss.
The destruction of Helianthus, the planet they governed, was the only option left to them, with that, they had a chance to start anew.
But even this drastic measure was fraught with peril, for the creations they would create may not have enough time to prepare for the fated day.
In the long silence that followed, a young god spoke up, his voice hesitant yet full of hope. "Uhmm, t-there might be a way." The gods turned to him, their faces expectant, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and desperation.
Perun, the God of Rain, continued, his voice growing stronger with each passing moment. "If the many issues are the wars and lack of faith, our goal should be to distract them from such, right? And if indeed they need to be prepared for the fated day, they must unite."
A light sparked in some of the gods' eyes as they slowly nodded their heads.
"Give them a common enemy, that's what I think. Wouldn't it be easier if they all had someone or something to fear, an entity that would require them to rally against, a war to stop all wars?" Perun concluded, his words a blessing to the gods who had gathered.
The few gods who understood this nodded in agreement, their faces set in determined lines.
A way out was presenting itself, hope was returning to them bit by bit, and as they lost themselves in deep thought of the possibilities ahead...
Thoth spoke up, her voice a soft whisper that carried a hint of triumph. "And if the enemy is strong, strong enough that any alliance formed is useless against them, they will seek a higher power... the gods, thus restoring their faith."
In that moment, a glimmer of hope flickered to life in the darkness, a beacon that illuminated the path ahead, a path fraught with peril, yet promising a chance for redemption, for the gods and their creations alike.
The debate continued, the gods discussing the finer points of their plan, their voices rising and falling in a crescendo of excitement and anticipation.
The gods remained focused on their plan, their eyes fixed on the horizon, waiting for the dawn of a new era.
....
"And with that, the decision has been made," Apollo declared, his head held high, his shrouded face showing a glimmer of hope.
"We shall summon a soul from The God-Queen Ravana's world, though we may face punishment for this... It is but a small price to pay if we wish to survive that day."
With nods from all the gods, Apollo raised his hand, and a dark, pulsating magic circle erupted on the floor before him.
The circle was a labyrinthine array of many circles and runes that rotated in a maddening dance, some clockwise, others counterclockwise.
Within the gaps of the smaller circles, words in a forgotten language pulsed with an eerie light, casting a sickly, purple hue over the assembled gods.
As the magic circle reached a fever pitch, a human head began to emerge from the ground, followed by the neck, shoulders, and the rest of the body.
When he came to his senses, he found himself before Apollo, who sat on his throne. The reality before him was undeniable: the 1.7 meter human who had just been summoned stood no taller than one of Apollo's toes.
Realizing where he stood, he stumbled back, overwhelmed by the reality before him.
As he slowly tried to digest the situation, Apollo's voice boomed through the chamber, causing the human to tremble violently. His tiny body shook like a leaf in a hurricane.
"Mortal, welcome to Pantheon, sanctuary of the gods," Apollo declared, his words dripping with sadistic pleasure.
The human's head jerked up, his eyes wide with fear as he took in his surroundings.
His gaze darted wildly around the chamber like a trapped animal searching for escape, only to realize that he had been surrounded by giants.
"P... Pantheon?" he stammered, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own ragged breathing, which seemed to grow more labored by the second.
This was not Heaven, nor was it Hell... No, it was nowhere near his world, that's what he understood.
Pantheon was not the name of the sanctuary used by the gods of his world.
"Fear not, mortal, we mean you no harm..." Apollo's voice echoed. "We simply seek your aid with a problem of ours," he declared, his words dripping with authority.
The human paused for a moment, surprised by the sudden turn of events. His mind reeled with the implications of being summoned by the gods themselves, or rather, these foreign gods.
"In order not to disturb the order of things in your world, we have summoned you, a dead soul," Apollo explained, his voice a mixture of urgency and excitement. "So, if you agree to aid us, we plan to give you a new body in our world, a chance to start a new life."
The human's gaze locked onto Apollo's, his eyes burning with a desperate intensity, like a soul trapped in a living nightmare.
As if those words had awakened a spark within the human's soul, his tiny body trembled with anticipation.
"So, what is it that you seek of me?" he asked, his voice laced with a mixture of fear and curiosity, like a mouse trapped in a spider's web.
The human had no way of turning back now, and if it meant he had a chance to be born again, that in itself was not a bad deal at all.
Seeing that the human had accepted his fate, Apollo gently smiled."Our world is plagued by wars, diseases, and disasters," he began, telling the human of the dangers faced by their world.
As his explanation reached its end, the human had already been lost in deep thought, his gaze focused on the ground with his hand carefully caressing his chin.
After a few moments of undisturbed silence, the human's gaze moved to Apollo's, and he began to speak, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I am but a humble soul, how can I possibly aid the gods?" he asked, his words dripping with a mixture of humility and curiosity.
Laughter echoed through the halls as Apollo looked at the mortal before him. And once again, the details of the gods' plans were laid out.
The human was informed of the role he was expected to play, the goal of his summoning, and the aid he would receive from the gods.
Nothing like the long debate that had earlier taken place, this conversation ended as swiftly as it had begun, the human now fully aware of his role.
"I understand your situation, so what you want is for me to simply be the entire world's enemy, right?"
As the human's words hung in the air, Apollo nodded, his calm demeanor masking the curiosity that had been piqued by the mortal's question.
"Then what if I accomplish your desired goal, what will become of me?" the human asked, his voice laced with a hint of trepidation, his eyes narrowing as he awaited the gods' response.
What the gods had planned was for him to become an enemy of the world, one that would make it so that the mortals below would require help from the gods themselves.
In simple terms, he was to be made a sacrifice meant to die by the hands of the humans who had their faith restored.
Then wouldn't this nullify the former promise to give him a new life?
Thoth, the goddess of wisdom, understood this perfectly...
"Worry not, mortal. In the likely event that you die while accomplishing our goal, we will ensure that you are reborn again. We shall grant you a chance to completely start anew."
The human's eyes widened slightly at the prospect, and he released a small sigh, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
With a newfound sense of determination, he spoke up, his voice firm and resolute. "Very well, then. I accept your proposal."
A hint of excitement danced in his eyes, and his voice was laced with a sense of anticipation as he spoke on.."Might I make a few requests myself? If you truly want me to be the world's enemy, I'd like to do it in the best way possible."
Some of the gods chuckled at the human's bold statement, but Apollo's expression remained serene.
"Name your requests, mortal," he said, his voice dripping with curiosity.
With no time to waste, the human began to outline his demands.
"One thing that is clear is that I am going to need power, and not just any power, but the kind that will allow me to stand toe-to-toe with an army of your world."
The gods nodded in agreement, acknowledging that it would be futile to send a mortal into their world without the means to defend himself.
Satisfied that he at least understood the stakes, the gods smiled, their faces gleaming with anticipation.
"Since you have promised me a new life after this, I can do with this one as I please," the human continued, his voice dripping with a sense of liberation.
"I want you to modify my body to that of a species in your world most accustomed to using all types of magic, while at the same time making it strong enough to quake the earth with my every step."
Apollo's gaze locked onto Thoth's, and the two gods exchanged a silent understanding. After a moment of contemplation, Apollo spoke up, his voice firm and resolute.
"Very well, that can be arranged. But keep in mind that you will start as a level 1 in our world."
The human's masked expression remained unwavering, his eyes burning with determination.
"That is not a problem, as long as I can grow strong to the point I envision."
The gods leaned forward, their faces aglow with curiosity, as he continued to outline his requests.
"I need an army," he said, his tone flat and unyielding. Thoth's eyebrows arched in surprise. "An army?" she repeated, her voice laced with skepticism.
"Yes, an army. One that doesn't need to sleep or eat, an army that can be managed easily.
And if possible, when you make me descend, put me near the capital of the weakest country in your world."
Sigurd's eyes narrowed, her expression thoughtful. "So you plan on waging a war as soon as you descend?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity.
"Yes, that is my intention. Better to strike when they least expect it, right?" He sarcastically declared.
The gods exchanged a series of weighted glances, their faces aglow with anticipation. Sigurd nodded, a slow smile spreading across her face.
"Can it be arranged?" the human asked, his voice laced with a hint of anxiousness.
Apollo's gaze locked onto Thoth's, then followed Sigurd, and the three gods exchanged a silent understanding. After a moment of contemplation, Apollo spoke up, his voice firm and resolute.
"Yes, it can be arranged. But the army you will be getting will not be composed of sentient beings."
"Thank you for your kindness," he said, his voice dripping with a sense of gratitude. "That is all I have to ask for. If you feel that I lack something, you can provide it for me, am I wrong?"
The gods erupted into a fit of laughter, their faces aglow with amusement. "What an arrogant mortal," they thought, but it mattered little to them as long as he accomplished his mission.
Apollo's laughter died down, and he spoke up, his voice firm and resolute. "Now then, mortal, with that, we shall send you off. Know that we will always be watching, and we expect thorough results."
As Apollo finished speaking, the circle below the human began to glow once more, and within a moment, he was engulfed in a blinding light.
The gods watched in silence as the mortal's form began to fade away, his silent sendoff marking the beginning of a new chapter.
As the light dissipated, the gods turned to one another, their faces aglow with anticipation....
"It has begun,"