The celestial arena still vibrated with residual energy from the last brutal match..
The gods were abuzz—some cheering, some seething, all hungry for more.
Zeus, having reformed his shattered throne, lounged with a goblet of ambrosia, his lightning-lit eyes flickering between amusement and irritation. "A shame. I expected better from Odysseus."
Beside him, Athena remained silent, her owl perched on her shoulder, its golden eyes reflecting the battlefield below.
Across the arena, Odin chuckled, stroking his ravens. "Strength will always outmaneuver wit when death is on the line." Sun Wukong yawned, spinning his staff. "If the next fight isn't better, I'm leaving."
Loki's form materialized upside-down above the battlefield, his grin stretching ear to ear. His grin.
"MY FELLOW GODS, DEMONS, AND ASSORTED IMMORTAL MISFITS!" His voice boomed across dimensions. "YOU JUST WITNESSED ODYSSEUS GET HIS HEART LITERALLY HANDED TO HIM! BUT ENOUGH ABOUT GREEK TRAGEDIES - LET'S SEE SOME REAL EMPIRE BUILDERS CLASH!"
The battle arena was selected as a vast, empty plain of golden sand stretched endlessly, its surface smooth and unbroken. Not a single rock or obstacle marred the arena—just flat, open earth under a churning sky. In the distance, a dark ring of ancient forests loomed like silent watchers.
The screen exploded into twin sigils - a flaming arrow piercing the sky for the Hindus, and a she-wolf suckling twins for the Romans. The symbols burned themselves before shattering like glass.
"FOR THE HINDU PANTHEON - THE GREAT ARCHER WHO PIERCED THE HEAVENS, THE HERO WHO STOOD AGAINST DESTINY ITSELF - GIVE IT UP FOR... ARJUNA THE UNERRING!"
The eastern sky split apart like a golden fruit, revealing a dawn that had no place in the void. The deep, resonant blare of a Sankha horn shook the arena. Through the rift came a chariot of blazing gold, pulled by seven stallions whiter than moonbeams that galloped upon the air itself, their hooves striking thunder with each stride.
Arjuna stood tall in the chariot, his battle armor a masterpiece of ancient craftsmanship - a chest plate of layered gold discs that shimmered like fish scales, his arms adorned in gold-embossed bracers. His Gandiva bow pulsed with barely-contained energy, its string humming with power. A dagger and sword rested at his hip, their edges shimmering with latent power.
Behind him, a colossal white monkey (easily three times a man's height) beat its chest with a sound like war drums, its roar shaking loose stones from the arena walls.
And then—the roar.
A massive, white-furred monkey, standing twice the height of a man, perched atop the chariot. The monkey slammed his fists against his chest, the sound echoing like war drums, its roar shaking loose stones from the arena walls.
AND FOR THE ROMANS - THE WOLF-KING WHO CARVED A KINGDOM FROM STONE AND BLOOD, THE FOUNDER WHOSE NAME ECHOES THROUGH HISTORY - PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR... ROMULUS THE EEETERNAL!
Simultaneously, the western sky darkened to the color of old blood, the air growing heavy with the scent of iron and old stone. A chorus of Roman war horns blared, joined by the rhythmic stomping of a thousand ghostly legionnaires. From the shadows emerged Romulus, the founder of Rome, clad in a bronze cuirass etched with the she-wolf of legend, his red paludamentum cloak billowing behind him like a river of blood. In one hand, he held a gladius, in the other, a shield emblazoned with the eagle of Rome. At his side, a massive gray wolf, the size of a horse prowled, its golden eyes locked onto Arjuna, a low growl rumbling in its throat. Above them, a golden eagle circled, its shriek piercing the air like a javelin.
As both champions stepped onto the battleground.
The seven white horses their manes like spun moonlight, reared as one, then bolted in a circular path around the battlefield, their hooves kicking up a sandstorm that swallowed them whole, leaving only their hoofprints burning golden in the sand. The giant monkey gave a final earth-shaking roar before slamming its fists into the ground and sinking into the earth like it was water.
Romulus' wolf companion howled mournfully as a sudden blizzard enveloped it - when the snow cleared, only pawprints remained. The eagle shrieked once more before flying straight up, vanishing from sight.
Indra crossed his arms, lightning dancing at his fingertips.
Jupiter smirked. "You underestimate the strength of Rome."
Mars slammed his fist down. " SHOW THEM ROMAN STEEL, ROMULUS!"
Arjuna stepped down from his now-stationary chariot, his gaze fixed ahead.
Romulus stepped forward, his stride measured, his shield raised.
The two legendary founders stood mere paces apart, the air between them warping from their combined pressure.
Arjuna nocked an arrow without looking, the fletching brushing his cheek. "Remus died quickly. My arrows make art of suffering."
Romulus smirked, raising his gladius so the light caught its edge. "At least my brother died by my hand. Yours needed a god to kill."
A thunderclap from above signaled the match's start.
A beat of silence.
Then—
The wind howled.
The battle began.