- What? A-A second Ragnarok?

Geir froze at the response from all the Gods.

Even though she was mentally preparing quite a bit and was already looking forward to it, hearing those words live from the deities was more shocking than she could imagine.

Zeus, understanding the Valkyrie's reaction, continued to speak.

- After having suffered such a terrible defeat, we'd like to have the revenge against the humans. And not only for the honor and glory... We want to feel again all those emotions we had in Ragnarok: sadness, happiness, jubilation, delight, despair, emotion... All of that was exciting in its own way!

» And, as we already told you, a second Ragnarok will end our debate on whether or not we should exterminate humanity... If they're worthy of having a thousand more years, or if finally... We'll finish them all ♡!

Geir had stopped listening for some time, as a terrible flood of memories hit her head: all the emotions and feelings that had flooded her 1000 years ago, at Ragnarok.

See the first defeat of humanity at Thor's hands, and see for first time what death was like in Ragnarok; that terrible sadness filled her eyes with tears knowing her sister Rangdriz would never return.

The tension in her entire body as Adam was being slaughtered by the same God who now sat on the conference throne; her desperation to see the father of humanity go blind and then die standing before the cruelty of Zeus. And if that wasn't enough, her sister Reginleif also went to the afterlife forever...

The death of her "older brother" Hercules, at Jack the Ripper's hands. Even though she had forgiven the murderer, her heart still broke when she remembered the words Hercules had dedicated to all humanity and the tragic parting of him, being the only God who embraced her opponent in Ragnarok.

The other defeats of humanity hit his head like a bucket of sharp ice. The massacre of blows with which Shiva destroyed the best sumo, Raiden Tameemon. The final fight between the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, against the death caster Anubis. That bloody and ruthless moment with which the demon Beelzebub put an end to Rasputin's immortality. And the almost equal defeat of Sakata Kintoki, one of the Heavenly Kings, against Bishamonten, the Warrior God of Fortune.

But, among all her thoughts, a single image remained engraved: Brunhilde's death. Her beloved older sister, who allowed her to see firsthand how she chose humans and how she dealt with them; she was by her side when each and every fight happened, until had to say goodbye in the penultimate fight, where... Brunhilde and Sakata lost.

She remembered that heartbreaking scene: bathed in tears, from the distance she shortened by sneaking into the combat arena, while her older sister gave her one last smile before disappearing to go to Nilfheim.

So much was her shock she felt herself fall to the ground and had to put her hands in front to keep from hitting the steps with her face. Her mind went offline and she was unable to let go of those thoughts.

- Well, dear Geir? Wouldn't you like us to have a second showdown, like old times?

«This old man... all the Gods...» She looked up, and clearly saw how all the deities of all the pantheons gave her intimidating and threatening looks, combined with contempt and hatred towards the Valkyrie. What stood out most in those looks was eagerness and emotion.

- Come on, half-goddess. Accept the second Ragnarok.

- Answer lord Zeus!

- We want to see despair in humans again!

- This time we'll beat them at Ragnarok!

- We want to crush them!

- We want to finish them off in the ring!

« Did... lord Zeus completely lose his mind? Has he already forgotten he lost his brother and his sons Hercules and Apollo in that massacre? And he wants to repeat it!? They all want to repeat all that!? »

- Come on, Geir, answer - Shiva insisted, addressing the Valkyrie. And an amused smile appeared on her face - Or is it... you're scared?

Those words struck Geir very deep: they were the exact same words Brunhilde had used to provoke the Gods to perform Ragnarok on the last occasion.

- Haha, damn scaredy!

- She can't even stand.

- Her sister could at least lift her face.

- And she's still dead!

- Hahaha!

Geir could barely keep up with what was happening. It was very evident the Gods wanted an answer at that moment, or else…the thought even came to her mind Thor might leave her in front of the Gods.

She felt very terrified. She could barely move her body, much less she imagined herself capable of getting up to deny that childish and abrupt request. And just when she thought she was in a hole of emotions and memories so dark...

A vague memory lit up her mind. The words that her sister Brunhilde said to her when the fourth confrontation of Ragnarok ended.

« Together we'll move forward... for humanity's good. »

In that moment she could glimpse something beyond that divine meeting, lord Zeus' words, the contempt of the deities, and her own fear that froze her.

Everything what happened last Ragnarok wasn't for the amusement of the Gods, nor by Zeus' decision, nor even for the interest of any of the Gods for humanity. Everything that had happened had a single final objective: to protect humanity from the Gods' will.

Brunhilde summoned 13 men who fought, shoulder to shoulder with the Valkyries, to defend their existence and their ideals against the Gods, and that was what mattered most during the tournament: not the fights between Gods and Humans, nor the defeats and victories that were achieved, nor knowing the next fighter. Everything revolved around protecting humans.

And these moment of course was no exception. Geir could see that it would be all about that again: saving humanity again from extinction.

Now more than ever, especially after having personally experienced the volund with King Leonidas, who showed her that fervent desire to live; as the Valkyries' leader, was her duty to be willing to oppose that bloodthirsty divine will and do her best to protect the humans.

Gaining that new determination, the Valkyrie stood up again. She surprised the Gods, even more so when she looked up and with firm words addressed Zeus.

- Lord Zeus, if you allows me to speak...

But before continuing, she lost her momentum and thought carefully as she collected her thoughts.

Her mind fell back on reality. She knew that, despite her duty, she had to respect them as Gods they were (besides they could kill her right there); and her restored will also told him she should think about her answer: she couldn't just jump into the jaws of the Gods without having a plan. She had to act as Brunhilde did: have something in mind to do, how to do it, and a backup plan.

« Think Geir, think... What would Brunhilde onee-sama do in this situation? »

- So, Geir? What do you want to tell us? - Zeus asked with sarcastic kindness.

For his part, Thor spoke in an authoritative and fearsome voice of thunder that echoed throughout the room.

- Speak up, Geir.

- If I may, Gods...

« Damn, I can't think straight! I need more time to think about something...! That's it: time! ». She cleared her throat and spoke determinedly.

- I would like, if you allow me, to give me a little time to better think about my answer.

The Gods fell silent; it wasn't the answer they expected. For his part Geir smiled kindly, though inside his pride and his fears combined as he waited for the conference's response.

And, before Zeus, Shiva, Aphrodite who had been silent and seemed to want to speak, or another God said something, it was Thor who answered the Valkyrie's request.

- You have 3 hours, Geir.

The others were silent, waiting for Zeus to answer about it, something for which they didn't have to wait any longer.

- Then it's decided! We'll have a long break of 3 hours, while our dear Geir makes a decision about the Second Ragnarok... I hope you enjoy them well, dear! - He hit with his wooden hammer and the session was paused.

...

Geir left the room on her own, quickly enough to avoid Hermes at the door and any deities who wanted to approach; she began to walk through the halls of Valhalla, seeking to return to the place where she saw Hermes.

Halfway there her fears took over and she buckled at her knees, falling to the ground before hugging herself in her small arms.

- Damn! I feel like I made a really bad decision...

The Valkyrie looked up and was surprised to identify the place.

- H-Here... it was... - her memories hit her suddenly - This is where I collapsed after the last meeting... with Brunhilde...

She wistfully clasped her left hand, a hand that 1000 years ago clutched, with the same fear she now felt, Brunhilde's hand just after leaving the meeting of the Gods. Before she was aware of her, the conversation revived in her mind.

...

They both walked in the hallway. Brunhilde was looking straight ahead, but Geir had a face full of fear and doubt. After a moment, the little collapsed on the ground, taking the hand of the older one; Brunhilde kindly asked her.

- What's wrong Geir?

- I can't take it anymore, sister... - Geir confessed - Why did you do that? Why did you oppose the Gods' will, and make them angry? You're asking to be killed!!

Brunhilde let out a light sigh, as if she was all the while waiting for her surprised younger sister to ask her that question, and she spoke calmly.

- Geir... you're a Valkyrie apprentice, so you still can't understand this. - her voice became sweeter and kinder - The bond between humans and us, the Valkyries, is deeper than the one we have with the Gods.

She took a few steps away from Geir and clasped her hands on her chest.

- It's impossible I can... abandon them...

- Sister...

« She's risking herself for the good of humanity. What an amazing Valkyrie... Only Onee-sama can do something like that. It's amazing how she is protecting humanity to such an extent... »

...

- I perfectly remember the words I said to her to praise her bravery and courage... - she confessed wistfully.

As she continued to squeeze her hand, she began to giggle lightly with amusement.

- At the time of her I admired her for what she did in the meeting of the Gods; but I already did the same. It seems that Brunhilde onee-sama isn't the only one who can do something so extreme if humanity is at stake...

She got up from her seat, and took a deep breath to relax her nerves.

- Well, now I must continue. I must think the best for humanity, and if necessary ... - she gave a small smile of pride - If necessary, I'll choose the new generation of Einherjer.

She continued walking until reached a room was very special to her: the one in which Brunhilde had chosen the fighters of Ragnarok. Geir took the same tablet her sister had used; she dusted it off and turned it on, and immediately the device showed a list of all the humans who existed in the 7,001,000 years of human existence.

First of all, the Valkyrie fixed her attention on humans of a military and warlike nature, whether they were generals or soldiers:

Alexander the Great, Adolf Hitler, Julius Caesar, William the Conqueror, Saladin, Scipio, Eugene of Savoy, Frederick II, Welintong, Christopher Columbus, Zhukov, Genngis Khan, Tamertan, The Great Captain, Lawrence, Romnel...

He also found the great thinkers and scientists.

Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, Thomas Alva Edison, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, Nicolas Copernicus, Alexander Fleming, Pythagoras, John Dalton...

So many names, men and women; all those who marked the history of humanity forever:

Muhammad, Confucius, Cai Lun, Johannes Gutenberg, Louis Pasteur, Euclid, Augustus, Antoine Lavoisier, Constantine the Great, James Watt, Michael Faraday, James Clark Maxwell, Martin Luther, George Washington, Karl Marx, the Wright brothers, Adam Smith, William Shakespeare, Anton van Leewenhoek, William Morton, Guillermo Marconi, Oliver Cromwell, Alexander Graham Bell, Ludwig van Beethoven, Warner Heisenburg, Louis Daguerre, René Descartes, Michelangelo...

The list was extensive! There was an infinite number of humans to choose from! The decision was quite difficult, knowing that everyone might be able to give the revenge the Gods wanted.

With that enthusiasm was about to start a list of candidates, but she immediately stopped her movements.

- Calm down Geir! Brunhilde onee-sama wouldn't do this - said to herself - I'm just going to look in case of doubt. But...

She thought for a moment what she would say.

- 13 places; that's all I have. I must choose the best candidates if we are to make a second Ragnarok...

So, Geir began searching for her.

She searched, first doing a category filter to separate the lists of candidates; she searched among the names of the people, and when someone caught her attention, she reviewed his profile in detail: was in that last step where she decided to choose him or not.

After working for a while, she was able to successfully occupy 5 of the 13 places on her list. She yawned quietly and stretched out her arms.

- We're doing pretty well! At this rate, I'll have the list in time and we'll do a second Ragnarok... Sounds so weird to say that out loud!

A curious thought of hers entered her head, in which she decided to stay.

- If Brunhilde onee-sama were here, what would she think?... Would she believe that a second Ragnarok is necessary or would she leave the decision to the Gods?... - Geir laughed with that question - No. She would never do that; she would prefer a second Ragnarok... And how would she choose the candidates?

She realized an important fact as she searched through her memories.

- Now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing her choosing the first ones. I think I have an advantage now because they gave me the option to choose. Onee-sama had no choice...

She sat still in her chair and stared at a fixed point.

- If she had had a choice, how would she choose them?... - she asked again - Well, first of all she'd take into account the Gods. She did it with lord Thor before Ragnarok started. Taking into account who would fight against, she'd choose the most fit to defeat each God according to the abilities of each human. And, of course, she would've talked to our sisters and assigned each one to-

At that moment, she realized that last thing came out of her mouth.

Brunhilde had told her very clearly humans hadn't the slightest chance of defeating the Gods, unless they had divine weapons; that was when the valkyries entered the board, who through the volund granted the divine weapons necessary to carry out their mission.

But, currently, there were only 7 Valkyries left after Ragnarok. Outside of the fact they were his surviving sisters, the only way to protect them even when they fight would be have 7 wins in a row, which would be impossible. Another terrible thought, worse than the previous one, entered her mind:

- If... if we do a second Ragnarok... Does that mean... Líf and Lífthrasir... will have to participate too!? - her voice was cut off before a scream she let out with all his might - Fuck! I hadn't thought of that! A-And also not in the possibility I'll lose my sisters! I cannot allow this!

She quickly erased the list she had, in which hadn't considered the issue of volund, and she made a new search, now desperate, to fulfill a very detailed premise:

Finding humans strong enough to defeat the Gods without needing to do volund.

Urban II, Ashoka, Augustine of Hippo, William Harvey, Ernest Rutherford, John Calvin, Gregor Mendel, Max Planck, Joseph Lister, Nikolaus August Otto...

Francisco Pizarro, Thomas Jefferson, Joseph Stalin, Cyrus II the Great, Homer, John Locke, Edward Jenner, Wilhelm Röntgen, Johan Sebastian Bach, Lao Tse...

Johannes Kepler, Enrico Fermi, Leonhard Euler, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Nicolas Machiavelli, John F. Kennedy...

But, in the end, the result was terribly expected: she didn't find anyone who fulfilled her premise.

- There's no one... - she sighed wearily - There's no one who's  capable of defeating a God with his bare hands without having a divine weapon...

She looked at the tablet sadly, feeling close to tears.

- It's impossible. I won't be able to have a list with the new Einherjer in which I can protect my sisters... It'll be impossible to fight against the Gods and take care of my family at the same time!

She bumped her head lightly on the table, and still her forehead ached.

- Looks like... I'll have to go to the Council and reject his challenge. Let... The fate of mankind be once again in the hands of Gods.

She stared at the table for a while, with that sadness in herself. She looked up only to see the time on the tablet.

- It's been an hour... I only have 2 hours left lord Thor granted me... - hit her face on the table again, which hurt her even more - This is over! I won't be able to save humanity if Gods determine it!

She stood there with her head down for a long moment, silent with her own thoughts of her radioing inside her head. And she would've stayed like that for those 2 hours if it wasn't...

- Lady Geir? Can we come in?

- Huh?

That respectful way of talking about her surprised him a lot.

- C-Come in... - she turned to see who it was, and her eyes immediately filled with astonishment - You all are...!

...

The court of the Gods re-entered the room, impatiently now. There were only 5 minutes left before the 3 hours the conference had granted for the final decision were completed. Among them they began to murmur in a bad mood.

- That half-goddess takes a long time.

- Letting that half-goddess choose the future of humanity was a bad idea.

- It would be easier if we destroy the humans!

- I think you're right...

- Yes! Let's save time and finish them off!

After disappearing for 2 hours to discuss something special, Thor arrived at the conference and took a seat at his seat.

And the deities close to him were immediately silenced: it could be seen he carried great annoyance in each of his movements. Once he sat down, what he muttered to himself made it quite clear what he was feeling.

- Geir, if you don't arrive on time, even after our talk, I'll  personally "take care" of you.

Zeus was the last to enter, amusedly descending the stairs again and leaping back to his seat.

- Well, Gods of Valhalla. We're here again, but I see no sign of our half-goddess. It seems little Geir has dictated with her absence her decision to leave humanity to our fate. It's a shame to know this...

The Gods laughed at Zeus' comment.

- Well, let's start the second part of the-

- Please, wait a moment!

- Hmm?

Zeus turned, and at one of the hall's entrances stood Geir, walking through the doors firmly. The old man was surprised at what he visualized.

« Curious. I thought I saw dear Brunhilde instead of dear Geir »

The distance from her didn't allow the old man to see her clearly, but Geir was very exhausted. She inhaled deeply several times, while taking the edge of the nearby seats to catch her breath.

« I must not let them see... that 5 seconds ago I left the room... and came running here in a hurry. I must be serene »

- Gods, if I may speak... I already have my decision made.

- Good to hear that. - Zeus replied - Tell us... What have you decided?

Geir was silent for a few seconds, taking another breath to catch his breath.

- Before telling you my decision, I would like to tell you something.

- Go on... - Aphrodite invited her from her seat, causing the Gods to keep silent to listen to her.

The Valkyrie inhaled deeply one last time; this time to get the courage for what was about to say.

- As you well know, Gods, this tournament has a very deep meaning for both sides: the survival of humanity. More than being in front of a tournament, perhaps created by accident or premeditation, we are faced with a very important decision. To know if humanity is worthy of living or not... - she clenched her hands and took them to her chest - As a valkyrie queen of Valhalla I am, since it was granted to me thanks to the sacrifice of my older sister, I am willing to fight, even if it is against you, to defend humanity from your clutches... To defend those humans with whom we have such a special bond that unites our hearts and souls...

Her eyes created a determined gaze that fixed on Zeus himself.

- This is my decision: I accept your challenge. On behalf of Valhalla, we Valkyries declare this second Ragnarok with the intention of once again protecting humans from you... I accept your Ragnarok!

All the Gods were stunned. No one expected, in the least, that this Valkyrie especially would dare to say half of that words. A common feeling arose in the assembly: surprise, confusion, and a growing rage and anger.

- H-How dare you?

- You shouldn't have said that.

- So you choose death, half-goddess...

- Kill her!

- You have a very big mouth for such a small body... - Aphrodite commented between whispers.

- So if you really accept, dear Geir?

- That's right lord Zeus. And not only this is what I want to tell you...

The Valkyrie took a folded piece of paper from one of her pockets and held it up proudly.

- In this paper, Gods, the names of the new representatives of humanity are written!

The deities were greatly surprised, and a silence rumbled through the conference.

- So you took advantage of the time granted to you to create the list of fighters... - Hermes spoke - A wise decision, although to a certain extent very obvious.

- Compared with your sister, the other Valkyrie... You have more advantage this time - Ares commented calmly.

The Gods watched the half-goddess uneasily as she continued to pick up the paper in her place. Zeus let out an amused laugh and slammed his chair down firmly.

- In that case... It's decided! With this let's take the second Ragnarok for granted!

Immediately the Gods got up and each one left the room to go to their own pantheons. Instead, Geir stood holding up the small paper in her hands, and watched as the Gods around her ignored her as they passed.

She lowered her hand, put the paper away and sighed with emotion.

« Great! I think this turned out better than I expected... » she thought as the rising pride in her chest took over her small body.

Beside her passed Thor, apparently leading a group of Gods of which the half-goddess could distinguish Zeus, Hermes, Ares and Shiva. Thor stopped next to her and looked at her seriously.

- We'll go to the west room. For our part, we'll designate our 13 fighters, so we don't want any of you to interrupt. I'll meet with you later to put together the fighter rosters.

- O-Okay, lord Thor...

« Even though I own Valhalla... lord Thor is still very scary! »

- By the way! - Zeus spoke from the row of Gods - Since we can't use Valhalla, I thought of using my Elysian Fields for the tournament arena, if it's not too much trouble.

- We'll discuss that later, Zeus.

- Okay ♡!

With that said, the Gods made their way, guided by Thor, to hold their own conference for their combatants. Shiva, passing Geir's side, gave a light laugh.

- Hehe... For being so small, you're really brave.

- Huh!?

It took a long time for that to happen, and once the assembly was completely empty, Geir sighed heavily as he released the nerves he was holding back.

- Damn! The Gods are really scary! I felt about to die! But... - Geir smiled to herself - With my plan, apart from the fact that they'll stop seeing me as the little girl I was 1000 years ago, they'll leave humanity and us Valkyries alone forever.

With that conclusion, Geir took a deep breath and left the place in a hurry.

She began to walk through the corridors, until he found his Valkyrie sisters who were with the Einherjer and the small pair of girls. Geir smiled and walked toward them, but her mind acted faster and she stopped short.

« Wait! I have to calm down first. I just came out of a conference where I declared a lot of intentions to fight with the Gods, and I don't want to involve them in this. I have to stay calm and not mention anything at all. »

All the Valkyries and Einherjer were surrounding Sasaki Kojiro who was narrating at that moment the end of his fight against Poseidon.

- And then, there it was... Poseidon had surpassed me again, and this time by a lot; with his last attack, "Medusa-Alope-Demeter", to plunge me into his monstrous depth... I was so lost: even with my "Thousand Images Defense", and using all the moves I had learned, I couldn't take it... I was just defeated again. But, it wasn't a big deal at the time; I was already very used to losing. One more loss wouldn't have made a difference...

The little sisters widened their eyes with excitement. Lífthrasir, the youngest, emotionally embraced her sister as she was carried away by suspense.

- Just when I was reaching the bottom of my doom... The voices of my teachers, of my rivals... Of all mankind. They all came together to give me support and remind me of the main reason I was in that arena... No matter how many times I fell, I was there to give victory to humanity.

Líf and Lífthrasir smiled with great emotion.

- I hit his spear and deflected his attack! I looked into his eyes and said... "I want to win too!", and at that moment my technique reached the bottom... I could perfectly read every vibration in the air, every movement of Poseidon, the waves of the water. All creation told me what Poseidon's next move would be...

- Unparalleled in all existence! Manju Musou! - exclaimed the little Valkyries.

- That's right! I dodged all of Poseidon's attacks, until I got close and was in front of him... "I finally got here, God of the sea"...

Sasaki closed his eyes, while he remembered second by second those last moments.

- I wholeheartedly thanked those who forged my path... I approached with my new style of "Niten Iwaryu" swords... And then... An arm! - he said as he raised his right arm - My sword was able to cut Poseidon's right arm, and flew while he still held the tip of the trident...

The other Valkyries were also moved as they listened to the tale.

- And then... Another arm! - he raised his left arm - When Poseidon took the trident with his left arm and counterattacked, I managed to raise my other sword and cut his other arm...

» At that point, the battle would already be over... But the tyrant of the seas didn't give up either, and with his teeth he took the trident and charged one last time! - Sasaki lowered his arms, gently placing them on the ground, to draw a cross - With crossed arms I made the last movement of my swords... The swords cut Poseidon's body into 2 parts, and after addressing his last words to me... his broken body fell to the ground, while silence surrounded us.

» Then the humans screamed in excitement like I had never heard them before, as I reveled in the taste of victory. His body turned to dust that flew through the air, and I, along with your sister Hrist, went to the infirmary to tend to my combat wounds...

» And so humanity won its first victory at Ragnarok.

- Amazing! - Both Valkyries smiled at the same time with sparkles in their eyes.

- I never get tired of hearing that fight! - Nostradamus smiled with emotion - Especially if it comes from the mouth of the person who did it.

- Don't just say that about me! - Sasaki refuted - The beautiful lady Hrist also helped me a lot to defeat Poseidon.

- You flatter me, Sasaki - smiled Hrist, 'the one who trembles with fear'.

- I was very excited when I saw your fight - Okita spoke, sitting next to the swordsman - The Re-volund was the most fascinating! Too bad Hrist is the only one who can do it... With that, I could get rid of all the Gods!

- Your Manju Musou ability was what interested me the most - Tesla commented - Knowing you were able to read the entire universe for a few moments when you got close to Poseidon... It was surprising.

- The best we can get from your fight is your will, to never give up even to a God - Simo concluded, standing next to his Valkyrie - Your perseverance and firmness allowed you to continue fighting, even though everything turned against your chances... what really beat Poseidon was that warrior heart.

- But we all know only one thing! - Lífthrasir exclaimed with a big smile - Thanks to Sasaki Kojiro-san, the Gods hate sushi!

Everyone in the meeting started laughing with amusement at that comment.

- It's very true!

- That joke will never get old!

« Okay, now they're distracted... I'll drop by, meet up with the guys to discuss this, and- »

As Geir began to tiptoe out of there, Leonidas spotted her nearby.

- But look who's here! - he exclaimed drawing everyone's attention - The Valkyrie who helped us defeat the Gods and my old battle partner: Geir!

The Valkyrie freaked out. Despite having passed 1000 years and having made will with him, for her the Spartan King was still an imposing figure of authority and strength. Even if...

- You can say all you want about our friend Sasaki's battle - the Spartan King spoke, while embracing the minor Valkyrie by the shoulder - But you can never deny the two of us finished their job, taking care of that old man Odin. Which I consider to be a very outstanding achievement, don't you think mate?

- That's to be respected, onee-sama - the smallest Valkyries exclaimed - Tell us the story!

- E-Eh... - Geir froze for a moment, which Leonidas noticed immediately.

- What's the matter?

- N-Nothing! It's just that... that... - Geir got out of Leonidas' grasp, and began to walk towards the corridors of Valhalla - A short time ago was the meeting of the Gods, and-

- What!? The Gods returned to Valhalla!? - Those present were scared, but Geir quickly stopped them.

- Quiet! There was nothing serious. It's just that there were a lot of diplomatic discussions, political things, a lot of unfinished business was settled. They asked me to be there to help them with these matters before lord Thor left for Asgard... and... and...

- Geir... Are you okay?

- O-Of course! It's just that... you know how lord Thor is: quiet and not very patient, so I wanted to finish those things before he got mad, and... eh... Keep up the good work, I'll catch you later! - Saying this, the Valkyrie turned around and ran in the opposite direction, leaving everyone with a bad taste in their mouths.

...

Geir turned into an inner hall of the palace, taking a deep breath as she caught her breath.

- Ugh! I barely made it out of there.

- Geir!

The voice of one of her older sisters, who apparently followed her, surprised her.

- S-Sister Hrist! - she turned to see her sister who was running towards her.

- I know you well, Geir - Hrist 'the one who trembles with fear' spoke seriously, taking the little girl by the shoulders - Please tell me what really happened in the meeting.

- Huh? What are you talking about? I-I already told you...

- You're hiding something from us. You're bad at lying like that. Like, in the first place, the Gods had made a pact never to touch Valhalla again.

- Oh, that... - the minor began to explain - Well, it's obvious that they used Valhalla again for their meeting. They explained to me they wanted to use this compound for the last time, and they would also officially declare that... From now on, the seat of the Council... will be the Elysian Fields...

- Agree. Assuming that was one of their topics of discussion... What else did they say? Also, now that I think about it... Didn't you say you were personally asked to come to the meeting?

« Oh shit... I don't remember saying that! » the Valkyrie began to sweat nervously « Come on Geir, think... Think something! »

- And?

- It was about... diplomatic issues and... well...

« Sister, I know this lie will most likely make you lose your mind. Please don't make a fuss... It's for your own good. » Geir sighed lightly, running her hand through his now long hair.

- Actually, it is unlikely they'll leave Valhalla to us and the Einherjer...

- What are you talking about?

- You see... Even though Brunhilde arranged everything with them, not all of them were present that day and today they are not willing to give in. There could be more visits from the Gods over time and...

- I do not understand what you mean.

- What I mean is... The Gods may once again rule over Valhalla.

At that precise moment, the little Valkyrie could see how her older sister's lock of hair slowly changed places, to go from being "the one who trembles with fear" to being "the one who trembles with anger".

- What!? No! We fought over this place 1000 years ago! We lost many of our sisters: Rangdriz, Reginleif, Prour, and even Brunhilde to have our freedom... And now those damned bastards come with their stupid "Gods" and want Valhalla again!... But I'll deal with them right now! Tell me where Thor is so I can tell him-!

- Calm down, sister! Please calm down! - Geir exclaimed, holding the oldest of him by the sides as best he could - I'm fixing the situation, but if it happens, the Valkyries will keep our autonomy.

- Preserve our autonomy? That wasn't the deal!

- I know you're mad. I was also very upset when they said that. But that's why I'm trying to fix this, although I have to find the documents and files that Brunhilde onee-sama saved. Maybe some writing to help us...

Hrist calmed down a bit, sighing angrily. Then he nodded decisively.

- It's okay. I will help you in everything that-

- P-Please, I would like to do this by myself... - the Valkyrie spoke, forcing a smile - I want to prove my worth with the position Brunhilde onee-sama left me. I want to fix all this by myself.

- B-But, you don't have to be alone to prove something that-

- I know I don't have to do it alone, but... - Geir looked down - I'd like to do it. I want to do what Brunhilde onee-sama would have loved to see in me: grow up like her. So... Please, let me do this by myself.

Hrist sighed uncomfortably.

- Are you sure?

- Completely - Geir remembered another issue to resolve - And another thing I would like is that... This remains a secret between us.

- What? Won't you tell anyone?

- I don't think our sisters or the Einherjer will take it well. This could get out of our hands, so... - he nodded his head - I prefer to speak with the Gods, reach a fair agreement between both parties, and until then inform everyone of the result. I promise I'll do it as soon as possible.

The older one, still with a feeling of distrust for what the little girl was saying, decided to nod her head a second time.

- Brunhilde appointed you as the boss of all, so no matter how much I want to, I can't refuse... It's okay, little sister: I'll keep the secret.

- Thank you very much sister Hrist.

- But…- she answered with a serious tone as she stared at her, - If you need help with this, don't hesitate to call your sisters. We'll be willing to do everything we can...

- Thank you very much... Rest assured that if I need, I'll call you.

Hrist separated from the minor and was about to return to the others, when being a couple of steps away he stopped short and returned to the little girl, surprising her greatly.

- I almost forgot... With all that nonsense of the Gods, I forgot a very important matter... - Hrist, 'the one who trembles with anger' looked at Geir - What did the Gods say about humanity? Will they leave them alone or will they want to destroy them?

Geir swallowed, hoping that Hrist would never bring up the subject. He averted his eyes a little and answered with disappointment.

- A-Actually... I came to the meeting after they started, so I don't know what exactly they said about the humans. But... they gave me their word that their decision was to let them live another millennium...

That surprised Hrist greatly.

- Really? So easy? There were no arguments or anything...?

- As I say, I came later. I don't know what they said exactly, but those were the words of their final decision...

- ... It's fine. And I suppose this you can tell others.

- Yes, yes. But... if you want better tell them yourself. I want... to finish all these problems today and I don't know if I'm late...

- It's fine. I'll tell them.

Hrist continued on her way, and as soon as he was out of sight, Geir breathed a sigh of relief.

- It worries me when Hrist gets aggressive like that… If she had talked too much, she would most likely have made me take it all out.

The Valkyrie looked up and continued in her own direction.

- Lord Thor and the other Gods will finish their list in a couple of hours, maybe... I have enough time to get everything ready with them.

...

Publication Date: January 27, 2022
ASFD

Author's note: Thank you very much for reading this introduction, I hope you liked it. If so, I would appreciate it if you support and share this version, so this reaches more readers.

Chapter posting will be each 21 days, so write down the date and wait for the next post.

Without further ado... I'll read you in the next chapter!