Chapter Eight: The Descent of the Divine

High above, a stream of celestial energy darted through the air. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning split the heavens and struck it, halting it instantly. The swirling energy began to coalesce, gradually taking on the form of a human figure in the sky.

“Does the greatest war god of the East, Erlang Shen Yang Jian, flee from a worthy foe as well?” came a voice. Another figure shot across the horizon, arriving before Yang Jian and steadying herself midair.

“I am Athena, adopted daughter of Odin and sovereign among the northern gods,” declared the goddess. In her left hand she bore a shield, her right gripped a spear. Gilded armor glittered upon her, blonde hair framed her blue eyes as she gazed at Yang Jian.

“I am Yang Jian, the foremost war god of the East!” Yang Jian stood imposingly, clad in black, white, and golden armor, a phoenix-plumed crown upon his brow, and a three-pronged, double-edged spear in his grasp.

“That is just as well,” Athena replied, brow knitted as she brandished her spear. “You eastern gods claim the East and South for yourselves, holding sway over two continents. Meanwhile, we of the North must share a mere quarter of the world with the Western gods. Is this not an injustice to us?”

“The East and South are the cradle of the eastern gods,” Yang Jian retorted, thrusting his spear to his chest in a pose of command. “From the dawn of creation, these lands have been our homeland. How could we allow foreign gods to invade? Any who threaten the eastern pantheon, no matter how distant, shall be struck down!”

At that moment, the sky erupted with thunder. Another deity descended behind Yang Jian amidst the storm. “'Struck down no matter how distant,' you say. I am Thor, son of Odin and prince of the northern gods. My father seeks to unify the divine civilizations of earth for the future of all gods. If you eastern gods resist, we will have no choice but to take what we must by force.”

“Unifying the gods, you say?” Yang Jian sneered. “It’s nothing but a struggle for power and territory—why dress it in such fine words?”

Thor and Athena exchanged glances. “Enough talk,” Thor said coldly. “If you refuse unity, we’ll quietly eliminate your elite warriors, then launch a full assault on the East. Without your strongest, your morale will crumble, and my father Odin will unify the pantheon. This is for the advancement of all divine civilization, whether you understand it or not.”

Yang Jian eyed the two northern gods before him—Athena and Thor, both pillars of their pantheon. To fight them both here would be unwise; better to report this clandestine northern incursion to the Celestial Emperor and await further counsel.

As Yang Jian resolved to withdraw and put distance between them, intending to retreat to eastern territory, a sudden, overwhelming force struck from behind—piercing his chest. The power was malign, its strength ineffable and not of this world.

“Who are you?” Yang Jian demanded, staring at the black clawed hand that had pierced his chest, wrapped in dark, potent energy. Had his body not been sanctified, this strike would surely have ended him.

“I am Morgana, the demoness of the cosmos,” came a proud, haughty voice. A formidable woman, long horns crowning her brow, black robes cascading from her shoulders, gazed down on him with disdain.

“Mjolnir, unleash your power!” Thor seized the moment, calling down thunder from the heavens. The torrent of lightning crashed into Yang Jian, wringing a howl of pain from his lips.

“For the great All-Father Odin, I shall fight with honor!” Athena thrust her spear once more, piercing Yang Jian’s body anew.

“So northern gods only know how to overwhelm with numbers—cowardly!” Yang Jian spat with fury.

“When wolves hunt, they do so as a pack,” Thor intoned. “Against mighty foes, they strategize and strike in unison. That is the strength of unity. You eastern gods are proud and solitary; since you favor solitary combat, let the unity of others show you: even lesser strength, joined as one, can overcome the greatest.”

“Damn it!”

Even as Yang Jian uttered his curse, Morgana surged with dark energy. The force tore his body asunder, shattering even his soul. Fragments of his spirit glimmered in the air, at once dazzling and desolate.

“I’m sorry I arrived too late!” Suddenly, a beam of divine light flashed across the sky. A slender man, masked and enigmatic, appeared before the three.

“Loki, did you find some place to hide?” Thor’s tone was impatient. “How could you be late for the slaying of the Eastern war god?”

“In truth,” Loki said quietly, “I believe our father meant for us to negotiate with the eastern immortals. Only if talks failed were we to wage war. By slaying their greatest warrior in secret, you go against his true intent. Odin seeks peaceful unification, not wanton bloodshed.”

“Are you criticizing me?” Thor snapped, prideful. “Mind your status and your words. We would have negotiated, but they would never have yielded the East and South so easily. Quietly removing their top warriors will make negotiation simpler—without them, resistance is futile and compromise inevitable.”

“But brother—”

“Silence, Loki. Just follow our father’s orders and obey me. You have no right to question my judgment!” Thor’s voice was stern.

Seeing his brother’s attitude, Loki dared not argue further. Born the son of the Giant King in the North, Loki’s people had long been mortal enemies of the northern gods. When the gods conquered the giants, the king had pleaded for mercy and given his newborn son to Odin as a pledge of peace. Thus, Loki was raised among the northern gods, sharing food and tasks with Thor. Yet, due to his lineage, he was ever the outcast, his status lower than even a soldier’s—had Odin not claimed him as his own, his life would have been nothing but misery and humiliation.

Loki knew this well. Forbidden from leaving the gaze of the northern gods, he went about his days with utmost caution, never daring to disobey Thor.

“I have no interest in your childish games,” Morgana declared. “I have a pact with Odin: I am to undermine the faith of the eastern peoples. A god’s power stems from mortal belief—without it, the strength of the eastern gods will wane.”

“I care little for your divine wars, but Odin has promised me a tenth of the world’s land after unification, and freedom to come and go from Earth as I please. The land may be small, but such freedom suits me. And swaying hearts is a demon’s specialty—hardly an effort. It seems Odin has prepared well for his conquest. The East is in for chaos.”

With that, Morgana surged into the sky, her formidable presence vanishing into the heavens.