Record of Ragnarok: Revenge, Chapter 10: The First and the Last
[WHO IS SAIGO TAKAMORI?]
Zarathushtra and Spenta Armaiti walked through the corridors of Valhalla. Their footsteps echoed off the high vaults, and ahead loomed a door - simple, wooden, without any adornments, set aside for a fighter of humanity.
"I am very worried about Göll," Spenta said, her voice full of quiet anxiety. "She is so young. She certainly does not deserve such a burden."
Zarathushtra smirked without even slowing his pace.
"Göll knows perfectly well what she is getting into. She is a Valkyrie. The thirteenth, yes. And it seems she is also the last Valkyrie, and the others have apparently abandoned her. But Brunhilde did not prepare her to break after the very first defeat. There is no need to try to change her mind. Don't even attempt it."
He pushed the door open and entered.
They were met by a cozy, calm, simple room. A tatami mat on the floor, a low table, a couple of scrolls on the wall. No gold, no luxury. In the corner, an oil lamp quietly crackled. And in the center, sitting cross-legged, a man was drawing. His brush glided across the paper smoothly and unhurriedly, and each movement was filled with a strange, almost meditative peace. A small dog ran around beside him, occasionally nudging his knee with its nose.
[Saigo Takamori. The Last Samurai]
"Your time has come, Saigo!" Zarathushtra proclaimed as he entered. "Your hour."
Saigo did not turn around. His brush continued to glide across the paper, tracing the outlines of mountains. The little dog yapped and spun in place. Several long minutes passed before he set aside the brush, rose, and bowed - calmly, with dignity.
"I apologize for not being able to answer at once," he said. "And I apologize that you had to wait."
On the paper, a landscape was blossoming: a calm, tranquil forest, a river running off into the distance, mountains whose peaks were lost in the clouds.
"That is very beautiful," Spenta Armaiti breathed, glancing over his shoulder.
Zarathushtra wasted no time. He flung open the hexagonal casket, and the rings inside shone.
"You must go out next, Saigo," he declared. "You are the one who has every chance. You will secure the first victory for humanity. I don't just believe it - I know it."
"There should be no doubt in me," Saigo replied. "I am always ready."
Zarathushtra pointed to the ring - the very one he had chosen in advance. Saigo took it without hesitation and put it on his finger. For a second, his body was enveloped in a bright yellow light - and it vanished, absorbed within.
"Now choose a weapon," the prophet continued. "Something connected to you. Something that means something important to you. With such an object, a human's potential becomes especially pliable."
"I already know what I will choose," Saigo said.
He walked to the far part of the room. Zarathushtra and Spenta followed him. The little dog tagged along too, wagging its tail. On a wooden stand rested a katana. Neat, beautiful, sharp.
Saigo took it in his hands carefully, like a child. And at that moment, the katana shone with a yellow light for a second - and Japanese characters appeared on the blade: 英雄主義
"It is time to remember the past," Saigo said quietly. "Good times."
Leaving the room, Zarathushtra and Spenta Armaiti walked in silence. Their footsteps echoed in the corridor once more.
"Are you certain Saigo will win?" Spenta asked.
Zarathushtra smirked, and those very villainous sparks danced in his eyes.
"Anyone from the roster of humanity that I added will kill gods," he replied. "Anyone."
Zarathushtra stopped in front of Spenta, pondering something.
"And we also need... to give rings to the rest of the new Einherjar. Preferably right now, while there is time."
Spenta nodded calmly, and together they walked back in the direction they had come.
The Valhalla Arena.
It had increased in size, expanding in width and height. The floor now consisted of uneven, rough stone slabs. On the gods' side, Japanese characters adorned the doors, forming: 最初. On humanity's side - 最後. In the center of the arena rose a colossal Japanese pillar - a torii, a wooden gate without doors, marking the boundary between worlds.
In the VIP box of the gods, the same faces had gathered. Metatron, his four wings pressed tightly against his back. Vidar, motionless and impassive. Hermes, Ares, Zeus, Aphrodite, Yu Huang, and Shiva. They waited.
"I am eager to see how Vidar will surprise an old man," Zeus rumbled, tapping his fingers on the armrest. "And it infuriates me that we have to wait so long to find out who will come out this time."
Vidar was silent. His gaze was fixed on the arena.
On humanity's balcony, Zarathushtra and Spenta were already standing in their places. Göll approached them - calm, composed, her glasses sitting perfectly.
"Is everything alright?" Spenta asked, peering into her face.
"Yes," Göll answered shortly.
Spenta glanced at Zarathushtra. He looked at her, then shifted his eyes to the arena. Spenta tried to embrace the Valkyrie, but Göll quickly, almost sharply, moved her hand away.
In his palace, Dionysus, sprawled among the cushions surrounded by goddesses who had grown quite bold, raised a bottle to his lips and smirked, watching the broadcast.
"One can tell from the arena: a battle of Japanese awaits us. I am already greatly intrigued."
In the center of the arena, beneath the giant torii, stood Heimdall. He raised his head and brought the Gjallarhorn to his lips.
"I welcome you all once again to the Valhalla Arena! The arena where the fate of humanity is decided. The arena where the second and final Ragnarok in the history of the Heavens is being held!" his voice rang out over Valhalla. "In the very first battle, the gods proved their superiority over humanity, and the great Ra-Horakhty! But who, despite this setback, who among humanity will challenge the gods now!"
The stands of the gods roared in approval.
"From the side of humanity shall emerge a samurai!" Heimdall continued. "But it was with this very samurai that the entire era of the Great Way of Bushidō came to an end! In 1877, the samurai rose up to fight for their way. And they chose him as their leader! He is the embodiment of honor, heroism, and justice! Welcome the Last Samurai, SAIGO TAKAMORI!"
The gates on humanity's side swung open, and Saigo stepped into the arena. He walked calmly, measuredly, and his katana rested in its scabbard at his belt.
[Saigo Takamori, the Last Samurai]
"From the side of the gods!" Heimdall raised his hand. "Who will challenge the Last Samurai? Why, of course, only the one who founded this very way! This god, together with his brothers, created the Way of Bushido, the very foundations of every samurai's life, and enlightened humanity to this path! Welcome, the God of War of the Japanese pantheon... HACHIMAN!"
The gods' gates opened, and a god stepped into the arena. In his hands, he held an enormous bow - long, curved, with a bowstring almost invisible. His face was calm, and he smiled relaxedly.
[Hachiman, Japanese God of War]
Heimdall blew the Gjallarhorn:
"Well then... A battle between the first and the last samurai, Round 2 of the second and final Ragnarok... is declared begun! FIGHT!"
Saigo and Hachiman stood opposite each other. Silence hung over the arena - thick, palpable, as if it could be cut with a sword.
The silence was broken by Saigo. He bowed - low, with sincere respect.
"I am Saigo Takamori," he said. "Of the Satsuma domain. To fight you and to kill you will be an honor for me. As a true samurai, I will fight at my fullest. I will show my teacher what I have learned."
Zeus, sitting in the VIP box of the gods, peered at Saigo's ring.
"Hermes... In the last battle, Ramesses put on a ring and was able to harm Ra. Now this human has a similar ring. Have the Valkyries found some kind of workaround? What is this?"
Yu Huang looked toward humanity's balcony and stared directly at Spenta Armaiti.
"Well, Zeus... Perhaps I can answer that question. For a long time, I have studied... various divine treasures, especially those of gods who have a special connection to humanity. When Ahura Mazda appeared in the heavens, as you know, he chose a prophet for himself, such as Zarathustra. And for a long time, various rumors circulated that Ahura Mazda had his own plans for Valhalla, and that he created something special to aid him in his plans. It seems these rings are precisely what Ahura Mazda created. Truly, he was an unstable god."
"So you probably knew even before the first Ragnarok that one could unite with the souls of humans to give them the ability to kill gods? You knew about Völundr, and that is why you did not enter the first Ragnarok, even though I invited you?" Zeus said, looking at Yu Huang with a smirk, stroking his beard.
Yu Huang merely smiled nervously for a second and then looked back at the arena.
On the Valhalla Arena, Hachiman froze. His face, which had remained calm, flickered slightly. And then he laughed, but there was no condemnation in his laughter.
"I am glad," he said, "for the way you began this fight. Saigo Takamori, that is your name, is it not?"
He straightened up, raised his bow, and drew the string. From his hand, red energy formed into an arrow.
Saigo instantly drew his katana. But then, as if reconsidering, he placed it back into its scabbard. He shouted - loudly, at the top of his lungs - and charged forward, rapidly closing the distance.
[Superior Mastery: Kiai]
[ROUND 2 OF THE SECOND AND FINAL RAGNAROK HAS BEGUN!]
Posted Jul 30, 2026, 2:05 PM UTC