At the end of the mythological era, there was a world-shaking war, and it was this war that marked the end of the Age of Gods.
In the beautiful Nordic land, a disaster called "Fimbulwinter" struck. It was a precursor to the end of the world. It was three consecutive long and cold winters.
The sun lost its heat, strong cold winds blew from all directions, and the world lost its warmth.
In the biting cold, the world is full of suspicion and conflict.
War and malice dominated the world, and people all over the world killed each other with spears or swords.
Blood stained the earth red, fragments of shields and armor were everywhere, and hungry beasts wandered in the wilderness in search of food. People no longer tolerated or helped each other, brothers killed each other, fathers and sons became enemies, and killed each other in ugly competition. The whole world became very uneasy and sin spread like a plague.
The rooster Gullinke on the top of the World Tree crowed continuously and gave warnings until he was hoarse. Faiala standing on the roof of the "Golden Palace" also responded with all his might. The three goddesses of fate sat beside the withered World Tree and sighed. The real disaster had come, and an unprecedented war had begun.
This war swept across the nine worlds that relied on the World Tree. No matter whether they were the lowest slaves or the highest gods and beasts, they could not escape. They could only fight, fight, and fight again until they fell and met an equal death.
Odin, the king of gods, the absolute ruler, died in the mouth of the giant wolf Fenrir.
Later, Fenrir was also stabbed through the heart by Odin's child Vidar.
The god of war Tyr and the hellhound Garm died together.
Thor, the god of thunder and the first warrior in the world of gods, was poisoned by the world serpent Jörmungandr when he killed it with a hammer and died soon after.
The head of Soloki, the fuse of the war, was cut off by Heimdall who was guarding the Rainbow Bridge, but the head then pierced through Heimdall's chest.
The battlefield was filled with corpses of gods and giant monsters, and the plain had turned into a sea of blood. The black dragon Nidhogg flew over the battlefield, his wings making a terrifying sound, greedily gnawing at the blood-stained but still warm corpses. The sky emitted a blood-red light, dyeing the sky and the earth a deep red. There were only a few figures standing on the battlefield. At this time, Surtur threw the sword of victory into the sky. In the blazing flames like red lotus, the "atrium" had become a sea of fire. The pillars of fire penetrated the world, the thick smoke covered the top of the mountain, and the world tree that supported the world was also engulfed by the flames and collapsed, and the whole world was destroyed.
The stars fell from the sky, time no longer existed, the charred ground shook and sank into the turbulent seabed, all that could be seen was the huge waves, and there was only deathly silence and eternal darkness in the world.
A woman walked into the devastated world. She walked through the dark and deep sea, the battlefield engulfed by flames, the collapsed world tree, and finally came to the dried-up fountain of wisdom.
Here, she obtained Odin's final secret, the last remaining fragment of the primordial Runes, and from the afterglow of war and the ashes of destruction, she gathered all the Runes to create a magic to commemorate this war and this almost lost civilization.
In my consciousness, the world has changed so much, it seems like a lifetime ago, and less than a second has passed in this world.
Shinji's eyes cleared up again and he muttered to himself.
"Is this 'Ragnarok'?"
Ragnarok is the name of that epic war, and also the name of this ultimate magic.
"Yes, it is the end of rune magic, the greatest magic among all the great magic. So far, no disciple has mastered this magic. Matou Shinji, can you give me a surprise?"
Scathach's voice was no different from before, as if she was narrating something insignificant.
"I may disappoint you. I haven't even touched the edge of a high-ranking rune user. However, the picture you showed me did give me a new understanding. I will interpret what I saw in my own way. I hope you don't mind."
Shinji said this as he slowly lifted up the crystal in his hand that contained enormous energy. The light radiating from inside the crystal added a magical touch to the deep seabed.
The Queen of Shadow Kingdom smiled, her voice full of relief: "This is the surprise I want to see. What's the point of keeping things the same? Just go for it, my disciple."
"Yes, Master, I will not let you down."
With Scathach's encouragement, Shinji's fighting spirit was burning, even higher than Shirou's.
"Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, you may have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, but the technique I'm about to use is also the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Let's see whether your pinnacle of swordsmanship is stronger or my magic is stronger."
With his hands slightly spread out, the blue crystals held in his palms dispersed outwards and merged with the sea, leaving only a few crystal clear droplets, just like the primordial water in mythology.
The next second, the sea water began to flow, roll, and rotate under the impetus of an invisible force, becoming more and more, faster and faster. After a few seconds, even the sea surface began to shake.
At the same time, Shinji sang aloud, and the sound spread outward through the vibrations of his mental power, and could still be heard clearly even at an altitude of 7,500 meters.
"Heimdall's horn sounds, heralding the end of Asgard."
The extremely turbulent sea surface suddenly sank, and the undercurrent surged and turbulent, forming a huge whirlpool.
"The defeated gods were consumed by the flames of Surt and swallowed by the waves."
The vortex expanded and rose, occupying a vast area of the sea surface and extending to the bottom of the sea, exposing the seabed that carries the sea water and the source that drives the ocean current, the magician holding a drop of water in his hand.
"The Age of Gods fell, and the Age of Man began."
The falling water drops soaked the magician's hands and also brought a spark of order to the chaotic ocean currents.
The ocean currents all stopped, the whirlpools collapsed, and at the moment of collapse they were attracted by new forces, and nine giant dragons condensed.
The dragon raised its head and let out a deafening roar.
"It's not a bomb..."
Shirou, who had already completed his preparations, raised his eyebrows, with an inexplicable light flashing in his eyes.
"Oh Moses Roy, water attribute, water magic—very good, let's have a real battle between water and fire!"
Facing the huge waves raised by the nine water dragons, Shirou only made one move from left to right, just like the first lesson in calligraphy - "horizontal".
This sword embodies all the popularity of the "Zanka no Tachi".
The black color on the sword spreads outward along this "horizontal" line, leaving a thick and colorful mark in the air.
Even though it was only one strike, it was more powerful than a hundred or a thousand strikes. Wherever the fire passed, everything burned, including water, air, and even space itself.
The swordsman who controls fire and the magician who controls the sea make their final announcement.
"I will burn everything with this sword - Zankado, North, Ashes of Heaven and Earth!"
"The final dusk, the final epic poem - Ragnarok Saga!"
Then, the flame mark fell, the dragon rose into the sky, and water and fire collided.
It was like a mythical battle being repeated, the end of the world happening again.
PS: I finally finished writing this chapter. I revised it many times, but finally I felt that this is the best way to write it - nothing to say, it's just cool (although it's inevitably a bit childish).
PS2: This move of Erye, or more accurately, this move of the Master, comes from the ultimate move of the water mecha god Gadisa after the spirit possesses him in the "Mecha God" series. Friends who are interested can search it on Baidu. It will be more effective when used with the body's own BGM "Sea of Determination".