Svarga
Outskirts
A Few Days After The Raid
On Svarga's outer rim, amongst the ruins of a familiar small town, Rama walked down the same paths he had walked before. From his youth up to that day, he could walk the streets blindfolded. The dirt and stone felt rough but comforting under his feet back then, but his robotic feet stepped heavily and hard, as if trampling upon something sacred.
He walked those same streets, but felt for the first time in his life that something was missing. Maybe newfound limbs denied him the physical connection that kept him sane despite the constant struggles of gang wars and banditry. All he could do was look around at the disheveled stone homes, streetside hucksters, and the small groups of minor Gods eyeing him, his newfound body, and the Parashu that rested on his back.
They recognize me. He thought. They're steering clear, though. Did something happen while I was away? Did Keshava do something? He focused on a building a few blocks down, feeling a knot slowly grow in his stomach.
As he came to the street between him and the next block, several oxen-pulled carts passed in front of him transporting lumber, bricks, tools, and dozens of grizzled gods. What he thought was just a few soon turned into several. Then, something caught his eye: a God he had never seen before. His skin was a little pale, his dark hair was tied in a top knot, and his weary green eyes held an odd fire in them. Rama could see his faded green robes.
Who's that? He doesn't look like he's from here…
"Oy, Lu!" Someone far ahead of the caravan yelled. "We'll be at the site soon!"
"About time!" Lu Ban shouted within Rama's hearing. "Been waiting to get some work done here!"
Rama shrugged and continued his walk as the tail-end of the caravan passed. At the end of those few seconds that felt like eons, he stopped in front of a decaying wooden door. He quickly knocked three times, looked around, then two times slowly, paused, then three more times. He heard footsteps approaching the door, and it swung open. In the doorway was a familiar face: a short, clean-shaven, red-skinned God in a green shirt and brown pants. His brown eyes lit up when he saw Rama.
"No way…" He said.
"Achyuta," Rama said. "May I come in?"
Achyuta tackled him in a massive hug. "Rama! It's you! Sweet Svarga, they said you were—oh." He saw Rama's right arm, then stepped back. "What happened?"
"Long story, but it was Vishnu's work after Bhumi had her way."
"I'm sorry. Vishnu?"
Rama nodded before stepping past Achyuta and into the building. He walked through the dim, narrow hall towards a closed door to his left. He stopped in front of it and pushed it open.
Sitting in a wide semi-circle, around a few empty bags and weapons of all shapes and sizes laid out in a neat square, were Keshava and the others. The whole gang looked up at Rama, their expressions a mix of awe and fear.
"…Rama?" Keshava jumped to his feet. "You're alive?!"
Rama raised his arms and one of his legs, showing his bionic limbs. "Partially. Vidyudahbi and Bhumi…" He shuddered a little. "…did a number on me."
Keshava ran around the weapons and tackled Rama into a hug. "But you made it! How'd you get those upgrades?!"
Rama's arms drooped down. "Vishnu. He found and saved me."
Keshava stepped back while the others gathered around them. "Why'd he do that?"
"No clue." Rama shrugged. "But I owe him, and it's why I am here."
"Okay…so you're not staying?"
Rama shook his head. "I owe him more than I can repay right now, but I know how to start." He looked past Keshava towards the center of the room. "I need to return the Astras to him."
Keshava and the other Gods, the tall, lanky, dark-skinned and blonde Narada, the blue-skinned asura Varaha, and the bird-headed Kurma, exchanged nervous glances. "Why?"
"You saw what one of them did." Rama raised his arms again. "One. Those weapons were built to protect Svarga and slay Primordial Beasts. And we were going to use them for what? Raids? Fights?"
"We were going to use them to establish our power and begin building a safe place for this town."
"That's what Shiva is doing right now. You didn't see the caravan. They had stuff to build and repair this place!"
"Until another fight breaks out, Rama! You think anything those guys do means anything out here?" Rama blinked a few times. Keshava grabbed Rama's left shoulder, but Rama gently swatted it away.
"We won't know unless we let them try! Have you seen anything like that? Go look!"
"We're not going to, Rama," Varaha said. "Anything they do won't mean a damn thing. Only what we can do with those." He nodded towards the Astras behind him.
"Rama, you brought us the last Astra," Keshava said. "We have them all now. With them, we can get rid of the other gangs here and build this place up ourselves."
"We can't…" Rama whispered.
"Says who?"
Rama closed his eyes and worked to keep his breathing steady. "We aren't builders. We're thugs. We can only throw weight around and steal. And look what it gets us."
"One bad day isn't—"
"One bad day?! One bad day?!" Rama's eyes burst open. "I was tortured! I wasn't allowed to pass out! I was left to die!" He froze.
Keshava sighed and shook his head.
"You're not the first, Rama. Kalki, Matsya, Kapila. They all died, too. We accept it as part of life out here. You did, too."
Rama pursed his lips and looked away.
"Unless you lied to us when you joined. Unless you think your life has more value than ours."
Rama leered at Keshava. "If that was true, then why did I bother using the Parashu to create an opening to save everyone?!"
Keshava shrugged, smiling softly. "Don't know. Don't care. But you did, and you made this possible. It's all thanks to you!" He turned away from Rama. "Now, if you're done with this, we need to start planning."
"Planning what?"
"You told us about that caravan. There's a lot of stuff we can put to good use, and we have the leverage to take it. They're planning to use it for the town anyway. We just happen to know how to do the same but better."
Rama sighed and nodded. "Yeah, maybe…" He took Vidyudahbi off his back. Vishnu said I needed to do this to use Vidyudahbi right. Otherwise, its power overwhelms and destroys the user. Rama raised his left hand to the Parashu head as Achyuta walked into the room. Sing for me, Vidyudahbi. He flicked the inner ring, and it let out a strong, loud hum. Rama felt the vibrations flow into his body. "Maybe not." Rama swung the Parashu around in a loop. Keshava looked back and froze as each member's head slid clean off their bodies, falling to the ground before their bodies fell after. Rama stared at him with a resigned glare. "Halla bol, Vidyudahbi."
<>
Mimir Hall
Arena
The air around Parashurama began to ripple, and his body went lax. Gently, he lowered the Parashu to the ground, letting the head rest near his right foot.
I don't know what exactly happened, but I can see it. Lu thought, leering at Parashurama. Lu saw seven pools of flowing energy flowing from the base of his spine up to the crown of his head, then throughout his body and back in. You've synced with the flow of energy. Well, this just got difficult.
Parashurama swayed gently, as if his body could barely hold itself up. He stepped forward, but his step made no sound and left no imprint in the decimated soil. His eyes remained closed as he walked towards Lu, and he continued to sway. Vidyudahbi continued to hum in his grip, and Lu locked on its tune.
Ah. That's what's going on. He thought as he kicked off his sandals and breathed deeply. Gotta go full power. You've entered my world, Parashurama. Now time for you to back up your words. Parashurama continued his calm stride and was close to entering Lu's range. That invisible line between peace and war was about to be crossed. Once done, both knew the only resolution was victory or defeat. The rooted tree standing tall against the oncoming Parashu.
Jarl, floating high above them, pursed her lips, holding in her breath. I…can't breathe! It's too tense in here! How are they so calm?! Her eyes widened. Wait!
The line was broken as Parashurama's right foot stepped forward. Lu rocketed forward, twisting left to fire a lightning-fast stab at Parashurama's chest. Parashurama's left foot stepped back, his body turned to the left. Shēng Gōng Jiàn's edge grazed his chest as he raised and swung Vidyudahbi down. The edge grazed Lu's left ear and cut some of his shirt's fabric as he turned back to the left. The Parashu crashed down, cleaving a massive gash in the soil. Both fighters pivoted on the ball of their right foot, gaining space and swinging again. Lu ducked under Vidyudahbi while Parashuram sucked in his stomach, evading Shēng Gōng Jiàn. Displaced air flew towards the arena's barrier and slammed against it, vibrating it. Both swung again; Lu towards Parashurama's neck, and the latter at the former's torso. Lu stood on one leg, jumped, and rolled over the swing, while Parashurama barely shifted his neck back. More displaced air smashed into the barrier as the two continued their assault. Each swing was a hair's breadth from drawing blood.
Dozens of Gods in the audience were mesmerized by their dance. Both Fighters moved as if the air pushed them along. Elevation change, hip movements, ankle turns, pivots, and dips. Their feet moved across the floor as if they were gliding. Their blades swung and cut as if without power. Both Gods continued their assault, eyes closed.
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Mimir Hall
Bleachers
"…Incredible…" One bull-headed God whispered before immediately cupping his mouth. I can't say that out loud! I might mess something up!
High above him, Týr watched in his peaceful silence while letting his gaze shift briefly to an uninvited Barong appearing next to him. His gaze locked on the arena below, but his tail flicked back and forth in a quiet frenzy like a manic metronome.
You see it, Barong? Týr thought, focusing back on the arena floor. The hidden power of the Chinese Pantheon: Wǔ Xíng Hé Míng. Full connection to the Creation's energy flow. Mu, Huo, Tu, Jin, and Shui are constantly flowing in and out! He couldn't fight the toothy grin growing across his face. But how is Parashurama doing it, too?! Is it Vidyudahbi?! Can I do that, too?! His grip on his bicep tightened. Damn it, it's not fair! His gaze shifted briefly to the Four Beasts, noticing their postures harden and straighten. I bet you guys never saw this, and you'll never get a chance to learn this, either.
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Mimir Hall
Chinese Pantheon Box Seats
On the other side of the Arena, Lao Zi and Erlang Shen watched on in silence, barely blinking. Their attention was locked on the arena so intensely, they missed the entrance of a youthful God in sharp red armor with platinum blonde hair tied in a loose ponytail. He sat on Lao Zi's other side, eyed the pair, then looked down below, seeing Lu fighting.
Zhurong
God of Fire and the Cardinal Direction South
Chidi: The Sage of Fire
Chinese Pantheon
Well, that explains a lot. Zhurong thought. Last time he pulled something like this, San Xin Shangdi turned into a warzone… He caught something moving out of the corner of his eye. What the… He looked over to the left towards the Hindu Pantheon Box Seats. Shiva, without a care in the world, was dancing all around the box.
Mimir Hall
Hindu Pantheon Box Seats
What're you guys so stiff for?" Shiva cheered as he spun on one leg. "There's a party going on down there, and one killer beat!"
"Killer beat is too on point," Vishnu said. "Vidyudahbi's in perfect sync with Creation's rhythm. When it gets hit like that, it syncs whoever holds it with the entirety of the Universe."
"Wait, how come you never told me that? I'd be using that thing every day!"
"I did, but you ignored me. You tuned me out—" Brahma stifled a laugh "—when I tried to explain what it did."
"Eh. Whatever."
Vishnu groaned and rubbed his forehead. "At least Parashurama's putting it to use. If he's keeping up with Lu, then he's reached the point of no return." Prove your resolution, Parashurama. He thought.
<>
Mimir Hall
Arena
Back in the arena, Lu and Parashurama glided around the arena, the swings of their weapons decimating the soil and the surrounding barrier. Lu ducked under another swipe and stabbed Parashurama's stomach.
Not here… Parashurama jumped back several meters. Here. He shoved Vidyudahbi down as he landed. He pulled it back as he landed, unearthing a massive boulder nearly four times his size. With one quick swing, he lobbed it at Lu.
You found it. Lu thought. Not bad, but not enough. He swung Shēng Gōng Jiàn up and to the right. The green blade extended as he swung, cleaving the oncoming boulder in two. My turn. Lu punched the flat of the blade, shattering it. As the extended blade started dropping, Lu smacked it with Shēng Gōng Jiàn's other half, firing it straight at Parashurama.
There. Parashurama brought his Parashu back down, slamming it into the oncoming blade, sending it into the ground and bouncing overhead.
Lu pinched the broken edge of his sword and pulled, extending it to its original length. Parashurama could feel the energy pouring out of Lu into the restored weapon. That sword's hilt is made from the most fertile soil and the largest tree in Xi Wangmu's Peach Orchard. Any seed placed in it grows without end and creates the strongest Jian within Shangdi. Such a weapon belongs to no one but you, Lu. You've earned your place in the world, and so few meet the standard you set. Parashurama flicked the central ring again. But that's why you're a problem. You think others can, and you can't see that so many people aren't worth your time. The vibrations flowed through his body again, and he felt chills. You armed criminals with knowledge. He flicked it harder than the last time. Decadence for lazy Gods. Your intent is worthwhile, but you fail to understand the consequences… His skin began to glow as steam emanated from his body. He glided back towards Lu Ban. And the harm you're causing cannot go unanswered.
Parashurama's upper body began spinning again. Lu lowered his stance and dug his toes in as dread set in.
The energy's accelerating?! Lu thought.
Parashurama's momentum came to an immediate halt, and he tossed Vidyudahbi at Lu. He panicked and jumped to the right as Parashurama pulled his wraps off his right hand, revealing the embedded red gem. Dance with me, Vidyudahbi. The gemstone lit up as Vidyudahbi passed by Lu and embedded itself in the wall. Parashurama glided towards Lu and extended his right hand out. Vidyudahbi flew out of the wall back towards Lu and Parashurama. Lu's ears twitched as Parashurama moved his hand parallel to Lu. Lu sidestepped again as Vidyudahbi passed him again. Parashurama rolled into a handstand, and his lower half spun like a propeller. His leg slammed into Vidyudahbi, kicking it back to Lu.
Lu planted his feet and swatted Vidyudahbi away. Parashurama stopped spinning, jumped, and landed on his feet. He bit down on the cloth wrapped around his left hand and pulled it off as he aimed his right towards his Parashu. It spun in midair and altered course, flying back towards the Fighters. Parashurama jumped up and hammer-fisted his Parashu down at Lu's location. Come on, then! Lu thought. He swatted it away and glided towards Parashuram, keeping his left hand under his chin all the while. Once in range, he swung his sword, but cut only air as Parashurama flipped over him. He stretched out his left hand, and the Parashu flew back towards him.
"VIDYUDAHBI-PRATIDHVANI!" He roared. He crouched down and punched Vidyudahbi with his right, firing it back at Lu Ban. Lu swatted it away and winced in pain.
That was heavier than the others! He thought.
Parashurama's right hand stayed stretched out, and he opened it. His Parashu immediately flew back towards him, and he punched it towards Lu with his left. He side-stepped, but the Parashu flew back quickly and was punched back his way. If I dodge it comes right back. If I block it, my hands get demolished! Worse… Lu could see the pools of energy spinning faster and faster within Parashurama as he side-stepped the next volley. The energy flow is accelerating beyond anything normal. That Parashu must be doing it! Parashurama's outstretched hand followed Lu. Damn it! He dropped flat to the ground, barely avoiding the Parashu before popping back to his feet. I can't follow the flow like this!
Parashurama's hips hissed and whirred. He exhaled more steam, and his upper body began turning right and left independently of his lower body. He twisted to the right and punched Vidyudahbi back at Lu. Lu focused all his might into his gut and slashed at Vidyudahbi. Pain rocketed up his arm, but the Parashu fired straight back at Parashurama.
His eyes widened as he quickly fired his left to hit the Parashu. His feet skidded back a bit, and his face scrunched up.
"Let's see who yields!" Lu yelled, smacking the Parashu back at Parashurama.
"GLADLY!" Parashurama roared.
Both Fighters continued their volleys, unwilling to yield. Pain raced up their arms as both put more and more power in their attacks. Vidyudahbi soon turned into a blur as it raced between them. Back and forth. Back and forth. Both focused every sense they could into keeping the attack going or else suffer the consequences.
"It's like a tennis match from your worst nightmares!" Jarl yelled, watching from above and trying to yell over the clanging of metal. "Or ping-pong?! Badminton?! I don't know!"
Parashurama and Lu both began shuffling towards the other, trying to return the attack and maintain their balance. The closer they got, the quicker they responded. The volley exchange felt like it could go on for eternity, but only one saw the end in sight.
Lu sent the Parashu with as much force as his battered arm could muster. Parashurama stretched out his left arm and stepped forward. His hand locked down on the Parashu's shaft, and the momentum spun his upper body until it blurred. His right arm began spinning, and he swung at lightning speed towards Lu. "PARASHU-ASTRA CHEDANA!"
Lu panicked and dropped to the ground as the Parashu passed overhead. Before he could get back to his feet, Parashurama tilted to the left and brought his mad spin sideways. Vidyudahbi rocketed skyward.
Oh no. Lu thought as it came sailing down straight towards him. Another explosion erupted from the Parashu's point of contact, sending more debris and dust outward.
However, Parashurama scowled within the uplifted dust and pulled his axe along the ground, feeling it catch something. "Stubborn, aren't you?!" He swung upwards, pulling something from the ground and sending it skyward. Lu sailed out of the dust cloud and flew dozens of meters away before landing with a heavy thud. He rolled on the floor, grasping at his right side below the ribs as blood poured out.
Parashurama flew out of the dust cloud, sailing towards Lu. Lu saw him through the pain and rolled away as Parashurama swung down where his head was. Lu got to his feet, stumbling backwards but staying upright.
Parashurama let go of the axe and dashed towards Lu. Lu stepped forward and slashed at his neck, but Parashurama slid under it and hooked Lu's right foot with his right hand. His arm spun, lifting Lu and smashing him headfirst into the soil. His arm spun again, smashing Lu into the ground with each revolution until his grip on the Shēng Gōng Jiàn broke and it flung away.
"Time to end this!" He jumped back towards the embedded Vidyudahbi, still twirling Lu. He swung Lu down to the embedded Vidyudahbi.
Lu saw the oncoming edge despite his blurred vision and semi-conscious state. The world went silent as it grew closer. He braced himself on instinct and did the only thing left he could do. He stuck his right hand, palm open, and let it collide with the Vidyudahbi's shaft. The strike buried the Parashu, and Lu collided with the ground again. Parashurama threw him away, his beaten body skipping across the upheaved grass, stone, and dirt. Parashurama raised his right palm above the newest hole and focused his might on it.
"Come on…he couldn't have knocked it down that deep!" He said. He felt the earth rumbling far below him, but nothing came up.
Suddenly, he leaned forward and retched blood. He remained standing, but his legs wobbled. "Too…too much…" He grunted out. He placed both hands over the hole, feeling something give way. Vidyudahbi shot out of the earth and smacked his hands, sending him tumbling backwards onto the ground. His breathing slowly grew ragged. "Damn it…I meant what I said…but you could have at least gone easier on me…" He said, eyeing Vidyudahbi.
He rose back to his feet, trying to control his breathing. "You…" He saw Lu rise to his feet. "Just cannot die, can you?"
Blood poured from Lu's side, staining his shirt. He pulled his shirt off and tore it into two pieces. He scrunched up one piece, then tied the other around it and his wound to stem the blood loss. "Please…I've been through worse." Lu wheezed out. "I couldn't tell you how many times I fought my way through bigger problems than this…"
<>
San Xin Shangdi
Office of the Supreme Administrator
Millennia Ago
High above the clouds and the rest of the titanic San Xin Shangdi, beyond the view of Mōryō Town's denizens, and just barely scraping at the highest point of the Valhalla, rested the office of the Jade Emperor. The vast space was lined from front to back with dark, ornate wooden shelves full to the brim with scrolls, both old and new. Large, circular windows adorned with gold trim lined the curved wall, and red columns stood between each pair of windows. The polished marble floor reflected the 108 desks that matched the shelves, arranged into four concentric circles of 26, with three desks at the center encircling a single desk. A single, long, emerald green processional runner ran from a double door opening in the floor to the central desk, decorated with the floor. Gods young and old hunched over their desks, busy at work stamping, writing, and reviewing documents that littered their desks.
At the central desk, and busy at work, sat an older God with short dark hair swept to the side and piercing green eyes. His sharp cheekbones, nose, short moustache, and trimmed goatee turned those eyes into a near-flawless intimidation tactic.
Much like his appearance, his robes were simple, yet regal. He wore a black robe with a gold trim with a green medal over his heart. Under it was a gold inner robe with a black trim. Over his arms and under his robe's sleeves, he wore long green fingerless gloves. He wore dark grey pants tucked into knee-high, pointed-gold toe boots laced up the side.
Yu Huang
Supreme Administrator
Heavenly Grandfather
Heavenly Duke
Supreme God of the Chinese Pantheon
While he read one of many new scrolls placed on his desk, he felt something rumble under his feet. He looked up from his work, eyeing the closed double doors at the other end of the runner. "Was wondering when you'd arrive…" He whispered, his voice a cool tenor.
The double doors burst open, slamming against the marble floor and bouncing a little. A familiar top-knot popped out of the opening, followed by the rest of Lu Ban. He was covered in bruises and cuts, but stood tall, if slightly winded. Sweat poured from his brow as he made his way up the steps and walked along the runner.
Several of the younger administrators stood up from their desks and backed away. The older ones looked up briefly before returning to work, many eyeing the bundle of scrolls in Lu's left ungloved hand.
Lu made his way down the runner, his eyes locked on Yu Huang. Yu Huang looked up, seeing him. He put his ink brush down and leaned to his right, opening a drawer on his right and pulling out a scroll, a stamp, and an ink box. He placed them on the desk in time for Lu to stop in front of his desk.
"Afternoon, Lu," Yu Huang said, listlessly. "Was wondering when you'd be back up here." He opened up the scroll and the ink box. "As promised. You fought your way back up here, once again earning your old office, Cangdi: The Sage of Wood."
Lu picked up the stamp, pressed it into the box, then stamped the scroll. His name, now in fresh ink, shone on the paper.
"Good to have you back—"
"I got some paperwork I need you to work on," Lu Ban interrupted. He dropped the scrolls on top of his signature.
"And it can be routed through the proper channels."
A few of the workers eyed the pair while working through their paperwork.
"I thought it was important enough to walk it up to you."
Yu Huang sighed. "The other Sages won't be coming if I call them, will they?"
"I convinced them not to interrupt us."
"Persuasive as always." Yu Huang reached for the top scroll and unrolled it. His brow raised. "Contrary to your absence, your paperwork is immaculate as always."
"I try," Lu dryly retorted.
Lu watched him review the scroll. Yu Huang picked up his ink brush, signed it, and blew on the ink, drying it. He rolled it up, then moved on to the next. "It's too easy to read your work. Erlang Shen and Zhurong still have issues, and Houtu and Rushou are always late." He reviewed the last one, signed it, and put it with the others. "Any reason why you brought me reports on the Four Beasts?"
"You mean my students."
"Former students, last I heard. Now, they're among the upper echelons of San Xin Shangdi."
"After what they did?"
"Especially after what they did."
Lu blinked a few times as the sounds of rustling paper, shifting wood, and brushes dragged across paper filled his ears. "They broke into Fuxi and Nuwa's vault and stole the Crimson Ripple Chirping Phantom Sword."
"And beat every person between them and the vault, including Rushou. You should be proud of their accomplishments." Yu Huang pulled his previous scroll back to the desk's center and started reading. "I'm still listening."
"I can't be proud of them if they use those skills to steal and hurt people!" Lu said, his voice growing a tinge louder.
"And yet they continue to succeed. You saw it yourself. Zeus, Perun, and Ilmarinen requested their services, and even Shiva recruited them for reconnaissance. All satisfactory results, and mainly because of your training." Yu Huang looked up from the scroll. "Just because they don't succeed the way you want them to doesn't make them wrong."
"How so?" A vein popped up on Lu's temple.
"Our Pantheon lacks a great deal of prestige and influence. Your efforts with both San Xin Shangdi and the Four Beasts have yielded immense boons for our people. But it seems that unless we do it your way, it's wrong." Yu Huang interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them. "Do you feel that way about your Human pupils as well?"
Lu bit his lip, but nodded.
"Then why haven't you gone down there and killed them? They used your techniques and inventions for war."
"I cannot kill Humanity indiscriminately. You know that, and they will answer for it one day. I know I am culpable there, but here we're supposed to be above resorting to such heinous things." Lu fought the urge to form fists. "Which is why I am here and trying to take those four to task."
"Good answer. However, I am afraid I can't help you." Yu Huang's bearing softened just a hair. "Like Humans, we aren't perfect. Most of the Heavens' tumultuous peace is held in place by paperwork. 'Inglorious, dull, monotonous, paperwork,' I believe were your departing words last time. The rest we have to dirty our hands over." Yu Huang hunched back over the scroll. "If that bothers you, then you can leave again."
Lu Ban looked down at his feet. He moved his jaw side to side for a bit, then looked back at Yu Huang. "Nah, I think I'll stay this time."
Yu Huang looked up. "Really?"
"Yep. Same office, right?"
Yu Huang smiled a little. "Indeed. I'll have it furnished and cleaned. Your robes will be ready for you shortly—"
"But don't take this the wrong way, boss. I'm not done doing what I plan to do. I know this bureaucratic nonsense like the back of my hand, and I will do my damnedest for all of Shangdi."
"If you achieve results, that's all I need."
Lu stepped back and bowed, then turned away and walked back down the runner and descended.
"That guy's crazy…" One of the younger Gods at a desk to Yu Huang's right said.
"Huanglong."
He flinched. "Yes, Sir?"
"He is, but Shangdi will be better with him around. Maintenance doesn't mean stagnation. Remember that."
"Yes, Sir. He's also…kind of cool."
Yu Huang nodded before focusing back on the paperwork in front of him.
<>
Mimir Hall
Arena
"Whether it's brawling, paperwork, or building, I am one of the best there is," Lu continued. He focused his breathing and energy on the wound. Slowly, the pain subsided slightly, and Lu could feel the wound close a little. "Like you and everyone else, I got a lot I need to do, and I can't do it if I lose or die here."
"You do nothing but cause misfortune through your efforts," Parashurama retorted.
"Yeah…yeah, maybe I do, but that won't stop me." He lifted his left hand away from his wound and placed it back under his chin. He extended his right hand and waved his fingers at Parashurama. "Let's keep going."