Chapter 2: The Indomitable Spear vs. The Sword Demon
Chapter 2: The Indomitable Spear vs. The Sword Demon
After the meeting, most of the gods left the great temple. As Zeus left the temple, he was greeted by his daughter, Athena.
"Aha, my little general! Do you have something on your mind?" Zeus asked happily
Athena smiled as she spoke.
"I want to say that I'm happy to have served you during your time as the supreme leader, father. However, why would you propose a proxy tournament with the humans representing us?"
Zeus chuckles, "Simple, daughter. If I let the gods go at it, Heaven falls apart. So using humans would be a safer option."
"Understandable, but father, you're basically allowing anyone to become ruler of Heaven. I can't fathom what could happen if Loki or Ares rules all of this."
Zeus places his large hand on Athena's shoulder as a sign of reassurance.
"Trust me, I'll take care of it if necessary. Now, the tournament will be in three moons' time. I expect you to find a great champion."
With that, Zeus steps away from his daughter and vanishes with the lightning.
Athena couldn't help but smile at her father's little scheme.
"Well, it seems Lord Zeus is committed to this...Historiamachy," Amaterasu's voice caught Athena's attention.
"Heh, that's my father for you. Always the sport's type," Athena said.
Amaterasu sighed sadly, "I don't want to use the humans for needless bloodshed. But, if it's necessary, then I won't argue."
"Well, it won't start until three moons end. No need to worry about it now," Athena said to comfort Amaterasu's conscience.
Amaterasu smiles, "I appreciate the sympathy, Athena. However..."
Amaterasu opened her eyes to reveal her lilac eyes and gave an icy stare.
"Know this. I respect you as a deity to values doing what is right. But when the tournament starts, you and your champion are my enemies. As of all of the gods."
Athena was momentarily taken away, but the sun kami's mood shifted. Then she narrows her eyes and chuckles.
Then we'll see, won't we?"
Amaterasu closes her eyes and smiles then she walks away.
Athena rubbed the sides of her head as she didn't think this tournament could make everyone go crazy.
"LADY ATHENA!" a high-pitched female voice said in the sky.
Athena looks up to see a teenage girl with short peach hair, greyish-blue eyes, and slim, white wings. She wears a light blue and white sports top, a beige toga knee-length skirt, and lace-up sandals.
The little goddess barely manages to stick the landing.
"I'm so sorry! I was preoccupied with the Olympics in the human world! Did the meeting end?"
Greek Goddess of Victory and Herald of the Olympics
Nike
Athena nodded.
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!! Okay, tell me, what happened at the meeting?" Nike asked
Athena replies, "My father is stepping down."
Nike's ears perked up, and she gasped.
"The boss is really stepping down? Wow. Well, that's good! That means you're a shoo-in!"
Athena sighs, "Not quite. The other gods are also gunning for the position. So there will be a tournament with the humans from the past fighting on our behalf."
Nike wasn't surprised at this concerning Zeus's reputation.
"Wow, that's... something else."
"Yes, and we need to hurry," Athena says as she summons large, rich-brown wings.
"We must find the perfect champion."
"O-okay!" Nike said as she and Athena flew away to begin their search.
Three Moons Passed...
The Day of the Historiamachy
Athena and Nike are standing outside a large marble stadium shining in the daylight, listening to the roaring of the audience.
Nike gulped, "Well...today's the day."
"Yes, it is," Athena stated.
Then the goddesses hear Ares's voice.
"Well, well, well! I didn't think you would show up, sister."
Athena and Nike turn to see the Greek god of war with a muscular man walking beside him.
This man has a tan complexion with short brown hair, a faded beard, scars all over his body, and a red symbol of Sparta on his chest. He wears a long red cape with an emblem of a spartan helm holding it, black loincloth with a gold meander design, bronze arm bracers, and gladiator-style sandals with leg greaves.
The Indomitable Spear of Sparta
King Leonidas I
Leonidas bows humbly to Athena and Nike.
"Athena, Nike, It's an honor to be in your presence."
Athena greets the spartan, "It's good to see you as well, Leonidas."
Ares yawned, "Yeah, whatever, happy greetings and all that nonsense. So where's your champion, Athena?"
Athena says calmly, "He will show soon. That I can guarantee."
Ares smirks, "I'm sure you think you've already won because of your...smartness. But this time, I will come out on top!"
Athena laughs, "My goodness, will you ever let go of the Trojan War. Perhaps, you should've used your head more than let Aphrodite give you head instead."
Nike held her mouth to try not to laugh. Leonidas looked away from the argument.
Ares sneered, "Yeah! Well, at least Sparta kick your kingdom's ass in The Peloponnesian War!"
Athena looked perturbed at Ares mentioning that.
"The only reason Sparta won was that my followers grew complacent."
Ares laughed, "Just like you, huh."
Then Nike stood in front of Ares and yelled, "Hey! You don't get to insult Lady Athena like that! You know, come on!"
Nike puts up her fists and is ready to fight the god of war.
"Put up your dukes!"
Ares scoffs, "Nike, I'm not like your siblings. I will knock your ass out."
Before the two could go at it, Leonidas cuts in.
"Lord Ares, nothing will come from fighting. I will earn you glory in that arena."
Ares looks at Leonidas and sighs, "Very well. Will you excuse me, ladies? We have a match to win."
Ares and Leonidas walk into the arena to start their conquest.
"Leonidas, remember that you're not only representing me but all of Sparta. I expect you to emerge victorious." Ares said sternly
Leonidas nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Lord Ares. I will not fail you, and I'll do so with the honor of a warrior."
"Very good. After all, I didn't give you that blessing for nothing." Ares says as he points to the symbol on Leonidas's chest.
Ares smiles darkly, "Now then, time to paint my father's tournament...RED!"
A few minutes later
In the arena, horns were blown to signal the tournament's start. Both humans and gods fill the stalls as they are for the Historiamachy.
A spectator box overlooks the arena with the gods who are sponsoring the champions reside. In the VIP room is decorative furniture, a bar being managed by an angel who caters to the divine, and a large monitor in case the gods wish to see the action closer.
Zeus sits on his throne with a smile on his face.
"What did I tell you, Hera! Don't I throw the most wonderful of spectacles!"
Sitting next to him is a beautiful woman with a golden brand crown over her brown French braided hair, purple eyes, a silver ring, and wore a vibrant white and blue toga dress.
The woman sighs, "Yes, husband. You say that every you do...this."
Queen of Olympus and Greek Goddess of Marriage
Hera
Hera gulps down a chalice of wine, much to Zeus's annoyance. Then Athena, Nike, and Ares enter the box.
Zeus notices this and greets them.
"Ah, Athena, Ares, come! Join in the festivities!"
Athena then sits beside her father on one of the thrones for the sponsors. Ares sat next to Amaterasu.
"So Amy, Who's your champion? A fisherman or a florist?" The god of war laughed
"You'll see soon enough," she calmly said as she sipped at a cup of tea.
Then the light in the arena dims, and a spotlight illuminates on a tall, dashing young man with slick back blonde hair and emerald green eyes. He wears a sky-blue vest and pants, a buttoned-up white shirt, and black leather shoes with wings on the sides.
Greek God of Travel and Wealth
Hermes
With a mic in hand, Hermes proceed with the announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, especially the ladies, hehe. I welcome you to the first of its kind! A battle of greatness, sacrifice, redemption, and all things collide! Welcome to the first annual...HISTORIAMACHY!"
The crowd cheered for the excitement of the tournament.
"Now, the rule is simple. These are battles to the death! The match ends with a decimation of the soul! But you're not here to hear me talk, right? So why do we get this party started!"
The crowd exhilarated wildly for the first match to begin.
Hermes hypes the onlookers further and then points to the east gate.
"Okay then! The first match is East vs. West! Spartan vs. Samurai! Now, Introducing first representing the Greek God of War, Ares is this man!"
A platoon of Spartans wielding spears and shields emerges from the darkness as the eastern gates open.
"Sparta, the city of warriors and champions! For a spartan, there is no weakness! They train for battle, eat for battle, and BREATHED FOR BATTLE! But one spartan rose from a warrior to a king!"
The Spartans parted to make way for Leonidas, wielding a more refined spear and shield and wearing his helmet with a bright red crest.
"After the death of his father and brothers, this man became king during a time of crisis. With the threat of the Persians looming over Greek, this king forms an army of 300 strong to combat the invaders."
As Leonidas made his way to the center of the arena, the Spartans began their war cry.
"A'roo!"
A'roo!"
"A'roo!"
A'roo!"
As Leonidas made his way to the center of the arena, his cape flowed in the wind like majestic red wings. In the VIP Section, Ares beamed with pride for his spartans.
"Despite the numbers of the Persians, the 300 slaughters them by the dozens! It was only through the guile of a traitor that the Spartans were defeated. Even then, this hero fought to his last bloody breath! Everybody bow in respect for the heroic king of Sparta!"
Then Leonidas removes his helmet and stands stalwart as a warrior king should.
"KING LEONIDAS I!"
The audience cheered as the legendary Spartan king made his appearance. Among them is a stunning woman with cream hair and blue eyes who wears a red toga dress with a spartan shield emblem.
"Win for us, my beloved."
Queen of Sparta and Wife to Leonidas I
Gorgo
Leonidas raised his spear and declared, "Today, I lead my god to his first step towards ascension!"
As Leonidas's Spartans left the arena, Hermes prepared to announce the king's opponent.
"Okay, now for the west gate. Representing the Shinto sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami is this swordsman!"
The west gates open with musicians from the Edo period playing their instruments above them.
"What makes a swordsman? Is it the raw talent of the blade? Is it one's own strength? Is it the dictate the battle to your leisure? NO! To master the sword, one must master oneself. For this man, he breathes his philosophy!"
Then a figure emerges out of the west gate. It is a man with a lean build with back-length black hair tied in a ponytail with side bangs and wearing a wide kasa hat that obscures his eyes. He wears a midnight blue haori jacket with a sakura blossom design, a sky blue kimono with a wave-like pattern, a white cloth belt, black hakama pants, and a nodachi in a white sheathe hung on his back.
"This man appears as the morning mist. Trained by the legendary sword master, Kanemaki Jisai, he racked up wins with the ever-so-deadly Ganryu Style! To the point is developed his signature technique, The Tsubame-gaeshi!"
As the samurai makes his way to the center, many sword masters of Japan stand in respect for this man.
"Even after being defeated by his rival, Miyamoto Musashi, his reputation places him at the pinnacle of swordsmanship! Behold, The Demon of the Western Provinces, SASAKI KOJIRO!"
The Demon of the Western Provinces
Sasaki Kojiro
The crowd cheered, which brought a smile to Sasaki's face. Meanwhile, at the spectator box, Ares laughs like there's no tomorrow.
"AHAHAHAHA, Sasaki? Hahaha, the swordsman will lose in a duel to an oar?! Oh, Amy, you really chose poorly. At this rate, Leonidas is going to have a clean swipe."
Amaterasu sipped her tea and spoke, "Don't underestimate him. Unlike that story you're referencing, we're about to see the real Kojiro."
Meanwhile, Leonidas walks toward Sasaki, plants his spear on the ground, and offers his right hand.
"I'm honored to face you as my opponent, Sasaki Kojiro. Let us shake hands with our honor."
Sasaki smiled as he spoke, "It's not every day to meet a warrior from a different land far from my own. The honor is all mine, Leonidas."
Sasaki took his right hand and shook Leonidas's. The Spartan king was confused at Sasaki grabbing the wrong hand.
'Perhaps this is how his culture greets one another.' Leonidas thought to himself
After that, they backed away as they prepared to fight. Leonidas puts on his helmet and wields his spear and shield. While Sasaki unsheathes his nodachi, revealing a long straight blade. He then discards his sheathe and gets into a poise stance.
Before he could start the match, Hermes announced, "Now then, before we get started, behold the battles to come!"
Afterward, an astral image shows the matchups of a tournament bracket in the sky.
"Woah, talk about a list," Nike said
Match 1
Sponsor: Ares
King Leonidas
V.S.
Sponsor: Amaterasu
Sasaki Kojiro
Match 2
Sponsor: Lugh
William Wallace
V.S.
Sponsor: Heyoka
Crazy Horse
Match 3
Sponsor: Davy Jones
Mary Read and Anne Bonny
V.S.
Sponsor: Guan Yu
She Saihua
Match 4
Sponsor: Anansi
Robert Johnson
V.S.
Sponsor: Aphrodite
Grigori Rasputin
Match 5
Sponsor: Loki
Jack the Ripper
V.S.
Sponsor: Hachiman
Tomoe Gozen
Match 6
Sponsor: The Morrigan
Isobel Gowdie
V.S.
Sponsor: Metatron
Matthew Hopkins
Match 7
Sponsor: Takemikazuchi
Benkei
V.S.
Sponsor: Hel
Adrian Carton de Wiart
Match 8
Sponsor: Melinoe
Edgar Allan Poe
V.S.
Sponsor: Hephaestus
Nikola Tesla
Match 9
Sponsor: Laverna
Ned Kelly
V.S.
Sponsor: Poseidon
Mordred
Match 10
Sponsor: Susano'o-No-Mikoto
Fuuma Kotaro
V.S.
Sponsor: Azrael
Hassan-i Sabbah
Match 11
Sponsor: Odin
Vlad Tepes III
V.S.
Sponsor: Tengri
Genghis Khan
Match 12
Sponsor: Horus
Thutmose III
V.S.
Sponsor: Bellona
Spartacus
Match 13
Sponsor: Demeter
Theodore Roosevelt
V.S.
Sponsor: Apo Langit
Urduja
Match 14
Sponsor: Ame-No-Uzume
Noihime
V.S.
Sponsor: Laozi
Huang Yueying
Match 15
Sponsor: Cernunnos
William Tell
V.S.
Sponsor: Chang'e and the Jade Emperor
Hou Yi
Match 16
Sponsor: Athena
???
V.S.
Sponsor: Indra
Arjuna
"So these are the battles that await us," Athena said as she saw the bracket.
With the brackets vanishing, Hermes says, "It's time for the first annual of Historiamachy to begin! Historiamachy first match, representing Ares, King Leonidas I! Representing Amaterasu Omikami, Sasaki Kojiro! Reeeeeeeady...FIGHT!"