The Wheels of Destiny

Thunder rumbled through the celestial realm, much louder than usual. Zeus, seated on his golden throne, sensed a major disturbance in space-time. The king of the gods, a titan of aura and power, frowned. He watched the clouds swirl above him, golden lightning illuminating Olympus.

Hera approached with gravity. "Something is disturbing the balance. An immense, uncontrollable force is threatening our reality."

Zeus raised a hand, stopping his ramblings. He turned his gaze towards the other gods assembled in the hall. "Loki," he thundered in an authoritative voice, "go and deal with this anomaly. Do not fail."

The god of lies and illusions, who had been lounging nonchalantly against a column, straightened up. His sarcastic smile widened, even though he didn't much like taking orders from Zeus. He curtsied slightly before replying mockingly: "Very well. But I'll do it my way.

On the floating arena surrounded by an infinite void, Musashi stared at Quetzalcoatl, his two swords in hand. The serpent goddess, imposing and majestic, floated in the air, her iridescent wings casting emerald and crimson reflections in the space around them.

"Mankind always thinks it can defy the gods," declared Quetzalcoatl in a calm but threatening tone.

Musashi didn't reply. His mind was focused, his swords gleaming with a deadly light.

Quetzalcoatl raised his divine sceptre, and a bolt of lightning shot from the sky, striking Musashi. The samurai barely dodged, his movements as fluid as a stream. But before he could react, the goddess sent another bolt of lightning, this time accompanied by a powerful cry that rocked the entire arena.

The goddess spread her wings, and thousands of glittering feathers flew out before plunging towards Musashi like sharp blades. Musashi used his katana to deflect the projectiles, but some of the feathers pierced his armour and left gashes.

Cornered, the samurai felt fatigue weigh on his shoulders. His breath was short, but he showed no fear. He was about to counter-attack when a blinding light illuminated the arena.

Centuries ago, in his kingdom at the summit of the Aztec heavens, Quetzalcoatl rested on a throne made of obsidian and gold. Her servants worshipped her silently, placing offerings of emeralds, blood and rare feathers at her feet.

The goddess, however, seemed elsewhere. Her eyes stared at the horizon in palpable boredom. "Mortals keep repeating the same mistakes," she murmured to herself. "They adore me without really understanding my nature. They fear my storms, but ignore the gentle winds I offer."

A divine messenger arrived, breaking her introspection. "My goddess," he said respectfully, "the gods have decided to launch a battle to decide the fate of humanity. You are called upon to take part.

A toothy grin stretched Quetzalcoatl's lips. She rose from her throne, her wings sparkling with an unearthly light. "At last, something interesting. Humans are going to see the true power of a god."

Back in the arena, Musashi, though wounded, remained on his feet. Shrapnel from Quetzalcoatl's attacks still floated around him, but he held his swords firmly.

"You still don't understand, goddess," he murmured with icy calm. "This fight isn't about victory. It's to show that humanity will never fold."

Quetzalcoatl, intrigued by her opponent's determination, stood on guard, ready to unleash all her power to crush this man.

The chapter ends as the two combatants embark on an even more intense confrontation, ready to sacrifice everything to defend their ideals.