CHAPTER 278: CHAPTER 36

Asgard was alive that night. No, not merely alive, but radiant, pulsing with divine mirth and thunderous joy.

The golden halls of Valaskjálf, the throne hall of Odin, blazed with light, their marble floors reflecting the shimmer of torches and the brilliance of divine auras that painted the air in hues unseen by mortal eyes.

The skies above glittered like the crown of Yggdrasil itself, and laughter, boisterous, booming, reckless laughter, rolled across the heavens like thunder given voice.

Everywhere one looked, gods and goddesses of two worlds mingled: Greek and Norse—Olympians and Æsir/Vanir—their differences drowned beneath the flood of revelry and the music of golden harps and clashing goblets.

At this moment, there was no distinction between the two pantheons. For this festival, they were all brothers and sisters who have survived the battle and are partying.

"Another round!" shouted Thor, his eyes flashing like storms, one arm locked with Zeus’ in an arm-wrestling duel that had already cracked the table beneath them into splinters.

The Greek God of Thunder grinned wildly, lightning snapping across his beard as he growled, "Hah! Brat, you are a thousand years too early to beat me! I am Zeus! King of Gods! The True ruler of the skies!"

"Ha!" Thor thundered back, veins bulging as his muscles rippled with raw divinity. "King of the gods? With that fragile arms? I’ve crushed twigs stronger that thing you call limbs!"

"Say that after you beat me, you arrogant Nordic brat!" Zeus barked, pressing harder.

"Zeus! Zeus! Zeus!"

"Break his arms!"

"Show him the power of Greek’s King of Gods!"

The Greek cheered for Zeus.

On the other hand, the Nordic Gods cheered for Thor.

"Show him the might of the Norse!"

"Make that old man retire!"

"Make him go limp!"

Sparks flew, and suddenly, the table shattered completely.

The loud cheering went silent, and Zeus and Thor stared at each other before both men burst out laughing.

"Come on!" Thor put his elbow on the ground, asking for another round.

"Oh you are on!" Zeus clasped his hand, his muscles bulged.

Then, they continued their arm wrestling, ignoring everything even as lightning bolts and thunderclaps erupted from their clash, sending a few frightened Valkyries diving for cover.

Around them, the gods continued cheering, even as the floor of the hall began to cracked from their strength.

Nearby, Poseidon sat with Loki, the two of them forming an unlikely pair, the sea’s calm vastness and the trickster’s restless fire.

They reclined on golden seats, sipping from goblets of shimmering wine while a few brave maidens served them grapes and mead.

"You know," Poseidon mused, swirling his drink, "for a pantheon filled with muscle heads, you people knew how to make wines."

Loki chuckled, his sharp grin never leaving his face.

"And for a god surrounded by idiots," he said, raising his cup, "you’re surprisingly tolerable company. I would’ve thought all Greeks were spoiled beats with megalomania."

Poseidon laughed, deep and rumbling. "Careful, Trickster. The last time someone tried to insult me while drinking, I drowned their kingdom."

Loki smirked, leaning closer. "Cute. I started a rebellion that almost caused the destruction of the Norse."

Poseidon blinked, then laughed so loudly the dwarves nearby stopped working.

"You’re alright, Loki," he said, slapping his back, spilling a bit of wine. "You’re insane, but alright."

Loki chuckled, enjoying the company of this god he had just met today.

"Your sister is very popular." He pointed at Hestia.

Poseidon smirked, "Heh. Nothing new there. Even with her vow to remain a virgin and never marry, gods from every corner of the world would still line up to ask her hand for marriage."

Loki nodded, "Well, she is very beautiful."

Across the hall, Hestia was surrounded by a crowd of lovestruck Norse gods, her calm smile melting even the most battle-hardened hearts.

"Lady Hestia!" cried one god, his beauty radiant, "Your flame could melt the frost of Niflheim itself! Your beauty eclipsing the moon and the stars! Please, accept my love!"

"Forget him and his terrible prose!" Countered another god, strumming his harp dreamily, "My fair lady, Your eyes quiet storms, your smile bends time.

In stillness you bloom, a soft, unspoken rhyme. The world turns slow, the night learns grace. All beauty begins, and ends in your face. Please, Lady Hestia, be my bride!"

Hestia only laughed softly, her warmth brighter than any hearth.

"You flatter me, my lords," she said kindly, "but I have already made a vow. I cannot accept your confessions. Please, save that for when you find someone else that can move your hearts."

She stirred her cauldron, and the scent of divine ambrosia filled the hall. "Eat, drink, and let your hearts be warm. That’s enough for me."

The gods, despite being rejected, immediately felt warm.

Not far from her, Artemis and Skadi stood atop the balcony, bows drawn, shooting targets set at impossible distances.

"Your aim is flawless," Artemis admitted, releasing an arrow that split the wind like silver lightning.

"So is yours," Skadi replied coolly, loosing her own shaft, which struck Artemis’s mid-flight, shattering it. "But it seems my aim is a little better."

Artemis smirked. "Careful, huntress. Pride comes before the fall."

"That will have to wait..." Skadi said, watching her arrow strike dead center, "...until you can prove me wrong."

The two women shared a grin, mutual respect sparking between their cold gazes.

At a grand table, Metis and Athena leaned toward Frigg, deep in conversation.

"So your people also has three goddesses overseeing fate?" Metis asked curiously.

Frigg smiled faintly. "Yes. They, the Norns, can see the fates of all realms and Odin would even ask them for advice from time to time."

Athena’s eyes gleamed with fascination. "How... fascinating. In our realm, we also have three old women. It seems your Norns and our Moirai would get along splendidly...or kill each other instantly."

Frigg chuckled softly. "Likely both."

Metis hummed, "I can’t believe our pantheons, despite being a separate universe with no contact, actually has a lot of similarities."

Frigg nodded, "I was surprised too."

On another side of the hall, Apollo and Freyr argued animatedly, wine sloshing from their cups.

"My sister is obviously the most beautiful," Apollo declared proudly, "she inspires mortals to write hymns that outshine the sun!"

Freyr slammed his goblet down. "Hah! My sister’s charm starts wars with a wink and ends them with a smile!"

"So what!? My Artemis is unparalleled in archery!"

"My Freya is unmatched in war and magic!"

The two butted heads, glaring at each other.

Freya, who had been quietly sipping mead beside them, flushed bright red and muttered under her breath, "Odin, give me patience... I want my Odr..."

Meanwhile, Ares and the Nordic God of War Tyr sat by the edge of the great hall, both half-drunk and laughing like brothers-in-arms.

"And then," Ares slurred, slamming his goblet down, "I killed that Poseidon’s son and cut him into thousand pieces, declaring to the world; No god or mortal can harm my daughters!"

Tyr grinned, raising his mug and chug it down. "Hahaha! That’s how it should be! What did that Poseidon do to you after that? You killed his son after all."

Ares shrugs, "Hah! As if he can do anything. Astraea and Themis, a goddess and titaness of justice took my side, and even my sister Athena pleaded our father to let me off the hook. Poseidon can only swallow his anger."

At the farthest corner, Astraea sat quietly with Hel, both silent observers to the storm of laughter.

The goddess of justice and the queen of death, two unmoving constellations amid chaos.

Hel offered her a glass of wine without looking. Astraea took it, raised it to her lips, and murmured, "Thank you."

Hel nodded faintly before saying, "The living are loud, aren’t they? That’s why I don’t want to leave my realm."

"You’re so much like Lord Hades. Are you a workaholic with no time for marriage also?" Astraea replied, her tone calm as starlight.

For a long moment, neither spoke. Then Hel’s lips twitched faintly, almost a smile. "Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Although, one can say I’m married to my job."

Astraea smirked, "Really similar. Are gods of deaths all similar to the two of you?"

"Isn’t Hades married?" Hel tilted her head, "I’m not, so we’re not really that similar."

"Well, from what I heard, his wives pretty much threw themselves at him because he was so focused in his job that he believes romance is a waste of time."

"It is. That’s why I’m single." Hel smirked, tilting her head towards Astraea, "You should stay single too. Romance would just affect your job."

"Preach, sister." Astraea raised a glass, "I am the virgin goddess of justice and purity, and I will remain so till eternity."

Hel raised her own, "I’m the goddess of death, and I will remain single and a virgin for the rest of my life."

And in that moment, as laughter echoed, music soared, and goblets clashed in joy, the heavens above Asgard seemed to shimmer brighter—two pantheons once divided, now united, if only for a fleeting, golden night.