Chapter 47

## Chapter Chronology

**The Path** is the 47th chapter of the "*Shuumatsu no Valkyrie: Record of Ragnarok*" manga series.

## Summary

As Göll, Socrates, Confucius, Jesus, Zeus, Ares, Hermes, Odin and Loki look on, Heimdall declares that Buddha has met Zerofuku's cataclysmic attack and halted it in its tracks.

Göll questions where the shield came from and Brunhilde explains that it is the work of Buddha's Divine Weapon: the **Six Realms Staff**. The six worlds that Humans can reincarnate into are called the "Six Realms."

Each of those realms are protected by a form of the bodhisattva kannon.

The **Six Realms Staff** stores the power of those six guardians and it reacts to Buddha's emotions, changing shape accordingly. Through that phrasing, Göll figures out that not even Buddha can choose what weapon he wants freely. As he keeps **Ahimsa** up against the **Misery Cleaver**, Buddha notes that Zerofuku is seething, calling his puberty something else as it forced him to pop out the shield.

Buddha then uses **Ahimsa** to lift up the **Misery Cleaver** and push it back. Zerofuku decides that if he can't flatten Buddha, he'll shred him to bits and the **Misery Cleaver** replaces the six axe-heads with a large assortment of sharp blades.

The **Six Realms Staff** begins changing form again and it becomes **Second Realm: Animal Realm, Horse-Faced Kannon – Nirvana**, a golden spiked club. Looking at **Nirvana**, Buddha realizes this means he has to get in close and charges in. Zerofuku brings down his **Misery Cleaver** but Buddha closes the distance between them just in time by sliding on the ground before whacking Zerofuku's side with the club, knocking him to his knees. While Hermes explains what just happened to Ares, Göll wonders what kind of emotion Buddha was feeling for the **Six Realms Staff** to turn into that. Chuckling, Brunhilde says that is so like him and goes on about how Buddha lives life as he pleases, refusing to let anyone tie him down. That is why he is known as "History's Strongest Adolescent." In Kapilavastu of Ancient North India, Gautama Siddhartha (later known as Buddha) engages in sword training with his master and bests him with ease.

His master praises him but Siddhartha insists he couldn't have gotten this far without him. Born as the Prince of the Kingdom of the Shakya, there was very little that Siddhartha did not have.

He had the best status, the best clothing, the best food, the best dwelling and even the best education. One night, Siddhartha looks up at the stars. His father, Suddhodana, says he's grown into a fine, young man and recalls how the sage prophesied, when Siddhartha was born, that he will be the greatest of Humanity and will one day, rule the world. Knowing the Shakya will be at peace, Suddhodana tells Siddhartha that it is his destiny to rule the world. The next day, Siddhartha has food handed out to the people, some who haven't eaten for at least two days. The Shudras, who were at the lowest of the caste system, thank Siddhartha for providing them with food, bowing to him. Siddhartha tells them to stop and claims it is his duty as royalty, to provide happiness to the people.

By this point, Siddhartha had accepted his fate as Prince of the Shakya and the destiny the Gods put upon him. At some point, Siddhartha watches an eagle while laying on the ledge of a building. He notes that the eagle doesn't seem to have anything tying it down, only for a vulture to come and viciously kill the eagle. Siddhartha simply accepted that is how destiny worked until one day, when he went to the Kingdom of Malla.

Rushing ahead of his attendants, Siddhartha opens the doors to a bedroom and loudly greets Jataka as his "Big Brother," much to the disapproval of those around. Siddhartha asks how Jataka is feeling and Jataka coughs before expressing how glad he is that Siddhartha came to visit. Getting up, Jataka asks Siddhartha to take a walk with him. As they do, Jataka recalls asking Siddhartha to not call him "Big Brother." Siddhartha admits he was just imitating the children he saw since they seemed so close to each other, to the point where he was even a little jealous.

Jataka tells him that's not how royalty should behave, only for him to admit he's happy to hear Siddhartha call him that. Jataka was a distant relative of Siddhartha's and five years his senior.

As Jataka notes that Siddhartha will be King of the Shakya soon, Siddhartha says he will strive to become a king that will make everyone happy, for that is his destiny. Siddhartha says Jataka should be happy too since Malla is a prosperous kingdom – the people, from the Vaishyas to the Shudras, live happy lives so as royalty, there can be no greater happiness. Jataka seriously asks if Siddhartha thinks he's happy and admits before long, he will succumb to his illness. In order to be seen as a good king, Jataka did take the people's happiness into consideration.

Because there haven't been any wars during his reign, Jataka believes people would assume that he led a happy life. After Jataka coughs up some blood, Siddhartha recommends they go back. Looking at his blood, Jataka outwardly wonders *whose* life he was living. He recounts how everything he has – the best clothing, the best food, the best palace, the best nobility – it has all been handed to him. As Siddhartha realises it's the same with him, Jataka admits he wonders about how the roasted beans that the common people have, taste.

He wonders where the river, which flows through his kingdom, goes to and even wonders how far the sky reaches. He says he knows nothing of that before apologising for letting Siddhartha see an uncool side of him, guessing he has grown weak in the face of death. Later on, Jataka dies. As Siddhartha accompanies Jataka's coffin to the funeral, an attendant points out that if the people are this upset over Jataka's death, then he must've been happy at the end. This prompts Siddhartha to recall the conversation he had with Jataka and his eyes flash with lotuses as he realises the true meaning behind life. Attendants ask Siddhartha what's wrong, only for the prince to jump off his horse and begin laughing while crying. As the attendants question if Siddhartha has gone mad with grief, Siddhartha points up and down, and declares he's finally understood how to achieve enlightenment. At Jataka's funeral, Siddhartha is nowhere to be found and Suddhodana guesses it may be too soon to leave the throne to him. He hopes that this funeral will make Siddhartha aware of his place and as the high priest chants mantras over Jataka's corpse, everyone in attendance guess that Jataka must've been happy.

Suddenly, Siddhartha bursts in and begins throwing flowers everywhere, while approaching Jataka's coffin.

The attendants try to get Siddhartha to stop because the high priest is still chanting but he doesn't listen. When Siddhartha picks Jataka's coffin up, the attendant questions why he's doing something like this at a funeral, Suddhodana wonders if he's lost his mind and the high priest warns him he will incur the Gods' wrath. Siddhartha tells them all to shut up and insists that Jataka doesn't need their prayers or the Gods' blessings – because he has happiness in his heart. Siddhartha walks off and eventually sets the coffin down at the river flowing through the kingdom. Siddhartha sends Jataka's coffin down the river, letting it flow to wherever it goes.

After that day, Siddhartha took off from his kingdom, abandoning his palace, wife, child, royal garments, status and everything else he possessed, to go into the wilderness. Thus, he began to tread his own solitary path.

At a temple, a monk informs his master that one of their own has passed out from not having eaten anything in days but the master insists this is necessary for enlightenment. Siddhartha appears and offers the faint monk a bowl of milk porridge. When the master protests, Siddhartha tells him to shut up as he'll feed him if he wants. Later on, a monk asks Siddhartha if them lying around all day is really going to help them achieve enlightenment but Siddhartha tells him to shut up and take it easy. A group of people then prepare to sacrifice a girl to the Gods, only for Siddhartha to save her. The people warn him that he'll invoke the Gods' wrath but Siddhartha tells them all to shut up, and asserts that he'll take the Gods on himself, if he has to. In the present, Brunhilde states that it doesn't matter whether they're God or man. To whoever denies Buddha his own internal happiness and try to impose fate on him, Buddha has absolute hatred for.

Göll questions if Buddha is seriously fighting just because he hates the Gods but Brunhilde reminds Göll that she called him, History's Strongest Adolescent, meaning right now, Buddha is at the height of his adolescence. Buddha tells Zerofuku to get up, promising to keep him company until he gets over his tantrum. Zerofuku screams Buddha's name.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Göll
* Socrates (No lines)
* Confucius
* Jesus (No lines)
* Hermes
* Zeus (No lines)
* Ares
* Heimdall
* Odin (No lines)
* Huginn & Muninn (No lines)
* Loki (No lines)
* Zerofuku
* Buddha
* Brunhilde
* Suddhodana (Flashback)
* Jataka (Flashback)