The Strongest One

*I never thought, even once in my life, that someone could kill me.*

*Even as a child, I thought I would be too clever and quick, and I would triumph with my ingenuity.*

*As I got older, I got stronger. The ways in which I could be killed got fewer and fewer. By the time I joined the army, I could probably have killed any martial artist on the planet with ease. It got even easier after that, as they literally **told** us how to use and deal with all different kinds of weaponry, and I had to wonder if they were actively trying to make me invincible.*

*At first, I thought that the only way to kill me would be to use a gun. That changed after I was shot for the first time, and I realised it wasn't that bad. So then it became a bomb. That was until I was caught next to an exploding shell. They said I must be mad. Maybe I had shell shock. Who could be smiling after they were right next to a bomb that killed a dozen people?*

*I could easily have been called overconfident and arrogant. If all these weapons of destruction couldn't succeed in killing me, then what really could? I really, genuinely, believed that I was unstoppable. No-one could possibly kill me. I was the strongest woman, no, the strongest **person** to have ever lived.*

*That was, until I met the actual strongest person.*

*It happened when I was on the front-line trenches. I was bored, so I looked over the walls to see if anything was happening about 300 metres away. I saw a man. Standing in the middle of no-man's land. I told the guy next to me to come up here and have a look. He didn't respond. I looked at him. He wasn't moving at all. I looked around. No-one was moving. Nothing was moving.*

*I don't think I believed in magic back then, but I instantly guessed that time had stopped, and that it was probably related to that man's appearance. Strangely, I didn't feel all that shocked or anxious. I stepped out of the trenches and walked out to the man. In a few minutes, I reached him.*

*As I stepped up to him, I called out. He turned, his sharp golden eyes glaring at me. He spoke:*

*"Ah, you're moving..."*

*I responded to him, not impressed in the slightest*

*"So did you stop time?"*

*"I did. You don't seem surprised."*

*"Eh. It probably happens all the time."*

*I couldn't really tell what he was thinking, but he silently observed me with some kind of amused interest. I didn't like being underestimated. I was the strongest person on the planet, after all.*

*"You here for a reason, pal? Or are you just passin' through?"*

*His expression changed, and he replied in a more serious tone than before.*

*"I actually came here because I was looking for some strong people to help me."*

*"Well, great news for you. I'm the strongest person in the world."*

*He raised an eyebrow.*

*"You? Really? From what I've heard, you're just a madwoman who can't even die when she should."*

*This time, I was annoyed.*

*"Is that a joke? I'm supposed to be dead, am I? What a ridiculous idea."*

 *I dismissed the idea without a second thought. He chuckled, shaking his head.*

*"Sorry, sorry. Don't misunderstand. It's actually a good thing that you're not dead."*

*He exhaled, looking me in the eye.*

*"Would it be impudent of me to request a fight to the death?"*

*This was the first time I was really surprised.*

*"The hell are you talking about? You know you'll die, right?"*

*He shook his head.*

*"I don't think I-"*

*I didn't wait for him to finish. I was in a bad mood, now. His attitude was mostly to blame - I hated it when people weren't appropriately respectful or afraid of me. I was about done with him and his bullshit. My punch flew towards his face at an incredible speed. By turning up my elbow at the last second, the arc of the punch would rapidly shorten, giving it excellent force and follow-through. I estimate that it could have cracked a normal man's skull. Sure, I knew he wasn't a normal man, but I figured that he shouldn't fare much better.*

*That was, until, he casually lifted up his left arm, and swatted my hand away like it was nothing. My brain completely froze, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Before I could even understand that, however, he kicked me in the ribs. Instantly, I felt unbelievable pain as I was blown away. I knew that my ribs... No, not just my ribs, almost the entire left side of my body had been broken. I sat up, violently coughing as he slowly stepped towards me. I looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.*

*"You... Who the hell are you...?!"*

*Hearing me shout like that, my confidence broken in a moment, my ignorance completely unravelling, he started to laugh.*

*"Me? Oh, that's easy. I'm ―――――!"*

*He proclaimed casually. What followed his words was a flash of light. A golden aura surrounded him, concentrating in his outstretched hand, taking the shape of a lance. A torrent of dazzling lights emerged from it as he swung it, and in that moment, another flash filled the world. I raised up my left arm, perhaps to try and pointlessly defend myself. The blinding light filled my eyes, completely cutting off my vision.*

*A moment later, the flash subsided. I blinked, looking around me with an unparalleled awe. The snowy fields that had previously surrounded me were gone. Or perhaps, it's better to say that they were transformed. The waterlogged, muddy earth had been dissolved into little more than a dark grey powder, which flitted about in the air like a swarm of flies, stinging my face. The familiar snow that had seemed to carry on forever had evaporated, turned into steam that slowly rose into the air, covering the area in mist. I caught sight of what used to be a few barbed wire fences - Utterly destroyed, leaving only puddles of melting steel. I, however, seemed to be unharmed. At least for now. I looked back at the man, who towered over me. He still held that 'Weapon' in his hands, radiating with a harsh golden light that stung my eyes to even glance at. I tried to speak. Perhaps to ask him what the hell was going on, perhaps beg for my life. I wasn't able to formulate any words at all. Instead, he was the one who spoke in a casual tone.*

*"Ah, I may have gotten a bit carried away there. I just wanted to scare you a bit."*

*He released the golden light in his hands, and it instantly vanished.*

*"If i'd killed you, then there would have been no point in coming here."*

*He stooped slightly, offering me his hand. In a state that I can only really describe as a dazed stupor, unable to really think, I tried to take it. It was then that I realised that I hadn't gotten out completely unscathed. My left arm, the arm I had raised to try and defend myself, was completely gone. He seemed to realise this at the same time I did, so he pulled back his arm, instead offering his right. I took it, and he pulled me to my feet. It was at this point that I was finally able to speak again, and I asked him a question in a quiet mutter, not willing to look him in the eye.*

*"Why... Did you come here...?"*

*"I already told you, didn't I? I came here to find strong people and recruit them. Aren't you supposed to be the strongest person who ever lived?"*

*I shook my head. My understanding of the world had been broken, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that such a notion was incorrect.*

*"No... Sorry, but... I can't help you..."*

*"Nonsense."*

*He spoke authoritatively, dismissing my response instantly.*

*"I chose you for a reason. I came here seeking warriors, and I have found one. **That** is proof enough."*

*For that last statement, he gestured to where my left arm would have been. I looked up at him again, confused at what he was saying. He spoke in a more serious tone, declaring his words as law;*

*"You are a warrior who has given their arm to our cause as a sacrifice. I name you 'Tyr'. You shall be the first of my Einherjar."*

*I looked up at him. He spoke in full seriousness. I spoke again, not understanding what he meant.*

*"Einherjar? What could you need me for, that you cannot do yourself?"*

*To that, he responded with derision:*

*"You think that I'm omnipotent? Far from it. I'm not a warrior, nor a strategist, nor a scientist. I cannot skilfully craft things, I cannot lead other people, and I cannot outmatch any man in martial arts or swordplay. Destruction is the only power I possess. Why wouldn't I seek the guidance of others, who are masters of these skills, who fill these roles as easily and naturally as breathing?"*

*Hearing these words, I felt surprised, but strangely uplifted.*

*"I see..."*

*And then, I actually smiled. I felt my energy returning to me with my rattled senses. I looked him in the eye, and realised his words were completely true. I grinned, unknowingly internalising my role as the Einherjar 'Tyr'. I spoke again, this time clearly, the destruction that surrounded me on all sides fading out of sight.*

*"So, what exactly **are** our aims?"*

*He smiled back, placing his hand on my shoulder and replying in a casual voice:*

*"We're going to fight God."*