Chapter 79

## Chapter Chronology

**The Rebel King** is the 79th chapter of the "*Shuumatsu no Valkyrie: Record of Ragnarok*" manga series.

## Summary

A young boy says he has the coolest back in the entire world, not just Greece.

An old soldier says that, looking at that back, he couldn't help but get worked up as it made an old man like him feel like he can still fight. An unknown man asserts that, just by looking at that back while they fight, made them feel like they couldn't possibly lose, even if they were up against 300,000 enemies.

When that man is spoken of, the children's eyes sparkle with admiration. When that man is spoken of, the elderly shed their normal calm and their blood boils hot. When that man is spoken of, soldiers find their veins bursting with adrenaline. He is a man who lived in ancient times. Since then, across the times and lands, countless heroes have been born. Yet it is inarguable to say that the man whose back was gazed at with the most admiration in Human history was King Leonidas I of Sparta. In 480BC, King Xerxes I, renowned as the leader of the world's strongest army, led a force of 300,000 Persian troops to Greece.

The Greek city-state alliance, centered on Sparta and Athens, was on the verge of being swallowed whole. Guarding the door to the Gerousia, the elder council of Sparta, Hagis sneezes and remarks on how he definitely has a cold. Looking back into the Gerousia, Hagis thinks about how this meeting is taking way too long. One elder says a war with Persia is unacceptable, or rather, unforgivable. A different elder adds that it is currently the Carneia Festival. If they engage in bloodshed now, they'll incur divine punishment from Apollo. The Carneia Festival is a festival dedicated to the praises of Apollo. "During the Carneia Festival, all acts of violence or bloodshed are prohibited."

That was the decree made by Apollo to the people of Greece when he deigned to walk amongst the mortals. For generations, the oracle passed on this decree and to the people of Sparta, it was an ironclad law, never to be questioned. A younger man insists if they don't take the opportunity to intercept the Persian army before they touch down at Peloponnese now, they'll be overrun. If that happens, the younger man worries about what will happen to all of Sparta and he suggests that, in the worst case, all of Greece will be razed to the ground. The elders don't think that justifies trampling upon the word of the oracle that they have protected for centuries now and they snigger about how ignorant the young man is, with one elder commenting that the youngsters are full of useless opinions.

The second elder that spoke tells the young man that such worries are pointless as the Carneia Festival will end in a few days. It'll be fine for them to fight afterwards. When the young man brings up the possibility that it may be too late by then, the first elder that spoke, declares Sparta to be the strongest military nation in the world. The elder claims a youngster who's never even known war couldn't understand and he thinks it's unthinkable that a few days will mean the difference between victory and defeat. When the young man tries to keep going, the elder repeats how it's the word of the oracle.

Having heard all of that, Hagis realizes that they decided before it even began and that the elders didn't even pretend to listen to the opinions of the young. Sighing, Hagis guesses there's no helping it if it's the word of the oracle – everything will proceed as normal and someone else will decide their fates. Looking back on it, Hagis remarks that he was the same as the elders and just went with the flow. When asked why, Hagis explains it's because, normally, you go by what the oracle says. Due to peer pressure and thought policing, Hagis thought it was more comfortable to fall in line with the masses. Hagis recalls how that man alone was different.

After having heard what the elders all said, as he smoked a pipe, Leonidas got up and stepped forward, all the while going over what they spoke about. Leonidas questions if the elders are all idiots and he asserts that he refuses to trust his life to a God he's never met or seen before. Smiling, Leonidas chooses to fight.

Angered by his words, the elders remind Leonidas that while he may be king, he cannot stand above their decision and go to war. At the time, while the king held command of Sparta's military might, the right to wage war with other nations lay with the council. An elder tells Leonidas that he will not be forgiven for the way he spoke about Apollo. Blowing out smoke from his mouth, Leonidas questions who won't forgive him. Standing in front of the statue of Apollo, Leonidas draws back his left fist as he decides to make this easy for the elders. The elders yell at him to stop but Leonidas punches the statue of Apollo regardless and breaks it into many pieces, much to the surprise of the entire council and Hagis.

As his knuckles bleed, Leonidas says that with this, divine punishment will fall on him alone. As Leonidas leaves, the elders insist nobody will follow him after he has desecrated the word of the oracle that they have followed for centuries. They start to question why Leonidas finds it necessary to fight now, wondering if he's that hungry for battle and thirsty for blood. Leonidas admits it's not like he wants to fight. It's exhausting, dangerous and he doesn't want to die. He'd rather drink wine and nap. Even so, Leonidas stresses to them that this is when they need to fight. When it's time to fight, you do so with your own will. Leonidas smiles about how that's what it means to be Spartan. Leonidas goes, leaving the council and Hagis in silence.

Hagis had thought that Leonidas was foolish to go against the oracle and go off to war all by himself. It was unthinkable yet it made Hagis want to go with him. Hagis ran after Leonidas, abandoning his position. Hagis still doesn't understand why but his legs just started moving on their own and his soul told him to chase after that man's back. Hagis shouted for Leonidas, who kept walking. But Hagis wasn't the only one. After reaching a long distance from Sparta, Leonidas heard a voice asking him to wait and turned to see many soldiers following after him. All their souls were captivated by that man's back and thus, 300 Spartan warriors joined him. Leonidas makes sure to ask if they know what kind of battle this is.

Handing his king a shield, Hagis says: "Come back with your shield or upon it", and affirms they know this battle is one they won't return from. Leonidas notices Hagis shaking. Hagis admits he is scared but they declare that this is Sparta.

Taking the shield, Leonidas leads them, telling them to do what they like. And so, after rejecting his fate, Leonidas, the rebel against the Gods, set forth to the battlefield with 300 Spartans behind him. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas and his men came across Xerxes and his 300,000 Persian soldiers.

Commenting on what a view this is, Leonidas orders his men to show these weaklings with their huge numbers, the way a real Spartan fights, and they all charged in.

Hagis thinks Leonidas really was insane. Though he was afraid as they were 300 men against 300,000 Persians, Hagis says it was the first time in his life that he truly felt alive. He doesn't think any of them had any regrets. They knew they were heading to their deaths but their fight called on all of Greece to fight and repel the Persians, saving their country. So, in a way, that was their true victory. Recalling the moment Leonidas went after Xerxes while covered in many wounds, Hagis says his back gave him chills and he believes Leonidas has the coolest back in the universe.

In the present, still looking at his back, Hagis cries about how cool Leonidas is as the rest of the Spartan soldiers cheer for him. Leonidas asks if Apollo understands now. His whim became Sparta's "curse." Smoking his cigar, Leonidas says Apollo screwed them over with that and since he really hates being told what to do, Leonidas intends to make Apollo pay for it now. Apollo can't believe Leonidas wants him to pay, even though he so magnanimously told them not to fight and bestowed a decree of peace and prosperity upon the Spartans, saddening the elders and angering the soldiers. Calling him spoiled, Apollo tells Leonidas that if he wishes to speak with him, he must kneel. Angered, Leonidas calls that a coincidence and lifts his shield up.

The center portion of the shield is then elevated and multiple spinning blades come out of it. Göll exclaims that his shield transformed as Leonidas charges at Apollo, asserting he wants to see the Sun God begging on his knees. Brunhilde explains to Göll that the shield is the only thing fit to be Leonidas' **Völundr** and that the rune that dwells within it is "her." Leonidas thrusts his left arm forward and that causes the shield to detach itself from a rectangular block that Leonidas is holding onto. The shield is connected to the block with a chain. It's revealed that Leonidas did **Völundr** with the fifth Valkyrie, Geirölul. As the fifth of the thirteen Valkyries, Geirölul's name means "The One Charging Forth with the Spear."

As it approaches, Apollo manages to stop the shield by grabbing one of the blades with both his hands. As Apollo keeps smirking, Leonidas streams some energy through the chain and uses **Phalanx Enchos**, causing the shield to spin again and sending Apollo flying back through the air, injured. As Apollo starts to fall back down, Leonidas decides to tell him something. With the elders in shock and with his soldiers cheering, Leonidas warns Apollo to never stand against a Spartan if he wants to live a long life.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Hagis
* Leonidas
* Xerxes (Flashback, No lines)
* Apollo
* Brunhilde
* Göll
* Geirölul (No lines)