The gates to Humanity’s side rattled open, their groan drowned beneath the deafening roar of the arena. The air was thick with the smell of dust and cold steel, sharp enough to taste. You stepped out first, eyes scanning the far side—only to spot him, not in the human corridor, but descending leisurely from the gods’ VIP section as though it were his rightful throne.

Qin Shi Huang moved with the calm certainty of a man completely untroubled by the fact that the King of Helheim himself waited to kill him. His bare-shouldered robe shimmered in the light, intricate patterns woven like threads of gold, and that same maddening smile rested easily on his face. Each step was deliberate, unhurried, as if the entire arena had gathered only to witness his entrance.

Heat climbed in your chest as you closed the distance, your boots striking the stone in a sharp, impatient rhythm. The weeks before this moment had been wasted: no training sessions, no work on the Völundr, only his constant refusal to follow instruction and that infuriating refrain: ’Don’t worry. I am the Emperor!’ You had learned quickly that Qin Shi Huang did not listen to anyone, not even Brunhilde. His road bent only where he willed it, and nothing short of a god could force it to change.

By the time you reached him, the center of the arena had come into view, the stares of gods and men pressing heavy on your shoulders. Qin didn’t pause, didn’t even turn toward you until you were near enough for the faint red streak in his dark hair to catch the light. Then, with no more ceremony than breathing, his arms shifted, and the ground dropped away beneath you.

Air brushed past your ears as he lifted you effortlessly, the motion so smooth it felt rehearsed. His grip was firm yet irritatingly gentle, as though holding something priceless that might vanish if handled too roughly. You shifted against him, but his voice cut through the noise, warm and edged with amusement.

“Easy now,” he said, as if you were the one overstepping. His smile curved wider, the blindfold unable to hide the confidence radiating from him. “You doubt too much. That is beneath you.” He tilted his head slightly, the weight of his presence filling the space between you. “I told you before, and I will tell you again. Trust me, for I am the Emperor!”