Shinya Umemura – författare

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Until now, humanity’s champions have been heroes who fought with great skill, cunning, and magic. But with Nikola Tesla in the arena, they now have a hero who fights with the power of science! In life, Tesla unlocked many secrets of the universe, including the ability to control gravity. But can this miraculous power stand up to Beelzebub wielding a technique that is forbidden even in the depths of Helheim?

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Round eight of Ragnarok continues with Nikola Tesla, humanity’s only true sorcerer, standing his ground against Beelzebub. Tesla’s initial flurry of attacks was blunted by Beelzebub’s mastery of resonant vibrations and then thrown back at him. Can Tesla’s irrepressible thirst for knowledge and his belief in humanity’s progress carry him through to another improbable victory for the humans, or will Beelzebub’s darkness overwhelm everything?

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!The valkyrie Brunhilde has convinced the gods to give humanity a chance at redemption through combat in the Valhalla arena. Seeking a quick end to the proceedings, the gods present their first fighter, Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Facing him is a warrior said to be the strongest in the history of mankind, the legendary general Lü Bu!

Humanity's greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!The initial expectation of an easy first win for the gods in the Valhalla Arena is shattered as the human hero Lü Bu (with some help from Brunhilde on the sly) proves to be a match for the mighty Thor. But can Lü Bu stand up to the thunder god’s most powerful attack? With the tournament going into its second round, a surprise fighter for the gods decides to step into the ring. His human opponent? None other than the first man himself—Adam!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!With humanity already down by one loss, the second round of the Ragnarok tournament is an unbelievable contest between Zeus, the father of all the Greek gods, and Adam, the very first human being! Up against the mighty Zeus, Adam may not look like much, but he has a few tricks hidden behind his fig leaf! Can he possibly take down the boss of Mount Olympus? As the second round comes to its dramatic end, the roaring crowd is already looking forward to the next matchup—Poseidon, the god of the seas, versus one of the greatest Japanese swordsmen ever, Sasaki Kojiro!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!In the battle to decide the fate of humanity, the gods are up by two wins. Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas, enters the arena looking to extend the lead even further. To the crowd’s astonishment, the human challenger Brunhilde sends to the field is Sasaki Kojiro. Can a fighter known for having never once won a single match also be humanity’s greatest swordsman? Or is there more to Sasaki Kojiro’s reputation as history’s biggest loser than anyone can imagine?

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Humanity needs to get a win on the board as round three really gets going. Brunhilde’s dark horse Sasaki Kojiro crosses blades with Poseidon in what is sure to be a legendary contest, and all of humanity’s hopes now lie on the edge of Sasaki’s blade. Whether Sasaki wins or loses, Ragnarok will continue! Then in round four, the gods decide to send in one of their best, the noble and honorable Heracles. But if the gods have chosen their greatest hero to fight for them, Brunhilde has selected humanity’s worst villain to enter the arena…

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!The dark and foggy alleys of London have become the arena for the next round of Ragnarok as the personification of human malice, the notorious Jack the Ripper, faces off with Heracles, the champion of the gods. But Heracles was once a mortal–how was he elevated to godhood, and why does he now fight for the gods against humanity? No one can guess what the outcome of this match will be, and some are even questioning who they’re rooting for to win. With the survival of humanity at stake, will Brunhilde’s decision to send in Jack the Ripper backfire?

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Humanity’s most notorious murderer, Jack the Ripper, has proved to be an unexpectedly clever and difficult opponent for the heroic Heracles. Their battle through the dark streets of 19th-century London takes more than a few surprising turns, until Jack actually manages to sever Heracles’s arm! The watching crowd is stunned and outraged—how can this be? Heracles realizes he really needs to pull out all the stops to win, but Brunhilde’s twisted champion has more tricks up his sleeves…

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Round four of Ragnarok has ended in a shocking win for humanity, with Jack the Ripper standing victorious over the fallen Heracles. With the score now tied, the gods are absolutely determined not to let humanity get ahead. Raring to go since the start, Shiva, the Destroyer, finally gets his chance to enter the Valhalla arena. With an opportunity to take the lead, Brunhilde calls upon the unbridled strength of the greatest (and horniest) sumo wrestler in history, Raiden Tameemon!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!In the Valhalla arena, Raiden Tameemon stands ready to fight for humanity after unleashing his superhuman muscles. Representing the gods, Shiva the Destroyer is confident of his eventual victory. As the two are squaring off, Loki follows a hunch, seeking the secret of Volund, the power the Valkyries use to merge with the human heroes’ weapons. What he finds is an insolent Buddha who might know something about it. But getting the answer might require an unsanctioned brawl between two rowdy groups of gods and human heroes!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Raiden Tameemon, the greatest sumo wrestler in history, faces Shiva, the god of destruction! During his life, Raiden always had to pull his punches for fear of doing too much damage, so strong were his incredible muscles. Now in round five, he can finally unleash everything he has. He’ll need to go all out to beat Shiva, who stands at the top of the Indian pantheon. It’s an incredible matchup between two fighters whose only goal is to find an opponent worthy of giving it everything they have!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!At the end of round five, the gods take the lead, with three wins to two. The loss of yet another human hero weighs heavily on Brunhilde. But the Valkyrie still has more cards to play! The gods are making their moves too, as Zeus approaches Buddha and sends him into the Valhalla arena for round six. The carefree enlightened one shocks the crowd with a stunning announcement that tips the tournament on its head. When the dust settles, Buddha faces an old rival, Bishamonten, who is much more than meets the eye…

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Round six is in full swing, with a laconic Buddha battling the enraged Zerofuku! But Buddha is the Enlightened One, capable of seeing into the future. How did he achieve this state, and will it help him prevail in this fight? Zerofuku, long frustrated by Buddha’s ability to bring happiness to people, digs further into the darkest depths of his soul trying to find an advantage. What he comes up with is a new horror even Buddha doesn’t see coming…

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Zerofuku’s transformation into Hajun, the legendary berserker of Helheim, has the crowd stunned. Only Hades seems to have any insight into what’s going on, and he’s more amused than surprised. On the arena floor, Buddha is his usual unruffled self. But when Hajun launches an all-out assault, the enlightened one has to get serious fast! Round six of Ragnarok hurtles toward a finish even the gods could not have foreseen!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!After the shocking outcome of round six, the score is even at three wins each! The gods are outraged and determined to put humanity in its place. Hades, the King of Helheim, will take to the arena to avenge his brother Poseidon. Brunhilde, as crafty as ever, decides to match one king against another—the man who unified China and became its first emperor, Qin Shi Huang!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Hades may be the King of Helheim and one of the gods’ most powerful champions, but his opponent in round seven, Qin Shi Huang, proves to be much more formidable than anyone expected! However, the human champion’s sublime fighting techniques take a surprising toll on him, and victory is not guaranteed. What happened in Qin Shi Huang’s past that made him prefer to fight blindfolded?

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!In the mythic past, Hades saved Olympus from invasion by the Titans. His power is unquestionable—how can Qin Shi Huang ever hope to defeat him? Even though terribly wounded, the first emperor of China is undaunted. With the help of Alvitr the Valkyrie and the power of Volund, Qin Shi Huang is not giving up! The gods can no longer take victory in the tournament for granted, and the champions of humanity still have to give every match everything they’ve got!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Going into round eight of Ragnarok, humanity is unbelievably in the lead with four wins! The gods are outraged—how could this be happening? In order to extend that lead, Brunnhilde summons one of humanity’s greatest scientists, Nikola Tesla, to bring his scientific genius into the Valhalla arena. With no more room for underestimating their opponents, the gods will be represented in the next round by the most sinister of all their fighters, Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies, also known as…Satan.

Now a major live-action series on HBO Max, Song of the Samurai, and from the creator of the smash-hit, multi-million-selling manga and anime Record of Ragnorak, Shinya Umemura, comes the true, action-packed epic tale of the legendary Shinsengumi - the proud young Samurai mercenaries who fought to restore honour and civilization at the end of the 19th Century, a turbulent time of political upheaval in Japan's history.The English-language debut 3-in-1 Edition of this spectacular, must-read manga series features the first three volumes collected for the very first time.Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem tells the story of Hijikata Toshizou, the young, rebellious swordsman who would find fame as the Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi, the ruthless "Mibu Wolves" - a heroic police force who lived and died to restore order to the chaotic streets of Kyoto.Critically acclaimed for both its both brilliantly written characters and the breathless art style of its action sequences, this is an essential historical battle manga that deserves to be explored by all manga fans!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!After humanity suffers a heartbreaking defeat, Leonidas begins round nine by defying the very god he should be worshipping—the brilliant Apollo! The king of Sparta’s history of war demonstrates humanity’s unwavering pride and fighting spirit. But his shield is quickly met with Apollo’s Threads of Artemis, which change according to the wielder’s every need. The man who spurns the gods and the god who demands worship—who will bow their head to whom in this tense clash of egos?

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!In the aftermath of round nine, secrets come to light! Brunhilde’s motive for helping humankind is discovered by Loki, and Buddha confronts Odin with an interesting theory about the primordial gods. What exactly is it that Odin wishes to accomplish? Meanwhile, the godslayer Susanoo-no-Mikoto steps up against humanity’s next champion, Okita Soji—the greatest manslayer of the Bakumatsu period!

Humanity’s greatest heroes battle the gods for the survival of the human race!Once every millennium, the gods assemble to decide if humanity is worthy of its continued existence or if it should be destroyed! When the verdict is destruction, the final battle between the gods and mortal heroes will decide the survival or extinction of the human race—a battle known as Ragnarok!Round ten’s battle of the blade takes place against the backdrop of Kyoto’s tumultuous Bakumatsu period! Finally face-to-face with his idol, Okita Soji, Susanoo-no-mikoto unveils his weapon—the Demon-Slaying Sword of the Gathering Clouds! In this dance of blades, will Soji best the god of swords himself, or will Susanoo-no-mikoto dominate one of humanity’s greatest swordsmen?