{Chapter: 355 Good Eloquence}
Odin bellowed with thunder in his voice, "Thor, stay back! That is no ordinary foe—that is a cursed warrior!"
But Thor, stubborn and impulsive as ever, was already mid-flight. Mjolnir spun in his hand, crackling with lightning. "Then let him be cursed in Hel!" Thor roared, hurling himself at Algrim.
Mjolnir collided with Algrim's chest in a brilliant burst of lightning and dark red flames.
Boom!
The ground trembled, and a massive shockwave rippled across the battlefield.
To everyone's shock, Algrim didn't flinch.
He let out a guttural roar and swung his fist directly into Thor's path. It connected with a sound like thunder and stone shattering.
BOOM!
Thor was sent flying backwards like a ragdoll, Mjolnir flung from his grip. "Aargh!" he cried out, pain shooting through his ribs. His body sailed through the air.
But Odin was no bystander. In a flash of golden light, he vanished from his post and reappeared in Thor's path. With one arm, he caught his son midair, skidding back from the force. "You fool!" Odin grunted. "That thing will burn through the gods themselves!"
Thor groaned. "I've fought giants, dragons, and dead themselves... but what in Hel is that?"
Meanwhile, on the battlefield below, dozens of Asgardian guards surged toward Algrim, their blades shimmering with divine enchantments. They slashed, stabbed, and roared battle cries.
Algrim stood amidst it all like a titan. He let their blades strike his obsidian-red skin—metal snapped, and weapons shattered like glass. He clenched his fists, then slammed both hands down in a cross-chop, shattering every weapon near him in an explosion of dark crimson energy.
The shockwave threw the soldiers like leaves in a storm, their armor dented, their bodies broken.
From afar, William observed it all with an almost amused smirk. But then, a voice pulled at the core of his soul.
"William!"
It was Jane.
His head turned sharply.
Through the chaos and smoke, he spotted her—sitting on the ground, surrounded by confused and frightened Asgardian guards. None dared lay a hand on her, but the fear in her eyes was more than enough to ignite a fire in him.
His steps thundered as he walked toward her, each footfall sending faint tremors through the scorched ground. No one tried to stop him. No one even dared speak.
When he reached her, he stopped. The towering green-and-golden warrior, ten meters tall, looked down at the woman he loved.
"Jane," he said softly. "I'm here. And while I still draw breath, no one will lay a finger on you."
His body shrank rapidly, reverting from the godlike titan to his more human form—two meters tall, but no less imposing.
"I was so scared..." Jane muttered, her voice trembling.
And then, suddenly, she stood, her fear erupting into fury. She ran into his arms, beating lightly at his chest with clenched fists. "You idiot! You reckless, insane, infuriating man! You had me worried sick!"
William embraced her tightly, his voice gentle. "I know. I'm sorry, Jane. I never wanted to scare you."
Her anger melted into sobs as she clutched him tightly. "I thought I lost you. I thought I was going to die here alone."
"Never," he whispered into her hair, stroking her back tenderly. "I'll tear the stars apart before I let that happen."
They stood there for a moment, wrapped in each other.
Then Jane stepped back, sniffling, and gave him a look of mild horror. "Gods, can you please stop looking like a killer robot? It's creeping me out."
William raised an eyebrow, feigning seriousness. "This is my true form now. Forever. There's no turning back."
Jane blinked, startled. "No... No, that's not—" Her voice cracked.
He couldn't hold the grin. "Unless I find a particularly sharp piece of tofu to end it all with."
She gasped. "You lying jerk!"
"Haha! I just wanted to see how far your love goes," William teased. "You passed. With flying colors."
Jane growled, slapping his chest lightly again. "You're the worst."
"But I'm your worst," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
From behind a nearby pillar, Lady Sif watched with a conflicted expression.
Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword, knuckles white as she cut another Dark Elf into two pieces..
Jealousy. Rage. Longing.
She couldn't understand it.
Why did her heart ache when she saw Jane in his arms? Why did her stomach twist when she saw him smile?
She despised him.
She hated the way he fought like a mad beast. Hated how he disrespected Odin. Hated how he walked into Asgard and made a mockery of their laws.
And yet... she remembered how he'd stood tall, fearless before the Mangog.
How he cradled Jane like she was the only thing that mattered in the universe.
She bit her lip, hard, willing the thoughts away.
"I don't care," she whispered under her breath. "I don't care what he is. I won't fall for a monster."
But deep down, even she didn't believe her own words.
Back on the battlefield, Thor had recovered and stood beside Odin once more. "Father... that thing. Algrim... he's stronger than the cursed warriors from the old stories."
Odin's face was grim. "That is because he carries the final stone. The last cursed core forged from the Aether's creation. He is beyond even Frost Giants in brute strength. He is death incarnate."
Thor clenched his fists. "Then we fight death."
Still cradling Jane gently in his arms, William turned his head at the thunderous roar of Algrim echoing from the battlefield beyond.
With a smug grin on his lips, he murmured teasingly, "Aren't you happy knowing I can change back?"
Jane snorted, crossing her arms as she leaned into him. "If I wasn't happy, I'd demand you stay a walking toaster forever."
William laughed, low and soft, then kissed the top of her head. "Women. Always saying the opposite of what they mean. Clearly delighted, yet pretending to be annoyed."
"Maybe because someone keeps acting like a show-off instead of checking if I'm okay," Jane replied, giving him a light slap on the chest. "By the way, you smell like smoke and ego."
Their flirtation, light-hearted and warm, clashed with the chaos of the battlefield around them. All around, the clanging of steel rang out, spells detonated in bursts of arcane fire, and the cries of war echoed. Asgardian guards clashed with dark elves in brutal, frenzied combat. But near William and Jane, an eerie calm had settled. No one dared interrupt them.
That is—until a voice, sharp and venomous, sliced through the air like a blade.
"William!" Sif's voice boomed with fury from above. "Still cozying up with mortals in the middle of a war you caused?"
She leapt from a nearby tower, crashing down with her blade raised high, slashing at William mid-air with a fierce, whistling arc.
"I'll kill you myself!"
William didn't flinch. With one hand still holding Jane close, he raised his other arm and caught Sif's blade in his palm. Sparks erupted where metal met metal, as he held the weapon effortlessly, his eyes narrowing.
"Sif," he said, tone dark and amused, "I warned everyone not to disturb me. I should've known you'd be the exception."
"Let go," Sif snarled, trying to wrest her blade free, her face twisted with rage—and something else beneath it. Hurt. Maybe jealousy.
"This isn't my fault," William said coolly. "Odin's arrogance, your blind loyalty—that's what led to this."
"You smug, arrogant—!" Sif yanked her sword, but William didn't let go.
Jane stepped forward now, her voice rising. "You're blaming William? Seriously? You Asgardians are unbelievable. You tried to kill him. Failed. And now you act like he's the one who broke your toys."
Sif's eyes flashed toward Jane, livid. "He's a threat to us all."
"He's my partner," Jane snapped back. "You think he wanted any of this? If he hadn't unleashed his full power when you ambushed him, you would've killed him. And without him, you'd all be dead already. You should be thanking him."
"You brought the Aether here," Sif growled. "You led the dark elves to our gates."
"Do you really think they wouldn't have come?" Jane retorted. "Even if I stayed on Earth, they would've followed me—and slaughtered Earth to get the Aether. And what would Asgard have done? Watched from your rainbow bridge?"
William chuckled softly. "Jane, remind me never to argue with you."
"Because I'm always right," she replied smugly, though her hand gripped his tightly.
"I don't care," Sif said through gritted teeth. "The root of this chaos… is you." She dropped the sword entirely and rushed forward, fists clenched.
William sighed, catching her effortlessly by the arm mid-swing and spinning her into his chest.
"Now you're just throwing yourself into my arms, Sif," he said playfully, tightening his grip around her waist. "That's not very warrior goddess-like."
Sif thrashed, screaming in frustration. "Let me go, you monster!"
"Oh, no no. You're my prize now. Spoils of war and all that," William said with a wink.
"Prize? You think I'm just a trophy?" she hissed, her cheeks flushed—not just with rage, but something deeper, tangled and unspoken.
"What else could you be?" William whispered close to her ear, taunting. "So fierce… but so conflicted."
Sif's mouth parted, stunned by his words, a flicker of confusion in her eyes before it turned to renewed fury.
"Damn you!"
"Let her go!" a deep, commanding voice rang out.
William turned slowly to the new voice—one he recognized instantly.
"Heimdall," he muttered with a smirk. "Always the family protector."
Across the battlefield, the golden-armored guardian stood tall, his greatsword held with both hands, a solemn fire burning in his gaze.
"Release my sister," Heimdall said, his voice calm but filled with thunder.
William tilted his head. "Ah, I've missed this part. The dramatic showdown."
"Brother," Sif called, her voice wavering for a moment.
Heimdall didn't break his gaze from William. "You've threatened Asgard. Harmed my people. And now you insult my sister. I will end this."
William gently released Sif, who stumbled back, her expression unreadable. Then he cracked his knuckles, his smile never fading. "Then come try."
With a roar, Heimdall surged forward like a flash of lightning, sword glowing with golden energy. William met him head-on, their fists and blades colliding in a shockwave that shattered the stone beneath their feet.
The force of their impact knocked nearby warriors off their feet. The sky above darkened with swirling clouds, the battlefield stilled as all eyes turned to watch titans clash.
Blades sang, fists cracked like thunder, and divine energies clashed in brilliant arcs. Heimdall fought with the precision of a seasoned guardian—silent, unrelenting. William, on the other hand, was unpredictable, dancing between power and finesse, his strikes laced with arrogant confidence.
Watching from a distance, Jane clutched her chest, eyes wide. "Be careful…"
And further away, Sif clenched her fists. Rage still burned within her, but there was something else—something far more dangerous. A part of her that hated how her heart had fluttered in his grip… and hated herself even more for not resisting it.