"Heartless Blade, First Form—Sever All Things!"
Like a thunderclap from the heavens, the blade was drawn.
A radiant burst of multicolored light surged from the Heartless Blade, enveloping the elegant weapon—shaped like a fusion between a katana and an ancient saber—in a shimmering aura, as if it wore wings of a rainbow.
This was power rivaling the fully-powered Infinity Gauntlet adorned with all six stones, now roaring and crackling with fury.
Even if it was merely the residual energy from the Heart of the Universe, even if it was just faint remnants—vanishing after three strikes—this kind of cosmic divine power, when channeled into a weapon's edge, became destruction incarnate, quite literally world-shattering.
If an ordinary person were to wield the Heartless Blade and swing it recklessly, the power to "cut through all things" would likely cleave the entire interstellar continent of Asgard in two.
But that wasn't what Kagura intended.
So as she swung the blade, she activated a conceptual skill that allowed her to restrict the area of effect, tightly confining the devastating strike into a controlled space.
And everything within that space... was erased in a single instant—reduced to true nothingness.
[Annihilation Blade: Activated!]
Annihilation Blade was a counter skill by nature, which inherently possessed the qualities of energy binding and concentration.
When used not as a counter, but as a proactive strike, it retained that elegance—transforming into an ultimate slash of sublime beauty and overwhelming force.
'Sssching—!'
The Heartless Blade sliced through the air like a fine silver thread.
Kagura and Hela passed each other, their figures crossing in an instant.
'BOOM——!'
A blinding column of light shot skyward.
The power to incinerate all of Asgard had been compressed into just one meter and three inches of space, and from there, it erupted with cataclysmic force.
Energy beyond infinity shattered the very limits of the "Infinite Conceptual Skill System," roaring skyward with residual divine energy—exploding into a dazzling firework above Asgard's sky, a sight unlike anything ever witnessed.
The people of Asgard should be grateful that the slash was aimed toward the sky.
Had it been aimed downward, their divine realm would now feature a gaping crater stretching across its entire continent...
"Such power… what a terrifying strike…"
Hela whispered, her voice soft and low.
"Surely, using something like that must come at a cost… You've suffered, haven't you, little sister?"
"Haaah—"
Kagura didn't answer immediately.
She exhaled, a long and searing breath escaping her lips. Then, she slowly sheathed the Heartless Blade.
"This power," she said calmly, "is the cornerstone to reshaping fate."
"I see… Kagura, my dearest sister… I truly felt your resolve."
'Thud!'
Hela dropped to her knees.
Her eyes were filled with reverence—reverence not for a person, but for the supreme cosmic force that had just been wielded before her.
Though the area of the slash had been tiny, within that space, everything—matter, energy, even space itself—had been annihilated.
Even the concept of "meaning" was erased without a trace.
Her left hand was gone.
So was a chunk of the Rainbow Bridge behind her.
Not even the faintest remnants remained.
The cross-section of her shoulder was smooth and mirror-like, a flawless cut.
It was as if the world had simply skipped over that piece of reality—as though someone had deleted it from existence like a puzzle piece that was never meant to be.
"That strike... it could've erased me completely from existence, couldn't it?"
Hela looked up and asked, her tone neither angry nor afraid.
"I felt it—that overwhelming power. It far surpasses anything the Aesir gods could dream of. It was a true cosmic authority…"
"No," Kagura said gently.
"I was never going to kill you, sister. I told you already—I only wanted to save you from your destiny of destruction and death. I wanted to give Asgard a future."
"Everything I've done… I did it for you. For my sister."
Hela smiled faintly.
"Such a beautiful dream… hard to believe it's real."
"And yet, somehow… you made it real."
The Goddess of Death slowly lifted her head. With her remaining right hand, she gently brushed Kagura's cheek.
"Thank you, dear sister… You've shown me things I never thought I'd see."
"You reminded me that… there is still beauty in this world."
The one who defeated Hela wasn't Earth's fleet.
It wasn't the YoRHa army.
It wasn't Thor or Loki.
And it wasn't even Kagura.
Even the world-ending Annihilation Blade was nothing more than the closing punctuation—a period at the end of a long sentence.
What truly broke Hela's hatred…
What made her lay down her blade and abandon war…
Was Kagura's heart.
Her voice, her sincerity.
Her hope for peace.
Her desperate wish for her sister to live on.
Her belief that the world still held beauty—something worth cherishing.
Her voice was the embodiment of her purpose… and her soul.
It was over.
Ragnarök had passed.
Tomorrow, Asgard's sun would rise again.
And the silver-haired, golden-eyed automaton girl had, with her own two hands, rewritten the fate of the divine realm—and sowed the seeds of hope for reshaping the destiny of the entire universe.
———————————————————————
Two Days Later – The Asgardian Temple
Twilight had faded. The gods had returned.
Thor, the God of Thunder, finally accepted the mantle of "All-Father," taking his seat in the grand temple of Asgard.
With Loki at his side, he began the dawn of a new era.
Hela chose self-imposed exile and self-redemption.
She returned to Hell—the realm where the souls of Asgard were judged—resuming her divine authority over death and rebirth.
From there, she watched over Asgard, quietly guarding her still-inexperienced brother, Thor, the newly crowned All-Father.
With Hela's return to her rightful domain, the people of Asgard were finally freed from the ancient curse that bound their souls to Valhalla after death.
Now, the soul-energy of the departed could be reincarnated according to their will, and the cycle of life and death in the divine realm was finally restored to its natural order.
Inside the grand hall, Thor had just finished a long day of dealing with state affairs and was resting in a side chamber.
"Brother, working hard again, huh?" Loki strolled in with his usual smirk.
"So? How does it feel to sit on the throne? Must be pretty satisfying, right?"
"Want to give it a try yourself?"
Thor chuckled.
"I wouldn't mind passing a law where we take turns sitting on it."
"I'll pass."
Loki waved his hand dismissively.
"If we did that, Mother wouldn't be too happy. I'll find a throne of my own one day… but it's clear now that Asgard's throne isn't for me."
Thor looked at him, clearly pleased.
"You've matured, Loki. It's good to see you standing beside me, ruling Asgard together."
"Of course. It's my honor."
Loki gave a slight bow, then glanced toward a nearby room.
"By the way—how's Kagura?"
"Kagura…?" Thor glanced over. "Still the same. Sleeping."
He pointed toward the bedroom off to the side.
"It's been two days. Aside from eating, she's done nothing but sleep. She looks completely exhausted."
"Hmm…"
Loki stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"As expected. Using cosmic-level power far beyond the norm must have taken a serious toll on her."
"The Heartless Blade…"
Thor paused mid-bite, lowering his food.
"That first strike alone drained her this much… I can't imagine what would've happened if she had swung it three times…"
Loki stepped forward and clapped Thor on the shoulder.
"Think about it, Thor. Why do you think Kagura pushed herself so hard to help save Asgard?"
"How far must we have fallen… how much must we have failed… for that fragile girl to have to wield the Heartless Blade again and again just to protect us?"
"You're right," Thor said, rising to his feet, his voice filled with resolve.
"As her older brother figure, I won't let her keep carrying such burdens alone!"
He raised his voice with determination.
"She gave us the chance at a better future—now it's our turn to make sure she gets the happiness she deserves!"
"Keep it down in there, will you?! How's anyone supposed to sleep with all that yelling?!"
Came an immediate angry shout from the room next door—Kagura, clearly not amused.