Thor's familiar reckless dismissal of his own safety sent a jolt of shock through Loki, the other gods who had been blown away, and the Asgardian warriors fighting on the ground. It was as if they had been hit with a lightning bolt of inspiration. Thor's bravery was simply on another level. He might not have been a wise king, but he always led by example. He was a man who would drink with anyone and was full of heroic spirit and vigor.
On the battlefield, he was the living banner of Asgard, and the people followed him without question.
A faint smile appeared on Loki's pale face. In this moment, he forgot his jealousy and hatred. All he knew was that in Asgard's time of crisis, what he had to do was to fight the enemy alongside Thor, the gods, and all the Asgardian warriors.
He held the Eternal Spear, Gungnir, and a surge of golden energy erupted from it. The dazzling beam of destructive power struck the Serpent, making it stagger and forcing it to abandon its pursuit of Thor. With Loki's assistance, Thor laughed loudly, raising Mjolnir as a storm of thunder crashed down from the sky, bombarding the Serpent.
The Serpent's scaled body was singed black from the lightning, but it was just that—a singe. Against the formidable Serpent, Thor's attacks were merely a nuisance.
"Thor, you are just as fragile as your pathetic father!" the Serpent roared, its earth-shattering voice echoing throughout Asgard. It vented its power and destructive fury, and its power of fear began to gather from other realms, making it even stronger and more terrifying. To the Serpent, all the power that Thor had unleashed was nothing more than a tickle.
The terrible power of fear gathered and blanketed the skies of Asgard. This immense energy caused every living being in the kingdom to feel overwhelming terror. Even Thor and the other gods were knocked back and fell to the ground under its force. Warriors and civilians with weak wills collapsed, their resolute faces consumed by fear. Only a few could barely resist.
The entire kingdom of Asgard shook violently, and even the sea beneath the Bifrost roared and surged.
"Damn it..." Thor climbed to his feet and looked around. He saw the Asgardian warriors losing their courage. Just as he had been before, their faces were now filled with fear. The towering Sky Hammer Masters, wielding their massive hammers, strutted around, glaring at Thor, Loki, and the other gods with cold eyes.
It seemed that everything was already decided. The Serpent had defeated everyone with its unmatched strength. The army and their numbers were meaningless in the face of its might. It was a preordained fate; no matter how hard Thor and the gods fought, it was all futile.
Was it really?
Thor refused to believe it. He had overcome his fear, and he was no longer afraid of the Serpent. Everyone might be afraid of fear itself, but he would not retreat in cowardice.
"ASGARD!!!"
Thor roared toward the sky, and lightning surged from his eyes. He waved Mjolnir and charged fearlessly toward the Serpent, his belief firm and unwavering. Everyone stared on in a daze. He was knocked away again and again, but he stood up again and again. He wiped the blood from his mouth and charged once more, ready to fight until his last breath.
There were no passionate words, only the sight of him charging over and over again.
The eyes of the gods were bright with renewed purpose. The God of War, Tyr, raised his sword, engraved with his rune. He was the god of courage and war, a symbol of contracts, oaths, and glory. After being momentarily paralyzed by fear, he had now witnessed Thor's charge, and his courage was rekindled. Tyr's divine glory erupted, and without a word, he roared and rushed into the sky.
The gods of wisdom, light, darkness, and the forest, one by one, found their courage. They became brave and fearless, casting aside their fear of death and charging the Serpent, even though they knew it was an impossible fight.
And Loki, who had never been infected by fear, except for that one moment, was also one of them. He raised the Eternal Spear again and again, trying to control the Destroyer armor, but just as the Serpent had mocked, he was too weak, just like Thor. He was too weak to fully control the Eternal Spear and the Destroyer armor.
In the terrified and desperate eyes of all the people of Asgard, time seemed to slow down. One by one, all the gods—Thor, Loki, Tyr, the God of Wisdom, Sif, and the three Warriors of Asgard—fell under the Serpent's overwhelming power.
Its flapping wings created terrible gusts of wind, and its roar caused countless buildings to collapse. With every movement, the sea churned violently, sending waves crashing over the land of Asgard.
A profound silence descended. All the gods lay on the ground, defeated. Thor was caught in the Serpent's talons. Although it was called a serpent, its massive body was more like a Western dragon, with wings and talons, and only its head resembled a snake.
Thor had lost all his strength. As the Serpent held him, blood gushed from his mouth, staining his face. His head hung limply, and he was completely spent, having exhausted all his strength in his repeated charges. Even Mjolnir had slipped from his grasp and fallen to the ground.
"You are just as fragile as your father, Thor. I will kill you and Loki in front of your father and mother. I will make them suffer, and it will please me!"
"Hahahaha!"
The Serpent was ecstatic. He had done it. Ever since Odin had betrayed him, defeated him, and sealed him away, he had fantasized about this moment. Now, the joyous day had finally arrived. He would reclaim the throne, restore the glory of the God of Fear, and let terror rule the Nine Realms.
"Thor..."
Loki, lying on the ground, covered in blood and injuries, weakly raised his head. His vision was blurred, but he could still see Thor trapped in the Serpent's talons. He had given everything, yet he had still failed. A faint smile touched his lips as his consciousness began to fade. His legendary life had not even begun, yet it was already ending. His and Thor's corpses would bear witness to the Serpent ascending the throne.
Everyone was filled with despair. Blood flowed like a river through the ruins of Asgard, and the eyes of the fallen stared upward, filled with anger and unwillingness. The residents of Asgard watched in silent fear, praying in their hearts for the All-Father, Odin.
Boom!
The Serpent happily used its power to lift Asgard itself, revealing the scene in the royal bedroom. Odin lay in bed, seemingly unconscious and frail.
"Look! This is your former All-Father, so fragile that it makes me laugh!"
"Father..."
Thor barely opened his eyes and turned his head toward the bedroom. He could vaguely see the All-Father lying unconscious in bed, and his mother, Frigga, standing defiantly in front of her husband, facing the Serpent.
I'm sorry, Father, Mother. I failed. We all failed.
Thor and Loki shared this final thought.
The Serpent shook its talons, and Thor was tossed around like a doll, a sight that amused the creature. Realizing that Thor was on the verge of unconsciousness and could no longer be tormented, the Serpent grew bored and decided to kill him in front of Odin and Frigga. Unfortunately, the Serpent's curse of fear had severely wounded Odin, leaving him on the brink of death.
The Serpent held Thor in front of it and squeezed, intending to crush him alive before everyone's eyes. However, as it applied pressure, it suddenly felt an immense, sacred power coming from its talons. This vast, divine power blocked its strength.
Boom!
A brilliant golden light erupted from the Serpent's claws, forcing them apart. Thor was enveloped in a golden holy light, floating peacefully in the air. This sudden turn of events shocked everyone.
On the ground, the Goddess of Winter, Casti, holding her Sky Hammer, felt a sudden premonition. Her expression changed. "This is..."
The next moment, the sky over Asgard shimmered with bright stars, which formed into beautiful constellations. Dazzling starlight poured down, forming golden pillars of light that connected the heavens and the earth. A powerful, sacred sound filled the air, and golden particles rained down upon every person in Asgard.
The Asgardian warriors who had been severely injured and cursed by fear felt a profound clarity wash over them. The fear was expelled, their courage was restored, and their wounded bodies began to heal under the vast power of the golden particles. Even Odin's condition began to improve. Under the dazzling holy light, all darkness and fear were driven away.
As the golden pillars of light dissipated, all the Asgardian warriors, Loki, Tyr, and the other gods stood up, their faces filled with disbelief and shock at the miraculous scene before them.
In the sky, tall figures had appeared. Warriors wearing bronze, silver, and magnificent golden armor stood in formation, guarding a king who was sitting on a throne in the center.
The tall figure on the throne was elegant and divine. The king calmly looked at the Serpent. He saw Thor floating in the air, slowly recovering under the golden particles. With a lazy wave of his hand, Thor was suddenly teleported to the ground, landing in front of Loki and the other gods.
"Thor?"
"Thor, are you okay?"
The gods, Sif, and the three Warriors of Asgard rushed toward him with concern. Loki stood there, looking up at the figure on the throne, and a sense of relief washed over him.
"I'm fine. They saved us." Thor regained his awareness, feeling the surging divine power and strength in his body. He stretched, shook his head, and looked up at the sky.
The others followed his gaze, all of them shocked and grateful. Except for Sif and Tyr, everyone else was a little confused. "He is from Midgard. He is a very great God-King, and he is an Asgardian of Midgard," Tyr explained in a low voice to the other gods who didn't know.
The gods nodded with respect. In Asgard's moment of crisis, this Asgardian of Midgard, the God-King, had saved them, earning him their respect and gratitude. "Those warriors are incredibly strong. By Odin, this is unbelievable!" exclaimed Volstagg, a brave and boisterous member of the Warriors Three. The tough man's attention was focused on the Saints guarding the God-King. There were men and women, wearing beautiful armor, and he could feel their incredibly powerful auras. Their majestic, sacred power and vitality felt like a burning star. Just looking at them, he felt like he might be scorched.
Volstagg pondered a question with his simple mind. Midgard, that once backward and ignorant country, had only existed for a few years, yet it had produced such a powerful god and so many powerful warriors. He felt as though each one of them was no weaker than Thor—perhaps even stronger.
No, that's impossible. Thor is the most outstanding descendant of the Odinson family. He is destined to be a great king in the future. These people can't be stronger than Thor... can they?
After a second glance, Volstagg had his doubts.
The others were silent, staring at the incredibly beautiful and ornate armor. How could they look so much better than their own? Many of these warriors were women, and they seemed a little "thin" to the tough Asgardian men, but they didn't judge them. Judging by the powerful auras they felt, their physical appearance was irrelevant. To discriminate against them would probably result in a swift and painful beating.
"You are from Midgard. You are the one who makes me feel threatened?" The Serpent's huge eyes stared at the man on the throne, and its mighty voice boomed in everyone's ears.
Leon rested his chin on his hand, as if he couldn't be bothered to respond. The Serpent felt humiliated by his arrogant indifference, and its massive body shifted in the sky, emitting a vast and supreme pressure that swept toward Leon and the others.
Leon's eyes, like black gemstones, flashed with a blue holy light.
Boom!
His majestic divine power erupted like a volcano, meeting the Serpent's power head-on. The collision of the two celestial-level auras caused the entire continent of Asgard to shake violently. Powerful winds raged, and the ocean surged even more violently.
(End of Chapter)
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