Minos departed — taking with him the Fate Star of Kerr, the Goddess of Destiny.
Clearly, he held little interest in the so-called Power of the Rune King.
After all, that strength did not belong to a warrior of the Underworld. Passing it to Thor was simply part of a plan of his own.
S.H.I.E.L.D. — Helicarrier Headquarters
Director Nick Fury sat before the glowing screens, his expression dark as night.The army had already been mobilized, and even superheroes from other nations were beginning to move.
The lines on Fury's face were etched deep; his single eye remained fixed on the incoming streams of reports.
"Sir! Director Fury!"
An agent hurried in, visibly tense.
"We've just received word from the North American Orbital Defense Center! Two more meteorites have entered Earth's atmosphere—three minutes ago!"
Fury pressed his temple with one gloved hand, forcing down his irritation.
"Get me Phil Coulson."
Moments later, Agent Coulson arrived, clutching a fresh report.
"Director."
"Any word yet from the team that went to the Earth's Temple?" Fury asked sharply.
Coulson shook his head.
"Nothing from our agents in the Vatican. They… haven't come back up yet."
Fury's face hardened, his patience thinning to the edge.
"Go. I'll handle it from here."
As Coulson departed, Fury's thoughts turned grim.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s available heroes were few: War Machine, Spider-Man, and Falcon — none of them powerhouses on the scale the crisis demanded.
And they were already deployed, assisting Elder Bai's operations overseas.
"If I reached out to him now… would he even answer?" Fury muttered. Then he shook his head."No. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't rely on gods."
To beg aid from divine powers would yield nothing but disaster.
Even if he wanted to contact the Underworld Army, the only link to them lay within the Papal State — through the Bishops and His Highness, the Pope.That was a line Fury couldn't cross, even if his conscience allowed it.
Paris, France — City of Ruins
The so-called City of Romance had become a city of death.
Streets lay in rubble; walls were cratered and scorched.Bodies littered the ground, faceless and forgotten.
Police cruisers and armored vehicles were overturned, some melted, some shattered — all reduced to scrap by a mysterious, overwhelming force.
And above the chaos, suspended in the sky, hovered a man clad in gray iron armor, a massive warhammer gripped in his hand.A blue cloak snapped behind him in the wind.
The Gray Gargoyle.
No — he could no longer be called that.
Now he was Mok, the Fallen Believer.
Once a super-criminal, he had become something far worse — granted divine power from beyond the heavens.
To mortal eyes, he was a god.
With a gaze like Medusa's, he turned every living being into cold, unfeeling stone, staining Paris with the color of despair.
The French military, the police, even their local heroes — all had fallen.
In less than half a day, Mok had accomplished what even the Venerable Skyhammers of the Serpent's army had failed to do.
"Hahaha! When our great master ascends as the new God-King, I shall be his strongest Skyhammer Venerable!"
Paris had completely fallen.
Stone statues lined the streets, and what remained of its heroes lay buried beneath them.
To Mok, it was nothing.
"Yes," he laughed, "I, Mok, am the strongest of all Skyhammers! Even Her Highness Skadi is nothing compared to me!"
As his cold laughter echoed through the ruined skies, the heavens above Paris grew even darker, cloaked in dread.
Asgard — The Great Hall of the Gods
Summoned by Odin, the gods once again assembled in the grand, golden hall.
The All-Father stood at the throne's base, Gungnir in hand.He wore no armor — only his robes — yet the weight of his presence filled the chamber.
The gods took their places.Moments later, Thor entered, thunder hammer in hand.
"My lords," Thor announced, "with the aid of Hades, King of the Underworld, the eternal curse of Ragnarök has been lifted!"
The gods murmured in relief, smiles spreading across divine faces.
But Odin's voice rose again, deep and grave.
"However! Though the curse of Twilight has ended, the danger has not passed."
His gaze swept the room.
"The great serpent Kur has awakened. To prevent the cycle from repeating, I hereby give new orders."
"Heimdall!"
A towering figure in golden armor stepped forward, his sword of shining Uru metal gleaming.He knelt on one knee.
"You will watch over Midgard. Should any anomaly occur, you are to seal the Bifrost at once — sever all connection between realms!"
"Yes, All-Father!"
Odin nodded.
This time, he would not bow to prophecy.
"Thor!" he continued. "You shall lead a contingent of Asgard's finest to Midgard. Aid humanity against the Serpent's resurrected Skyhammers! Let the serpent learn who the true King of Asgard is!"
Thor's eyes blazed with determination as he stepped forward.
"Your Majesty… and the prophecy?"
Odin shook his head.
He had once done everything to avert Ragnarök — to defy destiny.
Now, he no longer feared it.
What was a god of fear to him?
Midgard might belong to the Nine Realms, but its true protector — its unseen ruler — was now Hades himself.
"War may come," Odin declared, "but the warriors of Asgard have never feared war!"
"By your command!" the gods roared.
Earth — Paris
Paris was lost.Every life had turned to stone.
"Hahahahaha! I am Mok, the Faithless! The mightiest servant of His Majesty, the Serpent!"
He bellowed his madness into the empty streets.
Then—
A strange fragrance filled the air.
Mok froze. His nostrils flared. He glanced down—
At his feet, black mandala flowers had bloomed silently across the ground.
Clang… clang… clang…
The sound of metal footsteps echoed through the ruins.
A shadow approached slowly from afar — tall, dark, and draped in armor.
In his hand, he carried a single white mandala flower.
(End of Chapter)
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