The entire noisy coliseum fell silent at once.
The terrifying lightning strike that should have annihilated the Overlord Xiang Yu had suddenly vanished—it was downright eerie.
"What just happened?"
"Lord Thor's lightning disappeared?"
"Was he just intimidating his opponent?"
"Or did he think using such a move was overkill, so he withdrew the attack?"
Some gods, unable to comprehend what had transpired with their limited perception, made such remarks.
But for those who could see more clearly, the implications were utterly shocking.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"That human dispersed Lord Thor's lightning?"
For a moment, they questioned their own sanity, wondering if they were hallucinating.
Even the principal gods who had watched more closely now shed their earlier looks of disdain.
"This just got interesting,"
Zeus of Greek mythology chuckled, his grin ferocious.
If this human had merely survived Thor's lightning strike—even unscathed—it would have been astonishing enough.
But this was beyond astonishing.
This human had actually shattered the lightning before it could strike the ground. That was what truly staggered him.
How could anyone be that fast?
What had happened earlier?
This current feat was worlds apart.
Was it just because he'd switched weapons?
Was the secret hidden in that weapon?
But overall, it seemed to be the combined effort of both the human and his weapon. What exactly was going on?
Zeus couldn't help but glance with amusement at the Valkyrie opposite him.
"W-what happened, Sister Brun?"
Göll asked, bewildered.
The moment the lightning flashed, she had shut her eyes tight.
Not because the light stung—she simply couldn't bear to witness the gruesome aftermath.
In her mind, that strike would leave the Overlord Xiang Yu utterly annihilated, reduced to ashes.
And the human spectators would only plunge deeper into despair at such an overwhelming display of power.
Yet the expected earth-shaking impact never came. Instead, an eerie silence followed.
So when she cautiously opened her eyes, it appeared as if nothing had happened at all.
Following that was the confusion and bewilderment of the audience.
"If you want to know, then don't close your eyes."
Brunhilde, who answered like this, also flashed a provocative smile at the several gazes directed her way from the opposite side.
Then, she turned her attention back to the figure in the arena, whose performance had exceeded her expectations.
He had actually dispersed Thor's lightning strike.
This scene marked a moment when humans and gods were changing history.
"Mmm."
Göll nodded, not pressing her sister for further explanation.
She could piece together the gist from the fragmented words of other spectators.
But before she could listen carefully to what the informed audience members were saying, the two in the arena had already sprung into action.
The two figures vanished in an instant.
No—they hadn't disappeared; their speed was simply too fast for the naked eye to follow.
When their forms were finally captured again, they stood face to face in the center of the arena as if they had teleported.
"Boom—!"
A dull metallic clang rang out as the forces from both sides collided, compressed to the extreme before exploding outward in all directions.
Thus, a powerful shockwave rippled through the air.
It was only because this arena was specially reinforced that it withstood the impact. Had this battle taken place in an ordinary stadium in the mortal world, not just the platform but the entire arena would have been instantly reduced to rubble.
"W-what an incredible sight..."
Heimdall, the gatekeeper of the end who served as both the announcer and referee, voiced his astonishment.
Before his eyes, the two combatants were swinging their weapons at speeds so fast he could barely keep up.
In the blink of an eye, countless clashes had already occurred.
Each swing and collision generated heat, and the sheer speed of their movements caused friction with the air, producing even more heat.
As a result, the temperature around the two fighters was rapidly rising.
"This is evenly matched, truly—"
Heimdall's voice caught in his throat. It wasn't evenly matched—one side was gradually being overwhelmed.
And the one struggling to hold their ground was none other than the god Thor.
In the next instant, the Overlord Xiang Yu delivered a fierce upward strike, sending Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, flying through the air.
In the next instant, two more shots flashed like lightning, shattering Thor's iron gauntlets into countless fragments that scattered through the air.
Yet at this moment, Overlord Xiang Yu did something utterly bewildering—he ceased his attack and casually leaned his spear aside.
Logically speaking, with Thor's gauntlets and weapon destroyed, he should have pressed his advantage. Instead, he abandoned it?
Was he planning to fight bare-handed now? Did he think that would make it fair?
"What—what is he doing?!"
Göll clutched her hair and shrieked.
At a time like this, he's still concerned about fairness?
Had Overlord Xiang Yu lost his mind?
"What is he trying to accomplish?"
Even Brunhilde couldn't comprehend this behavior.
He had just destroyed Thor's divine artifact—victory was practically within reach. Yet the Overlord had also set aside his own weapon.
What was he thinking? Did he truly intend to fight hand-to-hand?
Wasn't he worried Thor might reclaim Mjölnir?
Well, that wouldn't be possible anymore. Thor's iron gauntlets, Járngreipr, were specifically designed to protect his hands.
Without them, wielding Mjölnir would be impossible—his hands couldn't withstand the hammer's power.
That was precisely why Brunhilde had arranged for her fourth sister, Randgriz, to take the field.
Randgriz's unique trait was as a "Shield Breaker," meant to destroy even divine artifacts like the iron gauntlets, rendering Thor unable to use Mjölnir.
Suddenly, Brunhilde's expression shifted. She sensed the Overlord severing his connection with the spear.
What was this man thinking? Did he believe that without his divine weapon, Thor could be defeated purely by human strength?
Just how arrogant was he?!
Yet then, he uttered words that left everyone stunned.
"The thing suppressing your power is gone. Show me your true strength now, Thor!"
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