"Then why do you want me to go to Hel? You're not asking me to befriend Hela, are you?" Richard asked directly, not wasting mental energy guessing Odin's intentions.
As soon as he finished speaking, Odin replied with evident emotion, "I hope you'll go to Hel to defeat her and make her realize that even if she returns to Asgard, she cannot match your power."
On the surface, Odin's request seemed straightforward. However, the situation was more complex than it appeared.
Not only was Hela not someone who surrendered easily, but even if he could defeat her in Hel, she wouldn't be convinced. Only by returning to Asgard could Hela exert her full strength.
After more than ten seconds of contemplative silence, Richard continued, "Do you want to release her?"
"I do consider it," Odin admitted slowly. "If she hadn't conceived plans to conquer all Nine Realms, I wouldn't have imprisoned her in Hel with my own hands. Regardless of everything else, she remains my daughter."
Richard couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but after Odin spoke these words, the All-Father seemed to have aged visibly.
Is his time running out? This thought immediately occurred to Richard.
Since this wasn't the movie universe, he couldn't predict Odin's death based on cinematic timeline.
After brief consideration, he said slowly, "I can go to Hel, but I can't guarantee Hela will admit defeat after I defeat her. She's been imprisoned by you for over two thousand years—the resentment in her heart may be even greater than before."
While Hela was the Goddess of Death, she was also a woman. Additionally, Hela's original ambitions to conquer the Nine Realms had stemmed primarily from Odin's teachings.
In other words, without Odin's influence and example, Hela might never have developed such conquest-driven ideas.
"It doesn't matter if you fail—just do your best," Odin said calmly.
As Hela's father, he understood her character better than anyone. Even if Richard couldn't convince Hela, as long as he could defeat her, that would suffice.
This would mean that after his death, even if Richard chose not to honor his promise to stop Hela, she would actively seek him out. When that time came, Richard would have no choice but to act, whether he wanted to or not.
Simply put, even if Richard couldn't convince Hela this time, the encounter could still make Hela resent him.
"When do you want me to go to Hel?" Richard asked directly without further discussion.
"The sooner the better. If you have no other obligations, I can send you to Hel immediately," Odin replied quickly.
"Then let's do it now," Richard said casually.
For him, there was no essential difference between going now or later.
"Very well—now it is."
Odin stood up and channeled his Odin-Force at the Skyfather level. With a flash of golden light, his white robes transformed into gleaming golden armor. Simultaneously, Gungnir, the Eternal Spear, materialized in his grasp.
Though his appearance hadn't changed dramatically, after donning golden armor and wielding the Eternal Spear, Odin's presence immediately shifted from kindly grandfather to an imposing, invincible king.
Seeing Odin summon his armor and Eternal Spear, Richard's first thought wasn't how much more commanding Odin appeared, but whether he should acquire equally impressive and stylish armor himself.
While he didn't possess Odin-Force, he had magical power to accomplish similar transformations.
After brief consideration, he abandoned the idea of magically creating armor. Sephiroth's black coat was stylish enough—adding armor would be excessive.
After summoning his regalia, Odin moved to the study's center. Under Richard's watchful gaze, Gungnir's tip began glowing with golden light.
Odin raised the Eternal Spear and made two casual strokes through the air. As Gungnir passed through space, a torn spatial fissure immediately appeared in the study's middle.
The crack's direction matched perfectly with the spear tip's trajectory.
In other words, Odin had used the Eternal Spear to cut through space itself, creating a passage to Hel.
Is this the background of a veteran Skyfather-level powerhouse?
Richard mused internally. While he possessed considerable strength—not inferior to Odin's—compared to someone who'd lived for millions of years, his experience remained limited.
When the spatial crack appeared, Richard immediately mobilized his internal magical power without hesitation. With a flash of blue light, his clothing instantly transformed into Sephiroth's identical black coat.
He didn't immediately withdraw Masamune from his system space but turned to Odin and asked, "Does time flow the same in Hel as in Asgard?"
"Yes—whatever time passes in Hel also passes in Asgard," Odin confirmed.
Hearing Odin's response, Richard said nothing more and entered the spatial rift with calm composure.
Though he'd never visited Hel before, the spatial passage Odin created resembled the Bifrost Bridge. The moment he entered the fissure, a pulling force enveloped him, guiding his flight toward the passage's opposite exit.
Within ten seconds, he reached the spatial passage's exit and officially arrived in Hel.
After delivering him to Hel, Odin immediately closed the spatial channel without hesitation.
Richard didn't concern himself with the closing passage and surveyed his surroundings.
This Hel looks remarkably ordinary.
Richard observed the surrounding scenery and immediately formed this assessment.
Though Hel was one of the Nine Realms, he felt less like he was in the realm of the dead and more like he'd arrived on a desolate alien planet.
Gray skies and earth stretched endlessly. No signs of life were visible anywhere. While the temperature wasn't particularly low, an unmistakable sensation of coldness and death permeated the atmosphere.
Just as Richard was noting how different this Hel was from his expectations, a figure suddenly appeared in the distance.
Though the distance was considerable, for Richard with his super vision, this posed no problem whatsoever. Without effort, he could clearly observe the person's appearance and clothing.
Sharp black hair and a form-fitting black leather outfit with numerous openings, revealing pristine white skin beneath. Her face possessed angular features with a prominent nose bridge and distinct "dark circles" around her eyes.
Her tall figure and sharply defined facial features conveyed an aura of composure and authority.
The person who appeared in Richard's sight was none other than Hela, who had been imprisoned by Odin for over two thousand years.
Whether considering her clothing or appearance, Hela matched Richard's memories perfectly.
If any difference existed, it was that Hela now radiated undisguised murderous intent.
Obviously, she'd confirmed that the recent spatial channel had been opened by Odin.
Though she didn't know Richard's identity, that didn't matter to her. Regardless of who Richard was, since Odin had sent him to Hel, she wouldn't let him leave easily.
At minimum, she should vent her accumulated anger from over two millennia of imprisonment on Richard.
It didn't take long for Hela to reach Richard.
After examining him briefly, she spoke in a matter-of-fact, condescending tone befitting a queen: "Kneel!"
Of course!
Richard clearly remembered that in the movie universe, the first words Hela spoke upon seeing Loki and Thor were demanding they kneel.
He didn't respond to Hela and withdrew Masamune from his system space.
After witnessing him summon the sword from thin air, Hela mobilized her divine death power, turning her wrist to manifest a distinctive black blade in her hand.
"Kneel!" she repeated. "Before your queen!"
"First, you're not qualified to make me kneel," Richard replied with calm expression. "Second, I'm not Asgardian, and you're not my queen. Finally, I'm here to defeat you."
Though Hela now radiated intense murderous intent and powerful aura, his expression remained completely serene.
Judging from the aura and vital energy Hela emanated, her strength matched his expectations—she wasn't at Skyfather level.
Not only currently, but even if Hela returned to Asgard, he didn't believe her strength would improve to match Odin's level.
In other words, he could now be certain that Hela was definitely not his equal.
After hearing his words, Hela said nothing more and immediately raised her right hand, hurling the black sword.
Though the blade wasn't designed as a throwing weapon, the black sword Hela launched exploded forward at astonishing velocity.
In just an eyeblink, the weapon reached Richard.
However, just as the black sword was about to strike him, silver light flashed.
Clang!
With a casual gesture, Richard used Masamune to deflect the black sword Hela had thrown.
"Isn't an attack of this caliber somewhat contemptuous?" Richard asked Hela.
Hela didn't answer but raised both hands, lightly touching her head.
The next second, a black helmet with five pairs of sharp horns of varying lengths appeared on her head.
With the helmet's manifestation, Richard could clearly sense Hela's aura strengthening.
Under his observation, Hela summoned two black swords simultaneously and approached him unhurriedly.
Seeing this scene, Richard—gripping Masamune—also advanced toward Hela.
When the distance between them shortened to less than two meters, they swung their weapons simultaneously.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Masamune and the black blades collided continuously, producing clear metallic impacts.
Whether considering sharpness or durability, the black swords Hela summoned were far inferior to Masamune.
However, the black blades possessed an advantage Masamune lacked: unlimited quantity.
As long as the death power within Hela's body wasn't exhausted, she could manifest as many black swords as desired.
Not only could she create normal-sized black swords, but she could also use death power to generate blades hundreds or even thousands of meters long.
Naturally, larger swords consumed proportionally more death power. Hela generally avoided such techniques unless absolutely necessary.
Every impact resulted in Masamune cutting through a black blade. However, Hela didn't concern herself with this at all—she could summon replacement weapons instantly.
Compared to consumed black swords, she was more interested in Richard's swordsmanship.
Based purely on observing Richard's technique, she knew his strength wasn't as limited as she'd initially assumed.
In other words, Richard was the most skilled swordsman she'd ever encountered.
Who is this person?
Hela's expression began growing serious.
Though she didn't recognize Richard, she could clearly sense his life signature remained in a very youthful stage—only his twenties.
In Asgard, someone in their twenties was still essentially an infant.
Compared to humans whose maximum lifespans barely exceeded a century, Asgardians were only considered adults upon reaching 1,000 years of age.
Unlike Hela, whose expression was becoming increasingly serious, Richard's composure remained as calm as ever.
This level of combat didn't even constitute a warm-up for him.
After cutting through Hela's black swords again, Richard—who had been using basic techniques—finally began employing Sephiroth's abilities.
Gravesong!
In an instant, he executed four fluid slashes, attacking Hela with lightning speed.
Witnessing Richard's Gravesong, Hela immediately assumed a defensive posture, crossing the black swords in her hands to block.
Simultaneously, she mobilized death power within her body to reinforce the weapons.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
With additional death power enhancement, the black swords finally blocked Richard's Gravesong.
However, the blades were still severed into pieces by Masamune.
Without hesitation, Hela summoned two new black swords. Her legs suddenly exerted force, and she retreated dozens of meters instantly.
At this point, she was absolutely certain she held no advantage in direct close combat.
Richard wasn't inferior to her in strength, speed, reaction time, or skill.
Seeing Hela retreat, Richard immediately understood her intentions.
Obviously, Hela wanted to change tactics and attempt long-range attacks.
Richard wouldn't allow Hela to achieve her goal.
As Hela retreated, he immediately used super speed and appeared before her like a phantom.
Octaslash!
Eight lightning-fast strikes immediately targeted Hela.
Facing Richard's Octaslash, Hela could only position her black swords defensively again, attempting to block the technique.
However, this time, even with death power enhancement, Hela still failed to block Richard's attack.
On the surface, Octaslash only contained four more strikes than Gravesong.
In reality, Octaslash's power far exceeded Gravesong's.
Octaslash was one of Sephiroth's signature techniques, its power vastly surpassing both Gravesong and Hell's Gate.