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Not long after, in the royal palace of Asgard—
"Father, are you seriously going to fight that Midgardian?"
Loki, dressed in ornate armor with an odd helmet shaped like antlers, looked at his father in disbelief.
"Yes. After this battle—whether I win or lose—I might…"
Odin looked at his adopted son with gentle eyes, showing the love of a father perhaps for the first time.
"So no matter what happens, don't seek revenge for me."
"Loki, my dear child, I know how clever you are—but I hope you'll use that brilliance to support your brother and rebuild Asgard."
There was no fear in Odin's face, despite the possibility of death.
What weighed on his mind was Asgard's future.
After all, neither Thor nor Loki had truly grown into the leaders they needed to be.
He didn't know how they'd deal with his eldest daughter when she eventually broke free from her seal.
"Father—I've got an idea."
Lost in thought, Loki hadn't really been paying attention to Odin's heartfelt advice.
But now, a sudden burst of excitement lit up his face.
"Father, why don't we just ally with the other powerful races in the Nine Realms? Like the Frost Giants or the Dark Elves—they've all had their eyes on Midgard for ages!"
"We promise them a piece of Midgard's land after the war, then unite and launch a full-scale invasion."
"That Midgardian, no matter how strong, can't possibly defend the entire Earth and protect every single weak human on it!"
"Blood will soak the ground, and the Nine Realms will see just how powerful Asgard really is! No one will dare challenge us again—"
Loki laid out his plan in full, getting more and more hyped up with every word.
He was clearly itching to fight, eager to claim glory for Asgard.
"And after we win, we can use Midgard's land to stir up conflict between the Frost Giants and the Dark Elves. With them fighting each other, no one will ever be able to threaten Asgard's claim as rulers of the Nine Realms again!"
As the God of Mischief, Loki had cooked up a triple-play scheme in seconds.
But in his excitement, he completely missed the odd look in Odin's and Frigga's eyes.
They weren't proud—they looked... regretful.
"Sigh... Loki, it's my failure as a father that made you this way."
Facing death, Odin didn't have the heart to scold Loki anymore. His kind gaze now held deep regret.
"You have to understand—a wise ruler never starts a war."
"Even when war becomes unavoidable, a true king faces it with honor and courage—not deceit and tricks. It took me a lifetime to learn that lesson... too bad..."
Odin looked at Loki and spoke slowly, trying one last time to guide him back onto the right path.
But Loki? He just looked like a rebellious kid who refused to listen.
Loki glared at Odin, furious.
"Why don't any of you understand me? Everything I've done—everything—was for you, for Asgard, for the thousands of people who live here!"
"Hah, it's always been about Thor, hasn't it? Ever since we were kids, you only had eyes for him. It's like I was never really his brother… never really your son!"
Loki's anger boiled over. He pointed at Odin, letting out years of resentment and pain that had built up from being ignored.
"Loki, that's enough!"
Frigga couldn't stay silent anymore and cut in sharply to stop him.
"Hmph! One day, I'll prove to you all that you were wrong. That I'm more fit to rule Asgard than that foolish brother of mine ever was!"
Without another word, Loki turned and stormed off.
The great hall fell into silence.
After a long pause, Odin finally spoke, his voice heavy.
"How's Thor?"
"He's seriously injured, but his life isn't in danger. In fact… his divine power is growing inside him. It's healing his broken body."
"Next time he wakes up, he might be even stronger than before," Frigga replied, describing Thor's current state.
"That's good to hear… But I wonder if he'll truly recover from the blow of defeat."
Odin wasn't worried about Thor's body—he was worried about his heart, and whether he could bounce back from failure.
"At least… I still have you," Odin looked at Frigga, almost as if entrusting her with something.
"There's really no other way?" she asked, unable to hide the sorrow in her eyes as she looked at the man who once dominated the Nine Realms.
"I used to be so proud and ambitious," Odin began, his voice distant. "I dreamed of conquering the entire Nine Realms—maybe even the whole universe."
"I even had the dwarves forge a special weapon for me, just so I could collect the mysterious Infinity Stones…"
"But eventually, I woke up from that madness. I realized that family was what truly mattered. They were what I wanted to protect for the rest of my life."
"But now, as I grow older, that fire in my heart… it's gone."
"Sometimes I even wish I could just keep holding on, keep surviving. Maybe then Ragnarok—the end of the gods—would come a little later…"
Odin stared into the empty space ahead, slowly getting lost in his memories.
"But this time, I won't run anymore. I'll face death with the dignity of the King of the Gods. I'll make sure the Nine Realms remember what it means to be ruled by their true lord."
"The glory of my forefathers will always shine over Asgard. And one day, I too will take my place in Valhalla, the hall of heroes."
"That old man's so damn stubborn."
Loki muttered to himself as he walked across the Bifrost.
Standing on the shimmering bridge, he looked down at the space-time wormhole beneath it that connected to the cosmos. For a moment, the idea of leaving Asgard flashed through his mind.
But just as quickly, he pushed the thought away. He took a few steps back from the edge of the bridge, then turned around, preparing to leave.
"That's right. Since none of you believe in me… I'll use everything I have to protect Asgard my way."
But just a second later, Loki stopped.
His eyes sharpened, his expression firmed.
"I'll prove to all of you that you were wrong. So, so wrong!"
Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted toward the edge of the Bifrost—then leapt.
He plunged straight into the abyss below, swallowed by the space-time wormhole.
"Loki, no!"
Odin felt the moment Loki fell into the wormhole. His face was filled with sorrow.
But it was already too late to stop him—too late to change the determination in Loki's heart.
"…Today has been anything but peaceful," Odin whispered, slowly closing his eyes as he tried to calm the storm inside him.
"....."