Odin came to Frigga's side and pulled her into his arms. He knew she had narrowly escaped death, and he also knew that it was Karl and Tony who had saved her.
"You must be the two Midgardians the Ancient One spoke of," Odin said, turning his gaze toward them.
Tony was still wearing his armor. Odin glanced at the arc reactor embedded in his chest.
"Yes," Karl replied, nodding.
Thor had also noticed Karl and Tony. He strode forward and pulled both of them into a crushing embrace, his brute strength nearly squeezing the air out of Tony.
"I'm truly glad to see you here in Asgard!" Thor laughed heartily.
After the Battle of New York, the original Avengers had forged genuine bonds of friendship. When Heimdall had mentioned that Thor's friends from Midgard had arrived, Thor hadn't even considered Karl and Tony at first—yet it really was them.
At that moment, Jane emerged from a hidden chamber nearby. Upon seeing Karl and Tony, she froze in surprise as well. She hadn't expected them to come to Asgard either.
On Earth, Tony Stark was known by everyone. Iron Man's fame had spread across the entire world. Jane also recognized Karl—after all, he was the man who had single-handedly fought the Destroyer in New Mexico, and later transformed into a colossal humanoid monster during the Battle of New York, wiping out the alien invasion in one decisive blow. If not for Karl's deliberately low profile, his popularity might well have surpassed Iron Man's.
That night, all of Asgard gathered by the sea. The realm glittered like a field of stars, as countless people stood along the shore holding torches and glowing orbs that shone like starlight.
Upon the water floated thousands of small boats, each carrying a single body. They were the Asgardian warriors who had fallen in the war.
At the very front, Odin struck the butt of Gungnir against the ground. A surge of energy rippled across the sea, reaching every boat at once. Slowly, the vessels began to drift out toward the open waters.
As they watched the boats recede into the distance, solemn expressions filled every face. These were Asgard's heroes—their souls were destined for Valhalla.
Behind Odin, countless flaming arrows were loosed. Each one struck its target precisely, igniting the boats. As they burned, the vessels continued drifting toward the edge of Asgard. Once they crossed the boundary, they vanished abruptly, dissolving into countless points of light that merged with the star-filled sky above.
At the same time, innumerable glowing orbs were released, rising gently into the heavens like brilliant stars.
"May your souls reach Valhalla," Odin murmured softly, lifting his gaze to the radiant sky.
---
In the depths of the unknown cosmos, a sword-shaped vessel drifted aimlessly through space. Inside, Malekith lay unconscious within a medical pod.
"Recover," the monster standing nearby said in a low voice. "Reclaim the Aether, and lead the Dark Elves back to glory."
It looked down at Malekith.
"When you awaken, we will wipe them all out."
---
Back in Asgard, inside a chamber, Jane stared at her hand. A faint red energy flowed beneath her skin.
Suddenly, her vision turned crimson. Everything around her—decorations, food, even the sky—was dyed a deep, blood-red hue.
Jane hurried to the balcony. All of Asgard now looked as though it were submerged in blood. Even the once-golden palace had become scarlet.
Her eyes abruptly turned pitch black. Her vision sharpened unnaturally, allowing her to see all the way to the distant Rainbow Bridge. In her sight, the bridge had lost its former brilliance, appearing decayed and corroded, with many sections already weathering away.
"Jane Foster!"
A loud shout rang out behind her.
Jane's eyes instantly returned to normal. She snapped back to her senses, looking around in confusion.
A squad of soldiers entered through the doorway.
"Jane Foster," one of them announced coldly, "by order of His Majesty, from this moment on, you are not permitted to leave this room."
Without waiting for her response, he waved his hand. The soldiers took their positions outside the chamber, standing guard at the door.
---
Elsewhere, Karl and Tony stood before a shimmering light screen. Odin and Thor were present as well.
"At present, we still cannot restore the palace barrier," one of the Three Warriors said as he manipulated the display. "Nor can we track the Dark Elves' whereabouts. Even Heimdall is unable to see them."
The light screen showed the current state of the palace. Without the barrier, the once-radiant golden halls now looked dim and lifeless. The dense runes covering the display made Karl's head ache just looking at them.
"I understand. You may withdraw," Odin said quietly.
The others bowed and departed, leaving only Karl, Tony, and Thor behind.
Odin turned his gaze to Karl. Within him, Odin sensed a presence that felt strangely familiar—faint, elusive, yet undeniably real.
"You are the Midgardian who once lifted Mjolnir, aren't you?" Odin asked, seated on the steps where his throne once stood, now destroyed by Malekith.
Karl nodded. There was no point denying it. Odin had placed enchantments on Mjolnir—anyone who lifted it would be known to him instantly.
Seeing Karl's confirmation, Odin suddenly hurled Gungnir toward him without the slightest hesitation.
Caught off guard, Karl instinctively reached out and caught the spear. To his astonishment, Gungnir felt weightless in his grasp. Not only that, he vaguely sensed a resonance between the weapon and his own will.
This left Karl deeply puzzled. According to Norse legend, Gungnir was a weapon that only the All-Father could wield—yet here he was, holding it with ease.
Before he could think further, purple lightning surged through the air. Mjolnir flew from Thor's hand and slammed directly into Karl's palm.
Now Karl stood there, utterly bewildered, holding Gungnir in one hand and Mjolnir in the other. Tony stared at him, equally stunned.
"T-That's impossible!" Thor exclaimed. "How can you wield Gungnir?!"
Thor was completely dumbfounded. Karl being able to lift Mjolnir was one thing—Thor had seen that before. But a Midgardian wielding Gungnir? In all his life, Thor had seen only one being capable of that: Odin himself. And Karl wasn't even an Asgardian.
"Karl—Karl! Let me try it too!" Tony blurted out eagerly. "I've never seen the legendary Spear of Eternity up close!"
Without waiting for permission, Tony grabbed for Gungnir.
A burst of golden light erupted, blasting him backward. His armor's stabilizers kicked in instantly, catching him midair and bringing him to a steady halt.
"What the hell?! Why?!" Tony shouted. "Why can you hold it, but I can't?!"
Unwilling to give up, he lunged for Gungnir again—only for Karl to swat his hand away.
"I don't really understand it either," Karl said, looking at the radiant spear. "But Gungnir is said to be wielded only by the King of Asgard."
He quickly returned the spear to Odin and tossed Mjolnir back to Thor.
The moment Thor grasped his hammer again, a wave of dejection suddenly surged into his heart. His face darkened instantly.
Mjolnir… didn't seem as close to him as before.
It had betrayed him.
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