Words spilled out as, under Hela's frightened gaze, the Path Flame Sword in his hand was gently pointed at her body…
"Don't worry! Causal Sword Intent, cut!"
Whoosh—
The invisible and formless sword intent fell onto Hela's body, leaving no wounds behind.
However, at this moment, Hela felt something far more terrifying than death!
In her understanding, the "root" deep within her soul was intimately connected to Asgard, granting her limitless power and immortality…
But now, from her very root, that strange sword intent had surged…
… Severed!
"No… No! How could this be?"
Hela's face was bloodied. She could clearly feel the endless torrent of power had been cut off!
The unbreakable link of blood and soul between her and Asgard… was gone!
She was no longer the immortal Goddess of Death!
She'd become… mortal again…
Gods, you're all going to die!
"No… No! How could this be?"
Suspended in midair in utter despair, Hela was like a puppet robbed of all its strings.
On her once-arrogant face, now, for the first time, appeared unprecedented confusion and disbelief.
She probed her soul again and again, but could feel nothing but endless void and dead silence—
Never again could she sense the vast, holy power of Asgard that once flowed through her bloodline like breathing.
The golden bond that granted her immortality and infinite power had completely vanished!
It was as if… as if it had never existed!
"You… What did you do to me?"
Suddenly, Hela looked up, staring at Lucci with dead eyes, her voice trembling with terror.
"My power… my connection to Asgard… why is it gone?"
Lucci gazed at her crumbling expression, his own face still ancient and indifferent.
He sheathed the Path Flame Sword, as if he'd done something trivial.
"Nothing much," he explained casually. "I just… severed the karma between you and Asgard."
"Severed… karma?"
Hela's mind buzzed and went blank. She knew these words.
But the meaning—that connection—was far beyond all her cosmic knowledge accumulated over thousands of years!
Karma, the lowest and highest iron law that forms the universe! Even gods must obey it, unable to defy it!
To sever karma?
Is that… is that something a person can do?
No! This is a realm even gods cannot imagine!
Her brother… What… what kind of monster is he?
Lucci released the hand gripping her neck, as if discarding useless trash.
Losing Lucci's suppression, Hela instinctively tried to muster the last of her deathly powers to counterattack!
This was the instinct of a top warrior, etched into her very bones!
But then she saw Lucci's indifferent, emotionless eyes.
"You'd best think carefully before you move," he said quietly.
"After all… you're no longer immortal."
His voice was soft, yet struck Hela's heart like an invisible hammer.
Boom!
Hela's body suddenly trembled!
The hand she'd just raised froze in midair.
The madness in her eyes was quickly extinguished by the icy terror called "death."
Ah, that's right…
She was no longer the undying Goddess of Death, resurrecting endlessly.
Now, she had but a single life!
And the man before her, and the woman on the ground with golden flames in her eyes… either could easily erase her only life!
She could… die!
This realization, like a glacier, instantly froze her fighting spirit and courage.
She was afraid.
The conqueror who once terrified the Nine Realms and treated death as a game—
For the first time, she truly experienced the terror of possibly being killed…
The atmosphere at the scene fell into a strange stalemate.
Suddenly!
BOOM—
A peerless radiance, like a divine spear of judgment, fell from the sky—
A dazzling pillar of multicolored light smashed into Xavier's School training ground!
Within the pillar was unimaginable spatial energy, shattering the ground in a vast circular mark, covered in mysterious runes!
As the light faded, a tall, burly, and wild figure appeared!
Silver scale armor, a bright red cape, wielding thunderous Mjolnir and the Stormbreaker!
It was Thor, the God of Thunder, rushing to the scene!
"Brother!"
As soon as Thor appeared, he saw Lucci and Hela facing off in the sky.
Sensing the aura of death from Hela and recalling Heimdall's injury,
he instantly regarded Hela as the enemy!
"Brother, be careful! I'll help!"
With a furious roar, Thor unleashed his thunder god power without hesitation!
Brilliant blue arcs, like billions of electric serpents, danced wildly around him, as he erupted like the King of Thunder!
"For Asgard—!"
He roared and, clutching Stormbreaker and Mjolnir, transformed into a bolt of blue lightning charging at Hela.
Hela, blocked by Lucci and her heart filled with endless resentment and anger with nowhere to vent,
now saw a burly, reckless man charging at her without a word.
Her lips curled into a cold, cruel smile, her heart full of rage.
"I couldn't beat them… but can't I beat you?"
Facing Thor's thunderous charge, Hela neither dodged nor evaded.
Instead, she condensed two night-black spikes of death energy in the air and met him head-on!
CLANG—
The axe and longsword clashed fiercely!
The exploding shockwave instantly tore apart the clouds above!
Thor felt a chilling, cunning, yet peerlessly majestic force from her blade, making his arm tingle!
The fierce thunder surrounding Stormbreaker was, in fact, being eroded and weakened by her deathly power!
"How is this possible?!"
Thor was shocked!
Even now, wielding two major artifacts, his power wasn't what it used to be!
Yet this woman met his all-out blow head-on—and even had a slight edge?!
Before he could react, Hela's other sword, like a viper, snaked through his defense and stabbed under his ribs!
Thor hurriedly blocked with Mjolnir!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Hela's assault was like a storm!
Her swordplay was ruthless, precise, and deadly!
Though she'd lost her connection to Asgard and her power was no longer infinite—
she could no longer shatter Mjolnir with ease—
her invincible combat skills, honed over countless years, were still there!
Poor Thor, with no divine power, was utterly suppressed by her deadly swordsmanship.
He could only desperately defend, suffering defeat and humiliation!
He was completely overwhelmed!
His heart filled with incredible fear!
This woman… this so-called "sister"…
She was… this strong?!
"Enough!"
Seeing Thor already in danger, Lucci's indifferent voice rang out again.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable magic.
Just as Hela, about to taste victory, heard it, her body suddenly stiffened!
The night-black spike near Thor froze in place… and stopped!
Turning her head, Hela looked at Lucci nearby with eyes full of resentment and reluctance.
She hesitated.
Should she continue, first stabbing her hated brother to vent her anger?
Or… be obedient, and save her only life?
Reason and pride warred within her.
But ultimately… the fear of death still prevailed.
Gritting her teeth, Hela reluctantly withdrew her weapon and coldly stopped the attack.
"???"
Thor was stunned.
He saw Hela truly stop and stand there, looking sulky, while gazing at Lucci with a strange, shocked look.
What's going on?
This overbearing sister, who was just now so violent—
did she really just obey Lucci's words so meekly?
Thor's heart was in turmoil!
Did I… miss something?
From the moment Loki summoned him to now, it hadn't taken more than a few minutes.
In such a short time… what did Lucci do?
How did he subdue such a crazy woman so easily?
Lucci ignored Thor's fairy-like gaze. He was now more worried about Odin's safety.
He looked at Thor and asked directly, "Where did Father and Thanos duel?"
Thor was momentarily stunned, then shook his head.
"I don't know. Father didn't tell me the exact place, just told me to stay in Asgard…"
"Wait!"
Before Thor could finish, Hela suddenly looked a little surprised and dazed.
"That old immortal… went to duel Thanos?"
Lucci glanced at her, eyes seeming to see through everything.
He said lightly, "If I'm not mistaken, someone freed you from the seal to deal with Thanos, right?"
Hela's expression shifted slightly.
She neither admitted nor denied it, but her silence was answer enough.
Lucci understood in his heart.
This was another move Thanos had laid out to restrain himself.
First lure Odin away, then release the powerful Hela.
It was a good plan, but unfortunately, he'd misjudged—
Hela's strength was nothing in front of him.
Lucci ignored Hela and called out to Heimdall in his mind.
[Heimdall, can you hear me?]
[Your Highness, I'm here.]
Heimdall's voice instantly sounded in Lucci's mind.
[Do you know where Father and Thanos are dueling? Or can you use your powers to find it?]
After a moment's silence, Heimdall replied, tired and apologetic.
[I'm sorry, Your Highness. When the All-Father left, he blocked all exploration with his divine power.
And… too much time has passed since he left. With my current strength, I can't trace back that far along the timeline…]
Lucci frowned slightly and looked at Thor.
"Where is the challenge message Father received from Thanos?"
"The challenge message?" Thor thought for a moment, then said,
"It should be… in the God King's Hall!"
"The God King's Hall…" Lucci's eyes lit up.
That was enough!
As long as he had the precise location, he could use time-space powers to find Odin and Thanos' duel coordinates!
No need to delay.
"Jean, you and Professor Charles and Mr. Erik stay at the school to keep it safe for now."
"Okay, don't worry."
Jean nodded obediently.
Having settled matters on Earth, Lucci looked at Thor and Hela and said seriously,
"You two, come back to Asgard with me."
With that, he looked up at the sky and gave an order in his mind.
"Heimdall, open the gate!"
BOOM—
A brighter, steadier, multicolored divine light than when Thor descended fell with a roar, completely enveloping Lucci, Thor, and Hela.
Hela hesitated, but lacked the courage to resist!
With a flash of light, the three disappeared instantly.
…
Asgard, Rainbow Bridge.
The colorful transmission lights faded like a tide.
Lucci, Thor, and Hela's figures became clear.
"Your Highness!"
Heimdall, holding his guardian sword, his face slightly pale, immediately saluted him.
But the moment he saw Hela following Lucci, the loyal guardian's face changed dramatically!
"Hela?!"
He instinctively raised his sword in front of him, taking a defensive stance, and urgently reminded,
"Prince Lucci, be careful! That's Hela…"
"Don't be nervous, Heimdall."
Lucci just waved his hand lightly, signaling him to relax.
"With me, nothing will happen."
Heimdall was momentarily stunned.
He looked at Lucci in confusion, then at Hela.
She stood there with a cold face, full of "displeasure" and "arrogance."
But—she truly didn't act up!
After Lucci spoke, he didn't sense any hostility from her at all.
This…
Heimdall's heart was in turmoil!
He had experienced Hela's terror!
What method did Prince Lucci use?
How could he keep Hela so obedient?
He didn't know exactly what happened, but Heimdall was sure—
in that short time, Prince Lucci had used absolute power to utterly subdue Hela!
Otherwise, considering Hela's former dominance, how could she be so honest now,
like a tigress with her fangs pulled?
…
Meanwhile, in the God King's Palace.
Loki sat on the God King's throne, which he'd coveted for thousands of years.
Resting his hand on the armrest, legs crossed, his face showed a gloomy satisfaction.
"This feeling…" he murmured happily, narrowing his eyes. "Looking down on all Asgard, holding power in my hands…
It's truly wonderful… wonderful!"
Odin had gone to duel Thanos, that hideous Lucci was now likely fighting Hela,
and the fool Thor had followed as well.
Asgard was now Loki's world!
Every time he thought of this, Loki got excited!
But before he could fully enjoy his God King addiction,
he caught a flash of incomparable, multicolored light on the Rainbow Bridge!
Loki's heart skipped a beat!
"Huh?"
He straightened at once, all comfort vanishing, replaced by endless wariness and suspicion.
"That light… teleportation to Asgard!"
"Could it be… a victor emerged between Lucci and Hela?"
Loki's heart leapt to his throat!
"Who's coming back… Hela, or Lucci?"
Just as Loki grew anxious, three figures appeared at the entrance to the God King's Hall!
The first was Lucci, with black hair and eyes, an indifferent expression!
Behind him, on the left, followed Thor.
On the right…
It was Hela, the Goddess of Death who was supposed to be fighting Lucci to the death!
Loki: "???"
He was dumbfounded!
He rubbed his eyes furiously, thinking he was hallucinating!
What's going on?
Lucci… and Hela… are both fine!?
…