The arena of Asgard had not been this full in centuries.
Warriors.
Nobles.
Valkyries.
Scribes.
All had come to witness the end of ten years of training.
At the center stood Odin All-Father, Gungnir resting calmly in his grasp.
Opposite him—
Thor and Loki.
First Match: Thunder and Trickery
Thor attacked first.
Lightning cracked across the arena.
Mjölnir flew, returned, struck again.
Loki followed—daggers flashing, illusions layered upon feints.
For a moment—
It looked impressive.
Then Odin moved.
One step.
One strike of Gungnir.
Thunder dispersed.
Illusions shattered.
Daggers halted mid-air.
The match ended instantly.
Odin stood untouched.
"You have grown," he said. "But you are not ready."
Thor grinned anyway.
Loki bowed slightly.
Then—
The arena shifted.
Alexander Steps Forward
Alexander walked into the arena.
Calm.
Silent.
Sword at his side.
Thor frowned.
"…You use a sword?"
Loki's eyes narrowed.
Alexander stopped across from Odin and bowed.
"I am ready."
Odin studied him.
Then nodded.
"Begin."
The Fire Awakens
Alexander unsheathed his blade.
And inhaled.
The moment steel cleared the scabbard—
Fire bloomed.
Not summoned.
Not cast.
It simply existed.
The arena was surrounded—
a sea of controlled, silent flame encircling Alexander like a crown.
Thor's breath caught.
Loki's blood ran cold.
"This…" Loki whispered. "That's not normal fire."
Then—
Alexander vanished.
First Exchange
He appeared in front of Odin in an instant.
A slash.
Odin deflected.
The impact sent a shockwave through the arena.
Stone cracked.
The crowd erupted.
Again—
Alexander attacked.
Odin parried.
Again.
Again.
Sword and spear collided, sparks of absolute heat scattering into the air.
Odin laughed.
Not mockery.
Excitement.
"Yes," Odin said, eyes shining.
"Show me."
A Fight That Drew the Realm
The duel escalated.
Alexander moved like flowing fire—
each strike precise, overwhelming, relentless.
Odin responded with absolute mastery—
strength, experience, and authority bending space itself.
More people arrived.
Frigga stood, hands clasped.
Pride filled her eyes.
"That is my son," she whispered.
The Name of Ashes
Alexander staggered.
His breath grew uneven.
He knew—
This was the moment.
He raised the blade.
Thor and Loki felt it.
Something ancient.
Something final.
Alexander spoke—
"Shikai."
The world went silent.
"Everything to ashes—
Ryūjin Jakka."
Flame erupted.
Not outward—
Inward.
Condensed.
Absolute.
The ground beneath Alexander turned black instantly.
Heat beyond divine fire surged forward—
And then—
Alexander collapsed.
Unconscious.
The All-Father's Choice
Odin moved.
For the first—and only—time.
He dodged.
Then raised Gungnir.
In that instant—
Odin released power.
Not divine.
Not royal.
Cosmic.
Heavenly Father–level authority surged through him—
undetected by all but himself.
The flame was redirected.
Contained.
Neutralized.
The arena survived.
The match ended.
Silence
Odin stood victorious.
Alexander lay unconscious.
The crowd erupted—but Odin barely heard them.
He looked down at his son.
And for the first time in millennia—
The All-Father felt something rare.
Anticipation.
"…You forced my hand," Odin murmured quietly.
No one heard.
No one knew.
But Odin did.
And that was enough.
Thor stared at Alexander in awe.
"…He fought Father."
Loki swallowed.
"…And Father took him seriously."
Frigga knelt beside her youngest son, brushing hair from his face.
Pride shone brighter than fear.
Odin turned away, gripping Gungnir firmly.
"The future," he said softly,
"will burn."