Earth.
With the Bifrost gone, every anomaly had returned to calm.
The clouds in the sky had been blasted open by the violent energy, leaving behind an enormous, perfectly shaped gap. After all the energy from the atomic breath had been fired out, the vibranium battle-axe slowly lost speed until it came to a complete stop, then began plummeting rapidly toward the ground.
On the ground.
After withstanding the divine artifact known as the Casket of Ancient Winters head-on and unleashing several high-intensity bursts in such a short span of time, even with Fenris's physical durability, he could barely endure the terrifying heat of the atomic breath. Steam curled from his entire body.
As the dazzling blue light of the breath in his eyes slowly went out, Fenris's eyes gradually returned to normal. His savage features faded, and he once again became that gentle, harmless-looking young man.
Looking at the giant axe falling from the sky at high speed, he shook his somewhat dazed head and reached his hand toward the air.
"Bzz—"
Answering his summons, the vibranium battle-axe abruptly halted its descent. It quickly turned in midair and flew toward Fenris. The axe handle, which had expanded to several dozen meters long, shrank bit by bit before finally landing lightly in his palm.
"Fenris..."
Looking at Fenris, who remained silent as he gently wiped the axe blade, Emma slowly walked up behind him, her face filled with worry.
"Are you all right?"
Fenris shook his head and gently pushed Emma away.
"It's nothing. I'm just a little overdrawn. I'll be fine in a while."
"It's just..."
He turned to look at Wanda inside the ice and suddenly fell silent.
"It's okay. We'll definitely find another way."
Emma raised her head and looked at the sky, her brows tightly furrowed.
"Do you know who that man was?"
She had never expected that in the brief time she had stepped away, Wanda would fall victim to such an unknown enemy.
After living together day and night for so long, Emma could not help feeling a tight ache in her chest as she looked at Wanda, motionless within the ice.
"We'll have to ask him."
At the mention of Loki, Fenris gave a cold snort and turned his head toward Thor nearby.
The massive disturbance just now had already shaken Thor awake after Loki had knocked him unconscious. He had personally witnessed the entire process of Fenris grievously wounding Loki even after Loki had boarded the Bifrost.
Thor understood the Bifrost's power better than anyone present. So when Emma's suspicious gaze swept toward him, Thor instead looked first at Fenris.
There was no question about the strength of this Midgardian friend of his. Even in Thor's prime, he doubted he would have gained any advantage against him.
Meeting Fenris's icy gaze, Thor instinctively shuddered and hurriedly answered, "His name is Loki. He is my brother, and also Asgard's God of Mischief."
"Your brother?" Emma's eyes widened.
"Adopted!"
As though afraid Emma would attack him, Thor shrank his neck and hastily added, "He is the child of Laufey, king of Jotunheim's Frost Giants. My father brought him to his side and raised him from childhood."
"Hmph!"
Emma snorted coldly.
"Then what was he doing here?"
"He came to tell me..."
At the mention of Loki, Thor immediately fell silent. A nearly imperceptible choke entered his voice.
After taking several deep breaths, he discreetly wiped the corner of his eye and said, "My father, Odin, All-Father of Asgard, has had his soul pass on to Valhalla because of my recklessness and impulsiveness."
"My mother hates me as well and will not allow me to return to Asgard. After Loki had no choice but to shoulder the burden of the throne, he reached a peace agreement with Laufey at the price of me never being allowed to return to Asgard."
"I'm sorry, dear friend..."
Thor struggled to stand and looked at Fenris with his eyes full of apology.
"For Loki's actions, I am sorry. I truly am very, very sorry."
"If apologies solved anything, what would fists be for?"
Fenris silently hid the battle-axe behind his waist.
"Thor, I'm asking you. Aside from the Casket of Ancient Winters, is there no other way to get her out?"
"This..."
Thor wiped away the moisture at the corner of his eye. His body swayed slightly as he turned and examined the block of ice for a while. In the end, he shook his head with regret.
"I'm sorry, Fenris. This girl is very powerful, but her body is too weak."
He considered his wording for a moment.
"If my father were at his peak, there should still be a way to rescue her without harming her, but now..."
"Doesn't that mean..." Emma understood what Thor was implying and looked at Fenris worriedly, only to see that his expression had not changed. He merely nodded lightly.
"All right. I understand."
"Fenris, without the Bifrost's reception, Asgard is not somewhere you can simply go because you want to!"
Although Thor was still immersed in grief over Odin's passing, he still keenly noticed the silence hidden in Fenris's words. Frowning, he hurriedly tried to stop him.
"Putting aside the fact that, other than Frost Giants, ordinary people cannot wield the Casket of Ancient Winters at all..."
"Even if you could use the Casket of Ancient Winters, and even if you found some way to reach Asgard, how would you avoid the eyes of the gatekeeper Heimdall? How would you pass through the layered defenses of Asgard's army? How would you break through the palace shields and get close to Loki?"
Thor came to stand in front of Fenris, slightly raising his head to look at him. His face was full of sincerity.
"I know you are hurting and anxious right now, but please believe me. I, Th... I, Thor, swear on my life that I will do everything in my power to help you rescue this girl unharmed and make up for Loki's mistake, even if the price is my own life."
"You are the only friend I have made since coming to Midgard. I know you are strong, even stronger than I am, but you have no idea how powerful my father's Gungnir can be in Asgard. I do not want you to throw your life away for nothing!"
"Do you understand?!"
Thor stared straight into Fenris's eyes. Perhaps because his emotions were running high, his face had flushed bright red.
Gungnir was the divine artifact of Odin, King of the Gods. Forged from a branch of Yggdrasil and engraved with runes, it was the inevitable spear of fate that would always strike its target and never be stopped. It symbolized the supreme divine authority granted by the gods of Asgard.
Several days earlier, Fenris had already seen this strongest artifact of Asgard.
At that time, its master had been seated upon the golden throne while holding it, majestic and divine.
But now, with Odin fallen into slumber, Gungnir had landed in Loki's hands.
Although Loki could not bring out its full power, if he were in Asgard, empowered by the palace and the power of the gods, its might would still be impossible to underestimate.
Thor had clearly realized this, which was why he was so anxiously trying to persuade Fenris not to act rashly.
"No, Thor."
Fenris looked at Thor's hands resting on his shoulders. Under Thor's hopeful gaze, he gently shook his head.
The hope on Thor's face dimmed, and disbelief filled his eyes.
"Why?"
(End of Chapter)
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