The moment Hela finished speaking, an overwhelming surge of dark magic burst from her body.
The immense power tore open a gateway that looked as though it led straight into Hell itself.
As the gate opened, countless undead poured out.
Shrouded in thick black mist, endless ranks of undead warriors charged from the portal, rushing directly toward the Asgardian army.
The Asgardian soldiers immediately answered with a furious counterattack.
In an instant, another brutal war erupted.
No one had expected that after Thanos' death, another conflict of such unimaginable scale would break out.
Yet at this point, no one seemed capable of stopping it.
Facing both Thor and Valkyrie alone, Hela showed no signs of weakness.
If anything, she steadily held the upper hand.
Valkyrie's expression turned grim.
She had never imagined that she would be so completely overwhelmed by Hela.
She had believed that with her own strength combined with Thor's, victory was well within reach.
After years of fighting across the Nine Realms against countless powerful enemies, she had grown far stronger than she had ever been.
She had been certain they would suppress Hela together.
Reality proved otherwise.
Only now did she realize just how badly she had underestimated Hela.
Then a realization struck her.
Hela's power was connected to Asgard itself.
The stronger Asgard became, the stronger Hela became as well.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Asgard had recovered and was flourishing once more.
Naturally, Hela's strength had risen along with it.
Valkyrie's face grew even darker.
If this continued, defeat was inevitable.
It was not only Hela herself who was terrifying.
The army of the Realm of Death under her command was equally horrifying.
Those undead soldiers inflicted devastating casualties upon the Asgardians.
Meanwhile, the Asgardian warriors struggled just to inflict meaningful damage on the undead.
For the first time, Valkyrie found herself at a complete loss.
She desperately wanted to avenge her fallen sisters.
But looking at the battlefield before her, she knew she simply couldn't accomplish it.
Thor had reached the same conclusion.
His expression darkened as he watched the battle unfold.
He had known from the beginning that fighting Hela now was a terrible idea.
If this war continued, Asgard itself would suffer catastrophic losses.
That was the last thing he wanted.
Unfortunately, events had already slipped beyond his control.
Once war had begun, ending it was no longer his decision alone.
It depended on Valkyrie.
And it depended on Hela.
Hela looked at the two of them with unconcealed mockery.
"So..."
"This is all you've got?"
Her voice dripped with disdain.
There was no attempt to hide the ridicule in her eyes.
Only contempt.
And boredom.
Nolan quietly observed all three of them.
More than anyone else, he watched Hela's expression.
He wanted to know what she was truly thinking.
He understood Hela better than most.
Her power continued to grow alongside Asgard itself.
Which also meant something important.
She had never truly wanted to destroy Asgard.
She only wanted its throne.
After all, she still had feelings for her homeland.
Besides, destroying Asgard would cripple her own power.
That was never an outcome she would accept.
At the same time, ending the battle immediately didn't seem to satisfy her either.
After all, she hadn't been the one who started this conflict.
She had spent a long time living peacefully on Earth.
Nolan was certain that Hela no longer carried the same obsession with Asgard she once had.
Originally, she had wanted to rule Asgard not only because she believed the throne rightfully belonged to her, but also because of the endless resentment she had carried toward Odin.
That hatred had consumed her for centuries.
But during her time on Earth, something had changed.
Although Nolan didn't know exactly what had happened, he could tell that Hela had found something else worth cherishing.
Her fixation on Asgard had gradually faded away.
If Thor had never come looking for trouble, Nolan was convinced Hela would never have sought him out again.
Unfortunately, Valkyrie's appearance had reignited the old hatred.
Conflict had become unavoidable.
If Nolan had to choose a side...
His choice would always be Hela.
The reason was simple.
She was his friend.
When he had faced the terrifying Dimension Lords inside the dimensional rift, Hela had rushed to his aid without hesitation.
She had known how dangerous those enemies were.
She had known there could be countless Dimension Lords waiting beyond the rift.
Yet she had come anyway.
How could Nolan remain indifferent after that?
As far as he was concerned...
They were friends now.
And if a friend needed help, he would stand beside them.
As for Thor...
What did that have to do with him?
His only connection to Thor had been an agreement with Odin.
Odin was gone.
That promise had already been fulfilled.
So why should he risk himself to stop Hela?
Besides...
If Hela truly became the ruler of Asgard, the outcome might not be any worse than Thor's reign.
The battle raged on.
The clash between the undead army and the Asgardian soldiers showed no signs of stopping.
The battlefield was absolute chaos.
Yet Nolan caught something unexpected in Hela's eyes.
A trace...
Of helplessness.
It looked as though she no longer wished to continue fighting.
Nolan frowned.
At that moment, he finally understood.
Suddenly, Thor raised his voice.
"Hela."
"If you're willing to give up your claim to Asgard..."
"Then, in the name of all Asgardians, I promise that everything you've done in the past will be forgiven."
Before Hela could answer, Valkyrie's face twisted with rage.
She glared at Thor in disbelief.
"Thor!"
"What are you doing?"
"We're at war!"
"How can you surrender to Hela?"
"She's one of the most dangerous people in existence!"
"If we let her go today, we may never have another chance to stop her."
"Even your throne won't remain secure!"
Thor's expression never changed.
"Valkyrie."
"You understand our situation better than anyone."
"If this battle continues, the only ones who will suffer are the people of Asgard."
"As their king, I cannot allow that to happen."
"You have contributed greatly to Asgard."
"But if you insist on continuing this war..."
"I'll have no choice but to exile you from Asgard."
Valkyrie's face stiffened.
She hated every word he had said.
Yet she also knew...
He was right.
Even if they continued fighting, defeating Hela was nearly impossible.
If that was the case...
It would be better to end today's battle.
There would always be another opportunity in the future.
As long as she remained in Asgard, one day she would find a way to destroy Hela.
That was all she had left.
After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"...Fine."
"I'll abandon today's hunt."
"But this isn't over."
"I'll never stop pursuing Hela."
Thor quietly let out a sigh of relief.
At last...
The war could finally end.
Now only one person's answer remained.
Hela's.
Everyone turned toward her.
She looked at Thor calmly before speaking.
"Very well."
"Let's end this pointless war."
"I've already grown tired of fighting."
"It has no meaning anymore."
"From now on, I'll remain on Earth."
"And if any of you wish to come after me again..."
Her eyes drifted toward Nolan.
"You should ask Nolan first."
Nolan blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected Hela to drag him into the conversation.
Still...
Since she had already said it, he simply shrugged.
"That's right."
"If any of you decide to come after Hela again..."
"You'll have to get past me first."
"And next time..."
"I won't just stand by and watch."
"I'll help Hela finish the fight."
His words were blunt.
But his attitude had already changed.
Hela was no longer merely someone he cooperated with.
She had fought beside him.
Risked her life beside him.
To everyone else...
It almost looked as though Hela had chosen to stand at Nolan's side.
Nolan didn't mind in the slightest.
If anything, it benefited them both.
Whatever Hela's deeper thoughts might be...
One fact remained unchanged.
She had fought beside him against impossible enemies.
That alone was enough.
Thor's expression darkened slightly.
But he quickly regained his composure.
He was no longer the reckless prince he had once been.
He had become a king.
Nolan's declaration merely confirmed what he had already suspected.
There was nothing left to be angry about.
After a brief silence, Thor spoke calmly.
"In that case..."
"I hope the two of you find happiness on Earth."
Nolan looked at Hela with a strange expression.
Hela remained perfectly calm.
She acted as though she hadn't heard anything.
But after Nolan looked away...
The corners of her lips quietly curved into a faint smile.
She no longer cared about Asgard.
Her hatred had gradually faded alongside Odin's death.
When she had first escaped her prison, all she had wanted was an outlet for centuries of rage.
That was why she had done everything she did.
But after living on Earth for so long...
Those obsessions had slowly disappeared.
She still retained a lingering attachment to Asgard's throne.
But that attachment could no longer outweigh the peaceful life she had found on Earth.
To her now...
Thor was merely a distant relative.
Loki was no different.
Even if she someday reclaimed Asgard's throne...
She had no intention of harming either of them.
Thor was still her younger brother.
That fact would never change.
Since she couldn't bring herself to kill him...
And since he was already king...
There was no point dwelling on the past anymore.
Compared to those old grudges...
She much preferred her life on Earth.
She wanted nothing more than to remain by Nolan's side.
Everything else had become meaningless.
Although Nolan didn't know every thought in Hela's heart...
He understood enough.
And that alone pleased him.
Hela had already made her choice.
So it was finally time...
To bring this endless conflict to an end.
Soon afterward, Hela recalled every soldier of the Realm of Death.
The undead vanished back into the darkness.
The Asgardian army withdrew from Earth as well.
There was nothing left to gain by staying.
Thor departed without another word.
He no longer wished to remain here.
The longer he stayed...
The heavier his heart became.
Valkyrie also left immediately.
She couldn't bear to look at Hela any longer.
As everyone watched the Asgardians disappear into the distance, the tension finally lifted.
No matter what had happened...
The terrible war...
Was finally over.
And with peace restored...
Only one thing remained.
A celebration worthy of Earth's survival.
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