Seeing his son fall into the distance, Odin sighed before raising the spear in his hand.
Aiming Gungnir directly at Hela's heart, Odin shouted toward his wayward son.
"Thor, my son, to defeat your sister, we must destroy Asgard!
"Next, I will do everything I can to hinder Hela. Since you have mastered the magic of the Rainbow Bridge, use it to transport all the citizens who have been reborn in Asgard to somewhere you consider safe!"
With those words, Odin immediately hurled Gungnir.
Hela watched the spear fly toward her without making any attempt to defend herself.
She simply did not possess the power to stop Gungnir from reaching its target.
Gungnir was the strongest divine weapon Odin had forged during the height of Asgard's power, when he had conquered vast portions of the universe with the combined strength of Asgard behind him.
At that time, Odin still possessed five Infinity Stones besides the Soul Stone.
From this alone, it was clear that Odin regarded Gungnir as a weapon at least comparable to five Infinity Stones. Otherwise, there would have been little reason for him to forge it.
And that was indeed the case.
It was the overwhelming divine power contained within Gungnir that had once made Thanos unwilling to approach the Nine Realms.
In terms of pure divine power, the current Thor was actually not much weaker than Odin.
Yet even against Thor, Thanos still had the confidence to win. Even if the battle were evenly matched, he would at least have a fifty-fifty chance.
But Odin was different.
Once Odin wielded Gungnir, anyone who opposed him had to be prepared to endure his attacks directly.
There was no possibility of simply resisting or evading them.
Hela was experiencing exactly that situation now.
With Gungnir flying straight toward her heart, she did not even bother changing her stance.
No matter how she struggled, Gungnir would hit its target.
This demonstrated just how terrifying Odin was. Without some form of immortality, even someone on the same general level as Odin was not qualified to fight him directly.
Because of Gungnir, Odin had become one of the most unique beings in the universe.
Those capable of fighting him were either beings possessing extraordinary immortality or individuals whose strength far surpassed his own.
Everyone else could only face Odin with the resolve to risk everything.
That was also why Thanos had never dared to come to the Nine Realms while Odin was still alive.
The next moment, Gungnir pierced Hela's chest.
The overwhelming divine power contained within the weapon instantly tore apart her upper body, leaving only several exposed ribs.
At the same time, seeing Hela reduced to such a state, Thor quickly climbed to his feet on the Rainbow Bridge.
"Father!"
He shouted toward Odin.
"Do we really have only one option? Do we have to destroy Asgard?"
"We must do it, Thor. But there is no need to despair, because the citizens are the true Asgard!"
Odin roared back at Thor before rushing forward.
With Mjolnir in his left hand and Gungnir in his right, he engaged the rapidly regenerating Hela once again.
Seeing that his father was giving everything he had, Thor had no choice but to suppress the regret and sadness in his heart and pour his divine power into the Rainbow Bridge.
Around the Immortal Palace, soldiers who had only just awakened from their confusion were suddenly swept away by the Rainbow Bridge before they could even reach the palace to support their King and Prince.
Hogun, Sif, and the others were especially unwilling to leave.
They had tried to brave Hela's torrent of blades and rush forward to help, but in the blink of an eye, they found themselves falling into icy lake water.
"Holy crap!"
Hogun was startled and immediately began thrashing through the water.
But just as he was about to surface, a massive butt landed directly on his face.
"Ouch! Holy crap!"
Fandral, who had just fallen into the water, cried out in pain.
His backside seemed to have slammed into something hard and metallic.
Ignoring the pain, Fandral instinctively tried to swim upward, only to be struck in the face by Volstagg.
When the three men finally managed to reach the surface, they discovered a large group of people dressed in modern clothing standing along the dock and staring at them in confusion.
The people on the shore began talking among themselves.
"Isn't that Volstagg?"
"And Fandral!"
"By Thor, everyone who died has been resurrected!"
"By Thor, hurry up and help them! Why are all these resurrected people falling into the sea?"
As they talked and watched the commotion, the people on shore made room and extended their hands, helping their fellow Asgardians climb out of the water.
Only then did Fandral and the others realize that the people dressed in Midgardian clothing were actually Asgardians.
But how had Asgardians ended up living in Midgard?
Asgard had still been practically empty moments ago.
And Hela had died and then been resurrected, so what exactly had happened afterward?
Fandral and the others were different from the Asgardians who had died at Thanos's hands.
Most of their lives had remained fixed around the period when Hela invaded Asgard.
While Fandral and the others were still trying to understand the situation, an elegant figure floating above the water suddenly turned her attention toward a woman standing on the dock, her face filled with complicated emotions.
After carefully examining the woman's face, Frigga's expression softened into a gentle smile.
"Long time no see, Valkyrie."
"Long time no see, Queen Frigga!"
Hearing Frigga's greeting, Valkyrie stepped forward, overwhelmed by emotion, and dropped to her knees.
Frigga immediately approached her and helped the trembling Valkyrie back to her feet.
She held Valkyrie's trembling hands and spoke gently.
"It truly makes me happy to see you again. We hurt your heart back then, child."
"No, Your Majesty. Everything was Hela's fault, and it was my fault as well!
"The Valkyrie Corps did everything we could. It was our weakness that prevented us from protecting Asgard!
"As for me, Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was nothing more than a coward who chose to flee!"
"No. Don't say that."
Looking at Valkyrie trembling as she begged for forgiveness, Frigga sighed and gently held her hand.
"You did not simply choose to flee. The King and I failed to provide you with the foundation you needed to achieve victory.
"At that time, Hela was not my biological child. It was my indifference and Odin's indulgence that condemned you and your sisters to such suffering.
"As Queen of Asgard, I am ashamed of the choices we made. So I want to apologize to you on behalf of Odin and myself, Valkyrie.
"You were once Asgard's finest general. It was our indulgence toward that child that cost you and your legion so much. That was never your fault."
After speaking, Frigga gently embraced Valkyrie.
At that moment, the female warrior who had wandered through the universe for nearly two thousand seven hundred years, her heart hardened by countless years of solitude, finally broke down in tears.
Hearing Valkyrie's sobs, Frigga gently patted her shoulder.
"I never expected that after my inexplicable return from Death, you would be the first person I saw.
"Fate has given me an opportunity to correct my mistakes and atone for them. Although I cannot bring your sisters back from those years, I still have time to place the honor you rightfully deserve into your hands.
"Valkyrie, Asgard is about to disappear. Are you willing, as the Marshal of Asgard, to lead your people toward a more distant future?
"Though Odin and I have returned, those who have emerged from the past should never seek to control the future."
As she finished speaking, Frigga waved her right hand.
A brilliant badge immediately appeared on the left side of Valkyrie's armor.
Feeling the weight of the badge, Valkyrie's heart warmed, and she immediately knelt again.
At the same time, tens of thousands of helmeted and armored Asgardian warriors gathered along the shore.
After confirming what had happened, they all knelt on one knee before Valkyrie and Queen Frigga.
Thump!
The synchronized sound of thousands of warriors kneeling echoed across the sky.
Valkyrie's heart pounded violently.
The problem was that all these Asgardians were now gathered in Norway.
Tens of thousands of fully armed Asgardian soldiers naturally placed considerable pressure on the countries surrounding Norway.
As leaders of Earth's nations, they could accommodate a certain number of Asgardian refugees. They even hoped that the bloodline of these divine refugees might gradually integrate into humanity and contribute to the advancement of the human race.
But they could only accept a limited number of refugees.
The current Asgardians did not resemble refugees at all.
Meanwhile, inside the pocket dimension created by Axel.
Seeing Thor leave, Axel smiled brightly before shaking his armor and stretching lazily.
After letting out a long yawn, Axel turned toward Bruce and the others.
"Buddies, the mess in their universe is pretty much over.
"So, are we going to play the noble Jeanne d'Arc and simply leave this universe?
"Or should we head to Asgard first, collect the payment we're owed, and then return to where we belong?"
"This..."
Bruce paused, unsure of how to respond.
He pointed toward Axel's chest, where a large hole was still visible.
"Axel, you're a little leaky when you talk. Shouldn't we wait until your lungs and trachea grow back before having a conversation?"
"Huh?"
Axel looked down at his chest and seemed genuinely surprised.
"Hey, my bones are really white."
As he spoke, Axel casually snapped off one of his ribs and tossed it toward Batman.
"Take a look. See how ridiculously strong my bones are? They're not even growing back improperly."
"Huh?"
Bruce caught the rib, looking at it in confusion.
"Can ribs even grow improperly?"
"Give it to me!"
The moment Bruce finished speaking, Lex snatched Axel's rib away.
He held it as though he had just obtained the most precious treasure imaginable before striding toward Axel.
"Axel, you need to take better care of yourself. Stop casually breaking your bones!
"Here, take it back. Someone like Bruce doesn't deserve to appreciate bones this perfect.
"Look at these smooth curves. Look at this density. Even the flesh hanging from it is perfectly lethal!
"By Axel, how can such a perfect and powerful pure human exist? The limits of humanity really are endless. Humans truly are the greatest!"
While exclaiming excitedly, Lex quickly reattached the rib to Axel.
As the bone rapidly regenerated, Axel's body returned to normal.
The damage was eventually covered by his automatically repairing golden chainmail.
Only then did Lex breathe a sigh of relief.
He immediately grabbed Axel by the wrist.
"Come on, Axel. We'll collect what they owe you first!
"With me here, nobody gets away without paying their debts!"
After saying that, Lex gestured toward the others, signaling them to gather together so they could begin the teleportation.
Seeing this, Clark and the others nodded and moved toward Axel.
As for Tony, he glanced at Axel before quickly turning toward Old Deng Tony.
"My alternate self, you need to cherish your Little Pepper. She hasn't even had her butt spanked by Axel.
"Take good care of her, and our daughter, Buddy!"
"F***!"
Hearing this, Old Deng Tony immediately kicked Middle Deng Tony.
"Your words make it sound like I've been cuckolded!
"Also, I hope your world returns to peace soon!"
After speaking, Old Deng Tony waved toward Middle Deng Tony.
But as he did so, Steve, standing nearby, suddenly remembered something.
He quickly shouted toward Axel, who was already preparing to leave.
"Wait! What about Wanda and Vision?
"I am very grateful that you resurrected everyone, and I have no way to repay you.
"But... did you forget Wanda and Vision?"
"What did you say?"
Hearing Steve, Axel curled his lips in amusement.
He raised a hand to his ear.
"What did you just say? I didn't hear a damn thing.
"Didn't I resurrect the people Thanos killed?
"But Wanda and Vision were killed by me.
"Why the hell should I resurrect people I killed myself?
"Do you think I'm a masochist?"
As his words fell, Axel's gaze sharpened.
Several flames suddenly erupted.
After burning briefly, Axel and his group completely disappeared, leaving Steve standing there in a daze.
After leaving the pocket dimension he had created, Axel landed on a scorching stretch of land.
The instant they arrived, explosions erupted in the distance as temperatures rapidly climbed.
Bruce and the others immediately put on their masks, while the youthful Wanda quickly used magic to protect herself.
As everyone hurriedly defended themselves, Axel was momentarily stunned.
He stared at the exploding landscape spreading outward like a massive wildfire.
Wait.
Hadn't he been teleporting to the Asgard he had just reshaped?
Then why was Asgard exploding again?
Meanwhile, at the center of the massive Asgardian explosion, Odin continued using Gungnir to expand the planetary core explosion.
At the same time, he shouted toward Thor.
"Don't just stand there, Thor! Come and help me subdue your sister!
"Without Asgard, both your sister and I will lose the immortal bodies and infinite divine power granted by Asgard's origin!
"Don't kill your sister. We still have a chance to make her into a better version of herself!
"What are you staring at? Stop standing there and come help!"
"But..."
Thor tilted his head in confusion at his father's urgency.
"But Father, I haven't found Loki yet!
"Loki must have been resurrected too. I want to send him to Midgard, but somehow, even the Rainbow Bridge can't connect to him...
"Axel?!!! What are you doing here?!!!"
Thor had barely finished speaking when Axel suddenly appeared beside him.
Axel grabbed Thor by the ear and lifted his face toward the Immortal Palace, which had been completely destroyed by the explosion.
"Thor, before worrying about where your brother is, you should worry about where the divine weapon you promised me is.
"Otherwise, do you really want me to use your Mjolnir as collateral?"