As the massive spaceship, comparable in size to the royal palace, emerged, it was quickly surrounded by a dense swarm of smaller warships, blotting out the sky.
Everyone understood the gravity of the situation.
This was an attack no one had expected.
Since Asgard had established absolute dominance over the Nine Realms, no force had dared to invade its territory. Any potential threat had been swiftly and decisively eliminated.
But now, for the first time in thousands of years, Asgard faced a crisis of unprecedented scale.
The enemy had not just infiltrated Asgard—they had invaded its very heart.
This was a humiliation.
A stain upon Asgard. A disgrace to the palace. A dishonor to Odin himself.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Without giving anyone a chance to react, the enemy fleet unleashed its assault.
From the warships above, cannons whirred to life. Terrifying energy bombs gathered at their muzzles, condensing into beams of destructive light—
Then, they fired.
A relentless barrage of firepower rained down upon the royal palace and the surrounding city.
In mere seconds, Asgard was engulfed in flames. Buildings crumbled, debris filled the air, and chaos spread like wildfire.
Screams echoed through the streets.
"Damn outsiders!"
"Who are they?!"
"Where are the palace warriors? Where is our army?!"
"Your Majesty! Prince Thor! We need help! We need our warriors to fight for us!"
Terrified civilians scrambled for cover, dodging falling debris and energy blasts.
But Asgard was a land of warriors.
Most knew this was not a sign of weakness from the palace—only that the enemy had struck with ruthless cunning, catching them off guard.
Recognizing the threat, many grabbed their weapons, jumped onto their war chariots, and raced toward the palace to join the battle.
Amid the chaos, Thor, the God of Thunder, reacted instantly.
Mjolnir in hand, he transformed into a streak of lightning, shooting into the sky and charging straight toward the enemy warships.
BOOM!
Dark clouds rolled across the sky, lightning flashing within their depths.
Countless bolts of electricity slithered through the blackened heavens like serpents.
With a mighty swing of Mjolnir, Thor unleashed a storm of thunderbolts, crackling energy cannonballs tearing through the enemy fleet.
Several warships exploded instantly, crashing down in flames.
From below, the civilians took shelter in an open area, their fear momentarily replaced by awe.
"Thor!"
"Long live Thor!"
They cheered, their voices rising above the destruction.
But inside the massive enemy flagship, the leader of the dark elves, Malekith, merely sneered.
"Hmph."
Without hesitation, he issued his next command.
"All ships—focus fire on Thor!
"And turn the cannons on the palace."
The royal palace was not just a stronghold—it was the heart of Asgard's power, the symbol of its rule.
It was the place generations of kings had called home.
If Malekith could destroy the palace and kill Thor, Asgard's future ruler, he would shatter the people's spirit.
And if, in the process, Odin himself fell—
Then all of Asgard would break.
There would be no fight left in them.
They would submit to the dark elves without resistance.
And Malekith would claim victory.
Rumble!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A barrage of energy shells tore through the sky.
Thor fought fiercely, but he couldn't intercept them all. More shells surged past him, streaking toward the palace.
The sight sent a wave of horror through the Asgardians.
"Despicable invaders!"
"Damn it!"
They understood the enemy's intent. Their faces turned grim, fists clenched, eyes locked on the devastation unfolding above. Some whispered desperate prayers for Thor and the palace.
But among them, the elder Asgardians stood firm, their faith unshaken.
These were the warriors who had fought under Odin when he swept across the Nine Realms, securing Asgard's absolute dominance. Though time had stolen their strength, their memories remained vivid—memories of Odin, standing undefeated, his power unquestionable.
Even now, they believed.
Even if age had withered him, Odin was still the mightiest warrior in Asgard.
BOOM!
Like a meteor storm, the enemy's artillery rained down, engulfing the Asgardian palace in a storm of destruction.
The sheer force distorted the air itself, sending shockwaves in every direction.
Inside the palace, fear gripped those who watched. Many paled, convinced this was their end.
Jane Foster trembled, overwhelmed by the sheer power descending upon them. Unknowingly, she was at the heart of this disaster.
Then, instinctively, her gaze shifted to the man beside her.
Superman.
The strongest man on Earth. The hero who had single-handedly thwarted the Skrulls' conspiracy.
She expected fear. She expected tension.
But instead—
He was smiling.
Confused, Jane followed his gaze. Superman wasn't looking at the attack. He was looking at Odin.
And then, he spoke.
"Your Majesty, the enemy is here. As the faith of the Asgardians, don't you think it's time to act?"
Odin turned his eyes toward him, studying him for a moment.
Then, without hesitation, he raised his hand.
BOOM!
The very air shifted.
An unfathomable divine power surged through Asgard, radiating from the palace like a tidal wave.
Every Asgardian felt it—
A spiritual call.
Old warriors, their faces lined with age and their bodies hunched by time, stood tall once more.
Tears welled in their eyes.
Odin had made his decision.
Even now—
Even in old age—
He was still Asgard's strongest warrior.
The Miracle
BOOM!
Just as the artillery bombardment neared the palace, on the verge of leveling it to the ground—
A golden barrier erupted around the entire structure.
The shells struck—
And shattered harmlessly against the divine shield.
Anton—his Superman persona watching from the side—felt a flicker of awe.
"The power shield covers the entire palace…"
He had seen powerful warriors before, even compared Odin's might to Wonder Woman's.
But this?
This was on another level.
This was a miracle.
Yet as he watched Odin, Anton's eyes narrowed.
Something was wrong.
To the others, Odin appeared calm, his face unreadable.
But Anton could sense it.
Beneath that composed exterior, Odin's life force was draining—rapidly, uncontrollably.
A realization struck him.
Odin was sacrificing himself.
This miracle wasn't without cost. It wasn't just power—it was his very lifespan.
If Odin were still in his prime, such a feat would have merely left him weakened for a few days.
But now?
Thousands of years of battle wounds, unhealed injuries, and the weight of time itself had caught up to him.
For him to unleash his peak strength now—
The price was his own life.
"I won't live much longer…"
Odin raised his hand, releasing a steady stream of divine power. The golden shield surrounding the palace held firm, resisting the relentless bombardment from the enemy warships.
Rumble!
Boom!
Amid the deafening explosions, Odin's calm voice reached Anton and Jane Foster's ears.
"Soon enough, I may even lose my mind to old age."
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
The words made Anton's expression shift slightly. He studied Odin, furrowing his brow, as if realizing something.
"As the king of Asgard, it is my duty to act—for my people."
Odin turned his gaze toward Superman.
"Perhaps this time, I can change Asgard's fate. What do you think, Superman?"
His words were nearly drowned out by the continued barrage against the palace's divine barrier.
Anton didn't respond immediately.
Odin, as if the conversation had never happened, shifted his focus to the battlefield beyond. He watched Thor, the God of Thunder, fighting fiercely against the dark elves, a look of pride softening his features.
"I am proud of him."
"No matter what happens, I believe he will become a greater king than I ever was."
Anton remained silent.
Beside him, Jane Foster felt like an outsider to a conversation she wasn't meant to understand. But before she could make sense of it—
"We're leaving."
Anton's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Leaving?
Before she could react, Superman scooped her up in his arms.
Jane Foster, world-renowned astrophysicist, instantly turned bright red.
Where is he taking me?!
From the palace balcony, Anton looked toward Odin.
"Your Majesty, I know you understand everything that's happening. Asgard would have faced this disaster whether I was here or not… but this time, I owe you one."
He glanced at Jane in his arms.
"Leave the rest to me."
With that, he shot into the sky, carrying Jane beyond the safety of Odin's divine shield.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The moment they left the barrier, a storm of energy blasts rained down on them.
"DANGER!!"
Jane screamed, eyes widening in terror. Seeing the artillery fire rushing toward them, she instinctively shut her eyes, bracing for the worst.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the air.
She expected pain.
Instead—
She felt nothing.
The only thing she sensed was the wind rushing past her face, sharp like blades against her skin.
When she finally dared to open her eyes, she realized something terrifying.
They weren't escaping the battlefield.
They were now at its very center.
Jane gasped.
All around them, warships zoomed at dizzying speeds, weaving through the air. Their massive gun barrels glowed with deadly energy, their sights locked onto them like monstrous, predatory eyes.
She turned to Anton, horrified.
"Superman, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
She struggled against his grip, her voice high-pitched with panic.
"Why did you bring me here?! I'm barely in my twenties! I don't want to die yet!"
She was completely incoherent at this point.
Anton, however, remained completely unbothered. He glanced at her, his expression calm—almost amused.
"I'm helping you, of course."
His tone was light, but he held her securely, not letting her escape.
Jane gawked at him.
Helping?! HOW?!
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Thor caught sight of them and froze mid-fight.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Superman leaving the palace to fight? That made sense.
But why was he carrying Jane Foster?!
Was he punishing her for some kind of grudge?
It made no sense!
The confusion wasn't just Thor's.
Below, the Asgardian civilians, warriors, and even the dark elves saw the bizarre sight—a powerful, tight-suited warrior charging directly into battle… with a helpless woman in his arms.
Murmurs spread among the Asgardians.
"Wait… what?"
"Why is Superman carrying that human?"
"Is this… some kind of death wish?"
At this moment, the only logical conclusion anyone could come up with was—
Did these two just decide to die for love?!
Under the bewildered gaze of countless onlookers, Superman hovered in the air, still holding Jane Foster in his arms.
Before the incoming barrage of artillery and the warships surrounding him, his eyes suddenly burned with a fierce red glow.
Heat vision.
Blazing beams of red light erupted, slicing through the sky. The incoming shells exploded on impact, their fragments incinerated in midair. But Superman's heat vision didn't stop there.
BOOM!
Several unfortunate warships, caught directly in the crossfire, erupted into massive fireballs, burning bright against the dark sky before plummeting toward the ground.
This sudden devastation caught the attention of the remaining warships.
Realizing that this intruder was not a fool rushing to his death—but a serious threat—every nearby ship swiftly adjusted formation, locking onto him.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Like a violent storm, the warships closed in, their engines roaring, weapons primed to fire.
Superman, still hovering midair, remained unmoved.
On the ground and within the palace, all of Asgard fell silent.
For a moment, the entire battlefield seemed to hold its breath.
This stranger had already endured a greater onslaught than even Thor himself.
Jane squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
We're going to die.
Superman's arms were warm, secure—but that didn't stop her from being utterly convinced that the next second would be their last.
With so many warships closing in, with so many artillery blasts primed to fire…
It was like standing in front of a tidal wave of death.
Under the weight of countless staring eyes, Superman exhaled.
WHOOSH!
A sudden, bone-chilling gale erupted from his mouth, sweeping through the battlefield like a hurricane.
A layer of white frost bloomed in the air, spiraling outward.
Goosebumps prickled the skin of every Asgardian watching below.
And then—
CRACK!
The warships, mid-charge, froze solid.
Their sleek metallic surfaces were now encased in thick, unrelenting ice, their engines silenced, their weapons useless.
For a moment, they simply hung there—suspended in their frozen tombs.
Then—
CRASH!
One by one, they lost altitude, plummeting toward the ground, shattering into icy debris upon impact.
Super breath.
A power capable of freezing enemies, creating hurricanes, altering the weather… and, in extreme cases, even extinguishing stars.
That last part might be an exaggeration.
But right now, against the Dark Elf fleet, Superman's breath alone was proving to be a force of nature.
…
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