"Now I understand why Lothar's mouth is so infuriating."
The moment Hela witnessed Thanos' arrival, her gaze instinctively locked onto this cosmic warlord. What struck her the most—besides his sheer arrogance in calling Laufey a mere "coward"—was his thick, furrowed chin and purple skin.
It reminded her of a certain type of food.
"Father?" Lothar's usually composed expression wavered as he looked at the golden-armored warlord who had suddenly appeared before him.
"You did well, Lothar."
Striding up to his son, Thanos patted him on the shoulder, his face a mix of approval and satisfaction.
His son had not disgraced him. Even in his Great Ape form, he had relentlessly pummeled Laufey. Excellent. Truly worthy of his lineage.
"Thanos..."
Laufey's face darkened the instant he saw the Mad Titan. And when he noticed Thanos and Lothar speaking so casually—completely ignoring him—it grew even darker.
Hela—he couldn't kill her, because Odin had arrived.
Lothar—he couldn't kill him either, because Thanos was here.
Unless he had the power to single-handedly slay both Odin and Thanos, there was no escaping his current predicament.
These two brats had fathers who could shield them. And yet he, Laufey, a being who had lived countless ages longer than them, had no such figure to rely on. Instead, he had an entire race depending on him for survival amid the Nine Realms' wars.
What kind of cruel joke was this...?
Laufey felt stifled. In hindsight, he should have just used forbidden power earlier to eliminate these troublesome brats. At least then, he wouldn't be so utterly cornered now.
"Now, tell me, Laufey."
Standing beside Lothar, Thanos gripped his massive blade, his gaze indifferent.
Odin, standing next to Hela, remained silent, simply raising his Eternal Spear.
"You will regret this."
"Thanos. Odin."
Suppressing his frustration, the Frost Giant king swept his gaze across the four individuals standing before him. A frigid wind howled, swallowing his massive figure, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight.
In times of desperation, knowing when to retreat was crucial.
It was the only choice Laufey had left.
The combined might of Thanos and Odin was not something he could contend with—especially now that one of the Frost Giants' greatest treasures, the Casket of Ancient Winters, had been taken by Lothar.
He bore the hope of his people, who wished to rule the Nine Realms. He could not—would not—die here.
Hesitation meant defeat.
For the sake of his race, for his final shred of dignity, Laufey made his decision. His retreat was swift and decisive—without an ounce of reluctance.
Neither Thanos nor Odin moved to stop him.
Laufey's power was inferior to theirs, but within Jotunheim, where his strength was amplified, he wasn't far behind. A Laufey who had resolved to escape could not be easily stopped—not unless they both committed to an all-out battle.
Odin was willing, of course. Laufey was, after all, one of his greatest foes.
But Thanos? He was no fool. His empire lay beyond the Nine Realms—his forces had yet to extend their reach into this domain. There was no benefit in fighting Odin's war for him.
"Odin."
"Thanos."
As Laufey disappeared, the two titans—who rarely crossed paths—locked eyes for the first time.
One had come for his daughter.
The other, for his son.
"You have an exceptional son, Thanos."
Odin patted Hela on the shoulder, shifting his gaze to Lothar. For someone to easily defeat Laufey—without the use of forbidden power—was no small feat. Even Hela had not reached that level yet.
Not to mention, Lothar had treated Laufey like a mere sandbag, tossing him around effortlessly.
This would surely be the greatest humiliation of Laufey's life.
Odin was already plotting how to ensure news of this incident spread across the frontlines like wildfire.
"Your daughter isn't bad either."
Thanos was in high spirits after witnessing Lothar's display of strength. Since he had no direct conflicts with Odin, he naturally returned the compliment.
Of course, to Hela's ears, it sounded utterly grating.
Tightly gripping the tracking device her father had extracted from her earlier, Hela took a deep breath to steady herself. Then, with measured steps, she approached Lothar and extended her hand.
"What?"
Lothar raised an eyebrow at her.
"This belongs to you."
With a flick of her fingers, she sent the tiny object hurtling toward Lothar's face. Instinctively, he caught it in his palm and looked down—realizing it was the very same micro-tracker he had injected into her along with the healing serum.
"I will defeat you the next time we meet."
Her gaze met his, unwavering and resolute.
Lothar glanced at the tracker before pocketing it. Looking at Hela's determined expression, he smirked, raised two fingers, and scoffed.
"You're still twenty thousand years too early."
"...…"
Hela clenched her fists, burying her simmering battle spirit and anger deep within. Without another word, she turned and walked away.
She would return to her training.
She would prove herself to Odin.
Most importantly—she would rip that insufferable smirk off Lothar's face.
She would make that arrogant bastard eat his words.
Not in twenty thousand years.
She would defeat him much, much sooner.
"You lost to him?"
As his daughter returned to his side, Odin twirled Gungnir in his hand. A flash of rainbow light enveloped them.
"I will defeat him. I swear it."
Odin chuckled.
His daughter had finally found a rival—someone on her level.
Thanos' son, huh?
Perhaps it was time to start thinking beyond the Nine Realms.
The universe was vast.
Vast enough to ignite the ambitions of any ruler.
"You defeated her?"
Aboard the flagship, as he watched the Bifrost's rainbow light vanish into the sky, Thanos turned to Lothar.
"Hmm."
"That woman has great potential."
Even though Hela had not fully displayed her power, Thanos could sense it—the nascent divine authority of death.
Death was one of the most profound and powerful forces in the universe.
"She will never surpass me."
The reflection of Lothar's cold, confident face gleamed upon the icy surface of the Casket of Ancient Winters.
Thanos chuckled in satisfaction.
"After all, you evolve faster than light itself?"
"Of course."
Above the throne of Jotunheim, Thanos' massive fleet prepared for departure.
Instead of teleporting away individually, the Mad Titan remained aboard the flagship, engaging in casual conversation with his most favored son.
"Lothar."
"Have you ever heard of the Kree?"
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