Chapter 176 The Split Loki

The group, now six including Arthur and the injured Heimdall, made their way through Asgard. Two of them supported Heimdall, while the large warrior Volstagg stayed to the right, Sif led in front, and Arthur guarded the left.

As they walked, Sif briefly introduced the others to Arthur. The big guy was named Volstagg, the one with short golden hair was Fandral, and the one constantly holding a mace was Hogun.

Arthur couldn't help but feel the urge to make a few jokes about Hogun and Sif's names.

As they proceeded, despite knowing something was wrong, the group—except for Arthur and the severely injured Heimdall—remained fairly relaxed. That sense of ease likely came from Thor.

It was clear that they had immense trust in Thor, built from numerous victories under his leadership. Arthur's internal assessment of Thor was more critical: not much of a thinker, but definitely good at fighting.

However, for a God, that clearly wasn't enough, which explained why Odin went to such lengths to send Thor to Earth for growth and maturity.

To Arthur's surprise, they encountered no obstacles on their way. He distinctly remembered that Loki had opened the Bifrost and brought Laufey and the Frost Giants to Asgard. Where had they gone?

Just as they neared their destination, the answer appeared.

A group of Asgardian guards stood there, restraining several blue-grey-skinned Frost Giants, who sat on the ground looking utterly defeated.

Sif approached to inquire about the situation and returned with some unexpected yet logical news: "It was Loki who ordered them to ambush and capture these Frost Giants."

Arthur's mouth twitched as he muttered under his breath, "Talk about split personalities."

In truth, it wasn't hard to explain.

Loki's actions— deceiving Thor, sending the Destroyer to attack him, and bringing Laufey and the Frost Giants to Asgard— were never his true goal. His real ambition was to gain Odin's approval.

This stemmed from his deep-seated insecurity. As an adult, Loki suddenly discovered the truth that he was adopted, sparking a complex internal struggle. In the end, he chose this twisted path.

He deceived Thor to prevent him from returning to Asgard, even going so far as to enlist Arthur to keep Thor on Earth, all in an effort to stop Thor from ruining his plans.

On one hand, he set the Destroyer against Thor but didn't deliver a killing blow. On the other, he allowed Laufey and the Frost Giants into Asgard, only to betray and capture them, including Laufey himself.

Even his final attempt to activate the Bifrost and destroy Jotunheim, the realm of the Frost Giants, was part of his desperate bid to prove his worth to Odin and gain his father's recognition.

The moment that stuck with Arthur the most was when Loki killed Laufey and declared, "You die at the hands of Odin's son!"

It was clear that in Loki's heart, he only ever considered Odin his true father. He had never intended to destroy Asgard, nor did he ever aspire to take the throne.

However, his methods were far too extreme, leading to a situation where not only Odin but everyone else found it impossible to understand or accept him.

Arthur shook his head. Loki's approach made it so that no one, not even Odin, could acknowledge him. In fact, the only person who might understand Loki even a little was Arthur himself.

But what good was that? Arthur had no interest in becoming Loki's friend.

Regardless of his intentions, Loki was clearly not an ideal friend. Thor, with his straightforward nature, was a much better candidate— mostly because he was easier to manipulate.

Loki, on the other hand, was the type who could betray you, whether out of malice or mischief. Being backstabbed, even in jest, was never a pleasant experience.

As these thoughts swirled through Arthur's mind, they arrived at Asgard's medical facility.

Everyone finally relaxed a bit, including Arthur. However, in the very next moment, a figure dressed in green robes and wearing a horned helmet— Loki— appeared in the room.

He glanced at Arthur briefly, then shifted his gaze to Volstagg, or more specifically, to the sword at Volstagg's waist.

"Loki!"

Everyone's expressions changed instantly and it looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

Loki's face darkened in response to their wary looks, but he exhaled lightly and forced a nonchalant smile. "So, you're all back? Do you really think bringing back my foolish brother will change anything?"

While everyone's attention was focused on the Loki in front of them, they didn't notice another Loki appearing behind Volstagg, reaching out to grab the sword at his waist.

But in the next second, his hand came up empty.

Volstagg felt a sudden lightness at his side. Turning around, he saw Arthur holding the sword, smiling at the Loki in front of him. "I thought you'd be more familiar with its function."

Loki glanced up at the air, where nothing was visible, but he knew there was an invisible eye watching them all.

His smile vanished as he glared at Arthur, his voice cold. "Give it back!"

Arthur swung the sword in his hand, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "No."

With that, the sword disappeared, sent directly into his Disassemble Space.

"Damn you!!"

Loki's magic staff glowed, and a strange force spread throughout the room.

Suddenly, everyone except Arthur started behaving erratically— some yelled loudly, while others swung their weapons wildly in the air!

Arthur, however, had been prepared. When the magical force swept over, a colorless energy shield had already enveloped his body.

Seeing the others losing control of themselves, Arthur pondered for a moment. His figure flickered and disappeared in an instant.

"You won't escape!"

Loki gritted his teeth and vanished after him.

…

In the void of Asgard, Arthur moved swiftly through the air, heading to find Thor.

After all, the ongoing drama between these two brothers was more entertaining. Arthur's only job was to keep the sword safe— there was no need to get into an unnecessary fight with Loki. Though, part of him was curious to see what would happen if they did fight.

Still, that was a risk Arthur wasn't ready to take just yet.

But it wasn't entirely up to him. As he raced through the air, a figure appeared out of nowhere beside him, and Loki swung his magic staff directly at him!

"Damn it!"

The sudden attack caught Arthur off guard. He quickly activated his reinforced defenses and raised his arm to block. Even so, the force of the blow sent him hurtling downward, crashing into the ground with a loud thud.

Loki followed closely behind, landing as Arthur's frustrated voice echoed in his ear. "You're a sorcerer— why aren't you keeping your distance and flinging spells? What are you doing swinging a staff at me? Do you think you're a staff master or something?"