Showdown 2

But Odin's instincts were screaming at him—if he took this hit, he would die!

Absolutely die!

This instinct had saved Odin countless times on the battlefield, becoming a deeply ingrained combat reflex, etched into his very being.

Even before Odin could process how Zane had nullified his energy beam or why he now felt such a grave threat, his body had already moved on its own. Gungnir was raised just in time to block the Reaper's Scythe.

Sparks flew from the clash between the scythe's blade and the spear's shaft, and the Reaper's Scythe even managed to slice into Odin's wrist. Pale golden blood trickled down the shaft of Gungnir and onto the ground.

Though he paid a price, Odin successfully parried the Reaper's Scythe.

As the death mark slipped away from Odin, a sharp glint flashed in Zane's eyes. In the next instant, he teleported to Odin's other side, swinging the Reaper's Scythe once more.

In that moment, it seemed to everyone present as if countless Zanes were surrounding and attacking Odin. Yet, Gungnir always managed to block the Reaper's Scythe at the most critical moments. However, without him realizing it, Odin had accumulated numerous wounds. Though none were too severe, their sheer number was overwhelming.

The flowing blood quickly turned Odin into a figure drenched in golden, slowly soaking the arena beneath him. As the blood loss became too much, Odin stumbled, revealing an opening.

Seeing this, a sharp light flashed in Zane's eyes. Without hesitation, he slashed a deep, bone-revealing wound across Odin's body.

From the beginning, Zane had no intention of holding back against Odin. The fact that he had used his [Mystic Eyes of Death Perception] was the clearest proof of this. To hold back against a man who was bravely facing death would be a disrespect not only to Odin's will but also to Zane's own honor.

Realizing that a prolonged defense would only lead to failure, a sudden light of determination flashed in Odin's remaining eye. The nameless divine fire that had been burning within him surged as more unconscious faith poured into it, causing it to flare up violently. The flames erupted from each of Odin's wounds as transparent fire, strangely devoid of any heat.

As the divine fire burned, Odin's wounds began to heal instantly. His divine power surged, and with a mighty roar, a circular wave of lightning burst from within him, forcing Zane to retreat from his relentless attacks on Odin's death points.

The two men once again returned to their original standoff position.

The audience collectively exhaled a breath they hadn't realized they were holding—the battle had been nothing short of spectacular. Thousands of attacks and defenses occurred every second, demanding the full attention of everyone watching. No one dared to look away, fearing they might miss this once-in-a-lifetime duel.

"Kid, I don't have much time left. Let's settle this with one final move," Odin said, his face still wearing a smile as he raised Gungnir towards Zane. What should have been a somber statement was instead filled with boldness and heroism, amplified by Odin's imposing presence.

"Agreed!" Zane replied, a bright and confident smile spreading across his face as he nodded toward Odin.

In the next moment, the overwhelming auras that Zane and Odin had been projecting, which had dominated the entire arena, were suddenly and simultaneously withdrawn into their bodies. All the extraordinary phenomena that had surrounded the arena vanished instantly.

Now, Zane and Odin appeared like two ordinary men, with no trace of their previous otherworldly presence. However, everyone in the audience collectively held their breath, intently watching the unfolding scene. The arena became so silent that one could hear a pin drop, an eerie stillness settling over the crowd, like the calm before a storm—a heavy atmosphere pressing down on everyone's hearts.

But Zane and Odin paid no attention to the audience; their focus was entirely on each other. Both pushed their divine power to its absolute limits, ignoring the strained groans of their overtaxed bodies as they ruthlessly squeezed out the last drops of their strength.

In the next instant, a massive phantom appeared behind Zane, a figure cloaked in a dark robe, holding a scythe, with only two piercing red lights shining from its shadowed face. Simultaneously, behind Odin materialized another specter, mounted on an eight-legged horse, gripping Gungnir, with lightning crackling in its single eye.

As the two phantoms merged into their respective hosts in a flash of light, Zane and Odin suddenly lunged at each other. The Reaper's Scythe and Gungnir blazed like two miniature suns, emitting a radiance more brilliant than ever before.

In that moment, time seemed to stand still. Everyone observed, perplexed, as Zane and Odin's movements in mid-air appeared both incredibly slow and impossibly fast, a paradoxical interplay of speed and slowness that left the spectators feeling stifled, yet unable to tear their eyes away, desperate not to miss the final decisive clash.

In the audience, Queen Frigga clasped her hands tightly together, her knuckles turning pale from the force. Her eyes were filled with a mix of deep sorrow and profound pride—sorrow that Odin's fall from divinity was inevitable, and pride that her husband was a mighty warrior who stood tall against the heavens.

Sitting beside Frigga, Thor and Loki also bore expressions of complex emotion. Alongside the shared heaviness and grief, Thor's eyes held a mixture of uncertainty about the future and newfound resolve. Though his gaze was fixed on the battle in the arena, his mind was engaged in a relentless self-examination.

"Will I be a good king?"

"Will I be a good king?"

"Will I be a good king?"

...

Finally, Thor arrived at a conclusion.

"I'm not one yet, but..."

"I will surpass my father and lead Asgard to new heights of glory!"

Having resolved this, Thor's demeanor suddenly grew more composed. It is only when the fledgling leaves the eagle's protection that it can truly grow and soar on its own.

As for Loki, his eyes were filled with a turbulent mix of love and hate, as memories of his time with Odin played out in his mind. He recalled moments of Odin brushing dust from his clothes and moments of being harshly reprimanded when he stabbed Thor at the age of eight. Gradually, all the love and hate in Loki's heart condensed into a single sigh.

"Thank you, Father…"

On the arena, time seemed to lose all meaning. What felt like a mere instant could have been an eternity. The two divine weapons, brimming with infinite destructive power, finally clashed in mid-air.

In that split second, all fell silent.

There was no explosion, no flames, no waves of energy. Even the divine light that had once flickered on the Reaper's Scythe and Gungnir was extinguished at that moment.

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