CHAPTER 178

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LONG LIVE THE KING

[Thor Odinson POV]

The battle had ended, and once again our team had come victorious.

Yet, I still worried. That man, that thing that called himself The Beyonder, was dangerous, too dangerous.

I felt like a child, staring at an inconceivable monster, well beyond my power to stop.

I didn't like this feeling.

I didn't like feeling powerless.

"I suppose you are next," Alex commented patting me in the back while looking at The Beyonder with a hateful glare.

I nodded, whatever this monster was playing, he was saving Alex for last.

Perhaps in an attempt to torture him, I really couldn't tell.

If I were truly mighty, I would be able to protect my brother, to vanquish this foe.

"Well, enough chat ladies and gentlemen," The Beyonder began, but I cut him off, pointing my hammer at him.

"Enough talk monster, and bring me, my challenger, so that you may taste defeat once again," I growled, how dare he play with us, how dare he abuse his power for his own entertainment. I might not be able to kill him, but I would not let him have his way.

The Beyonder smiled, before breaking into a fit of laughter, "Very well then," he nodded, teleporting me to the arena.

"Good luck," Alex smiled from the spectator zone, his eyes heavy.

I knew what he was feeling because I too was feeling it.

"Don't worry brother," I smiled at him, trying to cheer him up, "We shall remain undefeated, of that, you have my word!" 

"Bold words," In front of me, something slowly appeared. At first, what materialized looked like a normal man, taller than me but beyond that nothing, however as the seconds passed his once seemingly normal look changed, his human face changing into that of a wolf, that happened to be wider than a wolf's could be, locked in a permanent expression of delirious joy, his eyes, lidless and bulging as if about to pop out of his head, and his mouth, wide and gaping, showing impossibly large teeth, each one being as large as a dagger.

"Here's your challenger, Reinhard," The Beyonder grinned, pointing at the one who had mocked my words of support to my brother.

"All I see is a dead man," I shot back, I was not afraid of such display, I was the God of Thunder, and to be afraid would be an insult to my people, and now, to my brother.

"Same here," Reinhard blinked as if surprised his looks hadn't affected me, before laughing.

"Well then, let the battle begin," The Beyonder shouted before disappearing out of sight.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked at the beast in front of me, getting into a battle position that seemed to please the monster as his mouth stretched into a wide smile.

"Tell me, Thor, are you afraid?" Reinhard inquired, his voice deep and husky, having low tones that scraped the inside of my head like nails on a blackboard. 

"Of you?" I scoffed, "Hardly." 

"I see," Reinhard nodded, "I suppose we are indeed different because unlike you, I am afraid."

A wise decision, those that have to face me should be afraid.

"I'm afraid of fighting, I'm afraid of getting hurt, but above all, I'm afraid of disappointing my creator," Reinhard whispered, his voice resonating around the arena.

"Enough talk," I growled, I didn't have the slightest idea as to what he was doing, but I had a battle to win.

"Very well," Reinhard sighed.

Without further ado, I blasted towards him at full speed, as he simply stood there, looking at me, with a fearful look. He was truly afraid, what kind of sick game the monster that had created him was playing?!

"Tremble," Reinhard muttered as I approached him, pointing his index finger at me, then from the tip of his finger, something started to ooze, something black, and thick, but liquid.

I shook my head at the sight, pushing my advance towards him, bringing my hammer down on him.

The attack broke him, his body shattering into a bloody mess, leaving nothing but pieces of him around.

And yet, I felt this was far from over.

Then, as I pondered over that thought, my heart started to race.

I was shaking, uncontrollably.

"What?" I muttered, looking at my unsteady hand.

"I am fear incarnated," Reinhard's voice echoed within my head, each word making my heart race even faster.

Suddenly, images of Asgard falling to pieces, my brothers dying, and my people suffering appeared around me, covering the entire battlefield.

I knew this was an illusion, and yet, my heart didn't stop racing, seeing the people I swore to protect dead, my brothers who I promised to take care of, everything I ever cared about, broken.

"Fear is in each and every single one of us," Reinhard muttered, his body materializing in front of me with a murder of crows, each crow seeming to fit a piece of his body like a puzzle, "You can't kill fear,"

I froze.

I couldn't move.

I was… afraid?

OF HIM?!

NO, I REFUSE!

"Then I will find a way," I roared, forcing my body to move, as my voice shook and broke, I was still afraid it seemed, but not enough to lay down and die.

"I see," Reinhard laughed, "Then, try for as long as you want, but have in mind, you can't kill a concept, I am fear, and fear cannot be destroyed,"

Fear cannot be destroyed?

Then, I shall make fear, fear me!

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[Alex Walker POV]

What in the hell was Thor fighting.

I couldn't see shit, the entire arena was covered in a black mist, and yet.

Even from the safe distance of the spectator area, I could feel my body tensing, almost as if afraid.

"This is bad," The Ancient One muttered, her body shaking ever so lightly, "That thing Thor is fighting, is dangerous,"

I nodded, my heart thumping.

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[Thor Odinson POV]

I swung my hammer left and right, my attacks suffering from the pathetic condition that afflicted me, as fear lowered my overall power. 

"Fear can manifest in many ways,"

"Shut up!" I roared, blasting the area with a powerful thunder bolt.

"Like pain," With that said, I felt something pierce my lower abdomen.

In pain, I fell to my knees, gasping, clutching my stomach to find a large sword lodged into me.

"As long as we are alive, fear will always be with us," Reinhard muttered, materializing in front of me, doing his crow thing once again.

"I know," I admitted.

"Then why fight it?" Reinhard inquired.

"Because only a fool would let fear control his life!" I roared, jumping to my feet, slamming my hammer on his head, but like many times before his body broke into a murder of crows.

"But Thor, fear dictates your life," Reinhard muttered, his voice echoing around me, seeming to come from everywhere. "You fight because you fear losing your friends, you eat because you fear dying of hunger, you love because you fear dying alone, you boast because you fear being left behind… you see? Fear already rules your life,"

Was… was that true? 

No… No! NO!

I refuse to let a wolf feathery freak tell me how my life is or was run!

"I refuse to believe that!" I growled, "I fight because I want to protect, because I enjoy fighting, I boast because I am mighty! I love because I rather love than hate, fear has never, and will never rule my life!"

"And you deny everything because you fear, I am right…"

I growled, "I don't care how many times I have to kill you, I will continue fighting for all of eternity if necessary!"

"I feared as much," Reinhard replied, as a new pain invaded my body.

This time attacking my leg.

"Though I'm afraid you don't have much time ahead of you," Reinhard chuckled, once again materializing in front of me. Piercing my body once again with his swords.

Damn body of mine! If only I wasn't afraid!

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[The Ancient One POV]

So this was it…

I finally understood that vision.

It wasn't Knull who would push Odin to give Thor his power.

It was this beast…

A being of all black, just like Knull.

A being that represented fear incarnated.

"Old friend now is the time," I muttered, looking with a frown at the black mist that covered everything.

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[Odin Borson POV]

It was time.

I could feel it.

I guess in a way I was glad it wasn't Knull just yet.

My boy wasn't ready.

Not by a long shot.

I guess for one I am happy I misunderstood a vision.

"Long live, the King," I muttered with a tired smile, letting go of the power that made me the King of Asgard, for it was time for Thor to take my place, and become the greatest of us.

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[Thor Odinson POV] [A few moments earlier]

I was losing.

No matter what I did, no matter how many times I destroyed his body, or how many times I killed his crows, he always came back.

Each time, lodging something into me.

Each stab, each attack, nearing me closer and closer to the gates of death.

To my last destination.

"Give up," Reinhard offered, as I knelt on the ground in pain.

My legs and arms bleeding from his last attack.

"Eat shit," I growled.

"You don't have to fight, you don't have to win, your team already won," Reinhard sighed, "Your team won three matches, out of five, by the rules you guys won, three of you won't die,"

Which meant, Alex and I would.

As if I would allow such a thing.

"I know you care for them, for that man, but believe me, if you think of me as a monster, I'm afraid to know what you will think of Morpheus when you see him," Reinhard chuckled, patting me in the head. "He's a peerless individual."

"Alex will win," I grinned, spitting some blood, "And so will I!"

"How?" Reinhard inquired, "You can barely move… so tell me, how do you plan to kill me?"

"Give me a moment, and I will find how!" I growled.

"Even if you killed me," Reinhard sighed, "Morpheus will kill him, to him, we are bugs, and that includes me,"

"Go kiss the fucker then," I roared, forcing my body to stand up once again.

"This has gone long enough," Reinhard sighed, creating a large sword above me.

But before he could strike me, a voice was heard around the battlefield.

"Long live, the King,"

I recognized that voice.

"Father?" I muttered as a beam of pure light engulfed me.

"What is that?" Reinhard muttered, taking a step back.

"Hehe! This is getting interesting," The Beyonder laughed, clapping his hands in pure delight.