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In the end, only Thanos sat next to the Ancient One, his gaze flickering as he stared at the empty arena, lost in thought. Then he turned and looked at the Ancient One's deeply lined face with a knowing expression.

"Sorcerer Supreme, you don't seem to be in great shape," Thanos said with a sly smile.

"You needn't worry about that, Lord Thanos," the Ancient One replied calmly, her face impassive as she glanced at Thanos's large purple face. It was well known that this guy was an idealistic madman, a potential threat to all civilizations.

The fact that the Ancient One even acknowledged him showed her exceptional composure. The thousands of other civilization leaders, upon seeing Thanos arrive, were so frightened that they quickly moved to the other end of the arena to find new seats.

Just then, two massive rifts suddenly tore open in the void. 

From one of the rifts emerged a strange man in a white suit, barefoot, with a sinister aura of corruption emanating from him. The black sludge dripping from his feet sizzled as it hit the ground, making the very air seem to hiss in pain. He twisted his neck in a grotesque manner, scanning the crowd before turning his gaze to the other rift, from which a presence he utterly despised was emanating.

Soon, a handsome man, also barefoot and clad in white, radiating holy light, emerged from the other rift. Instantly, the light of divine radiance spread from him, illuminating everyone present.

Everyone turned to look at the source of the light, and those with a bit of strength showed a strong sense of displeasure in their eyes. The thousands of civilization leaders, who had been trembling in fear of Thanos, suddenly felt their anxiety soothed by this holy light, even feeling an urge to bow down in worship to this being of light.

"God—oh, no, I suppose I should call you Father," Satan sneered with a mocking tone. "You're still as annoying as ever, always trying to lure in a few more followers."

As soon as he spoke, a dark mist erupted from his body, shattering the light that had spread from God. The thousands of civilization leaders, who were not very powerful, collectively exhaled in relief.

They had almost knelt down to that mysterious figure just now. If not for their strong willpower, they might have been brainwashed into becoming zealots by God's divine power.

"Lucifer, you are unworthy of calling me Father. You are merely a disgraceful traitor," God said coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion, utterly indifferent. He then ignored Satan, who was trying to provoke him, and walked to one of the front seats to sit down.

A flicker of intense killing intent flashed in Satan's eyes as dark power surged in his hands while he stared at God's unguarded back. But the next moment, he withdrew it. This was not the place to start a fight.

Feigning boredom, he shrugged and sat next to God, continuing to push the limits of God's patience.

By this time, almost all of Zane's 'invited' guests had arrived.

Just then, the other rulers from different realms, who had been invited by Asgard, hurriedly arrived. Without much sense, they tried to take the remaining seats at the front, but the combined pressure from Thanos and God forced them back. They had no choice but to settle for seats in the middle, like chastised children.

Once everyone had taken their seats, the people of Asgard finally entered, filling the remaining spaces. Unlike the curiosity and excitement on the faces of the other attendees, the Asgardians wore expressions of deep solemnity. 

Anyone with half a brain could see that this upcoming battle was less a friendly sparring match and more of a grand, unconventional funeral for the All-Father, Odin.

Finally, Queen Frigga, Thor, the pardoned Loki, Lorna, and Bastis took their seats at the very front. With that, the arena was completely filled, and everyone waited for the main event to begin.

Unlike Lorna and Thor, who appeared calm, Loki was practically squirming in his seat. His hair stood on end as he fidgeted nervously with his fingers, sweat pouring down his face. He was on edge, as Thanos was glaring directly at him.

Loki had borrowed Thanos's scepter in the past, only to mess everything up because of Zane's interference. Not only did he lose the scepter, but Zane also wiped out one of Thanos's key civilizations.

Loki wouldn't be surprised if Thanos suddenly lashed out and killed him right then and there. But with so many powerful figures watching, Loki had no choice but to sit quietly in his seat, silently praying for time to pass quickly so he could escape this wretched place and get as far away from the Mad Titan as possible.

Thanos, however, only cast a few displeased glances at Loki. His focus had shifted after learning that several Infinity Stones were in Zane's possession. With the backing of the Celestials, arranged through the Collector, Thanos was confident he could reclaim the stones from Zane.

The presence of the Collector and the Grandmaster at the arena was to verify the truth of Thanos's claims. Initially, only the Collector was supposed to come, but the Grandmaster, who was obsessed with gladiatorial contests, eagerly joined upon hearing about the arena.

Thanos soon diverted his gaze from Loki to another direction, where two men were calmly walking toward the arena. 

Relieved that Thanos was no longer focused on him, Loki let out a long breath and looked toward the distant figure approaching. His expression grew complex as he stared at the old man, and, almost unconsciously, he murmured under his breath, "Father…"

If Odin could hear Loki call him "Father" again, he would undoubtedly be overjoyed. But Odin could hear nothing at this moment. His entire attention was fixed on the arena built in his honor. The sounds of the audience and the world beyond were all muted in his mind.

On this arena, he would shine with a brilliance the world had never seen. This would be his final battle. He would end his life in the way of a true warrior. The arena would become his tomb, and the stars above would serve as his headstone.

Zane and Odin walked side by side, silently stepping onto the arena under the gaze of the audience, who were filled with fear, curiosity, or murderous intent.

As they reached the center, the Dwarf King, who had been standing at the edge of the arena, solemnly pressed a button. Instantly, a hemispherical energy barrier enveloped the entire arena, sealing it off from the spectators to ensure that the coming battle would not harm anyone outside.

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