The inevitable battle

Before Thor could grasp the situation, he witnessed Odin forcefully pulling Gungnir and angrily confronting Caesar.

"Do you even know what you're saying?" Odin's voice thundered.

"I know exactly what I'm saying," replied Caesar confidently.

"Are you so old that you can't even hear properly?" Caesar taunted with a smirk. "The King of the Gods, huh!"

Ignoring Odin's spear, Caesar continued with a cold smile, "Caesar!"

Odin bellowed, brandishing Gungnir directly at Caesar.

It was only then that Thor realized Odin and the two strangers weren't on friendly terms.

Thor stood behind Odin, tightening his grip on Mjolnir, and focused on Caesar and Valina.

"I'm here to negotiate," Caesar declared, his tone firm yet icy. "Release Hela and leave Midgard."

Odin studied Caesar intently. The once weak prince was now an imposing figure, the ruler of the Holy Heavenly Palace and the most powerful being in the universe.

After a moment, Odin lowered Gungnir.

Addressing Caesar with a calmness reserved for equals, he said, "Releasing Hela is impossible. The seal is tied to my life. Only my death would free her."

"And abandoning Midgard is out of the question," Odin continued. "It holds too many secrets. It's been the focus of Asgard's protection for centuries. Even if those secrets are never uncovered, Midgard remains Asgard's most prized possession. We can't relinquish our rule over it."

Odin's tone softened as he spoke. "Regardless of your reasons for wanting Midgard, I urge you to reconsider your ambitions."

"You're not sufficient anymore!"

Caesar listened in silence, his demeanor icy, until Odin's heartfelt plea struck a chord within him, causing a subtle shift in his expression.

That must be Odin's seldom-seen affection.

Thor, somewhat perplexed, questioned, "Who is Hela? And why does the King of the Gods, Odin, need to seal her at the cost of his life? What enigmas does Midgard conceal? Why is it of such paramount importance?"

For the first time, Thor felt truly ignorant, brimming with inquiries but hesitant to confront the formidable presence of Odin and Caesar.

Left with no recourse, he anxiously brandished Mjolnir, finding solace in its familiar weight, a means to quell his unspoken turmoil.

Caesar cast a cold gaze upon Odin, noting his pallid hair and the creased countenance marked by age. The lone eye remaining betrayed a stubborn resolve, though Caesar recognized the weariness of age.

"I refuse to accept it!" Caesar declared resolutely, each word pronounced with conviction. "I cannot believe that the only solution to freeing Hela is your demise!"

"Don't test me!" Odin retorted. "As for the mysteries of Midgard and my purported qualifications to arbitrate, the Odin you see before you is no longer the arbiter you once knew!"

"Odin!" Caesar thundered, advancing with unwavering determination, his resolve unyielding.

Tension thickened in the air. Thor's grip on Mjolnir tightened, its vibrations echoing his inner turmoil with a resounding roar.

Valina cast a fleeting glance at Thor before aligning herself with Caesar, her gaze fixed intently on Thor.

Should conflict ensue, Thor would be her target. She harbored a long-standing desire to challenge Asgard's royal family.

Confronted with Caesar's relentless pursuit, Odin stood his ground. Despite possessing only one eye, a rare glint of ferocity emanated from within him.

The once-peaceful façade had given way to the primal instincts of a warrior. Conquest, plunder, and the pursuit of power—these were the hallmarks of Odin's true nature.

With determined steps, Odin advanced, the tip of Gungnir crackling with an electric energy, foretelling an imminent clash of titans.

"Do you doubt?"

"What are your qualifications?"

"Caesar! 66."

Odin bellows, "Come, challenge me, and I'll grant your desires!"

"But should you fail, you depart!"

With those words, an enormous, spiked armor emerged from the depths of Asgard, enveloping Odin tightly within.

His lone eye glowed red from within the Destroyer armor, his aura growing more formidable by the moment.

Caesar remained silent, simply raising his left hand slightly before releasing it.

A blue light illuminated Caesar's visage as he clenched the void with his right hand, summoning forth a flaming longsword from the depths of space.

Though merely an Angel's standard weapon, under the blessing of the power of the sun, the might of the flame sword was not to be underestimated, capable of felling Tier 3 powerhouses.

With silent determination, Caesar and Odin locked gazes.

With a resounding bang, Gungnir clashed fiercely with the flaming sword, sparks and lightning flying as powerful shockwaves rippled through the broken Bifrost.

The water beneath Bifrost churned as a massive wave surged.

Thor, not one to stand idly by, brandished Mjolnir, eager to join the fray.

Yet Valina intervened, brandishing a dragon tooth sword, halting Thor in his tracks. This was the valkyrie's sword of glory, now wielded by Valina herself.

The feud between the Legion of Valkyrie and the Royal House of Asgard played out on the battlefield, dividing their focus.

The tumult of battle roused countless denizens of Asgard, drawing Heimdall, Frigga, the three Asgard warriors in recovery, and the guards to Bifrost's vicinity.

Unrestrained, Odin, former Heavenly Father, understood well the combat prowess of fourth-order Aesir gods.

Moreover, Odin, who possessed the Space Gem, could not overlook Caesar's left hand, which bore the artifact.

Thrusting, parrying, blocking, and evading, Gungnir danced in Odin's hands with seasoned mastery.

In terms of martial skill, Odin, seasoned by countless battles, found few equals.

Caesar was no exception.

However, Caesar's prowess had transcended mere martial skill to a level where combat was more akin to manipulation of energy, a deep comprehension of the fundamental rules of existence.

In pure martial prowess, Caesar paled in comparison to Odin, his flame sword limited to mere slashes.

Yet bolstered by the power of space, Caesar's defense proved stalwart, timely intercepting Gungnir's assaults at critical junctures.

Thus, the deadlock persisted between the two titans.

....

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