At this moment, Odin suddenly spoke:
"The end is coming. I can feel your mother calling me."
Thor, who had been smiling foolishly, froze. Suddenly, he realized something was wrong.
Why did his father look as though he was preparing to die?
Hurriedly, Thor said:
"Loki has already killed the fire giants! Ragnarok will not come. You can continue to rule Asgard!"
But Odin shook his head.
"It's not about that... it's her."
He sighed deeply.
"I have been fighting your sister my entire life, and now she is returning."
Then he revealed the story of Hela, the goddess of death.
Thor was stunned—not only to learn that he had a sister, but also to realize that this sister might very well try to kill him as soon as she returned.
"Is she really not adopted?" Thor wondered briefly, still unable to comprehend the full weight of the revelation.
His thoughts spiraled.
How long can Father hold on? Maybe Loki could reinforce the seal.
But before he could say anything, Odin suddenly turned into golden powder and vanished. It happened so quickly.
Thor stared in shock, speechless.
Russell patted him on the shoulder and offered a rather unsympathetic consolation:
"It's okay. Think about it this way—though you've lost your father, you've gained a sister."
"Not a bad trade-off."
Thor clenched his fists, his sadness and anger flaring.
"Don't mention her! If not for the strength my father needed to keep fighting her, he would have lived longer!"
"I will personally suppress her in the underworld forever!"
Russell, calm as ever, gestured behind Thor.
"You might want to tell her that in person."
The sky had darkened without anyone noticing.
Thor turned around and saw a dark green stain spreading across the once-clear sky.
The air seemed to corrode, tearing open a rapidly growing hole.
The next moment, a woman emerged. Her disheveled hair framed a pale, unyielding face, and her battle-worn armor only added to her menacing aura.
"So, he's dead?"
Hela's gaze swept across the scene before her. Then, as if sensing something, her lips curled into a regretful smile.
"What a pity. I really wanted to see him die with my own eyes."
"That expression of utter powerlessness... it must have been fascinating."
Thor's eyes burned with anger as he stepped forward, declaring:
"Are you Hela? I am Thor, son of Odin!"
Hela raised an eyebrow, her expression one of mockery.
"You? A bald, eyebrowless freak? You're his son? What did he marry after abandoning Frigga?"
Then, with a sly glance at Russell, she added,
"By the way, the royal bloodline in that one seems much stronger."
Thor bristled but quickly scoffed.
"Hah! That's the extent of your vision? The thousand-year seal must have made you weak and blind—"
"Kneel."
Hela's voice cut through Thor's tirade like a blade.
She didn't even glance at Thor. Her command was directed squarely at Loki, holding a blade conjured from death energy in her hand.
Thor hesitated, confused. Why was she addressing Loki and not him?
For a moment, frustration gnawed at him. He was Odin's true son, after all! Didn't she feel the power of Mjolnir in his hand?
Yet, at that moment, he couldn't shake the sense that his father might have overestimated Hela's strength. Time had eroded her power.
Then, Loki's calm, sardonic voice drifted into his ears.
"Goddess of Death, Hela…"
"By the way, do you know what happened to the last person who dared say that to me?" Russell interjected with a smile.
Hela's interest was piqued, her lips curling into a smirk.
"Since Odin just died, I'll allow you to continue."
Russell shrugged.
"It's not much of a story. They're currently locked in an Asgardian cell."
Thor blinked in confusion. Why had he never heard of this?
Hela raised an unimpressed eyebrow.
"And you think you can imprison me, too?"
Russell shook his head, his grin widening.
"No. I'm saying your fate will be far worse."
Hela laughed, not the least bit perturbed.
"You're quite confident, aren't you? Just like I once was."
She leveled her gaze at Russell, her tone turning icy.
"So, I'll give you one chance. Kneel and pledge your loyalty to me now. I might let you—and your useless brother—live."
"Oh, Odin would surely be grateful to me," she added with a venomous smile.
Thor, unable to contain his fury any longer, shouted:
"Stupid woman! Open your eyes and see who is the god here!"
BOOM!
A crack of thunder echoed as Thor hurled Mjolnir without hesitation.
The air roared as the hammer cut through it, aiming directly for Hela.
Hela didn't flinch. She smirked, raised her hand, and caught Mjolnir effortlessly.
Thor's jaw dropped.
"This... this is impossible…"
Mjolnir didn't budge, no matter how hard Thor tried to recall it.
Hela's expression was one of sheer satisfaction.
"Little one, you have no idea what true power is."
Her grip tightened, and cracks began to spread across the hammer.
"Sorry, but I can't let you break that just yet," Russell's voice rang out.
Dozens of flaming swords rained from the sky, exploding around Hela in a fiery storm.
In the chaos, Mjolnir flew back into Thor's hands. Thor grinned, turning to Loki.
"Great job, Loki! No—this is brilliant!"
But Russell spoke, his tone calm and measured.
"Don't thank me. After all, it still has its use."
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