180

Asgard Incident

"This time, I will ensure your complete demise!" Apocalypse spat with venom as he lunged towards Khonshu, unleashing a purple beam from his hand.

Khonshu conjured a moonlight shield in his left hand, deflecting Apocalypse's attack, while simultaneously hurling a moonlit spear with his right.

"Boom!" The moonlight shield shattered upon impact, and Apocalypse's energy shield flickered, emitting a brilliant purple hue, absorbing the blow from the spear.

Meanwhile, Aggomoto and Diops launched another assault, and Shilut continued to unleash torrents of mudslides, relentlessly harassing Apocalypse.

Despite his two millennia of godhood, Apocalypse, though weakened from severe soul damage, maintained the upper hand against the combined onslaught of four formidable opponents.

Elsewhere, Forseti engaged in a fierce battle with the death knight and the high priest. Though the death knight was gravely wounded, the high priest remained formidable, keeping Forseti at bay.

"Boom!" Forseti shattered the energy barrier erected by the death knight, sending him flying. The high priest conjured a glowing green serpent between his hands, launching it towards Forseti.

The serpent elongated mid-flight, morphing into a substantial form, its jaws snapping ferociously at Forseti.

Forseti's shield blazed with flames as he deflected the serpent's attack, causing it to recoil and shrink.

Undeterred, the serpent transformed into a wispy form, its verdant light dense and almost tangible, burrowing into Forseti's flesh with alarming speed.

Forseti recoiled in shock as his vision blurred.

Outside the chamber, Apocalypse had subdued Agamotto and Diops. Gripping Khonshu's arm, he discharged a purple radiance, reducing Khonshu's arm to gravel with a resounding crash.

"Flesh is overrated," Apocalypse sneered, casually swatting aside Agamotto and Diops.

"Hah!" Shilut unleashed another landslide of debris directly at Apocalypse.

"Annoying pest!" Apocalypse scoffed, hurling a sphere of purple light towards the debris.

Shilut attempted to intercept the light with a cascade of rubble from his mouth, forming a makeshift barrier, but the sphere breached the defense.

Panicked, Shilut transformed his arms into solid stone blocks, intercepting the sphere of light.

"Boom!"

The stone shattered, hurling Shilut backwards, but successfully nullifying the sphere's energy.

Inside the chamber, Forseti's grip tightened as he sensed Shilut's peril.

The cobra's venom coursed through Forseti's veins, blurring his vision. Seizing the opportunity, the high priest and the death knight renewed their assault.

Forseti summoned his divine power.

Holy Shield!

Runes aglow, the holy shield enveloped Forseti, purging the venom from his body.

Another cobra struck, its speed undiminished, only to meet Forseti's holy shield head-on, disintegrating upon impact.

"What!" The high priest's eyes widened in disbelief.

Empowered by the holy shield, Forseti surged forward, Antu's hand connecting squarely with the high priest's forehead.

"Boom!"

The high priest crumpled lifelessly, leaving only the severely wounded death knight in the chamber.

Outside.

Despite sustaining injuries, Apocalypse had incapacitated Agamotto and Diops. Khonshu now stood as a fractured, dimmed statue, while Diops lay pierced through the abdomen, his fate uncertain.

Apocalypse prepared to dispatch the fallen, but Forseti intervened, swiftly ending the death knight's life before emerging from the chamber, clutching a glowing orb.

"Cease!" Forseti's voice rang out.

Apocalypse turned, disdain etched across his features. "I underestimated you."

Forseti panted, raising the Orb of Allsight. "Apocalypse, crushing this orb will summon Asgard's guardian, Ullr. Consider the consequences."

Reluctantly, Apocalypse conceded.

Apocalypse retorted, "This pyramid is shielded by a magical barrier. No one can spy on it from outside."

Forseti countered, "Khonshu disclosed the barrier's details. It's confined to the chamber."

Apocalypse sneered, "That was decades ago. Crush it if you doubt me."

Forseti's brow furrowed, uncertain of Apocalypse's claims.

In that instant, Apocalypse lunged, immobilizing Forseti with a powerful force, rendering him motionless.

Forseti's eyes widened, but he swiftly invoked the Holy Shield once more, his final shard of divine protection.

Runes ablaze, the holy shield repelled Apocalypse's restraint. Forseti swung his warhammer, simultaneously crushing the Orb of Allsight.

"Boom!"

Apocalypse staggered, crashing into the wall, wounded.

Furious and humiliated, Apocalypse realized his's claim was a bluff; no barrier existed.

Forseti taunted, "Which deity will claim your life now?"

Apocalypse trembled with rage.

However, Forseti's expression darkened as, despite crushing the Orb of Allsight, Ullr remained absent.

Had a barrier truly shielded this chamber? Impossible; Apocalypse's reaction confirmed deception.

Had something befallen Asgard's Ullr?

Forseti's heart sank; unforeseen complications now imperiled him.

Apocalypse chuckled, "Seems fortune favors me. Asgard falters."

Before he could continue, he conjured five purple orbs, hurtling them towards Forseti.

"Boom boom boom!" Forseti raised his holy shield, weathering the onslaught while retaliating with his warhammer.

The battle raged, but Apocalypse's crushing assault steadied. A purple beam slammed Forseti into the wall.

"Boom!"

Apocalypse clenched his fist, encasing Forseti in stone, leaving only his head exposed.

Forseti strained against the bonds, his face reddening. Activating his final Holy Shield shard, divine light enveloped him, shattering his confinement.

Apocalypse smirked, "Initially, I pondered Diops or Howlet's bodies, but yours, an Aesir, younger and stronger! I shall extend my life by five millennia!"

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