Chapter: Horse-Faced Thor
Forseti swiftly dodged to the side and turned to see a Korbinite warrior clad in heavy armor charging towards him with incredible speed, almost instantaneous.
The swiftness of the Korbin's pursuit surpassed that of most Asgardians, nearly outmatching them all.
Forseti was taken aback by this astonishing speed. Fortunately, he could fly; flames surged beneath his feet as he ascended swiftly into the air.
Undeterred, the Korbinite leaped up with undiminished determination.
*Boom!* His leap left a massive crater in the ground, a testament to his formidable strength.
Light Shield!
Forseti conjured a shield of holy light, but the Korbinite appeared before him in an instant, his fist, encased with a sonic boom, hurtling like a meteor.
*Boom!* With a single punch, the Holy Light shield fractured.
This Korbinite was truly fearsome!
Knowing the Korbinite couldn't fly, Forseti quickly gained altitude, soaring higher.
Before he could utter a word, the Korbinite leaped again, this time with even greater force, reaching a height of a hundred meters, nearly colliding with him once more.
Gasping in fury as Forseti eluded him, the Korbin's large, round nostrils flared like those of a wild horse.
Suddenly, accompanied by roars, a dazzling bolt of lightning struck, and a square-handled short hammer enveloped in thunderlight descended — Mjölnir.
Startled, the Korbinite attempted to dodge, but Mjölnir changed course in pursuit.
*Boom!*
Mjölnir struck the Korbinite down and pinned him to the ground, its weight immobilizing him.
At that moment, Hela approached. "Korbinite, why did you attack us?"
"Hmph! You've slaughtered my people, and yet you accuse me of attacking?" The Corbin retorted angrily.
Then, an unexpected turn of events unfolded before Hela and Forseti.
The Korbinite gripped Mjölnir, still pressing down on him, roaring as he hoisted the war hammer with all his might!
Crackling with thunder, he seemed like the embodiment of a thunder god.
Horse-Faced Thor!
Recognizing the Korbinite with the equine features, Forseti recalled something.
Isn't this Horse-Faced Thor? No wonder the name Korbinite seemed familiar; it's Beta ray bill's home planet.
Horse-Faced Thor is primarily known from the comics, briefly glimpsed in the movies as a statue.
In the comics, Horse-Faced Thor clashes with Thor due to a misunderstanding, even wielding Mjölnir in battle, besting Thor. Odin later forges another hammer for him.
"Nice hammer," the Horse-Faced Thunder God remarked, admiring Mjölnir.
With a gesture from Hela, Mjölnir quivered and returned to her, dragging the Horse-Faced Thor along.
The Horse-Faced Thor exclaimed and exerted his strength, planting his feet firmly, managing to hold onto the war hammer.
In a swift motion, he swung Mjölnir, aiming it at Hela.
Radiant with brilliance, Hela conjured two longswords from thin air.
Despite being only a first-tier deity, she wielded Asgardian power, her strength surpassing that of most second-tier deities.
*Clang!*
The clash of blades sent the Horse-Faced Thor staggering backwards. In a brief skirmish, their strengths were evenly matched.
As the Horse-Faced Thor hesitated to charge again, Forseti extended his hand, invoking a calming gesture.
Caught off guard, the Horse-Faced Thor turned. In that fleeting moment, several of Hela's longswords darted towards him, encircling him, their tips aimed at vital points.
"Drop Mjölnir," Hela commanded.
Simultaneously, the longswords closed in on the Horse-Faced Thor.
After a moment's hesitation, he relinquished Mjölnir, and Hela retracted her swords.
Gazing down at Mjölnir in her grasp, Hela turned to Forseti. "What happened? Why did you clash with the Korbinite?"
Forseti gestured towards the fallen Korbinite. "When I arrived, he was alive. He wanted me to deliver a message to someone named Bill, but he passed before he could finish... I intended to cremate his body, but this one mistook me for a fire demon."
"Why did you incinerate his body?" Horse-Faced Thor seemed perturbed.
"Cremation is a common funeral practice. Isn't that the tradition of the Korbinites?" Forseti shrugged.
"Korbinite don't have such customs; this was a desecration of the dead!" Horse-Faced Thor objected.
Silence fell upon them.
Horse-Faced Thor spoke again, "What did he want you to tell me?"
"Are you Bill?"
"Beta Ray Bill. I am the guardian of Korbin," Horse-Faced Thor stated.
Forseti nodded. "Unfortunately, he barely had time to mention your name."
"Who are you?" Horse-Faced Thor asked.
"We are Asgardians, dispatched by the Allfather to investigate the destruction of Korbin. Can you enlighten us on what happened?" Hela inquired.
"Of course, it was Surtur!" Horse-Faced Thor exclaimed passionately, his large nostrils heaving heavily. "Brandishing a flaming greatsword, he led his demon horde to massacre Korbin Star, nearly wiping out my people!"
Hearing this, Hela and Forseti exchanged knowing looks, unsurprised.
"Surtur, the flame giant, is a menace across the Nine Realms. My father, Odin, as their sovereign, has the authority. Bill, come with us to Asgard; recount your story before my father," Hela proposed.
"Can Odin bring justice for the Korbin?" Horse-Faced Thor questioned.
"Yes, if he so desires," Hela assured.
After a brief contemplation, Horse-Faced Thor consented, "Very well, I will accompany you."
Thus, Horse-Faced Thor boarded the Thunder Boat with them, journeying to Asgard. Together, they entered the Golden Palace and met with Odin.
"Your Majesty Odin, I am Beta Ray Bill, guardian of Korbin orbin..." Horse-Faced Thor began recounting Surtur's destruction of korbin.
Listening intently, Odin declared, "Asgard has always stood for peace and justice. Surtur's actions cannot go unchecked; as sovereign of the Nine Realms, we shall act."
Such audacious acts by Surtur were rare, and Odin had seldom interceded personally.
In truth, even before Hela and Forseti embarked on their mission, Odin suspected Surtur's hand in Korbin's demise. The widespread fires were a telltale sign.
Yet, Odin also saw an opportunity to confront Surtur, maintaining Asgard's prestige as ruler of the Nine Realms.
But there was one thing that surpassed Odin's expectations, prompting surprise, "Bill, you were able to lift Mjölnir?"