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Chapter 7: Eternal Fire

After the radiant rainbow struck him, the golden-skinned elder's body shattered like gilded cast, fragments scattering with golden blood staining the void.

His frail form trembled violently, eyes clouding over, life ebbing away.

Pain, confusion, unwillingness, and hatred contorted his face in succession.

Struggling, the elder extended a feeble left hand; his right hand mangled beyond recognition.

Placing his left hand on the blue gem on his forehead, he rasped, "Vengeance... let the assailant pay... strip him of everything, everything..."

The gem shimmered briefly, as if in response.

Muttering a few more words, the elder's movements stilled, eyes dimming.

Finally, he transformed into a broken corpse, drifting aimlessly through the starlit expanse, returning to the embrace of death...

---

The vastness of the universe bore silent witness to the elder's demise.

Meanwhile, in Muspelheim's Burning Realm, Odin's clash with Surtur raged on.

Facing Odin wielding the might of Asgard, Surtur found himself hopelessly outmatched and swiftly defeated.

With the Spear of Eternity in hand, Odin drove it ruthlessly through Surtur's skull.

"Boom!"

A rainbow bloomed as Surtur's fiery form dissipated, leaving only a blackened skull resembling a horned helmet, a somber Twilight Sword, and a flickering flame.

As swiftly as they appeared, the skull and Twilight Sword plummeted from the heavens, splashing into magma below with a soft "pop," the flame fluttering into the distant sky.

Odin hastened, rainbow light engulfing the flame as he seized it.

The flame flickered as if struggling, then stilled. Odin held it firmly, its quiet burn resembling ordinary mortal fire.

Thunder crackled between Odin's fingers, arcs of energy surging toward the flame, threatening to snuff it out.

Though subdued, the flame persisted, furrowing Odin's brow.

After a moment's contemplation, Odin declared, "Surtur, as an eternal flame, you shall spend eons in my vault."

With those words, he turned his hand and the flame vanished, its destination unknown.

Gazing down, Odin pronounced solemnly, "Henceforth, all Nine Realms are subject to Asgard, bound by Asgard's laws and justice."

Defeated, the Muspel forces had no choice but to surrender any dissent they harbored. The war in Muspelheim had reached its conclusion.

Turning to Hela, Odin smiled faintly. "My daughter, you shall oversee the governance of Muspelheim henceforth."

"Yes, Father," Hela affirmed.

As Odin prepared to depart, the horse-faced Thor hesitantly interjected, "Your Majesty Odin, have you... forgotten something?"

Momentarily taken aback, Odin's expression faltered, then he quickly regained composure. "Ah, indeed. Asgard undertook this war in justice for the Korbin. Hela, promptly find a new planet for Bill's people and aid in rebuilding their homes. The resources will be drawn from Muspelheim as recompense."

"Thank you, Your Majesty Odin. Truly, you are a great god," Bill acknowledged, though a hint of disappointment lingered in his eyes.

Bill had always held Odin in reverence, yet now he glimpsed Odin's true motives. Odin's concern was not truly for aiding the korbins; he had used their plight as pretext to eliminate Surtur.

Noticing Bill's shift in demeanor, Odin seemed touched. His expression stiffened momentarily before he offered a polite smile and swiftly departed.

Once Odin had left, Asgardian soldiers moved in to clear the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Forseti scanned the surroundings, diving into the magma river and swiftly navigating its depths. Emerging in a specific area, he searched intently.

His quarry: Surtur's artifact, the Twilight Sword.

As a weapon of the Flame Giant, the Twilight Sword ranked among the Nine Realms' finest artifacts. Odin, in his haste following the capture of the Eternal Fire, had seemingly forgotten the sword's location.

But locating a lost treasure proved no easy feat. Despite diligent searching in the magma, Forseti found no trace of the Twilight Sword. Eventually, someone called him from above, prompting him to abandon the search.

Upon exiting the magma, a diminutive figure emerged from an inconspicuous corner in the lava's depths.

This fiery figure, smaller than most, wielded a slender sword resembling the Twilight Sword, though notably reduced in size.

"That boy..." The figure watched Forseti depart, a trace of intrigue in its eyes.

"Cursed Odin." Yet anger contorted the figure's face as it abandoned its insignificant pawn, fists clenched in hatred. "Taking my Eternal Fire—I shall make him pay!"

This diminished figure was none other than Surtur, his strength now a mere shadow of its former self.

Surtur had narrowly evaded capture through cunning strategy.

The Eternal Fire, radiant and conspicuous, had served as a decoy. By releasing it, Surtur deceived Odin into mistaking the fire for his actual form, ignoring the true relic—the black skull shaped like a horned helmet that had sunk into the magma.

At great cost, Surtur escaped Odin's grasp and the threat of annihilation, but in his weakened state, he dared not risk further exposure, retreating into dormancy.

Swiftly navigating the magma, Surtur departed Muspelheim's blazing domain, eventually arriving at an unremarkable lava pool.

In the obscurity of the seething magma, Surtur clutched the Twilight Sword, closing his eyes in silent vigil—a slumbering sentinel.

---

Asgard, Golden Palace

In a sudden exclamation, another stormy encounter reached its climax.

Afterward, Odin rested a hand on Frigga's back, his expression distant, pondering profound matters of life.

"What troubles you, my dear?"