302

Return of Laufey

Observing Uller charging towards him, Laufey swiftly tightened his grip. Dazzling light radiated from his blade, coalescing into a protective shield.

**Boom!**

Ulric's colossal axe collided with the shield, unleashing a deafening crash. Balder was flung backward, crashing through several buildings before skidding to a halt amidst debris and smoke.

"Hmph, you're outmatched!" Ulic scoffed disdainfully.

Clearly uninterested in Balder, Ulic redirected his attention back to Odin.

Gritting his teeth, Balder rose from the wreckage, taking a deep breath before plunging his sword into the ground. With a swift motion, he retrieved eight small, gleaming silver mirrors, gripping them between his fingers.

With a forceful throw, the mirrors whizzed through the air. Animated and seemingly autonomous, they orbited Ulic at lightning speed, arranging themselves in a precise formation.

The mirrors hovered mid-air, each positioned at a calculated angle.

Frowning, Ulic eyed the encircling mirrors warily, tightening his grip on his battle-axe. "Were these bestowed upon you by Duke Norn?"

"Indeed, by the former Duke," Balder affirmed, his entire being aglow with brilliant light. With a pointed gesture, beams of energy shot from his fingertips, converging at the center of the mirrors.

**"What!"**

The concentrated beam seared through Ulic, burning a smoldering hole through his flesh. He howled in agony, lunging at one mirror with his axe.

Yet each mirror reacted nimbly, evading his strike and redirecting the focused beam.

The searing light continued to assault Ulic, leaving him covered in bruises, blood, and smoke.

Roaring, Ulic swung his axe furiously, but his efforts were futile against the relentless beams refracted within the mirrors.

In mere moments, the beams had torn through Ulic's armor and flesh, leaving him defenseless against the onslaught.

Within the mirrored enclosure, the once formidable Troll King appeared vulnerable and defeated.

However, Balder's intense assault had also drained him. Gasping for breath, his complexion paled visibly.

Grimacing, Ulic eyed him with unrestrained fury. "Let's see how long you can keep this up!"

Trembling, Balder struggled to maintain his stance before finally collapsing to his knees. The radiant glow around him dimmed, leaving him utterly weakened.

Breathing heavily, he scanned his surroundings desperately, seeking aid amidst the chaotic battle in Asgard.

Though battered and bruised, Ulic's recovery was visibly quicker than Balder's. His wounds began to heal rapidly, almost before the eye could register.

With a swift leap, Ulic lunged forward, his momentum carrying him through the air.

**Boom!**

Balder, unable to defend himself, was sent hurtling into a towering wall, crashing through it and vanishing amidst the rubble.

Ulic advanced, raising his foot and planting it firmly on Balder's chest.

"Perish!" Ulic declared, hoisting his axe high, the blade gleaming with malevolent intent.

Weakly, Balder clutched at Ulic's ankle, despair flickering in his eyes.

At that crucial moment, an imposing figure clad in fur soared overhead, delivering a powerful blow to Ulic's back—a fist enveloped in a blue halo.

**Boom!**

Ulic plummeted to the ground, scrambling to rise before turning to face his attacker. "Ullr!"

Ullr, grave and resolute, surveyed Balder before asking, "Are you alright?"

"I won't die..." Balder staggered to his feet, braced against the fractured wall.

Ullr nodded, about to speak when an ice-blue beam suddenly sliced through the air from the side.

**Boom!**

Caught off guard, Ullr was blasted aside by the frigid blast, his body encased in a layer of ice, trembling.

As the God of Winter and Hunting, Ullr wielded not only foresight but also the chilling powers of winter. Few icy forces could pierce his defenses within the Nine Realms—chief among them, Jotunheim.

Sure enough, a band of Frost Giants emerged from a nearby portal, led by an unexpected figure. Grim-faced and bare-chested, bearing a casket of ancient winter, stood none other than the long-lost Frost King, Laufey.

"Laufey..." Ullr clenched his fists.

Laufey smirked. "Ullr, it's been too long. Who would have thought we'd meet again amidst Asgard's Ragnarok?"

"This isn't Ragnarok," Uller retorted sharply.

"My Casket disagrees." Laufey's tone was chilling, directing another icy-blue beam from the coffin, sweeping across in all directions.

As the mightiest artifact of Jotunheim, the Casket of ancient winters said to contain power of Ymir—once more in Laufey's possession—possessed formidable power, one that even Ullr could barely withstand.

Within moments, the Casket's icy beam reduced hundreds of Asgardian warriors to frozen debris, their screams silenced.

Enraged and shocked, Uller surged forward, confronting Laufey amidst the massacre of Asgard's defenders.

But Laufey held his ground, extracting a blue cube from his left hand—a cube pulsating with eerie energy.

"Allow me to send you somewhere unforgettable!" Laufey taunted, activating the Frost Winter Coffin to unleash another devastating beam.

Uller's eyes widened as the beam struck, simultaneously opening a portal behind him.

In an instant, Uller was engulfed and vanished without a trace.

"What manner of device opens portals at will?" Ulic demanded, eyeing the blue cube in Laufey's hand with narrowed suspicion.

Laufey offered no answer, instead surveying the battlefield with a cold gleam in his eyes, muttering, "Byrest, my son, today I shall have my vengeance..."

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