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One-eyed Odin

Inside and outside Gasthofone Castle, Asgardians and Frost Giants clashed in a brutal battle, reducing the once magnificent Frost Giant capital to ruins.

The duel between Odin and Laufey reached a fierce stalemate. Despite Odin's superior strength, his severe injuries prevented him from gaining the upper hand, while Laufey's command of the environment gave him an advantage.

Both combatants were battered and bruised, locked in a grim struggle.

Meanwhile, Hela's battle with Fabti was more one-sided.

Clearly outmatched, Fabti struggled to defend herself against Hela's relentless assault, barely able to evade her blows.

"Boom—"

A thunderous boom resounded as Odin raised the Spear of Eternity high. A bolt as thick as a dragon descended from the heavens, aimed at Laufey.

Rather than dodge, Laufey met the thunderhead head-on, enveloping his body in its destructive power.

"Crack... clap..."

Under the onslaught of the thunderbolt, Laufey's icy armor shattered swiftly, exposing him to its raw power.

In moments, scorch marks marred Laufey's form as thunder surged through him.

Unexpectedly, Laufey conjured a portal, channeling the remaining thunderbolts into it, their destination unknown.

Odin hesitated briefly before a portal materialized behind him, unleashing a thunderous strike that caught him off guard.

"Boom!"

After a brief moment, the thunder subsided, allowing Odin to catch his breath and regain his composure.

"Why, Laufey?" Still panting, he faced Laufey, smoke rising from both of them. "You let the thunder harm me, yet you suffered as well."

After a pause, he continued, "Asgard and Jotunheim have warred for millennia. This cycle of... mutual destruction must end."

Suddenly, Laufey's expression shifted. "Fabti!"

Elsewhere, Hela's battle with Fabti neared its conclusion.

With a roar, Mjölnir crackled with lightning, delivering a crushing blow to Fabti's chest.

"Boom—"

Fabti was thrown back, crashing into the icy walls of Gasthofone Castle.

Laufey hurried over, retrieving his wife from the rubble, his voice trembling. "Fabti..."

Blood trickled from Fabti's mouth as she grasped Laufey's arm, her weak voice faltering, repeating the same words. "Our child, our child..."

Without hesitation, Laufey opened a portal, carrying Fabti through to an elegant ice chamber with a small crib at its center.

"Wah—"

The cry of a newborn echoed in the ice chamber.

Leaning against the wall, Fabti gazed at their child with fading strength, her eyes closing as life left her...

Laufey closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Yet, he pressed on, reopening the portal and returning to the battlefield.

"Odin, this cycle may end, but not as you imagine!" He met Odin's gaze, his voice icy.

"Victory determines the outcome, not the defeated," Odin responded simply.

Holding Mjölnir, Hela approached. "Father."

After a moment of silence, Odin spoke at last. "Let me handle this. I am Asgard's king, just as Laufey is Jotunheim's. This battle is ours alone."

With that, he launched the Spear of Eternity, locking eyes with Laufey once more. "Let us see who prevails!"

Before he finished speaking, Odin charged forward, engaging Laufey in a fierce clash.

Meanwhile, Forseti, adorned with the spoils taken from Hyosgem—specifically, a white helm—cut a path through the battlefield with his sword.

The helm afforded him unparalleled awareness, detecting dangers from all angles within dozens of meters, even above and below.

During combat, he could even close his eyes, relying on the helm's vision-blocking properties.

After striking down a Frost Giant, a severed giant claw hurtled toward Forseti from behind.

"Boom."

He narrowly dodged as the claw crashed to the ground.

On closer inspection, the claw belonged to an ice beast missing a forelimb, while Fenris battled another nearby, tearing at its flesh with ferocious fangs.

Watching Fenris engage the ice beast, Forseti frowned.

While the helm eliminated blind spots, its vision blockage hindered distant observations. The battle between Fenris and the ice beast in the distance appeared hazy to Forseti, while anything farther remained obscured.

"Ah!" Odin's sudden cry startled Forseti, prompting him to remove the helm and regain clear sight, following the sound.

He witnessed Odin and Laufey separate swiftly after clashing. One figure staggered back, clutching his right eye as blood seeped between his fingers—it was Odin.

Gritting his teeth, Odin panted heavily, sweat beading on his brow, his right hand trembling as he struggled with immense pain.

Nearby, icicles encased Laufey's right hand, dangling a bloody eyeball.

Yet Laufey fared no better. Besides extensive wounds, the Spear of Eternity pierced his abdomen, causing him to collapse, shaking violently as he tried and failed to rise.

With great effort, Odin drew a deep breath, removing his hand to reveal his bloodied right eye, now an empty socket.

Laufey, clutching his abdomen, attempted to stand once more but faltered, collapsing to the ground in pain.

"Boom—" At that moment, Odin thrust the Spear of Eternity forward, its golden tip shimmering near Laufey's neck, its edge almost grazing his skin.

"You've lost, Laufey," Odin declared, his hands trembling around the spear. "Jotunheim has lost."

Glancing around, Laufey confirmed Odin's words—his Frost Giants scattered, defeated, and fleeing in disarray, hunted by Asgardian warriors.

"Roar... roar..."

Before Gasthofone Castle, or rather its ruins, a juvenile ice beast retreated, roaring in anger and fear—the last of its kind kept as a domesticated creature.

Meanwhile, Fenris approached, stalking over the corpse of another polar ice beast.

Dark shadows and blood adorned the black wolf's sharp fangs...

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