394

[Subduing Ulic]

Under the forceful strike, Forseti's arm, as resilient as diamond, was sprayed with blood.

"Your Majesty!" The other trolls rushed forward, with Thor and his comrades in pursuit.

Thor raised Mjölnir high, its thunderous light exploding, casting dark clouds in the sky with rolling thunder.

Seeing this, the elderly troll with long hair pushed his hands together, forming a lavender magic circle.

At that moment, Brunnock threw his dragon-scale shield in a backhand motion.

The shield soared in a graceful arc, striking the elderly troll squarely in the chest, knocking him to the ground and disrupting his magic circle.

"Boom!"

Immediately after, Thor's summoned thunder crashed down upon the old troll.

Blinded by the dazzling lightning, the old troll sizzled and smoked, quickly erecting his magic shield to ward off subsequent strikes.

Before the troll could react, Fandral swung his sword, cleanly severing the troll's head in a fountain of blood.

Despite Ulic's followers showing some skill, having just escaped prison, they were mostly unarmed and outnumbered. Against Thor and his allies' onslaught, they stood little chance and soon found themselves at a disadvantage.

Meanwhile, Ulic was astonished by the power behind Forseti's strike. He observed the burning intensity radiating from Forseti's right arm and sensed the searing heat emanating from it.

Forseti was equally taken aback. Ulic was indeed worthy of the title "King of Trolls," having awakened his divine powers thrice over.

With his formidable physicality, Ulic's wounds visibly healed at an accelerated rate.

Simultaneously, he threw a powerful backhand punch, his massive fist creating a sonic boom akin to a meteorite hurtling toward Forseti's face.

Anticipating this, Forseti unleashed the golden light from his left hand, instantaneously conjuring a shield of holy light.

"Boom!" Ulic's punch shattered the holy shield.

Forseti was sent flying, swiftly regaining his balance mid-air before pivoting to face Ulic once more.

The two exchanged fierce blows in a flurry of dozens of strikes.

Despite Ulic's status as King of Trolls, his advanced age and lack of weaponry rendered him at a disadvantage throughout their brief exchange, perpetually on the defensive against Forseti wielding the Demon Slayer Sword with his enhanced arm.

Meanwhile, outside their duel, the battle unfolded rapidly.

Outnumbered and outmatched by over a dozen elite Asgardian warriors, Ulic's followers could not sustain the fight, with one swiftly dispatched by Thor.

Having dispatched the immediate threat, Thor redirected his focus, wielding Mjölnir to confront Ulic head-on.

"Son of Odin!" Though unfamiliar with Thor, Ulic recognized his identity at once, his pupils narrowing.

Witnessing Thor's advance, Ulic abandoned his skirmish with Forseti, redirecting his attention to intercept Thor with outstretched fingers, aiming to grasp him with a colossal palm.

At that critical moment, Brunnock pointed a finger, the Hand of Reckoning striking Ulic and briefly paralyzing him with shock and rage.

In that brief moment of immobility, Mjölnir, in Thor's hands, met no resistance, delivering a resounding blow to Ulic's face, accompanied by a brilliant flash of thunder.

Struck squarely, Ulic staggered backward, visibly shaken.

Furious, though his face bore a visage of anger, his eyes briefly darted towards Brunnock, clearly unsettled by the hand of Reckoning's effects.

A golden rainbow flashed, and Forseti materialized behind Ulic, the blazing right arm still gripping the Demon Slayer Sword, poised to strike with unrelenting force.

Ulic swiftly evaded, narrowly dodging a fatal blow to his neck, instead sustaining a slash near his chest.

Even before he could react to the sword's onslaught, a massive figure descended from the heavens: Vorstag.

Though Ulic struggled to comprehend the corpulent man's descent, it hardly mattered as the sheer weight crashed upon him, nearly knocking him off balance. Yet, he managed to regain his footing after several steps.

Thor and Hogan followed with successive hammer strikes, unleashing a relentless barrage upon Ulic after dispatching his followers.

Under the dense siege, Ulic found himself retreating under constant assault.

Seizing the opportunity, Forseti swung the Demon Slayer Sword, the enhanced arm delivering a forceful blow aimed at Ulic's shoulder joint.

"Crack!"

The sword cleaved through flesh, penetrating deep into the weak point where bone met joint.

Startled by the blade's impact, Ulic swiftly evaded, only to hear a swift whistle followed by a massive figure plummeting from the sky: Vorstag.

Ulic struggled to comprehend the hefty man's descent, but the impact was unavoidable, the sheer weight nearly sending him reeling before steadying himself.

Thor's Mjölnir landed another blow to Ulic's forehead, while Fandral's blade cunningly struck at his groin, leaving him disoriented.

Ultimately, Forseti twisted his blade, severing Ulic's left arm in a gush of blood.

"Argh!"

With his arm severed, Ulic cried out in agony.

Forseti pursued, but as he advanced, his expression shifted as a sudden intensification of swelling in his right arm became apparent.

Uncertain of the cause, but determined nonetheless, Forseti prepared to summon the Sulfuron Warhammer, wielding both sword and hammer.

Hammer of Justice!

"Boom!"

Flames erupted beneath the warhammer, blasting Ulic backwards, crashing into a boulder.

Struggling to rise, Thor backhanded Mjölnir into his chest, pinning him to the ground.

Ulic strained, grasping at Mjölnir's handle, attempting unsuccessfully to lift it several times.

Contrary to Forseti's expectations, while Ulic failed to wield Mjölnir, his efforts induced significant vibrations within the warhammer, resonating with thunderous beats.

Evidently, Mjölnir was not impervious to formidable forces.

"Cease this futile struggle," Forseti advanced, plunging the Demon Slayer Sword into Ulic's chest, eliciting a pained gasp as he was restrained and panting.

Surrounded by a dozen Asgardians, Ulic gritted his teeth.

The Rainbow Bridge descended once more, and as the iridescent light faded, Odin appeared before them all.

"Your Majesty Odin," everyone saluted.

Odin nodded, then turned his gaze to Ulic. "Ulic."

Breathing heavily, Ulic met Odin's gaze head-on.

Observing the older troll before him, Odin sighed deeply. "Staying in Vanaheim would have been a wiser choice for you. I do not wish to see further bloodshed."

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