487

[Odin's Arrival] and [Thor vs. Ego]

Thor descended onto the planet, Mjölnir in hand, scanning his surroundings when the ground beneath him trembled.

Suddenly, several blue energy tendrils burst forth, converging towards Thor from all directions.

"Boom!" Thor swung his warhammer, lightning crackling and dispersing the tentacles in a dazzling display.

Underestimating Thor's power, the tentacles disintegrated into wisps of blue smoke.

As Thor readied his hammer again, a figure with long hair emerged nearby, eyeing him with a grim expression. With a gesture, more tentacles emerged, glowing blue and encircling the sky.

"Are you Ego?" Thor asked, gripping Mjölnir, facing the figure.

Ego asked coldly, "Who are you?"

"The one who will punish you—for the innocent lives taken by your hands!" Thor raised his hammer high, arcs of lightning crackling around him.

"Boom--"

Thunder roared in the sky, clouds gathering swiftly as lightning amassed.

Ego frowned, but remained composed. This was his domain; the planet itself, molded by his will, rendered the storm merely a spectacle.

"Feel the wrath of thunder!" Thor bellowed, swinging Mjölnir. Thunder roared through the darkened sky, hurtling towards Ego.

Yet, a twist occurred.

The thunder, once aimed at Ego, veered off course unexpectedly, striking Thor instead.

"Boom--"

"Agh!" Thor cried out, staggering.

He glanced upwards, bewildered, then at his hammer, disbelief etched on his face.

"That's excessive," Ego remarked sarcastically. With a flick of his hand, dense tentacles swarmed towards Thor from all directions.

Thor swung Mjölnir, arcs of lightning slashing through the encroaching tentacles.

This time, however, the tentacles multiplied, pulsating with even greater energy, overwhelming Thor's efforts.

Cornered, Thor hurled Mjölnir skyward, launching himself airborne towards Ego. Lightning enveloped him like a meteor, fierce and unyielding.

Yet, Ego seemed to teleport, evading Thor in an instant.

Thor pivoted to pursue, but was ensnared by the tentacles, halting his advance mid-air.

Summoning Mjölnir, he hurled it. The warhammer flew with thunderous speed, striking Ego squarely.

"Boom!" Ego couldn't evade this time, struck down by Mjölnir. The impact created a sizable crater upon impact.

Seeing Ego struck down, Thor chuckled, "You're finished. None can escape Mjölnir's grasp!"

Life, however, brings surprises. As Thor spoke, Ego's chest wound closed abruptly, healing with a flash of blue light.

"What!" Thor gasped.

Ego growled, "Foolish creature, your rage fuels me. Regardless of who you are, you will nourish me today."

"Nourish? What do you mean?" Thor struggled against the tentacles, summoning Mjölnir once more.

With a roar, Mjölnir rose from the ground, hurtling back along its previous path.

Unprepared, Ego was struck down again.

This irked him deeply. On this planet, Thor's strength was inconsequential, yet Mjölnir had struck him twice.

Gritting his teeth, Ego summoned a colossal tentacle, over a thousand meters long, from the ground. Its tip, razor-sharp, extended like a spear.

With a wave of his hand, the tentacle lunged at Thor, its piercing sound cutting through the air, aimed to impale him before he could break free.

At the critical moment, a faint golden light shimmered, adorned with mysterious runes, enveloping Thor, exuding a holy aura.

"Boom!" The colossal tentacle, like striking an impenetrable barrier, shattered upon contact with the golden radiance.

"This is...!" Ego's expression shifted.

Simultaneously, as the runic glow enshrouded Thor, a golden arc surged forth, revealing a radiant figure adorned with four wings on his back.

Swift and resolute, he soared, brandishing a gleaming sword, descending upon Ego.

"Boom!"

Under the Sword of Demon-Slaying, a burst of radiant judgment erupted. Caught off guard, Ego staggered as the radiant brilliance overwhelmed him.

Though unable to kill Ego outright, Forseti turned, swiftly freeing Thor from the tentacles.

"This adversary is formidable!" Thor exclaimed, "And these tentacles sprouting from the ground... I sense a profound connection between him and this planet."

"You are astute." A thunderous voice echoed, seemingly emanating from the planet itself, tinged with fury, "I am the sky and earth here!"

"The Asgardian sun god graces us with his presence... But since you've ventured here, you shall become the soil!"

Ego recognized Forseti, surprised and enraged by his audacity to confront him directly.

After a moment's reflection, he resolved to eliminate these two intruders outright.

With a bellow from Ego, the entire planet trembled violently. Blue light suffused the ground beneath Forseti and Thor, as formidable energy gathered.

Without hesitation, Forseti reached out, shielding Thor with Divine Shield.

A blinding blue light erupted from the ground, engulfing everything in its path.

Ego's assault was formidable, his power not to be underestimated. Without the Holy Shield's protection, Thor would have faltered immediately.

Even shielded, Thor trembled before the relentless blue light charged with destructive force. "What now?" he asked.

Forseti remained composed, having already contacted Heimdall. Odin's arrival was imminent.

Despite his current Buddhist inclinations, Odin cared deeply for his son. Ego's attack on Thor would not go unanswered.

Without hesitation, Forseti invoked the Holy Shield and gripped the Demon Slayer Sword with both hands, thrusting downward. A torrent of holy light surged through the blade toward the planet below.

"Boom boom-"

Ego, inherently malevolent, would face divine retribution even without Forseti's intervention. The Holy Light itself would trigger punitive measures.

Explosions erupted as concentric golden rings burst forth, cascading like radiant petals through the planet's atmosphere, piercing into its core.

The onslaught of holy light subdued much of Ego's overpowering blue aura. From a distance, it resembled a cluster of golden stamens blooming within a blue flower.

Yet, despite the onslaught, Forseti did not vanquish Ego entirely.

For Ego, true essence resided solely within its brain at the planet's core. The appendages and avatars were expendable, capable of regeneration.

Observing this, Forseti summoned the spirit horse and extended a finger. The majestic warhorses transformed into pure luminous energy, hurtling through the path forged by holy light, penetrating deep into the planet's core.

Explosion!

"Boom!!"

The colossal energy detonated within, eclipsing Ego's expansive blue luminescence with blinding holy radiance.

"Ah!" This time, Forseti inflicted a notable wound upon Ego, a thunderous cry of agony reverberating across the planet.

The once overwhelming blue radiance waned momentarily, its potency diminished.

"You..." Ego's voice quivered with disbelief and pain.

Despite expending all its might, Ego failed to harm Forseti and Thor, suffering instead a severe blow to its core.

The unfamiliar pain intensified, an anguish not felt in millennias.

This unfamiliar pain only heightened Ego's desperation to eliminate Forseti, mingled with a creeping sense of dread and anxiety.

Ego thundered, its voice resonating like a tempest.

"Boom--"

With a furious roar, a colossal surge of blue light erupted anew from the planet's depths, its destructive energy assailing Forseti and Thor.

Yet, in that moment, a shimmering light suddenly materialized in the cosmic expanse.

This radiant beacon seemed to transcend time and space, descending swiftly to the planet's surface as a colossal rainbow beam.

The Bifrost!

Within its brilliance emerged an elderly figure clad in golden armor, wielding the Spear of Eternity. It was Odin, King of Asgard.

"Father!" Thor exclaimed joyously.

Witnessing Odin's arrival, Forseti breathed a sigh of relief.

Before the Bifrost's brilliance waned, Odin swung the Spear of Eternity, unleashing a cascade of vibrant light.

As the Spear swept through, the formidable blue radiance shattered instantly, the cataclysmic force subsiding.

Odin then grasped the Spear of Eternity, his voice thunderous with anger. "Begone! Let's see who dares threaten my son!"

Silence fell upon the planet.

Clearly, Odin's swift arrival had caught Ego off guard, instilling an immediate sense of dread, amplified by the Rainbow Bridge's presence.

Stepping forward, Forseti addressed Odin solemnly, "Your Majesty, this is Ego, a sentient planet."

"Sentient?" Odin frowned.

Thor interjected, "Yes, Father. Ego is a malevolent entity who allied with Thanos against Asgard. I sought to eradicate him, but underestimated his planetary might. Even together, we stand no chance against him."

Odin countered, "And yet you ventured forth?"

Thor hesitated, then admitted, "I... I was reckless."

Odin's reproach was swift. "You rush into battle without knowing your enemy's strength. This impetuousness, Thor, could have cost you your life had Forseti not alerted Asgard in time."

Thor bowed his head in silence.

Observing Thor's contrition, Odin's anger swelled, a paternal reprimand poised on his lips. "You are over a millennium old!"

Forseti interjected, redirecting the discussion. "Your Majesty, I propose the complete annihilation of this planet and Ego's execution. He threatens not only Asgard but all sentient life."

Thor supported this plea, his righteous fury evident. "Father, you cannot fathom the depths of Ego's depravity. He has slaughtered his own kin..."

Thor recounted Ego's atrocities, leaving Odin visibly shaken.

"Father, we cannot allow this villain to go unpunished!" Thor concluded resolutely.

Suddenly, a blue glow heralded Ego's humanoid form.

Odin fixed his gaze upon him, his tone grave. "You are Ego?"

"Yes." Ego's demeanor stiffened, his gaze shifting to Thor, attempting a feeble smile. "Your Highness Thor, this is a misunderstanding, surely..."

Naturally, no one believed his protestations.

Odin gripped the Spear of Eternity, its sharp point radiating colorful light - divine power akin to that of the Rainbow Bridge.

Sensing the Spear's formidable aura, Ego's expression twisted with horror, involuntary shivers coursing through him.

As a sentient planet, none comprehended the terror of the Rainbow Bridge more intimately than Ego.

As Odin continued to gather divine energy with the Spear of Eternity, he spoke slowly, "Though I am loath to engage in battle, your actions warrant justice for targeting my son and perpetrating such heinous deeds—"

At that moment, an unexpected scene unfolded.

Ego dropped to his knees with a resounding thud, pleading, "Merciful King of Gods, forgive my transgressions!"

Kneeling outright?

Forseti's eyes widened. He had never anticipated Ego, a god in his own right, would kneel so readily.

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