Chapter 28
The battlefield was stained in gold.
Odin's divine blood flowed like molten light across the ruined ground. His once-majestic armor was shattered, his severed arm lying motionless beside the fragments of Gungnir.
Silence consumed the battlefield.
The All-Father, the ruler of the Nine Realms, had fallen.
Or so it seemed.
A dark cloud of divine energy erupted from Odin's broken form.
Then—his body vanished.
What remained in his place was… a scarecrow.
Torn in half.
Burnt and broken.
The battlefield shuddered with the realization.
Odin was not dead.
---
From a tear in space, the real Odin emerged, his body battered, his breath ragged.
His armor was ruined, his left arm forever lost.
But he was alive.
The Scarecrow Amulet—one of his greatest artifacts—had saved him at the last moment.
It was a one-time miracle, a relic from a time when gods were more than myths.
But now…
It was gone.
And so was any hope of escaping Lin Fan's grasp a second time.
Odin's single eye locked onto Lin Fan, his rage and disbelief warring with exhaustion.
"Who… are you?" His voice was hoarse, yet it still carried the authority of a king.
Lin Fan smiled, raising his hand as another Kienzan formed, spinning with deadly precision.
"The one who killed Thanos. That should be enough for you."
Odin's grip on his spear tightened—then his entire body tensed.
A thunderclap shook the heavens.
Lightning roared downward from the sky, striking Lin Fan in an instant.
The attack was immediate. Merciless.
Thor had arrived.
---
Thor's chest heaved with fury.
His blue eyes burned with pure rage, crackling with lightning as he gripped Mjolnir tighter than ever before.
He had just witnessed his father's near-death.
He had seen his brother, Baldur, reduced to mist.
He could not stand idle.
"Murderer!" Thor bellowed, lightning exploding from his body like a living storm.
He swung Mjolnir at full force, the very air screaming as the hammer raced toward its target.
Lin Fan glanced up at the approaching strike.
He raised a single hand.
Thor's divine weapon collided with Lin Fan's palm.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted, splitting the ground, flattening entire mountains in the distance.
For a moment, Thor thought he had landed a blow.
Then he realized—
Lin Fan hadn't moved an inch.
Mjolnir hovered in his grip, struggling against an invisible force.
Lin Fan's golden eyes met Thor's enraged gaze.
"Did you really think that would work?" he asked, tilting his head.
Thor's jaw clenched. He swung again—and again—but every strike was met with the same result.
Lin Fan caught every single one.
Finally, he grew bored.
His free hand flicked forward.
A pulse of invisible energy struck Thor's chest.
The God of Thunder was launched backward, crashing through dozens of wrecked warships before finally landing in a heap of rubble.
Blood trickled from his mouth.
Yet—he was alive.
Or so Lin Fan thought.
The moment he lowered his guard—
A dagger of emerald fire appeared in front of his throat.
Loki had arrived.
---
Loki didn't hesitate.
His dagger sank forward, aiming for Lin Fan's throat.
But—
Lin Fan caught it between two fingers.
His golden eyes flickered with amusement.
"Loki, was it?" Lin Fan mused. "I almost forgot you were here."
Loki's expression didn't change.
But then—
His body blurred.
The dagger in Lin Fan's grip fizzled into nothing.
And from behind him—
A real dagger plunged toward his spine.
Loki had faked the first attack.
The real strike came from behind.
Clever.
Lin Fan almost respected it.
But it wasn't enough.
Before the dagger could pierce his skin, Lin Fan flicked his wrist.
An invisible force blasted Loki backward, sending him crashing into the same pile of rubble as Thor.
Lin Fan sighed.
"Not bad teamwork."
---
Thor climbed to his feet, gasping for breath.
Loki stood beside him, still reeling from the impact.
They looked at each other—then nodded.
Without hesitation, they charged together.
Lightning roared through the battlefield, fueled by Thor's fury.
Loki's form blurred, creating dozens of clones that darted in all directions.
They came at Lin Fan from every angle.
Mjolnir spun in the air, striking with unrelenting force.
Loki's illusions warped reality, making Lin Fan see attacks that weren't real—and hiding the ones that were.
It was a deadly combination.
And for the first time—
Lin Fan had to move.
---
For thirty full seconds, they fought.
Thor and Loki struck with everything they had.
Lightning crashed. Daggers flew.
Illusions blurred the battlefield.
Lin Fan dodged, countered, and deflected every attack, but even he couldn't deny—
They were good.
Individually, they were not a threat.
Together?
They were better than he expected.
But not good enough.
With a final burst of power, Lin Fan struck out.
A wave of golden energy erupted from his body, obliterating every illusion, every attack.
Thor and Loki were sent flying once again.
This time—
They didn't get back up.
---
Across the battlefield, the Asgardian forces began to retreat.
They had seen enough.
The moment Thor and Loki had fallen, their morale shattered.
The mighty warriors of Asgard—who had once conquered galaxies—were now running.
Odin's voice, weak yet commanding, rang out across the battlefield.
"Fall back!"
The air shimmered.
The Bifrost cracked open, its multicolored brilliance spilling across the ruins.
Asgardian warriors vanished in waves, pulled back to the Realm Eternal.
Odin, battered and broken, locked eyes with Lin Fan.
His hatred burned deep.
"This isn't over."
His final words echoed as the light consumed him.
Then—he was gone.
---
The battlefield was empty now.
No more gods.
No more invaders.
Only the broken remains of an empire that had dared challenge The Anomaly.
Lin Fan took a slow breath, surveying the ruins.
The war was won.
And yet, he felt—
Unmoved.
His gaze turned toward the endless void of space.
There were still bigger threats out there.
He wasn't done yet.
Not even close.
---