"Do you even know what you're doing?"
Superman heard Hela angry growl, a hint of surprise crossing his face. He still held Hela tightly by the neck, unchanging in expression, his tone carrying a slight smirk.
"Don't you know what I am doing?"
"I am fighting you!"
As he spoke, his eyes turned red, gathering a terrifying energy that reached a critical point and burst forth.
Heat vision.
Hela heart raced, the unprecedented pressure brought by Superman something she had not felt, or rather, never experienced in thousands of years.
Even Odin, before his death, during their only encounter, had never made her feel such terror.
Hela released her divine power, forming a shield.
The twin beams of heat vision struck the divine shield, blasting Hela away. She couldn't help but retreat backward, her feet dragging across the floor of the grand hall, carving a deep trench, bricks flying and dust billowing.
At that moment.
Thor and Heimdall had just arrived outside the grand hall when they saw Hela back facing them, hurtling towards them.
"Get out of the way!"
Heimdall, with his incredible senses, representing the all-seeing and all-hearing, though not as literally powerful as the legends suggest, was still nearly as strong as Thor.
Seeing Hela smashing towards them like an unstoppable force, he quickly dodged.
Thor was a fraction of a second slower.
He was hit squarely by Hela, turning into a cushion for her as they both flew from the exterior of the hall. They traced a perfect parabola over the steps, crashing hard at the bottom.
Crack, crack, crack!
The force of their fall shattered the ground, creating a giant crater, with hairline fractures spreading out in all directions. The palace guards arriving late were stunned.
Heimdall, without a moment to react further, quickly regained his senses and looked towards the inside of the hall.
Was it Wonder Woman?
This thought flashed through his mind, but he soon dismissed it.
No.
He had actually heard the conversation inside the hall.
Clearly.
Though Wonder Woman was also inside the hall, the actual intervention hadn't been hers but that of another man Odin had mentioned during his talk on Earth with Wonder Woman.
That man was the real reinforcement for Asgard, and most likely the one who could resolve the Twilight of the Gods.
Superman!
"Hm?"
Hela stood up from the crater, her hair moving without wind, her face full of uncontrollable anger, a strong sense of humiliation driving her nearly to the brink of madness.
She had been captured by one hand by Superman and then flung away.
Even in her battles with Odin, she had never been so disheveled.
Though she hated Odin, she had to acknowledge his strength.
As an Asgardian, Hela had always been superior, dominating over anyone she faced.
Partly because she was powerful, and partly because of her status.
The Executioner of Asgard, also the grand princess, a potent heir to the throne.
Yet, at her proudest moment, she was sealed by Odin, and now, just after being unsealed following Odin death, she was beaten by another.
This was something she could not accept.
It couldn't possibly be that she had weakened during her years of being sealed?
Hela started to doubt herself.
"Hela!"
Suddenly, a roar snapped her out of her thoughts, turning to see her ignorant and weak brother.
"This is Asgard! My territory!"
Thor raised his fist, his expression resolute, his divine power gathering as if summoning a storm.
He stomped his foot and shot forward like lightning, instantly closing the distance of several dozen meters to Hela.
"Oh?"
Seeing this, Hela dismissed her previous thoughts.
"It seems it not that I've weakened, but rather that my opponents are too rare…"
She muttered to herself, watching Thor approach and did nothing to stop his incoming punch.
"For all these years, Asgard has not changed its tactics…"
"If the next God King is only of this level, then Asgard deserves to be ruled by me!"
As her words fell.
Thor fist already smashed into Hela face.
With a dull thud, Hela didn't move back even half a step, not even a change in expression as she took Thor punch head-on. Then, her eyes calm but mocking, she looked at her younger brother, her lips curling into a sneering laugh.
"Is that it?"
She slowly spoke, "If this is the power of Asgard heir to the throne, then I am truly disappointed. After all these years, Odin has made no progress, still unable to choose a successor…"
"If you truly are Odin last choice for a successor, I'm certain, Asgard will be destroyed by your hands."
"Because I will personally destroy Asgard."
"To me, you are just a dog who doesn't know how to wield its power, always barking about how to uphold the glory of the God King…"
As her words ended.
Hela aura grew even more terrifying.
Thor stiffened, cursing inwardly, and before he could retract his fist, he was sent flying backward like a meteor, not knowing how far he was thrown.
At that moment.
Superman also leisurely walked out from the grand hall.
At his side, Wonder Woman, who had accompanied him, shook their heads seeing Thor kicked into the sky, streaking across the Asgardian cityscape.
"You had your chance, and it was wasted."
They actually had the opportunity to appear by Hela side and prevent Thor from getting beaten up a long time ago.
However, out of some twisted sense of fun, and certain ulterior motives that everyone tacitly understood, they didn't appear on time. Instead, they chose to make a leisurely reappearance.
How would Asgard know the strength and value of reinforcements without experiencing a brutal beating?
If Superman had appeared just ordinarily, without any dramatic flair and casually stopped Hela, Asgard would never realize that they were facing a disaster of epic proportions.
Some might even think that even without Superman, they could have stopped Hela rampage.
That obviously wasn't right.
Now that Thor had been flung away, the next King of the Gods faced Hela without any ability to retaliate, it was time for Superman to shine.
"Hmph!"
After flinging Thor, Hela saw Superman emerging from the great hall, standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at her.
"I hate it when people look at me like that," she muttered, and with a flick of her hand, countless swords appeared out of thin air.
The dense array of swords covered the entire sky of Asgard, sending shivers down one spine. The palace guards assembled, but the multitude of swords and Hela imposing aura deterred them from taking even a step forward.
This included the citizens of Asgard City.
All Asgardians understood that their realm was once again plunged into terrifying turmoil.
Such terrifying magic and the palpable divine power felt by everyone surely indicated that a being of earth-shattering strength had appeared in the palace of Asgard.
"Superman, I will have all the royal warriors assist you!"
Heimdall did not act rashly. He knew he was no match for Hela, and the person they must rely on in this battle, the key figure, was certainly Superman, not himself.
"Please!"
Considering Odin dying entrustment, he had ample trust in Superman.
Heimdall decided to trust Odin.
Besides, he had no other choice he couldn't count on Thor, could he?
He wasn't surprised at all when he saw Thor being thrown away.
Thor impulsive nature meant he wasn't yet a qualified King of the Gods, but as a successor, as long as he didn't die now, everything was negotiable.
"Leave it to me."
Superman nodded lightly. "As for those warriors, they needn't join the fight. They're just a burden in my eyes, lest they increase the casualties."
"Alright then."
Heimdall wasn't surprised, his tone resolute. "Next, I will deploy people to evacuate everyone from the palace and the city, and leave the battlefield to you... by all means, please hold off Hela."
"Go."
Superman waved his hand.
Heimdall nodded and then immediately retreated.
At the same time, he called away the palace guards and had the heralds go to the outskirts of the city, instructing all Asgardians to evacuate from the city center to avoid being caught in what was sure to be a frenzied battle.
"So, it looks like the entire city and palace will be our battlefield..."
Hela allowed Heimdall to act without any attempt to stop him.
Right now, her only opponent, the only one she wanted to kill, was Superman.
"Good."
"No one will disturb us..."
"Let see if you can throw me, and if it just luck!"
With that, Hela flashed forward.
Whoosh!
At the same time, the sky filled with densely packed swords, like a beehive, attacked Superman at the top of the stairs, along with Wonder Woman by his side.
Wonder Woman showed no expression and made no move to fight.
Next to her, Superman moved swiftly, opening his mouth wide, taking a deep breath, and then slowly exhaling.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"
A terrifying hurricane blasted out from Superman mouth.
The countless swords charging at him were tossed in the air by the hurricane, like lost deer, beginning to collide with each other.
More astonishingly, the hurricane expelled by Superman carried a terrifying chill.
The astonishing cold spread across the sky, rapidly covering the incoming swords and even freezing the disturbed white clouds in mid-air.
Soon.
A massive block of ice condensed in the sky right in front of Superman and Hela.
And after pausing in mid-air for just a second, Superman raised his hand, touched it lightly, and then it shattered thunderously.
Crack crack crack crack!
The enormous block of ice, which almost covered the middle of the sky between Superman and Hela, suddenly shattered, and the swords within also broke into pieces.
Swish swish!
Following that, the ice turned into ice spikes and shards, raining down on Hela like dense raindrops.
Hela expression remained unchanged, but her eyes showed extreme concentration and tension.
Superman was undoubtedly the strongest opponent she had ever faced.
Such terrifying power was not derived from divine power or so-called magic but from his astounding physique.
Hela narrowed her eyes slightly, focusing on the robust, imposing man in front of her.
It seemed as if there was a blazing sun burning within him.
"So it is."
She faintly understood. "Are you the reinforcement Odin called for?"
As the thought crossed her mind, her expression grew colder.
"Odin underestimated me again!"
She revealed a ferocious smile. "How could I possibly lose to Odin again and again? Mere Odin, if he hadn't stopped me, I would have led Asgard to even greater glory."
After muttering to herself, Hela stretched out her hand, and with a tight grip, a divine sword appeared.
Swish swish!
She swung the divine sword, and the falling ice shards around her were shattered into mist by the terrifying shockwaves emitted from the divine sword.
Following that, Hela charged at Superman without hesitation.
Although she saw the gap between herself and Superman, she was not ready to concede.
If one were to give up at the first sign of impossibility, how would there be any miracles in this world?
Countless miracles, aren't they the impossible feats undertaken by the underdogs?
"I admire your fiery spirit and unyielding stance..."
Superman still stood at the highest point of the great hall, watching Hela approach, his face calm, maintaining the posture he had upon his entrance.
This stance was very similar to when Hela first returned to Asgard.
At this moment, the situation reversed.
But Hela found no humor in it her steps showed no sign of retreat as she charged with a fierce momentum to Superman, raising her divine sword.
Not far away.
Heimdall had just ordered all the guards to lead the city residents to evacuate, and he himself observed the battle from a high point in the palace.
Although he had a faint confidence and hope in Superman, he had to consider the possibility that things might not work out.
If it really came to that, he would have to intervene to assist, or rather, rescue Superman.
Superman was fighting for Asgard, and if he had to die, he should die behind the people of Asgard.
However, as the battle between Superman and Hela unfolded, his confidence in Superman grew stronger.
It seemed as if victory was within reach.
"Superman!"
Heimdall shouted as he saw Hela charging towards Superman, knowing that the battle had reached a critical moment.
In the field.
Only a few steps behind Superman stood Wonder Woman, watching Hela with interest, her eyes mocking.
Superman had to maintain a vengeful and imposing demeanor he couldn't afford to show any expression.
Wonder Woman didn't need to.
Her attitude of watching the battle, fully displayed the posture of her true self on Earth, Anton at this moment.
"Hey, where my soda?"
Anton, eyes closed, eating chips, suddenly reached out, opened his eyes to see the bottom of his empty soda can, and his pupils shrank.
"Betty, get me a soda!"
He shouted outside the door.
One cannot watch a show without soda.
Asgard.
Outside the palace, at the top of the highest stairs.
Superman stood like the world highest mountain, looking at the death goddess Hela approaching him, and spoke softly.
"I admire your fiery spirit and unyielding stance..."
He paused, his tone turning cold.
"But."
"This is where it ends!"