"Laufey, release Loki. Now!"
After one final glance at Fenris and the gods of Asgard behind him, Thor raised both hands and walked toward Laufey one step at a time.
Laufey glanced at Thor before descending from the air with Loki. Leaning close to Loki's ear, he whispered contemptuously, "Congratulations on regaining your freedom, Princess. Now go home in your brother's place."
Loki had already been gravely wounded before he was released from the ice. The axe wound across his body was so deep that it exposed bone and had nearly shattered his divine physique.
Combined with Laufey personally sealing him in ice, even Loki's Frost Giant body had now been pushed almost completely beyond its limits.
Despite that, he kept a tight grip on Gungnir and forced himself to remain standing.
Loki did not respond to Laufey's mockery. Instead, he stared grimly at Thor as his brother approached one step at a time.
Idiot. So what if you let that Midgardian attack? Did you really have to trade yourself for me?
In the distance, every god of Asgard watched anxiously.
"Don't make the exchange!"
Listening to the commotion behind him, Fenris repeatedly clenched the right hand hidden behind his back. His eyes never left Thor's figure for even a moment.
"Thor, you'd better move fast when the time comes..."
The situation was poised to erupt. Thor's solitary footsteps were the only sound on the battlefield.
Fenris's entire body tensed. Tremendous power surged within him, ready to erupt at any moment.
Thor was using his own life to create a chance for Loki to survive and Laufey to be eliminated at the same time.
Fenris's sole opportunity to act would come during the instant the two sides completed their exchange.
Fenris did not want to see Thor sacrifice himself, but this was Thor's decision as the son of Odin. Fenris had neither the ability nor the right to interfere.
Thor would never obediently follow Laufey back to Jotunheim as easily as he claimed. His pride would never allow him to become Laufey's bargaining chip and later be used to threaten Odin.
Everyone present understood that, including Laufey.
Choosing between Thor, a powerless mortal incapable of resisting, and Loki, Odin's adopted son who had been frozen in ice along with Gungnir, was not difficult for Laufey.
That was why Laufey's hand remained clamped around Loki while all his attention focused on Fenris in the distance.
Fenris was the only unpredictable factor on the battlefield—and the only trump card that had given Thor the confidence to propose such an exchange.
Watch Fenris, secure Thor, and then lead the surviving warriors out of Asgard.
That was the entirety of Laufey's plan.
Step. Step.
Thor's footsteps were clearly audible to everyone.
Closer.
Even closer!
The moment Thor took his final step and crossed the line separating both sides—
Laufey moved.
He seized Loki and gathered his strength, hurling him away from the battlefield. At the same time, Laufey launched himself forward, bending his knees and lowering his body as he transformed into a towering blue blur and reached for Thor.
The anticipated moment had finally arrived.
As Laufey, who stood twice his height, lunged toward him with murderous force, frigid wind washed over Thor's entire body.
Yet Thor felt strangely at peace.
Brother, I've fought to give you this chance.
Loki was safe.
With Fenris's speed, rescuing Loki from the gravely wounded Laufey would not be difficult.
Watching Loki's body hurtle into the distance, Thor turned and roared at Fenris.
"Fenris, forget about me! Save him!"
"Go! Hurry!"
The moment had come.
Boom!
The instant Loki left Laufey's grasp, Fenris released all the power he had gathered, his body snapping forward like a fully drawn bowstring.
He did not look at Thor. His slender figure stirred a faint rush of wind before disappearing from the gods' sight, transforming into a streak of light that raced after Loki.
Laufey intended to use Thor to escape Asgard. That meant Thor would be safe for the moment after falling into his hands.
But Loki was carrying Jotunheim's greatest treasure, the Casket of Ancient Winters. If that divine artifact fell into Laufey's hands, it would create an entirely new disaster.
Laufey had thrown Loki with astonishing force. Loki was now flying through the air on his back, his face deathly pale. Yet he still cradled Gungnir against his body, unwilling to release it.
Although Fenris had moved later, he rapidly overtook him. The distance between them shrank until less than a kilometer remained.
"You shouldn't have come to save me..."
Already at the end of his strength, Loki forced his eyes open and spoke in a dry, strained voice as he watched Fenris race toward him.
"Of course I shouldn't have come to save you. You were never what I came to save."
If Thor hadn't risked his life to create this opportunity...
Fenris's eyes were exceptionally cold. Following the sensation calling to him, he focused on a particular spot within Loki's arms.
Seeing this from afar, Thor finally released a relieved breath.
"Thank goodness..."
Clink—
Without warning, a clear chime rang from Loki's body as an intensely frigid aura swept outward.
"Why did it have to happen now?!"
As Fenris approached, the Casket of Ancient Winters, which Loki had kept hidden for so long, suddenly activated on its own. Loki's heart lurched as a terrible premonition instantly seized him.
"The Casket... of Ancient Winters!"
The moment that familiar aura erupted, Laufey's hand froze just as he was reaching for Thor.
He whipped his head around and saw a tiny point of blue light falling from Loki's chest.
The blue light rapidly transformed in midair. In the blink of an eye, it became a square blue casket carved with exquisite patterns.
"No!"
As though responding to some mysterious presence, the Casket of Ancient Winters suddenly began to tremble.
Loki had failed to secure it properly. He could only watch helplessly as it slipped away from him and fell.
The unexpected development made Thor's eyes widen.
Until now, everything had proceeded according to his plan.
Once Loki was safe, Fenris would immediately turn back, charge Laufey, and destroy him in one decisive attack.
But the sudden appearance of the Casket of Ancient Winters would undoubtedly shatter the fragile balance on the battlefield.
Laufey was already at the end of his strength. Gravely wounded, he had lost his desire to conquer Asgard and was prepared to retreat.
But now the key to restoring his full power was directly before him. Would Laufey truly be willing to let this unprecedented moment of weakness for Asgard slip away?
Countless years of suppression had filled his heart with hatred. His willingness to withdraw had merely been a reluctant compromise forced upon him by circumstances.
"It's over!"
"Fenris! Get the Casket!"
"Don't let Laufey have it!"
Thor desperately roared at Fenris. With Laufey's savage face looming before him, Thor could already envision Asgard's people being slaughtered and the entire realm transformed into a frozen hell.
"Now that it has appeared, you're no longer of any use to me!"
An overwhelming surge of ecstasy filled Laufey's mind. He abruptly halted his charge toward Thor as an ice dagger rapidly formed in his hand.
With a violent throw, he sent it flying straight toward Thor's heart.
"No—!"
(End of Chapter)
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