In the beginning, there were no Nine Realms; there was only a primordial giant, Ymir.
After Ymir died, his corpse became the foundation for the birth of the Nine Realms, and the World Tree, which supports the dimensional structure of the realms, came into being.
But even in death, Ymir left behind a few gifts, some without an owner. The former Frost Giant King Laufey received one of these gifts, which allowed him to be the only one among the realms to survive a clash with a still-ferocious Odin.
"His will also chose Hela." The Ancient One sighed, her expression complex.
In a sense, the World Tree is Ymir, but Ymir is not the World Tree. The World Tree has its own will, and so did Ymir, though Ymir's will has been nearly completely scattered by the passage of time.
This was how the Ancient One finally understood why Hela was so unique in all of Asgard. As long as Asgard stands, Hela will not die. The stronger Asgard is, the stronger Hela becomes. This was a unique privilege that Odin, Thor, or even the descendants of the giants could never possess.
"Lothar, I'm back."
Her appearance, which had been haggard from a thousand years of imprisonment, was now restored to its prime. The awakened Hela tightly gripped Lothar's hand and rose to her feet, amused by his stunned face.
"You...?"
"The bet we made on our fight isn't over yet. I won't die until I've beaten you." Hela shrugged, still holding Lothar's hand.
She had known all along that she wouldn't die, and she had only wanted to see what kind of emotions this fool held for her. She had told him once that she couldn't die as long as Asgard stood. It was a shame he had clearly forgotten.
"I...!" Lothar had something to say, but a renewed surge of pain made him shut his mouth. When Hela was "dead," he could roar in anguish, but now that she was alive, he couldn't appear so "pathetic." It was a subconscious unwillingness to let her see him in such a state.
"Look up, Lothar."
Revived by the blessing of the World Tree, or more accurately, Ymir's blessing, Hela didn't know the specifics of Lothar's condition, but she knew that two special energies were moving between them via the earrings.
The process was painless for her, as she was a being born lawfully under the rules of this universe, but for Lothar, an outsider, it was a different story. To put it simply, he didn't have citizenship in this universe.
"Remember, you owe me one."
The now-pristine Hela shrugged, taking a step toward him. In the presence of her mother, Frigga, she kissed Lothar once more!
?!
BOOM!!!!
Following the blue divine power of Asgard and the deep green divine power of the World Tree, Hela's own awakened death divinity joined the fray. The two conflicting energies within Lothar's body, once at loggerheads, suddenly became docile as the death divinity entered the battle.
Lothar, his lips once again sealed by a kiss, stood frozen. The red tail wrapped around his waist unconsciously went limp...
ZZZZZZZZZ...
A crimson-purple current of electricity began to appear on Lothar's body, which was still in its Super Saiyan 4 state. His golden pupils and irises gradually turned a deathly gray-white, guided by the dimensional power now dominated by her death divinity. Cold and demonic.
Hela, acknowledged by Ymir, the World Tree, and the will of Asgard, was like a key, unlocking that mysterious door that countless powerful beings in the universe yearned to open for Lothar.
"Super... Saiyan God... is that what it is...?"
After a long while, their lips parted. A lingering smile on her face, Hela raised their clasped hands, as if to declare to the universe: This is the man I have chosen; it's time to give him citizenship.
KRAAAAAK!!!
An unknown bolt of lightning flashed. Everyone in the Dark Dimension looked up, but they saw no sign of a storm brewing.
"It's him..." After finding no abnormalities in the sky, the Ancient One's gaze fell on Lothar. An oppressive force descended with that one sound of thunder. The entire Dark Dimension seemed to have been invaded by an outside enemy, and explosions began to erupt one after another...
Lothar's pupils had completely turned gray-white. His body slowly floated upward, seemingly unaffected by gravity. The injuries on his muscular physique healed instantly as the crimson-purple lightning coursed over his skin. The last remnant of the divine essence from the previous cosmic era, which had been dormant since Sakaar, became the fuse that completely ignited the different energies within Lothar's body!
"His hair... it's changing color again...?"
Standing on the ground, Hela looked up at Lothar, who had his eyes closed, with a look of surprise that said, "Just as I thought."
The jet-black hair was now gradually tinged with an eerie carmine. She had long suspected that the changes in Lothar's power were tied to his hair color. Now, she had her proof.
BOOM!!!
The thunder, which had now overwhelmed the entire Dark Dimension, roared again. Inside the dimensional walls, both Thanos and Dormammu stopped fighting.
"Impossible!"
Dormammu was horrified to find that his power, as the master of the Dark Dimension, was steadily declining!
"Nothing is impossible, Dormammu."
"A war between dimensions is simply the strong consuming the weak." Thanos, his golden armor shattered but still standing firm, held his giant blade. "One is the World Tree that supports the Nine Realms. The other is merely a Dark Dimension you control."
"Who do you think will consume whom?"
Thanos raised his blade, pointing the tip at the furious and panicked Dormammu.
"Impossible!" Dormammu shrieked.
"I will be the last one standing!"
A brilliant flash of the blade silenced Dormammu's roar. The unwilling dark archmage, taking a hit in the process, dove toward the consuming darkness to try and kill Lothar!
Dormammu was afraid. He was truly terrified. He had genuinely felt the threat of death. Thanos's damned adopted son would really destroy the Dark Dimension if he wasn't stopped! He would not allow it! Never!
"Tell me, who will be the last one standing?"
Inside the dimensional walls, a calm voice suddenly echoed in the ears of both Dormammu and Thanos. A crimson energy wave instantly surged forth, blasting Dormammu's spirit out of the wall!
Clink...
The sound of a boot striking the ground was clear and crisp. Lothar landed with an arrogant smile on his face, his gaze filled with contempt for Dormammu. The carmine hair, to Hela, was quite flamboyant.
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