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"So… this is Asgard, huh?"
Peter appeared as the fading light of the Bifrost disappeared—carrying Thor's badly beaten body.
"You're… that Midgardian?"
Heimdall stared at him in shock.
"Thor? Damn it, what did you do to him?!"
Rage bubbled up as Heimdall spotted the blood-soaked Thor hanging limply in Peter's grasp.
He drew his silver sword and charged at Peter, ready to avenge his prince.
"Man, are all you Asgardians this unreasonable?"
Peter casually tossed Thor toward him.
The motion looked simple—but it packed terrifying force.
"Thor!"
Heimdall panicked, dropping his sword and rushing to catch him.
But—
"Impossible!"
The second he touched Thor, a powerful force slammed into him.
The impact launched them both dozens of meters across the Bifrost, crashing hard into its glowing surface.
The sheer power knocked them off the bridge.
Heimdall still had some awareness—he managed to grab onto the edge of the bridge.
But Thor… he was unconscious, tumbling toward the swirling time-space vortex beneath the Bifrost.
"No!!"
Heimdall's desperate scream seemed to trigger something.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the edge of the bridge.
A weathered, powerful hand reached out and grabbed Thor just in time, pulling him back to safety.
"Your Majesty!" Heimdall gasped, overjoyed to see Odin.
"Thor, he—" Heimdall trailed off, unsure how to explain.
"Get up here first," Odin said calmly, extending a hand to Heimdall.
"Human. You've entered Asgard. Why?"
Once Heimdall was back on solid ground, Odin stood firm, Eternal Spear in hand, his voice heavy with authority.
Peter chuckled, unfazed by Odin's stern expression.
"So when I come to Asgard, it's an 'intrusion,' but when you guys come to Earth, it's a 'divine arrival'? That's rich."
"You—" Heimdall tried to speak, but Odin raised a hand to stop him.
"Let's not waste time with pointless arguments," Odin said. "Just tell me—why are you here?"
Wearing his golden armor, Odin's presence was overwhelming as he stared down Peter.
Peter just smiled politely, as if he hadn't just wrecked a god.
"Didn't you see? I'm just here to return your guy. He kept picking fights with me, so I figured I'd bring him home."
"Doing you a favor, really."
He smiled like he meant it.
"Thor looks like this, and that's your idea of a favor?" Heimdall growled, cradling Thor's broken body, furious.
"Oh come on, so he got roughed up a little. Totally normal," Peter said casually. "He's the one who came to Earth looking for a fight."
"The fact I didn't kill him on the spot was me holding back."
Peter's face grew more serious as he spoke, and his eyes turned sharp and aggressive, locking straight onto Odin.
"You—"
Heimdall burst with fury, about to charge forward—
"Stop!"
But just then, Odin slammed the Eternal Spear down on the Rainbow Bridge with a deafening thud.
A voice filled with rage echoed through all of Asgard. Every Asgardian turned in shock toward the source—stunned that Odin, of all people, could be this angry.
"Sir, on behalf of Thor, I offer you an apology and our thanks for showing mercy."
"If there's anything you need, just let me know. Asgard will do everything in its power to assist you."
Odin's expression shifted several times, but in the end, he managed to suppress his fury. His voice was calm as he apologized and thanked Peter.
"Wow, didn't expect that. You're not just old—you've actually mellowed out a bit too, huh?"
Peter was honestly surprised Odin didn't just lose it and come at him.
"Looks like I won't be getting that rematch I wanted today after all."
Thor had awakened his godly powers and now wielded a weapon that surpassed even a monarch-level artifact. Sure, he was strong.
But to Peter, even now, Thor was still no challenge.
If Peter hadn't held back earlier, that one punch would've reduced Thor—and the planet he was standing on—to dust scattered across the galaxy.
Right now, the only one in Asgard who could go toe-to-toe with Peter was Odin—whose godly power had peaked even though his body looked ancient and worn.
Too bad the old guy was overly cautious. He hardly ever went all out.
Even the last time they fought, Odin had basically just run away.
"Forget compensation or whatever—I don't want anything."
Peter waved his hand, brushing it off.
"But since you guys can come to Earth to challenge me..."
"Then it's only fair that I get to challenge Asgard in return."
"Alright, it's settled. I'm officially challenging Asgard—on behalf of Earth!"
A glint of excitement flashed in Peter's eyes as he boldly declared a challenge to all of Asgard without hesitation.
"Of course, I'm only interested in fighting real warriors, not weaklings. Next time, I might not be so nice."
As he spoke, his eyes swept disdainfully over the injured Thor and Heimdall.
"Ignorant Midgardian! How dare you speak to the All-Father like—"
Heimdall didn't get to finish—Odin raised his hand to stop him.
"Fine. I accept your challenge."
"But—I have one condition."
Odin's voice was serious as he spoke slowly.
"Alright, if you're in, name whatever condition you want."
Peter hadn't expected Odin to actually agree, and in his excitement, he didn't mind the added condition.
"I want some time to prepare."
"A fight like this won't be just any ordinary battle."
Odin's voice was calm as he made his request.
"That's it? No problem."
Peter had expected something more complicated. He agreed instantly.
"But I'm only giving you ten days max."
"I don't have endless patience, you know."
Just to make sure Odin couldn't back out later, Peter gave him a firm deadline.
"Alright. Ten days it is."
Odin paused for a moment, then nodded without hesitation.
"In that case, I'll be off. This axe? Think of it as a token of our agreement. That way, if anyone tries to deny it later..."
Holding the axe in his hand, Peter activated the Bifrost and vanished from Asgard.
"....."