SWWW Chapter 224: Odin, Your Era Has Passed
"Stop!"
Just as Prince was about to draw the Godkiller Sword and clash with tens of thousands of Asgardian warriors—
A deep, ancient voice thundered from the end of the Rainbow Bridge. The weight of authority carried within that voice instantly silenced the roars of tens of thousands of soldiers.
At once, even the Asgardian warriors whose eyes were bloodshot and whose weapons were raised halted their steps. Every soldier froze just meters in front of Prince.
Their faces shifted to awe and reverence. Like a trained army, they moved in perfect unison, opening a path down the bridge.
The scene was overwhelming.
Tens of thousands of Asgardian warriors parted like waves, forming a corridor that stretched all the way to the golden palace.
And at its end stood an aged figure.
He wore golden armor much like Thor's, a golden eyepatch covering his right eye. His left eye gleamed with sharp power. Though his hair was white and his face bore the weight of years, his spirit burned with vigor that belied his age.
A golden staff in his hand, a crimson cape across his shoulders—he was every inch a king.
"Aunt, that's…" Xi Nian whispered.
"Yes. Tens of thousands of years ago, he once appeared on Earth, joined with the Old Gods, and repelled the forces of Apokolips…" Diana's gentle voice brushed against Xi Nian's thoughts. "The king of the Norse pantheon—Odin."
"As expected. Beat the little ones, and the big one comes out… That's the eternal truth of the universe," Xi Nian muttered.
But so what if he was Odin?
The age of the Old Gods had ended.
And Odin's age was long past.
The fact that he couldn't control Loki, letting him bring war to Earth, already showed Odin's decline.
…
Prince's expression remained calm. She gripped the Godkiller Sword in her right hand while the Cloak of Levitation held Wanda and Xiao Huang behind her.
Odin advanced step by step. His stride was firm, thunderous, exuding an aura that made Asgardian soldiers drop to one knee in respect as he passed.
Soon.
The All-Father of Asgard stood before Prince. Heimdall stepped forward, saluting with his sword. "All-Father."
Now, on the Rainbow Bridge, only Odin and Prince stood upright.
Thor, unconscious and bloodied, was the only exception lying on the ground.
Odin glanced at his fallen son and commanded calmly, "Take him to the Asgardian temple."
"Yes, my king!"
Several of Thor's guards rushed forward, carrying the unconscious god toward a palace hall.
"What is your name?" Odin's single eye locked on Prince.
"Before asking another's name, shouldn't you give your own first?" Prince answered, gaze unyielding.
The Asgardian soldiers erupted in anger.
"How dare you speak so to the All-Father!"
"It's fine." Odin shook his head and said in a deep voice, "I am Odin."
At those words, the entire realm seemed to tremble, echoing his authority.
"Diana Prince," Prince answered.
"You are very much like… that person from long ago."
Odin raised his golden staff, his gaze steady. "Will you fight me?"
Prince's face tightened.
Xi Nian felt the pressure.
Yes.
Even in their perfect fusion—Wonder Woman, Spider-sense, and divine power united—before this aged man, Xi Nian felt undeniable pressure.
His Spider-sense, now able to sense energy, told him clearly—
Unlike their contained, unified divine state, Odin stood merged with the very essence of Asgard. The power of the entire realm flowed through him.
He was dangerous.
…
Diana's calm voice spoke within Xi Nian's mind. "If we fight to the death, we may kill him, but we will not escape unscathed. At best, we'll be gravely wounded. At worst, we'll die.
"And Xi Nian… Wanda is here as well."
"I know," Xi Nian answered. He knew. If it were just Diana, for the sake of family, she might choose to yield.
She was willing to lower her proud head, to let her divine identity be sullied, if it meant protecting her loved ones.
Since Themyscira, Xi Nian had been learning never to bow his head—because the crown above would fall.
Diana had been learning when to bow her head—because though the crown was important, sometimes family was worth far more.
As long as it was worth it.
"Aunt…" Xi Nian had made his choice.
"Odin."
Prince's eyes shone bright as she raised the Godkiller Sword. "This is between you and me. Win or lose, I ask that you do not harm those who travel with me."
"Who are they to you?" Odin looked past her, at Wanda wrapped in the cloak and the orange cat floating nearby.
"Family," Prince answered firmly.
"I see…"
Odin murmured, then shook his head. Lowering his golden staff, he said: "We have lost."
"Huh? What did you say?"
Prince blinked in surprise. The Asgardian soldiers widened their eyes in disbelief, unable to accept what they had heard.
"Asgard has lost. Olympus has won." Odin's voice was heavy with age, like another weight had fallen on his shoulders.
"Come with me. I will tell you what happened long ago."
He turned toward the palace, then paused to add, "That girl—her condition is unstable. In Asgard's temple, there are elven sorcerers. They may be able to save her."
Prince watched his back.
"Aunt, do you think this is a trap?" Xi Nian asked through their shared bond.
Diana replied, "No. With Odin's name, if it were a trap, he would not have declared Asgard's defeat first. That would be dishonor to his realm."
"Then let's trust him this once."
Prince adjusted the Cloak of Levitation and followed the All-Father.
…
Inside the grand Asgardian palace hall.
Odin sat on his golden throne. Prince stood at the center of the vast chamber.
Wanda had already been sent to the temple to be treated.
For safety, Xi Nian had asked Xiao Huang and the Cloak to watch over her, ready to signal if anything went wrong.
"Your parents never told you this, I imagine."
Odin looked at Prince, his tone heavy with memory. "Tens of thousands of years ago, before I became Asgard's king, our realm had claimed nearly half the universe as territory. The World Tree divided those lands into Nine Realms. To maintain their balance and order—that was our duty."
"But then, on Earth, a transcendent race arose—your people, the Olympians. After building Olympus Mountain, your kind not only sought to leave Earth, but also to break the system of the Nine Realms, insisting the universe was one whole and should not be divided."
"Because of this clash in philosophy, conflict between us was endless. Neither side even acknowledged the other as true gods."
"Until fifty thousand years ago. Not long after I became king, the forces of Apokolips invaded Earth. In the end, Asgard and Olympus fought side by side."
"For the first time—and the last time—the two pantheons stood united."
Odin lifted a finger, his single eye burning with authority as he declared:
"After we drove back Apokolips, I and the king of Olympus, Zeus, made an agreement!"
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