As in the original story, Odin gave his two sons some final words of wisdom before transforming into golden particles and vanishing before Thor and Loki. His time had come, and he departed from this world.
With Odin's departure, Hela, who had been suppressed by him for so long, finally escaped the Underworld and returned to the Main Dimension. She appeared before Thor and Loki, standing in their path.
As in the original story, Hela crushed Thor's Mjolnir with her bare hand. When Loki called upon the Bifrost to escape, she followed them through the bridge and struck Loki away with tremendous force. Thor also escaped from the Bifrost, and both brothers managed to flee from Hela's immediate pursuit.
Hela then returned to Asgard from the Bifrost. She looked at Volstagg, who was holding Heimdall's sword, and Fandral standing beside him. Just as she was about to say something about their submission to her rule, black smoke appeared out of thin air. The smoke swept up Volstagg, Fandral, and the sword in Volstagg's hand—which served as the key to the Bifrost—and swiftly flew into Asgard's interior, carrying them away from danger.
Hela naturally would not just sit back and watch people and objects being taken away from under her nose. While the people might be one thing, she was determined to obtain the divine sword that held the key to the Rainbow Bridge. She would not let anyone take it from her grasp.
Bang!
Hela soared into the air, constantly gathering energy in her hands and materializing longswords from thin air. She launched them repeatedly at the swirling black smoke ahead, intent on stopping whoever dared defy her.
However, each time these flying swords encountered the black smoke, they were deflected as if by an invisible barrier. The blades clattered uselessly away, unable to penetrate the protective shield.
Seeing this resistance, Hela swept her hands behind her head as she flew. Her long, tangled black hair instantly transformed into sharp horns, and her face was covered with lines that represented death itself. A power completely different from the previous one emanated from Hela, a power Sebastian was extremely familiar with. He also possessed the same power within him, after all.
The power of death!
Sebastian, maintaining the black smoke, narrowed his eyes as he sensed it. He had accepted a death commission from one of the Creator Gods, to collect a small portion of the Death Authority scattered throughout the universe. He had previously suspected that some of the Death Authority was ninety-nine percent in Hela's possession, but when he peeked at Hela from a distance before, he could not sense its presence within her.
Sebastian initially thought he had misjudged the situation, but when Hela transformed into her combat form, the Death Authority dormant within her body awakened. This allowed Sebastian to immediately sense its presence and discover his first target for collection.
If this was the case, then the plan to deal with Hela would have to change somewhat. Sebastian had to intervene more directly and could not just sit back and watch from the sidelines. After all, he had promised one of the most powerful figures in the multiverse a favor. Playing dumb or slyly disobeying would be unacceptable and could bring dire consequences.
Of course, the plan remained unchanged for now: preserve Thor's team first, and other matters could be dealt with later once everyone was safe.
Whoosh!
Sebastian's figure emerged from the black smoke. He turned to look at Hela and swung his wand at her with precision. The water beneath the Rainbow Bridge surged into the air, transforming into long, thick serpents that attacked Hela from multiple directions.
Although Hela was fast and dodged quickly, the serpents were too numerous and entangled. They wrapped around her limbs and dragged her underwater, buying Sebastian the time he needed.
Seeing this, Sebastian turned and transformed into black smoke again, accelerating towards Asgard's interior. He quickly captured Hogun and Sif within Asgard's palace grounds and arrived directly before Heimdall, who was sitting cross-legged in a simple robe within the inner forests of Asgard, meditating in preparation.
As soon as Sebastian released them from the smoke, the three Asgardian warriors and Sif immediately assumed a fighting stance, their weapons drawn and ready.
However, when they saw that it was Sebastian who had brought them here, they breathed a sigh of relief. They trusted Sebastian deeply and naturally did not suspect him of any ill will toward them or Asgard.
"Sebastian, what is going on? Why did you bring us here?" Fandral asked, looking confused but grateful.
Looking at Fandral, Sebastian answered directly and without embellishment. "I believe that Fandral is not the only one who is confused about the situation. Everyone will find it strange, so let me tell you briefly. Odin is dead, and Hela, who had been suppressed by him for centuries, has returned to Asgard. She has shattered Thor's hammer with her bare hands and easily defeated both Thor and Loki in combat.
Although they escaped successfully through the Bifrost, they will not return immediately in a short time. You cannot be her opponent at your current strength, so I brought you directly here to safety.
From now on, you will follow Heimdall's lead. He has the Authority of Insight, which means even in Asgard, he should be able to help you escape from the threat of Hela's pursuit. I will bring Thor and Loki back when the time is right. At that time, you will be their helpers, fighting against Hela's army together."
After hearing Sebastian's words, the three Asgardian warriors and Sif said that they understood the situation and they would follow Heimdall's guidance without question.
At this time, Sebastian returned the sword to Heimdall and said to him, "Heimdall, for the time being, the civilians and remaining manpower of Asgard will be in your care and protection. As for Thor and Loki, I will go and take care of them personally."
Heimdall looked at Sebastian, nodded slowly with understanding, and said, "I understand what must be done. I will protect the people here until their rightful king returns to claim the throne."
"Then I will leave it to you. Also, do not try to fight Hela directly. You are no match for her, even with your abilities."
With that, Sebastian had done all he could for now. As for other matters, it was beyond his immediate control. Now all he needed to do was find Thor and Loki, ensure their strength was improved significantly, and then bring them back to fight Hela. Only then could he find an opportunity to regain the Death Authority from her.
Now, after returning to Asgard, Hela has a subtle connection with the authority of Asgard's God-King through her bloodline. Trying to kill Hela in Asgard is equivalent to fighting the Lord of another dimension in their own domain. In Asgard, Hela has the blessing of Asgard itself, her strength has greatly increased, making her exceptionally difficult to kill or even wound.
To truly destroy Hela, Sebastian must find a king more suited to Asgard than she is, help them reclaim the God-King Authority, and deprive Asgard of the blessings it grants to Hela. Therefore, Sebastian did not even consider dealing with Hela right now in her current state. He wanted to regain the Death Authority within Hela, and Thor's help was absolutely essential for that plan.
Nodding to Heimdall and the others in farewell, a portal immediately appeared behind Sebastian, and he took a step back into the portal, disappearing from their sight.
By this time, Sebastian had returned to Hogwarts through the portal. He told the others that he had to go out on urgent business, arranged some things at Hogwarts for continuity, and then left Hogwarts with Fawkes, who had been clinging to him persistently. He turned into black smoke and followed Thor's scent through the cosmos.
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