No one could have possibly imagined it.
Loki had actually made a fool of Odin.
All the time and effort Asgard had poured into orchestrating his grand, rightful coronation ceremony—the moment the new king's crown touched the ground—became a colossal joke.
Odin was incandescent with rage. His vast divine power seemed to ignite Yggdrasil itself, sending all Nine Realms into upheaval.
Those nine distinct dimensions spanned a scope far exceeding the Milky Way. Countless beings who knew the true depth of Odin's power could not help but recall, in that very moment, the terror of being dominated by him thousands of years ago. For an instant, they thought the old man had finally torn off his benevolent mask and intended to restore the glory of Asgard.
If the various races across the universe felt this way, the guests from other dimensions within the confines of the palace were even more terrified.
The towering Dwarf King's face was now ashen. He stared at the crown rolling on the ground, his expression like death itself. He knew Odin's temper. Back in the day, the old man rode a horse alone, carving a path from Asgard all the way to Hel, not even sparing his own firstborn daughter. Let alone Loki, a younger son never particularly favored to begin with.
At this moment, the Dwarf King had already pressed his body flat against the ground, desperately trying not to let Odin notice his mountain-like frame.
Barring any unforeseen events, Loki would undoubtedly face severe punishment next.
But, as expected, the unforeseen happened.
Odin's anger was like lightning—it came fast and left just as quickly. After that surge of divine power that shook the cosmos erupted outward, it dissipated in an instant, as if that thunderous fury had been nothing but an illusion.
He reseated himself upon his throne, like a lonely old man whose children had all left his side.
The grand ceremony ended hastily, just like that.
Out of fear of Odin, no one dared to mention the name Loki again. The gods, elves, and dwarves who had come from other dimensions to offer congratulations mostly returned home. Asgard grew empty once more.
Brunhilde, however, was quite pleased to see Odin humiliated. Her mood was so excellent that her impression of Loki improved considerably. She then made off with several bottles of divine wine and returned to the Celestial Order.
To counter Thanos's Black Order, she, Kayla, and Bill were currently training troops within the Celestial Order. Kayla taught the Sakaarans to wield the Ancient Power, Brunhilde instructed them in combat techniques, and Bill, while retrofitting massive warships, performed a degree of physical modification on those who aspired to be warriors but lacked any natural talent. Of course, this modification could only be voluntary. Forcing it upon an ignorant child, as the original Korbinites had done, was absolutely forbidden, and Bant would never permit it.
Brunhilde had departed, but Bant remained in the palace.
He walked alone through the palace grounds, the scent of grass, flowers, and spring brushing past him.
After the ceremony ended, Odin had specifically asked him to stay. It seemed there was a matter to discuss. However, because the earlier outburst of fury had drained him, leaving Odin in a weakened state, the conversation was postponed for half a day. So Bant found a secluded, quiet spot, taking in the scenery while waiting for Loki to show up.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the familiar sound of footsteps came from behind Bant. The air distorted, and Loki's figure slowly emerged.
After deceiving Odin, he had actually dared to remain in Asgard.
"What did I tell you? A legend. A spectacular performance and a prank!" Loki declared smugly.
"Everyone thought I would smoothly ascend to the throne of Asgard, because in their eyes, that's all I ever craved. But they were wrong. I wanted to do the exact opposite of what they expected."
Loki sat down lightly on a railing. Below him stretched the Sea of Asgard, flowing into the boundless cosmos at the edge of the world.
Bant glanced at him, then smiled. "It suits you. A green robe fits you better. Bashing people with a hammer doesn't quite match your style."
"You don't seem surprised at all?" Loki asked, astonished.
Everyone believed he had sacrificed everything to gain the throne, and not long ago had even tried to kill Thor and usurp it directly. Yet when the throne was within his grasp, he had cast it aside as if the Lord of the Nine Realms meant nothing. But Bant knew that wasn't the case.
"The throne of Asgard," Bant said, "is too small for you."
These words made Loki a little embarrassed. He lowered his head, covering the upward curve of his lips with a hand. "It's not that big a deal, really…"
"Truthfully, all I ever wanted was acknowledgment. To know if he truly loved me," Loki said. "Now that I have my answer, everything else is unimportant. Let Thor have the throne. Otherwise, he'd be too pitiful."
As he spoke, Loki seemed to suddenly recall something. "Oh, right. Now that I've played the old man for a fool, he must be absolutely furious. And deeply disappointed in me, since I utterly humiliated him… If he catches me, he'll probably skin me alive. So, I was thinking the Celestial Order could offer me shelter for a while?"
Bant said, "If you'd left with Brunhilde, you'd be on Sakaar by now."
"You think Heimdall is blind?" Loki retorted immediately.
So you do know they're not blind? Bant rolled his eyes. If Odin couldn't see through this little scheme of Loki's, that would truly be strange. Not to mention, all his magic was taught by Frigga. Could those so-called illusions possibly deceive the All-Mother's eyes?
Just as Bant expected.
After Loki departed through the hidden pathways of Asgard, Odin and Frigga received Bant once more.
This meeting was not between two kings, but between a pair of parents and their child's friend. Therefore, the conversation naturally revolved around Thor and Loki.
After brief pleasantries, a smile appeared on Odin's face. "He trusts you deeply, even relies on you. That's why, the moment his little prank succeeded, he couldn't wait to find you."
Clearly, Odin was not at all angered by Loki's action. The rage he had displayed earlier was nothing but a pretense.
"I am proud of him. But you understand, as a father, and as a king, there are times I cannot openly show that pride," Odin said with a pained expression.
"Even if Loki lifted Mjolnir and could rightfully become the King of Asgard, there are still many in Asgard who are not truly convinced. Many stubbornly believe the throne must be Thor's, and that Loki is merely a thief who stole Thor's glory. Loki acts indifferent on the surface, but inside, he is deeply sensitive."
Saying this, Odin, like an old father, showed a look of remorse. "It is my fault for not educating them properly when they were young."
He sighed, his memory traveling back over a thousand years. Back then, he had told Thor and Loki: You are both my children, but only one can become the King of Asgard. Perhaps from that moment, those words had been etched deep into Loki's heart. Especially when he learned Thor was Odin's trueborn son, it became even more so. And after lifting Mjolnir and gaining the throne, Loki felt deep down that he had stolen everything from Thor.
"This was not a prank," Frigga said, her heart aching for her younger son yet filled with solace. "He wanted to use this method to legitimately forfeit his right to the throne, to leave everything to Thor."
Odin nodded. It was precisely for this reason that during the coronation, he had played along with Loki, using his divine power to stir Yggdrasil and create the illusion of fury.
Yet, while he felt pride for his child, he also felt immense pain in his heart for the mistakes he had made.
And it was then that Bant had told Loki: The throne of Asgard is too small for you. Such simple words held monumental meaning for Loki.
"Perhaps there is only one King of Asgard," Odin murmured, "but my two sons… they were both born to be kings."
After a long while, he wiped the old tears from the corners of his eyes and brought out Mjolnir. "Since Loki has set down this hammer, let it remain on Midgard."
With that, Odin hurled the divine hammer.
Then he added, "I am very grateful Loki has a friend like you. As parents, we don't know how to express our thanks. But as the King of Asgard, I do have some things I can give you."
Odin stood. He made no mention whatsoever of Bant previously taking the Destroyer and the Casket of Ancient Winters. Instead, he led Bant toward the Vault of Asgard.
Not long after. The glow of dark magic shone, and the Bifröst once again pierced the cosmos, sending Bant and Thor back to Earth.
Loki had left, but Thor remained the one unworthy to be king.
Truth be told, compared to his original self, Thor had grown considerably. He understood now that a king should not always think of war, but must protect his people and those he loved.
The problem was, having endured so much, Thor had lost his spirit. He was no longer reckless, true, but he had also become timid. He doubted himself, denied himself. By now, it was no longer Mjolnir rejecting him, but him rejecting Mjolnir.
Loki had moved on, but he had not.
Setting foot on Earth once more, what Thor felt was not humiliation, but immense relief. Especially after Loki left, everyone sought Thor out, telling him they believed he was the one who should be king. This pressure weighed on him, nearly suffocating. Returning to Earth, conversely, allowed him to breathe.
Here, no one knew his past. No one lamented that the once-mighty God of Thunder had become this. And no one expected him, a disgraced man, to shoulder heavy burdens.
Looking at Bant, who had come to Earth with him, Thor did not recognize him as Four Arms from New Mexico. Instead, he recognized him as the Midtown High student he'd met briefly when he was swinging a sledgehammer at a construction site.
"I never imagined you knew Loki, and that even my father holds you in such high regard," he said, somewhat awkwardly. "So, you are the King of Sakaar…"
Thor had never even heard of Sakaar. But he understood the immense weight carried by a king acknowledged by Odin.
"The title of King of Sakaar isn't worth mentioning," Bant shook his head. In truth, that title came from the heartfelt recognition of the Sakaaran people, not because Bant had actively taken on the role of king. Magister of the Celestial Order was his true position.
"You can call me Bant Parker, or address me as Magister of the Celestial Order." Bant handed him a Celestial Order badge. "If you run into any trouble, you can use this to contact me."
Though Odin had never explicitly asked Bant to look after his other son, Bant had accepted Odin's generosity and felt obliged. Perhaps because he had already foreseen Ragnarök, Odin had been extraordinarily generous this time, practically allowing Bant to choose anything from the Vault. However, in the presence of a God-King, Bant did not appear overly greedy.
"I'll send you back. Oh, and if you can't find work, you can also apply to Primrose."
Bant left him a business card. Thor, not understanding any of this in the slightest, casually stuffed the card into his pocket and rushed off impatiently to find Jane Foster.
Having left without a word back at the shelter, perhaps Jane Foster thought he was dead. After returning to Asgard, Thor now missed his beloved desperately.
And Bant returned to the H.A.M.M.E.R. Bureau.
By now, the adjustment period between the Avengers and the Celestial Order members had passed. Everyone was getting used to fighting alongside one another. Moreover, since Morag was still submerged beneath the ocean, they had also practiced aquatic combat.
Now, on the flight deck of the H.A.M.M.E.R. Bureau's mothership, six individuals boarded a small spacecraft one after another.
This ship was the Sakaaran Messenger, the one Loki had used to come to Earth months ago. It was equipped with a Tachyon Drive engine, capable of crossing interstellar distances in a short time.
About to head into space, everyone was in high spirits.
Peter was bubbling with excitement. In his head, Venom was enthusiastically introducing him to all sorts of cosmic knowledge—though most of it was the symbiote talking big, with little credible content.
T'Challa was also excited, though he was much more restrained. After all, he was a prince; he couldn't be too openly astonished.
Captain America was not as lively as they were. He was weighed down with heavy thoughts, his mind filled solely with the enemies they might encounter next. A heavy burden rested on his shoulders.
As for Felicia and Bant, the two had long since found a private space to be alone together.
Gazing at the boundless sea of stars in the cosmos, Felicia felt as if her heart was filled with something profound. Dazzling nebulae floated silently in the universe like veils of colored mist. Golden vortexes spread like unfurling wings.
Every twinkling point of light in this universe was a star's narration of eons of time.
Felicia thought that if the starlight was eternal, then the hand of Bant's she held in this moment would also be eternal.
/-\
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