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There's an old saying: "A subtle force moves unseen, shaping the world without a sound."
Explosive energy attacks were destructive, but their brief duration made them easier to counter.
Now, however, as Aether-Malekith hovered above, the dark-red energy swirling around him had changed. It no longer detonated in bursts. Instead, it seeped into the world itself, slow, relentless, and far more difficult to resist.
Arthur's eyes narrowed. If he was struggling against this oppressive force, how much worse was it for the others?
The battlefield was bathed in crimson. Beyond a few meters, everything dissolved into an indistinct haze. Figures blurred together, the distinction between allies and enemies lost. There was no way to check on Thor and Loki.
And then there was her.
Jane Foster.
Arthur wasn't particularly worried about someone else's girlfriend, but if she died here, Thor wouldn't take it lightly. A heartbroken Thor was the last thing anyone needed in the middle of a war.
If her survival could be ensured, it should be.
But at this moment, he was powerless to do anything about it.
With no other option, he activated his colorless energy, its unseen force wrapping around him like an invisible armor. Then, he surged forward.
Even with Odin's power flowing through him, limited though it was, Arthur's strength had doubled. Every aspect of his abilities had undergone a remarkable transformation.
If pure durability wasn't enough to withstand Malekith's attack, then layered defenses would have to do.
Without hesitation, he unfurled his Raven God Wings, their blackened edges slicing through the dense, corrupted air as he shot upward.
In a heartbeat, he had ascended beyond the reach of the crimson storm. The dark-red energy didn't extend this high.
From his vantage point, he could finally see Malekith clearly.
The Dark Elf floated ominously, the Aether's power pulsating through every fiber of his being.
Before absorbing the Aether, that Abomination down there could have beaten Malekith into an existential crisis.
But now?
Even with their combined strength, killing him outright was no longer an option.
Arthur let out a low breath. "This is the difference between fighting fair and having a cheat code."
As he muttered, he suddenly dived, a blur of motion, appearing directly in front of Malekith.
His sword slashed through the air.
Clang!
The impact rang out, but the blade barely scratched the surface.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Arthur's eyes widened.
Malekith's gaze was cold, calculating. "How long do you think you can keep this up?"
Arthur smirked. "Long enough."
With a flicker of intent, he unleashed a spatial slash and Aether-Malekith's head separated from his body.
"This… This is impossible, " Malekith stared down at his headless form, utterly stunned.
The Aether had permeated every inch of him, reinforcing his body against all physical and energy-based attacks.
By all logic, Arthur shouldn't have been able to break through the very fabric of reality to decapitate him.
And yet, here he was.
Even stranger? It didn't hurt.
Confusion flickered in Malekith's fading expression. His severed head floated for a fraction of a second, long enough to see Arthur clench his fist.
The air fractured like shattered glass as Malekith's head hit the ground.
His body followed.
Silence fell.
The suffocating storm of dark-red energy vanished.
The battlefield, once twisted by the Aether's influence, returned to normal.
Arthur descended slowly, boots pressing into the dirt as he exhaled.
The Abomination beside him remained crouched, muscles coiled, hands still raised.
Arthur glanced at him.
Trapped in the Aether's crimson storm earlier, he hadn't been able to issue commands. Their vision link had been cut off.
Which meant, the Abomination had simply been waiting. Ready to strike at any moment.
Arthur shook his head. "You really don't trust me, huh?"
The Abomination just grunted.
Typical.
Arthur patted the Abomination's shoulder, storing him away before turning to Malekith's lifeless body.
"Tch. Guess you really were weak. Didn't anyone tell you that relying on power-ups alone won't cut it? Compared to the real heavyweights out there, you're miles behind. My spatial slash didn't even work on the Ancient One. But you..."
He shook his head.
Using the spatial slash had been a last resort.
Malekith had looked nearly invincible, impervious to conventional attacks. Arthur had banked on the spatial slash bypassing his defenses. But given his experience with the Ancient One, he hadn't been certain it would work.
Yet, it had cut Malekith down in a single strike.
That confirmed it. In raw capability, Malekith was nowhere near the Ancient One's level. More importantly, while the Aether was undeniably powerful, it wasn't enough to resist the Space Stone, another Infinity Gem.
In a direct clash of raw energy? The Aether lost.
If Infinity Stones could cancel each other out, then Malekith hadn't even been strong enough to withstand Arthur's sword.
With Malekith gone, a dark-red glow erupted from his body. The swirling, sinister energy, the now-hostless Aether, began thrashing violently, untethered and directionless.
And then, suddenly, it lunged toward Arthur.
Desperate.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down. I'm not that kind of guy."
Arthur casually flipped his hand, pulling out a containment device he had brought from Asgard, something designed specifically for this kind of situation.
With a flick, he activated it.
A sudden, overwhelming suction force erupted from the container's core. The wild, chaotic Aether was instantly dragged inside, the once-rampaging energy compressed into the tiny, rune-inscribed capsule in the blink of an eye.
Arthur sealed it tight, then tilted his head in thought.
"Huh. That felt... kinda anticlimactic."
The fight had started with such intensity. Malekith had even gained a terrifying power-up, hell, the guy had earned a prefix to his name.
And yet, he went down this fast?
It almost felt like cheating.
But Arthur wasn't about to complain about an easy victory. Without dwelling on it, he turned his attention elsewhere.
"I should check on Thor."
With a flap of his Raven God Wings, he lifted himself into the air and scanned the battlefield.
It didn't take long to find him.
When he landed, though, something felt off.
Thor was kneeling on the ground, gripping Loki's lifeless form, his entire body trembling with grief. Jane Foster stood nearby, sorrowful but unsure how to console him.
Arthur frowned. "What happened?"
Thor didn't respond, but Jane turned to him.
"Loki... he saved me." Arthur raised an eyebrow as she continued.
"Everything happened so fast. After the two of them defeated that monster together, this... this happened. Loki sacrificed himself for me."
Her explanation didn't offer much clarity.
Arthur's gaze fell to Loki's lifeless face.
After a moment, he exhaled and turned to Thor.
"My condolences."
Thor's shoulders shook. His voice was raw. "He always loved his tricks... but deep down, I know he had a good heart."
Tears ran freely down his face as he looked up at Arthur. "Don't you think so?"
What was Arthur supposed to say to that?
He hesitated.
Then, with the most neutral expression he could manage, he gave a small nod. "Yeah..."
At that moment, a massive shadow loomed in the distance, a phenomenon unique to the Dark World.
Thor followed Arthur's gaze, then let out a heavy sigh.
"Loki will be remembered." He took a deep breath, then stood. "Let's go."
Arthur, Jane, and Thor slowly walked away.
But as the others looked ahead, Arthur took a final glance over his shoulder.
His lips curled into the faintest of smirks.
Silently, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
A shimmer of golden energy flickered in the air, an invisible recall signal.
The Eye of Horus, a surveillance spell Arthur had discreetly planted near Loki, responded instantly, returning to him.
Arthur's smirk widened.
"Finally, I get it."
The strange sense of dissonance, the nagging feeling that something wasn't right...
Now it all made sense.
Loki had tampered with him.
But was it a last-minute improvisation upon arriving in the Dark World?
Or had he been scheming from the very start?
Arthur didn't know yet.
But one thing was certain.
Loki wasn't done.
(Chapter Ends Here.)