Chapter 258: 258
Despite the vastness of the battlefield, it was now so quiet that even a falling pin could have been heard.
As the defeated side, the Frost Giants wished they could crawl into the cracks beneath the ground. Without Laufey, they were leaderless and completely at the mercy of their enemies.
The surviving Asgardians cautiously gathered around. After giving Fenris a wide berth with a mixture of reverence and fear, their gazes shifted between Thor and Loki, whose faces had turned red from arguing.
Both of them seemed to have a point.
"Loki! Stop acting on emotion!"
Thor took several deep breaths to calm himself, lowering his voice as he tried to reason with him.
"You have already endangered Asgard once. Don't let your recklessness drag Asgard into another war."
"Laufey cannot die yet. The peace of the Nine Realms was not easily won. If you truly are everyone's king, then you need to think clearly!"
"Oh? I never expected to hear something like that from you, Thor."
Loki seemed so angered by Thor's tone that he nearly laughed. The corner of his mouth curled into a sneer as he pointed toward the Asgardians who had survived the battle.
"Fine. Even if I agreed with you, why don't you ask them? Go tell everyone that while Father is absent, you intend to protect a war criminal capable of bringing Asgard to its knees. See how they react."
"Go on."
"Fenris is going to leave Asgard. Once he is gone, who will guard Laufey? You? Me? Or are you going to burden those innocent warriors with watching him?"
"Look them in the eyes and give me your answer, Thor!"
Loki suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Thor by the collar.
Thor had never seen Loki this furious before. It was the first time he had ever witnessed such an expression on his handsome face.
Thor slowly swept his gaze across the people surrounding them.
Their faces were as pale as paper. Their eyes were clouded with tears, yet not a single drop fell.
No one smiled. No one celebrated.
Even their relief at surviving seemed so fragile that the slightest touch would shatter it. In the myths of Midgard, they were almighty gods.
Yet before a true battle between gods, they could only fall to their knees, curl their bodies as tightly as possible, and pray desperately for the faintest glimmer of hope.
"Your Majesty! Kill him!"
"Kill Laufey!"
No one knew who shouted first. Scattered cries rose across the battlefield, quickly joining together until they became a deafening roar.
Every ounce of anger and hatred poured into those shouts, causing the surrounding ice to tremble.
"Brother..."
Listening to the cries around him, Thor wiped the corner of his eye. His voice was heavy and muffled.
"Father once said that a wise king never starts a war, nor does he allow the seeds of war to take root. Laufey can be killed, and he must be killed, but we cannot execute him so hastily."
"I'm begging you..."
Thor grabbed the hem of Loki's robe and lowered his head, practically pleading with him.
"Yes, exactly!"
Laufey lay nearby, having believed his death was certain, but now he saw another chance to survive.
He never imagined Thor, of all people, would be the only one willing to protect him. Despite the waves of opposition surrounding him, the reckless brute was even willing to cast aside his lifelong pride and beg his younger brother to reconsider.
Laufey's eyes flickered constantly. His gaze shifted slightly, and a flash of dark blue in the distance suddenly caught his attention.
It was the Casket of Ancient Winters, which had been discarded nearby along with him.
If he could touch the Casket again, he could use the artifact's power to restore his grievously injured body.
If he survived, recovered, and escaped the Midgardian's sight, then...
Without making a sound, Laufey lightly pressed one finger against the ground.
Concealed beneath the thick ice, a slender layer of frost quietly began extending toward the Casket.
Laufey's eyes continued to flicker, but his expression remained perfectly impassive. He merely listened in silence.
"Thor, you have no right to decide what counts as hasty."
Loki himself had caused this crisis. Regret and guilt haunted him like a nightmare. Had he died on the battlefield, it would no longer have mattered. But since he had survived, atonement was now the only way to escape that nightmare.
He shoved Thor away.
"Father also said that a great king does not endlessly give ground. What you call foresight is nothing more than a poor imitation of Father. Wisdom is not cowardice. The will of Asgard's people is the only direction I need."
"How do you think Asgard achieved all this splendor?"
"Being afraid of war, as you are, will never bring peace. Only Gungnir hanging over the Nine Realms can secure lasting peace. Everyone must know the consequences of offending Asgard. They must know that being struck brings pain and death. Only then will their restless ambitions be silenced. Only then can there be peace!"
"If Laufey is spared today, another Laufey will appear tomorrow. That is the true source of every war. You are the one trying to bring war down upon our people!"
"No, Brother. Listen to me..."
After saying so much in one breath, only to see Thor stubbornly refusing to yield, Loki suddenly lost his patience.
"I have nothing more to say to you."
"If neither of us can convince the other, then we'll let our fists decide."
Loki flicked his wrist and spun his spear. Before Thor could react, Loki swung the shaft heavily into his waist.
"Bang!"
Already severely wounded, Thor never expected Loki to ambush him. Caught entirely off guard and unable to defend himself, he was immediately sent flying.
He landed on his back and slid a considerable distance across the ice before finally stopping.
The sharp crack of breaking bones rang out. Agony tore through Thor, contorting his face in pain.
Unless he was mistaken, at least three of his ribs had been broken.
"Your Highness, are you all right?"
Several Asgardians gathered around him, reaching out with concerned expressions to help him to his feet.
Seeing their dirt-streaked faces and the grief that refused to leave their eyes, Thor suddenly fell silent.
Still lying on the ground, he ignored the searing pain in his body and roared toward Loki.
"Loki, if you keep forcing your way through this, you'll get everyone killed!"
Thor's hoarse voice reached him, but Loki merely sneered. He turned and strode toward Laufey, Gungnir blazing with golden light in his hand.
"Fenris!"
Seeing that Loki still refused to listen, Thor felt his vision go dark.
In his desperation, his gaze suddenly fell upon Fenris, who still stood over Laufey.
"Fenris, you listened to me and didn't attack Laufey. You don't want to kill him either, do you?"
Remembering how Fenris had withdrawn his claw, Thor's eyes suddenly brightened like those of a drowning man grasping his final lifeline.
If there was still one person capable of stopping Loki, it could only be Fenris.
"Don't just stand there!"
"Fenris, say something! Fenris!"
(End of Chapter)