Chapter 259: 259
"Stop him! Please..."
With several people supporting him, Thor rose unsteadily to his feet and reached toward Fenris.
"Stop Loki!"
His fingertips trembled violently. His voice rose sharply as his chest heaved, as though a fire were burning inside it.
The next moment, Fenris turned his head toward him.
Brilliant white light filled Fenris's eyes, making it impossible for Thor to read his expression clearly.
Suddenly, a freezing chill surged from the depths of Thor's heart, cutting off the words he had yet to speak.
"No..."
Fenris had withdrawn his claw earlier only because he had not wanted to hurt Thor. How could he possibly allow a formidable enemy like Laufey to live?
No words were needed. At that moment, Thor understood Fenris's intentions perfectly.
His friend's refusal to support him became the final hammer blow that shattered his resolve, extinguishing the last trace of hope in his eyes.
"Well, then..."
Having finally shaken off his stubborn and irritating brother, Loki seemed to be in an excellent mood.
He approached Fenris, glanced at Laufey pinned beneath his claw, and extended Gungnir.
"Since we want the same thing, perhaps the task of finishing Laufey..."
Loki raised his head and met Fenris's gaze. Fenris lowered his massive head slightly, his mountain-like body looming over him.
A chill ran down Loki's back. He swallowed uncontrollably and instinctively shrank away.
Fortunately, the suffocating pressure did not last long.
A burst of white light flared before him, and Fenris's body rapidly began to shrink. In the blink of an eye, the colossal creature nearly a hundred meters long had returned to his original human form.
The oppressive presence of a Titan had weighed upon everyone like a mountain. The instant the Ancient Snow Demon disappeared, the temperature around them seemed to rise, and even the nearly stagnant air became lighter.
The Ancient Snow Demon's suppression of Laufey had been virtually absolute. As soon as it vanished, Laufey immediately felt the crushing weight on his body disappear.
However, a foot slammed down upon him the next moment.
That familiar strength descended once more. Agony tore through Laufey, draining all color from his face. He could only grit his teeth, endure the pain, and lie perfectly still.
After shooting Fenris a hateful glance, Laufey quietly pressed his entire palm against the ground beneath him.
"Just you wait..."
He cursed inwardly.
The Casket of Ancient Winters lying nearby had begun emitting a faint glow almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. Wisps of cold energy slowly flowed into Laufey's body.
His life hung in the balance, and a formidable enemy stood before him. Laufey was so cautious that he did not allow even the slightest trace of his aura to escape.
As expected, his subtle movements did not seem to attract anyone's attention. Even Loki, who shared the blood of the Frost Giants, failed to notice anything.
If Laufey's fear of the Ancient Snow Demon had already seeped into his bones, then the moment Fenris's bright and handsome face appeared before him, Loki's body stiffened almost instinctively.
"Well..."
An awkward smile appeared on Loki's face.
"Fenris..."
"Hmm?"
Fenris raised an eyebrow. After undergoing several enhancements, his keen senses suddenly detected an unusual fluctuation spreading through the area.
A familiar chill seemed to extend from beneath his foot, silently reaching toward something in the distance.
Seeing Fenris's expression change, Loki's heart leaped into his throat. He hastily raised Gungnir defensively before himself.
"You... I didn't try to kill you back then. You can't..."
"Besides, you already cut me up badly enough last time..."
"Get lost!"
Fenris shot Loki an icy glance as a burst of freezing energy erupted from his body.
Before his furious shout had even faded, Loki's vision was consumed by white light. The next instant, a suffocating wave of extreme cold slammed into him and sent him flying.
"Gah!"
Loki spat out a mouthful of blood. Unable to maintain his illusion any longer, he revealed his original tattered robes and the wounds covering his body.
"Don't be so eager to die. You can wait until I take you back to Earth."
Fenris glanced at Loki sprawled miserably on the ground, then looked away.
Wanda had her own score to settle with Loki.
Whether she forgave him was her decision. Fenris's only responsibility was to bring Loki to her alive.
"Loki!"
Frigga rushed toward Loki and helped him up from the ground.
Seeing her child's miserable condition, she abruptly turned and glared furiously at Fenris.
"What are you doing?"
"It's... It's all right, Mother. I'm fine..."
Loki regained his senses and struggled to his feet, only for his vision to go dark again.
"It was my fault. Before this, I..."
He whispered a brief explanation to her.
Frigga's eyes immediately widened. The anger on her face froze. Despite the pain she felt for Loki, her expression became awkward and uncertain when she looked at Fenris again.
"I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't know that Loki had..."
"Cough... Serves you right!"
Having completely given up on the argument, Thor watched Loki's suffering with open satisfaction. The surrounding gods, meanwhile, looked around in confusion at the two who had suddenly started fighting.
Fenris paid Loki no further attention. Instead, he followed the cold energy he had sensed and lowered his gaze toward the distance.
The cold extended from beneath his foot and eventually reached an exquisite blue casket.
A refreshing stream of power flowed back from the Casket of Ancient Winters, concealed with incredible subtlety as it poured into Laufey's body beneath Fenris's foot.
The energy had been hidden so skillfully that no one present noticed it.
If not for the unique and formidable senses of a Titan, combined with the Ancient Snow Demon's powerful sensitivity to frost energy, even Fenris might not have detected anything unusual.
"Laufey?"
Fenris's expression changed.
The instant he realized what was happening, he acted without hesitation. Every muscle in his body tensed as an immense surge of power erupted, crashing down upon Laufey beneath his foot.
"He noticed?"
The instant Fenris's gaze landed on the Casket of Ancient Winters, Laufey's heart skipped a beat.
Every instinct in his body screamed a warning. Without the slightest delay, Laufey unleashed every scrap of strength he had managed to recover.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion erupted.
The ice beneath Fenris's foot was blasted apart, leaving behind a crater dozens of meters across. Shards of ice filled the air as Laufey fled desperately through them, dragging his grievously wounded body toward Frigga and Loki.
"Stop!"
"If you dare attack me, I'll kill them both immediately!"
The wounded mother and son no longer possessed the strength to resist. Driven into a corner, Laufey knew their noble status made them the best shields he could possibly find.
Although they were already within reach, he continued shouting threats at Fenris.
But just as Laufey turned his head, he suddenly noticed a razor-sharp glimmer of freezing light flash across the distant horizon.
It sliced through the air with perfect precision, heading directly for his neck.
"This time, I won't miss!"
"Cut him down!"
(End of Chapter)