Marvel: AS A PRINCE IN ASGARD

"Thank you for your generosity, but I still wish to leave as soon as possible," Ragna said politely. The strong should be respected, after all.

The Grandmaster feigned wiping away a tear, sighing dramatically. "Ah, my best champion… I will miss you dearly!"

"You've only met once," Topaz, his ever-blunt enforcer, pointed out flatly, never one to let her master's embellishments slide.

Perhaps, the Grandmaster actually enjoyed such corrections?

"Some friendships transcend time," he mused with a wink at Ragna, his expression mischievous.

Then, his tone shifted, laced with the usual Sakaaran bureaucracy.

"However… you may only leave alone!"

His gaze flicked briefly to Valina, standing loyally behind Ragna, before adding with a smirk, "Only the Champion is granted the right to leave. That's the rule of the game on Sakaar!"

Ragna paused for a moment.

Then, without hesitation, he unleashed his divine power—and the sheer force of a Fourth-Order Asgardian's might filled the throne room.

Golden flames flickered in his pupils, radiating an aura so immense that even the Grandmaster, one of the Elders of the Universe, instinctively straightened his posture.

"We are best friends, aren't we?" Ragna smiled, his voice calm but edged with undeniable authority. "Shouldn't friends be granted certain privileges?"

Had Ragna still been Third-Tier, he would have needed to be cautious, and Valina's position as a mere servant would have been a liability in negotiations.

But now?

Now, he had ascended.

At Fourth-Tier, his strength was enough to be considered an interstellar overlord, a force rivaling cosmic rulers. Even the Grandmaster, despite his ancient status, was not leagues beyond him.

More importantly, Valina belonged to him.

Since the day she had sworn herself as his servant, every action she took was for his sake. She had guided him, fought beside him, and ensured his survival in the brutal arenas of Sakaar.

And Ragna was not leaving without her.

The Grandmaster, ever perceptive, felt the weight of this power—a power that could no longer be ignored.

His expression shifted. The ever-present amusement in his eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by something resembling calculated respect.

Then, with a broad grin, he clapped his hands together.

"Of course, my dearest friend!" he chuckled. "You know, if you have other… similarly powerful friends, I'd love an introduction! I'm sure we'd all get along splendidly."

For someone of Ragna's caliber, the Grandmaster was more than willing to bend the rules—so long as it benefited him in the long run.

This time, even Topaz—who normally had no qualms about calling out her master—remained silent.

With the matter settled, the Grandmaster personally arranged for the most fortified spaceship in his fleet.

And because he could never resist a dramatic gesture, he loaded it with luxury items from Sakaar, including highly valuable Zacarian artifacts and a vast supply of Sakaar's most expensive wine.

At last, he escorted Ragna and Valina to the Great Portal—the infamous wormhole of Sakaar.

Standing before the swirling cosmic vortex, the Grandmaster sniffled theatrically.

"My best friend… Do visit when you have time! I shall miss you terribly!"

Ragna gave a nonchalant wave.

Given Sakaar's distorted timeflow, he had no idea how many years would pass in the outside universe before he ever considered returning.

With a final nod, he stepped onto the ship and motioned to Valina.

The ship roared to life, and in an instant, they were consumed by the wormhole.

Oh—by the way, this particular wormhole?

It had a local nickname.

The "Devil's Anus."

Inside the swirling abyss, crushing gravitational forces threatened to tear apart anything that wasn't reinforced beyond reason.

Only ships constructed with the strongest materials could withstand it.

Only Tier 3 divine beings or higher could survive the journey intact.

Even so, the journey was chaotic—shattered remnants of weaker vessels littered their path.

But the Grandmaster's ship held firm.

And Ragna's body, infused with Fourth-Tier solar divinity, was more than capable of enduring the pressure.

Through sheer resilience and calculated maneuvering, they broke free.

Beyond the wormhole, in the vastness of space, Ragna finally retrieved his reward—the treasure he had chosen before exiling himself from Asgard.

Two items:

1. A Galactic Star Chart—containing coordinates of major celestial bodies, civilizations, and wormhole routes across the universe.

2. A Reincarnation Pool—a relic of ancient Asgard, capable of rejuvenating divine life and enhancing immortality.

Now, back in the normal flow of time, he needed to find a suitable place to deploy the Reincarnation Pool.

Ragna glanced at the star chart, scanning his location.

"…The edge of the Milky Way," he murmured.

A remote sector. No major civilizations nearby.

But before making any major moves, he needed to confirm something crucial—

What year was it?

Determining the current time in an unfamiliar sector could be difficult…

Unless you had access to a certain all-seeing Asgardian.

Ragna smirked and spoke into the void.

"Heimdall! Heimdall!"

Across the cosmos, in the vast halls of Asgard, Heimdall's golden eyes snapped open.

For the first time in ages, he turned his gaze toward the voice calling his name.

"…Ragna?"

His normally stoic demeanor cracked.

By the Allfather, he had thought Ragna dead!

"Gods above! It's truly you! You have no idea what has happened since you left—"

And then—Heimdall started talking.

Not just talking—he launched into a monologue.

Excited. Relieved. Non-stop.

He spoke of the Nine Realms, of Asgardian politics, of gods gossiping about other gods—

He rambled.

He sounded like a restless old man who had been holding in stories for decades, finally getting the chance to unload everything onto a captive audience.

Ragna listened for a while, indulging him.

Then, at some point—he had enough.

Interrupting the stream of trivialities, he cut to the point—

"Just tell Frigga I'm alive," he said firmly.

Odin would inevitably find out.

With that, he ended the call before Heimdall could start another story.

Turning back to the ship's console, Ragna set a new course.

There was a specific location he wished to visit.

As for returning to Asgard via Bifrost?

Not an option.

Not yet.

His sister was gone. His past had been erased.

And he had no interest in facing Odin again.

For now—

He had other priorities.

And his journey through the cosmos was far from over.