Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

"Thor, don't just sit there. We need to hurry back." Heimdall approached the thunder god, who was slumped on the ground, and shook him gently. He sighed deeply. With the protective barrier gone, Asgard was about to enter its final and bloodiest battle.

Memories flashed through Thor's mind like a whirlwind—scenes from his childhood, moments of joy, sorrow, and anger shared with Loki. They all resurfaced, leaving him torn between nostalgia and frustration.

"Loki... if you can, just don't come back."

Thor rose to his feet, his gaze more solemn than ever before. In that moment, he shed all traces of naivety. His eyes now reflected unwavering determination.

"Let's go. To battle," Thor said calmly, striding forward without a backward glance.

Heimdall was momentarily stunned by these words. He noticed an unyielding resolve on Thor's face—a look he had never seen before, not even in the countless battles Thor had fought over the past millennium.

At last, Thor had truly matured.

The two arrived at the grand hall. Just standing at the entrance, they could feel the chilling murderous aura emanating from within.

Looking up, they saw Asgardians parting instinctively to make way for Thor and Heimdall.

At the end of the hall, seated on the throne, was a man with long hair. He was neither Odin nor anyone from Asgard.

This man was the Sea King, the god-king of the Vanir.

"I'll ask you one more time. Do you really refuse to submit to me?" the Sea King asked coldly.

Beneath his foot lay one of Asgard's three warriors, Thor's lifelong friend, Fandral.

Even as the Sea King held him down, Fandral refused to yield. He let out a disdainful snort and said, "Submit to you? I'd sooner bow to a dog!"

The Sea King sighed lightly, but cruelty quickly darkened his gaze. "What a pity. Then I'll have to send you to your death."

As he spoke, he raised his hand. The moisture in the air condensed into visible droplets, which floated toward him. Countless droplets converged into streams, swirling around his hand to form a massive trident, taller than a man.

Gripping the trident in reverse, he aimed its deadly tips at the fallen Fandral. "This is your final chance."

Fandral smirked defiantly, slowly closing his eyes. "For Asgard, I—"

Before he could finish, the trident plunged down. Fandral's head was severed, separating from his body.

"No!"

A thunderous roar came from outside the hall, accompanied by a bolt of lightning streaking toward the Sea King.

The Sea King squinted and casually kicked Fandral's body aside.

The lightning vanished just as it was about to strike, and Thor caught Fandral's body. He looked down at the severed head still lying at the Sea King's feet, but before he could speak, the Sea King's voice rang out.

"What? Do you want his head? Take it, then."

With that, the Sea King stood and sent Fandral's head flying with a brutal kick.

The sudden and merciless act shocked everyone. The head hurtled toward Thor, hitting his face. Yet Thor didn't flinch. Instead, he reached out and caught it.

Thor gazed at the head in his hands. Fandral's eyes were closed, his expression still showing a hint of defiance. Thor spoke softly, "Brother, leave Asgard to me. Rest easy."

He gently placed Fandral's head beside his body, reuniting them. With care, he laid his fallen comrade to rest.

When Thor looked up at the Sea King again, his expression was calm like never before. Yet, his eyes were filled with lightning, and outside, thunder roared and bolts of electricity streaked across the darkened sky.

Thor was furious—truly and utterly enraged.

"Hahaha, little Thor, what's this? You want to challenge me? Do you think you can defeat me?"

Even as thunder and lightning shook the heavens, the Sea King's face remained relaxed. With his trident in hand, he stood there, watching Thor with an air of amusement.

"Step outside. There's no room here to fight properly," Thor said evenly.

The Sea King glanced around. The grand hall was crowded with people, leaving barely any space to move. Fighting here would mean casualties with every strike.

"As you wish," the Sea King chuckled before flying toward the door.

As he passed Thor, an immense aura of pressure radiated from the Sea King's body. For anyone else, it would have been overwhelming—enough to make them collapse to their knees in fear.

But Thor remained unmoved, standing firm and unyielding.

"Interesting," the Sea King mused to himself.

Outside, Heimdall let out a shaky breath. Though the oppressive force had been directed at Thor, even standing nearby, he had felt its terrifying weight.

The Sea King truly possessed immense power. Being from the second most powerful divine realm after Asgard was no idle boast.

"If something happens to me, Heimdall, I'm leaving Asgard in your hands," Thor said calmly.

Heimdall opened his mouth, wanting to plead with Thor not to throw his life away. But in this situation, what else could they do? If the Sea King was allowed to wreak havoc inside, no one in the hall would survive.

At least Thor could buy them some time, though what good that time would do was uncertain.

"I will stake my life to protect Asgard," Heimdall said with solemn resolve.

Thor laughed lightly and turned back to face the Asgardians in the hall. "Don't worry, everyone. Everything will be fine."

With that, he turned and walked outside. His retreating figure was seared into the minds of everyone watching. Their eyes were filled with sorrow, for they didn't see a warrior marching off to defeat the enemy; they saw a man walking to his death.

They weren't fools. The current situation for Asgard was as dire as it could be. Turning the tide seemed nearly impossible.

Outside, the Sea King was seated on a throne made of water, smiling as he watched Thor emerge.

"Done with your goodbyes?" the Sea King asked with a smirk.

"It's not goodbye. Just a brief parting," Thor replied. His tone was calm, but his words carried weight. "Soon, I'll cut off your head and use it as a centerpiece for our victory feast."

The smile on the Sea King's face slowly faded. Thor's words had struck a nerve, and anger flickered in his eyes. He stood up, and as he did, the watery throne dissolved back into a flowing stream, coiling around him like a serpent.

"If only that were possible. Too bad I don't see the strength in you to make it happen," the Sea King said coldly.

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