Marvel: AS A PRINCE IN ASGARD

Even now, Thanos continued his relentless sermon—

His belief in balance, so unshakable, that he would wager the hegemony of the entire universe to bring Ragna to his side.

From the sidelines, Supergiant, ever perceptive, studied Ragna closely.

Her conclusion?

Ragna's trans-horizon teleportation had nothing to do with the Space Stone.

It was his own power.

That revelation sent a rare thrill through Thanos—

A mix of desperation and desire.

The power Ragna wielded—if combined with his own cause—

Would change everything.

Ragna's mastery over space itself.

The unstoppable elite of the Angelic Legions.

With these at his side—

The great balancing of the universe could be completed with unimaginable efficiency.

No one could resist him.

No one could stop the will of Thanos.

At that point—

It didn't matter if he handed the universe over to Ragna after balance was achieved.

That part was meaningless to Thanos.

Because in the end—

All he truly wanted—

Was to be a farmer.

A simple life.

A sunset, a wooden house, a field to tend.

That was all he sought.

The Mad Titan, reduced to a mere old man in solitude.

That was enough.

The Unshakable Temptation

Ragna paused.

For the first time, he truly hesitated.

Because Thanos had just offered him the universe itself—

As a bargaining chip.

Who in their right mind wouldn't be tempted?

Even Ragna was not immune to the weight of such an offer.

Because he understood something.

Seriously.

Thanos never lied.

And—

His argument?

It was not without merit.

There was a limit to the universe's resources.

There was a reality where controlling the population could be a necessity.

From a purely logical standpoint, it was not inherently evil.

And if the balance was determined at random—

If half of all life was culled indiscriminately—

Then couldn't one manipulate fate to ensure their own survival?

If the cost of balance was merely the lives of others—

Wouldn't it be easier to accept?

Ragna's mind wandered.

Would you sacrifice your family and friends—

For the sake of some distant civilization, billions of light-years away?

To Ragna, the answer was simple.

Absolutely not.

The fate of billions of strangers could never outweigh the life of a single person he loved.

The Fear of the Masses

Below them, the Blue Spirit people could only watch—

Hearts pounding, breath held.

For them—

This moment was terrifying.

They feared—

That Ragna would say yes.

That their world would be destroyed to keep this meeting a secret.

That the first step of balance would begin with the extinction of Lan Lingxing.

But what could they do?

They were mere mortals, bound by fate, trapped in the presence of two cosmic tyrants.

No matter what Ragna chose,

They had no power to resist.

The law of the universe was clear—

The strong preyed upon the weak.

And they?

They were nothing but prey.

The Rejection of a Tyrant

Ragna smiled.

And in an instant—

Golden flames erupted in his eyes.

A second later—

Supergiant's head burst into flame.

Her body incinerated into dust.

And then—

The fire spread.

The remaining Chitauri and Vanguard—

Turned to ash in an instant.

The Blue Spirit Tribe stood frozen.

Then, realization struck them all at once.

And—

A roar of pure euphoria erupted.

They had survived.

They were safe.

For the first time, they could truly believe it.

The Titan's Anguish

Thanos' image flickered within the bracelet Supergiant had left behind.

His sadness was unmistakable.

Even though he knew—

Supergiant had wanted this.

She had long wished to sacrifice herself for the balance.

It still hurt.

Because Thanos—

Was not a mindless monster.

He was not without heart.

His burning gaze locked onto Ragna—

Fury radiating from his very essence.

He did not speak—

But his eyes demanded an answer.

Ragna sighed.

And then—

He smiled.

"I told you."

"A mere image—could never save her life."

He leaned back, exhaling slowly.

"And Thanos?"

His eyes hardened.

"Even if you offered me the entire universe—"

"Even if you put all creation at my feet—"

A pause.

"I still refuse."

A Truth of the Past

Ragna's expression softened.

He spoke calmly, as if to an old friend.

"You know, I've known about you since I was very young."

His voice was level, reflective.

"And all that time—

"I lived in fear."

A soft chuckle.

"Because I knew—"

"I would never be lucky enough to escape you."

A slow breath.

"Because my life was left to the whims of others."

His golden gaze flickered.

"And that feeling—"

"Was unbearable."

"Powerless."

"Hopeless."

"Despairing."

His smile widened.

"But today?"

"I can smile."

"Because I understand you now."

"And in some ways—"

"I even respect you."

He nodded.

"You understand the cruelty of the universe."

"You willingly carry the sins of billions."

"You bear the burden that no one else will."

A pause.

Then—

"But, Thanos?"

His eyes sharpened.

"Slaughtering half of all life?"

"I will never approve."

A deep breath.

"Not because of morality."

"Not because of good or evil."

His voice turned resolute.

"But because—"

"It simply will not work."

A beat of silence.

Then—

"Your way, Thanos?"

"It is the wrong way."

A Challenge of Ideals

Ragna's voice lowered.

"Thanos—have you ever stopped to count?"

"Of the civilizations in this universe—"

"Are there more powerful races?"

"Or more weak ones?"

A pause.

"Do the strong consume more resources?"

"Or the weak?"

His gaze never wavered.

"Have you ever thought about it?"

The Titan's Doubt

For the first time—

Thanos hesitated.

The Mad Titan—

Began to ponder.

Ragna had done something few had ever managed.

He had forced Thanos to question himself.

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