Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

Whoosh!

A sharp sound of something slicing through the air echoed as Hela's figure vanished from sight.

The Sea God's eyes widened in shock—he couldn't even track her speed?

"You're not seriously still judging me based on who I used to be, are you? That's underestimating me far too much," Hela's voice teased.

Just as the Sea God raised his guard, her mocking laughter came from behind him. A blade followed swiftly, cutting through the air toward him.

Biting down on the tip of his tongue, the Sea God forced himself to stay alert, narrowly dodging the attack. But her speed was overwhelming; even though he reacted quickly, it was still a fraction of a second too late. The blade sliced across his cheek, leaving a sharp sting and a trail of blood.

Frowning deeply, the Sea God leapt back, putting some distance between them. He touched his face, and the warm blood confirmed the reality of the injury. The pain was stark and vivid.

"What's going on with this woman?" he muttered to himself. "Even at her peak strength a thousand years ago, she wasn't at this level."

His sharp eyes scanned Hela's form, finally focusing on her battle armor. It wasn't ordinary—it exuded an aura of power. Could it be that her sudden surge in strength was due to this?

As the Sea God scrutinized her, Hela narrowed her eyes. A dangerous glint flickered in them as she suddenly stomped on the ground and launched herself forward like a missile.

The Sea God immediately heightened his vigilance. Her combat experience wasn't just equal to his—it surpassed it.

Though he was a god-king, he rarely engaged in battle. Hela, on the other hand, had been an executor in her prime. For her, combat was second nature, as familiar as breathing. In terms of raw battle instincts, he might not even measure up.

Gripping the shaft of his trident tightly, the Sea God let out a low growl. He thrust the trident into the ground, summoning water from the surrounding area. The liquid coalesced around him, forming a semi-circular shield to guard his position.

Barely had the water shield formed when several blades pierced into it, startling him.

And it didn't end there. Outside the barrier, Hela stood with both hands raised. From the ground, dark green spikes erupted, tearing through the surface. With a downward motion of her hands, the spikes hurtled toward the Sea God, aiming to impale him.

He had no choice but to focus entirely on defense.

"Damn it," he thought bitterly. "Fighting Hela in Asgard puts me at a huge disadvantage. She can draw energy endlessly from this realm—it's an infinite source. There's no way to win like this. If this keeps up, I'll definitely be the one to fall."

Unlike other opponents, whose strength had a clear upper limit, Hela was different. In Asgard, her power was inexhaustible. The realm itself fed her, empowering her to grow stronger the longer the fight lasted. Blood and injuries only fueled her frenzy, driving her to attack even more ferociously.

While the Sea God wrestled with these thoughts, Hela didn't pause her assault. Within just ten seconds, his water shield had become riddled with countless blades.

"Damn it," he cursed. "I didn't expect this lunatic to return. I'll retreat for now and regroup with Thanos. I'm not about to throw my life away here."

The Sea God quickly made up his mind. He was genuinely afraid of Hela. She fought like a rabid dog—relentless and unhinged. Even if he managed to defeat her, he knew she'd still take a chunk out of him.

He wasn't reckless enough to risk a Pyrrhic victory, where even success came at too high a cost.

If he wanted to leave, Hela wouldn't be able to stop him.

Having decided, the Sea God channeled energy into the tips of his trident. Streams of sapphire-blue energy coiled around the weapon, solidifying with a radiant glow. Spinning the trident in his hands, he traced a circular ring in the air before driving it into the ground once again.

A massive surge of energy transmitted from the trident into the ground, causing the entire island of Asgard to tremble violently. The tremors drew panicked screams from its inhabitants.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the Sea God made his escape. While running, he shouted back over his shoulder, "Hela, just you wait! The next time I come, every single one of you Asgardians will die!"

However, his taunting was abruptly cut off. When he turned his head, he saw something hurtling toward him. If not for his quick reflexes to raise the trident in defense, the object might have split him in half.

The impact's tremendous recoil slammed the Sea God to the ground, sending him tumbling several times before he came to a stop, battered and disheveled. Groaning in pain, he lifted his head and spotted the object—a large axe embedded in the ground not far from him. It was the very weapon that had struck him down.

Before he could fully process what had happened, a voice echoed nearby. A young man walked over to the axe, pulled it from the ground, and slung it over his shoulder with ease.

"All this talk about 'everything must die'... How about you die? If the Vanir can survive by cutting you down, then so be it. But if you keep resisting, I'll have to carve them—and you—into eight pieces."

There were only a handful of people present who could speak to the Sea God with such arrogance, and aside from Hela and Thor, the only other one was Han Yu.

As Han Yu spoke, he casually raised his hand to make a gesture for "eight," though whether the Sea God understood it or not was none of his concern.

The Sea God's expression darkened as he studied the smiling young man. When Hela had arrived earlier, this boy had been at her side. Judging by how easily he wielded the axe, it became clear—this was the one who had activated the Bifröst.

"Laufey! Surtur! What are you waiting for? Get over here!" the Sea God growled. The names he uttered belonged to the Frost Giant and the Fire Giant, respectively.

Upon hearing the summons, the two giants arrived promptly, flying in on their vessels to stand beside the Sea God. Now, the three primary forces of this invasion were assembled.

With his allies by his side, a flash of cunning flickered in the Sea God's eyes as he turned his attention back to Han Yu.

"Did you bring Hela and Loki back?" he asked coldly.

"Yep. Why?" Han Yu replied with a casual smile.

"You… defeated Mephisto?" The Sea God's voice carried a hint of disbelief.

"Nope. I didn't fight him," Han Yu said calmly.

Hearing this, the Sea God felt a brief sense of relief. If there hadn't been a battle, then Han Yu must have used some clever trick to retrieve Hela. However, before the Sea God could relax completely, Han Yu added something that made his scalp tingle.

"We became friends. He was quite… enthusiastic and proactive about it."

Han Yu's words were like a thunderclap in a clear sky. Friends? Enthusiastic?

If Mephisto's name wasn't so unique, the Sea God might have doubted they were talking about the same person.

The Sea God had encountered Mephisto several times before. The demon lord always had a smile on his face, but it wasn't a friendly one. His grin was sly, predatory—like a snake watching its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Even beings as powerful as the Sea God and Odin avoided excessive dealings with Mephisto. No matter how cunning you thought you were, the one laughing at the end was rarely you.

Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon

https://patreon.com/Glimmer09