[Starting as a Class 5 Mutant] Chapter 360/361 (Patreon)

Syd was well aware that Surtur's crown, the source of his immortality, was nearly indestructible.

At best, the absence of the Eternal Flame would put Surtur into hibernation. Even with the power of his ability Sunshine, it was unlikely he could destroy the crown immediately.

Of course, given enough time, Syd was confident that the extraordinary nature of Sunshine, even at level four, could eventually erode it. However, time was a luxury he did not have in this moment.

He decided to act because, amid the frequent use of chaos magic, Syd suddenly felt a familiar sensation—the distinct feeling of reality bending under his will.

This wasn't new; he had experienced it once before.

The sensation of reality warping.

Realizing that this state was fleeting, Syd's eyes locked onto Surtur.

Under the fire giant's mocking gaze, Syd's focus sharpened as his divine energy surged, and then the impossible happened.

To everyone's astonishment, the massive crown atop Surtur's head began to shift and change.

Brilliant colors rippled across its surface, and then… bubbles began to appear.

Within moments, the crown transformed entirely into a myriad of multicolored bubbles floating into the sky.

Piece by piece, the crown disintegrated, leaving Surtur's head bare.

A cold wind blew, popping the bubbles one by one until not even a trace of the once-indestructible crown remained.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

What just happened?

Where was Surtur's crown?

The massive, indestructible crown—gone?

The crowd instinctively turned their eyes to Syd, who hovered calmly in the air.

Was it… him?

Shock and disbelief rippled through the onlookers.

Even Surtur, slow to process what had occurred, finally realized what had happened.

"What did you do?!" he roared. "Where is my crown?!"

"Those bubbles…? Impossible! How did you turn my crown into bubbles?!"

Surtur's voice was filled with disbelief as his mind spiraled.

The crown—his source of immortality—was said to be indestructible. Yet, it was now gone, reduced to nothing.

The fire giant was stunned, unable to fathom how this terrifying figure before him had accomplished such an unimaginable feat.

The other spectators were no less bewildered.

Odin stood frozen, Valkyrie was utterly lost, and Hela's mocking smirk had solidified into wide-eyed disbelief.

"What did you do?" Hela demanded, her voice trembling.

Thor, however, recognized what had occurred.

"It's your reality-warping ability, isn't it, brother?" Thor exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Hearing this, the crowd turned their confused and questioning gazes toward Thor.

"What is this reality-warping power?" a burly Asgardian warrior asked.

Thor glanced at Syd before explaining, "My brother's most remarkable ability isn't the light or chaos magic you've seen. It's his power to bend reality itself."

"If he wills it, he can…" Thor began recounting instances of Syd's reality-warping feats, leaving his audience utterly stunned.

Twisting and reshaping reality? Could such a power even exist?

Even with the evidence before them, many struggled to believe it.

Hela, perhaps the most shaken of them all, felt her mind rebel against the notion.

"This has to be a joke!"

Her thoughts were echoed by Surtur himself.

"Impossible!" he roared, his voice filled with rage.

"How could such a power exist?! I don't believe it! You're lying!"

"It's an illusion, isn't it?!" Surtur bellowed, desperate to rationalize what had happened.

Syd, calm as ever, replied, "Is it? That crown was a part of you. It's gone now. Do you feel nothing?"

Surtur froze.

Those words shattered his delusions. The self-deception and faint hope that clung to his mind dissolved, leaving him face-to-face with the grim reality.

"No!" he howled, his voice breaking with desperation.

"You can't do this! Give me back my crown!"

Surtur's cries grew frantic as he pleaded, "Please… I can't live without it…"

The once-proud destroyer of Asgard now groveling and broken was a sight none could believe.

The Asgardians and even Thor were taken aback.

Surtur, the fire giant who had stood as a symbol of doom for Asgard, was now utterly humbled.

Syd, however, remained impassive.

With a thought, red energy from chaos magic enveloped Surtur's bare head.

Realizing what was about to happen, Surtur screamed in terror.

"No! You can't do this!"

"NO!"

With a final, desperate cry, Surtur's magma-like head exploded in a fiery eruption.

Without his crown, there was no immortality to save him this time.

What remained was a blazing remnant of the Eternal Flame, burning brightly in the center of the battlefield.

Surtur was gone.

The fire giant, once thought to be unstoppable, had been utterly destroyed.

The crowd stood in stunned silence, their emotions swirling.

Surtur was truly dead.

"Ragnarok…" Odin muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

It was over.

The unyielding fate that had loomed over Asgard for so long had been shattered.

The oppressive shadow of Ragnarok, which Odin had carried in his heart for centuries, was gone.

For the first time, he felt a profound sense of relief.

Ragnarok had been a destiny he had believed unchangeable, a despairing inevitability.

But now, that unbreakable fate had been rewritten.

Ragnarok was no more.

Odin could scarcely believe it.

(End of Chapter)

The citizens of Asgard, along with Valkyrie, turned their awestruck and reverent gazes toward the white-clad figure floating in the sky.

Thor beamed with joy.

Queen Frigga let out a sigh of relief.

Even Heimdall, who had been watching everything unfold, smiled warmly.

On the other hand, Hela stood in utter disbelief.

The nightmare of Asgard—the fire giant Surtur—was dead?

Her gaze shifted to the figure in white, and she felt like she was dreaming.

That man was a monster!

"What was that ability just now? Twisting reality itself? This is beyond monstrous!"

Hela struggled to comprehend such terrifying power, muttering to herself, "A monster… born of Asgard…"

Her thoughts then shifted to the ramifications of Surtur's death. Without the fire giant as a distraction, her plans were in ruins.

Realizing the precariousness of her situation, Hela took a cautious step back, intending to leave unnoticed.

Unfortunately for her, Odin, who had just recovered from the shock of Ragnarok's altered fate, noticed her retreat.

"Hela," Odin's stern voice cut through the tension. "Where do you think you're going?"

The moment drew everyone's attention to her.

Thor turned, his expression fierce. "Hela!"

Valkyrie glared at her with burning hatred. "Running away? I never thought I'd see the mighty Goddess of Death afraid!"

"You're a disgrace," Valkyrie sneered.

As Hela faced their accusations, many Asgardians exchanged confused glances.

"Thor, who is she?" a burly middle-aged warrior asked, his tone laced with curiosity.

Thor hesitated, his gaze darting to Odin, who looked troubled. The truth about Hela was a well-kept secret, and Thor wasn't sure whether to reveal it.

Sensing the growing confusion, Hela's lips curled into a bitter smile.

"Does no one remember me? Have none of you studied history?"

Her gaze turned to Odin, her tone dripping with contempt.

"Look at your lies, old man. They've worked so well, haven't they?"

"None of these people even know how the Nine Realms came to be under Asgard's rule!"

As Hela spoke, the Asgardians' confusion deepened.

"What is she talking about?"

"Lies? What lies?"

"Did Odin keep something from us?"

Ignoring their murmurs, Hela continued, her voice proud and commanding.

"I am Hela, Odin's firstborn, commander of the Asgardian army, rightful heir to the throne, and Goddess of Death!"

The crowd gasped in shock.

"Is she serious?"

Hela's speech grew more impassioned.

"I was Odin's weapon of conquest, leading our forces to victory after victory. One realm after another fell to Asgard under my command!"

"But my ambition outgrew his. He feared me, so he imprisoned me like a beast, erasing my achievements and name from history!"

Her hateful glare bore into Odin as she accused him of betrayal.

"Asgard was once a symbol of absolute power in the cosmos, but Odin settled for ruling the Nine Realms. We were meant to rule everything!"

"Now, Odin is weak and dying. I have returned to restore our former glory. Together, we will reclaim the destiny that was stolen from us!"

Spreading her arms wide, Hela's expression was one of grandeur.

"Kneel before me, and you will share in the honor of serving your true ruler!"

A heavy silence followed.

Thor, unable to contain himself, scratched his head and muttered to Valkyrie, "Why didn't anyone tell me my sister was this… dramatic?"

"She looks like she's lost her mind."

Thor's attempt to speak quietly failed miserably, his booming voice cutting through the silence.

Laughter erupted among the crowd, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Hela's face twisted in rage as she shot Thor a deadly glare.

Though she didn't understand what "dramatic" meant, the comparison to madness was clear.

Suppressing her fury, Hela turned her gaze to Syd, the calm figure floating above.

Her expression softened into a smile as she addressed him.

"My brother," she said sweetly, "Odin is a relic of the past. One day, he will come to fear your power, just as he feared mine."

"Join me, and together we can rule Asgard and the cosmos!"

"With your strength, no one could stop us. The entire universe would kneel before our might!"

As she spoke, her eyes gleamed with fervor, fixating on Syd with a burning intensity.

Even she had to admit that Syd's power was terrifying—so much so that she was willing to step back and attempt an alliance.

Hela's confidence grew as she imagined the possibilities. With Syd by her side, nothing would stand in her way.

The crowd, meanwhile, exchanged worried glances.

If Syd, with his incredible power, were to side with Hela, there would be no stopping them.

Odin's expression darkened as he stepped forward.

"Hela, enough!" he thundered.

His voice carried a weight that silenced the crowd, though Hela smirked at his reaction.

Odin fixed his gaze on her, his tone heavy with sorrow.

"My child, your disdain for life will be your undoing."

(End of Chapter)

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