"Damn it, you wretched mortal sorcerer! Let go of my hammers!" Kuur's face twisted in fury as he saw Robert intercept all eight of his hammers. His voice dripped with rage as he bellowed, "Mortal, you're angering a god! Do you even know the consequences of defying a god?"
Though Kuur had activated not only the eight hammers but also two fear-energy-infused artifacts, having one of his plans thwarted by Robert was enough to drive him into a frenzy.
The two fear-energy artifacts alone wouldn't be enough to plunge Earth into chaos. Without widespread chaos, Earth's inhabitants wouldn't generate enough fear to restore Kuur's power. Without sufficient fear, Kuur wouldn't be able to break free from Robert's control, let alone kill him.
"To be honest, no, I don't know," Robert said mockingly, waving his hand. The eight hammers vanished into his personal spatial dimension. Looking at Kuur, Robert smirked. "But you know what's funny? You're quite the generous god. Instead of being called the Great Serpent Kuur, you should be named the Treasure Courier. These hammers will surely help the Avengers grow stronger. Truly, you're such a benevolent god!"
Swish! Before Kuur could react, Robert placed his hand on both Kuur and Hela. In an instant, the three of them disappeared from their current location and reappeared in the grand hall of Asgard's royal palace.
Though Robert had returned Hela and Kuur to Asgard, he wasn't feeling particularly generous. Instead of placing them in an open area or a plaza, he transported them directly into the palace hall, where their arrival was impossible to ignore.
"This is... Asgard?!" Kuur exclaimed as he took in his surroundings.
Though Kuur had ruled Asgard long ago, back when it was still part of Earth and not an independent realm in the universe, the essence of Asgard as a divine realm had not changed.
The familiar aura of the World Tree and the divine energy of Asgard instantly confirmed where he was. As soon as Kuur set foot in Asgard, the gaping wound in his abdomen began to heal, and a steady stream of divine energy flowed into his body.
The same transformation occurred in Hela. Divine energy surged into her, bolstering her strength. Noticing this, Kuur's gaze shifted to Hela, a glimmer of surprise flickering in his eyes.
Kuur understood what this meant. As long as he and Hela remained in Asgard, their power would continue to grow, limited only by their inherent potential.
This was a unique blessing reserved for Asgard's rulers. Even though Odin had dethroned Kuur and assumed the throne of Asgard, Kuur's status as a rightful God-King of Asgard had not been stripped away.
"I've just realized something interesting," Robert remarked with a raised eyebrow as he observed the changes in Hela and Kuur. Smiling, he turned toward Thor and said, "It seems that all current, former, and would-be rulers of Asgard receive the blessings of Asgard's divine essence—its power flowing endlessly into them."
"Even your queen mother, Frigga, can receive such power when the God-King is absent. And yet, you, Thor—the future God-King of Asgard—don't seem to get any of it. Your legitimacy as a ruler seems to pale in comparison to theirs!"
"Odin! Hahaha! Odin!" Kuur's maniacal laughter filled the hall, his aura growing increasingly unhinged. Turning to Odin, he shouted, "I've returned! Did you ever think this day would come? I've come back to Asgard, and now it's time for my revenge!"
Kuur's gaze then shifted to Robert. "Mortal, you brought me back to Asgard. For that, I should reward you generously. But since you dared to offend a god, your sins cannot be forgiven! Your merits and offenses cancel each other out. I've decided... I'll grant you the mercy of a quick death!"
At Kuur's proclamation, Odin, Frigga, Thor, and even Hela couldn't hide the glimmer of hope in their eyes. Like Hela earlier, they all hoped Kuur's arrogance would provoke Robert into killing him outright, ridding Asgard of a powerful enemy.
But what they didn't know was that Robert, having spent only a short time with Kuur, had already formed a clear impression of his absurdity. Robert wasn't about to expend his energy just because of Kuur's posturing. Helping Asgard solve its problems wasn't his responsibility.
As Robert had already decided, if Kuur were to die at Asgard's hands, so be it. If Kuur somehow triumphed and seized the throne, his fate wouldn't change. For now, Robert was content to let Kuur live a little longer and continue his antics.
Swish! At the very moment Kuur, brimming with fear energy, launched an attack on Robert, the Saiyan vanished. Kuur's powerful strike missed entirely, the fear energy tearing through the royal palace and dissipating into the sky above Asgard.
"Damned fool! Kuur! Are you trying to destroy Asgard?!" Odin's voice thundered as he rebuked Kuur. His tone carried a hint of helplessness as he roared, "Don't forget, even if I dethroned you, you were once the God-King of Asgard. This is your home! If you destroy it, what will you gain? A ruined Asgard, even if you kill all of us?"
"Huh? Where did that vile mortal sorcerer go?" Kuur muttered, confused by Robert's disappearance. Hearing Odin's words, Kuur froze momentarily before his expression darkened with anger.
Odin's rebuke had struck a nerve, dragging Kuur back into the painful memories of his fall from power.
Back then, Kuur had been the God-King of Asgard, wielding its might and resources. While his role as the God of Fear naturally instilled dread and awe among Asgard's people, it hadn't hindered his ability to rule.
In fact, Kuur believed that fear's power would allow him to continually grow stronger, eventually leading Asgard to become the most powerful divine realm.
But before he could realize his ambitions, Odin had led Asgard's gods in rebellion, deposing him. Odin's justification for the coup had been grandiose and self-righteous: Kuur's rule, he claimed, had plunged Asgard into misery, and it was for the people's betterment that he sought to overthrow Kuur.
Hearing such slogans at the time had left Kuur bewildered. While it was true that his divine nature as the God of Fear caused unease among Asgardians, he had never acted against his people. Aside from inspiring fear, he had done nothing to warrant such accusations.
Only later, after his most loyal followers informed him of the truth, did Kuur come to terms with Odin's deceit. The so-called "tyrant" was none other than himself, and Odin's lofty words were nothing more than a ploy to seize the throne.
Now, as Odin's words echoed in the hall, Kuur's simmering rage erupted into a fiery desire for vengeance. Forget Robert for the moment; Kuur's focus shifted entirely to Odin. He would kill his treacherous brother and reclaim the throne, showing Asgard the true meaning of fear—even if its people were no longer the same as those from thousands of years ago.
As for the potential damage such a battle might inflict on Asgard, Kuur no longer cared. In his mind, it was his hesitation and misplaced compassion that had cost him his throne the first time. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Swish! Enraged, Kuur lunged at Odin, his fear-empowered body aiming a massive fist at the elder God-King's head.
Buzz! Odin didn't meet Kuur's charge head-on. Aware of his frail body's limitations, Odin chose not to engage in close combat. Instead, he unleashed the immense power of the Odinforce, summoning Gungnir back into his grasp and hurling it at Kuur with all his might.
As Gungnir hurtled toward him, Kuur realized he couldn't dodge. The spear's inherent causal law ensured it would always strike its target, no matter how it moved or was obstructed.
This divine property of Gungnir was why Robert had been wary of Odin. Even in his old age, Odin remained a formidable foe. Though Gungnir might not be able to kill Robert outright, there was no guarantee that Odin wouldn't target Earth in desperation. Earth couldn't withstand an all-out strike from a peak-tier God-King like Odin.
Thunk! With an audible impact, Gungnir pierced Kuur's body, pinning him against the wall of the royal palace. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the floor as Kuur struggled against the spear's hold.
Though Odin's attack had given him a clear advantage, it came at a cost. His frail body, already overtaxed by the Odinforce, could no longer support him. The elder God-King collapsed to the ground, utterly spent.
"Hahaha!" Despite his dire condition, Kuur's mocking laughter echoed through the hall. His body battered and bleeding, he still couldn't resist taunting Odin.
"The throne you stole was never yours to bear, Odin! This is the price of your theft! Do you think every God-King of Asgard has ended up like you in
their twilight years? Do you know why our father chose me, not you, to ascend the throne despite your popularity?"
"It's because your very nature is unfit to wield the throne! You, with your so-called prophecy and numerous divine titles—none of them truly belong to you! You appear versatile, but in truth, you're a master of none! Can you continually grow stronger through your divine domain? No, you cannot!"
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