Heimdall knew one thing above all when facing Kull: one must never succumb to fear. Fear was Kull's greatest source of sustenance, an unending wellspring of power that could render him virtually immortal. Yet, even with this knowledge, Heimdall couldn't completely suppress the dread rising in his heart as he saw Kull's form materialize above the sanctuary.
This fear wasn't for his own safety. Heimdall feared for the lives of the remaining Asgardian citizens within the sanctuary. These survivors were the last spark of Asgard's existence. If they perished, then even if Thor and Loki survived, Asgard would become nothing but a name, a memory of the past. Heimdall could not, and would not, allow that to happen.
Determined to protect them, Heimdall drew the Rainbow Bridge Sword from its sheath. He had deliberately taken it with him when Asgard fell. Unlike Mjolnir, which was bound to Thor, the Rainbow Bridge Sword was a weapon anyone could wield if they possessed the requisite strength and willpower. It held the power to open the Bifrost and traverse any of the Nine Realms.
But Heimdall had no intention of banishing Kull from Asgard. He understood all too well that Kull's fate had to be decided by Thor. Sending Kull to another realm would only lead to disaster, as Kull could exploit the fear of any populated planet or civilization to regain his full strength—perhaps even surpass it, much like Parallax once did.
If Kull returned to Asgard after such an ascent, there would be no stopping him. Moreover, as a former King of Asgard, Kull still possessed an innate connection to the realm. Even if banished, he could eventually navigate his way back through the outer spatial barriers surrounding Asgard.
Thus, banishing Kull would be nothing short of releasing a tiger back into the wild. Heimdall's true aim in brandishing the Rainbow Bridge Sword was to divert Kull's attention, ensuring he wouldn't target the ordinary Asgardian citizens.
The moment Heimdall unsheathed his weapon, the Warriors Three—now four, with Lady Sif—also drew their arms. Their strength had grown significantly since their days in the halls of Asgard. After undergoing enhancements on Earth, including exposure to the Super Soldier Serum, their divine powers had been activated and amplified. Though they hadn't ascended to true godhood or formed divine attributes or godhood cores, they had gained significant energy projection abilities. Together, their combined power now surpassed even Thor's strength before he first ventured to Earth.
"Kull, it's you," Heimdall called out, his voice steady but his grip firm on his blade.
"Ah, Heimdall," Kull sneered from above the sanctuary, his yellow eyes glowing ominously. "It seems you've aged… You, who once stood with Odin to betray me, who helped overthrow me—I never felt fear in you back then. But now? I can feel it, clear as day. You fear me, Heimdall. And why? Because you care too much for these mortals, these fragile remnants of Asgard."
Kull chuckled darkly. "Relax, I won't kill them. No, they're far too useful for that. Their fear, their terror—they are the perfect sustenance for me."
As Kull's mocking laughter rang out, five beams of divine power streaked toward him. Heimdall and the four warriors had unleashed their combined might. Their attack, brimming with divine energy, radiated a brilliance that seemed to momentarily reassure the terrified Asgardian citizens.
But Kull was no longer in the weakened, sub-Skyfather state Odin had left him in. The fear of the Asgardians had already bolstered his power to the peak of that realm. For someone of Kull's restored strength, the combined attack was nothing more than a nuisance.
"Boom!"
With a wave of his hand, Kull conjured a shield of concentrated fear energy. The shield deflected their assault effortlessly, sending Heimdall and the others hurtling back. Their divine energies were repelled violently, slamming into the sanctuary's walls and shattering its gates.
The sight of this destruction sent a fresh wave of panic through the gathered citizens. Their fear rose to a crescendo, pouring into Kull like a torrential flood. His aura grew even stronger, teetering on the edge of full Skyfather-level power.
"Ah, the fear of Asgardians… it's exquisite," Kull murmured, his tongue flicking out as though to taste the terror saturating the air. His expression was one of pure satisfaction.
It made sense. Kull's godhood originated in Asgard, and its people were his natural source of power. Their fear was uniquely attuned to him, amplifying his strength more effectively than that of other beings. Moreover, the Asgardians, with their naturally enhanced physiques, were far superior to ordinary mortals. Even the untrained among them possessed physical qualities on par with Earth's Super Soldiers.
The greater the individual's strength, the more potent their fear. For Kull, the collective terror of the Asgardian refugees was nothing short of a feast. His strength continued to climb, fueled by their despair.
Kull's ambitions had changed. Once, he had sought to rule Asgard as its king, to lead its people to greatness. But centuries of being overthrown, sealed away, and betrayed had left him bitter and vengeful. Now, he had no interest in leading Asgard forward. Instead, he sought to enslave its people, to keep them alive only to feed on their fear, to sustain and elevate his power to heights even the gods of old could never reach.
"Enough!" A thunderous voice roared as a bolt of lightning streaked toward the sanctuary. Thor had arrived, his body crackling with rune thunder. Thanks to Robert's warning, he had come as quickly as possible.
However, upon entering the sanctuary, Thor hesitated. The space was filled with refugees—ordinary Asgardians and dwarves alike. If Thor and Kull clashed here, the collateral damage would be catastrophic. Thor could not bear the thought of innocent lives lost.
"Thor, leave this place to me!" Heimdall's voice rang out. With a sweep of his Rainbow Bridge Sword, he activated the Bifrost, enveloping the refugees in a shimmering light. In an instant, they were teleported to another part of Asgard—far from the battle.
Importantly, Heimdall had not removed them from Asgard entirely. He feared that if Kull was defeated and his body destroyed again, his essence could revive from the fear of Asgardians elsewhere. Keeping the survivors close ensured that any resurgence of Kull could be contained within Asgard.
Even after relocating the refugees, Heimdall's expression remained grim. He knew that unless Thor found a way to truly destroy Kull, the god of fear would inevitably return, drawn by the terror of Asgard's people.
This was the cruel truth of Kull's existence. If he were truly so easy to kill, Odin would have done so millennia ago instead of expending vast amounts of divine energy to seal him away.
"Boom!" Explosions rocked the sanctuary as Thor and Kull's battle began in earnest. The structure was quickly reduced to rubble. Unlike their previous encounter, where Thor had decisively obliterated Kull's form, this time, Kull had reached the peak of his sub-Skyfather strength. The terror of the Asgardians had elevated him to near-equal footing with Thor.
In fact, without the enhancements Thor had recently gained—his mastery of rune magic, Yggdrasil's resonance, and the divine recognition of Asgard—he would have been outmatched.
Kull's strength now far exceeded that of Hela during her confrontation with Thor and Loki. The fight was brutal, and Thor struggled to gain the upper hand.
But just as the tide seemed to turn against him, Loki arrived. Though Loki's own strength was insufficient to pose a direct threat to Kull—in fact, his fear of Kull inadvertently empowered the god of fear—Loki had brought something crucial: Odin's spear, Gungnir.
Unlike Mjolnir, Gungnir bore no magical restriction limiting its use. However, its power was not easily wielded by just anyone. Loki, with his cunning and magical aptitude, proved uniquely capable. Moreover, with Odin now gone, the spear's latent permissions had fully awakened, granting Loki access to its deeper powers.
As Loki gripped Gungnir, divine energy coursed into his body, enhancing his strength exponentially. His power surged, surpassing even Thor's pre-rune mastery levels and pushing him into the sub-Skyfather tier.
But Loki didn't stop there. He seemed to sense something greater, allowing Gungnir's energy to further augment him. As the power flowed through him, it resonated with his very being, awakening a part of him that had long been dormant.
Unlike Thor, the god of thunder, or Hela, the goddess of death, Loki's identity as a god had always been multifaceted. He was the god of mischief, the god of lies, and even a god of chaos. But these roles were fragments of his true potential.
Now, with Gungnir's power unlocking his full heritage, Loki felt a new godhood solidify within him. This wasn't a gift from Odin's hand, but something inherent to Loki's bloodline as a frost giant.
Loki had become the Frost God.
This was Odin's plan all along. When Odin had taken Loki in, he had ensured that the child of Laufey, King of the Frost
Giants, would one day possess the power to rule Jotunheim. For Loki to command the frost giants, he needed strength befitting their king. Thus, Odin had imbued Gungnir with the means to awaken Loki's frost godhood.
Though Odin's intentions had softened over time—his love for Loki growing such that he hoped the boy would remain in Asgard—the plan had always been in place. Now, with Odin gone and the spear in Loki's hands, that plan had come to fruition.
As the Frost God, Loki now wielded immense power over ice and cold, rivaling that of Jotunheim's greatest artifacts, such as the Casket of Ancient Winters. His strength had ascended to sub-Skyfather levels, granting him the means to challenge even Kull.
If Loki could obtain the Casket of Ancient Winters, his power would rise even further—perhaps enough to suppress the entirety of Jotunheim and claim his place as its undisputed ruler.
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