It could be said that Odin's plans for Loki were masterfully crafted. In Odin's vision, Loki was to become the strongest King of the Frost Giants—the mightiest Frost God. However, that vision would never fully materialize, as the Casket of Ancient Winters, a key element of Loki's ascension, had long since been destroyed by Robert.
When Loki fully embraced his new identity as the Frost God, he finally understood Odin's original intentions. He also came to realize why Odin had ultimately abandoned those plans.
At first, Loki had been little more than a pawn in Odin's scheme to rule Jotunheim. But over time, Loki had truly become Odin's son—no different from Thor in the All-Father's eyes.
This realization left Loki deeply moved. For him, the Frost God mantle paled in comparison to what he truly desired: Odin's approval and, more importantly, the acceptance of all Asgardians.
Loki cared little for the title of Frost God. If it were up to him, he'd rather have remained Asgard's mischievous second prince—or, more accurately, its third princess.
However, now was not the time for such thoughts. With his strength elevated to the sub-Skyfather level, Loki found himself in a position to influence the battle between Thor and Kull. While Kull remained at the peak of sub-Skyfather strength, Loki's new power made him a worthy participant in the fight. Even if Loki couldn't defeat Kull one-on-one, he could still interfere, weaken, and even harm him.
With a hum, frost energy began radiating from Loki's body, coalescing into Gungnir, Odin's fabled spear. A moment later, Loki hurled the spear with all his might. Empowered by Gungnir's unerring aim and Loki's Frost God abilities, the spear pierced Kull's body, pinning him against a distant mountain peak.
"What is this?!" Thor and Kull both turned in astonishment, shocked by Loki's sudden burst of power. Kull, in particular, was stunned. With the Asgardian citizens' fear fueling him, his strength had been steadily growing. In Kull's mind, it was only a matter of time before he surpassed Thor and achieved victory.
But Kull's ambitions went far beyond simply defeating Thor. He wanted Thor to experience the agony of having his body destroyed, to feel the kind of fear that would further fuel Kull's power.
What Kull hadn't anticipated, however, was Loki—whom he'd dismissed as nothing more than an insignificant nuisance—unleashing such formidable power. Worse yet, Loki's attack had genuinely injured him, a fact Kull found utterly unacceptable.
With a surge of fear energy, Kull forced Gungnir out of his body. The spear was sent flying as Kull's wounds began to heal. However, unlike Odin, who had once pinned Kull to the walls of Asgard's palace for hours using the same weapon, Loki's strength wasn't sufficient to hold Kull for long. Despite this, the frost energy left behind by Loki's attack continued to ravage Kull's body, preventing his injuries from fully healing. The frost even spread across Kull's form, slowing his movements and sapping his strength.
"What are you standing around for? Attack him already!" Loki snapped, turning to Thor, who had been standing dumbfounded at the sight of his brother's transformation.
Thor blinked, his astonishment evident. "What's going on with you?" he asked, still processing what he had just witnessed.
"This is the path Father originally intended for me," Loki replied. "Though he abandoned it, I've now reclaimed that power. I am Loki, the Frost God!" With a wave of his hand, Gungnir flew back into Loki's grasp. Clad in frost-imbued armor that seemed to emanate regal authority, Loki now looked every bit a member of Asgard's royal family.
"Fantastic! If your strength has reached this level, I don't need to worry about Hela anymore. And with your help, we stand a much better chance against Kull!" Thor's eyes lit up. Wielding Mjolnir, he charged toward Kull without hesitation.
Thor wasn't wrong. Loki's attack had clearly weakened Kull, whose aura now felt noticeably diminished. This was the perfect opportunity to strike.
More importantly, Loki's abilities weren't limited to a single powerful strike. He could continuously hurl Gungnir, leveraging its unerring aim to inflict repeated damage on Kull. And that's exactly what he did.
As the battle progressed, Loki assumed the role of a long-range attacker. Standing at a safe distance, he repeatedly launched Gungnir at Kull. Each throw carried the spear's unique property of always hitting its target, forcing Kull to endure constant, unrelenting injuries.
"Has Loki gone from a melee trickster to a ranged AD carry?" Robert muttered, watching the battle unfold from the shadows. The transformation was stark. Where Loki had once relied on illusions and daggers for stealthy, up-close attacks, he now wielded Gungnir as if it were an arrow, pelting Kull from afar.
Though unconventional, Loki's new strategy was undeniably effective. Gungnir, when used as a ranged weapon, inflicted far more damage than it could in close combat. And with Thor keeping Kull occupied up close, Kull had little opportunity to retaliate against Loki.
Despite Gungnir's relentless assaults, the spear alone wasn't enough to deliver a killing blow. If Kull managed to close the distance, Loki would find himself at a severe disadvantage. His illusions, though clever, weren't advanced enough to deceive Kull, and his frost powers, while potent, weren't sufficient for direct combat against the God of Fear.
But this wasn't a one-on-one fight. With Thor and Loki working together, Kull found himself at an increasing disadvantage.
Kull's injuries were beginning to take their toll. His body, now covered in frost, appeared pale and lifeless. The frost energy continued to sap his strength, compounding the damage Thor's attacks had inflicted. Where once only Gungnir could harm him, Mjolnir now began leaving deep gashes across his form.
Thor's rune thunder—a power distinct from Kull's own fear energy—coursed through Kull's wounds, wreaking havoc on his already battered body. The combination of frost and thunder, two incompatible forces, caused untold destruction within him.
"Freeze!" Loki shouted suddenly, raising Gungnir high. Frost energy erupted from the spear, surging toward Kull and encasing him in a block of unyielding ice.
Seeing Kull frozen in place, Thor's eyes gleamed with determination. He turned to Loki, and the two brothers exchanged a brief, knowing nod. Thor began to summon all the power at his disposal, drawing on the might of rune thunder, the energy of Asgard, and the resonance of Yggdrasil itself. His strength culminated in Mjolnir, which now radiated an aura of unparalleled destruction.
At that moment, the ice encasing Kull shattered, tearing his body apart. This was no escape; the fracturing ice dealt devastating damage, leaving Kull's form in tatters.
Before Kull could regain his bearings, Thor unleashed his fully charged attack. A massive surge of rune thunder struck Kull, obliterating his body in a cataclysmic explosion.
This was the second time Thor had killed Kull. Yet, as Heimdall had feared, Kull was not truly dead. The fear lingering in the hearts of Asgard's citizens began to coalesce once more, giving shape to Kull's form above the sanctuary.
However, this time, Kull's aura was noticeably weaker. His regeneration was slower, his strength diminished. But as he materialized, the Asgardians' renewed terror began to replenish his power.
"Not again," Heimdall muttered grimly, his divine senses fixated on the Asgardians' growing fear.
Just as Kull's body fully reformed and his power began to stabilize, Gungnir pierced him once more. The spear carried him away from the sanctuary, pinning him to another distant mountain peak.
"You have nothing to fear! Kull is no match for us!" Loki declared, his frost-covered figure soaring over the Asgardians' heads toward Kull's new location.
"Was that Loki?" the citizens murmured in astonishment, their fear momentarily replaced by surprise. Even the Warriors Three exchanged bewildered glances, struggling to reconcile the Loki they knew with the heroic figure now leading the charge.
For the first time, the Asgardians saw a different side of Loki—a protector, someone who could be trusted to fight for their survival.
Thor followed closely, his voice booming with confidence. "Exactly! No matter how many times Kull returns, we'll defeat him every single time!"
The sight of Thor flying overhead bolstered the Asgardians' morale. For them, Thor had always been an unstoppable force, a hero who never lost. And now, as their newly crowned king, Thor inspired even greater hope.
The battle continued much as before. Kull's weakened state made him no match for Thor and Loki's combined assault. After freezing Kull in place once more, Loki allowed Thor to unleash another devastating blast of rune thunder, reducing Kull's body to ashes yet again.
But this time, something changed. Among the Asgardians, a new thought began to take root: Maybe Kull isn't as strong as we feared.
Not everyone was convinced, but it was a start. As fear diminished, so too did Kull's ability to regenerate. Each resurrection left him weaker than the last
, while Thor and Loki only grew more efficient at dispatching him.
For Kull, this cycle was a death spiral. Without fear, he could not survive. And with each defeat, the Asgardians grew bolder, chipping away at the foundation of his power.
The God of Fear's end was drawing near.
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