Dazzling golden light lit up the snowbound lands of Northern Europe. Crimson flames were consumed in the torrent of roiling energy, extinguished without a trace.
There he stood, tall and proud, amid the frozen wilderness. Golden hair whipping in the icy winds, black loose-fitting battle garb rippling with his aura, and fragments of a soul shattering around him like glass.
"Lothar…"
Hela instinctively reached out, catching one of the drifting soul fragments in her palm.
It still held the warmth of life, the remnant of Lothar's soul, newly shed.
"No, Prince Lothar! Stop this reckless act at once, or your life will be in danger!"
Woz, now freed from the searing magical flames that had brought him to his knees moments ago, scrambled to his feet. Ignoring his charred and battered body, he cried out in warning.
But Lothar didn't listen.
With a faint, unreadable smile, he walked steadily toward the white figure standing beyond the ruins of the temple.
"Son of Thanos... perish."
Feeling the crushing pressure emanating from Lothar, Cuba's pupils shrank. A sick grin spread across his face as he licked his dry lips, raising his hand to repeat his trick, igniting Lothar's soul.
Boom!
The flames sparked, but before they could take hold, they vanished, snuffed out in an instant.
"What?!"
Crack!
There was no time to react. A brutal impact struck Cuba square in the chest. He looked down in disbelief, only to see Lothar's fist already embedded there.
When—?!
BOOM!
A condensed point of energy detonated explosively, blasting this disciple of Dormammu clear across the field, his body smashed back into the crumbled ruins of the temple.
"Soul integrity at 57%, Prince Lothar, that's enough!"
Woz monitored the damage to Lothar's spirit in real time and desperately tried to halt his advance. But it was no use.
"Kh… cough…"
"You… bastard…"
Dragging himself from beneath shattered stone, Cuba wiped the blood from his lips. Despite his condition, the fire in his eyes blazed with fervent madness.
Yes… this was the sensation he'd been craving.
"Again."
Lothar sneered, raising a hand. With a taunting curl of his finger, he beckoned his foe forward.
"You underestimated me."
Cuba tilted his head, laughter twisting into a snarl as magical energy surged beneath his feet.
A storm of razor-sharp magic blades burst forth, like a web of death covering the sky, rushing toward Lothar.
But the latter didn't move.
With a single sweeping motion, a surge of pure energy wiped out the incoming blades without leaving a trace.
"Or maybe you just overestimated yourself?"
As the energy dissipated, Lothar emerged unscathed through the flurry of falling snow. In a blink, he reappeared right before Cuba's wide, uncomprehending eyes.
That calm voice was the overture to Cuba's torment.
A sudden knee to the gut folded him in half, the pain breaking through all defenses and ripping through every nerve in his body.
"Ah… Ahhh…"
The pale disciple dropped to his knees, mouth agape, moaning senselessly in agony.
"That's all you've got?"
Lothar reached down and grabbed the golden crown atop Cuba's head.
"No… Impossible…"
In the Dark Dimension, Dormammu watched the projection with disbelief flooding his voice.
"No… No way…"
"Absolutely not!"
Watching his chosen champion utterly outmatched, Dormammu saw all his contingencies, meant to counter Thanos and Odin, crumble to ash.
This Cuba… he bore a portion of Dormammu's own granted power. Yet he couldn't defeat a mere outsider soul?!
"Nothing is impossible, Dormammu."
Thanos, wiping his blade with one hand, spoke with calm finality. His eyes glinted with a pride that could not be hidden.
"I've said it before. Lothar may have his flaws, many, in fact. His personality's a mess. But there's one thing I've always admired in him."
"He never disappoints me."
"Not in the past, not now, and not in any future I can imagine."
"I've always believed that."
Thanos raised his gaze. A spark of light flashed in his eyes as he brought his blade down once again.
"Aren't you worried your son might die?"
Dormammu screamed, his weapon clashing against Thanos's. But before he could catch his breath—
WHAM!
Odin descended like a storm.
The Spear of Heaven (prev. as Eternal Spear), Gungnir, lived up to its name. No matter how Dormammu twisted and shifted through dimensions, he couldn't escape the King of Asgard's divine fury.
Agamotto's sealing magic followed close behind. Whether shattered by Odin or carved by Thanos, Dormammu's fragmented essence was swiftly locked down. With these two as allies, the Supreme Sorcerer had no trouble binding the fallen god.
"I said it, Lothar never lets me down."
Tearing off the viscous black goo clinging to his arm, Thanos looked skyward, gaze fixed on the scene hovering over the Dark Dimension.
...
"You… what are you planning?"
Hela frowned, puzzled as she caught the look Lothar was giving her.
"Come here."
Lothar extended a hand toward her.
"…What?"
"I said come here."
He arched a brow, curling his finger again. Then, with one swift kick, he sent Cuba's blood-soaked body crashing deeper into the temple ruins.
This so-called disciple of Dormammu had paid the bloody price for his blind devotion.
"Un… forgivable…"
Pfft!
The broken and bleeding Cuba slumped against a cold stone wall. Blood pouring from his mouth, fists trembling, hatred burned in his dimming eyes.
"…Tell me what you want first."
Hela glanced at the now-powerless Cuba, hesitating.
?!
In the blink of an eye, Lothar appeared before her, startling her so much she instinctively tried to back away. But a red tail wrapped around her waist, yanking her straight into his arms!
"Loth—mmph?!"
Hela's eyes widened in shock as Lothar seized her hand, and without hesitation, pressed his parched lips to hers.
Her mind blanked.
BOOM.
A storm of deathly divinity erupted uncontrollably from Hela's body. A column of energy burst forth, piercing all Nine Realms in an instant!
Death… and Rebirth.
In the center of the storm, Hela's expression froze. A torrent of memories, Lothar's memories, flooded her consciousness.
On Planet Sakaar, Lothar had devoured the Divine Essence from the Divine Bone. That lingering essence, reacting to Hela's unleashed godhood of death, triggered a soul resonance.
His cracked soul was shattered, then reforged.
Until it was whole again.
"Thanos, I want an explanation."
Back in the Dark Dimension, Odin's face darkened. His gaze turned cold as it locked onto Thanos.
The Mad Titan paused mid-stroke as he cleaned his blade, then calmly turned and slashed Dormammu again.
"Thanos!"
Odin followed up with a mighty spear strike, piercing Dormammu's last line of defense and stabbing deep into the eldritch entity's side.
"This… is their business."
Thanos remained calm, blade rising and falling as Dormammu was driven into retreat. Odin, now fully enraged, unleashed a barrage of divine blows.
Dormammu: "…"
Wait, what the hell is happening?
Why am I getting my ass kicked?
I'm not the one who kissed your daughter!
I'm not even the one who worshipped me and got bodied!
So why the hell are you beating the crap out of me?!
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