The instant Saitama set his stance for a Serious Punch, the air across all Asgard turned predatory—like a harmless-looking primordial beast finally waking and baring its fangs.
If things had run their course, the problem would be solved cleanly—and Loki's claim to the throne would stay steady.
He clenched his fist.
Bent his elbow.
Let that earnest fighting will surge.
"A—ah—!"
Surtur shrieked. There was no trace of arrogance left on his face. He had already tasted Saitama's "society" beatdown—the kind that shatters your entire worldview—and he knew one more punch wouldn't be something he could withstand. If it landed… a cold premonition told him he would die.
And so, without suspense—
"I surrender!! I surrender—!"
The cry knifed through the sky, ringing over all Asgard.
"Huh?"
Thor, Loki, and Valkyrie, who'd been ready to spectate, all froze.
Surrender?!
The fire giant Surtur… surrendered?
What kind of joke was that? Not even at Odin's peak would this stubborn, foul-tempered rock of a being yield. And now—crowned with the Eternal Flame and wielding the Twilight Sword—he should have been even more impossibly proud.
Yet after one "society" beatdown from Saitama… he yielded.
Everyone stared at Surtur, stunned.
He felt their eyes like needles and bristled with shame—but in front of Saitama he had zero confidence. Compared to dying, surrender was nothing, especially for a long-lived race that prized survival above all.
"Surrender?"
Saitama blinked. He'd crossed so many worlds, beaten so many monsters—and this might actually be the first one trying to surrender to him.
"Y-yes, yes, I surrender! I surrender!!" Surtur bobbed his head frantically, terrified that punch would fall.
He could feel that world-ending pressure locking him in place. There was no escape.
"As long as you don't kill me—tell me to do anything. I'll turn over a new leaf—be a good guy, I swear! I'll never do bad things again!!" Surtur even lifted a hand to swear, his savage features twisted into such a pitiful look it was almost comical.
This… was the dread fire giant? The Surtur who once stood shoulder to shoulder with gods?
To a bystander, he looked more like a petty thief hauled into a precinct.
"Uh…" Saitama hesitated. If the guy was really surrendering… hit, or not?
"I'll pay for the damage to Asgard! I'll rebuild it—honest! I won't kill anymore. Please don't hit me, Boss Saitama… please…"
The giant pleaded like a bullied schoolkid.
Saitama's eyes flickered; slowly, his fist lowered.
If the other side truly turned from evil, maybe that was better than killing him.
"But the way you look is, uh… pretty scary and, like, super bad-guy. If you're planning to reform… could you, I dunno, become… cuter?"
Saitama scratched his head earnestly.
Since Surtur could shrink—and he was magma, after all—making himself "cute" shouldn't be hard… right?
Cute?!
You've got to be kidding me!
If anyone else said that to him, Surtur would have blasted them to cinders without leaving a bone fragment.
"I—no problem! Absolutely no problem!"
Inside, he was howling murder. Outside, his body began to change at speed.
He flowed into a hulking crimson wolf, imposing and fierce.
Awoooo—
Pitiful, truly: the mighty fire giant Surtur shapeshifting just to cling to life.
"Still kinda scary… can you go even cuter?" Saitama murmured.
Pff—
If he'd had blood, Surtur would've sprayed it all over the place.
Cuter? He was Surtur—terror of the cosmos!
But he kept shrinking anyway, forcing himself to meet the bald monster's "requirements."
At last…
A bow-legged, knee-high, dopey-cute bulldog plopped onto the ground, all wrinkles bunched up like a little old man's face. Four stubby legs went pit-pat as it waddled.
"Nice, nice—that's about right. Doesn't look dangerous now."
Satisfied, Saitama nodded. Surtur—pinching his nonexistent nose—yipped a few obliging "woof, woof"s to please his new… owner.
Thor: "…"
Loki: "…"
Valkyrie: "…"
"I must be seeing a fake Surtur. Is this what Father Odin imprisoned back then?" Thor muttered.
"I've never seen such a cute fire giant… kinda want one," Valkyrie said faintly.
"I have no words. Boss Saitama is **," Loki breathed, starry-eyed.
By now, the boiling lava sea had stilled. Under Surtur's control, the structures it had swallowed began to rise back up. He split his power into finer weaves—mind, force, telekinesis—far beyond the Grandmaster on Sakaar.
If not for meeting the cheat named Saitama, he'd have run wild; in all Asgard, few could have stopped him.
But to live, he worked—rebuilding Asgard brick by molten brick. The ruined halls began to return, and the laborer was the fire giant Surtur.
"You don't actually seem that bad," Saitama said, solemnly appraising him.
Surtur nearly wept with relief and nodded gratefully. There wasn't a speck of the old fire giant pride left. With his wagging head and twitching tail, he was a full-on bootlicking pup.
"He's surrendered now. Should I still hit him?" Saitama turned toward the others—especially Thor. Surtur had wrecked most of Asgard—and, well, Saitama had helped a bit—and Thor, the former master of this realm and Saitama's half-friend, deserved a say.
"Lord Thor, Lord Loki—I, Surtur, swear I'll never move against you again. I'm choosing the path of good!" the fire-red bulldog yelped, jolting as panic shot through him. If these two said no and made Saitama change his mind, he really didn't want to die.
"Loki, your call?" Thor sighed. Even Odin could never truly tame Surtur; yet now, in Saitama's hands, the giant was meek as a lamb.
"Oh? Turn over a new leaf, huh?" Loki's smile curved with a very Loki glint. "Go on."
Surtur's heart bled, but his mouth didn't dare slow. "I know absolute secrets. If you let me go, I'll tell you everything!"
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For 20+ Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!]
[[email protected]/Draumel]
[Thank You For Your Support!]