Inside the Royal Palace.
Following Loki's guidance, the cursed warrior silently eliminated one Asgardian guard after another.
He soon arrived before the Asgard defense barrier — a golden shield over two meters thick, glowing with divine energy.
Without hesitation, he raised both fists and slammed them forward.
Boom!
The barrier cracked, but the backlash of pure energy hurled the cursed warrior several meters back, sending him skidding across the marble floor.
He groaned, shook his head, and stood again — unfazed.
Outside the Palace
Asgardian warriors were still pounding their weapons against the ground, their rhythm echoing across the city — the sound of Asgard's war dance for Kai.
But then someone noticed the golden defense barrier flickering, dimming.
In an instant, panic rippled through the soldiers.
That barrier wasn't just decoration — it was Asgard's final line of defense, meant to shield the women and children in times of siege.
And now it was fading.
Above the city, dozens of Dark Elf warships broke through the sky, destroying artillery towers as they advanced.
Seeing the panic behind him, a few warriors gripped their weapons tighter, ready to charge the warships in a suicidal counterattack.
Kai rolled his shoulders, smirked, and vanished in a flash of light.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Countless dazzling photons burst forth like a storm, raining down upon the Dark Elf ships.
Explosions erupted one after another, filling the sky with blinding light — like fireworks in broad daylight.
The Asgardian soldiers cheered, their spirits reignited as they watched Kai tear apart enemy ships single-handedly.
In the Royal Palace
Watching from afar, Malekith snarled as his southeastern fleet was obliterated by that strange man in a yellow-striped suit.
Fine.
If one path was blocked, he'd make another.
Malekith's massive flagship descended from the clouds and crashed directly into Asgard's palace.
Boom! Boom!
The entire realm trembled.
Asgard Dungeon
Thor, having just quelled a riot with the Warriors Three, turned sharply toward Loki's cell.
"Don't look at me — I didn't do anything!" Loki said innocently, stepping back with a mocking grin and lounging on his couch like the chaos outside didn't concern him.
Odin's Side
Elsewhere, Odin — wielding Gungnir, the Eternal Spear — led his forces to repel the Dark Elves.
But suddenly, his eyes widened. He turned sharply toward the direction of Frigga's chambers.
"Oh no…"
Queen Frigga's Chambers
Inside her room, Queen Frigga stood in front of Jane Foster, dagger in hand, her expression calm but fierce.
"Back off, monster. I can still spare your life," she warned.
Malekith stepped closer, eyes locked on Jane.
"Hand her over."
"Don't even think about it. Tell me your name, monster."
"Malekith, leader of the Dark Elves," he replied coldly. "I'm here to reclaim what belongs to us."
Frigga motioned for Jane to hide, then lunged forward.
Her dagger, glowing with pure white enchantment, slashed across Malekith's face — cutting deep.
He roared, raising his blade, but Frigga struck again, knocking the sword from his hand with a swift twist of her wrist.
Her technique was refined — graceful, precise — and for a moment, Malekith found himself on the defensive.
Frigga's blade hovered at his throat.
But before she could strike, the cursed warrior appeared, seizing her wrist and ripping the dagger away before grabbing her by the neck.
Malekith ignored her, his gaze fixed on the trembling Jane Foster hiding nearby.
"You've taken something that belongs to the Dark Elves," he hissed, extending a hand.
The moment his fingers brushed her — Jane vanished into light.
An illusion.
Frigga's illusion.
"Witch!" Malekith bellowed, turning back toward her in rage.
He raised his blade — but before he could strike, a brilliant flash of light erupted between them.
A kick landed squarely on his chest, launching him across the room.
The cursed warrior turned — only to be struck by a beam of searing light from Kai's fingertips.
The powerful laser forced him to release Frigga.
Exactly what Kai wanted.
He darted forward, driving his boot into the warrior's chest, sending him staggering backward.
Then he turned, shielding Frigga behind him.
"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"
Frigga touched his arm lightly, smiling despite the chaos.
"Thank you, child. I'm fine. You saved me."
"I'm glad you're okay." Kai exhaled, then looked up as Malekith rose again, dark energy swirling around him.
Malekith narrowed his eyes. "The Aether… it's been split in two — half of it has bonded with your body."
Sensing the Aether's power inside Kai, Malekith raised a hand to stop the cursed warrior.
"You're powerful — strong enough to suppress the Aether's corruption temporarily. But even divided, it will drain your life. Only I can take it from you… and save you."
Kai's expression hardened.
"Yeah, I've noticed the whole 'life drain' part. But tell me — how exactly do you plan to take it from me?"
He shifted his stance slightly, keeping Frigga behind him.
"You want the Aether from Jane. You want it from me. Sounds like a pain in the ass either way."
Malekith's eyes flicked toward the shattered balcony.
"Stalling for time?" He sneered. "You're lucky today, but next time, you won't be."
With that, he leapt from the balcony alongside the cursed warrior, vanishing into the invisible Dark Elf ship below.
Moments later, Odin and Thor arrived — weapons ready, battle-worn.
When Odin saw Frigga standing safe behind Kai, he exhaled deeply in relief.
"Thank you, brother!" Thor shouted, rushing forward and pulling Kai into a bear hug.
Kai laughed, patting his shoulder.
"No need to thank me. If Jane and I hadn't come to Asgard, they wouldn't have followed us here."
Odin stepped forward, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder.
"No, child. Whether you and Jane came here or not, the Dark Elves would have attacked. Their hatred runs deep — passed down from my father, Bor. This war was inevitable."
Kai glanced out the shattered balcony at the burning skyline of Asgard, his fists tightening.
"Then let's make sure it ends here."