If there's something more baffled than Thor at this moment, it's time itself.
If time had consciousness, its CPU would probably be overheating right now.
Unfortunately, it doesn't.
However...
This doesn't stop time from standing there, confused, as it watches the World Tree vanish without a trace in its own timeline.
What happened?
Time is perplexed.
Just now, it had already opened its gaping maw, ready to engulf the World Tree that had fully fallen into its mouth.
But what happened?
The World Tree, which was already in its mouth, suddenly bumped against its teeth as it began to chew.
Time's mouth opened wide.
Inside its mouth—
Completely empty!
Where is the World Tree?
Realizing this, time was utterly enraged, and immediately, as it activated Time Retrospection, the image froze on the moment when the World Tree collapsed and was replaced entirely by a scene of golden light overtaking white light.
At the same time!
Time also saw, in the endless golden light, a Phoenix standing at the brink of the collapsing World Tree, spreading its wings, soaring and singing loudly.
And within that Phoenix, sitting cross-legged, Hawk's eyes also shimmering with golden light.
At this moment.
It seemed to sense the gaze of time, and Hawk, sitting cross-legged at the top of the World Tree, locked his fleeting golden pupils onto time.
Time was bewildered.
Then—
Time was completely incensed!
At the same time.
At the top of the World Tree, Hawk felt a sudden tremor pass through his Sixth Sense and slowly closed his eyes.
Just as he expected.
He was discovered by time.
However!
Before coming here, Hawk was ready to be discovered by time and was mentally prepared to bear all the consequences.
After all, the most time could do was banish his Gwen to some multiverse Earth.
And then?
Does it dare to erase Gwen's existence from time?
No.
Time doesn't dare, at least not until Hawk is dead.
Because Gwen is his wife, from the day they said their marriage vows, Gwen had already left the timeline of the Main Cosmos, existing at a fixed point within Hawk's own time.
Time doesn't have the power.
In fact…
Time not only lacks the ability to erase his Gwen but even if it were to banish Gwen to some multiverse Earth, not only can it not attempt to harm Gwen, it must also ensure Gwen's survival.
Once again.
Until Hawk is dead, time has to ensure Gwen survives unharmed.
Hawk wishes that time wouldn't cower and would kill Gwen when it transports her to some multiverse Earth.
Because, in that way, he can resurrect Gwen on his own timeline.
Then…
The moment Gwen is resurrected, time will self-destruct.
Don't ask Hawk why he's so sure.
Because Gwen is Hawk's time trap.
So, the question arises.
Does time still dare to banish Gwen?
The answer is yes.
It dares.
After all…
This is the only way for time to vent its anger, even if it seems helpless.
But no matter how helpless, it's always better than doing nothing.
Because—
Time does not permit infringement!
Any act of defiance against time will incur punishment from time itself.
On the World Tree.
With closed eyes, sitting cross-legged, Hawk's expression remains calm.
However…
A fire of rage is building within Hawk at this moment.
He originally thought he was ready to bear the consequences of whatever actions he took.
As he always had before.
Hawk has never felt regret or remorse for anything he's done.
He thought this time would be no different.
Because Gwen was already prepared.
Hawk was also fully prepared.
But he found out.
The moment the consequences truly arrived, he realized he wasn't actually prepared.
"I am your wife."
"In good times or bad, in richness or poverty, in health or sickness, in joy or sorrow, I will love you, cherish you, and be faithful to you unreservedly, until death parts us completely!"
"I am Gwen Phoenix!"
"I am your wife."
"..."
In Hawk's mind, he recalls Gwen embracing him before he left that day, whispering and repeating their wedding vows in his ear.
"Temporary separation is only for the sake of eternal togetherness in the future."
"So... "
"I'm waiting for you to bring me back, my sir!"
"I will."
"Boom!"
Sitting cross-legged on the World Tree, Hawk was surrounded by the towering golden Phoenix Fire. Then Hawk reopened his eyes, his heart as calm as still water, his face expressionless as he stood up completely from the World Tree, looking down at it.
The part of the World Tree that had been cut in half by Surtur's Flaming Giant Sword was now flowing with Phoenix Fire, turning into lava.
This was the Fire of Life of the Phoenix.
Hawk had seized the right moment to do the right thing, thereby capturing the moment the World Tree collapsed, swallowing the World Tree in advance.
He completely fulfilled the plot of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, turning all calculations in the Main Cosmos's timeline into his gains.
However...
This was not the end, merely the beginning.
For although Hawk had swallowed the World Tree, it was still in a precarious state.
Simply put.
Hawk had merely caught the World Tree as it was breaking, stabilizing it, but had not completely repaired it yet.
The loss of Midgard, Asgard, and Helheim, the disappearance of the three realms caused a massive drain on the World Tree's source, and the long-term struggle with the timeline of the Main Cosmos left the World Tree akin to a critically ill patient in ICU.
As for why Helheim disappeared too, the reason is quite simple.
Because Helheim was right beneath Asgard.
The last strike by the Flame Giant Surtur not only took away Asgard but also took Helheim with it.
Therefore...
"To revive the World Tree, I must completely replenish the missing source of the World Tree."
"Otherwise, all of this is just an illusion."
From the rapidly expanding golden light walked out Hawk, whose Phoenix Holy Armor disassembled quickly, transforming into a phoenix soaring high at the top of the World Tree, radiating endless golden light, becoming a new flame, illuminating the remaining five realms of the World Tree.
Oh, I forgot to mention.
Surtur also vanished, naturally, the Eternal Flame, imagined to burn endlessly, vanished with him.
So...
"Troublesome!"
Removing the Phoenix Holy Armor, Hawk, whose long golden hair cascaded down to his waist, glanced at the Phoenix Holy Armor that was watching him, then shook his head with a sigh, muttering to himself: "Forget it, let's start with the easy part, bring out the Netherworld first."
Having said that.
Hawk took one step forward, arriving at the World Tree connection where Helheim once was.
The projection of the Phoenix Cosmos appeared in an instant.
Before his eyes.
The Phoenix Cosmos, presenting the Netherworld in a celestial and earthly form, at Hawk's thought, was placed where Helheim originally was, like dragging a file from a folder onto a desktop on a computer.
Rumbling!
As the moved abode of the Netherworld settled in Helheim's position, a gigantic roar echoed.
The World Tree, and even the Netherworld, shook vigorously at this moment.
The next second.
Pfft!
Hawk's face flushed suddenly, and he uncontrollably opened his mouth, spitting out a large mouthful of golden blood.
"Damn it."
"If you don't submit to me, you will die!"
"I'm helping you, damn it."
As Hawk spit out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face turned weak as he fell among the Netherworld, upon the soil that held ordinary souls, but quickly stood up again, glaring at the World Tree, cursing furiously.
The World Tree shook once more.
As if saying...
Scram!
I'd rather die than yield.
And as the World Tree shook yet again, Hawk forcibly replacing Helheim with his Netherworld, his face turned red once more, and he spat out a second mouthful of golden blood.
"Motherfucker!"
"Too stubborn for your own good."
"Fine!"
"You won't let me touch it, huh."
"Well, hell if I don't touch it, not only will I touch it, I'll damn well plant my Netherworld right in there."
Infuriated by the defiant World Tree, Hawk wiped his mouth casually and sat cross-legged on the Netherworld soil, swearing: "It's just the two of us left here, I want to see if you can outlast me, I'll give you one last chance, don't be shameless!"
Saying this.
Hawk completely closed his eyes, and the phoenix projection appeared behind him.
Just...
It seemed that because he spat out two mouthfuls of source blood, Hawk's phoenix projection became much blurrier this time when projected.
And just as Hawk closed his eyes.
Who knows how much time passed.
A wisp of black mist began seeping from underground in the Netherworld, silently gathering into a black figure.
After its emergence, the black figure looked at Hawk, who was burning with golden Little Cosmos with his back turned, then looked up at the rustling World Tree, seemingly conducting a contest of strength with Hawk.
The next second.
The black figure couldn't help but lick its lips, and an exceedingly black sharp blade appeared in its black-congealed right hand.
Exceedingly black, so black that it was special.
Darker than the black shadow itself.
But just when the shadow grasped the blade, seeming to recall something, it paused, observing the suddenly still Hawk.
Almost as the shadow was about to disappear.
Pfft!
With the sound of the World Tree's roar, as if preferring broken jade to intact tile, Hawk spat out another mouthful of golden blood.
In the next moment.
The shadow did not hesitate, fully exposed itself, rushed up in three steps, wielding its particularly black blade, and stabbed through Hawk's chest from behind!
Hawk screamed in agony!
"Ah!"
"..."