Shocked!
All of Asgard heard Odin proclamation.
The man who had saved Asgard from catastrophe was now being elevated to a status comparable to that of the royal family. He was not only a highly honored guest but also granted the authority to command Asgardian forces.
In comparison, this man standing seemed to surpass even Thor.
Though Superman had contributed immensely to Asgard salvation and earned great admiration, it was still shocking to see such a grand gesture—almost as if Odin was handing over Asgard wealth and power on a silver platter.
Could it be that this tight-suited warrior was Odin illegitimate son?
Was he the true firstborn of Asgard?
No, that couldn't be right.
During the confrontation earlier, the enemy leader had attempted to recruit Superman, stating outright that he wasn't an Asgardian. Odin and the others had not denied it.
Then why would Odin do this?
As the people of Asgard pondered this puzzling decision, the intense battle raging in the skies gradually came to an end.
With Malekith gone, the Dark Elf fleet stood no chance against the united and determined Asgardian forces.
With a thunderous strike from Thor mighty hammer, a massive warship was obliterated, exploding into a brilliant inferno.
Boom!
The sky was set ablaze, painting Asgard in hues of twilight.
One by one, the remaining enemy vessels turned into fireballs, crashing to the ground, their movements ceasing completely.
At last—
The war was over.
As always, Asgard had emerged victorious, just as it had in its past conquests across the Nine Realms.
The people of Asgard erupted into joyous celebration.
Though the city had suffered severe destruction, they acted swiftly, and casualties remained minimal—practically negligible compared to the losses suffered by their enemies.
More importantly, this victory had reaffirmed their belief in Asgard might.
On one hand, they had an incredibly powerful ally in Superman.
On the other, Thor, the crown prince, though not as dazzling as Superman, had still played a crucial role in the battle.
At the very least, he had held back hundreds—if not thousands—of warships, preventing them from advancing toward the palace and further devastating the city.
With the war over and victory secured, it was only natural for a grand celebration to follow.
Under the arrangements of the palace staff, the Asgardians held a magnificent feast.
Through the use of magic, the wounded from the battle recovered swiftly.
Those with minor injuries were already dancing with boundless energy beside the massive bonfires under the star-strewn sky.
The heavily injured, wrapped like mummies, were being doted upon, fed with indulgent care by those around them.
Superman and Jane Foster attended the feast.
Anton observed the Asgardians as they reveled in song and dance, taking in the exotic atmosphere. But before long, he turned to Odin and bid his farewell.
With the battle concluded, he was ready to leave, taking Jane Foster with him.
Before his departure—
Thor found him.
"Next time, I won't lose to you!"
Drunk and reeking of mead, he spoke with unrestrained bravado. "Superman, just you wait! I'll defeat you fair and square!"
"I just hope you won't end up crying when you lose again."
In his Superman form, Anton shrugged, took Jane Foster by the hand, and activated the teleportation bracelet.
Boom!
Above them, energy waves converged, causing space to fracture.
Whoosh!
A shimmering halo enveloped the two of them, and in the next instant, they vanished before the eyes of the Asgardians.
"Farewell, Superman!"
"Hahaha!"
The Asgardians were a warrior race they never dwelled on goodbyes. In their hearts, every farewell was merely a prelude to a better reunion.
Compared to modern Earth, Asgard was much closer to an ideal society.
Of course, this was only possible due to the countless years of conquest, during which the Asgardians had dominated the Nine Realms, forging an unshakable confidence and securing an immense material foundation.
Thus, when it came to building a harmonious society, war was an inevitable prerequisite.
Only through unification could peace be achieved.
At the open-air banquet, Odin watched as Superman and Jane Foster departed. Beside him stood Asgard queen, Frigga.
"He has accepted your gift. The future has already changed—no one can predict what comes next..."
Frigga smiled. "Isn't that exactly what we wanted?"
"No."
Odin looked at his beloved wife and smiled. "You survived. That is what I truly wanted to see."
"..."
Not far away, Thor noticed Odin and Frigga interaction. Though he had no idea what they were talking about, he could sense the unmistakable air of affection surrounding them.
Was it time for him to find a queen of his own?
Thor pondered this, recalling how Odin had been relentlessly introducing potential brides to him in recent days. Maybe it was time to give it a try.
Perhaps he should meet them all—how else would he know which one was the right match?
Suddenly—
"Not good!"
Heimdall ears twitched as he abruptly turned toward Thor and Odin.
A surge of divine energy rippled through him, alerting both Odin and Thor that something was wrong.
"What happened?"
They turned to Heimdall.
"Loki has escaped!"
Heimdall face darkened slightly. "The Loki in the dungeon just now was nothing more than a magical projection."
"..."
Thor and Odin exchanged glances, neither looking particularly surprised.
"This is his signature trick," Thor scoffed.
"The Bifrost is still destroyed. It will take a long time to repair. He won't be able to leave Asgard. I'll go after him!"
"No need."
Odin said calmly, "He should have already left Asgard."
"What?"
Thor looked at Odin in shock. "Why do you say that?"
"The Nine Realms are overlapping, creating countless space rifts—far more than before. Loki knowledge far surpasses yours.
Even with the Bifrost destroyed, he wouldn't foolishly stay in Asgard… You should read more, Thor."
Odin sighed, exasperated at his eldest son lack of strategic thinking. He then looked at Thor and said,
"Tomorrow, you will go to Earth. Heimdall will find you a suitable passage."
"Why?" Thor asked curiously.
"Loki was defeated on Earth last time. He won't let it go. He bound to make a comeback," Odin explained.
"In fact, he may already be there."
"Understood!"
Thor nodded. "I will stop him from harming Earth."
"Wrong!"
Odin let out a deep sigh, wondering how he had fathered such a simple-minded son. Thor was nothing like him in his prime.
"I'm not sending you to stop him," Odin clarified.
"The real reason you're going is to make sure those so-called superheroes don't kill him on the spot out of spite."
After a brief pause, he added, "As long as he not killed instantly, Asgard has the means to save him."
Thor hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then… how do I get back?"
"Justice League."
"You're back!"
"Jane, I'm so glad you're okay!"
Daisy Lewis and Erik Selvig, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately rushed forward as soon as Jane Foster and Superman appeared in the warehouse.
Their faces were filled with both relief and exhaustion, having stayed awake for hours, keeping an eye on the unstable space portal.
The warehouse, which had been turned into a makeshift laboratory, was dimly lit, with scattered research equipment and hastily assembled monitoring devices still buzzing softly in the background.
The tension in the air finally eased as Jane stepped through safely.
Superman, or rather Anton, gave them a reassuring nod before scanning the surroundings, ensuring there were no immediate threats.
Meanwhile, Jane barely had time to react before Daisy wrapped her in a tight hug.
"We were so worried!" Daisy exclaimed, squeezing Jane before pulling back.
"What the hell happened up there? You were taken by space elves! And then Superman of all people showed up to save you?!"
Jane laughed softly, still overwhelmed by everything that had transpired. "It… a long story."
Erik adjusted his glasses, taking a deep breath. "We have time."
Anton crossed his arms and smirked. "Good, because you're going to want to hear this."
Daisy and Erik immediately stepped forward to hug their companions.
Then, Daisy glanced at Superman beside her. After a moment of thought, she spread her arms, intending to hug him and take advantage of the moment. However, Jane Foster quickly reacted and stopped her.
"Hugging me is enough, Daisy."
Jane Foster stood between Daisy and Superman with a completely expressionless face, like an impenetrable iron wall.
"Oh—"
Seeing this, Daisy gaze shifted back and forth between Superman and Jane Foster before she suddenly grinned.
"That not what you're thinking, Daisy..."
Jane Foster had just started to explain when Daisy cut her off.
"Say no more."
Daisy declared, "I understand! I would never touch a friend man."
"Indeed, you should find a boyfriend of your own."
Erik nodded with a smile.
Although he wasn't optimistic about Jane Foster and Superman, he didn't want to see Jane acting like a stone-hearted woman, burying herself in research all day.
"It not what you guys think!"
Jane Foster face turned red.
Beside her, Superman—disguised as Anton—had a strange expression.
He knew he had definitely charmed Jane Foster. After all, no woman could resist a nearly perfect god among men. But to him, it wasn't something worth dwelling on.
"Jane, I have to go."
Anton looked at the three people in front of him. "I still have a lot to do, so... see you later."
Before they could respond—
Boom!
Superman shot out of the abandoned warehouse, soaring straight into the sky.
...
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Somewhere in the United States, a department monitoring energy fluctuations detected a powerful surge.
Their sensors locked onto a figure breaking through the atmosphere, triggering an immediate response.
Every piece of available equipment was activated, and soon, a single image was captured and frozen on their screens.
"Superman!"
The staff members faces turned pale as they rushed to report the discovery to their superiors.
The information was relayed up the chain of command until it finally landed in the hands of John Keller, the Secretary of Defense.
"This..."
Keller pondered for a moment before picking up the phone to call Anton.
Superman was an uncontrollable variable. While, for now, he seemed to have no particular designs on Earth, who could say for certain that it would stay that way?
What if, one day, Superman decided that Earth development wasn't aligned with the future he envisioned? Would he use his overwhelming power to interfere with the planet political and military affairs?
These were all uncertain factors.
A faint sense of unease crept into Keller mind. He needed to find Anton—the spokesperson for the Justice League—and ask why Superman had suddenly returned to Earth.
Had the reports of Superman leaving Earth been false?
As he pondered this, Anton—who had just arrived home—received a call from John Keller.
Upon hearing Keller concerns, Anton chuckled. "Relax. Superman has no interest in this backwater planet. A man ambition will always be the stars and the vast cosmos."
He explained, "There been some trouble in the Nine Realms. Once every few thousand years, a rare celestial event occurs—the Convergence of the Nine Realms.
During this time, spatial rifts between realms open more frequently, and it even possible for beings from other worlds to accidentally cross over to Earth."
"A terrifying force has awakened during this Convergence—an ancient enemy of Asgard from millennia ago, known as the Dark Elves.
The only reason Superman is here is because of Asgard. If you don't believe me, feel free to contact them directly to verify."
"Oh, and I'll send you some documents on the Nine Realms Convergence shortly."
"Make sure everyone stays vigilant. Strange occurrences may happen during this time, but it all part of the process.
Once the Convergence ends, the world will return to normal."
Keller was momentarily dazed by Anton words.
There was too much information to process.
In other words, Superman had returned to Earth because Asgard—Earth cosmic neighbor—was facing a crisis.
And if that crisis involved disruptions in time and space, Earth would inevitably be affected.
Superman was here once again to fix a problem.
Given his trust in Anton, Keller had no reason to doubt him.
Of course, the U.S. government and the United Nations Security Council had their own channels to communicate with Asgard. Soon enough, they would obtain independent confirmation.
"I believe you, Anton," Keller said firmly.
Keller didn't dwell too much on Superman sudden reappearance. He truly trusted Anton.
The only reason he made this call was to get an explanation—an explanation he could then relay to others who would undoubtedly demand one.
"That being said, there something I need to remind you of."
After a brief pause, he continued, "Wayne Enterprises is doing well lately, but that doesn't mean you're without competition.
Klaus Technologies is aiming for more military contracts and is planning to ramp up their incentives to the defense sector. In other words, you've got a new competitor."
"Klaus Technologies?"
Anton was momentarily stunned. The name sounded unfamiliar. But after a brief recollection, his expression turned somewhat odd.
"You mean... the company that used to be Pym Technologies?"
"That right."
Keller nodded. "Their CEO, Darren Klaus, recently presented us with some of their latest research. I won't lie—we were quite impressed. But I can't disclose too much.
"In short, Wayne Enterprises should be prepared for some serious competition."