In the past few days, Hela had not been idle. Deep within the underground palace, she stood before the massive corpse of a giant wolf. In her hand burned the Eternal Flame, its light casting dark green shadows across the chamber.
"With the Eternal Flame, I command you: Arise!" she declared.
The flame surged into the ground beneath her hand, dark energy twisting and snaking its way into the wolf's lifeless form. Slowly, the beast stirred. Muscles tightened, bones snapped into place, and the giant wolf, now towering tens of meters high, stood once more.
Fenrir, Hela's former mount, growled deeply, its glowing eyes fixed on its master. It had returned, a creature of death reborn.
Hela's gaze shifted to the rows of ancient soldier corpses surrounding her, remnants of Asgard's bloody past. She considered resurrecting them as well but shook her head.
"They would lack their former strength. Better to let them rest in peace," she murmured. What she desired was an army of the living, not the shambling remnants of the dead. Her ambitions required a force worthy of Asgard's legacy.
Elsewhere, far from Asgard, Talos, leader of the Skrulls, was organizing reports in his office. His meticulous attention to detail had guided his people through years of struggle. While Carol fought on the front lines, Talos carried the weight of rebuilding their civilization.
His tired eyes scanned a datapad as a subordinate burst into the room.
"My lord! An unknown craft is approaching our airspace!"
Talos didn't look up immediately. "Is it another minor raid? Have the planetary defenses handle it."
The subordinate hesitated. "We suspect… it's the Kree. Their signal shielding is advanced."
Talos froze. The datapad slipped from his hands, shattering on the floor.
Back in Asgard, the northern square buzzed with energy as the royal arena prepared to host its first match in centuries. Once a sacred place of resolution for the Asgardians, the arena had been largely unused since Odin turned Asgard toward peace. But today, it would witness a battle for kingship.
The stands were packed with citizens eager to see the clash. At the center of the arena, Hela stood tall, Fenrir at her side. The massive wolf radiated an aura of primal terror, its glowing eyes sweeping the crowd.
Across from her, Thor strode into the arena, his movements confident. At his side stood Onyxia, the petite and composed Countess Katarina in her humanoid form.
Loki sidled up to Thor, his voice dripping with mockery. "Brother, if you're going to bring a mount, why not make it the impressive one you ride during the day?"
Thor shot him a deadpan look. "Just wait."
With a flash of divine energy, Onyxia began to shift. Her body elongated, massive wings unfurled, and scales rippled across her form. In seconds, the petite countess was replaced by the Black Dragon Princess. Her roar echoed across the arena, shaking the ground.
The crowd gasped. Even Fenrir's predatory gaze sharpened, the wolf clearly recognizing a formidable opponent.
"Can we start now?" Thor asked, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Hela's eyes twitched. "Perhaps I should've left the dog at home…" she muttered, a trace of irritation in her voice.
A transparent shield rose around the arena, protecting the spectators from the combatants' destructive power. The battle for Asgard's throne began.
Fenrir wasted no time. The massive wolf roared and charged, its powerful legs launching it toward Onyxia.
The Black Dragon Princess, unimpressed, beat her wings and took to the air, effortlessly evading the attack. Fenrir snarled in frustration, its momentum carrying it into the protective shield. Before it could recover, Onyxia dove from above, her claws aimed at the wolf's exposed back.
Fenrir rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. The resulting collision of energy sent shockwaves rippling across the arena. The spectators shielded their faces as the ground trembled beneath them.
The duel between the mounts raged on. Onyxia's aerial advantage allowed her to dominate much of the fight, her fire-breathing attacks forcing Fenrir on the defensive. But Fenrir's durability and sheer tenacity kept it in the fight. Even after repeated blows, the giant wolf refused to falter, its undead body seemingly immune to pain.
The crowd's attention, however, gradually shifted to the center of the arena. There, the true battle for kingship unfolded.
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