Seriously though, just the sight of those two maids behind Frigga—eyes practically shining, not even blinking as they stare at Aaron—tells you how unbelievably good-looking he is now.
Thor may not want to admit it, but at this moment, he has to concede that Aaron looks amazing. Not only is his face handsome, but his armor is on another level of cool!
The only downside is that Aaron's pretty young, plus he's actually Thor's uncle. Just thinking about how he'll have to call him that, in front of so many people tomorrow, makes Thor restless and jittery.
Loki's eyes flicker with mischief. He sidles up enthusiastically, saying, "Uncle, that suit of armor must be insanely powerful, right? We could run a real test, have some experts measure just how strong it is. That way, we'd know our limits, right?"
Aaron doesn't need to guess what Loki's really after.
"No need to make this complicated. You can try it out yourself, can't you?"
When Loki hears that, his face goes white. He shakes his head over and over. "Better let Thor do it! You know me, Uncle—I'm just a skinny guy. How could I possibly take on someone as strong as you?"
Thor immediately shakes his head, too. "Uncle, you know I lost my hammer…uh!"
At that exact moment, Mjölnir flies right up in front of him, leaving him speechless. He glances up at Aaron awkwardly. "What I mean is, I'm so into my axe now. I'm completely out of practice with this hammer."
Yikes, this kid is a lost cause!
Everyone has the same thought at the same time.
Sure enough, after hearing Thor's comment, Mjölnir acts like it's looking at a cheating ex, drops straight onto Thor's foot, and then zips right back to Aaron's side.
It may be wary of Aaron, but it hates Thor even more.
Ouch. Jerk move!
Thor hops around, clutching his foot in pain.
Good thing Mjölnir still kind of remembers their old friendship and didn't smash him at full force. Otherwise, even Thor would've been stuck in Asgard's healing ward for days.
"I'll handle this," Odin finally says, not able to watch any longer.
It's embarrassing that mighty Asgard can't seem to produce a champion besides a five-thousand-year-old man who's forced to don armor and take the field yet again. He already rode out by himself to save people from the Frost Giants in Jotunheim, and now he has to personally step up once more.
Frigga looks on, worried.
Aaron is pretty surprised too.
Odin's expression turns serious. "Loki had a point earlier. We have to know exactly what we're capable of, and exactly what our gear can handle, if we want to be ready for the fights to come."
He glances meaningfully at Thor, but Thor's too busy holding his foot, barely listening, gazing wistfully at Mjölnir.
What a tragedy!
Odin looks away, obviously disappointed, and then turns to Aaron, taking a deep breath.
"I'm old. The future of Asgard will be in your hands. Yes, you carry both Aesir royal blood and the heritage of the Celestials, which gives you incredible power from both lines. But you haven't been through enough real battles to temper that strength."
"A true powerhouse isn't just about brute force. You also need unwavering courage, the resolve born from faith, and, most importantly, real combat experience to hone your skills until you can smoothly wield every aspect of your power."
"You're too young. You might not be able to bring out your full potential, and that can be dangerous!"
Frigga's face is filled with concern, but Odin barrels ahead anyway: "I have a feeling that Asgard will face a massive threat soon. You all have to be strong enough to handle the enemies lurking in the shadows, who are itching to strike…"
"Father, I—" Thor tries to step up, ready to beat his chest and promise the world.
But Odin shoots him a chilling glare, and Thor immediately clamps his mouth shut, retreating into silence.
Loki's eyes are darting left and right, but he keeps his ears perked and puts on his quiet, nice-boy act.
Odin turns away, clearly fed up with the pair of them.
"Aaron, you've clearly got extraordinary power—one in a million among the gods. We're counting on you to uphold the Nine Realms' peace!"
Aaron's mouth twitches a bit. Why does this all feel so familiar?
Come on, Odin, did you sneak off to Earth and watch some TV drama or something?
Aaron really wants to say he's actually in incredible control of his abilities—maybe even more than Odin. But no way Odin would buy that.
In Odin's eyes, Aaron's godlike bloodline might grant ridiculous power and near-limitless potential, but he's still just twenty-two—a kid who barely awakened his gifts and is still bouncing around like a newbie. It's unrealistic to think he'd immediately master all his powers and refine his battle techniques. Not everyone's some kind of freakish prodigy.
From the perspective of five-thousand-year-old Odin, a twenty-two-year-old is not even a tenth of his age. If you only have raw power but no combat technique, it's pointless. That's Odin's biggest worry.
Beating Thor doesn't mean much, since in Odin's eyes, this current Thor isn't really that strong. Truly elite warriors wouldn't even bother looking at him. Aaron's the only one with potential to represent Asgard's real power.
"All right, then. Don't worry about my aging body. I may be old, but I haven't lost any of my true strength!"
"Put on your gear and give me everything you've got!"
He waves his hand, and the Destroyer Armor stomps over. Its front plating liquefies open, and Odin steps back, merging seamlessly with it.
Holding Gungnir, only his piercing eyes are visible. This is Odin at his strongest! Not even against Laufey did he get this serious, which shows how highly he regards Aaron.
Aaron just shakes his head. "Okay, fine. Let's do this. I'll only use my armor's power, though—don't say I'm bullying someone older."
Odin frowns. "Go all out. I'm not as fragile as you think!"
He does sense a staggering amount of energy inside Aaron's armor, enough that Odin might have to tap Asgard's power to keep it in check if this gets serious. But then again, having huge energy reserves doesn't automatically guarantee victory. Even Surtur, in his prime, basically had infinite energy and a body bigger than a mountain—he could smash entire lands. It was terrifying power, but he still lost to Odin.
As a God-King who's fought countless wars for thousands of years, conquering foes across the universe, Odin certainly has earned the right to say that.
Aaron doesn't bother explaining; he'll let his fists do the talking.
With a flare of energy, the helmet closes back over Aaron's face, covering every inch of skin. If he said he'd only rely on the suit's power, he means it.
This "Emperor Armor" grants super strength when fully equipped. Compared to the usual 30-ton baseline, this armor alone pushes the user toward a thousand-ton lifting capacity—and that's only the baseline. The stronger the wearer, the bigger the boost gets. In theory, Aaron's body might push that into tens of thousands of tons, basically off the charts.
For now, though, he's sticking to the armor's most basic mode.
Seeing Aaron ready, Odin wastes no time, thrusting Gungnir forward!
"Whoa, Dad, that's pretty sneaky!" Thor shouts. But Odin's movement doesn't falter—on a battlefield, enemies never wait politely or announce their attacks.
Thor might be upset, but Loki understands perfectly: real combat means attacking the second your opponent's guard is down.
Aaron knows how Gungnir works. He's not about to just stand there and let "invincible" armor try to block a half-physical, half-magical spear. He's not afraid of normal Uru metal weapons, but Gungnir's special: if it lands, it penetrates, period. It's terrifying. Odin's clearly holding back a bit, though.
Gungnir flashes like a beam of light, instantly covering more than ten meters, aiming straight for Aaron. Odin's brows furrow when Aaron's image shatters like a mirage.
Senses honed, Odin tries to twist and recall the spear, but it's too late. Aaron pops up on his left and slams a punch. With barely enough time to react, Odin crosses an arm over his chest to block, but he underestimates Aaron's raw power. Unprepared, he's knocked back a few dozen meters, crashing into a wall. The wall is reinforced with Uru, so it doesn't break, but it's dented in.
Protected by the Destroyer Armor, Odin is fine. He instantly stabilizes, turning to jab again. Aaron has just teleported, but quickly tilts to dodge the spear tip. Except Gungnir seems to have a mind of its own, switching from thrust to sweep.
"Too slow!" Aaron effortlessly grabs the shaft, halting its swing. Then his visor flares bright red—an energy blast erupts in a heartbeat.
Odin's combat reflexes kick in, and he fires a beam from his own visor. The two energy blasts collide, producing intense heat that distorts the air around them. Leveraging his experience, Odin lets go of the spear and rushes in, but it's all within Aaron's expectations. With superhuman senses, Aaron lifts a knee at just the right moment. Odin, caught off-guard, gets kicked again, slamming into another wall.
Thor and Loki exchange a glance, both wondering if they're hallucinating. The battle-hardened Odin, who made the first move, is now getting completely outplayed.
They're not exactly pushovers themselves, so they can tell Odin's every attack is being predicted, letting Aaron flip defense into offense over and over again. Are we sure he's only twenty-two? Tacking on a few zeros might make us feel better.
Thor grew up at Odin's side—he knows better than anyone how fast and powerful his father can be, even in his older years. Yet right now, Odin's hand-to-hand skills are getting shut down by a younger fighter?
Everyone is stunned. Aaron's barrage of punches doesn't resemble the technique of some twenty-two-year-old; it's more like a grandmaster at work.
Odin is just as shocked but keeps his head in the fight. He knows technique alone doesn't guarantee a win.
He spreads his hands and conjures a black rift. Stepping inside, he teleports away on the spot. Aaron follows him instantly, and they reappear in some desolate wilderness.
"This is a far-off corner of Asgard. We can fight freely here," says Odin, letting his divine aura surge. As the All-Father's energy unfurls, gusts sweep across the terrain, and thunderclouds start gathering overhead.
Odin may not be the God of Thunder, but that doesn't mean he can't control lightning. Magic's a wondrous thing—and in fact, Odin's a master of it at a level far beyond Loki.
Thor and Loki catch up, and Thor's blood is practically boiling with excitement. Finally, he's seeing the true might of his father—a real God-King. He wants to see just how wide the gap is between them. Pity the one trading blows with Odin right now isn't Thor himself.
Aaron calmly raises a hand. "…Everyone, hush."
His voice has this quiet, absolute authority that silences the entire area—wind dies, clouds vanish, and Odin can't command the weather anymore.
"Magic? Or is that some sort of divine authority?" Odin recalls Aaron calling himself a 'God of Storm' and starts putting two and two together.
Before Odin can strike again, Aaron takes one step forward. Suddenly, a massive force comes crashing down, making the entire forest bend as if bowing. Grass, flowers, trees, all tilt in submission.
Even Loki and Thor can't help dropping to one knee before Aaron.
Odin wasn't expecting that, but he's already on high alert, so he barely resists the crushing aura. "Gravity? That's impressive! I thought you'd have to be a lot bigger to control that kind of power."
He's reflecting on how Celestials, who are massive enough to dwarf worlds, use gravity manipulation to avoid destroying entire planets just by showing up.
Odin gathers his divine strength, pouring it into his aged body until it gleams with gold. He stomps the ground, fracturing it into deep ravines, and rockets forward like a golden cannonball, appearing right in Aaron's face. His punch radiates a God-King's full might, well beyond anything mortal.
Aaron's body lights up with golden sparks too, thunder roaring around him. The red visor is blazing, charged with energy from the Eternal Flame. Meanwhile, razor-sharp frost extends in all directions, creating a chill field that slows Odin's golden aura for an instant. Fire and ice strangely intertwine, lightning and wind combine, and that unrelenting gravity is still pressing down hard.
"Here—check out this spin on the 'five elements,'" Aaron says with a faint grin.
In a huge boom, both figures clash. Shockwaves roll across the land, flattening everything around them. Moments later, one gold-clad figure is flung backward so fast that he drills through multiple mountains like a bullet, then comes rocketing back.
Thor and Loki look up and realize that the figure sent flying was Odin—so the one still hovering above is Aaron. Did Odin just lose that exchange?
Odin coughs, feeling his body protest. He sighs. Age truly has caught up with him—he can't keep unleashing more of his power safely. Even an engagement at this level is tiring him out.
He lifts his gaze, locking eyes with Aaron, who's calmly floating overhead. Odin offers a bitter smile. "I really underestimated you. Your power alone is enough to scare off any would-be troublemakers. If I'm not mistaken, you were only showing off a fraction of your armor's capabilities, weren't you?"
"What!?" Thor and Loki gawk at each other in confusion. Seriously? That was just a fraction of its power—and only the armor's at that?
Aaron nods. "But you also fought at less than full strength, right?"
Odin shakes his head. "It's not the same. I'm only able to safely use that portion of my power. You were just holding back. I'm curious to see what happens if you ever go all-out."
Aaron glances around. "Not here. It's too cramped to really let loose."
Odin nods—makes sense. To a real God-King, Asgard is about as breakable as a cardboard box. Right, Thor?
Thor just blinks, clueless. "Why're you looking at me?"
Odin can only sigh heavily. "What's that armor called?"
"Emperor Armor."
"'Emperor'… that's a great name." Odin murmurs, "My Destroyer Armor isn't even one ten-thousandth of that thing."
~~~
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