You can read ahead up to 70 chapters on my patreon, and I've also activated a (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/GGS6395
A strange sense of unease stirred within Arthur, though he couldn't quite pinpoint its source.
At the same time, Loki's performance quickly drew his attention.
To be honest, Arthur had to admit, Loki had a flair for theatrics. If the god didn't have greater responsibilities, the Trickster would undoubtedly make a killing in show business.
Under Loki's persuasion, Malekith harbored almost no suspicion.
Meanwhile, Jane lay in Thor's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, her frail form trembling with tears streaming down her face in utter despair. It was the kind of sorrow that could move anyone to tears.
And yet, no one present shed a single one.
Malekith said nothing, merely lifted a hand. A moment later, an unseen force seized Jane.
Her body was hoisted into the air, as if caught by invisible tendrils.
Slowly, a dark-red energy, pulsing, seething, was drawn from her. The Aether.
As the last traces of the Aether left her body, Jane dropped like a lifeless doll, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Malekith's gaze locked onto the Aether as it hovered before him, completely unaware that Arthur had been standing nearby, observing everything.
Gripping an Asgardian greatsword, Arthur glanced at Malekith's arm, watching as the Dark Elf leader prepared to absorb the Aether. Then, all at once, Arthur exhaled and barked out, "Bottoms up!"
"…What?"
A moment of stunned silence followed.
Where had that voice come from? And what exactly was there to drink in this desolate place?
Even Thor, who was playing dead on the ground, cracked open an eye, briefly wondering if someone had brought mead.
There was no mead.
But there was blood.
Arthur moved in a blur. His blade slashed through the air, then through flesh.
A sickening squelch sound was heard as blood sprayed in the air with an arm that spun away, severed cleanly at the shoulder.
Malekith's agonized scream ripped through the air, but the Aether did not recoil. If anything, it surged toward him even faster.
Arthur's expression darkened. This wasn't how he'd expected things to play out.
Without hesitation, he adjusted his grip, the massive sword shifting in his hands. Then, like a golfer lining up a shot, he swung, aiming to send Malekith's head flying.
But Malekith, already wary, had anticipated the strike. He backpedaled just in time, narrowly escaping decapitation.
And in that instant, the Aether slammed into him.
Dark-red energy pulsed through his body. He lifted off the ground, his form crackling with raw power.
Then,
A thunderous roar split the sky.
Arthur barely had time to register the sound before a massive figure came hurtling down from above.
A burly man with an iron hammer while lightning screamed around him.
And then, impact.
BOOM!
The ground trembled beneath them. Thunder rolled through the battlefield, a deafening crack of divine wrath.
Dust and debris erupted into the air, obscuring everything in a thick, swirling haze.
For a few moments, nothing moved.
Then, as the dust settled, reality set in.
The Dark Elves wasted no time. They charged forward, tearing through the lingering smoke, headed straight for Loki.
Loki smirked. And bolted.
While Loki played his game of cat and mouse, another sight sent a fresh wave of dread through Arthur.
Malekith was floating mid-air, with an eerily calm expression on his face.
And his severed arm?
It was back, regrown in an instant, as if the injury had never happened.
Worse still, in his newly regenerated hand, he now gripped something else.
Mjolnir.
Thor's hammer.
A guttural roar tore from Malekith's throat as dark-red energy exploded outward.
Thor barely had time to react before the force hit him like a freight train, hurling him through the air.
"Thor!"
Jane exclaimed in surprise, wanting to chase after him.
Meanwhile, Malekith, standing in mid-air, looked up at the sky and said to Cursed Elf beside him, "Kill them; I'll take my leave first."
He was in a hurry and had no time to waste here.
However, as he took a step forward, he suddenly stopped!
Not because he remembered something, but because he had lost something... his head!
After taking that step, his head suddenly shot up into the sky; who could continue walking after that?
Malekith's body remained in place, while his spinning head wore a look of confusion.
"What the hell?"
With a thud, his head fell to the ground.
The Cursed Elf hadn't even taken a step when he saw his BOSS in this state, leaving him momentarily dumbfounded.
What happened?
"Hahaha!"
The voice came from Thor, who had gotten up from the ground. He looked at the headless Malekith standing there and let out a hearty laugh: "Impressive, my friend!"
"Where is he?" Malekith asked.
"Where... hmm?" Thor was about to speak when his expression froze: "You're not dead?"
How could someone without a head still be alive?
While he was puzzled, a small round object emerged from Malekith's neck, quickly transforming back into a head.
However, his expression was grim: "Just a little trick!"
Dark-red light surged suddenly, his eyes closed tightly, yet his aura continued to rise.
Suddenly, he looked toward Arthur's hiding spot, extended his hand, and a dark-red force shot toward Arthur.
His body gradually became visible to everyone.
"Just as I thought, it's you!"
As soon as Malekith saw Arthur, he was filled with rage.
It was because of him that he had been so badly beaten last time. If it weren't for that head being chopped off, wouldn't he have gone to Earth with a bruised face?
He shot a fierce glare at Arthur and said to Cursed Elf, "I leave this to you!"
After saying that, he attempted to leave.
However, Arthur stepped forward, blocking his path, and smiled slightly: "They say matters of the world should be settled in the world, but that doesn't quite fit here. Let's settle this in the dark world. I'm not boasting; but as long as I'm here, you're not going anywhere!"
The Cursed Elf roared, implying that Arthur was underestimating him.
But just as the voice fell, a massive figure over three meters tall appeared behind Arthur, roaring to the sky like a protective spirit.
Unfortunately, there was no fighting spirit in his eyes; his hollow gaze scanned the surroundings, clearly devoid of any thoughts.
The Cursed Elf's expression changed, and so did Malekith's.
The rare Convergence of the nine stars was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and now the Aether had come to him, yet it was intercepted by Arthur.
If he missed this chance, he would have to wait another five thousand years!
Five thousand years of change; who knows how many variables would occur?
At that moment, Thor also arrived with his hammer, turning the situation into a two-on-three.
Even if Malekith had confidence in Cursed Elf, he didn't believe he could withstand the three before him...
For a moment, his eyes turned a bit red.
"So, don't struggle; let's just have a good fight here!" Arthur said, not caring about the situation: "If you win, you'll miss the Convergence, but from then on, you can embark on a path of conquest, ultimately becoming a man who dominates the Nine Realms. Of course, if you lose, you'll just be a man who died in the dark world."
(The chapter ends here.)