"What do you think?" Odin asked as they walked toward their sleeping chambers.
"My eyes could not see much, so he should be very adept at Anti-Divination and Clairvoyance," said Freya. Witches raised her, so she learned to see things that others could not.
"So, what did you see?"
"He's like a walking Demon God."
"What do you mean?"
"His body contained its own dimension and was full of energy. So, confrontation with him would be like facing one of the Demon Gods, but even worse since he's not restricted."
"Did you detect how strong he is?"
"No. He did an excellent job at suppressing his energy," replied Freya. "However, by intuition, he reminded me of a Lower Ranks one."
Odin frowned. In his prime, he would not care about Lower Demon Gods as he was responsible for changing these positions a few times after killing many of these creatures. However, he was now old and dying, and more importantly, he had lost his war-like spirit.
"This is not like the old times when you need to see everyone as a threat," Friya reassured as she linked arms with him.
"I'm just worried about Thor," replied Odin with a sigh. "I'm running out of time, and he's not close to being ready." As he said these words, he looked in the distance. One of his crows transmitted a vision to him.
…
"So, you're a sorcerer from Midgard?" asked Thor, his face slightly red due to all the alcohol he's drank.
"That's right," replied Edward, looking at his drink. He placed his hands above it, and a green liquid ball flew from it before dissipating. Then, he sent a direct message into Loki's mind: "Don't do anything stupid like this again."
The mischievous god has used his illusion magic to pretend he was still next to Edward while his real body dropped what seemed to be a truth serum into his drink. Loki was shocked as only his mother could see through his illusions.
"Are you any powerful?"
"More powerful than you."
"Haha, what bold words," roared Thor as he slammed his drink on the table. "Man, did you hear this?" The other Asgardians laughed, especially the Warriors Three, who were the most boisterous. These drunken bastards seemed very entertained.
"Care to prove that?"
"Why not?"
Edward stood in the arena with two long swords designed for rapid combat. Meanwhile, Thor had his trusted Mjolnir with him. "Are you a sorcerer?"
"Who says sorcerers cannot use weapons?"
"You have a point, but don't make excuses after you lose. Now, I'm starting." The Thunder God no longer hesitated as he rushed toward his opponent to smash him with his hammer. However, Edward stabbed his head before he even completed his stabbing motion. Thor moved his head to evade and continued his attack.
However, Edward parried the hammer with his other sword despite the sheer difference in their weapons' sizes. Then, he kicked Thor a few meters away.
"You're more powerful than I anticipated." Edward wanted to roll his eyes. If he had not restricted his physical stats to be the same as him, he would have died with one attack. Currently, all of Thor's stats are between Tier 3 and 4, with his defense being Tier 5, borderline Tier 6.
"This should be more fun," declared Thor as he threw Mjolnir with all his strength, and Edward calmly moved his head to evade. Thor rushed, and by the time he reached his opponent, the hammer had flown back toward him. Edward again moved his body to evade the hammer from the back, and Thor took this opportunity. As soon as he caught it, he swung.
Edward moved faster than him as his swords went for his foot. Thor reacted and moved one foot, but the second sword still swept his second leg, moving his center gravity, resulting in him falling to the ground. However, Thor instinctively rolled to the side, evading Edward's attack. He used one hand to push himself from the ground while using his legs to kick his opponent.
Edward's moved swiftly to evade the kick while deep in thought. His skills are much higher than those of the best martial artists on Earth, but they're nothing extraordinary in the grand scheme of things. However, I must praise his natural battle instinct; he seems perfectly capable of using all the experiences he's learned during his time fighting or war.'
Thor no longer held back as he activated his magic prowess. He raised his hammer to the sky to summon a potent lightning bolt before directing it toward Edward. However, the latter casually raised one of his swords and absorbed the attack.
"What? Are you also a God of Thunder?"
"Sorcery."
"Is that so? Well, let's see if you can take this." Thor raised his hammer to summon even more lightning. However, Edward casually threw his sword, forcing him to stop his actions and block. Edward rushed toward him, and Thor instinctively swung his hammer. Edward moved his head to evade before tapping Mjolnir. Thor watched in horror as his trusted weapon fell to the ground, and he could not pick it up or summon it.
"Come on, Mjolnir," he said, but nothing happened. "What did you do?" he asked in an irate tone.
"I sealed it."
"Then, unseal it."
"If this were a real battle, would you ask your opponent to free your weapon?"
Thor had no words, which immediately made him angry out of shame. So, he rushed to punch Edward, but with two swift swings of his swords, he cut off a few nerves on Thor's body, rendering his arms useless. He looked at the dejected Asgardian Prince, "You were born with a potent Thunder Energy Source. Why aren't you using it?"
"How can I do that without Mjolnir?" asked Thor with gritted teeth.
"As knowledgeable as your mother is in the mystic arts and as wise as your father is, I'm sure they've told you that your power comes from within, and Mjolnir only helps you channel it. Don't tell me you think you're useless without it?"
Edward did not want to use the joke that Thor was the God of Hammer instead of the God of Thunder, but it was truly the case.
Thor looked at him in surprise. His parents told him that, especially when he was young and forced to attend school. However, he's been so used to using Mjolnir to channel his powers that he almost forgot these words.
"I think this battle is over, don't you think so?" Edward asked.
"Yes, you're the winner," Thor said dejectedly. He had lost his trusted Mjolnir, and his arms were useless. Edward dispersed his swords before releasing a green light that healed Thor's arms. His eyes saw a crown in the corner of his eyes, but he ignored it. Then, the banquet continued. The Asgardians became more welcoming to him after proving he was a warrior and defeating their prince.
Loki looked at him with hidden jealousy, and Edward understood why. According to Asgardian cultures, these people seemed to respect "warriors" more than "mages" despite the fact that the main difference was how they used their energies, with warriors focusing more on internal use of extraordinary energies and sorcerers focusing more on external applications.
The banquet continued until late in the hours, and by then, only Edward and Loki were conscious. Edward did not say much to him but found a palace lady to lead him to his sleeping chambers. His voyage to this realm could go many ways, and he needed to ensure the best possible outcome.
…
"Do you think we should take Mjolnir from Thor for a while?" asked Odin.
"That might be the best course of action," nodded Freya. "However, after years of relying on that hammer, it won't be easy for him to tap on his power alone."
"I'm more concerned about whether he's mature enough to use his powers responsibly once he has mastered them," sighed Odin before continuing to his chamber.