Chapter 109: Hela's Consecration!
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Although the statement wasn't very kind, Lorien still wanted to say it: Little Hela had a good cry.
But that wasn't the main point.
What mattered now was that little Hela, in her frustration, pinched the skin around Lorien's waist and insisted in a sulky voice, "I didn't cry. I am Hela, the goddess of death. Why would I cry?"
In response, Lorien calmly removed her hands from his waist before speaking. "You're right."
Hela crying had genuinely caught Lorien by surprise. He had expected something else—perhaps Hela laughing or merely glancing at the ruins and walking away. After all, Hela had always carried herself with an air of arrogance.
After a few moments, Hela gradually composed herself. She pulled away from Lorien's embrace, wiped her eyes, and said, "Your belly isn't soft at all."
Lorien smiled helplessly. "Well, you're not quite as pretty as the most beautiful girl in the world."
"You're talking nonsense!" Hela immediately retorted. "I am the most beautiful in the world!"
"Then you're right," Lorien said, too lazy to argue further, so he agreed without hesitation. It was like when someone told you something absurd, like how an easy life was bad for young people—you just go with it. No point in wasting time arguing.
But now, they had a much bigger problem: What to do about Asgard.
Hela turned around, gazing silently at the ruins of Asgard. After a long pause, she suddenly asked, "Can you figure out how Asgard was destroyed?"
Lorien thought for a moment. "I can, actually. It's a simple operation."
All he had to do was reverse time and project the scene like a video. He didn't even need to use his full powers of reality manipulation. It was too easy for him. So, Lorien waved his hand, and a light curtain appeared before them.
Then Lorien began to rewind time. From the moment Hela had pulled away from his arms. From when they first arrived at Asgard. From the moment the ruins started to form.
As the scene reversed further, they saw a fiery titan raging through the land, Asgardians fleeing for their lives, and the golden temple shattering and collapsing. Odin flew out of the Bifrost, engaging in battle.
Lorien paused the time rewind at the exact moment Odin entered the Bifrost.
"Let's start here," he said.
Lorien and Hela began watching the scene unfold. Nervously, Hela leaned into Lorien, gripping his arm as they watched together.
The images played out rapidly.
Odin entered Bifrost fully armed!
Odin was blasted by two energies, crashing into the golden temple!
The golden temple collapsed under the force of the energies!
A flaming titan rose from the ruins of the temple!
Odin flew out again to battle the titan!
Asgardians began fleeing!
Odin was struck into the ground by a flaming sword!
The sword pierced through Asgard itself!
The fugitive ships departed!
Asgard collapsed into nothingness!
The video sped up, replaying the total destruction of Asgard, and finally concluded with the moment when Lorien and Hela had arrived. Time travel had ended, and with a wave of his hand, Lorien dismissed the light curtain.
Hela clung tightly to Lorien's hand, her grip firm.
After a long silence, she spoke in a deep voice. "It's Ragnarök."
"Are you sure?" Lorien asked, offering her another possibility. "Maybe I caused it indirectly. I blessed Stephen, Dormammu deflected his attack, Odin crashed into the temple treasury, and it triggered Surtur's awakening, which led to Asgard's destruction."
He wasn't wrong. If you traced the chain of events, Lorien could be seen as partly responsible for Asgard's fall. The catalyst may have even been him.
"No!" Hela said firmly. "It's Ragnarök. If we're tracing it back, then maybe it started the night I attacked you when you were driving home. But in the end, it's still Ragnarök."
She was right. If you followed the chain of cause and effect far enough, it led back to Hela. But all in all, it was still Ragnarök.
Lorien gently stroked Hela's hair and asked, "So, what do you want to do now?"
Lorien originally thought Hela might pause and think it through, but without hesitation, Hela replied firmly:
"I'll get stronger by your side! And I'll kill the flame titan, Surtur, with my own hands!"
Asgard had been Hela's home, and Surtur had destroyed her family. Could there be a more sworn enemy? However, Surtur wasn't the same entity Thor had once casually defeated. He had absorbed the Eternal Flame and became the God of the Nine Realms—more specifically, the ruling god of Muspelheim.
To kill him now, one would need at least the full power of a Godfather-level being. And to be absolutely certain of success, it would likely require even more power—something beyond the Godfather level. Lorien gently patted little Hela on the head.
"Then you've got a long way to go, because taking down an enemy like Surtur isn't going to be easy," Lorien said.
Little Hela knew this but remained stubborn.
"Sooner or later, I will kill him!" she declared.
Hela's determination was unwavering. Vengeance was never too late—even if it took a thousand years. "You destroy my home, I will take your life!"
Despite the grim subject, Lorien found himself admiring Hela's resolve. "I have to say, I really appreciate your spirit now, little Hela."
"I don't need your appreciation!" Hela retorted, grabbing Lorien's hand and pretending to bite it. But she didn't expect Lorien to react so quickly—he playfully pinched her head like a snake's.
"Ow!" Hela groaned.
After giving her a light punishment, Lorien let her go.
"Remember," he said, "no using your teeth from now on."
Hela, rubbing her head, nodded with a few quick gestures. "Got it."
The two took one last look at the ruins of Asgard. Hela then spoke first, "Let's go back, it's all done here."
"Yeah," Lorien agreed.
Snap!
With a snap of Lorien's fingers, they were back on the top floor of his northern building. Lorien checked the time: 8:01 a.m. Since he had nothing else to do at home, Lorien, for the first time, felt like going to work early.
Everyone else was always stuck in traffic, barely making it to work on time. Why not be a little more conscientious and arrive early? Even if it was just to play games at the office, it was still something!
Nodding to himself, Lorien decided to head out early.
Plop!
As Lorien was getting ready to leave, he heard something fall behind him. He turned to see that little Hela had already stripped down to nothing and was walking toward the bathroom. She glanced at him as she passed.
"I'm going to take a shower!" she announced. But just as she reached the edge of the bathroom, she paused, turning her head slightly. "You're not allowed to come over!"
With that, she disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Lorien standing there, dumbfounded.
Lorien chuckled to himself. She probably didn't realize it, but whenever someone specifically tells you not to do something, it's usually a sign that they want you to do it. That's the irony.
But as Lorien stared after her, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt. Still, Hela was of legal age now, so… you could say the cake had been delivered to his doorstep.
And who would refuse cake?
No longer hesitating, Lorien took off the shoes he'd just put on, walking with determined steps toward the bathroom.
"I... didn't I say not to come over?" Hela's voice echoed from within.
"It's okay," Lorien replied calmly. "I understand."
"Who asked you to understand?! I don't want you here!"
"It's fine, just say what you want. I'll take care of the rest."
"You better wait! Don't take too long!"
By 18:59, Lorien was sitting in his office, just in time for the end of the workday. He had barely made it back in the last few seconds.