Lord of Cinder in American Comics

There has been some speculation about a possible collaboration between Asgard and Lothric.

For both sides, the most difficult cooperation to achieve was a defensive alliance. However, the upper echelons of both sides had a different kind of friendship.

No one knows the exact nature of the relationship between the Fire Keeper and Hela, but the level of intimacy they've shown makes this most difficult collaboration seem almost possible.

Pepper seemed to have returned to her former glory on the business battlefield. Despite being heavily pregnant, she made a series of demands of Asgard, including but not limited to resources, personnel, forging technology…

Stark looked at Pepper with concern, nudged Ash beside him, and asked, "Are we just going to watch?"

"Are you good at business negotiations or at reading people's hearts? You can't even outdrink Onion Bro and Kingpin. Logan even got into two fights and produced hundreds of kilograms of Uru metal, while you... tsk tsk..."

After Ash finished speaking, he shook his head at Stark, as if Stark were completely worthless.

Stark, unwilling to accept defeat, retorted, "Then aren't you the same as me? What have you done!"

"Overall planning, macro-control, managing the negotiation progress, and grasping the direction—if you want to hear that, I can write three thousand words!"

Stark looked at Ash, unsure of what to say. He felt that Ash had said so much, yet it was as if he hadn't said anything at all.

Ash pointed at Pepper and said, "What are you without Pepper? You barely managed to avoid dying for the first fifteen years of your life thanks to this girl's care. Without her, you could eat engine oil like it's condensed milk."

Patting Stark on the shoulder, Ash added, "Take advantage of this time to make yourself known to Pepper. You know, once a woman has a child, her husband is just a tool she can use at will..."

Adding to Stark's post-marital anxieties, Ash watched as Stark tried to ingratiate himself with Pepper, disrupting Pepper's planned speech and getting dragged out by the collar.

Ash shook her head when she saw the reckless Stark. He was really being driven crazy by post-marital anxiety, believing everything he was told.

Ash didn't care about the outcome of the negotiations. In any case, both sides had already tested the waters and started moving in both directions, so the result would only meet expectations.

The biggest price Lothric paid was to form an alliance with Asgard, providing Asgard with necessary military assistance as long as it served their own interests.

This is simply a matter of pulling out the idle guys from various knightly orders and letting them vent their excess energy.

Asgard, in return, contributed Reality Stones and manufacturing technology.

Don't underestimate Asgard's manufacturing technology. It can forge everything from small-scale melee weapons to massive planet-destroying cannons like the Rainbow Bridge. This is a crucial component of Asgard's military system.

...

After both parties signed the agreement, Hela opened the Reality Gem stored in the main hall.

The Reality Gem, which was originally like a fluid, began to change the moment it appeared before everyone.

It kept stretching and filling itself, gradually becoming fuller from an illusory fluid, and then becoming a living person.

Odin, now with one eye, appeared before the crowd and pointed at Hela, shouting, "I will exile you!"

Then he was pierced by the longsword thrown by Hela and returned to his original form.

Hela sat on her throne, propping her head up with her left hand, and said, "What a boring charade. Summon Loki to me..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Reality Stone began to change again, transforming into Hela's appearance and looking up at Hela on the throne.

Just as the illusory Hela was about to say something, the real Hela launched an attack without hesitation.

This time, however, the illusion gained offensive capabilities. It moved exactly like Hela and launched the same attacks.

A violent collision occurred in the hall, with various attacks launched by Hela flying everywhere, some even reaching the seas of Asgard.

However, an illusion is still just an illusion. It was no match for the righteous Hela. Although it took some effort, it was still defeated by Hela.

Looking at the Reality Stone constantly changing its form, everyone could tell that this was definitely not the end.

Hela turned to Heimdall, who was standing at the end of the crowd, and ordered, "Find Loki and bring him to me!"

Heimdall nodded and quickly left. Although he didn't want to obey Hela's orders, what could he do? Hela was now the leader of Asgard! Even Odin had given up the struggle.

Moreover, given the current situation, the people of Lothric haven't even received the gems and completed the transaction yet. If someone were to die, Asgard would once again descend into chaos.

The Reality Stone constantly changes its appearance; sometimes it's Kingpin, only to have its head severed by Davos Seaworth's sword. Other times it's Stark, killed by an enraged Pepper using a miracle.

Although the Reality Gem is ever-changing, no one chooses to touch it rashly at this time, in case something strange happens and it doesn't benefit anyone.

Without the power of the Reality Stone, Heimdall quickly located Loki, who was hiding in Odin's vault, remotely controlling the Reality Stone with the Eye of Warlock in his hand.

The Eye of the Sorcerer is a rare artifact in Odin's vault; it can dispel all false illusions and dark forces, and even predict the future.

As the previous owner of the Reality Stone, Loki would surely leave himself some benefits. At this moment, the color flashing in the Sorcerer's Eye was not the color of magic, but the crimson of the Reality Stone.

Using the Reality Stone to power the Eye of the Sorcerer, Loki remotely controlled the Reality Stone within the hall.

Heimdall looked at Loki, drew his Bult steel, pointed it at him, and warned, "Loki, put down your magic weapon!"

Loki glanced at Heimdall with disdain and said, "Even you have become Hela's lackey!"

Heimdall was unwilling to argue with Loki, nor did he stop Loki's actions; after all, as an elder of Asgard, he didn't like Hela either.

One was eager to cause trouble, while the other wanted to slack off. The two of them remained in a 'standoff' in the treasure vault.

...

Loki focused intently on manipulating the Eye of Sorcerer, conjuring various figures and gradually increasing his power, causing chaos among the people in the hall.

As soon as Thor appeared at the entrance of the vault, the shattered Mjolnir slammed down directly onto the Eye of the Sorcerer in Loki's hand.

Loki quickly dodged, looking at Thor with a puzzled expression and shouting, "What are you doing! I'm trying to help you!"

“I don’t need help. Now that I have Hela, I don’t need to be forced into becoming the King of Gods. Asgard can no longer withstand any more disasters!”

Loki vanished from Thor's sight, letting out a cold snort, and said, "Your high-sounding principles again! Odin didn't do it this way!"

You should call him father!

Knowing Loki wouldn't give up easily, Thor changed tactics. The forcibly condensed Mjolnir was separated by Thor again, and they began to revolve around Thor like a psychic aura, destroying everything in the vault and forcing Loki to reveal himself.

Finally, in a corner, Mjolnir rammed Loki out, and Loki held the Eye of Sorcerer firmly in his arms, completing his spell before Thor arrived.

Thor picked Loki up from the ground, grabbed him by the collar, and held him up to his eyes.

Seeing Loki's defiant attitude, Thor snatched the Eye of Sorcerer from his arms, crushed it under his foot, and said, "I will tell my mother about this, and hopefully, at her request, Hela will give you a suitable sentence..."

Loki, however, seemed to have achieved his goal, letting out a long sigh of relief and saying, "Anyway, I've achieved my purpose. Lothric will no longer cooperate with Hela. I stopped Hela; I'm the one who saved Asgard!"

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Chapter 465: Declaration of War!

Loki's love for Asgard is no less than anyone else's. For Loki, Asgard is where he grew up and where he has always dreamed of becoming the ruler of the land.

He might acknowledge Thor, but he would never acknowledge Hela.

Although Loki feigned compliance with Hela's orders for the safety of Thor, Frigga, and Odin, he was constantly looking for opportunities to sabotage all of Hela's plans.

After all, what the enemy wants is exactly what we must resolutely oppose.

Since Hela wants to form an alliance with Lothric, Loki will find a way to sabotage their alliance.

Loki had previously used the Sorcerer's Eye to secretly take control of the Reality Stone. The Sorcerer's Eye can analyze the future and enhance the effects of his spells.

Now that Loki had achieved his goal, he didn't care anymore. After all, it was just a few punches from Thor; it wasn't like he hadn't been hit before.

Just as Loki was thinking about how to escape from Hela's watchful eye, the Greedy One appeared at the entrance to the vault.

The greedy man was no longer as carefree as before; flames were emanating from his body. He looked unapproachable.

The greedy one saw Loki and approached in fury. Without waiting for anyone to ask, he snatched Loki from Thor's grasp.

Loki assumed the Greedy One had come to rescue him, and he quickly said, "We need to get out of Asgard quickly, or Hela... what are you planning to do?"

The greedy one ignored Loki, pinned him to the ground, and raised his fist.

One punch! Two punches! Three punches!

The greedy man's fist slammed into Loki's face without any mercy. After several punches, Loki's face was disfigured.

As the greedy man vented his anger with his fists, he asked, word by word, "You! What the hell did you do!"

Loki was completely stunned by the beating, and Thor, standing nearby, was also confused. It wasn't until Thor saw that Loki was about to be killed that he hurriedly pulled Greed away.

Loki, having broken free from the clutches of the greedy one, retorted, "Are you out of your mind?! I'm stopping Hela! If you're crazy, go back to hell!"

"Stop it? Go look at what the hell you've done!"

Enraged, the Greedy One rolled up his sleeves and charged at Loki. Thor had no choice but to use the Seven-Day Chains of Unbreakable Bond to hold him back and prevent the Greedy One from killing Loki.

Seeing the greedy man's state, Loki realized something was wrong. He turned to look at the artifact he had just used, only to find that the Eye of the Sorcerer had been crushed by Thor.

The Greedy One had already slammed Thor against the wall. He grabbed Loki by the leg and started Hulkbuster, throwing Loki to the ground, stunned.

Standing on Loki's chest, the Greedy One produced a large, flaming stone axe and swung it down at Loki's neck.

Thor, who hadn't even gotten up from the ground yet, shouted "No!" upon seeing this.

The axe smashed through the floor and gripped Loki's neck; with just a little more force, Loki would be decapitated.

Looking at Loki, whose eyes were now lifeless, the Greedy One asked, "I'll ask you one last time, how do I undo that disgusting spell you cast!"

Loki struggled to extend his hands, then limply lowered them. He stared at the ceiling and said, "I used the Eye of the Sorcerer to manipulate the gems and create illusions. Now that the Eye of the Sorcerer is destroyed, the illusions should have disappeared!"

...

The greedy man pressed his axe down a little further and said, "This isn't over yet. If you can't come up with a solution soon, Asgard is doomed!"

The Greedy One meant Asgard was doomed, not Loki. Loki was immediately alarmed; he hadn't expected his spell, intended only to cause trouble, to have such an outcome.

Loki wanted to turn around and seek Thor's help, but the Greedy One's murderous gaze made it impossible for Thor to move an inch.

The Greedy One suddenly said to Thor, "You can hurry up and take Odin and Frigga with you to escape before Asgard is destroyed."

"You promise you won't kill Loki? You can beat him up, I can see you're angry, but believe me, Loki just wanted to play a prank..."

Thor was still trying to plead for Loki, but a greater commotion was gradually building up outside.

"Thor, if you don't hurry, Frigga is dead!"

Thor gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and swung his hammer, sending it hurtling outwards. In this situation, he could only trust that Loki would find a way to escape.

Staring at Loki beneath his axe, the Greedy One asked coldly, "You really can't break the spell?"

Loki explained with difficulty, "I said that spells are cast with the Sorcerer's Eye. If the Sorcerer's Eye is destroyed, the spell should end on its own."

Seeing the disbelief on the greedy man's face, Loki thought for a moment and offered another answer.

"The Sorcerer's Eye is an artifact of illusion, capable of dispelling all illusions and clearing away darkness. But the Reality Stone creates illusions; there is a fundamental conflict between them. And now that the Sorcerer's Eye has been destroyed, the Reality Stone may have created an indestructible illusion..."

At this point, Loki also became a little unsure of himself. He stared at the Greedy One and asked, "Did you people from Midgard already know each other?"