Chapter 402: 402 The Final Stand Against Fate!
Obliteration Blade!
A flash of lightning split the air as Kagura's silver blade shimmered with an overwhelming force—energy gathered from repelling Hela's deadly strikes.
Power swirled along the weapon's edge, enough that if released carelessly, it could probably reduce an entire city to rubble.
Obliteration Blade—her perfect counterattack skill. The stronger the enemy's assault, the more terrifying its return blow.
Her slender vibranium blade carved through the air, slicing space itself like a thread of silver light.
'Zing—!'
In that instant, Kagura and Hela crossed paths—two shadows dancing at the peak of combat.
A thunderclap cracked overhead, freezing the moment in time like a masterpiece painted upon the canvas of the world.
"Oh? You're reflecting my own power back at me?" Hela smirked, a hint of amusement in her voice. "How interesting, little sister. I underestimated you."
A fracture split across Hela's obsidian blade, a hairline crack marring its perfect surface.
Then a thin crimson line appeared on her cheek. A single bead of blood slowly formed and dripped down, catching the light like a ruby tear.
"Pity. That's all you've got? Impressive power... but not quite enough."
"Wha... what?!"
On the other side, the silver-haired girl's golden eyes trembled, wide with disbelief.
'Clang—!'
A sharp, metallic snap rang out.
Kagura's beloved vibranium blade—her trusted companion—split cleanly in two.
The broken pieces clattered to the ground with a hollow, soul-crushing noise.
'Splurt—!'
Blood sprayed from her slender frame.
Agonizing pain followed, sharp and merciless.
Kagura's knees buckled, and she collapsed, one hand clutching at the ground as her teeth clenched tight.
"No..."
"There's nothing impossible about it, my poor sister," Hela said with cold amusement, casually turning her face toward the wounded girl.
Her expression was calm—playful, even.
"Your power is truly impressive. Reversing my own force back onto me... you deserve praise. But sadly—"
Hela raised her hands. In an instant, her shattered blade was whole again, as pristine and lethal as ever. She strode slowly toward Kagura.
"—even the mightiest power is useless when paired with pathetic, fragile tools like yours."
"You really thought vibranium—the so-called strongest metal on Earth—would let you defy me without consequence?"
Hela chuckled softly.
"That man-made vibranium of yours... simulated molecular bonds or not... against weapons wielded by gods, it's no stronger than a cracker. It crumbles with the slightest touch."
"Guh... you've got a point," Kagura muttered with a weak smile. At least she wouldn't lose in spirit. "Guess I'll need to upgrade my gear... next time... cough, cough..."
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, staining her pale lips.
The wound was deep—her entire side torn open, her body trembling as pain ravaged every nerve.
A crimson liquid oozed from the gash, flowing down her flawless white skin like spilled paint.
Though it looked like blood, this glowing red substance wasn't quite human—it was the energy fluid that powered her body's systems: circulation, energy transfer, cooling.
Functionally identical to blood, but something more.
In the ten years since arriving in the Marvel Universe, Kagura had never taken a hit this severe.
As expected of Hela, Goddess of Death. A being who once rivaled Odin himself...
But no matter.
If you never get hurt—what's the point of having healing skills?!
[Energy Activation—Regenerative Protocol: Engaged]
Her repair function, already prepared in advance, sparked to life.
A cool blue glow spread from her core energy node, racing through her body like flowing circuits.
The brutal wound on her abdomen—deep enough to nearly bisect her—began closing at visible speed.
"Oh? Self-repair?" Hela chuckled, gripping her black blade tighter. "Interesting. Seems like slowly toying with you isn't an option after all. I'll have to erase you completely, little sister."
"In your dreams!"
The moment her wound sealed, Kagura kicked her acceleration module into overdrive—vanishing from Hela's sight in an instant.
'Zing—!'
A flash of orange light ignited in her hands. Dimensional energy crackled from her palms, forming two radiant blades conjured entirely from secret arcane arts.
Sharper than any sword forged by man. Harder than any known material.
Electric arcs danced along the glowing edges, roaring with thunderous power as Kagura slashed at Hela's unguarded back.
'Clang!'
Hela's blade materialized out of thin air, blocking the assault with ease.
'Whoosh—!'
A violent shockwave burst outward, rending the battlefield as though heaven and earth themselves were being torn asunder.
'Clang! Clang! Clang-clang-clang!'
Blade met blade in a furious storm of light and sparks, their weapons moving too fast for the eye to follow.
'Scrreeech—!'
Their blades locked tight, each trying to force the other down.
'Whoosh—!'
A surge of wind erupted, scattering orange motes of energy through the air as the sound of thunder rumbled all around.
"Kagura... you couldn't hurt me even with that grand attack earlier. What makes you think these pitiful, desperate swings will fare any better?" Hela smiled cruelly, barely exerting any effort as she parried the furious strikes.
"Your dimensional sorcery is amusing, I'll admit... but your blade cannot reach me. You're still far too weak."
Tch... she's strong.
No wonder. The Goddess of Death from Asgard... of course she's strong!
Kagura gritted her teeth, her mind racing for a plan as their blades clashed again and again.
Hela's overwhelming power was no surprise.
She was on an entirely different level from every opponent Kagura had faced so far...
Aside from beings like Dormammu, every other enemy Kagura had faced before—whether it was Whiplash, the Extremis-enhanced soldiers, Ultron, or even the Chitauri army—was merely on par with Earth's mightiest heroes.
But Hela... she was something else entirely.
A cosmic-level threat who stood on equal footing with the All-Father Odin himself—perhaps even far surpassing Thor. Her power defied human understanding; no scientific measure could hope to define her strength.
After all, only someone as terrifyingly strong as Hela could have led Asgard's legions to conquer the Nine Realms, crushing countless advanced civilizations beneath her heel, forcing them to kneel before Asgard's might.
So then... how exactly was she supposed to defeat this near-invincible, dangerously seductive goddess of death?
Steel clashed and sparks flew as Kagura fought with everything she had, but Hela... Hela looked like she was merely watching, amused, observing her like a curious cat toying with its prey.
Her core energy had already dropped below 50%, though it was enough to hold on for a little while longer.
The auxiliary core remained at 100%, but of all the techniques Kagura had mastered, only Core Overload seemed like it might do something—barely.
Nothing else in her arsenal could offer a clear advantage against someone like Hela.
As for the powers granted by the Infinity Stones she had gathered—yes, they might tip the scales... but her QP reserves were critically low. Reckless use wasn't an option.
She needed to strike at the perfect moment or not at all.
And honestly, with only five QP points remaining, she wasn't even sure what kind of effect they'd trigger when activating the Stones.
If all they produced was some cheap parlor trick, it would do nothing to change the outcome of this desperate battle.
What about outside help?
The YoRHa units?
Orbital bombardment?
The Avengers?
Griffin Security Services?
Maybe even Wanda's Chaos Magic could make a difference against Hela?
No... none of that would work.
Sacrificing allies and risking meaningless losses wasn't a real solution.
Hela was the kind of monster who could wipe out Asgard's elite royal guards in the blink of an eye.
Trying to overwhelm her with numbers would be nothing short of laughable self-deception.
If Kagura really had access to an ally strong enough to crush the Goddess of Death, she wouldn't have bothered scouring the universe for the Infinity Stones in the first place.
She could have just sat at home, sipping tea, waiting for Thanos to show up for his inevitable defeat.
The silver-haired girl's golden eyes narrowed.
Looks like... there's no simple way out of this.
Relying on backup wasn't an option. What kind of so-called "superhero" would she be if the moment things got tough, she just started looking for someone else to clean up the mess?
No... she knew exactly why she was standing here, blades drawn, facing off against Hela.
It was to save them.
She already had the Space Stone in her possession. She could've escaped, left Hela to her fate, let Asgard burn as destiny demanded.
As long as she ultimately defeated Thanos, half the universe would be saved—mission complete.
But... no. Absolutely not.
If she left now, after Ragnarök, Thor would lose everything. His family... his people... his home. The worst future imaginable for him.
Kagura had sworn, ever since the moment she arrived in this world, that she would carve out happy endings for everyone she cared about. No exceptions.
And so... she would fight. Fight for her foolish, impossible conviction.
She would fight to save Hela from herself. Fight to stop Asgard's fall. Fight to protect Thor from the cruel fate of losing everything to Ragnarök.
She had to stop Hela here. Now.
Everyone knew reasoning with someone like Hela was impossible.
Try to negotiate, and she'd probably just slaughter you on the spot without listening to a word.
In Hela's eyes, everything in existence existed solely to kneel before her. She was the one and only queen of the universe.
The only way to make the Goddess of Death listen was to make her yield—with overwhelming strength.
That meant... there was only one path forward.
She had to push herself even harder.
So be it.
Bring it on.
Fight... fight until the bitter end!
I will never give up. Never!
Goddess of Death? Invincible legend? I refuse to believe such nonsense!
Dimensional energy surged wildly around her, climbing to the very limits of what her body could withstand.
Kagura's assault grew sharper, fiercer—her sword strikes blazing like meteor showers, so fast they tore the air into deadly, slicing winds that scarred the earth itself.
Don't give up... don't give up... never give up!
Blade clashed against blade as they danced their furious duet in the heart of the storm.
Watch closely, Hela!
This is the path to a new destiny—one born from my stubborn will alone!
Whether it's Hela... or Thor... I'll drag you both toward a future untouched by Ragnarök!
A future of my own making.
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