The sky over Asgard was as blue and clear as ever.
But today, it was far from peaceful.
Uninvited guests loomed above—the massive, palace-like Dark Elf warship overshadowing the battlefield.
Against its vast backdrop, Superman and Malekith appeared small in comparison. Yet, the pressure they exerted was anything but insignificant.
Every Asgardian and Dark Elf on the battlefield felt it—an overwhelming, inescapable presence.
All around them, the war raged on.
Thor, locked in battle, fought fiercely against the relentless enemy assault. The Dark Elf fleet, despite suffering heavy losses, remained a formidable force.
Though Superman and Thor had already taken down hundreds of enemy warships, the Dark Elves' thousands of years of preparation could not be so easily undone.
Had it not been for the majority of the fleet focusing their firepower on Asgard's palace—keeping Odin occupied—Asgard itself would have already been reduced to ruins.
Under the watchful eyes of the battlefield, Malekith's attack on Superman had failed.
The blow missed completely.
All that remained was a fading afterimage.
The sight sent another shockwave of disbelief through the onlookers, a stark reminder of Superman's overwhelming speed and power.
It felt like déjà vu—just like when he had first appeared, effortlessly taking down dozens of Dark Elf warships in mere moments.
Jane Foster clung tightly to Superman's neck, her face flushed.
Beneath the fear in her eyes lay something else—deep, unrelenting panic.
Superman's sheer acceleration had nearly thrown her brain out of her skull.
No normal human could withstand the forces he was generating.
In the original timeline, Clark Kent had flown with Lois Lane many times.
Though she had struggled to breathe, she had never suffered serious harm—beyond the occasional fright.
Now, Anton, in his Superman form, was moving at speeds that should have torn Jane apart.
But she was fine.
Why?
The answer was simple—his bio-field.
Superman's body emitted a natural energy field, one that extended around Jane, shielding her from the sheer forces at play.
Her bones didn't snap.
Her blood vessels didn't rupture.
Her eyeballs didn't bulge out of their sockets.
Physically, she was safe.
But mentally—she was on the verge of breaking.
Her breathing was ragged, her mind teetering on the edge of panic.
Anton felt her rapid heartbeat and spoke gently.
"Don't worry."
His voice was calm, steady—unshakable.
"Hold on just a little longer. This will all be over soon."
"Ahhh!"
Jane barely had time to react before—
BOOM!
Superman moved.
In an instant, he was right in front of Malekith.
And then—he punched.
A simple, unassuming fist.
No elaborate movements.
No theatrics.
No unnecessary flair.
Just a single punch. To the onlookers, it seemed… underwhelming.
A basic attack.
Nothing special.
But to Malekith—
The instant Superman's fist moved, Malekith's instincts screamed at him.
The force behind the punch was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
The sheer wind pressure alone rattled his very core.
His body tensed. His mind calculated.
He needed to dodge.
Just like Superman, he had the speed to evade.
But—
Superman's eyes locked onto him.
And in that moment—
Malekith knew.
He couldn't dodge.
He couldn't move.
The realization hit like a death sentence.
He could only watch—
As Superman, with Jane Foster in one arm, threw a single, effortless punch with the other.
A punch that was now rocketing toward his face.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar shook the sky.
At the moment Superman's fist collided with Malekith's cheek, a visible shockwave exploded outward.
The air rippled violently, transforming into a devastating air current that spread across the sky and the land below.
In an instant—all of Asgard felt its impact.
Malekith took the full force of the blow.
His pale face swelled instantly, and his body shot backward like a black streak across the sky—
Slamming straight into the mountain wall near Asgard's palace.
BOOM!!
The sheer force of impact blasted a massive crater into the mountain's surface.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The rock face fractured on impact, spiderweb cracks spreading rapidly across the entire mountainside.
Chunks of stone and debris rained down, triggering a small avalanche, completely burying Malekith beneath the rubble.
For a brief moment—no one spoke.
Then, the battlefield erupted into stunned disbelief.
The Asgardians—their eyes wide with awe.
The Dark Elves—their expressions frozen in horror.
Even those who had been fiercely attacking moments ago hesitated, shaken by what they had just witnessed.
"The leader was actually…"
A Dark Elf warrior, his voice trembling, stared at the devastation.
"Impossible."
Malekith—their most powerful warrior, the greatest force of the Dark Elves, a being capable of facing a thousand foes alone—
Had been sent flying in a single punch.
Who was this man?
The Dark Elves had only just returned to the Nine Realms after centuries of exile.
They had never heard of Superman before.
Had something happened in the Nine Realms while they were gone?
Had a being even stronger than Odin, the so-called All-Father, emerged in their absence?
The reaction was the complete opposite.
A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd, their excitement overflowing.
"WHO IS HE?!"
"ASGARD IS UNSTOPPABLE!"
"NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE ALL-FATHER!"
Their faces flushed with exhilaration, their eyes fixed on Superman's unmoving form.
A warrior so powerful he could deliver such a punch while carrying a woman in his arms?
To them—he was the future of Asgard.
The golden-eyed guardian let out a wry chuckle.
He could already imagine what would happen if these warriors found out the truth.
That this mighty being—the man they were cheering for, the man who had effortlessly crushed Malekith—
Wasn't even from Asgard.
That he was, in fact, from Midgard.
From that backwater planet they had long dismissed as insignificant.
If they knew…
They'd probably lose their minds.
The silence was shattered by the sound of shifting stone.
CRACK!
Buried beneath the mountain of debris, Malekith forced his way out.
His body ached, his head was covered in dust and wounds, but it was only superficial damage.
Yet—it wasn't the pain that made his expression dark.
It was the realization.
Superman was not just an obstacle.
He was something far, far worse.
His greatest enemy wasn't Odin.
It wasn't Asgard.
It was this unknown warrior.
The one standing above him, watching from the sky.
Malekith's eyes narrowed as he stared up at Superman, his mind racing.
"You're not from Asgard."
His voice was measured, yet calculated.
Malekith was a warrior, but he was also a strategist.
He had observed everything—
Superman's power.
Superman's movements.
And most importantly—
Superman's energy.
It was different. Completely different.
Unlike Odin's magic or Asgardian physiology, this power felt alien—something entirely unique.
Which meant…
He could be turned.
"You're not like them."
Malekith spoke slowly, his tone shifting—no longer hostile, but… persuasive.
"Your power… it doesn't belong to the Asgardians."
"You have a different bloodline."
He was careful with his words, watching for Superman's reaction.
If he could plant a seed of doubt—
If he could convince him—
Then maybe… just maybe…
Malekith's lips curled into a smirk.
"Why fight for them?"
He spread his arms, his voice dripping with temptation.
"Join me."
"Forget Asgard. Forget Odin."
"Stand at my side, and I will give you everything."
"Help me, and I will make you the new King of Asgard."
He let his words hang in the air, waiting.
Hoping.
Would Superman take the bait?
His voice was not loud, but it carried an almost hypnotic power, resonating across all of Asgard.
Malekith's words weren't just meant to tempt Superman—they were also a strategic move.
A way to sow doubt among the Asgardians.
A way to revive the morale of the Dark Elves.
"What?! He's not an Asgardian?!"
"So what? As long as he fights for us, we accept him!"
"Yes! He's one of us!"
The Asgardians shouted in defiance, but their nervous expressions betrayed their fear.
Even as they spoke, their eyes remained locked onto Superman, their uncertainty clear.
Would he… turn against them?
Would he… join Malekith instead?
Anton—Superman—had remained calm all this time.
But after hearing Malekith's offer—he suddenly laughed.
A loud, unrestrained laugh.
"Malekith…"
His eyes glowed with amusement.
"No wonder the Dark Elves lost to Bor."
Malekith's expression darkened.
"What do you mean?"
The mention of Bor, Odin's father—the one who had defeated the Dark Elves and forced them into exile—was enough to ignite his rage.
"That war... I won't even get into why it started."
Anton's voice remained calm, almost casual.
"But after Bor defeated you, he didn't seize power."
"He didn't rule over you. He simply sealed the Aether."
"You know that better than anyone… otherwise, you wouldn't be here today."
A heavy silence followed.
Malekith's jaw tightened.
Anton's words had hit too close to home.
This wasn't just an insult—this was digging up history and throwing it in his face.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Malekith's fists clenched.
He wanted nothing more than to crush the man before him—
But deep down, he knew he couldn't.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to words in the first place.
Anton tilted his head slightly, eyes shining with amusement.
"I'm saying that your ambition has blinded you."
"That you understand yourself far less than others understand you."
Malekith's brows furrowed.
Anton's smile widened.
"Why would I ever obey you? Or the Dark Elves?"
"Do you really think Asgard means anything to me?"
Malekith's expression twisted in rage.
"You think just because you knocked me down once—"
"No."
Anton cut him off, his voice firm.
"You think Asgard's throne is something that could tempt me?"
His words echoed through Asgard—sharp, absolute.
And in that moment—both the Asgardians and the Dark Elves understood.
This man would never switch sides.
But he also didn't belong to them.
The realization was unsettling.
To both sides—he was too powerful. Too independent.
He was… simply too arrogant.
Anton's eyes gleamed with quiet dominance.
"If I wanted those things…"
"…I'd just take them."
His voice dripped with certainty.
"If something is meant to be mine, no one can take it from me."
"And if something isn't mine, but I want it—"
"…then I'll take it anyway."
His words sent a cold chill through the battlefield.
"But if I don't want something…"
"…even if the whole world forces it upon me, I won't take it."
Silence.
A deep, oppressive silence spread across the battlefield.
Anton's gaze locked onto Malekith.
"So, tell me…"
"…are you ready to die?"
Malekith fell silent.
He stared at the man before him—this unshakable force, standing there without a single energy fluctuation, yet as immovable as a mountain.
His rage boiled.
His pride screamed.
His fingers tightened into fists.
"You think you've already won?"
His voice was filled with seething anger.
To him—this was humiliating beyond words.
He was the leader of the Dark Elves.
And yet, this man—this outsider—was dismissing him entirely.
Anton remained unfazed.
His expression remained calm.
"It's not about thinking, Malekith."
"You're already dead in my eyes."
And then—
BOOM!!
Anton's eyes flashed red.
A searing beam of heat vision tore through the battlefield, striking the ground with devastating force.
An earth-shattering explosion erupted—
And Malekith was engulfed in fire.
At the foot of the mountain near the palace, where Malekith had been standing, the ground melted into a lake of magmaunder the devastating impact of Superman's heat vision.
In the center of the molten chaos, Malekith hovered just above the searing-hot, smoke-covered magma, his hands raised high above his head.
Of course, this wasn't a gesture of surrender.
Instead, Malekith was channeling all of his energy, forming a shimmering shield—a defensive barrier similar to the divine power shields wielded by Asgardians.
BOOM!
Malekith gritted his teeth, resisting the onslaught of heat vision with everything he had.
The Asgardians roared with excitement.
Superman's unshakable arrogance from earlier? They didn't mind it at all.
To them, power justified everything.
A warrior who had the strength to back up his words deserved respect, no matter how arrogant he was.
RUMBLE!
RUMBLE!!
Malekith struggled to hold his ground, enduring Superman's relentless attack.
But he wasn't giving up.
WHOOSH!
In a sudden burst of movement, he clenched his fists and countered with a surge of energy rays, aiming straight at Superman.
But—
Superman had already moved.
The moment Malekith launched his attack, Superman vanished.
The only thing left behind was a fading afterimage, dissolving into thin air.
And then—
WHOOSH!
Superman reappeared right in front of Malekith, Jane Foster still in his arms, as if he had just traveled through time and space.
"You—?!"
Malekith's eyes widened in shock.
A wave of dread crashed over him, his scalp tingling with the realization—
Danger.
He couldn't react in time.
BOOM!
Before he could even process what was happening, his body was sent flying once again, crashing into the mountain wall behind him.
Pain exploded through his body.
His mind lagged behind, still stuck in the previous second, unable to comprehend—
But Superman wasn't finished.
In a flash, Superman closed the distance, moving even faster than Malekith's body could fall.
And then—
CRASH!
Like a human cannonball, Superman slammed Malekith against the jagged mountain, reaching out with a single hand and grabbing him by the throat.
"H-He—H-He—"
A choked, gasping sound escaped Malekith's lips.
Superman—still holding Jane Foster in one arm—lifted Malekith effortlessly into the air.
With his other hand, his fingers tightened around the Dark Elf's throat.
Then, slowly—methodically—
He rose into the sky.
All across the battlefield, eyes widened in awe and terror.
The Asgardians.
The Dark Elves.
Both friend and foe watched in stunned silence as Superman achieved total victory—
Absolute. Overwhelming. Unquestionable.
His dominance in this war was undeniable.
…
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