"In my younger days, I would have relished a good fight with you," Odin said, his gaze shifting to Leon as he blinked with a rare, almost mischievous expression. It was an oddly endearing contrast to the composed and dignified king he typically presented himself as.
"It's a sha. I've heard so tales of the God King in his pri," Leon replied softly, his tone tinged with subtle regret. "But I'll never truly grasp the majesty of what you were back then."
The image of Odin in his youth lood large in Leon's mind. The old man seated before him had once been a fiery, arrogant warrior. His impetuousness and bloodlust had far surpassed that of his son, Thor. And Hela, Odin's firstborn and the fearso Goddess of Death, who had been sealed away for her ambition and cruelty, was undoubtedly shaped by her father's ferocity.
Back in those days, Odin had been nothing short of a tyrant. Riding his eight-legged steed Sleipnir, wielding Gungnir, and carrying the Eternal Fla, he had razed armies, crushed realms, and slaughtered entire races. It was through such brutality that Asgard had risen to dominate the Nine Realms.
There was a ti when Odin donned the Destroyer armor, fearlessly facing off against rival pantheons. Even when battles didn't co to blows, his warlike spirit and unmatched valor had been the stuff of legend.
In the brutal reality of the universe, peace between civilizations was scarce. Intrigue, betrayal, and wars to the death over resources or power were the norm. History was written by the victors, and the losers were often erased.
Odin, too, had rewritten history. Once his ambition waned, he sealed Hela and reshaped his narrative. The blood-soaked murals depicting Asgard's violent rise were replaced with polished depictions of peace and prosperity.
To so, this made Odin a hypocrite—a king who whitewashed his past for the sake of legacy. But to Leon, this was simply reality. On Earth or among the stars, the strong ruled, the weak suffered, and fairness was an illusion.
Leon didn't dwell much on Odin's past. He was wary of the old king, certainly, but there was also a asure of respect and sothing unspoken in his thoughts.
He understood why Odin had co to him now. The old god's actions were no longer driven by unchecked ambition. In his youth, Odin would have seen soone like Leon—an anomaly capable of altering the sacred tiline—as a threat to be neutralized. He wouldn't have hesitated to kill or imprison him to uncover the source of his power.
But those days were behind him. Age had caught up to Odin, and the imnse power he once wielded now weighed too heavily on his aging body. Odin's sleep was no longer a choice but a necessity, a reprieve from the crushing burden of his strength.
The God King knew his ti was running out. His life was in its final Chapter, and unless Asgard itself faced annihilation, he would no longer unleash his full might. To do so would risk his body failing and sending him prematurely to Valhalla.
Odin had to maintain Asgard's stability until his son, Thor, matured into a worthy king. After all, Odin's violent campaigns in his early years had created countless enemies for himself and his realm. Should he fall before Thor ca into his own, those hidden adversaries would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to swarm in and tear Asgard apart.
This was why Odin ultimately decided to et Leon in person.
Leon understood this well, which was why he wasn't nervous. Even if Odin intended to fight him, he would have to consider Leon's strength and the influence of the Ancient One. The sorcerer, who had long maintained a cordial relationship with Leon—a powerful and mysterious ally—had clearly vouched for him. Aligning with soone like Leon was not a difficult choice for Odin.
As Leon had anticipated, Odin had already made his decision the mont he traveled to Earth and laid eyes on him.
Despite his age and experience, Odin couldn't entirely decipher Leon. There was sothing about the man that exuded an inexplicable sense of danger. Leon's unique combination of value and threat compelled Odin to choose caution over confrontation.
As the last light of the setting sun faded and darkness blanketed the sky, Odin stood silently, his single eye fixed on the stars that now illuminated the heavens. In one particularly bright star, he seed to see Asgard itself, and he spoke softly:
"As the Ancient One said, the next Sorcerer Supre has been chosen..."
"She is a girl of imnse talent. Congratulations. I believe that under her leadership, Kamar-Taj will shine even brighter."
Leon nodded. "Thank you. I think this role might suit the son of the God King as well. He is equally remarkable, is he not?"
As expected, Odin followed his words with a sigh. "Thor is indeed the best of my children. But unfortunately, he is still young—too reckless, too proud."
A child over two thousand years old, still considered young.
Leon smirked, his voice laced with dry humor. "For the proud son of heaven, those qualities are to be expected. But what he truly needs is a profoundly transformative stage of growth."
"Yes. Unfortunately, ti does not permit him to grow at his own pace. He needs experience, and he needs it quickly."
"I believe Earth will provide him with the lessons he needs," Leon remarked pointedly.
Odin's lips curled into a faint smile, and he nodded knowingly. After a pause, his form began to fade, leaving behind only his words:
"Asgard will always be your ally. I hope that one day, you and those children will visit Asgard as our honored guests."
Leon watched as Odin disappeared, then stretched with a sigh.
"Talking to that old fox is exhausting."
Keisha's voice chid in his mind. "Captain Leon, during the target detection mission, the King of Asgard, Odin, appears to have knowledge of the Sky Blade."
"How much does he know?"
"He was only aware that Sky Blade has a sufficiently powerful hidden chanism and that it is capable of interference. However, he couldn't fully comprehend its nature."
"Tsk, that old man is as contradictory as ever. The only way to keep him cautious is to remain mysterious. What about Sky Blade's analysis results on him?"
"The god-level unit that he is, he possess energy comparable to stellar-level power and align closely with the main god-level."
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