The combined number of the Flame Demon Legion and the Asgard Legion exceeded five million, so densely packed that there was almost no end in sight. It was like two immense waves crashing together.
Almost instantly, blood, roars, and corpses became the theme of the battlefield. Fire demons and Asgardian warriors were dying every minute and every second.
The Asgardian army was far outnumbered by the demonic army. However, their individual strength and combat formations were superior to those of the Demon Legion. Moreover, Asgard was far ahead of the Demon Legion in terms of weaponry and technology.
Purely in terms of combat effectiveness, the sturdy Asgardian soldiers were not inferior to the far more numerous demon forces. Even as the battle began and the killing escalated, the Asgardians' momentum was momentarily suppressed by the demon legion.
However, what truly determined the outcome of this war was high-end combat power—Thor, the gods, Wanda, and others versus Surtur.
Sif and the Warriors Three were simply unable to intervene in such a high-stakes battle.
As a proper first-tier Sky Father-level warrior, Surtur was fighting on his home turf, making his strength and combat power terrifying to behold.
Thor and the other gods were very powerful, but none of them were even sub-Sky Father level. The only sub-Sky Father on the field was Wanda. Pietro, with his high-speed abilities, was barely considered a pseudo-Sky Father.
Before the battle began, Thor's impassioned declaration had stirred their spirits, his fighting will surging. Yet when the war actually started, Thor truly realized how terrifying the Sky Father class was.
When Thor faced Surtur, he unleashed all his power. Controlling storms and thunder, he summoned an endless barrage of lightning, raining it down on Surtur's massive form. The thick, dense lightning—powerful enough to destroy a city—merely grazed Surtur's skin.
It was as if Thor was giving him a bath. It didn't hurt or itch; in fact, it felt mildly soothing.
This unshakable resilience shocked Thor and the gods.
Standing in the sky, Surtur's eyes gleamed like molten fire. His red cloak billowed in the fierce wind as he swung the Twilight Sword in a sweeping arc, releasing a torrent of scorching air that blew the surrounding gods away.
"Damn it! This guy's body is too strong," Thor muttered under his breath.
"Fortunately..." Thor's headache was momentarily alleviated by the fact that he wasn't alone. He glanced at Wanda and the others.
Compared to the gods, Wanda, Natasha, Sergei, and Gennady performed more brilliantly.
While Thor and the gods' attacks carried some force of will, they couldn't truly harm someone as powerful as Surtur.
Natasha, Sergei, and the others, however, were different.
They were far more agile than Thor and the gods, employing a variety of techniques. Their long-range flying slashes, though not enough to sever Surtur's massive body, were sharp enough to cut his skin.
More importantly, they combined their attacks with overlord-colored and armament haki, which inflicted internal damage and disrupted Surtur's mental focus.
Though these injuries were small, the cumulative pain and damage became significant over time.
Years of high-intensity training and genetic serum injections had transformed Natasha into a physical powerhouse. Like Thor, her strength grew as the battle wore on. Stirred by emotion, she fought with unyielding determination, breaking through limits like a Saint Seiya—her power escalating with every clash.
This allowed Natasha and her team to relentlessly unleash flying slash attacks for days on end without breaking a sweat.
And then there was Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, with her sub-Sky Father combat power.
Not only was Wanda as formidable as Natasha and the others, but her mastery of both black and white magic, combined with her chaos magic, made her a true force to be reckoned with. As long as her mental energy held out, Wanda could wield chaos magic indefinitely, unlike the mages of Kamar-Taj, who had limitations.
With a reliable frontline to shield her, Wanda unleashed an array of magic with gleeful precision, even targeting Surtur with large-scale ice magic.
Surtur roared in frustration, intent on eliminating Wanda first.
However, Wanda's life-saving abilities as a mage were top-notch. Layers of magic shields surrounded her, Thor, Natasha, and the others, absorbing Surtur's attacks. Chaos magic, with its near-limitless versatility, kept her protected and in control.
If Wanda's power had been closer to Surtur's, she would have dragged him into the Mirror Dimension, where reality itself would bend to her will.
Wanda and Sergei fought with unbridled enthusiasm.
To Surtur, they were like ants harassing an elephant. Though he swung and struck at them, he only managed to shatter their shields, which Wanda immediately restored.
Frustrated and enraged, Surtur grew increasingly irritable.
Meanwhile, in New York, Leon drove along the coastline in a sleek McLaren sports car, with Skye sitting beside him. He dropped her off with gentlemanly grace, never once crossing any boundaries.
This moved Skye deeply. Having grown up in a harsh, unforgiving world, she had rarely encountered someone as genuinely kind and respectful as Leon.
Convinced of his integrity, Skye decided to pursue him.
Though her straightforward nature as an American girl encouraged her to act boldly, she couldn't bring herself to confess her feelings right away. Instead, she resolved to meet with Leon more often in the future.
Little did she know, her thoughts weren't lost on Leon. As he watched her enter the RV she called home, he sighed helplessly, aware of her growing affection.
Driving away, he left Skye watching him from the window, her heart full of hope.