This kind of game between higher levels isn't just about lives, morality, or simple decisions. The boundaries being crossed might include the fates of entire countries—or stretch across thousands, even tens of thousands of years into the future.
Only now did Natasha truly realize it. Her perspective had suddenly expanded, and she understood how limiting a narrow mindset could be.
Although she still had some lingering doubts, she couldn't help but take a deep breath as she imagined the three-way game between Leon, Odin, and the Ancient One. It was terrifying.
Now, she finally understood why beings like them were called God and Sky Father.
Decisions that seemed incomprehensible, even cruel, to ordinary people took on an entirely different meaning at this level. Too many thoughts lay beneath the surface—thoughts that defied description.
For example, Loki had openly declared war between Asgard and Muspelheim. Odin knew exactly what Loki was trying to do, yet he stood by and allowed him to seize the Eternal Flame and plunder untold riches.
Loki had chosen to free Surtur, igniting a war between Muspelheim and Asgard.
Because of that decision, thousands of Asgardian warriors had died.
And that was with the intervention of Natasha and Wanda. Had they not participated, the death toll would have been even higher.
Odin allowed the war to begin.
To an outsider, that decision seemed utterly cold-blooded. But for Odin, the All-Father—the ruler of Asgard—it was the only logical choice.
Because if Asgard was to become great again, then only Thor and Loki could lead it. From Odin's perspective, this war was necessary to shape them into the leaders Asgard needed.
These high-level games and decisions were things ordinary people could never comprehend. It wasn't about making decisions on impulse. Every move had to consider the future—the consequences, the ripple effects, the unseen dangers.
Just thinking about it made Natasha shake her head.
Thankfully, unlike Odin, Leon was still young. He didn't need to think that far ahead—not yet.
At that thought, Natasha suddenly burst into laughter.
"I just realized," she mused, "the love and hate between Loki and Thor feels like something straight out of a dramatic American TV show."
"It's fate," Leon replied." Those two will always fight each other... and always save each other."
As they spoke, the sound of commotion echoed from downstairs. There was no need to guess—the guys were back.
Leon and Natasha exchanged smiles before getting up to get dressed and freshen up.
Once they finished, they made their way downstairs.
As expected, they found Pietro, Sergei, and the others gathered around the spacious dining table in the living room, enjoying a sumptuous breakfast. Among them were four little ones, happily digging into their meals.
The loudest of the group? Pietro and Sergei—of course.
Leon and Natasha casually greeted everyone before sitting down. The housekeepers and maids promptly handed them bowls and utensils.
Natasha, cutting into her steak with practiced ease, glanced at the two arguing men and asked, "What are they on about this time?"
Clarice, the little girl sitting beside her, looked up and chirped, "Pietro's arguing with Sergei about the theory of resonance."
"Resonance?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, ruffling Clarice's hair before popping a bite of beef into her mouth. She watched the debate unfold with amusement.
Leon, on the other hand, was far less interested. He focused on eating.
"Believe me," Pietro said, drinking his milk smugly, "I can do a lot with resonance. If I wanted to, I could kill most of the people on Earth."
Sergei snorted. "You're kidding yourself. Your resonance is still a half-baked mess. Your little stunt against Surtur already proved it."
Pietro scowled.
Sergei leaned forward, his tone sharp.
"Yes, your resonance lets you bypass external defenses and attack internally—but even if you perfect it, if your opponent's body is physically strong enough or has powerful regeneration, your attack will be useless."
He scoffed. "You're not invincible in resonance mode."
The rest of the group nodded in agreement, including Gennady, who had grown into a sharp young man.
As their understanding of life and evolution deepened, so did their intelligence. Every single person at the table—even compared to Tony Stark—was already among the world's top minds.
If they chose to become scientists, they could master every relevant field in a single year.
And, in fact, many of them were studying.
The principles of resonance weren't difficult to grasp. It was a matter of physics, molecular structure, and atomic vibration.
The biggest limitation?
Pietro's body.
His power let him vibrate at high frequencies to phase through objects—but if his own cellular strength wasn't superior to his target's, he would be the one to die.
And that was just for solid objects. If a shield or electromagnetic field strong enough was present, his attack would fail completely.
So while resonance was deadly in specific situations, it wasn't an all-powerful technique.
And the risks?
Enormous.
If Sergei focused entirely on countering Pietro's resonance, Pietro's ability would be rendered useless.
Of course, Pietro didn't need resonance to kill Sergei.
Leon, still eating, nodded in understanding.
Pietro's ability—moving at high speed and vibrating at extreme frequencies—was eerily similar to The Flash.
However, unlike the Flash, Pietro didn't have the Speed Force.
The Speed Force protected the Flash's cells, letting him bypass these weaknesses.
Pietro had no such luxury.
Sergei was right—resonance was just a trump card, not an all-encompassing power.
But that didn't mean it lacked potential.
Its true strength would depend on how Pietro developed it.