{Chapter: 384 Resurrection}
After hearing William's words, the twisted figure that once bore Malekith's face let out a long, jagged laugh. It echoed like the scraping of metal against glass, a sound so sharp it cut through the clouds.
"Malekith?" he mocked. "You called me Malekith? Ha… Hahaha! HAHAAHAHAHA!"
William raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Oh? Did I call you the wrong name?" He tilted his head mockingly. "Should I call you… Mister Midlife Crisis? Or perhaps Dark Elf #002? You really picked a strange moment to rebrand yourself."
The laughter stopped. The red glow behind the creature's eyes intensified. "I am Algrim," the figure snarled, his voice no longer that of a decaying king but of a warrior reborn in fury.
William blinked. "Wait—seriously?" Then he chuckled, a flicker of genuine amusement on his face. "You're Algrim? Now that's a twist. I mean, that explains a lot. I was wondering how that idiot Malekith could crawl back from the grave. But it turns out, the soul driving the corpse has changed seats. Congratulations. You upgraded from 'loyal dog' to 'undead puppeteer.' Very ambitious."
"I am no longer a servant," Algrim hissed, his voice full of grim pride. "I am the last will of the dark elves. The strength of our race lives on through me."
William mock-clapped. "Bravo. I'll give you this—that's one way to go out with flair. Now tell me, how'd you pull off this body-snatching stunt? I'm genuinely curious. If I were you, I'd be uploading the footage to YouTube."
Algrim's glowing form pulsed ominously as he lifted his chin, clearly indulging in the opportunity to explain. "Before your inevitable death, I'll grant you clarity. The dark battleship… it had collected an enormous reservoir of dark energy, meant to restore Malekith to full strength."
William nodded, listening with that same casual air of someone watching a documentary while sipping tea. "Right, I figured as much. But the tank was running low?"
Algrim smirked. "There was one missing piece. Me. The cursed stone had already given me great power—at the cost of my life. I had mere days left. So, I chose sacrifice. I decomposed my body into pure energy, feeding it into the ship."
"And let me guess…" William raised a hand. "Your soul, toughened up by the curse, didn't burn away with the rest of you."
Algrim's eyes gleamed with dark triumph. "Exactly. The cursed stone not only altered my flesh, but fortified my spirit. When my body dissolved, my soul survived—interwoven with the dark energy. I became the very fuel Malekith needed. But I didn't stop there."
"Of course you didn't," William muttered with a grin.
"I took control," Algrim said proudly, his voice swelling. "The energy core, the attacks, the defenses—everything was manipulated by my will. Malekith was merely a vessel."
William gave a low whistle. "Wow. You possessed him. That's cold. Didn't think you had it in you, Algrim. I thought you were the kind of loyal lapdog who'd jump into fire for his master—not shove him in and take his throne."
Algrim's expression darkened. "Loyalty… to incompetence leads to extinction. Malekith failed our people. He led us to ruin through arrogance and hesitation. I simply ensured that the last embers of our race would not be wasted."
William folded his arms. "So now you're the self-declared savior of the dark elves. All alone. With no race left to follow you. I hate to break it to you, but it's a little hard to rebuild an empire without citizens."
Algrim didn't flinch. "We are not truly gone. Once I take back the Aether and cast the universe into shadow once more, the dark elves will rise again. I will find and breed them—across the void, buried in time, scattered in exile. With the Aether, we can bend reality. Fate."
William smirked. "Ah yes, the classic 'reset the universe and bring back my extinct race' move. You villains really need to start updating your evil plans. I've seen this play before."
Algrim growled, fists clenched at his sides, the power around him flaring like a black sun. "Mock me all you like, William. You won't be laughing when I erase your light from this galaxy."
William's gaze narrowed, his aura beginning to glow with his own rising power. "You can try, Algrim. But let me warn you—if Malekith couldn't stop me when he had your loyalty and his own body, what makes you think you'll do better with his corpse and your secondhand rage?"
The sky darkened. Energy crackled in the air like a storm on the verge of breaking.
Algrim's expression twisted into a snarl. "I don't need to think. I only need to fight."
William laughed heartily, his voice echoing across the ruined island like thunder. "Hahaha! What a transformation. Algrim, you've really changed."
Algrim hovered in the air, cloaked in dark red energy that surged violently from his body. His expression was twisted with power and purpose. "I have changed—and I will rule this world. No, the entire universe!" he bellowed, dark energy flaring like a solar eruption.
"So dramatic," William chuckled, unshaken. "Now that's more like it. You're starting to feel like a proper final boss."
Algrim's eyes narrowed. The burst of energy around him shrank into a sharp, humming aura. "William, hand over the Aether. That's your only chance of walking away with your body still intact."
William tilted his head, as if genuinely considering the offer. "Aether? Oh, that little thing?" A flash of azure-blue light glowed above his open palm, and suddenly, the swirling dark red fluid of the Aether materialized, pulsing with ancient power.
The moment Algrim laid eyes on it, his entire being trembled with hunger. "The Aether!" he growled, eyes burning with fanaticism. "Give it to me!"
And then—whoosh!—Algrim vanished in a blink.
William casually snapped his fingers, and the Aether disappeared again. "Come on, Algrim. At least buy me dinner first."
Algrim reappeared directly above him, his hand outstretched—only to grasp at empty air. His face twisted in fury. "Where is it?! WHERE IS THE AETHER?!"
William sighed as if bored. "And I told you not to shout. Do you think volume equals results?" He rolled his eyes. "You're not getting the Aether by screaming at me like a toddler."
"Damn you!" Algrim roared, descending like a meteor. His fist ignited with dark fire as he aimed a devastating punch at William.
William grinned. "Alright, let's see what you've got."
Their fists collided.
BOOM!
A shockwave burst from the impact point, sending debris flying and rippling through the surrounding sea. William was launched backward like a cannonball, smashing into the earth and carving a deep trench until he finally crashed into a mound of rock. A wide crater formed around him.
---
Meanwhile, in the sky above—
A glowing holographic projection hovered in midair, showing a live feed of the battlefield below. Alice, Ada, the White Queen, Sif, Jane, and Pepper hovered in the sky, observing intently.
"I really didn't expect that," Ada said, arms folded. "Algrim actually took over Malekith's body. I mean, that's some horror movie stuff."
White Queen shrugged elegantly. "It's... surprisingly practical, honestly. Malekith was a failure. His corpse might as well serve someone competent."
Pepper clung to Alice's shoulders as she flew. "William…" she whispered nervously, watching the hologram as her heart raced.
"Relax," Alice said, though her own tone wasn't entirely calm. "He hasn't even gotten serious yet."
Sif rolled her eyes. "That guy… is he secretly a masochist?"
"Yep," White Queen replied without hesitation. "He has this whole weird ritual. Before any serious fight, he insists on taking a few punches first—really feeling the enemy's power. Total deviant behavior. No normal person fights like that."
---
Back on the island—
Smoke rose from the crater. Inside, William pushed himself upright with a painful grunt, coughing as he brushed dust and gravel from his shoulders. His clothes were reduced to tattered rags barely clinging to his body, and his right arm was a mess—flesh shredded, fingers bent unnaturally.
He stared at his bloody hand and broken knuckles. Then he grinned.
"Impressive. Truly impressive," he laughed, eyes burning with excitement. "Hahahaha! Now this—this is what I call a fight!"
BOOM!
Algrim dropped like a thunderbolt, landing a brutal punch aimed at William's chest.
William reacted instantly, raising his damaged arm and catching the fist mid-strike. Their powers clashed, but this time, William held firm.
"Algrim…" William said, voice calm and low as he tightened his grip around Algrim's fist. "This was just the warm-up."
"You're a fool if you think you can beat me!" Algrim snarled, pouring more strength into his assault, pushing forward with both arms.
The earth cracked beneath William's feet as he was driven back—his boots gouging deep trenches in the ground. But then… he stopped.
Algrim's eyes widened in disbelief as his opponent ceased retreating.
The air around William began to distort.
A pale green fire ignited from beneath his skin, crawling across his body like divine armor. The flames danced up his arms, flickering with eerie, ethereal light.
"What… is this power?" Algrim growled, trying to pull back—but William didn't let go.
"You like surprises, don't you?" William said, his smile returning. "Then let me give you one."
The green flame surged outward in a pulse, blowing back the air in a ring of energy and pressure.