SWWW Chapter 229: Sword Splits the Palace, Darkness Ends
With a single punch, the strongest Dark Elf warrior was sent flying out of Asgard's grand hall.
Not only the Dark Elf soldiers on the scene, but even Malekith himself was stunned.
When did Asgard gain such a figure?
"This will be over soon."
Xi Nian spoke calmly to the portal behind him, then stepped directly toward Malekith.
"You're the leader of the Dark Elves, right?"
"I had intended to let Odin and the others deal with you. But since you've come right to me, I may as well end this myself…"
His expression was calm, his tone matter-of-fact, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Quick, stop her!!"
Malekith suddenly shouted, realizing just how terrifying her power was.
But it was already too late.
Or perhaps, too early.
If Malekith hadn't interrupted Xi Nian's return to Earth, none of this would have happened. Now, he had to pay the price—
Hearing their leader's command, the Dark Elf soldiers around them raised alien rifles and even pulled out grenades capable of collapsing parts of space itself. But Xi Nian moved faster.
Clang!!
Xi Nian crossed his arms, slamming together the silver guardian bangles on each wrist. The impact rang out like a deep bell toll!!
Boom—!
Blinding golden light erupted from the silver bangles. Centered on Xi Nian, the air detonated in a wave of sound and force, unleashing a devastating shockwave outward!
The Dark Elf soldiers in the hall, caught off guard, were swept up and hurled away with their weapons!
Step!!
Malekith stomped his right foot back, cracking the golden floor beneath him to brace against the force.
"Damn it!!"
He crossed his arms to shield himself, the pale mask twisting with fury as he barely withstood the shockwave. But in his black eyes, he suddenly saw a cold, flawless figure reflected—
A black-haired youth holding a silver sword in one hand!
"Goodbye."
Xi Nian appeared before Malekith a breath later, just behind the wave of destruction.
He made no extra movements, no flashy displays of other powers.
His eyes burned with light as he gripped the Vulcan Sword, usually strapped to his back. The patterned silver blade blazed with white divine fire as he cleaved down in a single strike!
…
From outside, a Dark Elf warrior was smashed through the hall wall like a lump of meat, hurled fifty meters away into another palace building.
Thor rushed forward, tense and worried, to check what was happening inside the Asgardian hall.
But then—
His pupils shrank suddenly.
Shhh!!
A chill ran across his skin, his heart thundering in his chest.
From within the hall, a crescent-shaped arc of white light exploded outward, tearing the air as it slashed through the golden gates. It cut across the ground beside Thor, stretching a hundred meters across the palace grounds!
"What… is this…?"
Thor stared in shock as the crescent light carved a deep scar across the palace floor. Looking back toward the magnificent Asgardian hall, he saw the building itself split—clean from the rooftop all the way down to the polished golden floor beneath his boots.
The palace was nearly cut in half!
…
That night.
Asgard, the golden palace hall.
Odin sat on the throne with his staff, as Thor, cloaked in red, entered.
"Father."
"How is the battle resolved?" Odin's expression was stern.
Thor quickly replied, "All enemies have been dealt with. After the Dark Elf leader Malekith was killed, their army fell into chaos. Our warriors crushed the rest, and the escaped prisoners have been recaptured."
"But… our own suffered heavy losses."
At this, Thor's rugged face showed sorrow. He admitted reluctantly, "Though I hate to admit it, if that person hadn't slain Malekith, Asgard would have lost far more lives."
"Convinced now?" Odin's lips curved faintly.
"For now… she is indeed stronger."
Thor clenched his fists, declaring, "But I won't back down! Father, your sword—I will win it back one day!"
"As long as you don't lose heart."
Odin nodded in satisfaction, smiling. "You've grown, Thor. From now on, pursue what you truly wish in your heart."
"Yes, Father."
Thor bowed gratefully, but then remembered something. "By the way. Malekith's corpse was… strange."
"Strange? How?" Odin frowned.
"His body was split in half by a sword. But when our soldiers examined him, they found that his heart was already gone before the blade struck."
Thor furrowed his brow. "Father, do the Dark Elves not have hearts?"
"No."
Odin shook his head. "The heart is the source of a Dark Elf's power, the core of their energy, the hardest part of their body."
"Then where did his heart go…" Thor muttered, troubled by a strange sense of unease.
"Perhaps it was destroyed in the war a hundred thousand years ago, by the former King of Asgard." Odin mused. "I will order an investigation."
"But—"
Thor tried to speak further, but Odin cut him off. "You are tired. Go rest."
"Yes."
Thor nodded, lifting his cloak as he strode out of the hall.
Once Thor was gone, Odin suddenly smirked darkly.
"What do I care about some Dark Elf? Foolish Thor… always worrying about such things…"
His form shifted—
The golden-armored figure of Odin morphed into a black-haired youth in a dark robe, his expression wicked.
…
Meanwhile, somewhere in the universe.
Deep beneath the ancient burial ground of the Dark Elves, where the Aether particles had been sealed away for tens of thousands of years—
The place was as ever: vast, cold, and lifeless.
Thump!
Suddenly, from within a floating black meteorite came a sound—like a heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The beating grew louder, echoing through the ancient tomb.
Crack—
Fragments of stone broke away, revealing what lay hidden inside.
It was a pitch-black heart, pulsing with life despite being detached.
And at its very core, one could faintly make out the outline of a strange ring.
The living, powerful heart cradled the ring as if nurturing it like an egg.
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