Odin was panting heavily; battling the Celestials was unlike conquering any other creature he'd faced before. Even with the Destroyer Armor's might, Odin barely managed to keep the Celestials at bay. To truly defeat or even kill them, he would need to use his trump card.
This decision gave Odin pause. Going all out, he might slay the Celestials, but it would leave him weakened or even gravely injured, requiring a long recovery. Yet, killing a Celestial would seal a permanent enmity, potentially erasing Asgard in the ensuing storm—a fate Odin wished to avoid.
Still, withholding his full strength made victory uncertain, especially with Asgard's fate hanging in the balance.
"I am the God King of Asgard! Even the gods must defeat me first!" Odin declared, gripping Gungnir and donning the Destroyer Armor.
Della watched from afar, moved by the sight of Odin shrouded in divine power. Such a mighty and invincible God King would eventually succumb to eternal slumber, as foretold in the original tales.
The battle's impact was profound. Had it not occurred, Odin would never have let the Valkyrie Legion perish when sealing Hela. The Valkyries were Asgard's elite forces.
This battle had evidently left both Odin and the queen severely weakened, unable to seal Hela without deploying the Valkyries to buy time for their recovery.
"Zodiac Warriors! Ascend to Asgard's peak and assist Goddess Frigga in maintaining the Asgardian barrier!" Della silently commanded his troops, readying himself for combat.
"The existence of Odin is crucial for Asgard. This battle could shape the future," Della resolved, preparing to aid Odin against the Celestials.
The Zodiac Warriors, heeding Della's call, rushed to Asgard's highest hall.
"Are these the Zodiac Warriors?" Goddess Frigga sensed their approach, her divine power mingling with the stars'.
In moments, twelve warriors surrounded Frigga, sharing the burden of Asgard's barrier, significantly easing her strain.
"Father! Stop fighting alone! Even in victory, you'll be gravely injured!" Della urged, sensing the Zodiac Warriors in position.
He ignored Odin's pride as a God King; the historical cost of this battle was too steep: the queen's incapacitation, the Valkyrie army's annihilation, and Odin's lost ambition.
Odin, hearing Della, tightened his grip on Gungnir. He knew his odds against the Celestials were slim—5.5 to 4.5—and victory would come at a high price.
"Escariba!" Della shouted, unleashing a blinding sword light aimed at the Celestials, slicing through meteorites in its path.
"Impossible! Odin's son possesses such power!" As Della unleashed his power, other cosmic beings and Sub-God Father level masters felt it. Though not as potent as Odin, Della rivaled other Sub-God Fathers.
The Celestial blocked Della's sword light, which, despite its strength, left only a mark on the Celestial's armor.
Della charged at the Celestial, using its massive form as a target. He understood his role as support—inflicting substantial damage on a Celestial was beyond him, but he could assist Odin.
Seeing Della's charge, Odin hesitated no longer, flying towards the Celestial.
"Diamond Star Fist!" Della targeted the Celestial's joint, the intense cold momentarily slowing it. Odin seized the chance, striking the Celestial's chest with Gungnir.
The Celestial felt excruciating pain, its natural armor cracking.
"Insignificant ants!" The Celestial was furious. In countless years, it had never suffered such injury. Today, it was wounded—a shock it couldn't accept.
Waves of destructive power rippled out, annihilating meteorites on contact.
"The Celestial's destructive power!" Della nearly faced the brunt of it, but Odin shielded him. Even so, Della was knocked back, tumbling through space.
The Destroyer Armor glowed with golden light, its divine power clashing directly with the destructive force.
The starry sky split between these two energies: golden divine power and red destruction, each refusing to yield.
"So powerful!" Della marveled at the spectacle, witnessing the God Father's might. This was the pinnacle of universal combat power, a force capable of obliterating stars and defying human principles.
Past comics and films couldn't capture even a fraction of this power. Only by experiencing it firsthand could one grasp its grandeur—a power to create and destroy stars, a supreme force pursued by the universe's creatures.
"This power can even withstand the end's might!" The Celestial was stunned. This divine right, meant to obliterate stars, was now being resisted by Odin, who was even gaining an upper hand.
Unacceptable. For billions of years, it had been at the universe's apex. Today, a mere cosmic being was suppressing it.
With a growing sense of foreboding, the Celestial considered retreat. The enemy had grown too powerful to defeat.