Chapter 41: Clash of the Titans - The Nine Realm Tournament Begins!

Main Colosseum Arena, Ancient city of Vanir

As the scene unfolds, the main arena now comes into view, reminiscent of a grand Roman colosseum, but with a futuristic touch of floating screens hovering in mid-air. At each of the entrances where the fighters emerge, platforms with eight portals await their arrival. The spectators fill the stands, and the arena buzzes with excitement as people from all over the Nine Realms and beyond gather to witness these epic battles.

As the crowd builds anticipation, a large whirlpool of water appears above one of the podiums, and from it emerges Njord, a powerful being with control over water and ruler of the realm. As he steps out, the colosseum falls silent, and all eyes turn towards the sky. A shooting star-like figure darts towards him, but as it draws near, it becomes evident that it is a being made entirely of silver, hovering on a silver board. He stops in front of Njord and looks down at the crowd below, announcing himself as a herald of Galactus.

Everyone's expression changes instantly at this revelation. Njord, seemingly unfazed, then proceeds to explain the rules of the tournament. The preliminaries will be one-on-one battles on the platforms. If your opponent is defeated through knockout, death, or surrender, you win the round. Everything goes in these fights—weapons, powers, abilities—anything is allowed. Njord emphasizes the stakes of the tournament, reminding the fighters that they are fighting not only for themselves but also for their realms, their homes, their planets, and for some, even for revenge.

As for how the fighters are chosen to fight, Njord directs everyone's attention to the main screen above. The screen displays black outlines of all the fighters in small boxes, yet their identities are obscured, leaving everyone in suspense. It's like a character select screen from a Street Fighter game, but all the characters are unknown.

Njord announces that two fighters will be selected at random for each of the nine platforms. There will be a total of three preliminary rounds for each platform. As Njord floats down to his throne, Silver Surfer stands beside him. With a commanding voice, Njord declares, "Let the Nine Realm Tournament BEGIN!" The anticipation reaches its peak as everyone eagerly awaits the first pair of fighters to be chosen for the main arena.

In a flash of white light, two names appear on the screen, and the crowd gasps in excitement. The first match will be between the Prince of Asgard and the God of Thunder, Thor, and his opponent from the planet Strontian, the new Imperial Guard for the Shi'ar Empire, Kallark, better known as Gladiator.

The chapter ends with the crowd roaring in anticipation as the two powerful fighters prepare to face off in the epic battle that will set the tone for the entire tournament.