With a wave of her hand, Hela summoned two longswords, one in each hand.
"Sparring? Aren't you afraid they'll die here?" she sneered.
Gilgamesh stepped forward, cosmic energy forming into gleaming gauntlets over his arms.
"Let's see who's more likely to die," he countered.
Hela darted forward, closing the distance in an instant. Her weapon thrust toward Gilgamesh's chest with deadly precision, aiming to end him swiftly.
Gilgamesh, however, met her charge head-on, throwing a powerful punch.
"Boom!"
The sheer force of his blow shattered Hela's sword, and she was sent hurtling to the side.
Despite his apparent success, Gilgamesh remained vigilant, watching her closely.
Hela twisted in midair, dissipating the impact as she landed lightly on her feet.
"What strength," she remarked with a glint of interest in her eyes.
The next second, countless swords materialized around her, hovering ominously in the air before shooting toward Gilgamesh at blinding speed. The attack encompassed a wide area, enveloping not only him but also Charles and Thena.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The flying swords sliced through the air with a terrifying whistle, closing in on their targets in the blink of an eye.
"Hiraishin!"
Charles teleported away instantly, reappearing at a safe distance. He deliberately left Thena behind, knowing she could handle herself.
Thena reacted without hesitation, summoning a shield and spear. She skillfully blocked with her shield while swatting away the flying swords with swift, calculated strikes.
Gilgamesh, meanwhile, smashed through the onslaught with a flurry of powerful punches, each one obliterating a sword in his path.
As the two fought off the barrage, Hela lunged toward Gilgamesh, her swords slicing through the air with lethal precision.
"Clang! Clang!"
Gilgamesh parried two strikes in quick succession, but the third sword grazed his cheek, drawing a streak of blood.
A sly smirk crept onto Hela's lips as she prepared to press her advantage. Before she could strike again, however, Thena intervened, her spear smashing into the ground where Hela stood.
"Boom!"
The impact left a deep crater in the ground, though Hela evaded the strike effortlessly, leaping back and retaliating with a flying sword aimed at Thena.
"Clang!"
The projectile struck Thena's shield with a metallic clang, forcing her back a step.
Gilgamesh capitalized on the moment, closing in on Hela and engaging her in close combat. Thena quickly joined the fray, her spear and shield moving in perfect harmony as she worked alongside Gilgamesh.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The clash of metal echoed through the barren landscape, the three combatants locked in a fierce and relentless battle.
The seamless teamwork between Thena and Gilgamesh began to show results. Their combined attacks dismantled Hela's assault, leaving her with little room to counter.
Thena's swift swordsmanship paired with Gilgamesh's thunderous punches seemed to push Hela into a corner.
From his vantage point in the sky, Charles watched the battle unfold.
"Impressive," he murmured, "Even weakened, the goddess of Death can stand against two Eternals."
The tide turned when, in a perfectly timed move, Gilgamesh landed a powerful punch directly on Hela.
"Boom!"
Hela's armor shattered at the back, and the force of the blow drove her into the ground, creating a massive crater.
"Aargh!"
With a furious roar, Hela erupted from the crater. Her energy surged, and her wounds began to heal rapidly.
"Die!" she screamed, unleashing a whirlwind of attacks with her dual swords.
Thena and Gilgamesh struggled to keep up with the relentless onslaught, forced to retreat as the ground beneath them fractured under the sheer force of the battle.
Charles, observing from above, noticed Hela's strength had subtly increased. What he didn't realize was that the food and drink he'd previously left for her had partially restored her divine power.
Hela's strikes grew sharper and faster. Her blade cut a gash across Gilgamesh's side, while another left a scar on Thena's arm.
Despite their injuries, the two continued to fend her off. The battlefield was littered with the remnants of Hela's shattered weapons.
Seizing an opening, Gilgamesh slammed both fists into the ground.
"Boom!"
A powerful shockwave rippled outward, disrupting the terrain and causing Hela to momentarily lose her balance.
Thena immediately capitalized on the opportunity, appearing in front of Hela with a flash of her blade. Her weapon thrust toward Hela's abdomen with lethal precision.
At the same moment, Hela summoned a sword in her left hand and aimed for Thena's abdomen, determined to trade blow for blow.
Hela's smirk revealed her confidence—she had already realized that Thena and Gilgamesh lacked significant regenerative abilities. While her own self-healing could sustain her through such injuries, her opponents wouldn't fare as well.
"I'll take her down!" Hela thought triumphantly.
Just as their weapons were about to connect, Charles appeared between them in a blur of motion.
With swift movements, he grabbed both Hela's and Thena's hands, spinning them apart and sending them flying in opposite directions.
"Enough," Charles's calm voice echoed in their minds, "This sparring session is over."
Hela rose to her feet, brushing off the dust.
"Hmph. If you hadn't intervened, she'd be dead by now," Hela sneered.
Thena retorted, "My sword would've pierced your abdomen first!"
Hela smirked disdainfully, "So what? I'd have recovered. Could you say the same for yourself?"
As her divine energy coursed through her, the wounds Thena had inflicted rapidly healed.
Thena remained silent, knowing Hela's regenerative abilities far surpassed her own. Without the support of an Eternal healer, she couldn't compete in endurance.
Interrupting their exchange, Charles turned to Hela.
"Hela, what do you think of my friends' strength?"
Hela glanced at the two, noting their injuries but also their resilience.
"Not bad," she admitted, "I acknowledge them."
Hela, looking at them directly, added, "What are your names?"
Thena rolled her eyes, feeling the battle was far from decided.
'I could've finished her,' she thought, 'I wasn't going to just pierce her—I'd have cut her in half. Let's see her regenerate from that.'
Gilgamesh stepped forward, a broad smile on his face.
"I'm Gilgamesh."
Thena, despite her frustration, followed suit.
"I'm Thena," she said, "This isn't over. We'll spar again next time."
Hela chuckled.
"Next time, we'll take this to Asgard," she replied with a mischievous grin.