Creak!
The electronic muscle fibers inside the Hunter Knight armor began to contract and activate according to Zaire's will.
A surge of even greater power erupted.
Like a wild, rampaging bison, it charged forward toward the enemy with an astonishing momentum.
Thor, the God of Thunder, wore a determined expression and hesitated not for a moment.
Instinctively, he grabbed the leather strap of Mjolnir.
The Hammer of Thunder swung rapidly, becoming nothing but a blur.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
Thor's body was lifted off the ground, flying swiftly toward the Destroyer.
Hiss!
At that moment, the Destroyer, no longer under the suppression of the explosive shells, began to recover.
It opened its faceplate again.
A searing beam of destructive energy erupted violently from within!
Vroom—vroom—vroom!
Zaire, now the target, felt no fear.
Once again, he relied on the protective field of the Hunter Knight armor.
He withstood the terrifying energy barrage, deflecting it with sheer force.
However, a warning buzzed from within the armor, and Zaire immediately realized the truth.
The protective field probably wouldn't hold up against the Destroyer's next strike.
Even so, he did not stop his charge.
Instead, his speed increased to its absolute limit.
Clomp—clomp—clomp!
Thick, muddy water splashed with each of Zaire's heavy steps.
Behind him, the water seemed to form a long, murky trail.
At the same time, a calm voice came through the metal helmet.
"Thor! Buy me time! This weapon's destructive power will be too much even for the Destroyer!"
Thor, flying close to the ground, did not reply.
But he trusted his comrade in arms from Midgard.
"Aah—"
With a sudden roar from Thor, a dazzling arc of electricity leaped back into Mjolnir's shadow.
It quickly engulfed his entire figure.
Boom—boom—boom—
In an instant, serpentine bolts of lightning descended from the storm clouds, striking heavily at the Destroyer's rune-covered metal body!
In the next moment, the Destroyer's energy charge was interrupted mid-buildup.
Its massive metal body trembled violently with each strike of lightning, on the brink of collapse!
Hiss!
Yet, a scorching destructive beam still erupted from the Destroyer's faceplate.
Thor, still in the middle of his magic cast, had no way to avoid it.
He was forced to cancel his lightning strike, bracing himself to take the full brunt of the immense energy.
Boom!
The fiery beam's energy blast sent Thor flying backward, crashing hard into the muddy ground.
He landed with such force that it created a massive crater!
Thud—thud—thud!
But in the brief window while the Destroyer was distracted, Zaire had already closed the distance to its gigantic metal frame!
Thirty meters!
Twenty meters!
Ten meters!
Five meters!
Creak—
As the gap between them rapidly shrank, the Hunter Knight armor enveloping Zaire emitted a mechanical sound, as if it were contracting and distorting.
He suddenly leapt from the ground!
Gripping the massive super-phase sword with both hands, he raised it high above his head!
Then, a roar that tore through the heavy rain rang out, shaking the air.
"For Russ and the Father—!"
In that moment, amidst swirling white mist, the Destroyer's circular metal body continued to rotate and squirm.
It tried to raise one of its massive, metal arms to block the attack.
Destructive energy surged from its open faceplate, seemingly ready to explode again!
But the Destroyer had no chance to retaliate.
With Zaire's powerful swing, the super-phase sword, glowing with terrifying green energy, effortlessly sliced through the enemy's metal arm!
Like a hot knife through butter, it struck directly at the Destroyer's faceplate!
Thud!
With a smooth, silent cut, Zaire landed heavily on the ground, sending another wave of muddy water splashing into the air.
Clang—
The Destroyer, which had halted its offensive, emitted a sound of metal twisting and breaking.
The half-arm, covered in runes, fell heavily into the mud.
Then, a clear, terrifying scar from the sword rapidly spread down from its face, cleanly penetrating the massive metal body!
Crunch!
Zaire, powered by the electronic muscle fibers of the armor, hefted the glowing super-phase sword.
Without looking back, he turned and began walking away.
Boom—
Behind him, the Destroyer's metal body, its internal destructive energy extinguished, split in two, crashing to the ground with a deafening thud.
Thud!
Zaire came to a sudden halt, facing the rain.
He tilted his neck slightly and glanced back.
Once he saw that the Destroyer was indeed destroyed, he snorted.
"Hmph…"
Zaire, thinking about delivering a final blow, quickly discarded the idea.
Still carrying the massive super-phase sword, he started walking toward Thor.
Soon after, Zaire arrived at the edge of the large crater.
He looked down at Thor, who lay in the pit, drenched in rain, and shouted loudly:
"Thor, are you dead yet?"
"…"
Upon hearing the question, Thor slowly lifted his head, his golden hair disheveled.
He blinked his blue eyes and raised a large, charred hand.
With a gesture, he gave the universal sign for "peace."
"Ha ha ha…"
In that instant, Zaire, still wearing his metal helmet, burst out into a deep laugh.
His laughter grew louder, as if it had infected Thor lying in the pit.
"Ha ha ha—"
Thor's golden beard trembled, and even as rainwater poured into his mouth, he couldn't stop laughing from the heart.
Boom!
The massive Valkyrie mech slowly descended onto the muddy ground nearby.
The roaring engines stirred up countless raindrops.
Zaire, wearing his helmet, cast a glance at Iron Man David in the cockpit.
He turned to Thor, who was battered and exhausted, and asked:
"How are your injuries?"
Thor, his messy long hair hastily tied up, blinked his blue eyes and wiped the rainwater from his face.
With a grin, he said:
"I'm not dead yet…"
"The Midgard mortal brother, thank you for your help. I, Thor, owe you a life… The Asgardians never forget a life saved. I will repay your bravery…"
"Thor, better take care of your own business first, especially…"
Zaire waved his hand, interrupting Thor's promise.
He didn't finish his sentence, leaving it hanging.
"I understand…"
Thor nodded solemnly.
He took a deep breath and sighed.
"Mortal brother, though I don't know how you found out about Asgard's matters... you're right. Loki's behavior has crossed the line. Neither Odin nor I, as his brother, will let him get away with it!"
"I need to go. The people of Asgard are waiting for my return."
Thor grinned, raising his hand to pat Zaire's armor.
"When I sort everything out in Asgard, I'll come to Midgard to drink with you… Uh, mortal brother, what's your name again?"
"Thor, this is the third time you've asked. I told you, my name is Zaire…"
Zaire sighed helplessly, turning to look at the embarrassed Thor.
He casually took off his metal helmet.
Revealing his gray hair and the distinctive blue wolf markings.
Thor, wide-eyed, gasped in surprise.
His golden beard trembled as he asked, utterly stunned:
"Ah, mortal brother… you're not human? Are you from Vanaheim? I've heard there are tribes of beastmen there…"
"...Who are you calling an animal?"
Zaire narrowed his wolf-like blue eyes.
He instinctively bared his fangs.
"See? You even have fangs. How are you still human?"
"Ah, sorry! My bad, Brother Zaire! Put that thing down!"