"Space Quake!!!"
This was the skill every Spirit knew how to use. The reason Tohka hadn't used it before was that she didn't want to cause massive chaos. She hadn't tested it herself, so she had no idea how powerful her space quake really was, let alone how to control it. Anyway, she knew its destructive power definitely wouldn't be much less than that of a nuclear bomb. And this time, she also deliberately drew upon the Space Stone's power inside her. After all, this was in outer space—she could blow up a planet and it wouldn't be a problem. Don't laugh—with the Space Stone added in, a space quake really could have that kind of destructive force.
So...
In an instant, black energy erupted at the Dark Elf leader's location. A massive wave of force spread outward from the center.
"This thing—damn, run!"
Even before the energy had fully dispersed, Tohka couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. She realized her power combined with the Space Stone's amplification was way too much. This force—not to mention Earth—it could probably blow up the Sun itself.
So, she didn't dare stay any longer. She immediately used the last of her energy to flee as far as she could. Then, reappearing at a distance, Tohka looked toward where she'd just been. That entire space had already been completely swallowed by her energy wave. And it wasn't over yet—the spatial ripples were still spreading. But just as she was about to take off again to escape farther, the waves finally died down.
"Whew... This power is still too much."
With cold sweat dripping down her face, Tohka estimated that this space quake, if unleashed on Earth, could have blown up the Sun too. Thankfully, she'd never used it back on Earth. In Date A Live, the strongest recorded space quake had only destroyed part of a continent. With the Space Stone's boost, she could directly blow up a planet. She knew she'd better not use this move often—at least never combine it with the Space Stone again. Otherwise, the power would multiply. And if she got caught in it herself, she'd be in real danger. Even though Spirits were incredibly resilient—even surviving a space quake powerful enough to obliterate a continent—this attack was absolutely beyond her ability to endure.
"Whatever, let's go see how the Reality Stone is doing."
At that, Tohka teleported straight over. And when she saw the scene before her, she let out a sigh of relief. There was nothing left but the red liquid form of the stone flowing gently. As for the Dark Elf—sorry, he wasn't even vaporized; he simply ceased to exist.
"Done. Mission accomplished."
Wrapping the stone in her spirit energy, Tohka didn't waste another moment. After resting a little, she vanished from the spot and reappeared back on Asgard.
"Tohka—are you alright?"
Well, saying she remembered the coordinates was a bit of a stretch—Tohka herself couldn't recall any such thing. She could never keep those things in mind. So, she'd simply left a marker with Miku. But when Miku saw Tohka, covered head to toe in blood, she jumped in fright. Though she quickly realized Tohka was covered in blood but hadn't actually suffered any serious wounds.
"Phew—you scared me half to death."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Miku continued, "Just now, Thor came back, and you still hadn't returned. I was really worried. But I heard you took the leader away—so they just went back to Earth to mop up the small fry."
"Is that so... Whatever. I'm going to see Odin. I'll leave the Reality Stone to them. We already have one stone; holding onto another would probably attract a lot of trouble we don't need."
With that, she told Miku and turned away. As for the blood on her, it vanished the moment she summoned her armor.
"I want Loki to be king..."
Just as Tohka entered the great hall carrying the Aether, she overheard Thor and Odin talking. But what surprised her was that Thor was actually telling Odin he wanted Loki to be Asgard's king. She froze for a moment. But when she looked over at the figure sitting on the throne, she rolled her eyes so hard they nearly fell out. No matter how perfect the illusion looked, it was nothing like the real Odin. Odin's overwhelming aura was something Loki could never imitate. She was sure Thor had seen through it as well—otherwise, he'd never have said something like that.
"You're going back to Earth? Well, good—Hydra's been making trouble lately. Do me a favor and tidy them up."
As Thor finished bidding "Odin" farewell, Tohka quietly gave him this instruction. Although she hadn't been paying attention to Earth, she was sure those guys were running wild right now. Anyway, Thor was from Asgard—Hydra wouldn't be able to do anything to him.
"Alright, understood."
Thor nodded to show he'd heard her. The Aether was now in Tohka's hands—proof she'd dealt with the Dark Elf. Not only Thor, but all of Asgard owed her a huge debt. So as long as Tohka asked for something—even if it meant Thor risking his life—he'd go.
"Alright—he's gone. You can drop the act. Did you really think he didn't see through you?"
After Thor left and the hall fell silent again, Tohka didn't bother with pretense. The fact that Loki could sit there meant Odin had tacitly allowed it. Whatever Odin was up to, she didn't care. Not to brag, but even if Loki tried to ambush him, he probably couldn't do anything. And if Odin had let Loki sit there after only a short while, she wasn't going to intervene. As long as they let her use the Bifrost, that was enough. Of course, if this guy dared to say no, she'd slap him into the ground just like she'd done in New York and let him reflect on life.
"Fine. Just take your token and go to Heimdall. Everything else will be handled."
Seeing her expression—and recalling New York—Loki shivered. He quickly nodded and, apparently in Odin's name, passed along a message to Heimdall. No way was he going to provoke Tohka. She was a Guardian—he had no reason to pick a fight. Besides, back in New York, he'd been reduced to a complete bystander.
"Right—take care of this stone yourself. The Reality Stone isn't something you should leave on Asgard. If people ask, just tell them you have the Space Stone. After all, you saw it in my hands."
Tapping the Aether in her hand, she added this casually. She wasn't sure whether he knew they also had the Soul Stone, so she left it vague. As long as people believed the Space Stone was in Asgard, that was enough.
"Hm?"
Frowning at the Infinity Stone in her hand, Loki looked a little troubled. He'd never cared about power itself—just the throne and outmaneuvering his father and brother. So, figuring out what to do with the stone really was a headache.
"..."
With dead-fish eyes, Tohka stared him down. She knew he had some idea. Probably the same as in the original story—handing it over to the Collector.
"Right, I remember now."
Breaking into a cold sweat under her gaze, Loki finally snapped his fingers. "I'll have someone take this stone to the Collector. He's one of the Elders of the Universe—there's no safer place for it."
"Fine, I'll leave it to you then."
Hearing this, Tohka didn't want to bother with it anymore. She raised her hand like she was about to toss it over, which made Loki jump in fright. The gem might look calm in Tohka's hand, but in his, it might cost him his life.
"Whoa, whoa—don't just give it to me! Let me get a proper container first!"
Panicking, he waved her off.
"Alright, I'm leaving."
Rolling her eyes, she turned and walked out. After meeting Thor's deputy at the door and handing off the Aether, she departed.
"Alright, Heimdall—send us to Xander."
She could have gone along when they took the stone to the Collector. But she preferred to go straight to Xander to find the Orb holding the Power Stone. The Collector himself was a massive headache.
"Understood. Wait just a moment."
Heimdall planted his sword in the dais. Not far away, the Bifrost activated. Tohka took Miku's hand and stepped into the beam.
"Damn it—I forgot something important."
Just then, Tohka clutched her head in despair. She'd forgotten something crucial—she hadn't shaken Loki down for travel funds.
"Tohka, what is it?"
Seeing her suddenly turn pale, Miku was bewildered. They'd only just left Asgard.
"I forgot to ask for money. Are we seriously going to beg our way through the universe?"
She finally blurted it out. But by then, they'd already arrived. The Bifrost vanished.
"So, what now? Do we just go back?"
Miku was about to lose it too. They'd lived in luxury all this time—she couldn't imagine what Tohka would do if they had nothing to eat.
"Whatever. Even if I called Heimdall now, he probably wouldn't respond. He's still busy sending the others. But…"
Scanning the area, Tohka realized this wasn't the bustling Xander she remembered. It was a wilderness. Only then did she realize Loki had scammed her. He'd told Heimdall to drop them in the middle of nowhere instead of somewhere proper.
"Fine—if that's how it is, we're not going back."
Glancing around, she saw that stuck here, they couldn't do anything. And Xander was huge. The original story never even said where Star-Lord fenced his goods.
"So, what's your plan? We can't just sleep outdoors!"
Though neither feared the local thugs, Miku absolutely refused to camp in the dirt.
"Don't worry—I'll find us somewhere with food and shelter. But first, we have to locate a city. Otherwise, nothing else matters."
Smacking her chest confidently, Tohka took Miku's hand and took off toward the nearest settlement. Then…
"Uh, Tohka—are you sure about this?"
To Miku's shock, Tohka smashed part of a building with one swing, then pulled her along.
"Relax—Nova Corps will be here soon."
Tohka cast her gaze toward the sky, where several aircraft were rapidly approaching—the planet's military.
"So, your idea of a place with food and shelter…is for us to get ourselves arrested?!"
Miku finally understood her plan—and wanted to crack open Tohka's skull to see what was inside.