"Thor!"
Schiffer's shout echoed, and Harry finally let out a quiet breath.
Loki hadn't disappointed him.
Harry hadn't controlled that punch at all. The power inherited from the Hulk was something he still struggled to restrain. Even with his refined mental perception, the moment anger surged, control dissolved instantly.
That single strike severed Loki's connection to the Destroyer.
The armor's surface looked almost undamaged—only a deep crater marked the outside—but Harry had shattered every strand of divine power woven into it.
"Damn it—! Cough! Mere mortals… how can they possess such strength!?"
On the throne, Loki gripped Odin's spear, Gungnir, with one hand, pounding his chest with the other as though struck by a blow. His eyes were sharp and cold, like a hawk poised over prey.
"Curse you!"
But even as he spat venom, he no longer focused on Harry. The Destroyer was never built for him, and his magic—tainted with the Frost Giant's blood—was incompatible with the divine force that powered the armor. He could control it, but only on the surface, and at enormous cost.
He couldn't afford to waste more magic.
"Hmph. Next time, you won't be so lucky," Loki hissed.
He forced the Destroyer to move again. The massive armor trembled, faint light rising from its joints as a giant hand whipped forward like lightning.
"Thor!"
Schiffer lunged, screaming his name.
Thor was moved by her desperate charge. He turned, confused—and saw the metallic hand reaching for him.
"No—!"
Harry moved instantly. He grabbed Schiffer's arm and yanked her back with force.
"Whoosh—!"
The Destroyer's palm carved a burst of sand through the air. Thor stood frozen, unable to dodge with his mortal body. All he could do was raise his arms to protect his head.
Harry, after pulling Schiffer back, kicked off the ground and retreated. When he looked again, Thor was already clamped in the Destroyer's fist.
"Thor!"
Schiffer, held back by Harry, reached out desperately—but the distance was impossible to cross.
Harry let out a silent breath.
Even with his interference, the story had finally returned to its proper course.
"Ugh—!"
Thor struggled inside the metal grip, pounding its fingers with his fist. It only hurt his own hand.
"Loki! If I have wronged you, then punish me alone—just don't harm others!"
After several useless blows, Thor stopped and shouted directly at the Destroyer's mask. He didn't know the town's people had been evacuated. Arrogant and impulsive as he was, Thor's heart was kind. He would take the blame alone.
Loki stared at the image from afar, eyes conflicted, his eyebrows knitted tight.
"Brother! If I offended you… Please don't hurt the innocent. You won't gain anything by killing them. Take my life and end this! Let it end with me!"
Thor's helpless plea rang out across the ruined street.
"What's he trying to do…?"
Harry turned his head slightly—as did the three who should have run away earlier. Instead, stirred by worry, Jane Foster, Eric Selvig, and Daisy had rushed back again.
They couldn't hear Thor's words clearly, but they saw he was in danger.
Loki's gaze wavered. Then hardened.
"So that's how it is… Then let me grant your wish."
He slammed his fist against the throne's armrest.
The Destroyer lifted Thor high—
—and threw him down with full force.
Thor crashed into the earth with a tremendous crack, shattering the ground and leaving a crater. Spiderweb fractures spread outward, proof of the immense power behind the throw.
"Cough—!"
Thor lay in the pit, spitting bloody foam as he struggled to move his fingers.
"Thor!!"
Jane and Schiffer ran to him at once.
Loki watched the broken body of his brother. His eyes flickered one last time—then he turned away, controlling the Destroyer to leave.
"Thor, no… no…"
Jane reached him first. Kneeling, tears filling her eyes, she cupped his cheek gently.
"It's fine… It's over. You're safe now."
Thor forced a faint smile, though it looked nothing like reassurance in Jane's eyes.
"No, no… please…"
Jane's voice trembled. She gathered him in her arms as tears finally broke free.
Schiffer stood nearby, sword clenched tight, heart heavy with unwillingness and unresolved grievance. She had seen the look in Thor's eyes—the importance he placed on this mortal girl… perhaps even love.
Thor's vitality slipped away. His eyes dimmed. His hand fell limply to the ground.
"Thor!"
The three warriors froze, then sprinted toward him.
Far away in Asgard's healing chamber, Odin—deep in the Odinsleep—shed a silent tear from his one intact eye.
And in New Mexico, at the impact site where Thor's Hammer rested, something stirred.
Mjolnir erupted with blue lightning—
—ripped itself free from the ground—
—and shot into the sky like a meteor.
"Huh?"
Harry felt his mental field brushed aside by an overwhelming force—something tearing through the sky.
"So that's it… Mjolnir."
He lifted his head.
A blazing blue streak swept through the heavens, streaking toward them.
Then—
"Clang—!"
Thor—who had been lifeless moments before—reached up and caught the falling hammer in his hand.
Harry reacted instantly. A silent pulse of invisible force snapped out, pulling Jane Foster away from Thor and into his arms, out of the blast zone.
"Crackle—!"
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A/N: A New Fanfic Is Out "Bleach: Reborn As Ishida Uryuu"
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San