Suddenly, a shield flew in, striking both combatants at the sa ti before snapping back into its owner's hand.
"Are you two done yet?"
Steve leapt down from a broken tree trunk, fixing his gaze on the furious Thor.
"What exactly did you co to Earth for? Just to fight us?"
Facing Steve's questioning, Thor imdiately retorted, "I am here to shatter Loki's sche and take him back to Asgard to stand trial."
Steve nodded. "Then you should put down your hamr. Our objectives are the sa—we are not enemies."
Steve remained calm and rational. He had already guessed Thor's purpose. Since both sides shared the sa goal, there was no reason to fight each other.
But then Tony stirred the pot again.
"Well… he really loves that hamr of his. Practically inseparable."
Thor, who had been about to end the confrontation, flared up once more and swung his hamr, smashing Tony away with a single blow.
"You want to put down my hamr?!" Thor roared. "Are you provoking , Midgardian?!"
Enraged, Thor shot into the air, his hamr wreathed in terrifying lightning, and brought it crashing down toward Steve.
Steve raised his shield to et the attack.
Boom—!
Thunder and lightning exploded as an invisible shockwave erupted outward. Everything within a hundred-ter radius was flattened. Trees were not only uprooted—they were pulverized into dust.
As the smoke cleared, Steve still stood with his shield raised. In front of him now stood another figure, holding a long sword that blocked Thor's strike. The violent shockwave had burst from the point where their weapons t.
Karl had appeared.
Wielding the Ultimate Divine Weapon, Karl stopped Thor's blow. Purple lightning coiled around his blade like living serpents, steadily suppressing the lightning surging from Thor's hamr.
"It's you again! Are you with them?" Thor demanded.
The mont Thor recognized Karl, a surge of resentnt flooded his chest. The mory of having his hamr taken from him resurfaced, igniting his fury.
"Relax," Karl said calmly, withdrawing his sword to show he had no intention of fighting. "Our goals are the sa. There's no need to fight—unless you want your brother to laugh at you."
Karl hadn't planned on coming initially. He had simply forgotten that Thor would intercept Steve and Tony during Loki's transfer. Once he rembered, he rushed over imdiately. He couldn't be sure Loki wouldn't seize the opportunity to escape—after all, he was the God of Mischief. Leaving behind an expendable duplicate while the real body slipped away would have been entirely in character.
Tony walked over and positioned himself beside Karl, ready to react if Thor attacked again. At the sa ti, Onion had silently appeared behind Thor, staring straight at him. If Thor so much as tried to harm Karl, Onion's razor-sharp beak would pierce his skull without hesitation.
Steve also held his shield at the ready.
"Fine," Thor said at last. "I will accept cooperation. But Loki must face judgnt in Asgard. You Midgardians have no right to judge him."
Thor remained adamant. On one hand, he had promised Odin and Frigga to bring Loki back. On the other, he was protecting Loki—if left on Earth, Loki would likely end up dissected in a laboratory.
"That's acceptable," Karl replied. "I can decide that much. Once this is over, you may take your brother back. We won't stop you."
Steve was about to object, but Tony stopped him and shook his head. Steve fell silent.
"Agreed," Thor said, extending his hand.
Karl extended his as well. The two clasped hands, sealing the agreent.
"And now—"
Karl suddenly changed his tone and opened his palm.
Hummm—
Mjölnir began to tremble violently. Thor could clearly feel the hamr's delighted response. Right before his eyes, it flew out of his grasp and landed firmly in Karl's hand.
Crackling purple lightning replaced Thor's blue arcs entirely. Empowered by the violet energy, Mjölnir appeared even more mysterious and profound. Even the runes etched into the hamr glowed purple.
"No—damn it! That's my hamr!!" Thor shouted.
Thor felt his connection to Mjölnir severed once again. This wasn't the first ti—it had happened before. His hamr seed closer to this Midgardian than to him.
Karl casually weighed the hamr in his hand, then hurled it toward a distant peak—the very mountaintop where Thor and Loki had spoken earlier.
Just as Karl had anticipated, Loki was trying to flee. The hamr descended from the sky and slamd him to the ground, pinning him in place.
Karl controlled the force perfectly. It wasn't enough to kill Loki—only to injure him slightly and immobilize him beneath the hamr.
"What are you doing?! Loki!!" Thor shouted.
Thor desperately tried to summon Mjölnir, but no matter how hard he tried, it did not respond.
He sprinted toward the peak. Even without the hamr, his body was still formidable and his divine power intact. After several massive leaps, he reached the summit and found Loki.
Seeing that Loki was unhard, Thor finally grasped the hamr and hauled his brother up.
That mont had terrified Loki. He had truly thought Mjölnir would crush him to death—especially with that violent purple lightning, far more ferocious than Thor's. Blocking it would have taken considerable effort.
Soon after, Tony and Karl also arrived at the peak. Riding atop Onion, Karl finally faced Loki properly for the first ti.
"So you're even more famous than the rumors suggest… Atreus."
Karl smiled at Loki.
Both Loki and Thor froze.
Atreus? Whose na was that?
"Atreus?" Thor looked at Loki in confusion. "Is that what you're called on Midgard? Why do you have two nas?"
Loki rolled his eyes. My idiotic brother…
If I knew, I'd have told you already. I'm confused too.
"Uh… are you talking to ?" Loki asked cautiously.
"Yes. I'm talking to you—Atreus," Karl said with a nod.
In Karl's previous world, the na Atreus was known to everyone—chosen by the Ghost of Sparta himself for his son. In Norse tradition, Atreus was another na for Loki, given by the giantess Laufey.
This world simply didn't know that yet.
"Why are you calling Atreus?" Loki asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
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