In the boundless vastness of space, a ship shaped like a gleaming blade hovered near Earth.
There was no mistaking it—this was the headquarters of S.W.O.R.D., the famed Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division.
It was one of Nick Fury's core initiatives, launched at any cost after the events with Captain Marvel.
Especially after seeing the Kree Empire firsthand. Especially after realizing that the universe held countless civilizations beyond Earth.
Deep in his heart, Fury was convinced: Earth needed a division like this to defend against alien incursions.
Even though he had Captain Marvel as his ultimate trump card, Fury was never the kind of man to pin all his hopes on one person.
And so, S.W.O.R.D. was born.
For most matters, Fury rarely involved himself directly on Earth. But that didn't mean he wasn't watching.
Through Talos's eyes and the most advanced equipment aboard S.W.O.R.D.'s orbital station, Fury constantly monitored events on the planet below.
Especially after one man appeared.
Ever since Senju Haruto began making waves, Fury's interest in him had only deepened.
And when Haruto raised Thor's hammer and unleashed divine power, Fury was shaken to his core once again.
"Motherf— What the hell is this guy?" Fury muttered bitterly, crushing a glass in his right hand without realizing it.
On paper, Haruto was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "magical consultant." But Fury knew damn well Haruto had no real regard for S.H.I.E.L.D. at all.
Others might naïvely think Haruto and S.H.I.E.L.D. were on the same side. Fury wasn't so simple.
On one hand, he needed Haruto's power. On the other, he feared what might happen if that power ran wild.
Haruto was no Captain Marvel—his temperament was far less predictable. If Haruto was angered, even the military wouldn't be able to stop him.
So when Mjolnir fell in New Mexico, Fury had immediately dispatched Coulson to retrieve it. The hammer might serve as a trump card—a way to study and, if necessary, limit Haruto's growing power.
But before long, Haruto and Coulson arrived at the site together.
And Haruto lifted the hammer.
The skies split open with a black vortex, lightning roaring across the heavens.
The power within that hammer far exceeded Fury's expectations.
Not only had Haruto grown even stronger because of it, but S.H.I.E.L.D., having lost the chance to control the hammer, had fallen further behind him.
The balance had shifted. S.H.I.E.L.D. had no leash on Haruto now.
"Looks like I'll have to go back to Earth myself."
Nick Fury's expression hardened. He had made up his mind.
Meanwhile, in Asgard's shining palace, Odin gazed upon Midgard, as he often did.
Among the Nine Realms, Midgard was always the one he favored most. Now, with Thor exiled there, his fatherly concern deepened.
But Odin's intentions were never only about punishment.
Yes, he wanted his son to learn humility. But more than that, he wanted Thor to grow into the next king of Asgard, protector of the Nine Realms.
This exile was meant as a trial. A chance for Thor to once again prove himself worthy of Mjolnir.
But what Odin had never expected was this:
Barely a day after the hammer fell to Midgard…
A stranger had already lifted it, becoming the new God of Thunder.
Odin could hardly believe his eyes.
Yet what truly stunned him came after.
He assumed Haruto was a mere mortal who gained divine power only when holding Mjolnir. Once the hammer left his hand, that power should have vanished.
But no.
Even after tossing Mjolnir to the ground, Haruto's divine power remained.
He still wielded the might of Thor.
"This… this is impossible!" Odin's eyes widened, his voice trembling.
That could only mean one thing: Haruto's thunderous might did not come from the hammer—it was his own.
But how could a mortal from Midgard possibly possess the power of a god?
"It cannot be…"
Desperate to uncover the truth, Odin reached out with his divine sight, probing into Haruto's body.
Boom!
A deafening roar exploded inside Odin's mind. His body shuddered violently, nearly knocking him from his throne.
For as he attempted to invade Haruto's spirit, a colossal wave of mental force surged against him.
Catching him completely off guard, it slammed into Odin's consciousness like a hammer blow.
Already weakened in this period of decline, Odin reeled. He clutched the throne with trembling hands, sweat beading on his brow.
Never had he imagined being driven back so shamefully by a mortal.
And yet, Odin was no arrogant fool. He could tell—even at his peak, he might have only fought Haruto to a draw.
This man's spiritual strength surpassed any he had ever witnessed. Not just mortals. Not just gods.
Stronger than all.
For the first time, Odin wavered.
Had he made the right decision, sending Thor to Midgard?
But Odin was not the only one watching.
In the shadows of Asgard's halls, another figure had also been observing Midgard.
Thor's younger brother. The God of Mischief.
Loki.
Like Odin, Loki had been watching for signs of Thor's progress. But instead, in New Mexico, he saw an all-too-familiar surge of power explode across the sky.
At first, he thought Thor had reclaimed his strength.
But no.
"What… who is this?" Loki narrowed his eyes at Haruto's unfamiliar face.
This man was not Thor.
Yet a mere mortal had taken up an Asgardian relic?
It was a disgrace to Asgard. An insult to the gods themselves.
Loki's fists clenched, his pride seething. He may not have wanted Thor to regain his power, but this—this was even more intolerable.
As the God of Mischief, Loki decided it was his duty to make Haruto understand the enormity of his mistake.
He would show Haruto exactly how foolish he had been to trespass upon the gods' domain.
And elsewhere still—
Within the Dark Dimension, Dormammu's gaze was fixed upon Senju Haruto.
With the Ancient One gone, Haruto was now his greatest obstacle.
Yet the three Sanctums still barred Dormammu from entering Earth's dimension outright.
So he studied Haruto relentlessly, searching for weakness.
Until now.
When Haruto suddenly gained the power of a god, Dormammu's concern deepened.
This was no mortal sorcery. Not white magic, not black, not even chaos magic.
This was true divinity.
Dormammu did not believe it stronger than his dark sorcery, but the stronger Haruto became, the harder Earth would be to conquer.
Which meant one thing.
He had to eliminate Haruto.
Before the man grew any stronger.
He could not be allowed to live.