"Boom!"
Outside the small town, the sky suddenly turned violent, and thunder rolled across the heavens.
The ten-thousand-zhang lightning tore through the air like a battlefield's fury. Blades of light became spears of thunder, crashing down and washing out the brightness of the world in an instant.
"What is that?" Phil Coulson raised his head, stunned by the impossible sight forming overhead.
"Sir! Something's wrong!" an agent shouted.
"Alright—everyone, fall back immediately!" Coulson ordered sharply. But as he turned, he saw the swirling vortex above them descend straight from the sky toward the ground.
His expression changed at once.
"Move! Now!"
In the once-clear sky, a massive dark cloud gathered out of nowhere. It churned and twisted, coiling into a spiraling funnel like the maw of the deep sea as it pierced downward, connecting sky to earth in a roaring column.
"Boom!"
The enormous tornado slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave rolling outward that shook the earth. The surging air blasted sand and stone in every direction. Dust and boulders tumbled through the air, and the impact's force rippled outward, carrying a terrifying momentum.
...
"Someone else is coming?"
Harry felt the massive magnetic disturbance in the distance. Something had arrived—but from inside the town, he couldn't see it clearly.
He glanced at Thor and then at the three warriors. Vostagg had already woken up, panting heavily, glaring at Harry with outrage.
Harry took two steps back and subtly covered his nose. Vostagg's deep breaths carried the thick, burning smell of alcohol—unbearable even from a distance.
"What is that? Definitely not a friend," Eric Selvig muttered with a tense face, staring at the distant shape.
Schiffer and the three warriors of Asgard narrowed their eyes, their expressions turning grim.
"There shouldn't be anyone else. If someone really came, then…" Schiffer's voice faltered. Her eyes widened—and she said no more.
"It looks like someone, but it isn't," Thor said with a shrug, though he still didn't understand what was happening.
"It looks pretty interesting," Harry murmured, stroking his chin.
Schiffer, standing nearest to him, heard the whisper. She turned sharply toward Harry, frowning. Just like with Loki, something about Harry unsettled her—trust did not come easily.
Harry felt the goddess of war's gaze. Unlike the blonde valkyrie in myth, this Schiffer had black hair and a hard, elegant strength. He turned and flashed her a cheerful smile.
She met the smile with cold indifference, turned away, and followed after the three warriors.
Harry chuckled softly and shook his head.
Why did she look at him like that?
Did she already sense Thor's strange closeness with Jane Foster and misplace the irritation on him?
Harry glanced up at Jane—who was staring anxiously at Thor—and pursed his lips. Then he followed the group outside.
"What is that?"
Schiffer's voice trembled with shock. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open, completely stunned.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked as he followed her line of sight into the distance.
A colossal shadow was approaching—slow, heavy, each step making the ground vibrate faintly. Even from this far, towering higher than every building in town, its enormity was unmistakable.
The Destroyer.
"It's definitely not a friend," Harry sighed, straightening. His gaze sharpened.
There was no one inside that armor—Harry knew that. It was controlled remotely by Loki. The Destroyer belonged to Odin. Armor had to be worn by someone… but right now, the hollow giant moved on its own.
As the monster advanced, Harry extended his mental power to probe it. But the moment his scan touched the armor, a violent, terrifying aura crushed his spiritual power and lashed back along the connection like a venomous current. Harry instantly severed the connection, discarding the contaminated portion of his power before it could spread.
"It's the Destroyer," Thor said heavily as he watched the advancing titan.
"What!?"
The three warriors staggered back, stunned.
"Yes. But why? Why would he…" Thor's voice broke into bitterness. As Odin's son and rightful heir, he knew the Destroyer better than anyone. Even trapped in a mortal body, he could feel the murderous intent radiating from it—and that killing intent was aimed at him.
"The Destroyer can only be commanded by a king. Could it be… Loki?" Fandral said. His noble poise wavered. This was beyond anything Loki should have been capable of. If this was Loki's true face… then Loki's gentle façade had been nothing but a chilling lie.
"It must be him. Only Loki would do something like this—damn him," Hogan snarled, fists clenched.
"I think so too," Vostagg said thoughtfully. Despite his reckless personality, he had years of battlefield experience—and everything pointed to Loki.
Thor lowered his head, brows knotted tightly. The others' words only deepened the pain pulling at him.
"I must have done something wrong, brother," he whispered.
Schiffer stepped closer, touching Thor's arm with visible worry. She wasn't the only one—Jane Foster stared at Thor with the same concern.
---
A/N: A New Fanfic Is Out "Bleach: Reborn As Ishida Uryuu"
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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