Inside the restaurant, Leon and Thor were having a lively conversation with the three women and Professor Selvig.
Just then, the restaurant door was pushed open again, but this time it wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, but Sif and The Warriors Three.
They were dressed in Asgardian battle armor, travel-stained, with anxious expressions on their faces.
"Thor!"
Sif saw Thor and immediately hurried forward.
"Do you know where Your Highness Leon is? We're here to take Your Highness Leon back! Loki, he…"
Her words trailed off as she saw the figure sitting leisurely across from Thor.
"Your Highness Leon?"
Sif and The Warriors Three were stunned at the same time; they instinctively knelt on one knee and gave a standard military salute.
Leon raised an eyebrow, glanced at these uninvited old friends and the bewildered Thor.
They arrived so fast? How long has it been?
Tsk, there's no good show to watch now.
"Get up," his voice was still lazy.
"Are you all coming to Midgard with such a big show to participate in Thor's arm-wrestling contest?"
Volstagg's big bearded face instantly flushed red: "Your Highness, we are here to… we are here to…"
"We are here to stop Loki's conspiracy!" Sif stood up, her expression serious.
"Loki usurped the throne! He froze Heimdall and even tried to assassinate the sleeping All-Father!"
"What?!" Thor suddenly stood up, his eyes instantly burning with rage.
"Loki, he dares!"
The atmosphere in the restaurant instantly became tense.
Jane, Daisy, and Professor Erik were confused, but they could feel the Asgardian storm, which seemed to be about to descend upon this small town in New Mexico.
Leon's heart was calm, almost wanting to laugh.
Now he knew the plot, and even if he didn't, he wouldn't care about Loki usurping the throne.
This little trick could only fool simple-minded guys like Thor.
Father Odin was merely using this opportunity of Odin sleep to see what kind of mischief his two sons could stir up.
And now, with himself, the biggest variable, arriving on Earth, this game of chess had become even more interesting.
"So?" Leon wiped his hands with a napkin, slowly raised his head, and swept his gaze over the agitated Thor and the anxious Sif and the others.
"What do you plan to do? Rush back to Asgard, drag Loki off the throne, and then make him cry and shout, 'Brother, I was wrong'?"
"Exactly!" Thor answered without thinking.
"Foolish," Leon commented unceremoniously.
"If it weren't for me, and you can't even lift mjolnir now, are you going back to die?"
Thor's face turned beet red; being exposed by Leon in front of his friends made him feel somewhat humiliated.
Just then, the entire town suddenly shook violently, as if an earthquake had occurred.
Dishes and cups in the restaurant clattered, and everyone instinctively grabbed onto something nearby.
"What's going on?!" Daisy screamed in terror.
A golden light flashed in Leon's eyes; his gaze instantly penetrated the restaurant walls, revealing a doomsday-like scene in the town center.
The sky had, at some point, grown dim.
A scorching rainbow-colored pillar of light descended from the sky, burning a huge circular scorch mark on the town's main street.
Destroyer armor
As the light pillar dispersed, a giant humanoid weapon, over three meters tall, stood silently in the middle of the street.
Its faceplate could open and close, revealing a hollow core inside, emitting destructive energy fluctuations.
Destroyer.
"It seems my impatient brother couldn't wait any longer."
Leon shrugged, a faint smile on his face.
He knew that Loki had sent Asgard's ultimate weapon to clear all obstacles.
And this was the good show he had been eagerly anticipating.
On the town's streets, people screamed in terror, scattering and fleeing.
The Destroyer advanced slowly with heavy steps.
Each step it took left a deep footprint on the road.
"W-what is that monster?!" A Police officer trembled, raising his pistol, but fear left him unable to even pull the trigger.
"Fire! Fire!" The Police chief's voice roared over the intercom.
"Bang bang bang!!!"
Bullets struck the Destroyer, but only sparked a series of flashes, unable to leave even a scratch.
The Destroyer stopped, its faceplate slowly opening, revealing its internal core.
"Buzz!!"
A searing beam of energy erupted from the core, instantly engulfing several Police cars.
"Boom!!!"
A violent explosion swept through half the street, with flames soaring into the sky.
In the restaurant, everyone was stunned by the terrifying scene before them.
"It's the Destroyer!" Sif's tone was solemn.
"Loki is insane! He actually sent this weapon of war to Midgard!"
"We must stop it!" Thor roared, turning to rush out.
"What will you stop it with?" Leon's voice was calm, yet it was like a bucket of cold water poured over Thor's head.
"With your fists?"
Thor's steps faltered.
He looked at the invulnerable monster outside the window, which could destroy half a street with a single blow, and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.
Yes, without his divine power, without mjolnir, he was now just a slightly stronger mortal.
Wait, that's not right?!
Shouldn't Leon be the one worried about this kind of thing?! Why was he worried?!
Oh, right, and All-Father Odin!
Just then, Sif and The Warriors Three had already rushed out.
"For Asgard!"
They were warriors of Asgard, fearless even when facing the Destroyer.
Volstagg brandished his great axe, charging first and striking the Destroyer's leg with a heavy blow.
"Clang!"
With a loud crash, Volstagg only felt his hand go numb from the shock, and there wasn't even a white mark on the Destroyer's leg.
The Destroyer slowly turned, its hollow faceplate aimed at him.
"Buzz!!"
The energy beam erupted again.
"Watch out!" Fandral was quick, pushing Volstagg aside.
The beam grazed past their bodies, leveling a building behind them.
Hogun and Sif also launched attacks simultaneously, but their weapons similarly failed to cause any damage to the Destroyer.
The four most elite warriors of Asgard, in front of this metal giant, were like four children circling an elephant, both comical and tragic.
In the restaurant, Jane and Daisy were already pale with fright, hiding under the table.
Professor Erik, however, stared intently at the battle outside the window, his eyes filled with bewilderment.
Thor watched his companions being struck down one by one, watching them fight fearlessly to protect this town.
His heart was undergoing torment.
Anger, powerlessness, regret, self-reproach!
All these emotions intertwined, like a knife, repeatedly cutting at his soul.
"It's all my fault!" he muttered.
"If I were still in Asgard, none of this would be happening."
He looked at Jane and the mortals who were dragged into danger because of him, as well as the rampaging Destroyer outside the window.
Finally, he took a deep breath, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.
He turned and strode out of the restaurant.
"Thor! Don't go!" Jane screamed in terror.
But Thor didn't look back.
He walked to the center of the street, spread his arms, and stood in front of the Destroyer.
"Loki!"
He looked up and shouted loudly at the empty sky, knowing that Loki must be watching.
"All of this is my fault! It has nothing to do with these mortals! The one you should be dealing with is me and my brother! Leave them alone!"
His voice was faint amidst the explosions and screams, yet firm.
The Destroyer stopped, its faceplate slowly turning towards the unarmed Thor.
"Buzz!"
The light from the energy core glowed again.
"No!!!" Jane let out a desperate scream.
Just as the Destroyer's energy beam was about to erupt, a hand gently pressed against its faceplate.
It was Leon.
He had appeared in front of the Destroyer at some unknown point.
He still had that lazy demeanor, even letting out a yawn.
The Destroyer is a very special weapon; the power it exerts varies depending on who is wielding it.
If Odin were using it, given Leon's current strength, it would be impossible to defeat.
But with Loki using it, that was a different story.
My foolish younger brother, you should just stick to being a strategist!
"Loki," Leon said, looking at the Destroyer and shaking his head.
"You are too weak, truly."
He gently raised his right fist, and golden light gathered in it.
Seeing this posture, Thor seemed to recall some unpleasant memories.
It was with such a simple, plain punch that Leon had once knocked him down.
"Bang!!"
A loud bang resonated.
An Impact instantly spread, shattering the glass of surrounding buildings.
This seemingly ordinary punch contained immense power.
The Destroyer armor, from head to toe, cracked inch by inch with that punch.
"Crack! Crack!"
Dense cracks instantly covered its entire body.
Then, under the horrified gazes of everyone, this ultimate weapon from Asgard, with a crash, shattered into a pile of parts on the ground.
The town suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of the wind blowing.