Thor was struck directly in the chest by the annihilation beam.
Stripped of his divine power, his physical strength—though still several times greater than that of an ordinary human—was no longer enough.
He was blasted several meters backward and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Thor!"
The Warriors Three and Lady Sif rushed toward him in panic.
Tony steadied himself, his face turning pale as he snapped back to his senses and hurried to Thor's side.
But Thor's lips were already stained with blood.
A bowl-sized hole had been blasted straight through his chest.
"Don't talk—I'll stop the bleeding first!"
Tony crouched down and prepared to cauterize the wound with a laser.
"Forget it… I'm beyond saving," Thor said weakly, stopping him.
He looked at the Warriors Three and Lady Sif—companions who had fought beside him for centuries.
"Thank you… for always standing behind me. Even when I was wrong, you never abandoned me."
"Thor, don't close your eyes! You won't die—we'll take you back to Asgard!"
"Yes! Once we're back in Asgard, you'll be saved!"
"Thor, stay awake!"
The Warriors Three shouted desperately, but none of them had any medical expertise.
"Heimdall! Take us back—now!"
Sif cried out to the sky.
There was no response.
Elsewhere—
Asgard's guardian, watcher of the Nine Realms, controller of the Bifrost, and one of the Twelve Aesir Gods—Heimdall—lay on the ground clutching his abdomen.
He struggled to stand, but the combined effects of severe injury, poison, and corruptive curse magic left him powerless.
"My throne was granted by Father," Loki said coldly, standing over him.
"It is not for you to question."
Loki flicked the cursed blood from his dagger and stared down at Heimdall with icy eyes.
"From childhood, the way you looked at me was different from how you looked at my foolish, reckless brother."
Holding Gungnir, Loki circled him mockingly.
"I know what you think. You believe I'm a Frost Giant from Jotunheim. That I was never worthy to be an Asgardian prince—am I wrong?"
Heimdall panted, then snorted coldly.
"History has proven me right. All I ever saw in you was anger, hatred, jealousy, and deceit."
"The throne was never meant for you."
Veins bulged on Loki's forehead as Gungnir's tip pressed against Heimdall's throat.
One twitch—that was all it would take.
But after a moment, Loki withdrew the spear.
Smiling suddenly, he said,
"If you believe I'm unfit to rule… then I'll spare your life."
"I'll let you live long enough to see how I make Asgard stronger than ever."
With that, Loki ordered the palace guards to take Heimdall away for treatment—and imprisonment.
Though Heimdall could hear the desperate calls from Earth, he could no longer help them.
---
Back on Earth—
As Thor's eyes slowly closed, Clark's gaze sharpened.
He treasured life deeply, and witnessing its loss reminded him painfully of his father's death.
His muscles tensed.
Clark's aura changed.
"AH—!"
With a furious roar, his speed exploded as he charged straight through the annihilation beams and slammed into the Destroyer.
A lightning-fast punch struck its body.
The sheer force sent shockwaves through the air, compressing water vapor into visible ripples.
BOOM!
The Destroyer was smashed into the ground.
The earth collapsed beneath it, spiderweb cracks spreading in all directions.
It tried to rise—
Only to be punched back down again.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Punch after punch battered the ground, the earth trembling violently beneath everyone's feet—
each impact like a massive hammer striking the planet itself.
After more than ten blows, Clark's eyes blazed red.
Twin beams of heat vision tore into the Destroyer.
At that moment, Mjolnir—lying forgotten on the ground—began to glow with runic light.
It lifted into the air.
The hammer hesitated—
first turning toward Clark,
then toward Thor.
After a single second of hesitation—
It transformed into a bolt of lightning and struck Thor's body.
KRA-BOOM!
Thor was engulfed in blinding white light.
Everyone except Lucas instinctively shut their eyes.
When the light faded, they saw Thor standing once more—
clad in his divine armor, Mjolnir firmly in hand.
"Thor!"
They cried out in joy.
"Sorry to worry you, my brothers," Thor said with a confident grin—the unmistakable smile of the God of Thunder.
Before he could enjoy it—
Mjolnir suddenly flew out of his hand.
"Hey—what are you doing?!"
Thor panicked and reached out.
But the hammer was impossibly fast.
Snap!
A powerful hand caught it.
Clark froze in surprise.
He had sensed Mjolnir approaching instinctively and caught it without thinking.
The runes on the hammer flared to life.
Brilliant white light wrapped around Clark's body, arcs of lightning dancing across his form.
In an instant, understanding flooded his mind.
Mjolnir told him—
His current attacks would not be enough to stop the Destroyer.
So, before Thor's stunned eyes—
Clark raised Mjolnir high.
Dark clouds gathered overhead.
Lightning converged, and a thunderbolt as thick as a barrel crashed down from the sky.
It struck Mjolnir perfectly.
The overwhelming power made Clark feel as though he could shatter the planet with a single blow.
He swung.
Mjolnir smashed down onto the Destroyer's chest.
BOOOOOOM!
The deafening impact echoed in all directions.
Everyone except Lucas and Thor clutched their ears in agony.
A circular shockwave obliterated the surrounding terrain, reducing it to dust in an instant.
Residual lightning raced across the ground.
In the massive crater, the Destroyer lay motionless—
its body wrapped in writhing arcs of electricity.
Staring at the motionless Destroyer, Clark slowly floated up from the crater—more than ten meters deep—and soon arrived back at ground level.
"Uh… um… could you return Mjolnir to me?"
_____
T/N:
For readers who would like early access, my Patreon is available for just $4 per month. You'll unlock 90+ advance chapters and help support ongoing works.
🔗 patreon.com/user?u=79514336
You may also search Translator-Sama directly on Patreon.
Your support is sincerely appreciated