Idealism is beautiful.
Reality is not.
Thor's awakening did not merely turn the tide—
It ended the fight.
With a single, bare-handed storm surge, Thor summoned a torrent of sky-splitting lightning. The bolt struck Cull Obsidian head-on.
When the thunder faded—
Nothing remained but a charred skeleton.
Bone fragments clattered across the arena floor.
The Grandmaster stared for a full two and a half seconds before forcing himself to speak.
"The winner of this glorious contest… is Thor Odinson!"
The arena erupted.
"Thor! Thor! Thor!"
In the VIP Suite
Supergiant stared at the scattered remains.
It's over…
Her last reliable ally was gone.
Below, Thor completed his victory lap, soaking in the crowd's adoration. Then he leapt dozens of meters upward and landed in the ultra-VIP suite.
He looked directly at the Grandmaster.
"So. Valkyrie is mine now?"
The Grandmaster's smile twitched.
He disliked losing.
But Leon was seated beside him. And awakened Thor was clearly no minor threat.
"…Yes," he admitted reluctantly. "Scrapper 142 belongs to you."
This had been their private wager.
After seeing Leon acquire Supergiant through trade, Thor had adapted. Learning quickly that the Grandmaster loved gambling, he'd leveraged Loki's taunts into a bet.
If Thor won—
He claimed Valkyrie.
And now, the debt had come due.
"Topaz," the Grandmaster sighed. "Bring him his prize."
Moments later, Valkyrie was led in.
A neural obedience disk was secured at her neck. A restraint tether—made of some advanced Sakaaran alloy—kept her under control.
She shot Thor a murderous glare.
"She's my finest scrapper," the Grandmaster lamented theatrically, dabbing at nonexistent tears. "Always brought me the best prizes."
He waved them off and allowed Topaz to wheel him away in exaggerated heartbreak.
Tony stood.
"Good luck, Thor," he said with a knowing smirk. "Don't let a woman intimidate you."
Leon rose as well, an arm around Supergiant.
He gave Valkyrie a playful wink.
"You too."
Thor blinked.
"Wait—that's not what this is about! I'm not—"
But the Stark brothers were already gone.
"You touch me, and I'll kill you," Valkyrie growled.
Thor paused.
Something in her defiance sparked.
A dangerous grin spread across his face.
He was not some timid prince.
Outside Asgard, Thor Odinson had never exactly lived like a monk.
And technically…
Valkyrie hadn't lived in Asgard for years.
Close enough.
"You're bold," Thor said.
She stepped back.
He pulled the tether.
Then, without ceremony, he hoisted her over his shoulder and strode toward his quarters.
No matter how she struggled—
Awakened Thor did not budge.
"Let me go! I have a partner! You idiot! Odinson men are all the same!"
Her protests echoed down the corridor.
Back in the VIP suite—
Loki's grin slowly faded as he looked down at Mjolnir still pinning him in place.
"…Brother?"
No answer.
Thor was otherwise occupied.
Loki muttered something bitter under his breath.
Mjolnir responded with a crackle of lightning.
Moments later, Loki sat smoking lightly, hair frizzed, finally silent.
"I always suffer the most," he muttered.
Elsewhere
Thor's confidence wavered for exactly one second.
Valkyrie had been a legendary warrior before he was even born.
That realization hit hard.
Smack.
"Is that all?" she mocked, tapping his cheek with open disdain. "For a 'God of Thunder,' you're underwhelming."
Thor inhaled sharply.
"For Asgard!"
Lightning flared around him.
If brute strength alone wasn't enough—
Then he would combine it with divine power.
Thunder rumbled.
Energy surged.
A strike—
A force—
A surge of stormlight meant to pierce the heavens themselves.
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