A deafening boom split the air.
Corvus Glaive's war-blade was nearly knocked from his hands. Empty eye sockets widened in shock as he stared at the figure who had appeared out of nowhere—
Loki, the trickster god, wearing regal attire with a crown and gripping the scepter of royal authority.
And the one that had just blocked Corvus's killing stroke? A squat bulldog with wrinkled red skin and a comically grumpy little face.
Surtur, the Fire Giant.
He'd originally planned to leave with Saitama, but Saitama had ultimately stationed him at Loki's side—Loki was still a bit weak; he needed a bodyguard.
"It blocked me? A… dog?"
Corvus Glaive gaped. In this vast universe, what breed of dog could block his attack?
"My poor brother—you're not dead yet, are you? I only just finished watching the latest play, so I'm a tad late."
Smiling, Loki helped Thor to his feet.
The poor Thunder God looked a little aggrieved. Great—still watching theater? It felt like Loki was deliberately paying him back.
Still, Thor couldn't help feeling relieved that Loki had come at all.
"I'm fine. I can still fight!"
Thor tried to bluff.
"Sure, sure, I know you can. You're Asgard's bravest warrior. But you're the king now—the heart of Asgard. Leave the rest to me."
Loki eased Thor down to rest and began walking, unhurried, toward Corvus.
Corvus's gaze tightened on Loki. Thanos's dossier had mentioned him—"a weak Asgardian royal," and little more.
But the Loki standing here radiated danger. And the dog at his side—especially the dog—made his bones ache with dread.
"Greetings. I am Loki, administrator of the World Tree," Loki said lightly, scepter leveled at the throne. "Step down from my brother's seat and surrender. If you do, I might consider granting you a swift execution."
"Courting death, are we? Heh… another one."
Corvus's grin spread. His blade howled down toward Loki's head—
"Rooaaar—"
The bulldog that had been lying quietly at the side suddenly bellowed. The entire palace shook.
In an instant, the "small dog" ballooned into a flame-titan the size of an elephant. With another thunderous roar, a tide of inferno rolled forth, swallowing Corvus Glaive and the two minions at his back.
"Hiss—"
Thor sucked in a cold breath.
Damn—Surtur really was broken-strong. A true All-Father-tier monster. Thor and Loki hadn't reached that tier yet; among everyone present, the bulldog Surtur was likely the strongest.
Before departing, Saitama had given Surtur a kill order: if anything happened to Loki, next time they met, Saitama would be having "dog hotpot."
That had nearly scared Surtur to death. He had zero courage to cross Saitama. Even as an All-Father-class being, he'd be pounded until he doubted reality itself.
Run away? With Loki wielding the Space Stone and Saitama on speed dial, there wasn't a corner of the cosmos Surtur could hide in.
And so the once-fearsome Fire Giant—one of the rarest terrors in the Marvel universe—was reduced to… a pet. Truly, a dog's life.
When the flames cleared, a kilometer-wide swath of the palace lay charred to a black crater. The marble floors had been reduced to powder. Thor's heart ached at the devastation.
The two lesser underlings were simply gone—dusted by the blaze.
Corvus Glaive remained only as a skeleton on his feet, war-blade still in hand, one arm and one leg burned away.
Such was the terror of Surtur's flame.
"So strong…"
Thor trembled. The foe who had pressed him so hard had been chewed up and spat out by Surtur like nothing.
"Then it's over, isn't it? If you run into trouble later, do call me—brother—assuming I'm free."
Loki smiled like a gentleman.
"Not yet," rumbled the bulldog-sized Surtur, eyes locked on the scorched skeleton. Loki blinked.
Before their eyes, the almost-incinerated Corvus began to rapidly regenerate. Shattered arm and leg bones regrew, flesh wove back into being, and his aura surged once more.
"A sneak attack, was it? Impressive fire—nearly killed me. Sadly for you, Lord Thanos granted me an undying body. No matter how many times you kill me, I won't die. Draw this out, and none of you can win. Hand over the Stone."
Grinning, Corvus resumed his full form.
At present, he was practically unkillable—power near All-Father-tier. He was a hair weaker than Surtur, perhaps, but with infinite resurrection? He could grind down everyone present.
Or so he believed, and confidence oozed from every word.
"Headache. That regeneration's nasty."
Loki rubbed his brow, then glanced at the calf-sized fire giant.
"Bit of a problem. I might not beat him cleanly. Also, I'm managing the Ten Realms now—getting my hands dirty would make Lord Saitama look bad. You handle it, Surtur. Quickly."
Surtur rolled his eyes. He was stronger than Loki, sure—but he didn't dare offend him. Loki was very much in Saitama's good graces right now.
Thor, meanwhile, could only plead.
"Er… could you not fight here? I just rebuilt the palace. And there are so many of our people around. Please?"
If they brawled in place, the palace would be a write-off. Not the outcome he wanted.
Surtur sighed. An All-Father fire giant—one of a kind in the cosmos—reduced to… doing chores. Truly miserable.
Corvus, hearing them talk as if he weren't there, frowned in confusion—then let a feral smile crawl across the skull.
"Deal with me? You overestimate yourselves. Very well—hard bones then. I'll break them one by one and pry out the Stone's whereabouts."
He rose from the throne at last, blade angling high.
"See? He's underestimating you, Surtur. Finish it—fast. And try not to wreck the place."
Loki smiled.
Surtur?
The name tugged at Corvus's memory. He'd heard it somewhere… but couldn't place when.
No matter. Kill first, think later.
"Rooaaar!"
"Filthy invader! Surtur will teach you a lesson!"
The calf-sized flame-beast swelled again—then streaked forward in a line of fire, snatching Corvus into its jaws and blasting out of the hall.
In the split second before he vanished, Corvus's eyes went wide with true horror—
The real Fire Giant, Surtur, had descended.
That cavernous, lava-filled maw closed—and swallowed him whole.
(End of Chapter)
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