Harry drove the standard S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle slowly into town. It had been about ten minutes since the last magnetic-field eruption in the distance. Judging by the timing, Loki in Asgard had likely already dealt with Heimdall—clad in golden armour and wielding the giant sword—and must have begun activating the Destroyer.
Sweeping out his mental power, Harry quickly detected the few remaining people in the small town. Four ordinary humans remained—one of them unusually vigilant, even reacting faintly to Harry's psychic scan. The other four were… special. Their clothing differed completely from the townsfolk's, and their consciousnesses brushed against Harry's power in a way that showed they sensed something.
...
"What was that just now?"
Inside Jane Foster's rented house, Sif—the warrior goddess who had just met Thor's three friends—frowned and turned slightly toward the door.
"Someone is watching us," Thor said, stepping forward. Standing before everyone, he stared sternly at the glass door.
"Who?"
The Three Warriors of Asgard immediately moved to Thor's side. With Thor's powers sealed, he looked like an ordinary mortal; as fellow warriors of Asgard, it was natural for them to protect their prince. Sif herself, one of Asgard's mightiest fighters, instinctively guarded him as well.
"I don't know." Thor shook his head. He wasn't trying to act brave.
Outside came the sound of a car stopping and a door closing. A figure stepped out slowly.
He circled the car and approached the front door.
Inside, Sif and the warriors tightened their grips on their weapons, lowering their blades and aiming straight at the entrance.
"Hey, what's with all the hostility? Thor…" Harry pushed open the door, his light-blue eyes sweeping over the tense scene. He didn't understand what these Asgardians thought they were doing.
"It's you," Thor said softly, surprise on his face.
"Ha!"
Something always had to go wrong. With a roar, a bearded Asgardian rushed at Harry, swinging a massive axe. The blade tore through the air with a shrill whistle, aiming straight for Harry's head.
Harry frowned. This reckless fool—Volstagg—was exactly the type he expected. Famous in Asgard for his appetite, laziness, and impulsiveness.
"Don't!" Thor shouted, but lacking his divine power and blocked by Sif, he couldn't intervene. The other two warriors held defensive stances, uncertain whether Harry was friend or foe, and didn't immediately stop Volstagg.
Volstagg's rashness, however, gave them a clear view of Harry's reaction.
"Hmph."
Even though Asgardians were physically superior to humans—Volstagg included—their speed far exceeded what their movie portrayals suggested. But Harry's own physical abilities matched theirs, and his powerful mental strength made his reflexes far sharper.
His thoughts accelerated, and the world slowed.
Volstagg's axe, moving at blinding speed, crawled toward him like a snail. Harry glanced at the warriors, snorted, stepped left, then forward, and drove a heavy right fist straight into Volstagg's chin. Before the man could recover, Harry followed with a brutal elbow strike that hurled him back even faster than he'd charged.
"Ah!!"
Volstagg shot backward like a tossed sack, slamming into Hogun, who had just stepped forward.
Bang!
Hogun caught Volstagg—only to be thrown backward with him, the two crashing into the wall.
Fandral, far calmer, did not recklessly charge like Volstagg. He had clearly heard Thor's shout. Yet after seeing Harry's display, he grew even more cautious, raising his broad, curved blade protectively before Thor.
The atmosphere stabilized instantly, and Thor exhaled in relief. Stepping past Sif, he said, "This is—"
"Idiots!"
Hogun's voice cut him off. Realizing Volstagg had blundered again, rage flared. He tore free of the cracked wall, raised his weapon, and charged at Harry.
Harry flexed his fist. It wasn't injured—he just disliked the smell left by Volstagg's beard, thick with alcohol.
He tilted his head slightly. Hogun's blade was already descending.
"Vmmm—"
A crisp vibration rang above Harry's head as he casually stepped out from under the strike and continued walking toward Thor.
Asgardian weapons were no ordinary metal—Harry had tested that earlier. His magnetic field manipulation did not affect Mjolnir, perhaps due to Odin's enchantments. But the weapons held by Sif and the Three Warriors could still be influenced—though not without effort.
Harry raised his hand. The moment he hooked his fingers, the sword in Hogun's grip wrenched free, flew upward, and landed cleanly into Harry's palm.
Ding—
He flicked the blade with his fingertip, producing a clear, ringing chime.
Swish—swish—
A silver arc flashed through the air, cold and sharp.
"As expected… a fine weapon. Definitely made of materials not found on Earth, and the forging technique is excellent," Harry murmured. With his mental strength combined with magnetic power, he immediately grasped the composition and nature of the blade. The Phoenix Force could do the same, but Harry avoided using its uncontrollable power lightly.
"Haha! Of course. This is a divine-forged weapon—only Asgardian warriors can wield one." Thor finally pushed past Sif and greeted Harry with a beaming smile.
Harry looked at Thor and noted that all traces of his earlier despair had vanished. Even the smile on his face seemed warmer now.
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