While invisibly observing from the air, Charles noticed the large Dark Elf ship appearing on the horizon.
He muttered to himself, "The target has arrived."
Soon, Thor and his group also spotted the ship, and Jane gasped in alarm, "Malekith!"
The trio stopped on a hillside and disembarked from their ship. At the same time, Malekith and his soldiers landed their own ship and began advancing toward Thor's position.
Thor looked at Jane and asked, "Are you ready?"
Jane nodded.
Loki chimed in, "I'm ready too."
Hidden in a spatial rift using the Space Stone's power, Charles remained undetected by Malekith.
Meanwhile, Loki and Thor walked forward a few steps, stopping at a distance from the approaching enemies.
Loki said, "Your terrible plan is going to get us both killed."
"Perhaps," Thor replied.
Loki raised his shackled hands, signaling for Thor to unlock them, "You still don't trust me, brother?"
Thor glanced at him, "Would you trust yourself?"
Despite the tension, Thor reluctantly removed Loki's shackles.
Once free, Loki smirked, "No, I wouldn't."
Without warning, Loki pulled out a hidden dagger and stabbed Thor in the side before kicking him down the hillside.
Jane cried out in shock, "No, Thor!"
She hurriedly ran after Thor as he tumbled down the slope.
Hidden within the spatial rift, Charles casually watched the scene unfold, munching on popcorn and sipping soda, fully entertained by the brothers' dramatic performance.
Malekith, witnessing the apparent betrayal, was momentarily stunned.
'Are they fighting amongst themselves?' He thought, before continuing his march toward them.
Loki, catching up to Thor, taunted, "Did you really think I cared about Frigga or any of you?"
With a swift kick, Loki sent Thor flying again.
"Boom!"
Thor tumbled through the air, landing hard on the ground.
"I only desire to see you and Odin lying dead at my feet," Loki sneered.
As Thor attempted to summon Mjolnir with his right hand, Loki quickly grabbed his arm and severed it with the dagger.
"Ahhh!" Thor screamed as half of his arm was cut off, and Mjolnir crashed to the ground nearby.
Charles, watching from above, couldn't help but be impressed. Loki's illusions are top-notch. If I didn't know how this ends, I wouldn't be able to tell it's all fake.
'Loki's magical prowess certainly lives up to his reputation in parallel universes as the Sorcerer Supreme', Charles thought.
Too bad this Loki isn't fully committed to that path. He spends too much time playing like an assassin, and not very well at that.
As Jane rushed to Thor's side, concerned about his injury, Loki approached and grabbed her, turning to Malekith, who was now approaching.
"Malekith!" Loki shouted.
"I am Loki of Jotunheim, and I bring you a gift!"
With that, he threw Jane at Malekith's feet. Malekith stood silently, observing Loki and the Aether, now seemingly within his grasp.
Loki continued, "My request is simple—let me witness Asgard burn to ashes."
The cursed warrior Algrim, standing beside Malekith, interrupted, "He's an enemy of Asgard, a prisoner from the dungeons."
Hearing this, Malekith pondered for a moment.
An enemy of Odin? The enemy of my enemy...
He approached Thor, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Look at me," Malekith commanded, kicking Thor over to inspect him more closely.
Seeing Thor's severed arm and pained expression, he appeared convinced.
With a gesture, Jane began to float into the air, as Aether particles started pouring out of her body and toward Malekith.
Both Thor and Loki watched as the dark energy was drawn from Jane's body.
For Jane, the scene was nightmarish—she saw the sun extinguishing and the universe being devoured by the Aether. Once the extraction was complete, Jane collapsed, falling to the ground.
Charles had already stowed away his popcorn and soda.
As Jane fell, Thor shouted, "Loki, now!"
Loki waved his hand, and the illusion was dispelled—Thor's arm, which had appeared severed, was whole again. Everything up until now had been a carefully crafted illusion.
At that moment, Charles, using his Hiraishin technique, appeared beside Jane.
Utilizing the Space Stone, he opened a portal and quickly sent Jane through it.
On the other side of the portal was Charles's base.
Jane blinked, finding herself in a familiar setting. Lying on the floor, still disoriented, she saw Darcy rushing toward her.
"Jane, thank goodness! You're back!" Darcy exclaimed.
Back on the battlefield, Charles had just sent Jane away when Thor called Mjolnir back to him.
Without hesitation, he unleashed a blast of lightning at the Aether.
Though his father, Odin, had told him it couldn't be destroyed, Thor felt compelled to try.
Lightning surged through Mjolnir, striking the Aether particles. The next moment...
"Boom!"
The Aether exploded into fragments, scattering across the ground. Thor smiled, believing for a brief moment that he had destroyed the Reality Stone.
He glanced at Charles, as if to say, I did it.
But Charles wasn't fooled. He knew such an attack couldn't destroy the Aether.
As he crouched down to pick up some of the Aether fragments, he noticed that in this shattered state, he didn't receive any notifications from his system.
No recharge yet, huh?
Before he could contemplate further, the Aether fragments began floating again, quickly reforming and flying toward Malekith.
Even the pieces Charles held slipped from his grasp.
In an instant, the Aether was absorbed into Malekith's body.
The process was so swift that even Charles couldn't intervene in time. Frustrated by the outcome, Charles clapped his hands together and pointed at Malekith.
"Lightning Style: Kirin!"
Dark clouds rapidly gathered overhead, and a massive lightning bolt, shaped like a fierce kirin, roared as it descended toward Malekith and his forces.
Loki, witnessing the sheer power Charles summoned with ease, looked at Thor. His eyes seemed to say, now that is what real lightning power looks like.
"Boom!"
The kirin-shaped lightning crashed down, obliterating the Dark Elves and engulfing Malekith in a storm of destruction.
But as the smoke cleared, Malekith stood unharmed. He had used the Aether to form a protective shield, blocking Charles's attack.
He glanced briefly at Algrim before turning and heading toward his ship.
His plan was clear—he intended to use the upcoming Convergence to unleash the Aether and destroy the Nine Realms.
Meanwhile, the remaining soldiers charged at Charles, Thor, and Loki. The battle was far from over.