Charles clapped his hands together.
"Wood Style: Wood Wall!"
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Malekith's attack was instantly blocked. Charles turned to Thor and said, "Take care of those soldiers."
"Got it!" Thor responded, raising Mjolnir and launching himself into the air to fight the Dark Elf soldiers.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!" Charles launched two dragon-headed fireballs toward Malekith.
The flames circled in the air briefly before diving down, causing a series of explosions upon hitting the ground.
Malekith blocked the attack, scoffing, "Is that all your power amounts to?"
But in the next second, a bolt of lightning appeared at Malekith's feet, paralyzing him momentarily. Then, a lightning spear shot from Charles's hand, piercing through Malekith.
Though electricity coursed through his body, the damage wasn't as severe as expected.
Outside the battlefield, Tsunade turned to Minato and remarked, "That move looks like Uchiha's technique."
Minato nodded, "Yes, it's called Chidori Sharp Spear, if I recall."
Though Tsunade and her team weren't participating in the battle, they were stationed nearby, helping secure the area.
Malekith launched another attack with the Aether, but Charles dodged it easily, reappearing right in front of him with a sudden burst of speed.
"Boom!"
Charles's kick came crashing down, but Malekith raised his arm to block. The force of the blow rippled outwards, shattering windows of nearby buildings and causing the ground beneath them to shake violently.
Malekith, using the power of the Aether, repelled Charles, sending him flying backward.
"Swish!"
However, Charles disappeared mid-air and reappeared behind Malekith, where a Hiraishin kunai was already embedded.
"Rasengan!"
Charles slammed a Rasengan into Malekith's back, sending him flying. But just as Malekith was thrown, he vanished due to the convergence of the Nine Realms.
Charles watched the weak spot in space where Malekith had disappeared, preparing to pursue him. But in the blink of an eye, Malekith reappeared and threw a punch at Charles.
"Swish!"
Charles used Hiraishin again, vanishing from sight and reappearing above Malekith, slamming another Rasengan down.
However, just as the Rasengan struck, another spatial rift appeared beneath Malekith's feet. Both Charles and Malekith were transported to the Dark World.
"Boom!"
The Rasengan landed on the side of a mountain in the Dark World, creating a massive crater, while Malekith tumbled down the slope.
Charles pursued him, but just as he caught up, they both reappeared in mid-air back on Earth.
As the environment continuously shifted, Charles found the situation becoming frustrating.
Too many variables and unexpected changes.
He teleported in front of Malekith once more, this time placing a Hiraishin mark on his shoulder.
With the tracking mark in place, Charles no longer worried about losing Malekith.
As they fell through another spatial rift, returning to the Dark World, Charles, now confident, waved his hand.
"Scorch Style: Incinerating Flame Bullet!"
A crimson fireball shot toward Malekith. As the fireball approached, Malekith crossed his arms to block it.
However, just as the fireball was about to hit Malekith, it suddenly disappeared, reappearing on Earth.
"Boom!"
A parked car on the side of the road was hit by the fireball and instantly melted into a pool of molten metal.
Seeing that the attack hadn't reached him, Malekith immediately sent a surge of Aether particles toward Charles. The attack was so fast that it appeared in front of Charles almost instantly.
"Swish!"
But Malekith's attack missed as Charles teleported behind him with Hiraishin.
"Rasengan!"
Charles slammed a Rasengan into Malekith, but just as it hit, the two were teleported from the Dark World back into the skies above Earth.
Malekith, now in free fall, managed to avoid Charles's attack. As he descended, Charles quickly followed him with a burst of speed, but in the next moment, they both found themselves transported to Jotunheim.
…
Meanwhile-
Two S.H.I.E.L.D. fighter jets were closing in on Greenwich.
"Confirming whether it's an enemy ship," said one pilot.
"Confirmed as an enemy ship, permission to fire granted," came the response.
"Roger, missile lock-on."
"Missiles have been launched!" The pilots fired their missiles at Malekith's spaceship. However, instead of hitting their target, the missiles veered off course into the sky.
"Missiles have gone off target. Repeat, off target."
"I've lost control! Mayday, mayday!" The pilots reported as both the missiles and jets disappeared into the realm of Vanaheim.
…
Back on the outskirts of the battlefield, Tsunade frowned, "Charles and the enemy have disappeared."
Minato, frowning as well, added, "I can't sense Lord Charles anymore."
At that moment, Charles and Malekith reappeared in Jotunheim, where a frost giant suddenly emerged, preparing to attack. But upon seeing Charles, the giant froze in fear and quickly turned tail and ran.
Malekith was stunned for a moment, while Charles understood. Years ago, a young Madara Uchiha had rampaged through this realm, and the frost giants clearly remembered that.
"Malekith, even the Convergence of the Nine Realms won't save your life."
Aether particles swirled around Malekith, "Victory is still undecided!"
Just then, the ice beneath their feet cracked, and both Charles and Malekith were teleported back to Greenwich.
Malekith climbed to his feet, glancing at the sky where the Nine Realms were converging.
"The time has come. You can't stop me."
Aether particles surged from Malekith's body, forming a black storm that began spreading outward.
"I told you, your mastery of the Aether is pathetic."
In the next moment, Charles appeared beside Malekith, grabbed him, and they both vanished again.
Malekith again found himself in a familiar yet distant place.
"Jotunheim," he muttered in confusion.
This time, Charles had used the power of the Space Stone to transport them to the site of his previous battle with the King of the Mountain Giants.
It was far from the Convergence, and even Malekith wouldn't be able to return in time.
"Die!" Charles drew a vibranium sword and pierced Malekith's body, then kicked him away.
Malekith stood up, roaring in anger, "Attacks like that won't kill me!"
With the power of the Aether in his possession, Malekith's resistance and regeneration had become endless.
Once vulnerable to a single bolt of lightning, he now rivaled even the cursed warriors in strength and durability.