Especially after hearing Odin's description of the Infinity Gauntlet and the Infinity Stones, Thor understood that the gauntlet and the stones held power comparable to the ultimate strength of the runes. Thor knew he had to stop Thanos, not just for the universe, but for Asgard. Protecting Asgard from such an ambitious invader became his mission, and so, he and his companions rushed to Nidavellir.
"Asgardians..." Thanos frowned as he saw Thor and his team arrive. His gaze fixed on Thor; the other members of the Asgardian quartet didn't concern him, but Thor's power was enough to make Thanos take this seriously.
As a powerful figure who had roamed the universe for many years, Thanos had honed a method to assess the strength of his opponents. Moreover, as a god of Asgard, Thor's divine energy was distinct, even though the source and nature of divine powers differed among the pantheons of the universe. That core essence of divine power was easy to recognize.
At this moment, even Thanos took notice of Thor's potent divine power. As Supergiant had previously mentioned, Thanos had destroyed half the population of many civilizations, encountering quite a few gods along the way. But honestly, none of them could match the current Thor.
Yes, Thor's current strength ranked him among the most powerful gods in the universe. Not every planet had gods as numerous as those on Earth, and not every planetary deity could reach the level of a Skyfather; some struggled even to approach that tier.
Earth had always been a unique existence in the universe, which explained why so many dimensions coveted it. Moreover, if the gods on those planets had truly been powerful, they wouldn't have stood idly by while Thanos' army slaughtered half of their followers.
Even if some gods didn't care about their followers, allowing Thanos to massacre them was an affront to their divine dignity! But evidently, many of these gods had chosen cowardice. Thanos held contempt for these outdated deities and did not believe they deserved the title of "gods."
Thor was different. The abundant divine energy flowing through him set him apart from the cowardly and weak planetary deities Thanos had previously encountered. As a result, Thanos knew he had to be cautious. He gripped his double-edged sword tightly, halting his massacre of the Dwarves.
"Thor! Thor, God of Thunder! Please, save my people!" Eitri, the Dwarf King, who was lying on the ground, became excited the moment he saw Thor. He knelt and begged for mercy.
If the Dwarves of Nidavellir were exterminated and Eitri was the only one left, he would abandon all faith in Asgard. But now, with so many of his people still alive and Asgard sending their crown prince, Thor, to save them, Asgard remained Nidavellir's hope for survival.
"I will. After all, protecting Nidavellir is Asgard's duty. This Titan who dares to invade Asgard will face the consequences he deserves!" Thor nodded at Eitri and, without hesitation, hurled his hammer, Mjolnir, toward Thanos.
"Clang!" The moment Thor's hammer sped toward him, Thanos, prepared, swung his double-edged sword, knocking Mjolnir away.
Though Mjolnir was a divine artifact of Asgard, Thanos' sword was no less formidable. Having taken countless lives, the blade showed no signs of weakness in its clash with Mjolnir.
"Go, get the Dwarves out of here. This is not a place where you can safely watch the fight," Thor said calmly as Thanos, now charging toward him, emitted an aura of lightning and divine power. He stretched out his hand toward Thanos, issuing the command.
"Yes!" Thor's companions, the Asgardian quartet, knew they couldn't participate in this battle. Despite undergoing experiments on Earth, their power was nowhere near that of Thor or Thanos. If Black Dwarf had been here, they might have had a chance to join the fight. Now, their only option was to get Eitri and the Dwarves to safety before the battle's shockwaves killed them.
"Once I've dealt with you, I'll deal with them too!" Thanos said coldly as he watched the Asgardians retreat. His expression remained unchanged, but his speed surged as he closed in on Thor.
Yet, as Thanos neared, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. From the start, Thor's expression and posture hadn't changed. His hand remained outstretched, as if waiting to grasp something.
"Huh?!" By the time Thanos realized something was wrong, it was too late. He turned suddenly, only to be struck by Mjolnir, which had flown back toward him.
"Boom!" The hammer crashed into Thanos, its force amplified by Thor's lightning. The impact sent Thanos flying, denting his armor in the process.
This was despite Thanos managing to block part of Mjolnir's power at the last second. If he hadn't, his armor would have been even more severely damaged.
"Impressive move!" Thanos muttered as he climbed to his feet, glaring at Thor with cold eyes. His double-edged sword gleamed with a blood-like sheen as he lunged at Thor once more.
"Good! Come on!" Thor's eyes gleamed with excitement as Thanos charged at him. Even though his character had evolved multiple times, Thor was still a warrior at heart. While he no longer enjoyed battle as purely as he once had, the thrill of combat remained imprinted deep in his soul.
"Zzzzt!" Thor's body crackled with lightning as he rushed to meet Thanos. Seeing Thanos swing first, Thor hurled his hammer once more.
The old saying that longer weapons have the advantage held true here. Thanos' double-edged sword, far longer than Thor's hammer, had the upper hand in reach. Thanos intended to strike first to avoid the risk of his weapon becoming ineffective at close range.
However, Thanos hadn't anticipated that Thor would attack simultaneously, unleashing another wave of lightning. Thor's fighting style deviated from Thanos' expectations.
But Thanos was quick to react. Instantly, energy gathered in his hand, and he swung his sword, sending the energy wave crashing into Mjolnir's lightning.
"Shhh!" The clash of opposing forces caused Thanos to frown. He felt pressure building.
Thanos had encountered lightning-wielders before, but Thor's lightning was different. It came from his divine status as the God of Thunder in Asgard, and with his partial acquisition of rune power, Thor's abilities had evolved. In this energy clash, Thanos found himself at a disadvantage, gradually being overwhelmed.
Moreover, Mjolnir's lightning seemed endless. Thanos had only seen such immense energy reserves in the Infinity Stones.
This was clear proof of Thor's growth. What had once been a powerful but singular attack was now a technique Thor could use repeatedly, almost as if it were a standard attack.
"Thor! Such strength! It seems you are truly destined to be Asgard's next God-King!" Thanos exclaimed, squinting as he felt the increasing pressure from Thor's attacks.
"Whether or not I become the God-King of Asgard is irrelevant. What matters is that you, the invader of Nidavellir, will fall here today… What?!" Thor's face suddenly changed mid-sentence.
"Zzzt!" As Thor spoke, beams of energy shot from Thanos' eyes, striking Thor and sending him flying.
This move was unusual for Thanos. In most battles, he preferred to rely on his sword. Energy attacks were rare for him, and sneak attacks even rarer. But against Thor, Thanos had used both—a surprise energy blast from his eyes, designed to catch Thor off guard.
Unlike Kryptonians or Martians, Thanos didn't possess innate abilities like heat vision. His power lay in his formidable body, vast energy, and indomitable will.
"Shit! I never imagined the Mad Titan would resort to such despicable tricks!" Thor muttered as he climbed to his feet, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His armor had been shattered, and he was clearly more injured than Thanos had been in their earlier exchange.
"Heh, didn't you use a similar trick earlier?" Thanos responded, his expression unchanged. After all, Thor had previously summoned Mjolnir to strike him from behind. In a one-on-one fight, any tactic was fair game, and neither had grounds to accuse the other of being underhanded.
"Rumble!" The ground around Thor suddenly erupted in lightning, casting a bright glow across the battlefield. The intense light forced Thanos to avert his eyes slightly, though he continued to watch Thor from the corner of his gaze.
Above Nidavellir, dark clouds gathered over the battlefield, causing Thanos to frown. He knew this was Thor's doing, but he wasn't sure what Thor was planning with this new storm.
"Crack!" As Thanos braced himself, a bolt of lightning flashed, revealing a faint silhouette within it.
"Whoosh!" Just as Thanos was about to investigate further, Mjolnir hurtled toward him once more. Thanos quickly shifted his focus, and his sword clashed with the hammer again.
"Clang!" Mjolnir was knocked aside once more, but Thanos didn't relax. He kept his eyes trained on the hammer, determined not to be caught off guard again.
"Crack!"
"Boom!"
The skies above began to explode with thunder and lightning. The booming echoed all around, while
more bolts of lightning illuminated the battlefield.
"Boom!" In the next instant, Thor, riding a bolt of lightning, appeared behind Thanos, landing a thunderous punch that sent the Titan flying.
"Huh?!" Thanos quickly recovered, energy surging in his hand as he turned to strike, but Thor had already vanished.
"Boom!" Before Thanos could react, Thor struck again, this time from a different angle. And this was just the beginning.
Thor's figure flickered across Nidavellir, riding lightning as he darted around the battlefield. Using the storm as his advantage, Thor's speed reached its peak, allowing him to dominate the fight, leaving Thanos struggling to keep up.
Each strike of lightning became a weapon for Thor, and each thunderclap signaled another attack. Mjolnir continued to soar through the air, periodically slamming into Thanos, who was struggling to respond.
Thanos found himself completely suppressed by Thor's relentless assault. His armor was shattered, and his body bore blackened scars from the lightning's impact. But most notably, a deep imprint had been left on his waist—courtesy of Mjolnir's devastating blow…
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