Thor, Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, and Sif all looked grim.
Especially the four warriors—Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, and Sif—who had arrived on Earth via the Bifrost. The scene before them was all too familiar; the very Bifrost had just been activated.
As the dust in the sky gradually settled, the figure of the Destroyer slowly emerged. Standing nearly three meters tall, its armor was striped and radiated a red glow from within. Only two small eye holes were visible on its silver-white metallic face. The cold steel shimmered in the moonlight, sending chills through anyone who looked upon it.
And yet, it made no movement. It simply stood there, unmoving and silent.
"What is that thing?"
Madam Gao frowned as she stared at the towering machine in front of her. An uneasy feeling crept into her heart.
The same unease struck Thor and the four Asgardians. As seasoned warriors of Asgard, how could they fail to recognize it?
It was Odin's ultimate weapon—the Destroyer.
Could it be that Loki had discovered their descent to Earth and sent the Destroyer to capture them?
"Now's our chance—let's go."
Madam Gao glanced around. Everyone's attention was locked on the Destroyer, giving her the opportunity to slip away.
A four-against-one battle might lead to victory, but it would be a costly one. She wasn't willing to risk injury unless absolutely necessary.
So, the moment an opening presented itself, she moved to escape—without hesitation.
But the instant she stepped away—
The Destroyer, which had been standing like a statue, suddenly stirred, as if awakened. The stripes on its face glowed an intense red, like molten magma.
Boom!
A searing beam of golden light, hot as magma, shot from its eyes, lighting up the night.
"Watch out!"
With tremendous force, the beam hurtled toward the group.
Volstagg and the others cried out and scattered in panic.
Even Madam Gao was stunned. She hadn't expected such a small movement to provoke such a terrifying response. Heart pounding, she joined the others in retreat.
Peng! Peng! Pong!
The beam struck a shipping container ahead, instantly vaporizing it with unbearable heat. Nearby containers, untouched by the beam, began to warp and melt from the residual temperature.
On the roof of Warehouse No. 3, Blaine sat, watching and shaking his head.
The Destroyer truly lived up to its name—it was a merciless killing machine.
"You can't just sit back."
"Everyone, attack together!"
"Take this thing down!"
Sif, who had regained consciousness from the blast, stood up. Her injuries had mostly healed by now.
"The Destroyer?!" she exclaimed, gripping her sword tightly. She turned to the others.
The warriors of Asgard met her gaze and raised their weapons.
"Let's go!"
As they prepared to charge, another beam of molten energy erupted, striking the ground with devastating force.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Destroyer advanced step by step, heavy and relentless. Red light gathered within its core, building toward another terrifying attack.
Volstagg and the others stood ready to face it.
As for Madam Gao… she had already used the chaos to flee the battlefield.
Blaine didn't bother stopping her. She might be useful later.
Besides, tonight he was only a spectator—not a participant.
Glancing at Gali, who was watching the scene with great interest, Blaine chuckled and turned back to the unfolding battle.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Volstagg charged, using his size, strength, and momentum to leap and slam his axe into the Destroyer's shoulder.
The weapon struck true—but the Destroyer didn't even flinch. There was only a faint white mark on its shoulder. Not even a dent.
Such was the might of Odin's ultimate weapon.
The Destroyer slowly turned its head toward Volstagg, locking eyes with him.
A concentrated red beam shot forth.
Volstagg's pupils shrank in horror. He released his axe and dove to the ground.
Just in time.
A beam of destructive energy burst from the Destroyer's eyes, instantly melting the enchanted axe forged by Asgard's blacksmiths. It exploded on impact, disintegrating everything in its path.
Volstagg was momentarily out of commission, but the others were not about to stand idle. The three warriors roared and charged, swords raised high.
Thor, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists anxiously.
"What do I do… what do I do…"
"Is there no other way?"
"My hammer—why can't I lift Mjolnir?!"
"If I could just lift it, I wouldn't be standing here uselessly! Damn it! Damn it all!"
Thor gritted his teeth in frustration, blaming himself, cursing his weakness. He ran his hands through his hair over and over in desperation, messing it up until his once-handsome style looked like a bird's nest.
And then, as he turned—
He spotted two people.
Blaine and Gali, perched atop Warehouse No. 3.
Thor's eyes lit up with hope. He waved his arms wildly and shouted: "Hey! Hey! Hey!"
"Huh?"
Has Thor finally lost his mind?
Blaine gave him a puzzled look.
Noticing Blaine's attention, Thor shouted even louder and pointed toward the battlefield: "Aren't you a Bounty Hunter who takes on missions for others? I have a mission for you now!"
"Destroy the Destroyer! Please!!"
In the intel Nick Fury had provided Thor, Blaine's abilities remained classified, but everything else was detailed—especially the fact that Blaine was a Bounty Hunter.
Fury had even told Thor that Blaine probably stole Mjolnir because it was a mission.
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