Ryuuto didn't mean to piss off Thor. He only did it because the damn system forced his hand.
But of course, he couldn't exactly say that out loud.
He coughed lightly. "I just saw how empty and lonely you looked, so… I helped you."
Thor's veins bulged. "Helped? You call that helping?! That's bullying!"
Before Ryuuto could even retort, Mjolnir came flying straight at his face.
"Earth Style: Rock Fist Technique!"
Ryuuto's arm turned to solid stone, but the moment Mjolnir smashed into it—
CRACK!
The rocks shattered like glass. The impact sent him flying, skidding across the ground.
"Damn," he muttered, landing in a crouch. "So much for the Yanquan Technique. Guess divine weapons don't play fair."
His grin vanished. He straightened up, dust falling from his clothes. No more jokes. No more smiles.
If Thor wanted a fight, then fine—Ryuuto would give him one.
Catching his returning hammer mid-air, Thor barked, "If you don't apologize right now, I'll send you to the goddess of death myself!"
Ryuuto tilted his head. "Goddess of death? She cute?"
That did it.
Thor's fury hit critical mass.
Thunder roared across the sky as Mjolnir blazed with lightning. He swung, and the storm came down like judgment itself.
Ryuuto pressed his hands to the ground.
"Earth Style: Dynamic Core!"
The ground trembled, rising into a solid wall of earth that blocked the thunder's strike.
When the flash faded, Thor was already charging in.
Ryuuto's body blurred. He vanished from sight.
But Thor was no fool. When Ryuuto's afterimage darted behind him, Thor spun with a snarl and swung his hammer—
straight through the illusion.
"Too slow, old man," Ryuuto's voice echoed.
Thor's eyes narrowed. He could see Ryuuto's speed, but not react fast enough. That only made him madder.
Raising Mjolnir high, he unleashed another torrent—
hundreds of bolts crashing down in a dome of thunder, wrapping him in an electric fortress.
"Damn, that's actually pretty cool," Ryuuto muttered. "But overkill much?"
Thor's thunderstorm made him untouchable up close. And Mjolnir—hell, that thing could hit like a meteor from miles away.
He was tracking Ryuuto's every move, waiting for the perfect moment.
Then—crack!—lightning like twin dragons split the air, racing toward him.
Ryuuto knelt, pressing both palms to the ground again. Chakra surged through his veins. Two points lit up—one in front of him, one directly beneath Thor.
"Earth Style: Dynamic Core!"
Two massive blocks of earth shot upward—
one intercepting the thunder, the other erupting beneath Thor's feet, launching him skyward.
"Now," Ryuuto whispered, eyes flashing.
But before he could move, the sky exploded.
Thor's hammer slammed down with godlike force, shattering the rising earth in one blow.
"—What the hell—?" Ryuuto's head snapped up. Thor was gone.
Then—boom!—a sound behind him.
Thor charged like a thunderous bull, roaring, without Mjolnir in hand.
Wait. Without it?
Ryuuto's instincts screamed. He jumped—just as Mjolnir came whirling from the opposite side.
"Cheeky bastard!"
Thor caught it mid-air in perfect sync, swinging it in a full arc. The combination nearly clipped Ryuuto midair.
He landed, skidding to a stop. "Looks like we're at a stalemate, huh?"
Thor growled, lightning still crackling around him. "Even if it takes until tomorrow, I'm beating you into the ground!"
Before Ryuuto could respond, a group came running—Susan, Reed, Johnny—the whole Fantastic Four lineup.
Susan stepped forward, wide-eyed. "What the hell happened here?"
"Ask him!" Thor barked, pointing at Ryuuto. "This kid turned into my girlfriend! You think I wouldn't lose it?!"
Ryuuto sighed dramatically. "I saw a lonely man, so I tried cheering him up. Turned into Jane for a bit. Didn't expect him to take it personally."
He shrugged. "See? This is what happens when you try being a good person in front of a stubborn cow."
Thor's face turned red. "None of you stop me! Or I swear I'll send him to Hel!"
Mjolnir slammed into the ground. Thunder exploded outward, cracking the floor like glass.
The flash was so bright Susan had to shield her eyes.
"Thor! That's enough!"
A metallic voice boomed from above.
THUD! Iron Man dropped from the sky, landing between them just as lightning struck his armor.
"Sir! Power levels critical!" JARVIS warned.
"Yeah, yeah, déjà vu," Tony muttered. The armor glowed, absorbing the thunder's energy.
"Let's see if you've mellowed out since New York, Point Break!"
He fired the energy right back.
BOOM!
Thor barely raised his hammer in time before the blast sent him flying through several trees and into a boulder, which shattered on impact.
Groaning, he got up. "Tony! Are you insane?!"
"Insane? Nah," Tony said, opening his faceplate with a grin. "Just lovesick. Haven't seen you in ages, big guy. Come on—give me a hug."
Thor blinked, jaw twitching. "...You're impossible."