[Thor's PoV]
I laughed in satisfaction, wiping sweat from my brow. Fenrir's body lay limp on the ground, her head still bleeding from my final strike.
However, my laughter ceased when I took a closer look at the helpless Fenrir. Though faint, her chest was rising and falling. My eyes widened as I realized the girl was still breathing.
"You monster, you're still alive even after taking my blow?"
I raised Mjolnir high, gripping the handle tightly, ready to crush her head with one final swing.
"Sorry, but your journey ends here, Fenrir."
I swung my hammer down toward her, but before it could reach its target, a magical shield suddenly appeared, encasing her in a dome.
My attack rebounded off the impenetrable magical barrier, sending me flying several meters backward.
I turned my gaze and spotted Loki in the distance, his hand outstretched. "Damn you, Loki!" I cursed, realizing he was the one who conjured the magical barrier to protect Fenrir. "Stay out of this!"
"Oh, come on, Thor." His voice was light and casual, as if he didn't take my anger seriously. "This is war, remember? You should know your opponent isn't just that girl but also me."
"Stay there for a moment, and I'll come to kill you soon enough!" I pointed Mjolnir in his direction.
A sharp, mocking smirk spread across his face. "Then why don't you do it already? Or is that legendary hammer in your hand nothing more than a useless trinket?"
I tightened my grip on Mjolnir. The hammer pulsed fiercely in my hand, as if its fury echoed my own after his taunts.
"You... you'll pay for that!" My voice was deep and low, thick with the rage I could no longer suppress after hearing his jibes.
I no longer spared a thought for Fenrir. That girl wouldn't be able to move anytime soon with the injuries I'd dealt her. My focus now shifted entirely to Loki. Without hesitation, I hurled Mjolnir toward him.
"What?" The man's eyes widened as he saw me throwing Mjolnir without a second thought.
My hammer flew through the air, cutting through the empty space between us like a falcon diving for its prey.
Unfortunately, for all his trickery, Loki was a quick thinker. He teleported just as Mjolnir was about to hit him.
I knew Loki's teleportation magic could take him as far as he wanted, but in a combat situation like this, he wouldn't teleport far—he'd stay within range where he could still see me.
That's why I sharpened all my senses, channeling mana throughout my body. Wherever he reappeared, I'd have a few seconds to close in on him or launch my lightning magic.
In less than a second, the corner of my eye caught Loki's figure materializing on a patch of flat, open ground—a perfect spot for a sorcerer like him to launch an attack from a safe distance.
"There!"
I shot toward him. In the blink of an eye, I was right next to him, my fist raised high, ready to strike.
His eyes widened when he saw me suddenly beside him. "Impossible," he murmured in disbelief.
A sharp grin spread across my face, satisfied at the flicker of fear in his expression. "Got you!"
I swung my fist at his head, but the man reacted quickly, conjuring a round shield of magic to protect himself.
My punch stopped short. Without hesitation, I pushed harder, sending him flying backward even though I couldn't break through his magical shield.
As he tumbled away, Loki threw several fireballs at me in a desperate counterattack. Instead of massive, destructive fireballs, he hurled small, beginner-level ones my way.
I knew those fireballs were merely bait and would explode on contact with my body. But I chose to take the risk. I ran toward him, crossing my arms in front of me and channeling mana through them to shield myself from the potential explosions.
However, when the fireballs touched the mana enveloping my arms, they vanished instantly. They were just basic spells.
Boom!
Shock surged through me as a massive explosion erupted the moment my foot stepped on a magical trap hidden in the ground. One knee hit the dirt. I managed to endure, though my leg was severely injured from the blast.
"Damn it, I didn't expect those fireballs to be just bait," I muttered, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth.
Loki watched me with a small, mocking laugh. "Your right chest is punctured, your left leg is nearly destroyed, and your hammer's gone who knows where," he sneered with a smirk. "What can you do now?"
I raised an eyebrow, a smug grin spreading across my face. "What can I do, you ask?"
I reached into my pocket, pulling out a golden apple that glimmered brilliantly. I held it out for Loki to see.
His eyes widened, and his jaw clenched tightly. "Damn it, that apple..."
His reaction brought me immense satisfaction.
The golden apple in my hand was Idunn's apple, a fruit that granted the gods eternal youth by reversing aging. This reversal also made it capable of healing wounds, even those that would otherwise be fatal.
"Too bad, but this apple can only be eaten once every fifty years."
I bit into the apple greedily, devouring it completely. Instantly, warmth spread through my entire body, as though the earth itself was purifying me.
Loki tried to attack me with his magic while I was enveloped in the healing energy. But he was too late—I was fully restored. Not only that, but my body had reverted to its prime, as it was when I was a hundred years old.
Loki clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch, failed again, huh?"
I stretched my muscles, loosened my neck, and exhaled deeply in relief. "Ah, it feels great to be young again."
Without warning, I leapt toward him with such force that the ground beneath me shattered and scattered into the air. Before Loki could react, I was already in front of him, my fist raised high.
"Don't fight me at my peak." I smashed my fist into his face.
Loki reacted quickly, casting two layers of magical barriers. But my punch easily shattered both layers, sending him flying with the force of my blow.
"Arghhh!"
I flew toward him, ready to strike again. But just as I was above him, the man teleported once more, leaving my fist to crash into empty ground.
This time, I moved immediately to where I instinctively predicted Loki would appear. As I suspected, he materialized right in front of me, and I was already waiting, fists clenched.
"What? How—?"
"You shouldn't underestimate my youthful vigor, you little wretch."
Without wasting time, I swung at his head with my bare hands. Yet, once again, the man reacted swiftly, disappearing with his teleportation.
It became a chase between my instincts and Loki's teleportation. We danced around each other the same way, again and again. My punches came close several times, but he evaded each one, occasionally summoning a shield to protect himself.
"Looks like your instincts have dulled after a few minutes," Loki remarked smugly when he managed to slip past my predictions.
But he had no idea that this was all part of my plan. "No, you're wrong. It's you who's fallen into my trap," I muttered with a wide grin.
The man raised an eyebrow, confused, just as an object spun toward him at high speed from his left.
Whoosh!
"What the—?!"
His eyes widened as he saw Mjolnir barreling toward him with incredible velocity. He thrust both hands forward, conjuring a four-layered barrier to stop my thunder-charged hammer.
Crash!
Mjolnir smashed through the first two layers with ease. Then, with unrelenting force, it pushed against the remaining barrier.
Crack!
The third layer shattered, leaving only one shield between him and the hammer. Loki was too focused on maintaining his defense against Mjolnir to notice me closing the distance. With lightning surging around my fist, I lunged at him.
I smirked. "You're mine now!"
The man's eyes went wide, his mouth parting slightly as though to call for help. But it was too late. My fist connected with his face, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Mjolnir returned to my hand, and this time, I wouldn't leave any loose ends. I brought it down mercilessly, smashing his skull. Blood and flesh scattered everywhere.
Standing tall, I stared blankly at the sky, my breathing slowing to a steady rhythm. My shoulders and face relaxed, and an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me. I had done it—I had killed the King of Utgard with my own hands.
A triumphant laugh erupted from my throat, booming over the clashing of metal and the explosions of magic in the background.
"We've won!" I declared, raising Mjolnir high. "We've won! I've killed Utgarda Loki. I've also slain Fenrir, the Wolf of Destruction!"
"Who did you kill?"
A soft but unmistakable voice came from behind me, freezing me in place.
"That voice…" I turned, and there he was—Loki—standing with his arms crossed.
"Y-you… how is this possible? I was certain I killed you!"
The man shrugged with a mocking grin.
I glanced back at the corpse, only to watch it crumble into shards of ice.
"What?!"
"You see," Loki began, casually turning his body and strolling to the side, "the one you fought earlier was nothing more than an illusion—a puppet of mine."
"An illusion?" I scowled in disbelief.
"Yes, an illusion," he confirmed with a slow nod. "Did you really think you could kill me so easily? Did you think I wouldn't anticipate you using Idunn's apples? Or that I wouldn't know about your flying Mjolnir? I'll admit, you're strong, but I'm smarter." He tapped his temple with a finger, smirking as if mocking my intelligence.
His condescension ignited my fury. Gripping Mjolnir tightly, I felt the hammer crackle with lightning, mirroring my rage.
"I'll tear you apart, Loki!"
"Go ahead and try," he replied nonchalantly, his smirk never faltering.
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a book—a spellbook with a star-shaped emblem and beastly carvings adorning its corners. Opening it, Loki was immediately surrounded by an intense aura of magic.
"This is a grimoire containing every ounce of mana and every spell I've ever wielded," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "To be honest, this is the first time I've ever had to use it. You should feel honored."
"I couldn't care less about your little book," I spat. "Mjolnir and I will grind you into nothing but minced meat."
A sly, enigmatic smile crept across his lips. "Let's see whose power prevails—your Mjolnir or my Galdraskrínir."
Without another thought, I charged at him. Loki opened his grimoire, summoning countless magic circles behind him.
Once again, our battle began in earnest, each of us unleashing the full extent of our strength.