Loki's fall into the abyss merely marked the end of this particular incident.
As a traveler between worlds, Senju Haruto knew full well that Loki hadn't perished in the endless void. In fact, his fall granted him another chance—one that would bring even greater turmoil.
That chance came when he encountered none other than the infamous Thanos.
In exchange for the promise of the Infinity Stones, Loki obtained from Thanos the Scepter of Mind and command of an alien army known as the Chitauri.
Once again, he would declare war—against Earth, and against Asgard.
That war would soon bring immense trouble to the Avengers.
And Haruto knew, it wouldn't take long before Loki's return.
According to the timeline of the Marvel universe, between Thor and The Avengers, only the story of Iron Man 2 remained.
Just as Haruto thought of the man in the red armor—Tony Stark—the voice of his system assistant suddenly echoed in his ears.
Special Sign-In Mission Activated!
Witness the process of Tony Stark developing a new energy source!
Complete this mission to earn a special reward!
"Special sign-in mission?"
It had been a long time since the last one—back in the early days when he'd first crossed into the Naruto world.
Still, special missions tended to grant better rewards than ordinary ones.
And if he remembered correctly, around this point in the timeline, Thor had just failed to lift his hammer, while Tony Stark had begun to face his own mortality—spiraling into a self-destructive frenzy.
Right about now, Stark was probably out racing cars, moments away from running into the vengeful Whiplash.
Of course, that was how the normal timeline played out.
But with Haruto's intervention, the flow of time had already shifted in countless ways.
At this point in the original story, Stark shouldn't have had any knowledge of magic at all—yet now, he'd already started studying it.
No, that wasn't quite right.
Haruto shook his head slightly. Magic was indeed wondrous, and Stark did have a natural aptitude for learning it. But mastery took time.
Even Doctor Strange, without the aid of the Time Stone, would've needed years to grasp his magical knowledge. And even then, it was knowledge, not mastery.
When the Three Sanctums were later attacked and he was forced to fight Kaecilius, Strange's spells sometimes failed him at crucial moments.
Yet even so, Strange's innate talent for magic was on par with Stark's.
The problem was, Stark's palladium poisoning would claim his life within months.
And white magic, by its nature, was not meant for healing.
For instance, when Strange was grievously injured multiple times, he never used magic to heal himself. Instead, he used astral projection to guide surgeons while they operated on his physical body.
Even the restoration of his hands came at a terrible cost—the sacrifice of all his magical power.
Taking all that into account, Haruto reasoned that it was nearly impossible for Stark to use magic to cure himself.
"Greetings."
As Haruto analyzed the situation on Earth, a deep, steady voice pulled him back to reality.
Odin stood before him.
Though Loki was not his blood son, fifteen hundred years of raising him had made no difference—Odin loved Loki as his own.
To him, Loki and Thor were both his sons.
So when he had to watch Loki fall into the abyss, powerless to save him, a heavy guilt took root in Odin's heart.
When their eyes met, Haruto could feel the sorrow hidden behind the All-Father's gaze.
But Odin concealed his emotions well.
Among everyone present, only Haruto noticed.
Thor, though drowning in grief over losing both Loki and Jane Foster, still caught the faint flicker of his father's pain from the corner of his eye.
He took a deep breath, straightened up, and strode to Odin's side.
"Father, this is the Supreme Sorcerer from Midgard—Master Haruto."
After all they'd been through together, Thor had already come to regard Senju Haruto as a true friend.
Yes, Haruto had destroyed the Bifröst, cutting off Asgard's connection to the Nine Realms—but he had done so to protect Midgard, with no other choice.
In truth, if Thor hadn't exhausted himself during the battle with the Destroyer, he would have carried out that act himself.
"The Supreme Sorcerer?"
Odin's eyes showed a flicker of surprise.
In the ancient days, to fend off a Celestial's descent upon Earth, Odin had once fought alongside the first Sorcerer Supreme.
Though he had long since turned away from Midgard to build his own kingdom in Asgard, Odin had never forgotten that ally.
Over the ages, many Sorcerer Supremes had arisen—each inheriting the mantle, each standing as guardian of Earth.
But few had ever reached the same heights as the first.
In time, their deeds faded into legend, remembered in Asgard only as myths.
Until…
A new name emerged—the Ancient One.
Her battles against Dormammu and countless beings from other dimensions soon caught Odin's attention.
Over the next several centuries, she never once suffered defeat.
It had been ages since someone worthy of being compared to the first Supreme Sorcerer had appeared.
Although Odin had never personally met her, the impression she left was unforgettable.
"The Ancient One… she—"
"She fulfilled her duty with brilliance," Haruto said respectfully. "And has since journeyed to the dimension of the Vishanti."
"I see…" Odin nodded slightly, his expression complicated—part regret, part reflection.
He wasn't lamenting just her passing, but the inevitable march of time.
Odin never truly saw himself as a god—only as someone who lived longer than most.
No matter how mighty—whether the Ancient One, the Supreme Sorcerer, or himself, the so-called All-Father—every being would one day age and fade.
All that could be done was to entrust what they cherished most to the next generation.
For the Ancient One, that successor was Senju Haruto.
And for Odin…
His gaze drifted unconsciously toward Thor—his last remaining son.
Perhaps… it was time for him as well to pass on the mantle.
Like the Ancient One, he too could choose to retire.
And after all, Thor had completed his trial and regained his worthiness as the God of Thunder.
He had learned from his failures.
"Thor," Odin said at last, pausing briefly before continuing, "it's time for you to inherit the throne."
Then he turned to Haruto with a courteous smile.
Though the Supreme Sorcerer hailed from Midgard, Odin knew better than to underestimate him.
The memory of Haruto shattering the Bifröst was still vivid in his mind.
To be honest… if they were to fight, Odin wasn't certain he could win.
And if Haruto still had hidden cards to play—then Odin would surely lose.
"If you would," Odin said finally, "I'd like to invite you to attend Thor's coronation ceremony."
"Father," Thor interjected softly, his tone steady but firm.
He had his own thoughts.