Xiao Han looked at the charging palace guards and shook his head.
He raised his right hand lightly, and a biological force field instantly expanded, forming an invisible barrier.
"Thor, your brother is yours. I'll handle these small fry."
The moment his words fell, Xiao Han's figure vanished. In the next second, he had already rushed straight into the ranks of the Asgardian guards.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His speed was too fast — the palace guards didn't even have time to react before they were blasted away by a sudden force.
Xiao Han wasn't killing them, merely using his biological force field to precisely control the impact, knocking them unconscious.
Every punch, every kick was clean and exact. The guards' weapons were like toys before him, easily bent, broken, or sent flying.
Thor let out a roar, swinging Mjölnir as he charged toward Loki seated on the throne. "Brother, it's time you paid the price for your lies!"
Loki sneered. He swung Gungnir, and a golden wave of energy swept across the hall. "You think regaining your powers means you can beat me?"
Thor raised his hammer, thunder erupting from his body as he forced the attack back.
Two forces collided, and the entire palace hall trembled.
"You betrayed Father! You betrayed Asgard!" Thor roared, charging forward again.
But Loki's body suddenly rippled, turning illusory — then split into dozens of copies surrounding Thor. "Betrayal? I'm protecting the Nine Realms! And you… you bring nothing but war!"
Thor couldn't tell which one was real. He could only stay alert and tense.
On the other side, Xiao Han had already dealt with all the palace guards. Hovering in the air, he looked at Loki's illusions, golden light gleaming in his eyes.
"Thor, he's three meters behind your left," Xiao Han's voice sounded clearly in Thor's ears.
Thor didn't hesitate. He spun and brought his hammer down in a mighty swing!
Boom!
Thunder exploded. The illusions shattered instantly. Loki's true body was forced to appear, staggering back several steps.
"You!" Loki glared at Xiao Han in fury. "A mere mortal dares interfere in the affairs of the gods?"
Xiao Han slowly descended, landing beside Thor. "I'm not what you'd call 'mortal.'"
A cold glint flashed in Loki's eyes. He abruptly raised Gungnir toward the palace ceiling. "If you seek death, then let's die together!"
Hummm!
A blinding golden beam shot out from the spear, piercing the sky!
"He's activating the Bifrost's destruction mode!" Thor's face changed drastically. "He's going to overload the Bifrost — it'll annihilate Jotunheim… and might even reach Midgard!"
Xiao Han shrugged. "Then what are we waiting for? Go stop him!"
Gritting his teeth, Thor charged again.
But Loki had prepared. He swung Gungnir, creating another powerful energy barrier. Thor's hammer slammed into it — and bounced off!
"Useless, brother." Loki grinned wickedly. "The Bifrost's power has already begun gathering. You cannot stop it!"
Xiao Han didn't reply. His eyes suddenly blazed with burning red light.
Zzzzt!
Two beams of heat vision shot forward, striking Loki's energy barrier directly!
Crack!
A fracture appeared on the barrier. Loki's face went pale. "Impossible!"
Thor seized the moment, raising his hammer again. Lightning surged as he smashed with all his strength!
Boom!
The barrier shattered completely. Loki was flung back by the force, crashing heavily into the throne.
"It's over, Loki!" Thor strode forward, reaching out to grab him.
But Loki suddenly smiled — a dark, twisted smile. "No, brother. This is only the beginning."
A burst of green magic erupted from his hand, and the entire palace hall started to violently shake!
"He's destabilizing the Bifrost with magic!" Thor roared.
"At this rate, all of Asgard will be sucked into spatial turbulence!"
Xiao Han nodded slightly and turned his gaze toward the direction of the Bifrost. Terrifying energy was already gathering there, ready to burst at any moment.
"Thor, you go shut down the Bifrost," Xiao Han said sharply. "Loki is mine."
Thor nodded and immediately sprinted toward the bridge.
Loki tried to stop him — but Xiao Han was already standing in his path.
"You think you can block me?" Loki sneered, conjuring a magic dagger in his hand.
Xiao Han didn't answer. He merely raised his hand, adjusting his power to a micro-level.
In the next instant, his figure disappeared — and reappeared right in front of Loki, fist already driving into his abdomen!
Bang!
Loki's body bent sharply as he staggered, eyes widening. Blood burst from his lips. "You… how can you…"
Xiao Han didn't give him a moment. He grabbed Loki by the throat and lifted him effortlessly. "Your magic doesn't work on me, Loki."
Loki struggled, fear finally flickering in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Thor had reached the Bifrost control console. Roaring, he raised his hammer high and smashed down!
Boom!
The Bifrost's energy core began to collapse, unstable currents bursting everywhere!
"Xiao! Get out of there!" Thor shouted back.
Xiao Han glanced at Loki in his grip, snorted, and flung him toward Thor. "Take him!"
Thor caught Loki, and the three of them were instantly swallowed by the Bifrost's violent energy.
Hummmm!
When the light faded, they were already on the far end of the Bifrost.
Loki lay weakly on the ground, face deathly pale. "You… ruined everything…"
Thor was silent for a long moment, then sighed. "No, brother. I stopped you from making an even greater mistake."
Xiao Han stood beside him, looking up at the sky where the Bifrost's energy was slowly fading away — crisis averted.
"What now?" he asked Thor.
Thor took a deep breath. "We take Loki back to Asgard… to stand trial."
Loki laughed weakly. "Trial? Father is already—"
"Father is alive," Thor interrupted, sorrow flashing in his eyes.
"He has been asleep, not dead. It's your ambition that blinded you, brother."
Loki's expression froze.
Xiao Han shook his head. "Family issues, you two handle yourselves."
He looked toward the end of the Bifrost, watching the last of the chaotic energy dissipate, thoughtful.
"Thor," he suddenly said.
Thor blinked. "What is it?"
Xiao Han turned around, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "Asgard is one of the most advanced civilizations in the Nine Realms. Your combination of technology and magic… I'm very interested."
Loki, slumped on the ground, let out a cold laugh. "A mortal wishes to pry into the secrets of the gods?"
Xiao Han glanced at him. "Your illusions don't work on me. Your magic can't hurt me. Your tricks don't fool me. And you still call me 'mortal'?"
Loki choked, anger clouding his face.
Thor burst into hearty laughter and patted Xiao Han's shoulder. "Good! Since you wish to stay, Asgard welcomes you! When Father wakes, he'll definitely want to meet you."
Xiao Han nodded. "Take me to your library. Or your tech workshop. I want to see how advanced your knowledge truly is."
Thor agreed readily. "No problem! But before that…"
He grabbed Loki by the collar again. "I need to throw this troublemaker into the dungeon."
Loki struggled, teeth clenched. "You'll regret this."
Thor ignored him and turned to Xiao Han. "Come with me. I'll introduce you to Mother first."
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