"Looks like I need to teach you guys some manners!"
Loki stood up, his face darkened by gunpowder smoke, his expression as gloomy as a thundercloud—yet his body remained completely unharmed.
"I think you might've just made him angry," Daredevil muttered, taking two careful steps back. He had heard everything—the bullets, the grenade blasts, the chaos—and none of it had even scratched their opponent.
The power radiating from this man was unreal.
"Is he another government-made superhuman?" Bullseye asked, unease creeping into his voice. Even grenades hadn't left a mark on Loki. The sight reminded him of the Hulk—the walking catastrophe who had once nearly torn New York apart.
"If we're dealing with something like that," Bullseye grumbled, "we might need to renegotiate our pay with Kingpin."
"You won't get the chance!"
The cold voice cut through the air. Before Bullseye could even react, a phantom shimmered into existence behind him—its form clad in gold armor, a horned helmet gleaming faintly in the darkness, twin daggers flashing as they lunged for his waist.
Instinct saved him. Bullseye twisted forward like a cheetah, rolling across the floor and springing away to gain distance. But the moment he lifted his head, a boot crashed into his face.
He flew backward in a perfect arc before slamming into the ground.
Blood poured from his nose, his high bridge broken and caved in. His skull rang, the world spinning violently around him.
When he finally blinked the blood from his eyes, the spot where Loki had stood was empty—vanished once again into stealth.
"Daredevil! Tell me where the real body is!"
Wiping the blood from his face, Bullseye rose shakily, fury blazing in his eyes. In all his years as a professional killer, he had never been humiliated like this. This grudge was carved in stone.
Daredevil, standing off to the side, took three cautious steps back and said dryly, "Given our relationship, I think I should probably be on his side."
"Idiot! You think he'll spare you after he's done with me?" Bullseye roared. His voice dripped with disbelief—how could this self-righteous hero not understand something as simple as mutual survival?
Daredevil fell silent. But in that moment of hesitation, a kick slammed into Bullseye's stomach, driving the air from his lungs. He collapsed to his knees, vomiting bile and clutching his abdomen.
Against Loki—a descendant of the Frost Giant royal bloodline—he was nothing more than an insect. The difference in strength was absolute.
Loki grabbed Bullseye by the collar and lifted him effortlessly with one hand. The tip of his dagger traced a cold line against Bullseye's throat as he whispered, smooth and elegant,
"Choose… submission, or death?"
"Submission! I—I submit!" Bullseye stammered immediately, icy dread crawling up his spine. Kingpin's money was one thing—his life was another. The decision wasn't hard.
"Excellent," Loki purred with a sinister smile. Acquiring such a capable pawn right from the start eased some of his burden. He knew his odds well—against his two brothers, sheer power alone wouldn't suffice. He needed allies.
Tossing Bullseye aside like discarded trash, Loki turned his emerald gaze toward Daredevil.
"Your hearing is exceptional. You can even detect my heartbeat. To ignore my illusions means… you are blind."
He stepped closer, voice lowering to a regal murmur.
"Now, mortal—choose. Submission or death? As a reward for obedience, when I ascend the throne, I shall restore your sight in an Asgardian healing chamber."
"An… Asgardian healing chamber?" Daredevil hesitated, his composure cracking. "Who are you really? Are you truly a god?"
Loki's lips curved into a cold smirk. "Ignorant creatures. Humanity has evolved for millennia, yet your arrogance remains unchanged."
He gestured to the sky, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Your so-called Earth is but one of the Nine Realms. Among the endless worlds of the cosmos, you are less than dust. Were it not for the protection of the gods long ago, your kind would have been enslaved by cosmic raiders eons past."
Daredevil clenched his fists. "Fine. I'll believe you… for now. But if you're really Loki, God of Mischief—why are you here? What do you want from Earth?"
"It matters little if you know," Loki said, glancing at the bruised and trembling Bullseye. "In truth, perhaps a little hope will make you serve better."
His tone shifted, almost proud.
"I have two elder brothers—Gilgamesh, the God of Light, and Thor, the God of Thunder. Including myself, Loki, the God of Mischief, Asgard has three princes in total."
"But only one may inherit the throne."
"Our father Odin grows old. Soon, he will choose his successor. And so, this world—your Earth—has become our testing ground. Whoever conquers it, and his rivals, will become the next King of the Gods."
Hearing those words, Daredevil was both shocked and furious. Loki's appearance had already claimed nearly a hundred lives — all criminals, yes, but still human. Who knew how many innocent people might die next?
"Just because of your family feud, you want to turn the Earth upside down?"
"Woman's compassion!" The god of mischief sneered, as if mocking Daredevil's naïve outrage. "My eldest brother, Gilgamesh, the God of Light, once slaughtered every Frost Giant over a meter tall on the entire world of Jotunheim. My second brother, Thor, the God of Thunder, forever bellows about using war to proclaim the majesty of the gods."
He took a step forward, his emerald eyes glinting with divine pride. "Tell me, mortal—if they were to ascend the throne, what do you think would become of your Earth?"
Loki's tone was calm, almost gentle, yet every word carried the weight of divine arrogance. His words sank into Daredevil's mind like ice.
"I admit," Loki continued, "none of us three brothers are merciful. But undeniably, for you ants, my ascension is the best possible outcome."
He spread his arms, as if addressing the heavens themselves. "I, Loki—God of Mischief—swear this: if you aid me in defeating my brothers, the gods shall continue to protect your Earth… and never again interfere with humanity's free will."
"This… this is just your side of the story." Daredevil's voice trembled. He was just one man, a vigilante struggling against street crime—how could he possibly concern himself with the politics of gods and worlds? Interplanetary conflict was far beyond anything even a superhero could handle.
"Unfortunately," Loki sighed, his tone hardening into steel, "you've chosen poorly."
He shook his head with disappointment, the cold gleam in his eyes betraying his divine impatience. For all his skill in manipulating mortals, the blind man before him had proven infuriatingly steadfast.
"In that case," Loki declared, his voice echoing like thunder, "I can only, in the name of the gods… grant you death!"