"Roar—!"
A roar like that of a prehistoric beast split the air, followed by a heavy thud. Thor was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing straight through the wooden wall and tumbling across the ground amidst a shower of splintered debris.
Thanks to the sturdy physique of an Asgardian god, he was uninjured—only covered in dust.
Just as he drew a breath and pushed himself up, a massive shadow fell over him. The Hulk descended from above, fists clenched together into a single colossal hammer, and brought it down with earth-shaking force.
Thor rolled instinctively to the left, narrowly avoiding the blow, then sprang up like a cheetah. With a fierce swing of Mjolnir, he struck upward with tremendous force.
The hammer collided with Hulk's jaw like a thunderclap, launching the green giant dozens of meters away.
Only then did Thor glance back at the house. The cabin had completely collapsed; a wooden beam had pinned down Black Widow's right leg, injuring her. Hawkeye was supporting her as they limped out of the rubble.
Seeing Thor unharmed, both agents let out a breath of relief. Clint even forced a smile.
"How about it? He didn't disappoint you, did he?"
"Of course," Thor said as he gripped the strap of his hammer, spinning Mjolnir into a roaring blur. His eyes gleamed with battle-hungry excitement. "He's strong—very strong. But if he wants to join the Avengers, I'll have to test him a bit more."
With that, he hurled Mjolnir and let the momentum launch him like a cannonball straight toward the Hulk.
Seeing Thor charging, Hulk roared back. His swelling rage made his muscles bulge even larger. He lunged forward and threw a devastating punch.
Hammer and fist collided with explosive force, sending both fighters hurtling backward through the air.
Hulk's knuckles split open from the direct impact with Mjolnir, the bones briefly exposed—but within seconds his regenerative abilities repaired the damage entirely.
The pain only stoked his fury. He roared again and thundered toward Thor with long, ground-shaking strides.
Even from afar, Thor could feel the raw hostility radiating off him. He had fought many mindless beasts before—this was nothing new.
He swung Mjolnir and sent it flying. Hulk instinctively sidestepped the incoming hammer and continued his charge unfazed.
But Thor only smirked.
With a flick of his hand, Mjolnir reversed direction instantly, hurtling back along its original path.
Hulk never saw it coming.
The hammer crashed into the back of his head, knocking him face-first into the dirt and sending him skidding several meters from sheer inertia.
As the saying goes—strike while the iron is hot.
Without hesitation, Thor summoned a bolt of lightning as thick as a pillar. It crashed down upon Hulk in a blinding flash, drawing a roar of agony from the giant.
As the light faded and Hulk pushed himself up on trembling arms, Thor leapt high into the air. Descending like a god of judgment, he smashed Mjolnir down onto Hulk's skull, driving his head deep into the ground.
Before Hulk could even lift it again, Thor brought the hammer down repeatedly—relentless, merciless—like a divine pile driver.
Each impact rang out with a deafening clang, the earth trembling with every blow.
Natasha covered her mouth, disbelief widening her eyes.
"Isn't this… a bit too much?"
Hawkeye frowned. Concern flickered in his gaze, but his training kept him steady.
"The angrier Hulk gets, the stronger he becomes. For our safety… we should probably back up. A lot."
Natasha nodded. In a battle of this magnitude, caution was never excessive.
The two supported each other as they retreated from the battlefield, but they had barely taken a few steps when another round of deafening booms erupted behind them.
Thor was swinging his hammer with fervor, but the Hulk's rage—and strength—were only growing. After several failed attempts to break free, Hulk suddenly latched onto Thor's ankle and yanked him to the ground.
Then, Hulk rose, hoisting Thor upside down. Like a furious gorilla, he swung him violently left and right. Thor was tossed around like a worn-out sack, slammed repeatedly into the ground until his bones and muscles felt as if they would tear apart.
The sight stunned Hawkeye. "Did the tide of battle just turn a little too fast?"
"At this rate, Thor might really lose." Natasha's expression darkened. She was thinking ahead—if Thor fell, the next targets would be the two of them.
"We have to help him!"
"How?" Hawkeye's voice tightened. Charging in now would be suicide, especially with Natasha injured. Even if he didn't care about his own safety, he couldn't jeopardize hers.
Just as they were at a loss, the situation shifted yet again.
Hulk pinned Thor down, hammering him mercilessly. Thor's vision blurred; he drifted toward unconsciousness, unable to defend himself or find an opening to fight back.
Then, at the critical moment, blue lightning flickered in his eyes. Bolts erupted from his body, blasting the Hulk away.
An invisible force lifted Thor to his feet. Like a madman unleashed, he charged at Hulk.
Their fists collided—sparks flying—and the sheer physical impact twisted into a burst of magical force. Hulk stiffened from the shock, and before he could pull back, Thor's left hand shot forward. Mjolnir materialized in his grip and smashed into Hulk's abdomen with the sound of a tolling bell.
The blow hit like a battering ram shattering a city gate. Hulk doubled over, nearly vomiting up his insides, and in an instant his massive form shrank, reverting to Bruce Banner.
"He… he was hiding his strength?" Natasha murmured, stunned. To her, Hulk was the strongest fighter on Earth—his previous battle had shown he was at least Thor's equal.
But she never imagined Thor had such a terrifying trump card, one powerful enough to force Hulk back into human form at the decisive moment.
"It seems the power of the Aesir needs to be re-evaluated."
As they spoke, Thor collapsed to one knee, utterly drained. He stared at Bruce Banner lying before him and shook his dizzy head. "What… happened?"
His consciousness had been hazy, his memories fragmented. He only remembered a surge of power roaring through him. By the time he fully came to, the Hulk had already fallen.
"Did I win solely on instinct?" he muttered.
Of course, he knew the answer was impossible.