Chapter 124 - Burn Hand

One hand directly blocked the golden light energy from the Destroyer. Despite the intense surging energy bombarding it, the hand remained firm, as if a celestial barrier was in place.

Loki's face was a mask of terror. He jumped from his throne, shouting in disbelief, "How is this possible?!"

Saitama raised his hand and delivered a powerful punch directly to the Destroyer's face. The impact caused the Destroyer's golden light to wane until it was extinguished. The metal strip on the upper end of the mask crumpled and twisted, and the Destroyer's neck bent grotesquely to the side.

The violent force from the punch propelled the Destroyer like a cannonball, spiraling through the air before crashing into a living room with immense force.

The modest house shattered upon impact, turning to rubble. The debris scattered like a torrential shower.

The five Asgardians watched in stunned horror. Sif, still in shock, asked, "...Thor, do you know him?"

Thor, after a moment of hesitation, shook his head.

He thought to himself: Thank the gods there was no confrontation earlier, but how did this man become so powerful, almost god-like?

"Are you alright, Gali?" Saitama called out, kneeling by the crater.

Gali's head slowly lifted. Her metal exterior, though battered, began to repair itself. She looked somewhat dejected as she said, "Sorry, teacher. I failed."

"It's okay. Just get stronger for next time," Saitama replied, waving it off casually.

Gali suddenly noticed Saitama's hand, exclaiming in surprise, "Teacher, look at your hand!"

Saitama glanced at his hand and saw a light red burn on his palm. There was no blood, just scorched skin, but it was enough to catch Saitama's attention.

"How can this bald head be so powerful?" Loki pondered, gripping Odin's scepter tightly as his thoughts raced. The Midgardians were supposed to be weak, subservient to Asgardians. This defied his expectations!

Loki snapped out of his daze, narrowing his eyes at Thor. His plan had never included engaging in pointless battles. Loki intended for Thor to die, which would allow him to defeat the Frost Giant and claim the throne of Asgard. Once that was achieved, he could deal with the bald man.

"Brother, you shall die. Only I am the rightful king of Asgard," Loki declared with a murderous glint in his eyes.

The Destroyer emerged from the ruins, its energy surging with renewed vigor. A terrifying energy ray erupted from its dark mask, reducing everything in its path to ashes and turning the concrete into a blazing channel of fire.

The five Asgardians were horrified as the scorching heat approached them, realizing that they would be incinerated if they didn't act immediately.

"Thor!!" Jane cried out desperately, rushing toward them, lost in her emotions.

Thor turned to Jane, his eyes filled with nostalgia. Before he could say anything, the situation turned grim.

A golden beam, fired by the Destroyer, streaked toward Jane.

A triumphant smile spread across Loki's face. He taunted, "Since you care so much, then you can die together."

Saitama, momentarily confused, redirected his attention. "Huh?"

He was about to rush to the current hero's aid when Gali's scanning eyes detected something. "Teacher, there's a high-energy response!"

Thor heard a whisper from his father Odin: "Pick it up, Thor."

Instinctively, Thor reached out his hand as a hammer, crackling with lightning, descended from the sky. It landed in his palm with a thunderous sound.

Lightning streaked from the sky, transforming Thor into a living flash of lightning. He hurled the thunderous hammer at the golden beam.

The hammer collided with the energy beam, tearing through it effortlessly. The Destroyer was instantly struck and propelled back into the ruins.

"It's odd how this energy appeared out of nowhere. Did it just materialize?" Gali's scanning eyes displayed question marks, astonished.

Saitama pointed to the metal hammer in Thor's hand and asked, "Hey, he picked up the hammer—could it be Thor?"

"Yes, teacher. In Norse mythology, this man named Thor now fits the description of the legendary Thor," Gali explained.

Thor, transformed into a formidable figure with a red cloak and clean, flowing hair, stood with renewed vigor. He declared, "Loki, your scheme will not succeed. I will deal with you personally."

Thor's hammer crackled with energy as he prepared for the next strike. The Destroyer, now charged with energy, released another devastating beam from its dark mask.

As Thor retrieved and swung his hammer again, Saitama stepped in to intercept the attack with his own force.

"Impressive, this metal monster took a hit from me!" Saitama commented with a hint of excitement. His previous encounter had shown that even his powerful punches were not enough to fully penetrate the Destroyer's defenses.

Gali expressed concern, "Teacher, you might be disappointed. The previous burn was likely just the armor reacting instinctively. It's uncertain if such power can be replicated."

The strength of the Marvel characters here was more advanced than depicted in the films but slightly below their comic counterparts. As the battle continued, the tide of war shifted with every clash and intervention.