Chapter 50: Underfoot
Seeing Loki's nonchalant demeanor and noticing that Han Yu also hadn't made a move, Thor couldn't help but wonder, "What's going on? Are they planning to betray me?"
Before he could think further, a powerful fist came hurtling toward him. Thor bit his tongue, the sharp pain helping him focus. He quickly raised his arms to block the attack. Though he wasn't sent flying this time, the sheer force pushed him back several meters, leaving two deep footprints on the ground.
With a beckoning gesture, Mjolnir flew toward him from behind the enhanced Dark Elf. The brute sensed the incoming hammer and swung his right arm backward, smacking Mjolnir off course.
Mjolnir's mechanics were peculiar: while most couldn't lift it, they could still deflect its flight, preventing Thor from reclaiming it.
Clenching his fists, Thor let out a low growl and charged at the enhanced Dark Elf. Even without Mjolnir, he was determined to take this foe down with his bare hands.
A brutal melee ensued, with every blow landing heavy and fierce.
Seeing that the enhanced Dark Elf had engaged Thor, Malekith turned his attention toward Han Yu and the others, striding toward them.
"Sigh... I guess there's no escape. I'll just hand over the Aether," Jane said with a resigned tone as she watched Malekith approach. She was filled with guilt; Odin's wife, Frigga, had died protecting her. She didn't want anyone else to suffer because of her.
Smack.
A slender hand grasped her arm, pulling her back as she took her first steps forward. Han Yu's lighthearted voice followed, "Don't worry. I've got this."
Jane turned abruptly, looking at the boy who seemed several years younger than her. His calm smile oddly reassured her. Was it because they were both Earthlings? Or simply because he stood by her side?
"Return what's mine," Malekith demanded.
In less than a minute, he reached Han Yu and the group. The soldiers accompanying him raised their laser guns, surrounding them and ready to fire at the slightest provocation.
Seeing no resistance, Malekith smirked coldly, thinking these fools had walked into his trap. He raised his hand toward Jane, who was suddenly lifted into the air. Streams of crimson energy, deep like red wine, poured out from her body, coalescing into a pulsating "orb" suspended midair.
"Aether, my old friend, you've finally returned!"
Malekith's face lit up with ecstasy as he stretched his arms, ready to absorb the Reality Stone.
In an instant, both Loki and Han Yu moved. Loki cast a green light shield, enclosing Jane, while Han Yu deployed a net-like construct of energy that ensnared the floating Aether.
Sensing danger, the Aether unleashed a burst of energy, trying to break free. But Han Yu's energy proved stronger, subduing it.
Without a host, the Aether couldn't unleash its full power.
The green energy net tightened, compressing the Aether from a meter-wide liquid form into a thumb-sized crimson gem. It hovered quietly, encased within Han Yu's energy field.
The two retreated to a safe distance, where a golden glow swept down, revealing their true forms.
"Brother Han, your plan was brilliant! I have to hand it to you," Loki praised sincerely.
Using his sorcery, Loki had concealed their real positions, while Han Yu used his Green Lantern energy to create convincing decoys of themselves. This allowed them to accompany Jane safely while observing everything from a distance, as if watching a first-person movie.
"A small trick, nothing worth mentioning," Han Yu replied with a modest smile.
"No!" Malekith cried out in despair, watching the Aether slip from his grasp. However, he had also witnessed Han Yu's formidable powers and immediately shouted, "Retreat!"
He and his soldiers hastily retreated, leaving the enhanced Dark Elf still locked in combat with Thor.
"Well done!" Thor shouted, now visibly struggling. "Now, can someone come and help me already?"
Thor was visibly relieved when the Aether was extracted from Jane's body. He eagerly anticipated Han Yu and Loki stepping in to help him deal with the enhanced Dark Elf. However, to his surprise, they simply sat down, showing no intention of joining the fight.
Watching Thor's struggle, Han Yu shook his head in exasperation. After Mjolnir was swatted away by the enhanced Dark Elf, Thor had been on the back foot, taking hit after hit.
Han Yu muttered to himself, "Tsk tsk, is he really just the 'God of Hammers'? Without the hammer in hand, he can't even summon his lightning powers?"
He continued, "Ah, it's all Odin's fault. Why give him that hammer right away? He should've started with a regular weapon to properly harness his lightning abilities first. Now look—without the hammer, he's nothing more than a super-soldier."
Han Yu's remark made Loki burst out laughing. He had never heard anyone evaluate Thor in such a way.
Thinking it over, there was some truth to it. Thor almost always fought with Mjolnir, relying on it for his attacks. It was rare to see him channel lightning with his bare hands.
Loki glanced at Han Yu and asked, "Aren't you his friend? Why don't you go help him?"
"I am helping him," Han Yu replied with a smirk.
As he spoke, Han Yu raised his hand and, to Loki's astonishment, summoned Mjolnir from afar. The hammer flew straight into his grip, and Han Yu casually weighed it in his hand.
"You can lift it?!" Loki exclaimed, stunned. He had tried countless times over the centuries, but never once succeeded. In all of Asgard, only Odin and Thor had ever wielded the hammer.
For Loki, lifting Mjolnir had been a distant dream, a symbolic milestone that he believed would signify his equality with Thor. Deep down, he had always felt overshadowed by his brother. His invasion of Earth had been a desperate attempt to prove his worth and assert that he was not inferior to Thor.
Han Yu, however, ignored Loki's astonishment, his gaze fixed firmly on Thor.
On the battlefield, Thor was pinned to the ground by the enhanced Dark Elf, taking brutal punches that left blood trickling from his nose and mouth.
Desperately, Thor reached out to summon Mjolnir, but no matter how hard he tried, the hammer wouldn't return. Finally, through a brief opening in the fight, he caught sight of Mjolnir—firmly held in Han Yu's hand.
Realizing why his summoning attempts had failed, Thor's frustration boiled over.
"Look at you, Thor, son of Odin, lying beneath my feet!" the enhanced Dark Elf jeered, throwing his head back in laughter.
The fragment of the Aether coursing through his body had granted him immense strength, despite containing less than one ten-thousandth of its total energy. It was enough to elevate him to a level far beyond ordinary beings, allowing him to dominate Thor without Mjolnir.
"You're nothing without your hammer, Thor!" he mocked, his voice echoing triumphantly.
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