Light

"You could have escaped, but you didn't. I wonder, do you still think you have any ability to beat me after witnessing my powers?" Nagato asked, looking into the distance where Thor's figure lingered. Anger still beamed in his eyes.

"I have promised my dad I would defeat you the next time we meet. I can't go back on my word." Thor declared as he escaped another rock flying into the air. The force attracting him towards the sphere made his movement quite stiff. "Besides, the lust of retribution is still pouring within my blood."

"So be it." Nagato prepared for battle. "Your death will mark the end of Avengers."

Thor stopped in his tracks as these words echoed in his ears multiple times. He furrowed his brows snappily, lightning forming around him. "What do you mean?"

"Oh," Nagato's eyes reflected no emotions, not a single glimmer of pity. "It seems that the news still hasn't reached your heeds. You and Bruce Benner are the only remaining Avengers."

Thor's eyes dialed when he heard the news as the remnants of the ground beneath crashed from the pressure. His eyes beamed with lightning, though he restrained himself from rushing at the enemy.

"Why? Why do you do this?" Thor clicked his tongue, glancing upwards to see a huge meteor hanging in the air. "I have spent many hours pondering, but I still can't understand you. Only the most honorable men can lift Mjolnir, so why is it that you kill so many innocents?"

"My goals shouldn't worry you," Nagato answered, causing Thor to explode in endless anger. It was how hatred always worked. It slowly consumed the person's soul, ripping it piece by little piece.

"Whatever you are trying to achieve, you can never collect all the stones. The Reality Stone is deeply obscured under the protection of my father." Thor roared, finally taking a step forth. "Asgard will never fall to the hands of a mortal!"

'Odin?' Nagato thought for a moment, noting that the situation was indeed not in his favor. Fighting against the strongest being in the universe in his own territory might not be the wisest decision, but Nagato would have to face it someday.

It wouldn't be an impossible feat when he creates the bodies.

"I don't care if Mjolnir recognized you. Today, you will fall!" Thor extended his hammer towards the enemy, forcing a tremendous wave of electricity onward. It enveloped Nagato when he suddenly activated his power, absorbing the natural energy.

Thor already had a vague understanding of Nagato's power, for he attacked Nagato while he was still distracted by the earlier attack. Grasping his weapon, he plunged it towards Nagato from above.

"I have already told you that escaping should have been your priority," Nagato whispered, causing his entire body to undergo drastic changes. Another face appeared on his back, and fire escaped from its mouth immediately. Thor didn't know what to expect, but it was not something like this.

Thor didn't stop himself from falling towards Nagato, greeting the fireball with open hands. It enveloped him, not causing any injuries, though barring his vision.

"Foolish." Thor heard a voice calling from below as he tried to look through the flames. Instead of seeing anything, he felt a hand grasping him by the neck. It was such an abrupt attack that Thor didn't even notice another hand clutching him by the forearm, forcing him to involuntarily drop the weapon.

As fire disseminated, Thor saw Nagato standing in front of him. He had already absorbed the entire lightning directed at him, and his two hands on the back did the job of confining Thor.

"How is this even possible! How do you wield such power!" Thor felt the familiar pain going through his belly, causing his eyes to beam with even more rage. He struggled to get away from the grip, but it was simply impossible because of the rods stuck in his stomach.

Somehow, they absorbed his powers.

"Perhaps stealing your memories would be the best choice, for I will have to attack Asgard one day." Nagato activated his powers again, grabbing Thor by the forehead with his actual palm. 'Hidden passages, weaknesses and secrets - Thor must know all of them. I need this knowledge.'

As Nagato closed his eyes, Thor's soul started pulling out from his own body. Thor resisted with notable power, for his soul was enhanced through the millennium of battles. Still, nothing would contain Nagato.

The soul started materializing more clearly, and Thor roared from the top of his lungs. At that moment, something extraordinary happened. A ray of godly light tumbled from the sky, flogging Thor in the forehead.

'What?' For the second time since he came into this universe, Nagato felt danger. Actual danger. Forced to back away, Thor's soul got sucked back into his body as the light from the sky inflated. It held immense power, comparable even to that of the Infinity Stone.

"I have placed too much on your shoulders, son," Thor whispered, and the light stopped falling from the sky. Everything changed about Thor - he excluded such incredible power that Nagato had to take a few steps back, and foreign brutality replaced his expression. "This enemy wasn't someone you should have faced with your current powers."

"You aren't Thor." Nagato declared, noticing this godly light densely forming within the enemy's hand. He prepared to defend himself.

"So, you are that mortal," Thor whispered in a different tone, killing intent clear in his golden eyes. "I would have liked to have a longer conversation with you, but I don't have the time. Unfortunately."

'This power...No one should be able to make feel so intimidated. Perhaps it's Odin, the mightiest God, himself?' Nagato concluded, taking a deep breath as he kept his gaze on Thor's movements. He didn't ponder for long before attacking, releasing a huge wave of light out of his palm.

It took over a large territory, hence making Nagato unable to dodge the onslaught.

Nagato steeled his nerves, extending his hands forward. He tried to absorb the energy first, but even that was impossible. This godly light was something beyond his understanding. Nagato felt the skin on the aggregate of his body burning violently, causing one of his hands to turn completely skinless.

Yes, it was painful. Though not something Nagato couldn't bear.

He tried to use his powers to push away the light. Unfortunately, it didn't have as much effect as Nagato would have hoped. This peculiar power was not only alien, but it was also extremely dangerous.

'There is no other way.' Nagato felt his organs burning from the light, and the incursion didn't stop for a moment. At this pace, he would eventually die. Using his leftover chakra, Nagato summoned the King Of Hell.

To face something unforeseen, one had to use something even more alien.

"Hm?" Nagato had yet to summon the stones when the light suddenly diminished into nothingness. Panting heavily, looking everywhere, Nagato noticed that his entire arm turned into coal and could no longer function properly.

That didn't matter that much, unlike the lying figure in the distance. Thor no longer beamed with that godly light, and instead seemed completely unconscious. Whatever happened, but Thor's body couldn't bear those peculiar powers.

"In the end, you still failed to defeat me." Nagato extended his working hand forward, using his powers to attract him.

The surprises didn't seem to end on such a note, and an otherworldly activity again disturbed Nagato's slaughtering. Another energy came crushing from heaven, comprising hundreds of different colors, almost resembling a rainbow.

Nagato tried to somehow push Thor's body away from that light, but it still somehow reached him. Before even realizing it, Thor disappeared from the battlefield, leaving nothing but ruins behind.

'How many times will it take me to kill him?' Nagato frowned, looking over the horizon. The place was in complete ruins, and the entire plateau had already collided with the sphere.

Only two Avengers stayed alive and he got the stone, so it could be considered a major success.

But something troubled Nagato.

Deep down, he understood his powers weren't absolute, especially when he faced that light.

He had to become stronger. Much stronger than right now.