The audience grew uneasy, glancing at Karl Mordo. Was he really about to lose this quickly? Compared to the legendary Thor of Norse mythology, Mordo seemed to pale in reputation and mythic presence.
But just as the crowd doubted him, Mordo dismissed his defensive spell. Orange light flared under his boots, and with a sudden leap, glowing golden discs formed beneath his feet like steps in midair.
He bounded across the sky in a half-arc, closing in on Thor. The thunder spreading across the floor missed him entirely once he left the ground.
As he advanced, an energy whip appeared in his hands. Mordo lashed it forward, and it wrapped around Thor's arm. He pulled hard, trying to rip Mjolnir from Thor's grasp.
But Thor crouched low, muscles bulging, and with a mighty heave dragged Mordo down from the air.
Mordo was about to crash onto the arena floor when he conjured a portal beneath himself and vanished.
An instant later, another portal opened above Thor's head. Mordo leapt out of it, wrapping his magical cord around Thor's throat in a choking grip.
The crowd gasped at the spectacle. Lightning, glowing weapons, sudden portals—visually, it was thrilling. Yet murmurs rose: shouldn't a sorcerer be hurling fireballs and thunderbolts like in the stories? Why did Mordo fight like a close-quarters brawler? A… melee mage?
On the arena floor, Mordo tightened the cord around Thor's neck, straining backward to choke him unconscious.
Thor roared, lunging forward with raw power. He hauled Mordo over his shoulder and slammed him to the ground, then hurled him across the stage.
Not satisfied, Thor hurled Mjolnir after him.
But Mordo's lips curled in a sly smile. He opened a portal in the hammer's path, its exit shimmering over the vast Sahara Desert. Mjolnir vanished through the gate, and the portal snapped shut.
Thor's eyes widened.
"Where have you sent my hammer!?"
He thrust his hand out. Even from the distant desert, Mjolnir answered his call, streaking back across the world, tearing through the air with sonic booms.
Thor sighed in relief. As long as it remained on Earth, it would return swiftly. If Mordo had banished it beyond the Nine Realms, it might have been far more difficult.
Mordo faced him with renewed calm.
"Now… let's begin the true battle."
He slammed his palm onto the ground. The entire arena rippled like a wave, sweeping toward Thor. The sudden shift nearly threw him off balance.
Then Thor noticed—the audience was gone. Mordo had cast them into a mirror dimension.
The platform moved beneath him again, sliding his body directly toward Mordo. A magical longsword shimmered into the sorcerer's grip, and he slashed downward.
Clang!
The blade struck Thor's bracers, sparks flying. Thor readied his counter, but the arena shifted again, yanking him backward and opening the distance.
Outside the mirror dimension, the crowd sat stunned. Both combatants had simply vanished from the arena.
"Where did they go?"
"Even the screens aren't showing anything!"
Shuri turned to her brother.
"Onii-chan, is this some kind of sorcerer's spell?"
T'Challa shook his head.
"I don't know. I've never encountered their kind. But the referee hasn't interfered, so the fight must still be happening—somewhere."
"Truly, this tournament is eye-opening," Shuri whispered.
Their parents, T'Chaka and his queen, frowned deeply. The hidden depths of this world unsettled them more than they expected.
Elsewhere in the stands, Ivan Vanko approached the Wakandan royals. He pulled out a business card.
"King T'Chaka, Prince T'Challa—greetings. I am Ivan Vanko, CEO of Vanko Industries. Some also know me as the hero Whiplash."
T'Chaka accepted the card.
"Hello, Mr. Vanko."
"I, like Tony, am a man who built himself into a hero with technology," Ivan continued. "I need rare materials. If you have vibranium, I would like to purchase some. Name your price—I will do whatever I can to meet it."
He believed Wakanda's supply must be scarce, perhaps nearly exhausted. If he could strike a deal, he wouldn't need to dirty his hands with black market arms dealers.
Before T'Chaka could respond, a thunderous crack split the air. Everyone looked up just as Mjolnir came screaming back, smashing against an unseen barrier above the arena.
Shattering glass rang out like a colossal pane breaking. The sound echoed through every ear in the stadium.
(End of Chapter)
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