All eyes were fixed on Mjolnir, which was battering at the air above the arena as if trying to smash through some unseen barrier.
Inside the mirror dimension, Thor was trapped by Karl Mordo's sorcery. Though his godly strength was immense, without Mjolnir his destructive power was halved. The warped arena and inverted ground pressed in on him, tightening the prison.
Mordo looked on and said,
"Surrender, and I'll release you. Otherwise, you'll remain trapped here until the Dragon Ball Contest ends."
Thor strained against the shifting walls, but for every piece he shattered, more matter gathered to hold him down.
"Me? Surrender? Impossible."
Mordo's voice was calm, almost persuasive.
"My wish is to keep Earth safe from dimensional demon gods. There is no selfish desire in me. If you cannot defeat me, why not concede?"
Thor kept his hand raised, calling Mjolnir across worlds, and answered firmly,
"You have your cause. I have mine. But do not think you can defeat me. If you truly could… why not strike me down and end this fight now?"
The words hit their mark. Mordo knew he lacked the certainty to finish Thor, which was why he hoped to force his surrender. And indeed, he could already feel the mirror space shuddering under the hammering from outside. It would not last.
"In that case," Mordo said, "you'll rot in here until the contest is done."
But as his words fell, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the dimension. Mjolnir burst through, smashing into the prison and returning to Thor's hand.
Thor gripped the hammer tightly, bellowing,
"With thunder, shatter the darkness!"
A bolt of lightning tore through the false reality, obliterating the matter that bound him. Thor stood free once more.
Mordo grimaced. "Then stay here alone!"
He tried to escape, opening a portal to flee the mirror realm. But Thor slammed Mjolnir into the ground. Lightning exploded outward.
Crack!
The mirror dimension shattered in a single blast, the backlash hurling Mordo through the air.
From the outside, the audience gasped. They saw the hammer pierce a rift in the sky, then the entire stage shattered like glass. Thor and Mordo reappeared on the arena floor—Thor standing firm with his hammer, Mordo flung back in defeat.
Thor looked untouched. Mordo crashed outside the ring, coughing blood from the blow. He had managed to block the strike, but even without Thor's lightning, the sheer force of Mjolnir was devastating.
The sorcerer lay on the ground, quickly muttering healing spells to mend his wounds.
Smith Dole appeared once more, raising Thor's arm high.
"The winner of this match—Thor Odinson!"
The crowd roared, thunderous applause shaking the air. They hadn't seen the battle within, but the image of Mjolnir shattering space itself burned in their minds.
Thor returned to the stands, and Eddie Brock checked briefly on Mordo. Learning he could heal himself, staff escorted him back to his seat.
Eddie took the stage again and announced:
"The first round of the Dragon Ball Contest has concluded! Four contestants remain: Tony Stark, Tina, Xu Wenwu, and Thor Odinson!"
"Applaud our four advancing warriors!"
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The crowd cheered wildly. Even though Tony held only a single Dragon Ball, his presence still carried weight.
Eddie continued,
"Now, the big screen will select the pairings for Round Two!"
The portraits spun rapidly on the giant display, slowing at last.
Tony Stark vs Thor Odinson.
Tina vs Xu Wenwu.
Eddie raised his voice:
"The matchups are set! After a thirty-minute break, Round Two will begin!"
Tony glanced at his upcoming opponent with little concern. To him, Thor was simply a chance to test his new armor forged from secondary adamantium. Confidence radiated from him.
Thor, in turn, smirked. Having seen Tony's battles, he worried little about missiles or machines. Victory was within his grasp.
But Tina and Xu Wenwu studied one another with wary respect. Both had held back in their earlier fights. Their clash promised to be fierce.
(End of Chapter)
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