Wenwu hadn't even had time to call upon the Ten Rings when Thor, still half-possessed by rage and instinct, blasted him with a thunderbolt and hurled him across the arena.
The elder fighter staggered back to his feet, gritting his teeth. He had not expected Thor to break the rules of honor and strike after losing.
But Thor wasn't thinking. Driven only by blind fury and grief, he lashed out even at Smith Dole as the host approached.
Smith seized his arm with one hand, his other hand chopping down like a blade onto the god's neck.
"Wake up!" he barked.
He unleashed his full strength in that instant, his Destroyer Armor flaring with destructive force.
Boom!
Thor's lightning shattered against him, his body slammed into the earth. Unconscious, his thunder god's aura flickered out.
Smith hauled him from the crater and handed him to staff to return to Jane Foster's side. Relief showed briefly on his face—Thor had merely lost control, not truly awakened the storm within. If the god had gone all out, Smith might have needed to reveal his own monstrous form.
The spectators, however, were stunned. In their eyes, Thor Odinson was mighty beyond question—yet Smith had floored him with a single strike. For the first time, the crowd truly grasped the power behind the man who dared host the Dragon Ball Contest.
Tony muttered, "So that's his real strength?"
Even the Eternals stiffened. No wonder he had such confidence to oversee this event.
Mordo was dumbstruck—so this was the level of "God" among heroes?
T'Chaka felt a chill. If men like this existed, Wakanda's secrets had to remain buried.
Smith's followers erupted into chants of "God! God! God!" Their leader's dominance left them ecstatic.
Inside Eddie Brock's head, Venom hissed with excitement.
"This is the body I crave. Imagine if I fused with him—we'd be unstoppable."
Eddie frowned. "You think he'd let you?"
Venom's voice was sly. "For Smith Dole, I would become his armor. A true symbiote suit."
Eddie blinked. "You never told me that was possible."
"You're too weak. The mode isn't for you," Venom sneered.
On the field, Big Hero 6 robots had already finished repairing the stage. In moments, the arena gleamed as new.
Eddie stepped forward, mic in hand.
"For Thor Odinson's unsanctioned strike after defeat, we issue a severe warning. One more infraction, and he will be banned from all future Dragon Ball Contests."
Thor, now awake beside Jane, flushed with shame. He barely remembered what had happened, only that Jane whispered he had summoned lightning without Mjolnir. The thought unsettled him. And the reminder he'd lost his chance to revive Loki gnawed at him, until Darcy reminded him: this was only the second tournament. He could fight again next year. That thought gave him hope.
The audience had no objection. Wenwu himself showed magnanimity, letting the matter go—after all, he now held four Dragon Balls. Only three more, and the wish would be his.
Eddie raised the mic again.
"Next match: Tony Stark versus Tina!"
The two combatants ascended the stage. Smith Dole gave the signal—begin.
Tina charged instantly. She had watched Tony's fight with Thor and spotted the cracks in his suit. Each strike she launched drove mercilessly at those weak points. Her speed and precision pressed Tony hard.
"Jarvis, analyze her patterns. Give me an optimal counter."
The AI scanned her movements in microseconds.
Tony blocked and countered with palm blasts where he could, but cracks widened on his armor despite his efforts.
"Analysis complete," Jarvis reported. "Optimal counters mapped."
Tony smirked. "Your show now, Jarvis. Take over."
At once the armor moved sharper, faster. Iron Man caught Tina's spear mid-thrust, blasting a repulsor from his other hand.
She conjured an energy shield in an instant.
Boom! The beam splashed across it. She pulled at her weapon—but Jarvis had already triggered micro-missiles.
Boom-boom-boom!
The missiles exploded before reaching her, cloaking her in smoke. Tony's chest reactor blazed.
Zzzap—BOOM!
A white beam erupted, Jarvis unleashing everything at once in a coordinated assault. Tina vanished in the storm of fire and light, caught off guard by the machine's precision.
Smoke roiled across the arena.
(End of Chapter)
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