Even Thor's desperate attempt to stop him was useless.
Right now, Loki was already consumed by jealousy—jealousy that Thor was Odin's true son. Just seeing Thor's face reminded him of that cruel fact. It reminded him that he was the son of Laufey, the Frost Giant, not of Odin.
In truth, even that brief moment of sincerity earlier had been nothing but a calculated act—meant to deceive Thor, to stop him from returning to Asgard.
So now, how could Loki possibly calm his fury just because of a few words from Thor?
He simply flicked his fingers, unleashing a surge of power that forced Thor to retreat several steps.
Senju Haruto observed everything quietly, making no move to stop him.
Just as Thor was pushed back, another Loki suddenly appeared behind Haruto.
A gleaming dagger was clenched in his hand, and he lunged forward in a blur.
This was Loki's favorite kind of attack—his specialty.
Use illusion magic to deceive the opponent's eyes, then strike a fatal blow in one swift move.
And at that moment, Haruto seemed to have no way to notice the trick. After all, there was another "Loki" standing right in front of him.
But to Loki's disbelief, Haruto simply shook his head and sighed—like a teacher disappointed in a child who refused to learn.
To those unfamiliar with Loki, his illusions might indeed be deadly.
But to anyone who truly understood him, they were little more than parlor tricks.
Especially when Haruto now possessed the Byakugan—eyes that saw everything in a perfect, 360-degree range.
Crack!
Haruto's right hand shot backward, catching Loki's wrist mid-stab.
Only then did Haruto slowly turn around, locking eyes with the trickster god.
He could clearly see the shock and disbelief in Loki's expression.
"You—how is this possible?!"
Loki couldn't accept what he was seeing. His magic—his deception—had been seen through by a mere mortal?
He was the God of Mischief. His mastery of illusions and performance had long since reached perfection.
Neither Thor nor Odin had ever been able to see through his spells.
To Loki, this was a humiliating blow.
But what came next was far worse.
Haruto's arm suddenly tensed, yanking Loki forward.
Caught off guard, Loki instinctively tried to steady himself, but before he could react, he felt a crushing force on his back.
BOOM!
A thunderous impact erupted behind him, followed by a wave of unbearable pain.
"Argh!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood as his body stiffened and slammed into the ground. His bones felt as if they had been shattered in several places.
The sight left Thor completely speechless.
For beings like them—the Norse gods—their lifespan far exceeded that of mortals, and their bodies were vastly more powerful. Tens, even hundreds of times stronger.
Even steel could barely harm them.
And Loki, unlike Thor, had not been stripped of his divine power by Odin.
He was a true god.
And yet this man, Senju Haruto, had just smashed him to the ground with a single blow!
To a god, this was utter humiliation.
Coulson, Erik, and Foster all gasped sharply.
By now, all three were convinced—Loki really was a god.
The only difference was in how they came to believe it: Coulson had trusted Haruto's word; Foster and Erik had believed because of Thor.
"You bastard!"
Loki's eyes widened as he lay sprawled on the ground, cursing in fury and shame.
Never—not even in his wildest dreams—had he imagined himself in such a pathetic state.
He had once deceived Odin, the so-called All-Father, with ease.
He had even slain Laufey, his Frost Giant father.
This was supposed to be the beginning of his rule over the Nine Realms!
And yet here he was, beaten into the dirt by a mere mortal.
He wanted to kill Haruto—slaughter everyone here and wash away this humiliation with blood.
But before he could even stand, he felt a hand clamp tightly around his ankle.
He looked back instinctively—
—and saw Haruto's body expanding, his skin shifting from pale white to a deep, furious green.
Now, in the hands of this towering monster, Loki looked no bigger than a toy.
Thor, Erik, Coulson, and Foster all stood frozen in disbelief.
Even Hawkeye, watching from the watchtower, was dumbstruck.
Only now did he finally understand why Coulson treated Haruto with such respect—why he always maintained a humble attitude around him.
"What… what is he doing?"
Thor swallowed hard and turned to Coulson, hoping for an answer.
But Coulson didn't know either.
Officially, Haruto was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "magical consultant."
In truth, S.H.I.E.L.D. was simply trying to win him over—hoping that, when the time came, they could rely on his power.
As for what Haruto truly intended, how he acted… even S.H.I.E.L.D. had no say.
"Didn't you say you were a god?" Haruto's lips curled into a mocking smile.
With one massive hand, he lifted Loki high above his head—
—and smashed him straight into the ground.
BOOM!
The impact thundered across the area. Loki's face was driven into the dirt, his features flattening from the force.
Thor and the others flinched instinctively. Just watching was painful.
But Haruto wasn't finished.
He yanked Loki back up—then slammed him down again.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Again and again, like a furious child throwing around a toy.
Only this time, the "toy" was the Norse God of Mischief himself.
The agents watching from a distance were stunned beyond words.
A god—being tossed around like a rag doll!
The sight shattered everything they thought they knew about reality.
Coulson, in particular, was shaken to his core.
He had always believed Haruto was a magician—a human with deep mastery over the arcane.
Powerful, yes, but still mortal.
Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't control him, they had never imagined… this.
Because the "gods" Coulson believed in were now utterly powerless before him—
Beaten, humiliated, toyed with.
If he were in Loki's place, Coulson thought, he'd probably rather die.
Thor stood frozen, mouth agape, not even knowing how to react.
Thankfully, Haruto soon seemed to tire of the game.
BOOM!
With one final strike, Loki's body was driven deep into the ground, leaving a crater around him.
His body was a wreck, covered in bruises and blood.
His pupils dilated as he lay there, barely breathing.
His mind went blank. He could only question, over and over—
How… how could this man be so strong?
"So weak… for a god."
Haruto's calm, almost lazy words drifted through the air—
and struck Loki's heart like a blade.