Clang!
"Tsk."
The crisp sound of steel clashing rang out. In that instant, Artoria's intuition told her that this slash wouldn't even leave a scratch on the opponent. Failing the strike, Artoria immediately vanished into the darkness, not even giving Loki time to react.
"Who is it?"
Loki searched through the Destroyer. Someone had indeed attacked just now, but they hadn't hurt the Destroyer. If he were there in person, with the opponent's elusive methods, his head might have been cut off without him even noticing! Thinking of this, Loki felt a chill down his neck. The Destroyer's face plate opened and began charging energy; he planned to blast everything in the vicinity, forcing whoever it was to come out. If he was lucky, he might even injure them.
Bang!
S.H.I.E.L.D. had arrived; no surprise, really—this was barely a stone's throw from Thor's Hammer. After the racket just now and the earlier flash of the Bifrost, even an idiot would know something big was up, let alone the ever-sharp S.H.I.E.L.D. Seeing the Destroyer about to 'go ultimate,' Hawkeye Barton didn't hesitate—an explosive arrow flew straight into the spot where the armor was gathering energy.
'Mortals, you dare obstruct divine judgment?'
Even a grenade-plus blast left not a speck of ash on it.
'As expected, the grade of this thing is worlds above!'
Artoria glanced at the twin Magnetic Storm Slash blades in her hands. No nicks showed, but she knew one more head-on clash would finish them.
'If I had a Divine Key, things would be different—Soulium is far too rare.'
She quietly sheathed the two 'watermelon knives.' The holy lance Rhongomyniad wouldn't answer, she had neither the Sword in the Lake nor excalibur, and Projection Magecraft shattered the instant it touched the Destroyer. The thing was a walking turtle shell; she couldn't crack it. Artoria felt like a counterfeit Lion King.
'Yo-ho~! Brotherly love, how touching!'
Watching Thor step forward and offer himself to the Destroyer, Artoria stayed hidden and observed. To this moment the Thunder God had no idea how he'd wronged his little brother so badly that Loki wanted him dead. In the end it was Odin's fault—if he hadn't once spoken of 'two kings,' letting Loki glimpse a chance at the throne and at being valued, the trickster would never have come to seize it. Loki's whole story was a tragedy: in Thor 1 he pleads, 'Dad, love me again'; in The Avengers, 'Mischievous child seeks big brother's approval'; in Thor 2, 'Big brother, love me again'; in Thor 3, 'Fight big sis together with big bro—get thrashed instead.'
In Infinity War, 'the purple potato snapped the brat's neck.' In short, Loki kept searching for someone who would acknowledge him. From aloof arrogance to full-blown goofball, he met his doom at the hands of 'Purple Potato.' Artoria hadn't watched the time-heist reboot, so she didn't know if the jerk was still bouncing around. But right now Loki still wanted to prove to Odin that he deserved to be King of Asgard.
Sadly, he still hadn't understood: Odin meant Thor for Asgard's throne, Loki for the Frost Giants'—peace between the races sealed through Loki. Odin never intended Asgard to be his; he'd just spoken too vaguely, and Loki never caught on.
'My brother! If taking my life eases your pain, then do it.'
Thor spread his arms, eyes closed, fearless. On the throne, Loki froze, face twisted. After a thousand years together, he knew Thor meant every word; for a moment he wanted to stop—but his eyes hardened again. Nothing would keep him from the crown.
'In this world, chance always turns to certainty. Loki, you've already lost.'
Artoria sighed as she watched the direction Thor had been hurled. The parabola was perfect—straight toward Mjolnir. A bit far, but the hammer would sense its Master's plight. Time for the Thunder God's encore. Still, she meant to claim the Destroyer's fragments. She brushed her left hand; crimson Command Seals glowed on pale skin.
Boom—!
The Destroyer sent another Asgard warrior flying. Frigga soared farthest, landing near Artoria. Out of simple chivalry, Artoria—now violet through the Saint's Vessel—caught her.
'You… are?'
Before Frigga could thank the stranger, a column of lightning shot skyward, scattering the storm clouds. There stood the silver-hammered, crimson-caped Thunder God, restored to full divinity. Yet Artoria's gaze slid past him to S.H.I.E.L.D.—only Phil and Barton remained of the 'named' cast; the Hydra Special Agents who guarded world peace had all perished. Pitiful.
'Loki, you have disappointed your brother. You must be punished.'
Thor glared at the Destroyer, veins bulging, and brought down his beloved hammer in a thunderous arc.
'Damn it—I shouldn't have hesitated.'
Seeing Thor not only survive the blast but reclaim Mjolnir, Loki could bear it no longer. Jealous fire blazed: why did fortune always favor Thor? Where was he inferior? He'd labored—pranks and all—to earn approval; his wits outshone Thor's, his magic matched any strength. He should be Asgard's king.
'Cursed Thor—die!'
Channeling every erg of the Destroyer's power, Loki meant to obliterate his brother. Yet the armor's controls suddenly failed; he could only watch, helpless, as Mjolnir descended.
'Now! Violet… Master, lend me your Noble Phantasm.'
'Pierce! Penetrate! Gáe Bolg Alternative!'
As the incantation was spoken, the two crimson lances blazed with light. One short spear became a streak of red that hoisted the fallen Destroyer into the air and pinned it there; the other turned into a crimson pillar that erased the construct in a single blast. The move froze the jubilant Thor's smile, made the slumbering Odin twitch, coaxed an unreadable smile from the bald woman on the Himalayas, and left Heimdall's dark face blank—so startled that the blade meant to summon the Bifrost hung motionless.
After the success, Artoria vanished in an instant, leaving behind bewildered bystanders and an unconscious Frigga.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.