The Meteor Hammer spun through the air, hurtling toward Loki—only for Loki to casually catch it with one hand. No tricks, no illusions—he literally caught it, plain and simple. Tilting his head slightly, he smiled at his brother as if what he just did required no effort at all.

Thor stood frozen, stunned, unable to process what had just happened.

"Th-this... this is impossible…"

Tony Stark slowly turned his head and whispered under his breath, "Didn't you say... whoever could lift your Meteor Hammer would be able to rule all of Asgard?"

Thor: "..."

Loki burst into laughter like he'd just heard the funniest joke in the universe. He raised his hand, and the Meteor Hammer began to spin backward along the same path Thor had just thrown it. Thor tried to reach for it, but the moment his hand made contact, he was overwhelmed by an unstoppable force. The power surged through his body—and in the blink of an eye, he was blasted away by his own hammer, crashing heavily into the ground.

Seeing this, Stark immediately fired a repulsor blast from his palm toward Loki, who was seated on the throne. The beam sped toward its target—only to vanish just before reaching Loki's nose, disappearing less than a hair's breadth away.

Alarms screamed inside Stark's suit. Before he could react, a brilliant golden flash erupted and struck his left flank. The impact sent him flying—he'd just been hit by his own repulsor blast.

Thor climbed to his feet, still stunned by the sheer might he had just felt. His eyes widened with shock as he looked at Loki. "Loki… Don't tell me—you've stolen Father's divine power?"

A sly, uncontrollable grin appeared on Loki's face, the kind of smile that comes when your ace card is finally recognized. He rose slowly from the throne and stepped down, one deliberate footfall at a time. Each step felt like it pressed directly against Thor's heart. The entire realm of Asgard seemed to tremble under Loki's stride.

"My foolish brother," Loki said as he walked, holding Gungnir—the spear that once belonged to Odin—with ease. "I'm amazed it took you this long to realize the truth."

"Yes, I've inherited the power of the All-Father. Which means…" His eyes gleamed. "Within Asgard, I am now omniscient and omnipotent. A god."

With that, Loki gently tapped Gungnir against the ground. A thunderclap split the sky, and all of Asgard seemed to quake.

Thor looked at Loki with sorrow in his eyes. "I tried to trust you, Loki. I really did. But this… this crosses every line."

"Shut up!" Loki snapped, his patience wearing thin. "At this point, your words are meaningless. Odin was nothing more than a deceitful old fraud who pretended to be a loving father. If you want to stop me, then come at me."

He twirled Gungnir once, sending a pulse of energy rippling outward.

With a roar, Thor hurled the Meteor Hammer like a crashing star toward Loki's shoulder. Loki casually sidestepped it. Thor immediately shifted into a different attack pattern.

Throughout the whole fight, Loki kept smiling, watching his brother's relentless efforts with a detached amusement. He barely moved, barely lifted Gungnir. For the first time in many years—perhaps ever—he felt truly in control, finally standing above his brother in sheer power.

Stark launched himself into the fray. His armor flared orange as the thrusters kicked in, propelling him behind Loki. He aimed another repulsor blast straight at his back.

But Loki didn't even turn. As if he had eyes on the back of his head, a shimmering magical shield materialized just in time to absorb the blow.

Then—Loki's spear shot out in a blur. Gungnir's blue energy blade arced through the air like lightning and struck Stark right in the abdomen. The spear carved through his armor like it was paper, cutting deep into his side and leaving a brutal gash.

Stark clenched his jaw in pain, crashing awkwardly to the ground. The suit's auto-injection system deployed a painkiller, giving him some relief—but Gungnir's raw energy had wreaked havoc on his systems. The armor's functions began to glitch and spark erratically.

Loki spun his spear and knocked Thor aside with a shockwave of power. Thor's massive body slammed into the palace floor, creating a crater on impact.

Loki hovered calmly in front of him, golden robes fluttering in the wind, Gungnir resting lightly in his hand. If not for the wicked smile on his face, he might've looked like the rightful king of Asgard.

"Give it up, brother," Loki said with a smirk. "Even that rock-filled head of yours must realize by now—you're no match for the All-Father's power."

He raised his brows mockingly. "So what's the point of all this struggle?"

Thor let out a roar, raising the Meteor Hammer once more. A torrent of lightning tore through the palace ceiling and surged down into his body. The electricity then shot outward like dragons, rushing toward Loki in a blinding, thundering storm...

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T/N:

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