Chapter 1226 Gone Awry

After Loki was hammered into the ground by Thor, he realized that it was Laufey who had ambushed him. However, when Thor, fueled by anger, prepared to take action against Laufey, the Frost Giant decided it was time to retreat, avoiding Thor's attacks as he moved toward the Frost Giant's ranks.

However, Laufey had underestimated the extent of Thor's rampage after the attack on Loki. Despite any mistakes Loki may have made, he considered it his responsibility to discipline him and couldn't allow an outsider to intervene. 

When Thor noticed the ice spike protruding from Loki's chest right after the attack, it became clear that Loki had been severely injured by Laufey's ambush.

"You! Dammit!" Thor shouted in extreme anger as he swung Mjölnir at Laufey.

Facing Thor's furious assault, Laufey, who had been dodging all along, had no choice but to create several ice crystals to block the attacks. At this moment, Laufey was beginning to regret his decision to attack Loki. 

Weren't you two brothers fighting to the death just now? How come when I intervene to take down Loki, you go berserk on me instead? This was Laufey's genuine thought at the moment.

Crack! Boom!

Of course, regardless of what Laufey was thinking, Thor had already shattered the ice crystals in front of Laufey with a mighty blow, hitting Laufey squarely in the chest. Following Loki, Thor had also hammered Laufey forcefully into the ground.

Boom!

Another loud crash and Laufey created another deep crater right next to the one Loki had fallen into earlier. Unsatisfied with just hammering Laufey down, Thor, like the incarnation of the God of Thunder, raised Mjölnir high and slammed it down into Laufey's crater, determined to crush this aggressor who had severely wounded his brother.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

While Thor descended, massive ice spikes shot out rapidly from the deep crater created by Laufey. These razor-sharp ice projectiles, gleaming with an icy blue radiance, pierced through the air toward Thor. 

Concealed beneath this dazzling onslaught of ice spikes, a towering figure emerged from the crater and swiftly made his way toward the Frost Giant ranks.

With the older generation of powerful beings growing frail, Laufey was no longer capable of facing new-generation powerhouses like Thor. Therefore, after ambushing Loki, he had no intention of engaging Thor directly, and fleeing seemed the wisest choice. However, his escape was far from easy.

Pū! Pū! Pū!

Just when Thor's vision was obstructed by the enormous ice spikes launched by Laufey, he failed to notice his target escaping quickly. Suddenly, the ground beneath Laufey's feet and in front of him cracked open. 

Giant plants, with vines and blossoms, emerged from the ground. Each of these colossal plants writhed and attacked Laufey aggressively.

Blocked by these giant plants that had suddenly sprung up, Laufey had no choice but to deal with these magically resistant plants and continue his escape. Meanwhile, Loki's figure reappeared behind Laufey. 

However, the ice spike that had been impaled through his chest had vanished, and his skin had turned icy blue, with his face notably pale.

As for the giant plants obstructing Laufey's path, they were creations of Loki's plant and life magic. Loki couldn't let the matter slide after Laufey's ambush. 

If Loki hadn't possessed Frost Giant lineage, which granted him strong resistance to ice-based attacks, that one ambush could have gravely injured him, potentially jeopardizing his greater plans.

With Loki's power augmented once more through the use of the Casket of Ancient Winters and his hybrid advantage, he was more formidable than ever. Despite his injuries, the magic he unleashed effortlessly could overwhelm Laufey. 

To prevent Laufey from escaping under the barrage of icy magic, Loki chose to employ plant and life magic against him, which, for Loki, was no different from any other magic.

Whew!

Struggling against the devouring grasp of the giant flower, Laufey felt a bitter taste in his heart. He had merely attempted to ambush Loki, thinking he could tip the balance in the fight between the evenly-matched Asgardian brothers. 

His plan was to let Loki be defeated by Thor. However, he hadn't anticipated getting ensnared in this situation himself – the script had gone awry!

If Laufey couldn't break free from Loki's magical assault immediately, Thor would soon catch up. In that case, facing both of them, Laufey might have no chance of escaping. Perhaps, forcefully adding more drama to his situation wasn't such a good idea after all.

Just as Laufey was contemplating these thoughts, a thick vine shot out from the ground beneath him, wrapping around one of his legs. The protruding thorns on the vine didn't pierce Laufey's skin, but the increasing pressure was causing him more anxiety.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Above them, Thor's figure reappeared, and the vast ice spikes from earlier had been shattered into pieces. Seeing that Loki didn't seem to be seriously injured, Thor couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. He and Loki then acted in unison to attack Laufey.

However, just as Laufey was entangled by Loki, unable to break free, and had to withstand Thor's attacks, a powerful ice force suddenly surged from the vine coiled around his leg. This force, without any resistance, flowed directly into Laufey's body.

"Ugh!... Ahh!"

Feeling the strength provided by this icy power, Laufey roared and tore apart the giant flower in front of him. Then, he stomped his foot and accelerated like a missile toward the location of the Frost Giant army. 

In the next moment, as Laufey suddenly burst forward, Thor's attacks landed, smashing all the gigantic plants that Loki had just spread across the battlefield into smithereens.

Having dispatched Laufey, Loki's icy-blue appearance rapidly faded while he stood on the ground. Sensing his current condition, Loki quickly formed hand seals. Before Thor could charge over again, Loki's figure shattered into a golden glow and vanished instantly.

Arriving at the spot where Loki had been moments ago and scanning the rapidly dissipating golden specks, Thor's expression blinked, reflecting his thoughts. However, Loki had escaped, and the battle had come to an end.

Finally, Thor sighed in resignation and, hammer in hand, returned to the Asgardian army. Under Thor's command, Asgard's forces began to withdraw towards their homeland.

As for the Frost Giants, Laufey's earlier actions, combined with the lesson he had received from Thor and Loki's joint effort, made it unlikely that they would harbor any hostile intentions toward Asgard. 

With this, it seemed that the spectacle that Loki had created after seizing power had come to an end.

Back at the Frost Giant headquarters, Laufey, looking disheveled and defeated, sat on the Frost Throne. He still had a broken piece of vine wrapped around his right leg, faintly bearing the remnants of that peculiar ice power.

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