Destroyer (2)

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At this moment, the Destroyer attempted to use its fists against Kai, but having already achieved his goal, Kai wasn't about to engage in close combat any longer. He kept his distance, evading its attacks.

Seeing that Kai had the Destroyer's attention, Tony seized the opportunity and launched several missiles from afar. However, the impact was minimal—barely a dent.

"Huh, this armor is tougher than I expected," Tony muttered.

Meanwhile, Thor had finished checking on the three Asgardian warriors and rushed back into the fight. But without his divine powers, he was no match for the Destroyer. In an instant, it grabbed him effortlessly and hurled him into a car.

The Asgardians quickly ran to Thor's side, while Kai stepped forward, delivering a few more powerful blows to keep the Destroyer's focus on him.

As the battle continued, Kai noticed something different. The Destroyer's laser blasts seemed weaker than before, but they moved with greater flexibility.

A realization struck him—Loki was no longer the one controlling the Destroyer. Odin must have awakened and subtly taken over. Maybe even Loki hadn't noticed yet.

Kai smirked inwardly. If Odin was testing him, he wasn't about to disappoint. But he also didn't want to go all out and embarrass the old god just yet.

Nearby, Sif and the three warriors were in shock.

"He's actually fighting the Destroyer head-on," Sif whispered in disbelief.

"That thing is Odin's battle armor! How can a mortal even keep up with it?" one of the warriors added.

Tony, watching Kai go toe-to-toe with the massive construct, swallowed hard. "Okay, I knew Kai was strong, but this… This is something else. He's like a human-shaped Tyrannosaurus Rex."

The fight raged on, each exchange shaking the ground. Kai's strikes were warping the Destroyer's Uru metal plating, but then he made a mistake—he got caught off guard. The Destroyer's fist slammed into him, sending him flying.

Kai landed hard, exhaling sharply. He clenched his fists and got back up, his expression turning serious.

That hit just now… the Destroyer's strength had increased.

So, Odin was done playing around. Fine.

Kai gathered the power of space into his fist, a swirling blue aura forming around it. Then he teleported.

Predictably, the Destroyer turned, expecting him to appear behind it like before. But this time, Kai materialized at its side, catching it off guard.

He drove his enhanced fist forward.

The impact sent the Destroyer flying. A deep dent and a crack appeared where he had struck.

The Destroyer immediately fired another laser, but Kai reacted instantly. A shimmering portal of space appeared, diverting the blast safely away, reducing a distant section of the battlefield to rubble.

Then, Kai saw something new—the energy in the Destroyer's core shifted from yellow to red.

Odin was ramping up the power.

The next laser blast came faster and stronger, too quick for a portal. Kai had no choice but to tank it.

He braced himself, coating his body in spatial energy, and took the full force of the attack.

Smoke and dust billowed around him.

Kai narrowed his eyes. "Alright, old man, I was just having fun, but now you want to get serious? Fine."

He clenched his fists, space bending slightly around him.

The Destroyer charged another blast—but before it could fire, Kai struck.

One hit.

A second hit.

Two perfectly placed, space-infused blows tore through the Destroyer's armor, punching a hole clean through its torso. The other side of the battlefield was now visible through its gaping wound.

Loki, watching from Asgard, paled. He shot to his feet, his fingers digging into the throne. "Impossible… That man is far stronger than I anticipated."

For the first time, he sensed something strange. The Destroyer wasn't reacting quite like it should. Could it be… someone else was controlling it?

Back on Earth, Kai didn't let up.

A few more precise attacks, and he severed the Destroyer's legs, leaving the massive construct immobilized.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Sif, the warriors, and even Thor could only stare, stunned.

"He… He took it apart," one of them murmured.

Sif swallowed. "If he can do that to the Destroyer… what else is he capable of?"

Loki was speechless. If Kai could dismantle the Destroyer piece by piece, then that meant…

Kai exhaled, letting the space energy fade from his fists. He turned to Tony.

"Tony, this armor is made of Uru metal. You should study it—might help with your next suit."

He reached out, using his abilities to levitate the Destroyer's detached legs, setting them down in front of Tony.

Tony blinked, then let out a short laugh. "You're just handing me pieces of an Asgardian war machine? Damn, I like working with you."

Then he glanced at the still-standing upper half of the Destroyer. "Uh… Are we sure it's completely down? It's not gonna wake up and vaporize me, right?"

Kai smirked. "It's fine. I handled it."

But inwardly, he knew Odin was watching.

And Odin now knew exactly how strong he was.

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