The Bifrost - Asgard.
"Charge!" Ernst bellowed.
A massive surge of blue energy erupted from his core.
Thor took the brunt of the blast.
He and the four warriors were violently propelled backward, crashing hundreds of meters away into the dirt.
Ernst ascended, hovering effortlessly in the air.
He stowed his Vibranium swords in his sleeves.
His hands blurred through intricate seals, conjuring a dense mass of blue energy between his palms.
He tossed the sphere into the air. It shattered into a hundred smaller units.
The units rippled and transformed.
Suddenly, one hundred perfect clones of Ernst filled the sky.
They glared coldly down at the Asgardians.
It was a fusion of pure magical energy and the Reality Gem.
They were fragile, but their numbers created immense psychological pressure.
At Ernst's command, the legion materialized blue energy staffs and swarmed downward.
"Fear not!" Thor roared, rallying his friends.
"For the glory of Asgard, with Odin by our side!"
Thor surged forward.
His fearless charge broke the warriors' apprehension.
Thor swung his hammer through the first wave. The clones shattered into harmless blue sparks.
Morale soared. Volstagg, Sif, Fandral, and Hogun joined the fray, fiercely battling the remaining duplicates.
Thor carved a path through the swarm, reaching Ernst's true body.
He raised Mjolnir to strike.
Ernst just chuckled. He drew his twin knives and countered effortlessly.
Thor realized his mistake. He thought the clones required Ernst's direct concentration.
Instead, Ernst's hyper-evolved brain granted each clone absolute autonomy.
They fought ruthlessly while Ernst focused entirely on Thor.
From the shadows, Loki watched.
The God of Mischief gripped his staff, genuinely surprised.
This stranger was subduing Thor and the greatest warriors of the realm with insulting ease.
High above, two ravens circled the battlefield.
Huginn and Muninn.
Ernst saw them. He knew Odin was monitoring every move.
He wondered why the Allfather hadn't intervened to stop this pointless skirmish.
Ernst parried Mjolnir with his left hand, readying a brutal strike with his right.
Suddenly, an energy beam lanced through the air, forcing Ernst to dodge.
He lost his opening.
Ernst glanced down. Loki had stepped out of the shadows, his staff glowing.
Ernst extended his psychic perception.
A battalion of a thousand golden-armored guards was marching toward the bridge.
Loki was showing off for the reinforcements.
Ernst decided to teach the trickster a lesson.
He pushed Thor back and flew directly toward Loki.
Loki fired again.
Thor leaped in front of his brother, acting as a human shield with Mjolnir.
The brothers fought back-to-back.
Thor provided an unbreakable defense. Loki supplied surgical, ranged strikes.
Their cooperation was flawless, marked by absolute trust.
Ernst couldn't easily break the formation.
He blurred, splitting his physical form into four identical images.
All four Ernsts charged Thor, drawn swords in hand.
Thor didn't hesitate. He summoned a massive burst of lightning, striking all four targets.
They vanished. Illusions.
"Behind you!" Loki screamed.
Thor spun around. Ernst was standing directly behind the God of Mischief, sword raised.
"Stop!" Thor shouted desperately, sprinting toward them.
Ernst swung the blade.
It passed harmlessly through Loki's neck. The image faded into mist.
Another illusion. Thor skidded to a halt, sighing in frustration at his brother's tricks.
"Fascinating," Ernst murmured. He wasn't angry.
He opened his mind, sending out a pulse of light.
The light hit empty space ten yards away, rippling the air.
Loki's true form materialized, his face frozen in absolute shock.
Ernst had unraveled his master-tier illusion instantly.
Before Thor could react, Ernst closed the distance.
Loki panicked. He raised his staff to fire.
Ernst simply absorbed the energy beam with his bare hand.
He grabbed Loki by the throat.
With a violent shake, Ernst dislocated the joints in Loki's neck and spine.
Loki went completely limp, paralyzed but alive.
Desperate, Thor hurled Mjolnir with all his might to save his brother.
Ernst sneered. He spun around, holding Loki out like a human shield directly in the hammer's path.
Thor panicked.
He fought the magical momentum of his own weapon, forcing Mjolnir to veer off course.
Thor groaned in pain, taking the severe magical backlash of the redirected strike.
"Release my brother," Thor threatened, his voice shaking with fear.
"Or I will end you. I swear it in the name of Odin."