Marvel : Mutant God

Though Thor and Loki had never encountered Richard before—hadn't even heard his name mentioned—the moment he held the Masamune in his hand, they both sensed an extraordinarily powerful aura emanating from him.

Before Thor could speak, Loki, visibly displeased by Richard's defiant retort, drew two exquisitely crafted daggers. His expression darkened, clearly intending to teach this mortal a lesson in respect.

"We aren't here to fight you," Thor said, casting a cautionary glance at his brother before addressing Richard. "We've come only to escort you to Asgard, as our father commanded."

"I understand you're not here for combat," Richard replied, ignoring Loki's threatening gaze. "But if you want me to accompany you to Asgard to meet Odin, you'll have to fight me first. That's my only condition. If you refuse, you're welcome to leave now."

Richard couldn't help but note how this universe's Thor differed from his cinematic counterpart. Whether due to Odin's influence or other factors, this Thor seemed far less impulsive and quick-tempered than the one depicted in films.

More surprisingly, it was Loki—supposedly the trickster and master of calculation—who appeared more impulsive between the brothers. The Loki of this universe not only seemed more volatile than Thor but also possessed a far more arrogant demeanor.

As Richard finished speaking, Loki's impatient voice cut through the air.

"There's no point wasting time talking to this insolent mortal. Since he's so eager to suffer, let's oblige him." Loki glanced at Thor with disdain. "Brother, stand aside. I can handle this one myself."

Without waiting for a response, Loki charged toward Richard. In a heartbeat, he closed the distance between them, his daggers slashing simultaneously toward Richard's throat and heart with lethal precision.

Though physically inferior to Thor, Loki—carrying the bloodline of the Frost Giant King—remained far beyond human capability. His strength, constitution, and speed vastly exceeded those of any mortal.

Unfortunately for him, his opponent was no ordinary man.

In appearance, Richard, like Loki, lacked the conspicuous musculature of warriors like Thor. Yet both possessed physical attributes that transcended human limitation, despite their deceptively ordinary builds.

Loki's attack was swift and decisive. Yet it posed virtually no threat to Richard.

Only when Loki had nearly reached him—his daggers mere inches from Richard's throat and heart—Richard slowly raise his left hand holding Masamune. With Super Speed, he fluidly rotated his wrist, transitioning from a forward grip to a reverse hold.

In the next instant, Masamune's hilt struck Loki's chest with lightning-fast precision.

BANG!

A thunderous impact echoed across the grounds.

Before Loki could register what had happened, an immense force penetrated his armored chest and radiated throughout his body. The blow launched him backward like a batted baseball.

Despite Loki's superhuman strength and constitution—attributes that rivaled even Thor's—they paled in comparison to Richard's current capabilities.

Without ceremony, Loki, who had approached with such confident aggression, found himself hurtling backward over twenty meters before crashing unceremoniously onto the manor lawn, a picture of abject humiliation.

What a brilliant counterattack!

Though Loki had been violently repelled, Thor showed no concern for his brother's condition. He recognized that Richard had merely neutralized Loki without inflicting serious injury.

Significantly, the part of the blade that struck Loki's chest had been the hilt of the Masamune, not its cutting edge. The distance and velocity of Loki's backward flight clearly indicated Richard's restraint.

Rather than fretting over Loki's state, Thor found himself more intrigued by Richard's counterattack. In Thor's assessment, Loki's direct charge with daggers drawn had been tactically unsound.

Though Thor couldn't determine whether the Masamune in Richard's hand possessed special properties, the sword's unusual length alone suggested its wielder must possess exceptional combat prowess. Few warriors would choose a blade of such extraordinary length unless they had mastered superlative close-combat techniques.

And to wield it with his left hand, no less.

As the saying went: amateurs watch the spectacle, while experts observe the technique.

Though Thor himself was no swordsman, he recognized with certainty that Richard's counterattack had been not only ingenious but merciful. Had Richard chosen otherwise, Loki's reckless charge would have ended not with being knocked backward by Masamune's hilt, but with the blade itself piercing his heart.

If Thor had harbored any hesitation about sparring with Richard before, witnessing the elegant reversal of Masamune's hilt to neutralize Loki in an instant ignited within him a genuine desire to test Richard's mettle personally.

Compared to his cinematic counterpart, this universe's Thor indeed possessed greater self-control and temperance. Yet his more measured personality didn't mean he had become an entirely different person.

After appraising Richard, Thor turned to face Loki, who was now struggling to his feet from the grass. "Rest, brother," Thor commanded. "I shall face him."

With those words, Thor began to twirl Mjölnir in rhythmic, purposeful motions.

As Thor's hammer danced through the air, dark thunderclouds materialized in the night sky with unnatural speed. Simultaneously, brilliant silver-white lightning erupted from Mjölnir's head.

The electric arcs crackled audibly before slithering toward Thor like living serpents of pure energy. These tendrils of lightning enhanced Thor's already formidable presence, imbuing him with an aura truly befitting a god.

Controlling lightning? I can do that too.

After observing the silver-white electric serpents twining around Thor's form, Richard channeled the mana flowing through his body to cast a Level 4 Thundaga.

Under the watchful eyes of both Asgardian brothers, silver-white lightning bolts of varying sizes manifested spontaneously around Richard. As these electric arcs appeared, they converged upon him simultaneously, interweaving with one another to coalesce into a gleaming armor of pure lightning.

Thundaga! Heavenstorm Mantle (Thunder Armor)!

Like Heaven Severance and Fallen Symphony : Twin Fang, Heavenstorm Mantle represented another of Richard's self-created techniques that served both offensive and defensive purposes.

The Heavenstorm Mantle, composed entirely of silver-white lightning, not only shielded against enemy attacks but could also counter-strike at the moment of impact. Despite its utility, Richard had never deployed it in actual combat before now—his previous opponents hadn't warranted such measures.

Yet seeing the silver-white lightning coursing across Thor's body triggered an irresistible impulse to unveil this technique.

As the Heavenstorm Mantle materialized around Richard, both Thor and Loki's expressions tightened almost imperceptibly.

Though they couldn't identify the specific nature of Heavenstorm Mantle, they recognized something profound: Richard possessed exceptional mastery over lightning manipulation.

The ability to release and direct lightning as a weapon differed dramatically from controlling its chaotic energy precisely enough to form intricate armor. In terms of difficulty and control precision, shaping lightning into armor represented a quantum leap beyond merely discharging it as an attack.

Thor himself was a perfect example of this distinction.

Though Thor bore the title of Thunder God and skillfully wielded lightning against his enemies, even he couldn't achieve such precise control over the element. With dedication and study, his innate abilities might eventually allow him to master such a technique—yet the concept of Heavenstorm Mantle fundamentally contradicted his combat philosophy. Thor preferred straightforward, overwhelming lightning attacks to such intricate manipulations.

Richard disregarded the brothers' evaluating gazes and spoke with calm assurance. "I have a suggestion for you both—attack me together. Otherwise, you won't last long."

Though Richard spoke truthfully, his words landed differently with the Asgardians.

Even Thor, whose temperament was considerably more measured than his cinematic counterpart, couldn't suppress a flash of indignation at being so casually dismissed. As for Loki, his wounded pride was evident without needing elaboration.

Despite feeling slighted, Thor maintained his composure, responding not with words but by raising Mjölnir overhead. In the next instant, silver-white lightning cocooned his form as he launched himself toward Richard with godlike speed.

Within moments, Thor closed the distance, bringing Mjölnir down in a devastating arc aimed at Richard's position.

Facing Thor's attack, Richard opted not to deploy his Octoslash or Judgement Cut End techniques. Instead, he simply raised Masamune in a seemingly casual defense.

CLANG!

Masamune cut through the air with blinding speed, meeting Mjölnir with perfect precision. The pure metallic ring of their collision echoed across the grounds.

Though Mjölnir had been deflected, Thor didn't relent. He immediately adjusted his attack trajectory, redirecting the hammer toward Richard from a new angle.

As Mjölnir changed course, Richard responded with another precise swing of Masamune.

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!

The legendary sword and mythical hammer met repeatedly in a staccato rhythm that resembled percussive music, each impact punctuating their deadly dance.

Compared to Loki, Thor clearly possessed superior close-combat skills, and Mjölnir ranked among the most formidable weapons in the Nine Realms. Yet even with these advantages, Thor couldn't gain the upper hand.

If Thor excelled in close combat, Richard matched him stride for stride. Moreover, the Masamune in Richard's grasp proved every bit Mjölnir's equal.

Where Mjölnir had been forged from the heart of a dying star, Masamune now represented the fusion of its namesake blade with the legendary Yamato. Though lacking Mjölnir's cosmic origin story, Masamune's power stood on equal footing with the thunder god's weapon.

Before anyone realized it, Richard and Thor had maintained their high-speed combat for over thirty seconds. Though half a minute might seem inconsequential, it provided ample time for Emma Frost, Clarice, and the others to rush from the living room to witness the confrontation.

Upon seeing Richard engaged in combat with Thor, Emma Frost and the others immediately prepared to intervene.

"Don't attack!" Richard's voice reached them clearly. "This is my fight!"

Hearing his command, Emma Frost, Clarice, and the Invisible Woman—who had been on the verge of unleashing their powers—halted immediately.

Though uncertain why Richard and Thor were fighting, they recognized one crucial detail: Richard didn't consider Thor a genuine threat. Otherwise, he would have deployed his full arsenal from the beginning.

Thor paid no attention to the newcomers, continuing his relentless assault with Mjölnir in an attempt to overpower Richard through sheer close-combat prowess.

As their duel progressed, however, Thor was forced to acknowledge that Richard's combat skills rivaled his own. More disconcertingly, Richard's physical attributes—strength, durability, and speed—seemed to match or even exceed Thor's divine capabilities.

Realizing he couldn't best Richard in close quarters, Thor abruptly changed tactics. When Masamune next connected with Mjölnir, Thor immediately disengaged, propelling himself hundreds of meters skyward.

Once airborne, he raised Mjölnir high, the hammer now crackling with intensified silver-white lightning.

As Thor elevated his weapon, ominous thunder rumbled from the dark clouds gathering above the manor. Within these storm clouds, massive lightning bolts materialized one after another, writhing like electric dragons awaiting release.

Richard immediately discerned Thor's strategy. The Thunder God was summoning lightning from the storm clouds to amplify his attack.

Though Mjölnir itself could generate lightning, drawing power directly from the heavens would yield far greater destructive potential. This wasn't because Mjölnir couldn't channel such power, but because the storm clouds served as a more efficient conduit for Thor's elemental manipulation.

As Thor began directing the thundercloud's fury, Richard channeled the mana flowing through his body. Though their battle had been brief, it had provided sufficient insight into Thor's capabilities.

With the assessment complete, there was no need to prolong the encounter.

Just as Richard prepared to cast Heaven Severance to conclude the match, the impatient Loki employed his own sorcery—specifically, the illusion magic at which he excelled.

Under Loki's command, dozens of identical Thors materialized in the air. Simultaneously, the number of colossal lightning bolts churning within the thunderclouds multiplied dramatically.

From an illusory perspective, Loki's creations were masterful—indistinguishable from reality to the naked eye. Unfortunately for the God of Mischief, his deception proved utterly ineffective against Richard.

Richard wasn't tracking Thor's position or the lightning's trajectory through visual means, but through telepathy and energy sensing. To put it simply, Loki's illusions might as well have been nonexistent to Richard's heightened perceptions.

After several seconds of "gathering power" while suspended in the air, Thor brought Mjölnir down in a decisive strike.

RUMBLE!

As Mjölnir descended, a colossal lightning bolt—over ten meters in diameter—erupted from the inky black thundercloud.

Heaven Severance!

Simultaneously, Richard swung Masamune in a precise arc. A crescent-shaped energy strike—tens of meters wide, purple on the outside and white at its core—surged toward Thor and the descending lightning with breathtaking velocity.

BOOM!

The crescent energy wave and the massive lightning bolt collided with cataclysmic force, generating a deafening explosion and unleashing a storm of raw power.

Dissipated mana and lightning radiated outward like a tsunami. An expanding fireball of purple and silver-white illuminated the night sky, turning a ten-kilometer radius as bright as midday.

At the moment of impact, Richard instantly mobilized multiple powers—matter manipulation, energy absorption, magnetic field manipulation, and gravity control—to create an invisible barrier encompassing the entire manor, shielding it from the explosion's destructive shockwave.

This was his home. Though it could be rebuilt if destroyed, he had no desire to see his well-appointed residence reduced to rubble.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more than 60 chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~