Thor snarled, slamming his phone into his pocket as the fading rays of the evening sun bathed the street in a fiery glow. His anger simmered, boiling over after another heated exchange with Loki. **Family? What a joke.** Loki had sided with his friends again, leaving Thor seething with frustration.
His thoughts were a whirlwind of anger as his feet carried him down the bustling street. Muttering under his breath, he veered into a narrow alley, seeking solitude to cool his head. The shadows stretched longer in the fading light, the walls narrowing around him like a vice.
He reached an intersection and instinctively turned left, only to find himself facing a dead-end—a brick wall blocking his path.
"Of course," he muttered, his mood worsening. But as he turned to leave, a figure stood at the mouth of the alley, blocking his escape. Thor froze, his body tense.
"You led yourself into a dead-end?" the man said, his voice calm but curious, as though trying to understand why Thor had trapped himself.
Thor's smirk returned. **Perfect. Just what I needed. A fool to take it out on.**
"So, you followed me, knowing I'm an S-rank hunter? What kind of idiot does that?" Thor grinned, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists, ready to pummel the man who dared to challenge him.
The stranger's eyes narrowed, studying Thor with a detached coldness. "Thor," he began, his voice unnervingly steady. "Twenty-eight years old. S-rank hunter. Lightning abilities. Resentment toward your brother, Loki.
Hatred for your adopted sister. Impressive physical strength... but fragile emotionally." Experience more content on m v|l e'-novelhall.net
Thor's smirk vanished. His body stiffened as he realized the man knew far too much. This wasn't some random encounter—this man had been watching him, studying him. "Who the hell are you?" Thor demanded, his voice hardening. "Are you some kind of stalker or something worse?"
The man didn't blink. "I'm Sekhmet," he said simply, his gaze unwavering. "A god—or rather, a candidate for godhood. And my mission is to eliminate the other candidates in this realm."
Sekhmet stood over him, watching with cold detachment. "Are you ready to talk now, ant?" he asked, his voice dripping with contempt.
Thor groaned, struggling to push himself to his knees. Every movement sent waves of agony through his battered body, but he forced himself up. His vision swam, but through the pain, a bitter grin spread across his face.
"I lost. I'll give you that," Thor wheezed, blood trickling from his lips. "But you won't get anything from me." He chuckled weakly, his voice filled with a strange, manic glee.
Sekhmet frowned, puzzled by the sudden change in Thor's demeanor. "Why are you laughing? You've been beaten, broken, and yet you find amusement in this?"
Thor coughed, wincing at the pain but still smiling. "You think Axel will fall to you?" He shook his head, his grin widening. "That bastard is stronger than me. I've seen him fight. I've seen what he's capable of. He'll tear you apart before you even lay a finger on him."
Sekhmet's eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin. "Axel?" he repeated, the name sparking a flare of anger in his chest. "So, that's the other candidate..."
Before Thor could respond, Sekhmet raised his hand, and a torrent of white-hot flames erupted from his palm, engulfing Thor in an instant. His skin melted away, then his muscles, then his bones—all reduced to ash within moments. The air filled with the sickening stench of burning flesh, and then nothing.
{You have leveled up.}
{You have abused your ability... You are now vulnerable.}
Sekhmet's body trembled as he lowered his hand, the strain of the battle finally catching up with him. His system had warned him, and now he could feel it—the overuse of his powers had weakened him. For now.
"If the fight had lasted any longer, he might have killed me," Sekhmet muttered, his breath heavy. He looked up at the darkening sky, his mind already racing ahead to his next challenge. "So... Axel." His eyes narrowed, filled with a dangerous resolve. "I'll be seeing you soon."