Ethan's words were far too arrogant, drawing the Avengers' displeasure, and Thor was undoubtedly the one most provoked among them.
So when Thor summoned Stormbreaker and challenged Ethan, none of the Avengers present spoke up to stop him.
Everyone here also wanted to see Ethan's strength for themselves. Although he possessed many wondrous abilities, who knew whether he could actually fight?
More importantly, if Ethan's strength was truly as formidable as he claimed, then they would not need to wait here for Carol Danvers. They could immediately go and trouble Thanos.
No matter how they looked at it, this showdown not only should not be stopped, but was also very necessary.
Only Tony Stark, who had come to this world with Ethan, pursed his lips and shook his head, kindly reminding Thor, "Oh, that's a terrible suggestion."
"Don't worry, I'll be careful. I won't hit too hard!"
Although Thor was not currently at his peak, as an Asgardian god, he had absolute confidence in his strength.
As for Ethan also being a god? He did not take that too seriously.
"That's not what I meant."
Tony rolled his eyes and gave no further warning. Since this Thor wanted to taste pain, he was happy to watch the show, and perhaps film some new footage along the way.
Only this universe's Tony Stark, who was standing nearby, understood the true meaning behind his words, but he did not say anything either, because he also wanted to know Ethan's strength.
"Let's go. We'll find somewhere a little more spacious."
"Alright."
Ethan spread his hands. He did not mind. It was just a demonstration of strength. Anyway, he would not be the one getting hurt or unlucky.
"Follow me. If you two want to spar, the place needs to be not only spacious, but sturdy enough too."
Actually, the most suitable place would be outdoors, but if the two of them made too much noise and attracted satellite surveillance or even the military, that would not be good.
He found a sufficiently spacious and sturdy training ground for the two of them. This was also where the Avengers conducted their group training. It was a separate building, so even if it was damaged, it would not affect the overall structure of the base.
"Try to be careful..."
Steve originally wanted to tell them to hold back, but after thinking about it, he decided not to mention it. He simply stepped aside and stood near the glass wall with his teammates to watch the show. Standing there was relatively safer. If the building collapsed from their fight, they could immediately break through the glass wall and escape.
"Are you ready?"
Thor held Stormbreaker in his hand. As his divine power erupted, his familiar armor reappeared on him, and even his messy beard and long hair were styled into a new look.
"Ready anytime."
"Don't worry, I won't hit too hard."
Ethan smiled, as if saying thank you. Or perhaps mocking him.
"It doesn't matter. Just go all out!"
After seeing Ethan's smile, this world's Stark immediately turned to ask his counterpart from the parallel world, "He's mocking him, isn't he?"
"Truly worthy of being another me. You saw through Ethan's personality so quickly."
Their conversation was not loud, but the Avengers standing nearby could hear them.
Natasha even quietly asked Clint beside her just how strong this person named Ethan was.
"I'm not very sure either. I haven't seen him fight anyone."
He had only seen the various miraculous methods Ethan used. He really did not know what it looked like when Ethan actually fought.
They did not need to dwell on this question any longer. Soon, they would see what it was like when Ethan entered combat.
Saying "entered combat" might not be accurate. Ethan's hands were simply resting in the pockets of his jeans the entire time, and he stood there naturally without moving.
His posture did not look like he was fighting someone. It was more like a model posing for an advertisement shoot.
As for Thor opposite him, he swung his axe and charged forward, only to find himself charging in the completely opposite direction the next second.
"Huh?"
Looking at the wall opposite him, Thor turned his head and saw Ethan still standing there. He immediately charged again, and then his vision blurred. In front of him stood his Avenger teammates in a row, all looking at him with surprised eyes.
He immediately realized this was a sorcerer's trick. With a swing of his right hand, he threw the axe in his hand.
Both Stormbreaker and Mjolnir could be used as ranged attack weapons and would pursue locked-on enemies. Even if thrown into a spatial maze, they could find their way, helping Thor locate the correct path.
He thought this time it would trouble Ethan a bit, but unexpectedly, Stormbreaker only flew about five meters before stopping and spinning in place as if trapped.
It looked like it was still flying, but in everyone's eyes, Stormbreaker was just stuck in place.
"What kind of ability is this?"
Everyone looked at Tony, who had come with Ethan. Tony simply replied, "Ethan's understanding of spatial power has reached a very high level. He can displace, alter, twist, and reinforce space at will."
"What does that mean?"
Not everyone could understand that sentence, so Tony explained it to the Avengers using the situation on the field, helping them better grasp this ability.
"If Ethan wanted to, he could make you spend your whole life in place."
No matter how you struggled or tried, you would not be able to leave the cage Ethan had marked out for you, and this was just one application of spatial ability.
Looking back at the field, after Thor noticed the situation with Stormbreaker, he immediately prepared to charge forward and retrieve his weapon. But no matter how he moved, he could not touch Stormbreaker, nor could he even get close. He considered moving in the opposite direction first to put some distance between himself and Ethan.
As a result, he found reflections of himself everywhere around him. This situation was like being in a maze made of mirrors, making it almost impossible for him to distinguish the correct direction.
After thinking for a while, Thor realized he did not have a good way to break this technique. A frustrated Thor roared, "Put away your tricks! Is this all you can do?"
He simply yelled to vent his frustration, never expecting such words to be effective.
Surprisingly, Ethan actually replied.
"Of course not."
Ethan raised his hand and lightly snapped his fingers. The countless reflections around Thor, like shattered mirrors, immediately collapsed, broke apart, and vanished. Thor finally saw his own position clearly. He was still standing in the same spot.
He reached out his hand, and Stormbreaker, which had been lingering in place, finally returned to him.
This time, he did not rush forward impulsively. Instead, he held his axe and faced Ethan cautiously.
"Are you really not using that ability from before?"
"Really."
Ethan nodded. If he did not need to use spatial abilities, he would not. He casually pointed a finger, and strange energy struck Thor almost the same moment he extended his hand.
"Ah!"
After a short cry of surprise, Thor, who had been holding his battle axe, turned into a plump sheep, spinning in circles in place.
"..."
The Avengers watched the scene before them and sighed from the bottom of their hearts. Sorcerers were truly terrifying!
This world's Tony Stark quietly muttered, "Friday, did you record this fight?"
"The entire process has been recorded, and data analysis is also being conducted simultaneously."
"Remember to classify the video files, energy fluctuation parameters, and all analyses as top secret." Then Tony added, "Send me a separate copy of all files."
Tony from Ethan's universe was also doing something similar. His glasses had these functions.
Thor did not stay a sheep for long. He returned to his original form after half a minute. He jumped up, continuously touching himself, and after confirming all parts were normal, he used Stormbreaker to shield himself and looked at Ethan unhappily.
"Do you only know tricks like these?"
"Didn't you want to see what I'm capable of? I'm just demonstrating the various abilities I possess."
"What I want to see is your combat ability."
"Do you think those abilities can't be used in combat?"
"Uh..."
Those abilities could certainly be used in combat, and they were quite troublesome. Thor actually meant direct combat like his own style, but the person in front of him was a sorcerer, and there seemed to be no reason for him to fight in Thor's style.
"However, I understand what you mean. I'll grant your wish."
Ethan spread his hands.
"Let's have a face-to-face fight."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course!"
Thor was laughing like a three-hundred-pound child at this moment, a smile that made Ethan have the urge to pick him up and slam him left and right, then slam him left and right again.
"I won't hold back!"
"No need. Just use your full strength!"
Thor put away his smile and charged forward again. This time, the distance between him and Ethan finally changed. After confirming that Ethan really was not going to torment him with those tricks anymore, Thor prepared to let the other party witness the true power of the Asgardian God of Thunder.
Before he could feel happy, he saw a long sword suddenly appear out of thin air in Ethan's empty hand.
Having an extra weapon was not strange, but what puzzled Thor was that Ethan did not hold the sword. The long sword just floated above Ethan's palm, its tip pointed at him, and then it suddenly shot toward him.
Thor reacted quickly, swinging his battle axe to knock the long sword away. The powerful impact shook him and forced him to stop. This fighting style reminded him of a familiar enemy.
Just as Thor was about to ask something, before he could open his mouth, he saw Ethan spread his arms. Then a large number of swords and blades appeared out of thin air around him, all pointing at Thor.
After performing this action, Ethan put his hands back in his pockets, standing still like a frozen frame.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)