Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 110 Punishment? Reward?

Salomon stopped casting his spell and did not try to attack the Destroyer with the scorching ray again, because he knew that such an attack would not delay the Destroyer's armor for long.

This armor, originally worn by Odin, the Allfather, during his peak to repel the Celestials, also incorporates the power of numerous Earth pantheons. If Loki hadn't forcibly suppressed the Destroyer's power limits by wielding Gungnir to command it, the armor's unleashed power would have been far more terrifying than it is now.

But the sorcerer also knew that the key to this matter was never with him. He only needed to obey the Sorcerer Supreme's orders, weaken the Destroyer to some extent, ensure Thor wouldn't die unexpectedly, and guarantee that events unfolded according to the Sorcerer Supreme's plan. As for whether Thor could actually lift Mjolnir again, the Venerable One had certainly seen it through the Eye of Agamotto. Even if he couldn't lift it and accidentally died, Salomon didn't need to worry too much about how to explain it to Asgard.

While the Warriors Four were busy attacking the temporarily halted Destroyer armor, Tony Stark seized the opportunity to approach Salomon. Close combat wasn't his forte, and he was worried about his weapons harming friendly forces. Besides, there just happened to be someone here who could provide him with some amusement.

"To be honest, the Asgardians are just ignorant," he said. "They actually mistake technology for magic. Or perhaps, in Asgard, magic and technology are the same thing. Where's your laser emitter? Is it portable? And where's your power source?"

"Asgard is a nation where both magic and technology are highly developed," Salomon replied curtly. When he saw the Warriors Four struggling to slash at the Destroyer, which was slowly regenerating, he took a small candle from his dimensional bag and lit it with a magic trick.

"What are you doing?" Tony Stark asked curiously, but Salomon ignored him and continued chanting his spell. Tony Stark tried to blow out the candle, but forgot he was still wearing a mask. By the time he tried to fan the air with his palm, Salomon's spell had already ended.

Two six-legged ants, each as large as a pony, appeared out of thin air beside Salomon. Obeying Salomon's commands, they trotted to the Destroyer's side (startling the Warriors Four and Tony Stark, though Sif recognized them as summoned creatures). They used their massive mandibles to lock tightly onto the Destroyer's hands, pulling in two different directions. An ant can drag an object 1700 times its own weight; these two enormous ants were even more powerful. Even if they couldn't damage the Destroyer's armor, with its offensive capabilities limited, the two giant ants were enough to immobilize it.

At the scene, only Tony Stark was dumbfounded, unable to utter a word when he tried to say something. From the Asgardians' perspective, victory was already assured; they had ample time to deal with the Destroyer armor.

"This is not bad," Fandral laughed, patting the giant ant beside him. "Like a goat, it's a good mount. Thank you for your help, wizard of Midgard, you have honored your ancestors."

"Where is Thor?" Salomon asked Sif. He needed to resolve this quickly, as the illusion's duration was limited, and he really didn't want to stay here any longer.

"Back in the rear..." Sif answered instinctively. But as darkness fell and the wind picked up, Sif turned around and saw a burly, blond man in a plaid shirt running towards them, panting heavily. "He's there!" Sif exclaimed proudly, "Son of Thor Odin! He's the bravest among us! Even though he's as frail as a mortal, he still rushed to the battlefield!"

"This story will circulate in the tavern; it's yet another epic of the son of Thor Odin!" Volstagg excitedly tapped the Destroyer's head again, completely unaware of the orange-red light shining through the gaps in the Destroyer's armor.

"Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on?" Tony Stark angrily removed his mask. "Aren't you a young scientist? What are you doing with magic? Or is this the result of your research—a few giant ants? When did you start studying biochemistry? Where did you hide them?"

Everyone present automatically ignored Tony Stark's nonsense, except for Hogan, who patted him on the shoulder and, unusually, uttered, "You have honored your ancestors."

"Thank you..." Tony Stark's eyes widened, and he didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"Heroic mortal warriors, and righteous wizards, we are about to return to Asgard," Sif said proudly. "But before we do, please tell me your names. As members of this adventure, your names will be sung by poets, and even thousands of years later, when your souls return to Valhalla, people will remember your fighting spirit. Then, we will drink mead together and fight for Odin!"

Sif was referring to Tony Stark first, and Salomon second. Although her tone was filled with Asgardian arrogance towards vassal states, she was stating the truth. Because once someone knew their names, they would surely be remembered thousands of years later; after all, Asgardians were immortal—as for the course of the battle, whether Thor performed exceptionally well was completely irrelevant.

Since Odin placed Thor in the army camp, Thor's battles weren't all smooth sailing. However, under Odin's instructions, all the bards of Asgard lauded Thor's bravery. Even when Thor stumbled, they described it as a minor mistake by a great hero. Then, under the influence of alcohol, came one frenzy after another, celebrating the invincible Thor and Asgard's latest victory.

Salomon glanced at Thor, who was running towards him, before turning back to Sif. "I have a document here that the Allfather needs to review." He took a roll of parchment sealed with wax from his pouch. It was a diplomatic document between Kamar-Taj and Asgard, merely a formality, something neither the Sorcerer Supreme nor Odin would care about. However, in diplomatic matters, formalities were still important. The Sorcerer Supreme instructed Salomon to deliver this document to the Asgardians; as for whom it was given to, that was Salomon's decision.

However, Salomon preferred to hand the documents to Sif, who had developed a brain, rather than to the more mature Thor.

Sif glanced at the insignia on the red sealing wax and silently accepted the parchment. Salomon glanced discreetly at the Destroyer, who was slowly recovering, gave an Asgardian salute, and prepared to leave. Only then did Thor run up to them.

"My friend," he gasped, "this is my battle..."

"The battle is over, Thor," Volstagg said optimistically. "The Warriors Four have defeated the Destroyer!"

"No...it's not that simple..."

boom--!

Before Thor could finish speaking, a violent explosion completely obliterated one of the giant ants, and the Destroyer's fist smashed the head of another giant ant, tearing its head and body in two. The massive explosion also knocked the Warriors Four, who were incredibly close to the Destroyer, to the ground once again, and Tony Stark was so frightened that he took off in an emergency.

The time wasted in the conversation was enough for the Destroyer armor to repair the damage caused by Salomon on its own, and Loki's mind reconnected with it. Although he didn't know who had stopped the Destroyer armor, that person must have appeared after the Destroyer lost its connection. Therefore, Loki didn't hesitate to order the Destroyer to spray flames at Salomon, but a huge orange-red shield blocked all the flames, protecting Salomon and Hogan behind the shield.

This is the Shield of Seraphim, a very useful protective spell. Salomon used this spell when he descended from the sky.

"Well done, wizard!" Volstagg swayed as he rose to his feet. "The epic saga is only just beginning!"

"No one can defeat the Destroyer Armor." Thor shook his head and got up from the ground. "Not even the bravest warrior."

"What should we do now?" Sif asked anxiously. Before this, their achievements were practically nonexistent; they knew all too well how much boasting had been made at the banquet—it couldn't be taken seriously. She saw Salomon, enduring the Destroyer's attacks, gradually retreating. His orange-red shield flickered, high-temperature particles overflowing the entire barrier. Even those behind the shield could feel the intense heat; the violently hot air even made Salomon sweat profusely. Iron Man, flying nearby, couldn't use explosive weapons, as that would affect friendly forces. He could only use the particle beams emitted from his palm thrusters to attack—but such attacks were ineffective against the Destroyer. Loki didn't even bother to acknowledge Tony Stark's presence.

"We will die today like warriors, Thor," Sif said. "I have no regrets..."

"Me too!"

"You must survive, my friends. You have done all you could," Thor said. "Live, return to Asgard, stop Loki, and tell these stories yourselves."

“This is my battle, wizard.” Thor patted Salomon’s sweaty shoulder, his tone gentle yet unwavering. “I don’t know where you come from,” he said, “but it’s my responsibility that no one else should be caught in the crossfire. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

Salomon glanced at him—Thor had many followers for a reason; his sunny, responsible personality was inherently endearing, and even if he weren't the Prince of Asgard, he would have many friends if his flaws were ignored. While Tony Stark was using another laser generator to cut the Destroyer and draw Loki's attention, Salomon stopped casting his spell and retreated behind Thor.

"Thank you, my unknown friend." Thor strode forward and shouted, "Loki!"

The 1500-year-old brotherhood was truly remarkable. When Thor stepped forward, Loki immediately ordered the Destroyer to cease its attack. "Whatever wrong I've done to you, whatever I've done to force you to do this, I'm sorry. But this has nothing to do with Midgard." He stepped forward, getting closer and closer to the Destroyer's armor. "Take my life, end all of this."

The flames burning inside the Destroyer helmet went out, and just when Thor thought Loki had given up, the Destroyer armor jumped up and punched Thor hard in the chest.

Salomon covered his face.

He doesn't need to interfere with what happens next.

----------------

Bayonetta, dressed in a black, shiny silk nightgown with the front loosely tied, lay back on the sofa, half of her perfect curves exposed. She hooked her pale feet around Salomon's collar; her excellent dance background allowed her to display astonishing flexibility as she pulled Salomon from the other end of the sofa to face her. Her two warm, slender legs wrapped around Salomon's neck and waist, bringing the sorcerer extremely close; Salomon could even feel her sweet breath.

"Then, Thor raised Mjolnir once more, defeated the evil Loki, returned to Asgard, and thwarted a plot to destroy the world... He was also rewarded by the Allfather and appointed as the heir to Asgard..."

"Today's story is a bit boring." She deliberately drew out her words, "It's like one of those cliché fairy tales."

“Old clichés often mean classics.” Salomon struggled to maintain his composure, but Bayonetta noticed his involuntary blush—it was still a bit too much for Salomon. To avoid further embarrassment, Salomon tried to find a topic, “I believe the Asgardians would love to recount the story of the Allfather educating the prince, including how the prince befriended mortals and what teachings he left them—it’s just political propaganda; the Allfather is still promoting the prince.”

"And what about our main character?"

"He left once the matter was over, leaving behind a mortal still yearning for God and a narcissist."

"After hearing this story, your older sister thinks she needs to give you a good talking-to, since you didn't come back all night."

"education?"

"Hmm. It's less of an education and more of a punishment, to prevent you from going out and attracting philanderers when you grow up..." Bayonetta stuck out her pink tongue and licked her lips.

"Meow?" The Cheshire Cat looked up from its food bowl, puzzled.

"Perhaps she's a lady of equal status..."

"Boya, do you have a big appetite?"

Bayonetta reached under the sofa and pushed a book further in. She had read this book before Salomon returned, and when Salomon returned to the apartment via the portal, Bayonetta immediately hid it—it wasn't anything shameful, just that the title was a little embarrassing.

French kissing techniques.

Bayonetta assured her that it was Joan of Arc's book.

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(End of this chapter)