"How is that possible?"
Loki stared as Frost Giants fell in droves, cut down with terrifying ease. He had known Kull was powerful, but not like this. Decades of imprisonment on Midgard should have weakened him far more than this. If the fight dragged on, even the entire Frost Giant host would be wiped out.
"Loki!" Thor shouted, blasting lightning to drive back two Hammer-Bearers. "Have your giants deal with the corrupted soldiers and the Hammer-Bearers first. We take Kull together after!"
Loki ground his teeth.
"I don't need you telling me that."
He hated admitting it, but Thor was right. This wasn't the glorious rescue he had imagined. With a sharp gesture, Loki recalled the Frost Giants who had been throwing themselves at Kull and redirected them toward the battlefield. He and Lorelei surged forward instead, moving to support Thor.
"We'll hold them," Loki snapped. "You deal with Kull."
The plan was simple and pragmatic. Let Thor, stubborn and nearly indestructible, wear Kull down. If Kull was wounded, Loki would strike. If not, he would retreat. He wasn't about to die for Midgard.
"For the glory of Asgard!" Thor roared, hurling himself at Kull once more.
"Pathetic," Kull replied.
He didn't even raise his axe.
As Mjolnir came down, Kull caught it barehanded. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, but Kull's grip didn't waver. With a contemptuous smile, he squeezed.
The hammer shattered.
Thor froze, disbelief written across his face. The fragments scattered as Kull kicked him aside and planted a foot on his chest.
"Your strength is lacking," Kull said calmly. "Even wielding your sister's weapon, you are nothing. Curious… why hasn't Odin sent Hela?"
"Fall back!" Loki shouted instantly.
This was no longer a battle. It was an execution.
Then the sky changed.
A colossal magic circle bloomed overhead, ancient and radiant. A pillar of white light slammed down, engulfing the battlefield.
When the light faded, every corrupted Hydra monster lay motionless. The eight Hammer-Bearers staggered back, blood spraying from their mouths as the spell tore through them. Kull leapt away from Thor, divine power flaring around him as he stared upward.
"Who dares?" he demanded.
"You can call me Rowan."
A figure descended from the light, wings spread, his body wrapped in a calm, sacred glow. Rowan Mercer landed gently between the armies and released several figures from a spatial container. Logan, Steve Rogers, and the others appeared behind him, battle-ready.
Rowan had seen enough.
Kull's power was still rising. Waiting any longer would have been a mistake.
He had opened with overwhelming force on purpose. The spell had erased the lesser threats, wounded the Hammer-Bearers, and most importantly, shattered the sense of hopelessness that had been gripping the battlefield.
Cheers erupted, not just from the fighters, but from screens around the world.
Fear receded.
And with it, Kull's strength faltered.
"The real savior is here," someone whispered.
Loki swallowed hard and instinctively edged behind Lorelei.
"This man just keeps getting worse."
Rowan raised a hand toward the broken fragments of Mjolnir.
"Reparo."
Time folded back on itself. The shards lifted, rewound, and snapped together. In an instant, Mjolnir was whole again.
"Handle the eight," Rowan said calmly. "This one's mine."
Thor hesitated. "Rowan, be careful. He's—"
"I know."
Thor nodded and rejoined the fight, Mjolnir blazing as the heroes closed in on the Hammer-Bearers.
Kull studied Rowan closely, eyes narrowing.
"A sorcerer of Midgard?" he said. "Tell Agamotto this: I do not seek the destruction of mortals. I am only reclaiming my strength before returning to Asgard. This is a war of gods. You should not interfere."
Rowan smiled faintly and let the silence stretch.
"Agamotto is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme," he replied smoothly. "He's an elder now. The current Sorcerer Supreme is the Ancient One. My teacher."
He took a step forward.
"Your actions have already cost countless human lives. By the authority of Kamar-Taj, I'm here to take you into custody. And trust me… both the Elder and the Sorcerer Supreme are watching."
It was a lie.
But a carefully chosen one.
For the first time since the battle began, doubt flickered in Kull's eyes.
And doubt, for a god of fear, was poison.