Zenkichi asked, a trace of sarcasm curling at the edge of his voice.
"Isn't it?" Loki replied casually.
"I've always believed that in this world, the one with the biggest fist makes the rules," Zenkichi said, as if stating a simple fact. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Loki's expression changed slightly. Though Zenkichi hadn't said it outright, the implication was loud and clear.
"You…" Loki began, voice rising as if ready to threaten.
But he didn't get the chance.
Zenkichi struck first.
Forming a hand seal, Zenkichi summoned a tree directly from the earth. From a sapling, it erupted skyward in an instant, growing into a towering giant. Its thick branches surged forward, snapping through the air as they whipped toward Loki.
Loki roared as he raised his hand, summoning divine energy to blast away the encroaching wood.
But Zenkichi wasn't someone he could dismiss so easily.
If his power could be shaken by something as simple as godly force, he wouldn't have been qualified to face someone like the Sorcerer Supreme.
He had complete faith in his ability to take on opponents like Loki. So, he didn't bother resisting the divine energy — he simply overwhelmed it.
To Zenkichi, even the so-called power of a god was like a child throwing a tantrum.
Everything happened in a flash.
Loki tried to resist, but his struggle was futile. His divine power couldn't break free from the roots that entangled him.
Thor, watching from the sidelines, was stunned.
He could hardly believe what he was seeing.
Even at his peak, it still took serious effort to subdue Loki. Yet this man — this outsider — had defeated his brother with a single technique.
"Get out," Zenkichi muttered, his tone calm but carrying a pressure that made the air feel heavier.
Had he not needed Loki for future plans, for helping accelerate Saitama's growth, he would've crushed him then and there.
Instead, he let him go.
Loki didn't hesitate.
But before he left, he threw a final glance over his shoulder, one filled with bitterness and calculation.
He hadn't expected this defeat — at least not so easily.
Loki was known throughout the realms for his cunning, not his brute strength. But right now, he felt completely outmatched.
He sensed the hostility radiating from Zenkichi, and he knew staying longer would only provoke a worse outcome.
He wasn't ready to gamble with his life just yet.
But even in retreat, he didn't forget to speak one last warning.
"You've lost the power of the gods," Loki snarled, glaring at Thor. "And the thunder that once made you feared is gone. This man may be strong, but he won't always be by your side.
When you're alone... I'll take your life."
With those words, Loki vanished into the wind, his pride bruised but his mind already plotting.