Infinite Evolution in the Marvel universe

Thor wanted to chase after him, but the Cursed Warrior was already rushing toward him, covering the ground in massive strides.

There was no fancy technique in his attack—just a single punch that forced Thor to step back.

But Thor wasn't going to back down that easily. Since physical attacks and brute strength didn't seem to faze the Cursed Warrior, he decided to use his lightning powers.

He raised his hammer, summoning a massive lightning bolt from the sky, which illuminated all of Asgard in an instant.

Thor was determined to take down the Cursed Warrior this time.

As for Malekith, who was after Jane, Thor wasn't too worried. He knew that Banner was protecting her.

The Hulk's power was undeniably immense. Though he once struggled with control, Banner had since mastered it, combining his genius mind with Hulk's strength.

Thor trusted that Banner could handle Malekith—especially with Tony there, now equipped with the AI JARVIS to assist him.

Right now, Thor's only focus was to crush the Cursed Warrior.

"Once I harness the power of the Aether, everything will fall into darkness," Malekith declared, unflinching at the sight of the lightning.

Despite the fearsome display, he managed to mask his hesitation and quickly boarded a ship, flying in the direction of the Aether's presence.

Meanwhile, the Cursed Warrior showed no signs of retreat against Thor's full lightning onslaught. He knew he couldn't outrun lightning, so he had no choice but to press forward.

Thor's powerful lightning attack struck the Cursed Warrior, forcing him to stagger back but failing to inflict serious injury.

"What is with this defense?" Thor cursed, seeing that his full-powered lightning attack had merely left the Cursed Warrior smoldering but otherwise unaffected.

Of course, Thor realized that Malekith wouldn't entrust his plans to someone weak against lightning. If that were the case, even Thor alone could easily defeat the Cursed Warrior.

With Mjolnir proving ineffective and his own strength falling short, Thor had no choice but to take a defensive stance, awaiting help from his father or Tony.

Just as the Cursed Warrior moved in for the kill, aiming to finish Thor off, he suddenly froze, as if sensing a terrifying gaze upon him.

The Cursed Warrior glanced around warily, causing Thor, who had no idea what had stopped him, to wipe the blood from his mouth and catch his breath.

Meanwhile, Odin, Frigga, and Heimdall had all sensed this strange gaze as well.

Odin, with Frigga by his side, hadn't been too worried about Thor's visit, knowing his son would come to him sooner or later.

Years ago, Odin had felt this presence for the first time, but back then, he hadn't known who it belonged to.

Now, he recognized it: Kassadin, the Void God.

"Dear, is something wrong?" Frigga asked, noticing Odin's sudden shift to a tense and cautious demeanor.

"Kassadin is watching Asgard," he replied gravely.

"The Void God Kassadin?" she gasped. "But why? Thor's two friends claimed they had no ties to the Void!"

"I don't know," Odin replied, "but I hope he doesn't decide to interfere."

He knew all too well how formidable Kassadin was—far more dangerous than Malekith. For now, he forced himself to keep his unstable powers in check, waiting for the right moment to act.

If Kassadin attacked Asgard, he wanted to be ready to defend it, though it meant risking his strength in the process.

Elsewhere, Heimdall was holding off a horde of Dark Elves near the Bifrost.

Pausing for a moment upon sensing the strange gaze, he quickly resumed his assault, aware that innocent Asgardians were dying by the Dark Elves' hands.

With his massive sword, Heimdall surged forward, undeterred by the eerie presence he'd felt.

Malekith, en route to find Jane Foster, also felt the unknown presence and grimaced.

He knew all about Odin's strength. For all his age, Odin's power was immense, but it also restricted him, preventing him from freely using his full strength in Asgard without causing significant damage.

This was why Malekith had been so confident in his invasion.

But now, this new threat—a presence that defied all intelligence he had gathered—had suddenly appeared.

"No matter," Malekith sneered. "Once I possess the Aether, nothing else will matter."

Without delay, he steered his ship toward the temple where he sensed the Aether's power.

Just as Malekith arrived, a massive green figure blocked his path—a fist collided with his ship, sending it hurtling sideways like a meteor.

Before the ship could crash to the ground, a figure clad in metallic armor and wreathed in purple flames rocketed upward, propelling himself into the ship.

In the blink of an eye, Tony had torn through the ship's hull, his metal-clad hand clamping around Malekith's neck and pulling him out, slashing through his flesh as they burst from the ship.

With his other hand, Tony unleashed a purple energy blast, vaporizing the remnants of the ship before it could crash and cause harm to Asgard's people below.

"We're here to help, not to cause destruction," Tony quipped, smoothly handling the situation to prevent any collateral damage.

"Your power is even weaker than I expected," he taunted, sneering at Malekith's helpless form. "Is this what passes for the Lord of the Dark World? Your world must be pretty pathetic."

Enraged, Malekith struggled to place his hands against Tony's chest, hoping to push him away.

But to Tony, Malekith's actions seemed pathetically slow, and with a single kick to his side, Tony sent Malekith crashing back, blood spurting from his mouth.

The Dark Elf's blood evaporated into white smoke as it touched the Void energy radiating from Tony.

Before Malekith could react, Tony flung him like a meteor toward Banner, who seized him in a vice-like grip.

"Thought I'd have to hunt you down myself. Looks like you've saved me the trouble," Banner growled, revealing his gleaming teeth in a savage grin.

Though Asgard was not his homeland, Malekith's invasion, responsible for so much pain and destruction, left Banner with zero compassion.

Watching this display of power, Jane Foster was left in awe, barely able to believe that these two men, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, were human.

"Kill me, and that woman dies with me," Malekith choked out, coughing blood, his voice faint.

His stomach was still shredded from the jagged metal fragments when Tony tore him out of the ship, and now, with his internal organs severely damaged, death was not far away.

Malekith was, after all, a sorcerer…