Peter stepped forward and let out a soft sigh.
"You're back, Mr. Thor."
He kindly reached out and patted Thor's arm in comfort. "But you should listen outside."
Thor froze for a moment, then focused his senses.
In the arena, countless alien spectators were chanting his name in perfect unison.
"Thor! Thor! Thor!"
Wave after wave of cheers crashed through the arena, deafeningly loud.
Ecstasy immediately spread across Thor's face.
He grabbed Peter's shoulders and said excitedly, "I won..."
"You lost."
Before Thor could finish, Peter Parker hurriedly cut him off and delivered the cruel truth.
"Uh..."
Seeing Thor frozen in place, Peter felt a little sorry for him and tried to make it sound less painful.
"You lost. But... you lost beautifully... no, I mean, you lost well... um, that doesn't sound right either. Anyway, you did your best!"
Clearly, those words did not help much.
Peter simply could not find the right words to describe Thor's feat just now.
He could only look helplessly toward Homelander, hoping his spiritual mentor would save the situation.
Homelander smiled faintly, stepped forward, and patted Peter on the shoulder, signaling him to step aside.
Seeing Homelander approach, Thor felt too ashamed to face his brother. His gaze dimmed even further.
"I lost... brother."
"Yes, you lost." Homelander crouched down and gently placed a hand on Thor's shoulder. "But though defeated, you are still honored."
"A loss is a loss. Don't try to comfort me, brother. I let you all down. I couldn't hold this round. I couldn't..."
Thor shook his head, filled with self-reproach.
"Shut up and let me finish." Homelander cut him off without mercy. "Peter was right. You lost this duel."
"But lift your head, my brother. Listen carefully to the cheers outside."
Homelander pointed beyond the arena and continued,