Loki's Defection

Long Island Villa.

One afternoon several months later, tranquility enveloped the seaside villa.

Since their return, Earth and the entire universe had enjoyed a rare period of peace.

There were no dimensional invasions, no Universe Collisions. It was as though every crisis had quietly faded away.

The sun shone warmly, and a gentle breeze blew.

Beside the villa's infinity pool, Xiao Han lounged comfortably on a deck chair.

Wearing only loose swim trunks, he let the warm sunlight wash over his nearly perfect body.

His eyes were closed and his breathing steady, as though he had fallen asleep.

But something extraordinary was happening around him.

The instant each ray of sunlight touched his skin, it seemed to come alive.

No longer mere light and heat, it became particles of the purest golden energy, almost invisible to the naked eye, seeping slowly and steadily into his body.

A faint golden glow covered his skin, and the lines of his muscles looked even more defined in the sunlight.

They had not grown larger. Instead, they had an indescribable density, as though forged from some extraordinary substance.

Even the grass beside the pool grew greener than elsewhere thanks to the energy spilling from him.

Under a nearby umbrella, Wanda, Kara, Diana, and Koo Ja-yoon enjoyed a leisurely afternoon tea.

"Seriously, Diana,"

Kara took a bite of the strawberry cake Wanda had conjured out of thin air with Chaos Magic and spoke through a mouthful.

"You Amazonians train the old-fashioned way. Next time we spar, how about doing it on the sun's surface? I guarantee there's plenty more sunlight there."

Diana lifted her teacup with practiced grace and chuckled.

"If you can promise not to melt my divine sword, I'd be happy to join you. But first, I'll have to beat you here."

Koo