Xiaoye was remarkably attentive and caring toward others.

Thor and Jane had been tricked by a hard-of-hearing fellow into heading to Los Angeles, but Suye was completely unaware of this. However, their carefree adventures and escapades around the city managed to anger someone—Loki, far away in Asgard.

It was Loki who orchestrated Thor’s banishment by Odin, all so he could seize the throne of Asgard and become its king. So, Thor being misled into Los Angeles, drifting ever farther from Mjolnir, should have delighted Loki; only by keeping Thor away from his hammer and unable to return to Asgard would Loki’s rule remain secure.

Loki understood this well, yet for some reason, watching Thor and Jane’s relationship rapidly deepen, seeing them happily playing at amusement parks and embracing each other with loud laughter, he suddenly felt a prickling discomfort in his heart.

Why should you be so intimate with someone… cough, no! This attitude is wrong.

Loki adjusted his thoughts.

Pah! You, stripped of your powers and exiled to the wilds of Midgard, a criminal, why do you get to live so happily while I must exhaust myself for Asgard? That’s not fair!

Now that’s more like it. Loki breathed a sigh of relief.

He had already, in name at least, secretly assumed the position of King of Asgard. Internally, he had to pacify the citizens; externally, he negotiated with the frost giants of Jotunheim. It was all quite exhausting.

At times like these, only seeing Thor suffer as well could soothe Loki’s spirit.

But how could he make Thor suffer?

Loki pondered for a long time and finally devised a clever plan.

Midnight, New York, Muse Bar.

This place used to be a seedy nightclub, but since changing its name, its style had transformed from wild to mellow. The atmosphere inside was pleasant; there was no electronic DJ, no wild dancing, just a strikingly beautiful, fashionably dressed woman with a daring slit in her dress, sitting on the central stage, singing blues softly to the gentle music.

Her looks and style obviously catered perfectly to the taste of certain patrons. The drinking crowd below whispered about her, spinning tales and gossip, but the woman on stage remained indifferent, clearly accustomed to such a life.

This scene seemed familiar… but that was unimportant.

The singer was Angelina—yes, the adopted daughter of the former Northern Town boss, Geese Howard.

Although she’d been Geese Howard’s adopted daughter, performed at bars, and even earned the reputation of a renowned socialite in Northern Town, Angelina was truly a good girl. So when she came to New York with Terry, Suye sincerely wished them well.

Who could refuse such a beautiful sister-in-law?

Just as Suye had imagined, the Muse Bar he opened and handed over to Joan had indeed become a gathering spot for several King of Fighters NPCs. Mai Shiranui and Yuri Sakazaki were regulars, and Dong Hwan and Terry spent most of their evenings there as well.

Terry preferred to quietly sit at the bar and listen to Angelina sing.

Dong Hwan, meanwhile, had rallied a group of loafers from the Shiranui and Bajiquan dojos, forming the Muse Bar Security Team. Every day, dressed in suits, they roamed the bar seeking troublemakers and handling them.

With improved security, business boomed, giving Dong Hwan a sense of purpose in life.

Besides them, Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia dropped by to check on their sisters, and Athena Asamiya, whose schedule was delayed by a temporary commercial gig, was also there.

Athena Asamiya, though she competed in the KOF tournament as part of the Chinese team under Master Chin, was actually Japanese, her surname a classic Japanese one.

PS: ‘Mado’ is not a surname.

Originally, Chin’s other disciple, Kensou, wanted to stay and look after Athena. Having secretly pined for Athena for over twenty years, his unrequited devotion was well known to all, yet he’d gained nothing for his efforts.

However, Master Chin firmly vetoed this request. The old drunk’s words were:

“You’re unfamiliar with this place. How could you possibly take care of Athena? She’d probably end up taking care of you! As for Athena, let Suye look after her. Look at how well he’s cared for Hanzo’s granddaughter. Tsk…”

Though Master Chin never showed his eyes throughout his life, his judgment was sharp, and even Suye had to give him a thousand thumbs up.

Thus, Athena Asamiya was left behind, joining Joan and Little Yuri to live at Muse Bar. After her commercial gig, she could even sing at the bar with Angelina, enjoying a life of comfort.

As Athena put it, she found the place so cozy she didn’t want to leave. In Japan, as an idol, even going out shopping was inconvenient, but here she was anonymous, able to venture out without a mask and without issue.

“I almost don’t want to go back,” she said.

Mai Shiranui wholeheartedly agreed with Athena; both came from Japan and had much to talk about.

Little Yuri, having grown up in Northern Town, was a bit different from them.

Incidentally, Mary had gone to Washington to visit her father and hadn’t met up with Mai Shiranui yet, lightening the mood considerably.

As they drank and chatted, somehow the conversation turned to their respective martial arts and abilities.

As the discussion continued, Suye glanced at Athena and asked, “The dojo isn’t far from here. Athena, with your psychic senses, can you perceive anything happening there?”

Everyone perked up with curiosity.

Psychic perception was a powerful and mysterious skill. If she could sense things from hundreds of meters away, wouldn’t their every nighttime fart be detected?

Moreover, they were all curious about what those men in black suits were doing inside the Shiranui dojo.

Suye’s request was something Athena wouldn’t refuse; after all, he was entrusted by her master to look after her, and anyone Master Chin favored was certainly no ordinary fighter.

Besides, seeing Mai so energetic every day, it was clear Suye had many virtues and was trustworthy.

So Athena closed her eyes, letting her psychic power radiate outward.

“There are many people there, studying the hammer,” Athena said with her eyes closed.

Everyone fell silent, listening intently, afraid to disrupt her perception.

Athena’s lips curled into a smile. “Someone stubbornly tried to lift the hammer, but it didn’t budge. It’s so funny. Is Master really the only one who can lift it?”

She paused suddenly and frowned, saying, “Wait, something’s off! That person has a strange power, not like an ordinary human! It’s as if no one else can see him.”

A figure unlike an ordinary person, trying to lift the hammer, invisible to others?

Suye’s brows furrowed; the scene felt oddly familiar.