Chapter 395: The Fading Divine Fire
Gorr had been brought by Mephisto. Facing the wary Thanos, Mephisto spoke, revealing a plan:
Thanos would be responsible for the frontal assault, collecting all the Infinity Stones, snapping his fingers, and fulfilling his grand ambition to erase half of the life in the Universe.
As for Mephisto, he would be responsible for "taking over" Earth afterward, turning that Planet filled with desperate and painful souls into his first hell in the mortal realm.
As for Gorr the God Butcher?
He was the thug Mephisto had recruited.
This madman, whose only thought was to kill all gods, didn't need any payment to help them deplete Asgard's strength and help them test what kind of trump cards the aging Odin was still hiding.
Facing the deal proposed by Mephisto, Thanos admitted that he was tempted.
He knew very well that a demon like Mephisto was not to be trusted, but balancing the Universe was the destiny he was willing to sacrifice everything for.
And Mephisto's plan would undoubtedly accelerate this process significantly.
A transaction, at its core, was nothing more than getting what each needed!
Mephisto would help him find the Infinity Stones and fulfill his long-cherished wish.
And he would leave Mephisto an Earth with only half its life remaining, letting him reign supreme there.
To Thanos, this transaction seemed very reasonable.
As for any betrayal that might occur during the process?
Thanos glanced at the three Infinity Stones on his hand, a cold smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
He already had the absolute confidence to easily crush this guy.
Once he collected all six Infinity Stones, he would surpass all gods.
At that time, what tricks could a demon pull under his command?
"A very good plan."
Finally, Thanos made his choice:
"I agree to this transaction!"
"A wise choice." Mephisto bowed with a hand on his chest, a flash of crimson flickering deep within his eyes.
Thus, the three major villains formed an alliance. On Titan, the sirens of total military mobilization rang out across the sky.
Countless hideous Chitauri Leviathans rose from the shadows of the Planet, converging into a torrent of steel that blotted out the sky.
In the main control room of the flagship, Thanos slowly sat on his throne.
On his left was Gorr, eyes filled with fanaticism, wanting only to kill gods.
On his right was Mephisto, smiling elegantly, calculating how to harvest billions of souls.
This coalition, composed of a cosmic tyrant, a god-butcher madman, and a hellish demon lord, had only one target:
Earth!
When that sky-blotting Chitauri fleet tore through space and warped to the edge of the solar system, Earth and Asgard received the alert almost simultaneously.
Nick Fury stood in the "Eye of Heaven" space station built for him by Peter, staring at the dense red dots on the screen, his scalp tingling, forgetting even to light the cigar in his mouth.
Meanwhile, in Asgard, Heimdall, the Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, saw an unprecedented darkness reflected in his golden eyes that could peer through the Nine Realms.
The alarm bells rang, echoing throughout the Heavenly Palace.
On the throne, Odin, who had just awakened from the Odin Sleep, slowly opened his eyes.
His face was still aged, but in that single eye, the long-lost fires of war were reignited.
Beside him, Queen Frigga was earnestly trying to persuade her husband to change his mind:
"My dear, you cannot face those war maniacs alone! This is a war that endangers the entire Nine Realms."
"We should call upon those Avengers on Earth... Only if the Nine Realms are united as one can we overcome the difficulties before us!"
Odin held her hand, feeling the warmth in her palm, and a trace of guilt flashed in his eyes.
If not for Peter, he might have lost his beloved before him forever.
Not just Frigga, perhaps his two sons would not have been spared either.
Thor would have perished with his good brother.
And Loki... after losing his utility, would clearly not have survived either.
That mortal had saved his family and defended the dignity of Asgard.
Yet, he had failed to extend a helping hand when that mortal was in crisis.
Clearly, this debt of gratitude was heavier than a mountain.
This shame was also etched into his heart.
"This is what I owe that child."
Odin's voice carried an unquestionable determination:
"I already owe him too much; how can I let his friends bear the risk again?"
"Asgard's debt must be repaid by Asgard's King with iron and fire."
As he spoke, Odin had already donned his long-dusty golden armor, and gungnir flew into his hand of its own accord.
Seeing that the God King's mind was made up, Friggacould only sigh and choose to follow her husband's lead.
Odin did not choose to meet the enemy in Asgard but chose to strike first, setting the battlefield at the borders of the Nine Realms.
He wanted to use a glorious victory to wash away his shame, repay Peter's kindness, and announce to the entire Universe—the God King has not yet grown old!
However, when he saw the enemy's lineup, his heart, which was burning with raging fighting spirit, could not help but sink.
Thanos, that purple-skinned madman, wore the Infinity Gauntlet on his hand, and the three Infinity Stones on the gauntlet shimmered with blinding light.
And beside him was a monster he had never seen before, exuding an aura of darkness.
Odin could clearly perceive that the black sword in the monster's hand could even threaten his divine body.
"For Asgard!"
With a roar, Odin rode his eight-legged steed, transforming into a streak of golden lightning, and charged toward Thanos's fleet.
The battle erupted instantly.
Odin's power exceeded everyone's expectations.
The Eternal Spear tore through the starry sky; every throw could precisely pierce a Chitauri mothership, triggering violent explosions.
The golden armor on his body emitted scorching beams of divine power, enough to turn swaths of Leviathans into cosmic dust.
He was like a burning star, single-handedly holding off the vanguard of the entire fleet.
For the first time, a grave expression appeared on Thanos's face.
He swung his double-bladed weapon with full force, colliding with the gungnir in Odin's hand; the momentum of their clash was enough to whip up an energy storm that tore through space.
On the other side, Gorr the God Butcher let out a strange laugh, turning into a shadow and entangling Odin.
The Necrosword let out a shrill wail in the starry sky.
Every time he swung his sword, black Symbiote matter attempted to erode Odin's divine power, but Odin purified it time and again with pure thunderous power.
Odin, in the end, was old.
If it were in his youth, not to mention killing these two instantly, he could at least fight them for ten days and ten nights.
But now, less than half a day had passed, and he could feel the divine power within him fading rapidly, and his body felt heavier than ever before.
He had killed millions of Chitauri Soldiers and had even left a dozen wounds deep enough to see bone on Gorr, but he himself was now at the end of his rope.
Odin looked at Thanos and Gorr, who were clearly just as battered but still appeared full of energy, and a trace of resolution flashed in his single eye.
It seemed that he, the God King, was about to be buried here.
Chapter 396: 14,000,604 Victories
"Frigga..." He used telepathy to transmit his final voice to the ear of the Queen fighting desperately nearby.
"Take Thor and Loki, and our people... to Earth."
"If I cannot hold them back, you must fight to the very last second alongside the Avengers of Earth."
"This is what we owe him!"
After saying this, he took a deep breath, gathering all the remaining divine power of Asgard into the Eternal Spear in his hand!
He intended to use his final life force to mobilize the full power of the Bifrost Bridge, and perish together with these two arch-enemies and their minions!
A golden light erupted from him with unprecedented intensity, illuminating the entire battlefield with this power.
Thanos and Gorr's expressions changed drastically; they felt a death threat from that light capable of completely obliterating them!
However, just as Odin was about to release the attack of the Bifrost Bridge.
A ghostly figure appeared behind him without warning.
It was Mephisto!
This lord from Hell had been hiding around Odin, searching for a chance for a one-hit kill!
Under normal circumstances, Odin would certainly have been able to detect Mephisto's invisibility, but at this moment, he held the Reality Stone!
He used the power of the Reality Stone to hide himself in another dimension.
Such concealment left even the King of Gods helpless!
And now, the moment had arrived.
Squelch!
A dagger, condensed from demonic power mixed with Aether Particle, silently pierced the gap in his golden armor and plunged deep into Odin's heart.
Odin's body stiffened violently.
The golden light on his body, capable of destroying heaven and Earth, dissipated instantly like a punctured balloon.
He turned his head with difficulty and saw Mephisto's face, which wore an elegant smile.
"A generation's King of Gods, ending just like this. Truly... a beautiful tragedy." Mephisto's voice was soft, yet colder than the most vicious curse.
"You..."
Odin only had time to utter a single word before the breath of life faded away like flowing water.
He only had time to throw gungnir toward Loki, who was closest to him, before his tall body slowly fell, sinking into the endless deep space.
King of the Nine Realms, All-Father, Odin Borson.
Fallen.
Not far away, Thor, Loki, and Frigga witnessed this scene that made their eyes split with rage.
"No!!!"
Thor let out an angry roar, and the lightning on his body illuminated the desolate starry sky as bright as day.
He held mjolnir high, determined to risk his life to fight Mephisto regardless of the consequences.
But Frigga and Loki grabbed his cape from left and right.
"Do not look back!"
Frigga's eyes filled with tears, but her voice was exceptionally firm:
"Go to Earth! This is his final order!"
"If we all die here, that would truly be letting down Peter, and letting down your father's sacrifice!"
Frigga's words extinguished Thor's rage.
He had no choice but to lead the remaining Asgardian warriors with tears in his eyes, fleeing toward that blue Planet with the power of the Bifrost Bridge.
...
Earth.
Avengers Base.
The piercing alarm never ceased, and everyone's faces were filled with gravity.
Through the real-time images transmitted back by the "Sky Eye," they witnessed the entire process of Odin's death in battle. That tragic scene made everyone feel a chill from the bottom of their hearts.
Even the King of Gods, Odin, actually...
"They are here."
Captain America watched the massive fleet approaching on the screen, sweat faintly appearing on his hand gripping his shield.
"Then we fight." Tony Stark put on his latest nano-armor, the faceplate closing to hide his complex expression,
"No matter what, at least hold on until Peter returns!"
"That's right! At least hold on until Peter returns!" Gwenslammed her fist onto the desk, the golden bracer Peterleft her on her wrist shining brilliantly.
Although this opponent was more troublesome than the previous Skrulls.
The group's fighting spirit was incredibly high, because everyone was convinced of one reality, which was... Peterwas not dead, and he would definitely come back!
When the Chitauri army descended over the Pacific Ocean, all members of the Avengers and the Asgardian army stood ready.
But without the top combat power of Odin and Peter, it was still too difficult to fight against the three major villains.
Despite the blessings of the artifacts Peter left behind, and despite the Superheroes being able to destroy hundreds of Chitauri Soldiers with a wave of their hands, the scales of victory were visibly tipping toward Thanos's side.
The reason was simple: the three monsters standing at the peak of the battlefield were simply too strong.
Those three only needed to make a slight move to make Scarlet Witch or Thor break into a cold sweat.
The rest of the Superheroes couldn't even take a single blow from these three monsters.
Just as the sense of powerlessness in everyone's hearts grew stronger, a circular portal slowly opened in the center of the battlefield.
The Sorcerer Ancient One, dressed in monk robes, walked out from it.
The appearance of the Ancient One made both sides on the battlefield pause.
"This ends here, invaders."
"Earth is not a place where you can act recklessly."
As she spoke, the Ancient One formed hand seals, and the entire New York City was instantly pulled into the Mirror Dimension.
Countless skyscrapers began to flip and fold, turning into bizarre geometric cages, trapping the Chitauri army within.
This legendary Sorcerer Supreme, with her own power, temporarily isolated the entire battlefield.
Thanos, however, remained unmoved; he just stared at the Time Stone glowing with a soft green light on the Ancient One's chest, a greedy glint appearing in his eyes:
"I thought you came to hand over the Time Stone."
To this, the Ancient One just smiled calmly:
"You are indeed strong, but you are destined not to obtain the Eye of Agamotto."
"Why?" A rare look of interest appeared on Thanos's purple face:
"Could it be that you have already used the Time Stone to see a future where you win?"
"You are right." The Ancient One returned the smile; in her smile, there was no despair, only an understanding that saw through everything:
"I have browsed through countless parallel universes and seen all possible outcomes of this war."
"Oh?" Thanos asked with interest:
"How many futures have you seen in total?"
"Fourteen million, six hundred and five." The Ancient Oneanswered.
"Then," Thanos leaned forward slightly, his purple face filled with mockery, "how many times did you win in total?"
"Once, five times, or ten times?"
He felt that ten in fourteen million was already an incredible "high probability" for his current opponents.
But opposite him, after hearing this question, the smile on the Ancient One's face suddenly became somewhat... strange:
"It's not that difficult."
"The answer is... fourteen million, six hundred and four."
The smile of certain victory on Thanos's face froze.
It was replaced by an expression bordering on frustrated anger:
"That's impossible!"
"You can fool me, but don't fool yourself!"
Facing Thanos's roar, the Ancient One still smiled lightly:
"Unfortunately, what I said is the truth."
"Because in the futures I have seen, no matter how arduous the process, no matter how heavy the sacrifices..."
Speaking of this, she suddenly tilted her head to look at the girl in the hooded Battle Suit fighting not far away, and continued in a tone of amazement:
"...when the hope of seven billion people converges at a single point, there will always be that one person who carries this hope and descends from the sky."
The moment her voice fell.
A purple light shield emerged from thin air upon Gwen's delicate body!
Chapter 397: Join the Glorious Evolution
Seeing that purple light appear out of thin air, everyone present couldn't help but hold their breath.
Under the gaze of eyes filled with either tension or anticipation, a figure gradually solidified within the purple light.
Finally, Peter's figure leaped out from the purple light, quietly appearing beside Gwen.
With just a reach of his hand, he gently pulled Gwen into his embrace.
That familiar warmth and long-missed scent were like the most powerful sedative, instantly soothing all the fear and anxiety in Gwen's heart.
She didn't even turn around, simply pressing her back tightly against that chest, feeling the sense of security that was enough to let her defy the entire World.
"Sorry, I seem to be late."
"No, you are right on time." Gwen looked back at him with a smile, her expression filled with affirmation for her man.
During the brief moment the two were being intimate, the atmosphere of the entire battlefield underwent an Earth-shattering change.
"Peter!"
"It's Peter!"
"I knew it, The Arbiter would never abandon us!"
"Aha! The Arbiter is back, so those sons of bitches from outer space can wash their necks and wait for death!"
Thor, Tony, Captain America... all the Avengers, as well as the people watching the live broadcast globally, all had expressions of irrepressible ecstasy appear on their faces.
It was the ecstasy of suddenly seeing the Sun rise from the abyss of despair.
They knew this man would definitely return!
And once he returned, the course of this war would inevitably be completely reversed!
In stark contrast to everyone on Earth's side was the alliance of invaders formed by Thanos, Gorr, and Mephisto.
The moment Peter appeared, Gorr instinctively gripped the Necrosword in his hand.
The reason was simple: he felt a strong sense of crisis from Peter.
It wasn't that he was afraid, but that the sword in his hand was currently trembling crazily.
It was as if the Necrosword had caught the scent of a power from Peter capable of making it completely dissipate!
Beside Gorr, the originally gentle and refined smile on the face of Mephisto, who had been hiding in the shadows silently enjoying the terror and despair of the Earthlings, froze at this moment.
He could feel that ever since Peter returned, those emotions that brought him pleasure had plummeted off a cliff.
This man was practically his nemesis!
Ever since he appeared, the entertainment available to enjoy on Earth had become less and less!
This was also the reason why he chose to join forces with Thanos.
He, Mephisto, was a demon born from the negative emotions of Earthlings.
Now, because of Peter's existence, and because he could resolve crises capable of destroying the World time and again without losing a single soldier,
the negative emotions in the hearts of Earthlings were becoming less and less.
If this continued, while he wouldn't completely dissipate, his divinity as the Lord of Hell would inevitably degrade bit by bit.
And behind the two of them, Thanos's purple face had completely lost its previous composure.
Previously, when he fought Odin, his expression hadn't changed in the slightest, and he hadn't even felt any pressure.
But now, Peter's appearance made him feel deep apprehension.
He stared at the man who had appeared out of thin air, his golden glove instinctively clenching, the light of the three Infinity Stones flickering in his eyes.
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
It was actually predicted correctly by that bald woman!
How could this be?
Clearly, to ensure his plan was foolproof, he had specifically let Ebony Maw design such a fatal diversion.
But why, not only did this guy not die, but he was also able to return so timely and so easily?
Thinking of this, he instinctively looked at Ebony Maw not far away, the meaning in his cold gaze couldn't be more obvious — didn't you say this human was dead for sure? What do you have to say now?
Being stared at by Thanos with such a look, Ebony Mawfelt as if all the blood in his body was about to stop flowing.
That ugly face, a twin of Voldemort's, twisted out of shape, and he couldn't help but point at Peter and scream:
"Impossible! You were clearly crushed by the spatial turbulence I created, how could you possibly still be alive and back!"
To Ebony Maw's questioning, Peter just glanced at him indifferently, then flashed, his entire person instantly appearing in front of Ebony Maw.
He struck like lightning, precisely grabbing the other's throat, and with just one hand, lifted Ebony Maw's thin body into mid-air.
Too fast!
Ebony Maw was caught so quickly that he couldn't react at all, and Peter had already seized him by the throat:
"If I didn't expose a flaw enough to tempt you, how would you have so easily fallen into the trap I set long ago?"
Peter looked at the twisted-looking Ebony Maw, then glanced at the unpredictable Thanos not far away, and couldn't help but let out a meaningful chuckle:
"You don't think that when you first invaded New York, I really knew nothing about your existence, do you?"
"Spatial strangulation, it certainly sounds high-end, but unfortunately..."
Speaking of this, his storage ring flashed, and the breaker of worlds hammer instantly appeared in his hand.
With just a casual swipe, he tore a crack in the space in front of him.
"I just happened to acquire an artifact that can break through space."
"Besides~"
Speaking of this, he instinctively dragged out the sound, and golden flames ignited in his eyes at this moment:
"Thanks to you, I discovered some very interesting things in another Universe, which happen to be just right for letting you know what true cruelty is!"
As he spoke, a speck of golden flame had quietly landed on Ebony Maw.
Ebony Maw felt the high temperature that had landed on him, instinctively opened his mouth, but did not make even the slightest sound.
Because before his voice could spread, his body had already eerily vaporized.
Everyone could only see his terrified expression with his mouth wide open, and the next second, they saw Ebony Maw instantly turn into ashes.
This scene shocked the entire audience, and the barrage in the global live broadcast room went instantly crazy:
"Holy crap! What is going on?"
"666, he didn't even get a word out before being burned to ashes, The Arbiter is truly badass."
"Serves him right, didn't you hear what The Arbiter said earlier? This guy actually dared to scheme against The Arbiter. If you ask me, dying so easily is letting him off cheap!"
After dealing with Ebony Maw, Peter didn't look at the expressions of Thanos and the others; he just turned back to look at Gwen and the others who were still staring at him in a daze, then revealed a gentle smile:
"Everyone, are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" his good buddy Harry couldn't help but ask.
"That, of course, is..." As he spoke, Peter gently twisted the Omnitrix on his wrist:
"A glorious evolution!"
The moment his voice fell, Celestial Mode instantly covered Peter's entire body.
The moment the transformation was complete, several energy seeds instantly appeared on Peter's body and submerged into everyone's bodies.
This wasn't the end; after the Celestial Energy submerged into everyone's bodies, Peter turned the dial of the Omnitrix one more notch.
It was exactly the Mutant genes he had obtained from Apocalypse!
Chapter 398: All-Member Empowerment, Reversal of the Situation
As Peter switched the Omnitrix to Apocalypse Mode, his skin instantly turned into the same blue-purple hue as Apocalypse's.
After looking at his own skin color with some disdain, Peter's figure flashed.
In an instant, he appeared right next to Captain America, who was closest to him.
Placing his palm on Captain America's shoulder, the moment they made physical contact, Captain America felt a strange rumbling echoing through his entire body.
It felt as if the Super Soldier Serum injected decades ago was rushing frantically through his veins, as if trying to break through some sort of shackle.
"What kind of... power is this?"
Having felt Celestial Energy twice before, Captain Americaknew very well that the changes happening inside him were completely different from those two previous enhancements.
Those two previous enhancements were merely temporary breakthroughs in strength.
But this change felt more like... a complete rebirth!
In the next second, a soaring aura erupted across the battlefield.
Steve Rogers let out a roar toward the sky, and his body began to expand at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Everything on him scaled up proportionally in that instant, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a giant over ten meters tall.
"How... is this possible?"
Captain America looked at his enlarged hand and the proportionally scaled-up Captain America's Shield, then at the Leviathan floating not far away.
After a moment of hesitation, he tried throwing Captain America's Shield from his hand.
Whoosh!
Captain America's Shield sliced a black trail through the air, instantly splitting the Leviathan in half!
"WTF!"
Seeing this bizarre scene, even the usually polite Captain America couldn't help but swear.
"Peter, what did you do to me?"
To this, Peter only smiled slightly:
"My guess was indeed correct..."
There was a reason Peter first used the Celestial Energyboost and then Apocalypse's ability.
Back when he first obtained the Apocalypse gene, he had been considering a question.
If Celestial Energy could temporarily boost a person's physical constitution, and Apocalypse's power could improve a person's genes...
Could he stack the two to achieve a bug-like modification?
First, let a person be boosted by Celestial Energy, greatly optimizing their original abilities, and then use Apocalypse's power for a secondary modification.
Theoretically, this would achieve a double evolution, directly and completely solidifying the genetic profile.
This way, even if he withdrew the Celestial Energy from the heroes after the battle, their altered superpowers would not be revoked; they would only experience a proportional stat nerf due to the disappearance of the Celestial power.
It was equivalent to reworking a hero's mechanics first, and then adjusting the stats!
No matter how hard the stats were nerfed, it would still definitely be much better than the original old mechanics!
After confirming that his line of thinking was feasible through Captain America, Peter didn't hesitate at all and immediately swept past his companions.
His palm brushed across Tony Stark's body.
The vibranium suit on Tony instantly receded, but what was revealed was not flesh and blood, but a layer of metallic skin flowing with a dark golden luster.
This metallic coating fit his muscle lines perfectly, brimming with a sense of power and technology.
"Wow, what is this? Have I become a real Iron Man?"
Tony first complained like this, but then, a shocked expression appeared on his face:
"No, it's not that simple! The molecular bonds of this metallic skin are actually highly similar to Vibranium. This way, I can even truly merge with the Vibranium armor!"
"Not only that, because my own abilities have been enhanced, the output energy has also..."
As he spoke, he subconsciously released a laser blast from his chest.
Wherever the laser blast passed, a Chitauri Leviathan—which would normally require a nuclear bomb to destroy—was actually pierced straight through by this laser blast.
"Holy shit!"
Looking at the energy boost he had received, Tony almost had a Chinese BGM echoing in his mind:
"Always taking from you but never saying thank you~"
As Peter's hand brushed past each of the Superheroes, everyone immediately felt the wonderful changes happening to their bodies.
Like the original Spider, Gwen not only had her physical attributes greatly enhanced, but she also gained the ability to shoot organic webbing directly from her body.
And she could shoot webbing from any part of her body!
In addition, she could feel a wonderful resonance between herself and the Celestial Energy Peter had left inside her body.
Simply by opening her palm, a soft and warm white ball of light condensed in her hand.
Light Magic!
She was now both the wall-crawling Ghost-Spider and a magical girl who could cast Holy Light with a "pew-pew-pew"!
Felicia's Black Cat genes and the power of the emerald dragon scale completely merged in this evolution, allowing her to freely switch between an elegant human form and a wild beast form, while also being able to condense energy dragon scales on her body's surface for defense at any time.
Daisy's Quake ability was enhanced exponentially, even forming a shockwave forcefield on her body's surface similar to a Spider-Sense; without her brain needing to make a judgment, her body's instinct would use the forcefield to defend against incoming attacks beforehand.
The temperature around Natasha plummeted, with ice crystals condensing around her. Her breath carried white frost, and the ice manipulation ability granted to her by Okuchi no Makami was vastly enhanced.
The divine wings on Harry Osborn's back completely merged into his spine, becoming a part of his body. At the same time, like Psylocke, he could rely on his own physical energy or Celestial Energy to condense nearly infinite energy feathers.
In comparison, the boost Sif received was the most pure. Her physical strength skyrocketed frantically, even surpassing Thor wielding Mjolnir.
She casually tried it out and found that she had actually stopped a Chitauri Leviathan with one hand!
This change left Sif completely dazed...
Looking at her companions around her with all sorts of cool special effects, she was momentarily left speechless.
"So, my talent is just being super strong, is that it?"
After this series of enhancements was completed, describing the situation on the battlefield with the word "reversal" seemed somewhat conservative.
It was completely a one-sided slaughter.
The Chitauri Soldiers, who previously seemed endless, could now be wiped out in large numbers with a casual wave of a hand.
Even the Chitauri Leviathans, which they previously felt were impossible to handle, had turned into toys that could be dismantled at will.
This discovery made the Superheroes truly realize what was meant by "all fear stems from insufficient firepower."
On the other side, Thor's Mjolnir whipped up a sky full of thunder, Frigga's magic was exquisite and peerless, Loki's gungnir emitted a piercing light, and Sif's Excalibur swept wide with grand, sweeping strikes.
Under the joint attack of the Asgardian quartet, Gorr was beaten back repeatedly, smoke rising from the all-black the necrosword in his hand.
Seeing that their side's morale was soaring and even showing a one-sided trend, Peter also turned his gaze toward Thanos.
The meaning was more than obvious—next, it's our turn!
Chapter 399: A Heavy Warrior Building Magic Power, You've Got to Be Kidding Me
When Peter looked at Thanos, Thanos's face had already turned extremely ugly.
He watched his proud army get utterly routed in just a few minutes, and watched Gorr, whom he had regarded as a "decent helper," being beaten like a stray dog.
And watching Mephisto, who claimed he wanted to join forces but was actually hiding in some unknown corner, the rage in his heart almost burned through his chest.
"Peter Parker..."
He spat out the name word by word, his voice carrying a bone-chilling coldness. "I admit, I underestimated you after all."
"Plenty of people have underestimated me. Who the hell do you think you are, you Thanos?"
"Thanos?"
Hearing this form of address, Tony and the others were first taken aback, then stole glances at Thanos, whose expression was shifting unpredictably. Tony and Harry, who had lower thresholds for laughter, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Mantis, who had been silently following at the very back of the group, was laughing even more hilariously, clutching her stomach and rolling back and forth on the ground.
Mantis's exaggerated reaction became the straw that broke the camel's back.
On Thanos's weather-beaten purple face, rage flared up.
He raised his right hand, which wore the Infinity Gauntlet, and with a flick of his wrist, a blast of energy shot toward Mantis.
But Peter instantly appeared in front of Mantis, and with a casual squeeze of his fist, he crushed the energy blast instantly.
The moment Peter made this move, Thanos had already teleported behind him.
"Earthling, you will pay the price for your arrogance!"
Accompanied by a thunderous roar, Thanos raised his massive double-edged blade high and slashed down toward Peter's head.
Faced with this strike that was enough to split a Planet, there was not the slightest trace of pressure on Peter's face.
With just a thought, Senbonzakura emerged in his palm.
Holding the blade with one hand, Peter was actually able to steadily block the double-edged blade, which was completely disproportionate in size to Senbonzakura.
After devouring the All-Souls Cavalry provided by Cul and receiving the amplification of the Phoenix Force, Peter's strength had long since reached an unbelievable level.
If Thanos's gauntlet were embedded with the Power Stone, it might have made Peter feel some pressure, or even put him at a disadvantage.
But unfortunately, the Power Stone had already been exchanged by Peter into warm sacrifice points.
"If this is all you've got, I don't think you'll live to see the day I pay the price."
Peter casually bantered.
Immediately after, he exerted force with his hand, parrying the double-edged blade, and the Senbonzakura in his hand suddenly slipped from his grasp.
The blade sank into the air, causing ripples of eerie waves to spread.
"Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
Hum~!
The next second, two rows of giant blade arrays composed of countless cherry-blossom-colored blades rose from the ground behind Peter!
The scene was magnificent yet solemn.
Even a cosmic emperor like Thanos, who was used to grand spectacles, couldn't help but lose his focus for a moment.
The moment he snapped back to his senses, a gentle breeze swept by.
The thousands of blade arrays shattered together, turning into billions of cherry blossom blades, condensing into a pink torrent that swept toward him, blotting out the sky!
Billions of petals enveloped Thanos, forming a massive cherry blossom sphere in the blink of an eye, trapping him firmly inside.
Gokei: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!
Clang clang clang!
A series of dense sounds, like raindrops battering banana leaves, echoed from within the cherry blossom sphere.
That was Thanos frantically swinging his double-edged blade, trying to block the omnipresent attacks.
But trying to fend off billions of petals with a single blade was completely futile.
The petals were too numerous and too fast; as if possessing lives of their own, they slashed at Thanos from all 360 degrees with no blind spots.
His armor, the uru metal armor that was durable enough to withstand the core temperature of a star, visibly wore down before these blades. The armor plates grew thinner and thinner until they were shredded to pieces.
Following closely, fine cuts continuously appeared on his skin.
Although each wound was not deep, and it was even hard for Thanos to feel pain.
But sometimes, feeling no pain is even more terrifying than intense agony.
By the time Thanos snapped back to reality, he had been completely covered in blood.
Although his physical durability was extraordinary, he was still a carbon-based organism after all. Under such massive blood loss, even Thanos would feel dizzy.
Yet those cherry blossom blades seemed to have no end, like the death of a thousand cuts, looking as though they would not stop until they had scraped him down to a skeleton.
Watching Thanos struggle to cope in the cherry blossom storm, a relaxed smile couldn't help but appear on Peter's face.
The Thanos before him was indeed very strong.
But compared to the ultimate boss in his memory who gathered all six Infinity Stones and wiped out half the Universe with a single snap, he was still far from it.
It could even be said that the current Thanos had the humor of a physical heavy warrior who had bought a full set of magic power items.
Mainly because the stones he obtained were completely incompatible with his own abilities.
Even the Mind Stone and the Soul Stone, two lethal weapons involving the mental and spiritual levels, were a complete joke in front of Peter, who possessed the Horse Talisman.
Although the remaining Reality Stone had a defying effect, being able to create something out of nothing and even rewrite reality,
its every use cost the user an astonishing amount of energy.
Without the Power Stone to provide a continuous stream of energy, without the Space Stone for flexible tactical relocation, and without the Time Stone for rewinding and pre-judgment,
relying solely on Thanos's own abilities, even breaking through Senbonzakura Kageyoshi was a struggle, let alone pushing Peter into a corner!
"Is this all you've got, Thanos?"
Peter's voice pierced through the clamor of the billions of blades and clearly reached Thanos's ears.
That casual tone was like a loud slap, fiercely striking Thanos across the face.
As a hegemon who had dominated the Universe for many years, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
"You are courting death!"
Thanos roared, and on the Infinity Gauntlet, the Mind Stone and the Soul Stone suddenly erupted with blinding light!
The two energies intertwined, forming a mental shockwave that, though invisible and intangible, was enough to crush everything. It turned into an invisible torrent, bypassing Senbonzakura's blockade and blasting straight toward Peter's mind!
This was a pure mental attack, completely ignoring physical defense and spatial boundaries.
Obviously, Thanos intended to use this method to directly destroy Peter's will, thereby causing the sky full of blades to collapse on their own.
However, the mental shockwave, which was enough to instantly cause brain death to all life on a Planet, was like a clay ox entering the sea the moment it hit Peter, failing to stir up even a single ripple.
Peter didn't even blink.
What a joke.
Right now, inside his body, he had the Horse Talisman on his left, the White Tiger on his right, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner at his waist, and a little Phoenix residing in his chest.
Not to mention the Horse Talisman's bug-like healing ability.
Just the Phoenix Force alone was the incarnation of life and mental power in the primordial Universe.
Its level was an existence sufficient to match all six Infinity Stones.
Under such circumstances, trying to cause Peter's brain death with the power of just two stones was simply daydreaming!
Chapter 400: Bad news: Phase two has started. Good news: It's the protagonist who triggered it.
"Is that all?"
Having taken Thanos's mental shock head-on, Peter didn't even bother to act anymore and directly mocked him:
"I'm sorry to tell you, but this uncle of yours is immune to all mental and soul-level attacks~"
???
Hearing this, Thanos was instantly dumbfounded, his head buzzing.
You've got to be kidding me!
I went through all that trouble to find two Infinity Stones, only for you to tell me you're completely immune to them?!
How the hell am I supposed to fight now?
Seeing that the combined attack of the two stones he had high hopes for couldn't even scratch Peter, even someone as strong-willed as Thanos felt a moment of discouragement.
However, he was, after all, a galactic emperor who had ruled countless galaxies and conquered countless Planets.
After being downcast for only a few seconds, he pulled himself back together.
He didn't believe any human could be truly invincible.
Much less did he believe that Peter, a human who had lived for less than a century, could compare to his hundreds of years of conquest and planning.
"I don't believe you truly have no weaknesses!"
"And I certainly don't believe you can actually defeat Thanos!"
Thanos roared as the Reality Stone on his Infinity Gauntletshone brilliantly.
Seeing that the Mind and Soul Stones were ineffective, he began to alter reality instead.
First, he altered the damage he had sustained, and then he rewrote the reality of his body being unable to withstand and break through this sphere of cherry blossoms.
Rewriting reality twice in a row would consume a significant amount of his physical energy, but for Thanos, whose natural constitution was superior to countless cosmic races, such consumption only made him break a light sweat.
Through these two consecutive enhancements, he finally broke through the Gokei: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi before him.
The moment he broke through the cherry blossom sphere, Thanos's figure vanished, and in the next instant, he appeared right in front of Peter.
He swung his broad double-edged blade, aiming a horizontal slash straight at Peter's neck.
This strike carried the deadly experience of his hundreds of years of cosmic conquest; it was heavy and delivered from a tricky angle, causing space itself to groan under the burden of the blade's edge.
Peter did not recall Senbonzakura. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, he pulled out his long-dusty Vibranium tang long saber.
The moment their blades clashed, Peter's expression shifted slightly as he felt a faint numbness in the webbing of his thumb and forefinger.
Having been enhanced twice by the Reality Stone, Thanos's pure physical strength was now infinitely close to his state after obtaining the Power Stone.
Behind them, space cracked like shattered glass, and the dispersing gale carved deep trenches into the ocean below.
Realizing how formidable Thanos had become after his enhancement, Peter didn't dare to be careless, and pitch-black Armament Haki quickly coated his tang long saber.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The black blade and the double-edged blade clashed repeatedly, and in the blink of an eye, they had traded over a hundred blows.
After another fierce clash, the two separated.
While Thanos's breathing had visibly grown heavy, Peterremained at his physical peak due to the influence of the Horse Talisman.
But Thanos was not discouraged; instead, he let out a cold, grim smile:
"I see!"
His voice was low and raspy, yet filled with a fanaticism akin to discovering a new continent.
"The Mind Stone is not completely useless against you; it simply cannot damage your soul...
But as long as I give up on using the stone to directly harm you and instead use its power to read your mind, you will have no secrets left before me!"
The moment he finished speaking, the double-edged blade in his hand traced a bizarre arc, thrusting straight toward Peter's waist.
This strike came without any warning, completely defying normal mechanics, and its landing point was precisely where Peter was about to move!
Peter raised an eyebrow, his Observation Haki flaring wildly in his mind.
He quickly retreated, narrowly dodging the lethal blow.
Just as the retreating Peter was about to readjust his stance, Thanos's next round of attacks came one after another.
Fists, kicks, blades, energy blasts—every single attack seemed to foresee his moves, perfectly shutting down all of Peter's counters.
At this moment, the battle underwent a subtle reversal.
Peter was no longer as calm and composed as before; instead, he was constrained at every turn and even forced into a steady retreat.
Even with his Observation Haki active, he was struggling to keep up.
This feeling was incredibly frustrating!
It was like facing a nightmare-difficulty AI in a fighting game.
Just as you pre-input a button command, the algorithm has already predicted your entire subsequent combo.
No matter how you mix up your moves, the opponent always catches that split-second recovery frame to keep you completely suppressed.
"Damn it!"
Peter cursed inwardly. He simply abandoned his precise dodges and parries, deciding to use brute force to break through skill and crush his opponent's calculations with absolute power.
However, the very instant this thought crossed his mind, Thanos's offensive shifted once again.
Atop that broad blade, the red light of the Reality Stoneflashed briefly, instantly elevating the sharpness of the double-edged blade to a whole new level!
The Observation Haki in Peter's mind began to sound frantic alarms.
Almost instinctively, he raised his black blade to block the landing point of the double-edged blade.
But Thanos had predicted his prediction.
The double-edged blade, which was originally slicing toward Peter's waist, twisted at an unbelievable angle in mid-air.
Changing from a horizontal slash to an upward diagonal cut, it scraped past the edge of the Vibranium black blade and slashed heavily across Peter's chest.
Pfft!
The sound of a sharp blade tearing into flesh echoed clearly across the entire battlefield.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
The billions of viewers worldwide watching the live broadcast, the members of the Avengers, the warriors of Asgard...
Everyone watched with wide eyes as the massive blade, glowing with an ominous red light, struck Peter heavily on the chest.
A massive, bone-deep wound stretched from his right abdomen all the way to his left shoulder, and the gushing blood dyed the ground beneath him red.
Peter's body was nearly severed in two by this single slash.
Without a doubt, this was the most severe injury Peter had suffered since his transmigrating.
"Peter!"
Gwen and the others cried out in alarm, instinctively breaking away from their respective opponents to rush over and check on Peter.
But Peter raised a hand to stop them, and immediately after, a soft white light enveloped his wound.
The power of the Horse Talisman activated instantly, and the mangled flesh wriggled and healed at a mind-boggling speed.
In the blink of an eye, the fatal wound vanished without a trace, leaving not even a scar behind.
The divine power of the Horse Talisman, kid!
Peter ran his fingers over the spot where he had just been slashed.
The wound was fully restored, and even his clothes were repaired, but the pain of his flesh being torn apart by the blade still lingered in his nerve endings.
"Very well..."
Peter's voice was very soft, yet it sent an inexplicable chill down Thanos's spine.
"You bastard... you've really pissed me off!"
"You like predicting my moves, huh? Let's see if your mechanics can withstand my raw stats!"
"Fire Wash!!!"
With a roar full of unhinged fury, the Fire Wash Clothwrapped itself around his fists.
"FLAME DRAGON, PLEASE~!"
The witch rider driver's Flame Dragon Style followed immediately.
And then... the Human Torch gene, Celestial Energy, the Dragon Power, Amaterasu, and the Phoenix Force!
At this moment, Peter unstintingly unleashed all seven distinct fire-attribute buffs. Relying on the balancing Power of the Tiger, he forced them to compress and merge in an utterly unreasonable manner, ultimately gathering them into his fists!
At this moment, seven billion people across the globe witnessed what it truly meant to see a colorful, brilliant black!
Bathing in black flames, Peter reached out and gestured with his finger to the grim-faced Thanos not far away, a "kind" smile appearing on his face:
"Now... let's begin phase two!"
Chapter 401: Haymaker
The moment Peter activated his second stage, let alone Thanos who was facing Peter directly, even Mephisto, hiding in the Hell Dimension, and Gorr, who acted like an NPC when not fighting gods, couldn't help but shiver.
This Earthling was devious beyond measure!
As for Thanos, it felt as if a stampede of ten thousand alpacas was rushing through his mind.
Once again, this guy is a cheater!
"Come, try taking a punch from me."
At this moment, Peter had almost transformed into a black comet, attacking Thanos with a long trail of flames.
In the blink of an eye, he flashed in front of Thanos.
His body stretched out like a bow drawn to a full moon, his muscles and bones resonating like a great dragon.
His right fist was pulled back almost exaggeratedly, and atop his knuckles, colorful black flames danced wildly, rapidly taking shape in the air as if they had come alive.
The fierce beast formed was no longer an ordinary wolverine, but a... Black Dragon with magnificent horns!
The Black Dragon opened its maw wide, and its silent roar caused even the air to faintly distort.
That was the unique effect formed by Busoshoku Coating.
That's right, this move was none other than the long-awaited Haymaker!
Thanos's previous blade strike had undoubtedly maxed out Peter's Grit.
This punch now condensed fully nine layers of buffs, truly deserving the title of "This punch has twenty years of cultivation behind it!"
The moment the Haymaker took form, Thanos's brain, reinforced by the Mind Stone and capable of reading Peter's thoughts, frantically sent him a warning—dodge! You must dodge!
A terrifying premonition of death, like a cold tide, instantly submerged every one of his nerves.
At this moment, even in Thanos's eyes, a trace of panic couldn't help but emerge.
But the next instant, that panic was replaced by determination.
As the cosmic emperor who had conquered countless galaxies, that pride engraved in his bones drove Thanos to make a decision that defied reason and defied the Mind Stone!
Dodge? I, Thanos, why should I avoid anyone's edge?
"You can't bluff me!" Thanos roared, the double-edged blade in his hand trembling wildly under the amplification of the Reality Stone.
That was the manifestation of the blade being reinforced to its limit; this sword was now the most formidable divine weapon in this World.
"I crossed billions of light-years to come to this Planet, for a grand goal that will benefit all life in the Universe."
"I am walking on the correct path, I am the one blessed by destiny, I am the agent of this Universe's will!"
"When I achieve that grand wish, the entire Universe will offer hymns of praise for my actions!"
"And you, you are merely a predetermined loser; you, who vainly attempt to reverse destiny through the Power Stone, are destined not to defeat me!"
As his voice fell, Thanos raised the double-edged blade in his hands high, intending to meet attack with attack and forcefully clash with this punch!
The moment that fist, wrapped in "colorful black," was about to collide with that double-edged blade infused with the energy of three Infinity Stones.
The entire World seemed to have its sound extracted.
Inside the Mirror Dimension, all the figures currently engaged in battle, whether Superheroes or Chitauri Soldiers, stopped their actions in unison.
Time was infinitely elongated at this moment.
Finally. Fist and blade, under the gaze of everyone, clashed violently!
There was no earth-shattering roar as expected, nor was there a blinding flash tearing through the sky. All there was, was a moment of absolute silence.
Immediately after, an indescribable shockwave spread out spherically, centered on the two of them!
That was not a sound wave, nor an energy wave, but a pure, violent "conceptual" Impact.
Wherever the shockwave passed, the skyscrapers in the Mirror Dimension constructed by the will of the Sorcerer Ancient One didn't even go through the process of collapsing; like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser, they were directly wiped out from the level of "existence."
Tens of thousands of Chitauri Soldiers, along with the aircraft beneath them, silently turned into the most basic particles in this shockwave.
The Pacific Ocean beneath their feet was affected by this terrifying power, and the seawater spread outward in a ring centered on the two.
Under the gaze of global viewers in disbelief, seawater nearly several thousand meters deep was completely drained by this terrifying power, revealing the ocean basin covered in thick algae inside.
Even the Avengers, who were further away from the center of the battlefield and had undergone dual reinforcement, were blown away by this terrifying power, tumbling wretchedly like fallen leaves in a gale; it was only thanks to the protection of Celestial Energy that they weren't shaken to death by the aftermath.
And at the very center of the Impact, Peter just looked calmly at Thanos, who was struggling against him: "Blessed by destiny? Is this the reason why you are so confident?"
"But what if... I tell you that your so-called grand ideal is nothing but your own delusion."
"Nothing but a daydream destined never to be realized."
"Even if it were truly realized, no one would love you for it; what would you think about that, Your Excellency?"
Hearing this, an unprecedentedly frantic expression appeared on Thanos's purple face: "Nonsense, you don't understand anything at all!"
To this, Peter did not refute, but calmly said: "You want to collect all six Infinity Stones, use the power of the stones to snap your fingers, and in this way wipe out half the life in this Universe, am I right?"
Hearing this, Thanos couldn't help but be stunned: "How could you know these things?"
Peter smiled slightly, thinking to himself, because I am a transmigrator. But aloud, he answered solemnly: "Don't be nervous, mind-reading or something like that is just a basic operation for me."
Subsequently, he continued: "But have you ever thought about whether anyone would truly feel grateful to you for indiscriminately wiping out half of all life?"
"I saved countless lives on this Planet, so without me even asking, people will build huge bronze statues for me in the plaza."
"And you, my friend, you have conquered countless Planets over the past hundred years, imposing your will upon them."
"Now that a hundred years have passed, has any race moved on from this pain?"
"Has any race realized your far-sightedness, started to be grateful to you, started to erect statues for you on their Planets, started to praise your great achievements, and sing praises for the great Emperor Thanos?"
Listening to Peter's words, Thanos suddenly fell into a long silence.
At the same time, he could clearly feel that his double-edged blade was emitting a painful wail.
This divine weapon, which had accompanied him in battle for hundreds of years, with the support of the Reality Stone, should have been able to help him cut through all obstacles.
But now, this indestructible weapon was shattering!
Just like... his heart, which was frantically wavering because of Peter's words.
Chapter 402: Killing the Spirit, Thanos's End
Feeling the trembling of the double-edged blade, or rather, feeling the wavering of his own will.
Thanos forcibly channeled the power of the Mind Stoneand Soul Stone to stabilize his mind, and used the power of the Reality Stone to try and repair the rapidly spreading fine cracks on the double-edged blade, while retorting:
"Why should I care about such empty titles?"
"I have long transcended these base mental needs."
"I am one cursed by wisdom; it is my destiny to be misunderstood."
"They do not understand me, only because the thoughts of the mediocre are lagging."
"When, centuries or millennia from now, life inevitably falls back into endless resource competition due to over-prosperity, someone will eventually realize my greatness."
"At that time, a second 'me' will naturally appear to inherit my will and start a new round of purification in this Universe!"
Such a self-righteous speech made Peter laugh:
"What are you babbling about? Bro, you don't actually think you're some great philosopher, do you?"
"Is there a possibility that the reason such twisted logic was born in your brain is simply because..."
At this point, Peter paused, then revealed a slightly pitying smile:
"You have never been loved!"
"Your parents never loved you, your people collectively exiled you, the children you adopted were only cultivated as tools in your heart, and the adopted daughter you poured your only affection into chose to betray you without hesitation after reaching adulthood."
"You don't even know what it feels like to have love and then lose it, which is why you insist that your so-called fairness is what others want, and why you claim to be a being whose thoughts transcend others, cursed by wisdom."
"But in reality, you are the truly ignorant and ridiculous wretch!"
How is that possible?!
Thanos's mind went blank.
He opened his mouth wide like a fish out of water, but couldn't even utter a single syllable of rebuttal.
Lies don't hurt, but the truth is a sharp blade!
Peter's words ruthlessly exposed the internal attribution for all his actions.
Noticing this reaction, Peter sneered and stabbed another knife into Thanos's riddled heart:
"Finally, let me tell you one more secret."
"The vision you fantasize about, gathering all six Infinity Stones to wipe out half the life in the Universe, is destined to be nothing but Kyōka Suigetsu."
What?!
A distracted Thanos was startled, instinctively looking at Peter opposite him, not even noticing that because of his extreme shock, the Reality Stone had already stopped outputting energy in the process.
"You think the remaining three Infinity Stones are on Earth, and you think I've been stalling you until now by relying on the Power Stone?"
"No, you are wrong!"
"On Earth, there have only ever been two Infinity Stonesfrom the beginning. As for the Power Stone you are convinced I snatched from Ronan... I destroyed it long ago~"
Checkmate!
The moment the words fell, the double-edged blade in Thanos's hand shattered with a boom.
The giant sword, as wide as a door panel, disintegrated at that moment. The shattered fragments, burned by those colorful black flames, melted into molten iron before they could even hit the ground, falling into the exposed ocean basin below, and were immediately completely submerged by the slowly restoring seawater.
And Peter's fist, its momentum undiminished, struck solidly onto Thanos's chest!
Boom!!!
This time, it was a real, tangible explosion.
Thanos's formidable body, capable of withstanding planetary impacts, was no more durable than a sheet of paper in front of that fist.
The uru metal armor on his chest instantly vaporized, followed by his solid muscles, thick bones, and beating heart... everything was destroyed, crushed, and annihilated under that overwhelmingly tyrannical power!
A huge, gaping hole appeared in Thanos's chest.
His entire body, like a purple cannonball being struck, flew backward at a speed exceeding light, crashing through countless layers of mirror dimensions along the way, and finally slammed heavily against the boundary barrier created by the Ancient One.
Time seemed to resume its flow at this moment.
Peter slowly retracted his fist, and the "colorful black" on it dissipated. He remained suspended in mid-air, his clothes fluttering gently in the aftermath of the energy.
Clearly, that punch had not cost him any effort.
Gulp~
Instinctively swallowing, and after marveling at Peter's monstrosity in their hearts, everyone's gaze involuntarily turned toward the figure embedded in the spatial barrier in the distance.
Thanos... defeated?
It ended just like that, after taking only one punch from Peter in his second stage?
Under everyone's gaze, Thanos's figure slowly slid down from the spatial barrier.
A huge hole had been blown in his chest, and half of his body had completely evaporated.
He was almost down to his last breath—if not for the power of the Reality Stone running frantically, constantly trying to repair his nearly completely destroyed body.
He would likely have died long ago.
But the repair of the Reality Stone was not that easy either.
Because Thanos's physical stamina had been exhausted during the previous confrontation.
Without the Power Stone as an energy source, every activation of the Infinity Stones could only rely on his own physical stamina as the energy source.
Even as strong as Thanos, after the previous battle, he had long been drained by the consumption of the three Infinity Stones.
Now, even if he wanted to channel the power of the Reality Stone to repair himself, it was nothing more than a pipe dream.
"Cough... cough cough..."
Perhaps feeling that his end was near, or perhaps because his mentality had been completely broken by Peter's words, "The Power Stone has already been destroyed by me."
Thanos coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood mixed with bits of internal organs. When he looked up, there was still no fear in his eyes, only utter madness.
He looked at the Infinity Gauntlet worn on his only remaining right hand; the light of the three Infinity Stoneson it was still dazzling.
Then, looking at that Earthling silently floating in mid-air, whose eyes still carried a hint of mockery and pity, a moment later, he managed to squeeze out a smile:
"If I am destined to be unable to complete the plan I formulated on this Planet... then I don't mind taking this Planet with me to the grave."
As he spoke, the three Infinity Stones were pushed to their limit by him without regard for the consequences!
A terrifying power surged into the sky from the Infinity Gauntlet on his hand!
He actively dismantled the Infinity Gauntlet's energy protection device for the three Infinity Stones and even began to actively guide the power of the three Infinity Stones to collide and run wild with each other.
The purpose was obvious: he wanted to trigger a large-scale dimensional explosion, thereby directly detonating Earth!
Hearing that Thanos was actually so stubborn and obsessed, Peter couldn't help but shake his head.
Just as he was preparing to rush up and cut off the hand Thanos was wearing the Infinity Gauntlet on with one strike, a scarlet figure quietly appeared behind Thanos...
Chapter 403: Still Backstabbing, Mephisto's Methods
That scarlet figure appeared without warning, and even Peter only sensed the spatial fluctuation through his Byakugan the moment the guy appeared.
The person who arrived was, naturally, Mephisto.
This cunning and treacherous Hell Lord finally couldn't help but crawl out from the shadows.
Just as Thanos was preparing to go down with the ship, detonating the stones to perish together with Earth, Mephisto launched a fierce attack.
A cold blade, carrying the scent of sulfur, descended silently yet with absolute decisiveness.
Squelch.
Accompanied by a piercing, dull thud of a blade piercing through flesh, Thanos's right arm, which wore the Infinity Gauntlet, flew into the air.
The three stones in the air, which had been glowing brilliantly, gradually dimmed at this moment.
Mephisto reached out and lightly grasped the Infinity Gauntlet in his hand.
Without any effort, that scarlet, clawed demon hand seemed to melt and quietly slipped into the Infinity Gauntlet.
In the blink of an eye, the Infinity Gauntlet had changed hands!
The light of the three Infinity Stones flowed in his palm, reflecting and enhancing his own evil, crimson energy.
"Not a bad toy." Mephisto examined the gauntlet with satisfaction, as if admiring a work of art.
Watching Mephisto, who had suddenly backstabbed him, the madness in Thanos's eyes was quickly replaced by astonishment and confusion.
"Wh—why...?!" Thanos couldn't help but ask the question that everyone was curious about.
He had considered that Mephisto might backstab him, but in his calculations, such a thing should have happened after he had conquered Earth or mastered all the stones.
But right now... how was this any different from seeking his own death?
Even he couldn't defeat Peter with the power of three stones; did Mephisto really think he could achieve all this relying solely on his own power?
"Why?" A whisper filled with mockery and ridicule rang in his ear. "Because I have no need to share the fruits of victory with a madman, do I?"
The moment the words fell, another flash of red light streaked by.
This time, it was Thanos's purple head, still wanting to say something, that went flying!
Almost at the same time he decapitated Thanos, Mephistoraised his hand and snapped his fingers.
But his target was not Peter or the Superheroes present, but the battered and bruised Gorr the God Butcher, who looked like he couldn't hold on much longer!
"Now, it's your turn." Mephisto's mouth curled into a chilling arc.
Gorr instinctively gripped all-black the necrosword in his hand, still wanting to resist.
But he found that his body simply wouldn't obey him.
After all, he was just an ordinary person controlled by the sword in his hand.
If all-black the necrosword hadn't chosen to parasitize him, he would have long since rotted away on that unknown, desolate Planet.
How could someone like him resist the power of the Mind Stone?
"Give me... your sword!"
Mephisto's voice, like a curse, rang directly in Gorr's mind.
Gorr's eyes instantly became vacant. Like a puppet with its soul extracted, he walked step by step toward Mephistoand respectfully handed over all-black the necrosword, the blade capable of slaying gods.
all-black the necrosword seemed to see the situation clearly as well; it did not struggle or resist, allowing Mephisto to grasp it.
"Not a bad weapon, but unfortunately, it followed the wrong Master."
As he finished speaking, he swung it backhanded.
The pitch-black blade of all-black the necrosword swept across Gorr's neck without the slightest hesitation.
Another head went flying.
This God Butcher, who made all the gods tremble, didn't even manage to let out a cry of grief before following in Thanos's footsteps.
Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand, all-black the necroswordin his right.
Mephisto stood in the center of the battlefield, took a deep breath, and his face was full of undisguised intoxication.
"Ah... the taste of this power is truly sweet."
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the Superheroes who had stopped their actions due to this sudden turn of events, and finally, it landed on Peter.
"Now, Peter Parker, how do you think this farce should end?"
"You're quite the professional, old Mephisto." Peter folded his arms across his chest, his tone revealing no hint of tension.
"I was wondering why you kept hiding and wouldn't come out; so you were waiting to kill-steal."
"Kill-steal?" Mephisto raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the term, but that didn't stop him from understanding the mockery within it.
"It doesn't matter. Anyway, you're next."
"Seriously, I'm still very curious." Peter tilted his head; his feeling was similar to Thanos's:
"Who gave you the courage? Fish Leong?"
"And what makes you think that, since your teammates weren't my match even relying on these external items, you could transform from a skulking sewer rat into someone capable of arm-wrestling with me just by obtaining them?"
"What makes me think so? You'll know very soon."
Mephisto smiled even more wickedly.
"I will let you witness with your own eyes what true despair is. Your soul... I've reserved it. Watching you show an expression of pain due to extreme despair will surely make me feel unprecedented pleasure!"
With that, he raised his left hand, wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, high into the air and slashed it to his side:
Following his action, the entire space began to vibrate violently.
A massive spatial rift tore open behind him with a boom.
That rift did not lead to the starry Universe, but to a place of endless scarlet and scorching heat.
Piercing wails, venomous curses, insane roars... a collection of countless negative emotions surged out from that rift like a bursting flood!
This was the "Hell" Mephisto spoke of, the pocket dimension he relied on for survival, and which also limited his ever-expanding ambition.
After countless small demons with red skin and tridents flew out, two tall figures slowly walked out from that scarlet abyss.
The moment they saw those two figures clearly, the Asgardians present had their pupils shrink sharply.
One of them, wearing golden armor, with one eye, and radiating an aura of kingly majesty that commanded respect without anger, was none other than the All-Fatherwho had fallen not long ago—Odin!
And the other was a purple, hulking figure, none other than... Thanos, who had just been decapitated by Mephisto!
However, at this moment, their bodies appeared in a semi-transparent, illusory state, with scarlet flames burning in their eyes; they had clearly been eroded and enslaved by Hell energy!
"How about it, my friends?" Mephisto spread his arms, enjoying the shocked gazes of the crowd.
"Surprised? Unexpected? Thrilling?"
His triumphant gaze swept over the faces of Thor, Loki, and Frigga, admiring the expressions of mixed anger, grief, and disbelief on their faces, and the smile on his face deepened.
"Don't look at me with those eyes. Collecting the souls of the strong and great has always been one of my few hobbies, and the power of these stones has helped me save a massive amount of time in this process, hasn't it?"
As he spoke, Mephisto couldn't help but triumphantly kiss the Soul Stone on the gauntlet.
That smug look made the veins on Thor's forehead throb wildly; he couldn't help but raise Mjolnir high, swinging it directly at Mephisto's head.