Thanos' words were filled with disdain toward the Thanos from Robert's universe. In his mind, if his own strength had been greater, perhaps he could have gathered the Infinity Stones even faster.
Of course, this Thanos didn't seem to consider one crucial factor—that the Thanos from Robert's universe was stronger, meaning the enemies he faced were also far stronger. Naturally, collecting the Infinity Stones wouldn't have been as easy.
Then again, it was possible that this Thanos understood that fact but simply didn't care. In his eyes, the only thing that mattered was victory and conquest.
"Is there a possibility that it's because I'm too strong?" Robert spread his hands and smiled at Thanos, issuing a direct challenge.
Perhaps due to differences between universes or differing life experiences, this Thanos' demeanor was far more domineering than the Thanos from Robert's universe—he embodied the ruthless nature that the name "Thanos" should carry.
"You mean to say, you're powerful?" Thanos lifted his massive double-edged sword and raised his gauntleted hand. "Then tell me, do you think you can withstand my blade, or my Infinity Gauntlet?"
"Why don't we find out?" Robert's lips curled into a confident smirk.
"Arrogant brat!" A cold gleam flashed through Thanos' eyes. Without hesitation, he launched himself toward Robert like a bullet. A surge of purple energy from the Power Stone coursed through his double-edged sword as he slashed fiercely toward Robert's head!
It was clear that this universe's Thanos had an exceptional mastery over the Infinity Stones. Perhaps because he had possessed them for longer, he had studied them more deeply. Or maybe he had even found ways to use the Stones to enhance his own strength.
"Clang!"
Yet, despite the overwhelming power behind Thanos' strike, the double-edged blade failed to harm Robert. With practiced ease, Robert extended a single finger and stopped the sword mid-swing.
This was a technique Robert had used countless times—it was second nature to him now. Inwardly, he even found it amusing how many enemies in this universe relied on weapons. In the world of Dragon Ball, true weapon masters were rare.
Sure, early on, Goku had his Power Pole, and that overweight swordsman Yajirobe wielded a katana. Later, Trunks used a longsword, but none of those weapons really suited Robert. Besides, he couldn't exactly bring weapons from that world into this one, so he never considered crafting one for himself.
Luckily, Robert's body itself was the ultimate weapon.
Even as the purple energy from the Power Stone crackled violently along the blade, attempting to corrode his finger, Robert simply covered his finger with ki and effortlessly blocked the energy's spread.
"How is this possible?!" Thanos' pupils shrank. He had suspected from Robert's arrogant demeanor that his opponent was no ordinary warrior. But now, after channeling the Power Stone into his blade and still failing to leave a scratch, Thanos felt a sinking sensation in his chest. His expression grew solemn.
"Well? A single Power Stone won't cut it. Why don't you show me more of what you can do with the Infinity Stones?" Robert taunted. "To be honest, the six Stones have never been gathered together in my universe. Why don't you go ahead and unleash their full power?"
At the mention of using all six Infinity Stones, Thanos' expression darkened slightly. A memory flashed through his mind—the moment he had snapped his fingers.
The pain had been unbearable. It was as if an immense force had tried to tear his body apart.
If not for his incredibly durable physique, he would have died on the spot.
Even though he had survived, he had needed an extensive period of recovery. During that time, he had continuously used the Stones to enhance his own strength, ensuring he could better withstand their power in the future.
Even so, just remembering that agony made Thanos hesitate. The idea of snapping his fingers again, right now, was unappealing—he wasn't sure how long it would take to recover afterward.
That was something he had planned to attempt only after traveling to a new universe, where he could further strengthen himself and minimize the cost of using the Stones' full power.
"Boom!"
But before Thanos could fully gather his thoughts, Robert delivered a devastating kick, sending him flying.
Caught off guard, Thanos slammed into the ground, creating massive fissures as molten lava erupted from the planet's core.
Compared to Thanos' earlier strike—which Robert had effortlessly blocked—this kick carried immense force. Unable to mitigate the impact, Thanos not only suffered severe damage but also inadvertently caused catastrophic destruction to the planet itself.
The sheer force of Robert's kick had shattered the planet's crust, dooming it to imminent collapse.
Thanos gritted his teeth as he stood up, dark red energy flickering around him, healing his wounds.
"Buzz!"
The extent of Thanos' internal injuries was unclear, but his armor had quickly repaired itself. Robert even noticed traces of Celestial armor integrated into Thanos' gear.
"That's... Celestial armor?!" The Executor gasped in shock upon seeing the familiar patterns.
Robert hadn't been mistaken—Thanos had indeed incorporated Celestial technology into his armor. However, since he had only recently begun studying it, the fusion was still in its early stages.
"We need to leave!" The Eliminator grabbed the Executor, lowering his voice as he prepared to escape—perhaps even flee to another universe.
But in the next moment, his face changed drastically.
The space around them had been completely locked.
Just like before, when they had first encountered Thanos, the entire area had been sealed off. Even as the planet approached destruction, Thanos showed no intention of lifting the spatial restriction.
"You dare to be distracted while fighting me? Others have tried before, but you're the first to be completely caught off guard," Robert shook his head mockingly.
"You're indeed strong," Thanos admitted, taking a deep breath. His gaze sharpened. "No wonder the Thanos of your universe couldn't defeat you. A single Infinity Stone isn't enough to take you down!"
"But..." Thanos' expression darkened. "You made a mistake—you should have pressed the attack when you had the chance."
"Buzz!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Space Stone on his gauntlet gleamed with a brilliant blue light. Suddenly, Robert felt his surroundings becoming thick and heavy, as if space itself had solidified around him.
Robert immediately recognized this as the Space Stone's power. Unlike anything he had seen before, the energy was now diffused throughout the entire space, forming a layered spatial restriction.
Even the Ancient One, when restraining Galactus, had needed to use the Time Stone alongside such spatial techniques.
"Swoosh!"
At the same time, Thanos slashed with his Power Stone-enhanced blade, his movements even more agile than before—almost as if he had stepped through space itself.
"A combination of two Infinity Stones? Not bad... but still not enough."
Robert's aura flared, instantly shattering the spatial restraints.
"Boom!"
Before Thanos could react, Robert evaded the blade with a sidestep and delivered a crushing punch to his abdomen. Thanos was launched skyward, coughing up blood as his purple skin paled.
"Damn it!"
His rage ignited, and the green glow of the Time Stone enveloped him. The moment he activated it, everything around him began to reverse—including his injuries.
But as the green light reached Robert, it abruptly halted.
Thanos' pupils shrank in shock.
"Impossible! How can the Time Stone fail to affect him?!"
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