Thanos' words were filled with disdain for the Thanos of Robert's universe. In his eyes, had he been stronger, he might have been able to collect all six Infinity Stones even sooner.
Of course, what this Thanos failed to consider was that the Thanos from Robert's universe was likely facing stronger enemies as well, making the collection of Infinity Stones far more difficult.
Then again, perhaps this Thanos was fully aware of that but simply didn't care. In his mind, only victory mattered—the strong ruled, and the weak perished.
"Isn't there a possibility that I was simply too powerful?" Robert smirked as he spread his arms, openly inviting Thanos to a fight.
Perhaps due to differences between universes, or simply due to different experiences, this Thanos was far more domineering and aggressive than the one Robert had encountered in his own universe—one who truly embodied the name "Thanos."
"You think you're that strong?" Thanos raised his twin-bladed sword and flexed his Infinity Gauntlet. "Then tell me, do you think you can handle my twin blades, or my Infinity Gauntlet?"
"Why don't we find out?" Robert's confident grin widened.
"Arrogant fool!" A cold gleam flashed in Thanos' eyes as he shot forward at Robert. A purple light surged from the Infinity Gauntlet, coating his twin blades as he swung them fiercely toward Robert's head.
It was evident that this Thanos had mastered the use of the Infinity Stones far more than his counterpart from Robert's universe. Perhaps it was because he had wielded them for longer, studied them more thoroughly, or even found ways to use them to enhance his own physical power.
Clang!
However, the moment Thanos' blade struck, Robert stopped it effortlessly—with just one finger.
This was a move Robert had executed countless times before. By now, he was so accustomed to it that he couldn't help but inwardly complain about how many weapon-wielding foes he had encountered in this universe.
In the Dragon Ball world, true weapon masters were rare. Early on, there were Kakarot's Power Pole and Yajirobe's samurai sword, and later Trunks' long sword—but none of those weapons suited Robert, nor could he bring them into this universe. So he never considered crafting a weapon for himself.
Luckily, his own body was the strongest weapon.
Even as the purple energy from the Power Stone roared and raged over the twin blades, attempting to overwhelm Robert's hand, he merely coated his finger in ki, completely neutralizing the assault.
"This… how is this possible?"
Thanos' pupils shrank.
From Robert's earlier arrogance, Thanos had already suspected he was formidable, but he had never expected that even with the Power Stone reinforcing his attack, he still couldn't harm him.
His heart sank. He now viewed Robert as an opponent of an entirely different caliber.
"Well? A single Power Stone won't be enough to deal with me. Why don't you show me more of your mastery over the Infinity Stones?" Robert taunted. "To be honest, the six Infinity Stones in my universe have never been gathered together. Why don't you go ahead and use all six at once?"
Thanos' pupils constricted slightly.
Memories of the time he used all six Infinity Stones to snap his fingers flashed in his mind. That moment had brought him excruciating pain, as if an unfathomable force was trying to tear his body apart.
Had his body not been so durable, he would have died instantly upon snapping his fingers.
Even though he survived, it took him a long time to recover. And during that time, he continuously used the Infinity Stones to strengthen himself, ensuring that his next use of the Stones wouldn't incapacitate him.
But even with that preparation, the mere thought of that pain made him instinctively reluctant to wield all six Stones at once again.
His plan was to wait until he traveled to another universe, at which point he would hopefully be even stronger and able to use the Stones with fewer consequences.
Boom!
Before Thanos could collect his thoughts, Robert kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying.
Thanos, caught off guard, crashed into the ground, creating massive fissures as lava erupted from beneath the planet's surface.
Unlike Robert, who had perfectly neutralized Thanos' earlier attack, Thanos had failed to mitigate Robert's blow. As a result, the residual force continued to tear into the planet itself.
Just that one attack alone shattered the planet's crust, dooming it to destruction.
Thanos, meanwhile, grimaced as he stood back up. A dark red glow pulsed over his body, rapidly healing his injuries.
Buzz!
While his internal injuries remained uncertain, the imprint of Robert's kick on Thanos' armor vanished almost instantly. Robert even noticed some Celestial tech integrated into the armor's design.
"That's… Celestial armor?!"
The Executor gasped in shock. He hadn't been mistaken—Thanos had indeed fused Celestial technology into his armor. However, given the short time he had studied it, the integration was still at an elementary level.
"Let's get out of here!"
The Eliminator grabbed the Executor, lowering his voice as he prepared to flee—either to another hiding place or another universe altogether.
But the moment he tried, his expression changed dramatically.
He couldn't access space. He couldn't teleport.
Just like when they first encountered Thanos, the surrounding space had been sealed. Even though the planet was on the verge of destruction, Thanos had no intention of lifting the spatial restrictions.
"You dare get distracted in battle? Others have tried that before, but at least they put up some resistance. You, though? You're the first one to not even react!"
Robert shook his head in mock disappointment.
"You are indeed strong. No wonder the Thanos of your universe wasn't your match," Thanos admitted. "A single Infinity Stone isn't enough to defeat you."
He took a deep breath, his expression becoming more serious.
"But not pressing the attack just now—that was a mistake on your part."
Buzz!
As soon as Thanos finished speaking, a brilliant blue glow surged from the Infinity Gauntlet. Suddenly, the space around Robert became unnaturally viscous, as if it had been layered with invisible barriers.
Robert recognized this immediately—this was the power of the Space Stone. It had been applied to every inch of the surrounding area, forming a complex spatial lock.
He had never seen the Space Stone used this way before. The Ancient One had demonstrated similar techniques when restraining Galactus, but that had involved a combination of the Time Stone as well.
Swish!
In an instant, Thanos, now free from spatial restraints, swung his Power Stone-infused twin blades at Robert again. His movements were far faster than before, as if he had transcended space itself.
"Using two Infinity Stones now? Still not enough," Robert scoffed. "You think mere spatial restrictions can hold me?"
At that moment, his ki erupted like a storm, tearing apart the spatial constraints.
Boom!
With space shattered, Thanos—who had moved fluidly moments before—now seemed like a rigid target. Robert easily sidestepped the incoming blade and landed a devastating punch to Thanos' gut, sending him hurtling into the sky.
Splurt!
Mid-air, Thanos coughed up blood, his purple skin momentarily paling.
Buzz!
A green glow spread across the Infinity Gauntlet as Thanos activated the Time Stone. Reality rewound—the planet's fractures vanished, lava retreated, and everything returned to its state before the battle began.
Even Thanos' wounds disappeared.
"You're strong," Thanos admitted. "But you cannot defeat me. With six Infinity Stones, I am invincible!"
As he spoke, the landscape changed drastically. The molten chaos vanished, replaced by serene skies and warm sunlight, as if nothing had happened.
But Robert remained unfazed, as if completely unaffected by the illusion.
Boom!
Suddenly, Robert punched the air to his side—where Thanos had been hidden—sending him flying once again.
"How?!"
Thanos was stunned. He had used the Reality Stone to disguise himself perfectly, yet Robert had seen through it effortlessly.
"Your tricks are too weak," Robert said, shaking his head.
The battle was far from over. But for the first time, Thanos began to doubt his supposed invincibility.
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