Just as Thanos was about to draw his sword and finish off his opponent, a streak of energy suddenly cut across the battlefield and slammed into him. The attack drew his attention instantly, but when the energy dispersed against his armor, all he felt was a faint warmth spreading across his skin. Compared to the searing intensity of heat vision he had endured before, this was almost laughable in its weakness.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, assessing the power behind the strike with cold precision. That Superman-like fighter he had faced earlier had at least reached a threshold that could be considered threatening, somewhere near a sub-god level. This one, however, barely registered in comparison, likely no more than planetary-tier at best.
Still, Thanos turned his head to identify the source. His gaze quickly locked onto Wanda, who had just arrived at the edge of the battlefield, clutching Quicksilver in her arms as she hovered in the air. The situation became clear in an instant. Quicksilver had attempted to support his sister after noticing the enemy's sudden disappearance, but he had fallen for an illusion and been struck down before he could react.
With Wanda no longer restraining the battlefield through her abilities, the remaining eight Eternals wasted no time. They surged forward together, launching a coordinated assault in a desperate attempt to stall Thanos and buy precious seconds for their allies.
But Thanos was not the kind of opponent who toyed with his enemies or hesitated when victory was within reach. He had no interest in prolonging a fight for spectacle or mercy. The moment he confirmed there were no unexpected variables remaining, his body vanished from sight.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind the strongest of the Eternals. The Tyrant's Blade flashed with lethal precision as it drove forward without hesitation. There was a wet, muffled sound as the blade pierced through flesh and bone, erupting from the victim's chest.
Bright red blood burst outward, spilling from both the wound and the man's mouth. The Eternal looked down in disbelief at the blade protruding from his body, his expression frozen in shock. Even with the immense resilience granted by their power, his life faded rapidly as the damage overwhelmed him.
Within seconds, his body went limp.
The remaining members of the Eternal race were struck with a crushing sense of despair. Their strongest warrior had fallen so effortlessly, leaving them exposed and defenseless. Among them, Ajax—their captain and the one gifted with healing abilities—stood at the center of the group, her expression trembling.
Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but for a moment, no words came out. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry… I dragged you all into this…"
Tears streamed down her face as guilt consumed her. As the leader of the Eternals, she had received word long ago from the Celestials about Thanos's impending invasion. They had warned her of his power, but it had only been a warning, nothing more.
Their mission had always been clear. They existed to prevent mutants from destroying humanity, not to intervene in extraterrestrial conflicts. The invasion of Earth by an alien warlord was outside their directive.
Yet, after living on this planet for over a thousand years, Ajax had grown deeply attached to it. Watching cities burn under orbital bombardment, seeing humanity suffer under the weight of destruction, she had made a choice of her own.
She had gathered her teammates and chosen to fight.
This was not the will of the gods. It was her own decision.
The other Eternals gathered around her, their voices filled with anxiety and uncertainty. One after another, they voiced their thoughts, searching for any possible solution.
"Ajax, what do we do now?"
"The enemy is too strong… can we call for divine intervention?"
"What if we surrender for now and look for a chance to escape later?"
They still had their ancient spaceship, hidden away for centuries. Even after all this time, it remained functional, and if it wasn't, they would fix it. Escape was not impossible.
Ajax listened to their words, her expression filled with regret. "I'm sorry… this is all because of me…"
Before anyone could respond, before they could even offer words of comfort, Thanos lost patience.
He appeared directly beside them without warning, his towering figure casting a shadow over the group. The Tyrant's Blade swept through the air in a brutal arc, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
In mere moments, the battlefield fell silent.
Seven bodies collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Only Ajax remained.
It was not mercy that spared her. Thanos simply had questions that needed answers. He stepped closer, his gaze cold and unyielding as he looked down at her.
"Which Celestial sent you to Earth?"
His voice carried no anger, only a calculated curiosity. He wanted to know which higher being had placed these pieces on the board, who was playing against Death itself.
He had no illusions about challenging such entities directly. He was not arrogant enough to believe himself invincible. But knowing the identity of his unseen opponent would be enough for now.
They could settle the score later.
Ajax, however, did not respond. Her eyes were fixed on the broken bodies of her teammates, her mind shattered by the loss. She collapsed to her knees, her voice breaking as grief overtook her.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Thanos sighed softly, then raised his left hand. A yellow glow flickered into existence as the power of the Mind Gem surged outward, invading her consciousness without resistance.
Her expression changed instantly. The grief faded, replaced by confusion and emptiness. Her eyes lost focus as her will was overridden.
Thanos repeated his question.
Ajax's lips trembled as she spoke, her voice unsteady. "Arithm…"
"Arisam?"
The moment the name formed in his mind, everything changed.
A towering red figure appeared within his consciousness, vast beyond comprehension. Its metallic body loomed over him, its three pairs of glowing yellow eyes fixed directly on his existence. The sheer scale of it dwarfed planets, its presence suffocating and absolute.
In that instant, Thanos felt smaller than he ever had before. Like an ant standing before something that could crush him without effort.
Then, just as suddenly, the vision was torn away.
"Huff… huff…"
He staggered slightly, drawing in sharp breaths as he clutched his chest. His heart pounded violently, each beat faster than the last, like an engine pushed far beyond its limits.
If he had remained in that vision for even a moment longer, his heart might have given out entirely.
"That… thing…"
A flicker of unease passed through his mind. Could beings at that level truly be perceived simply by speaking their name? The thought alone was unsettling.
He tried to recall it again, but something was wrong.
A gap.
A missing piece.
His expression darkened instantly. Someone had tampered with his memory.
Without hesitation, he clenched his left hand again. This time, an orange glow burst forth as the Soul Gem activated, stabilizing his consciousness and preventing further loss.
Even so, the name refused to fully return.
Frustrated, he turned back toward Ajax, intending to question her again. But the moment his gaze fell on her, he paused.
Her body was still alive. Her cells were still active.
But there was nothing behind her eyes.
No soul.
She was already dead.
Thanos exhaled slowly, his interest fading. Whoever that being was, they had acted quickly. Too quickly.
He turned away, abandoning the line of inquiry entirely.
It was clear now that something had intervened. Whether it was the system or Death herself, he had been pulled out before the situation escalated beyond control.
He would investigate later.
For now, there was nothing left here.
…
With the Eternals eliminated, Earth no longer had any meaningful resistance left. After ensuring her brother's injuries were stabilized, Wanda stepped into a new role, governing the planet in place of her fallen father.
Thanos, meanwhile, handed over authority without hesitation. His attention had already shifted elsewhere, toward the thirty-seven alternate dimensions he had uncovered.
The first dimension he explored revealed something unexpected.
Mutants.
They were not native to Earth as he had once assumed. Instead, they had been hiding in a separate dimension entirely, explaining why their numbers seemed endless yet their origins remained hidden.
After eliminating a large portion of them, Thanos captured the survivors and had them imprisoned. His scientists would dissect their genetics, searching for ways to refine and enhance his Dark Order bio-soldiers.
The second dimension held something even more intriguing.
The sealed progenitor of vampires.
When Thanos entered that space, the ancient being was visibly stunned. It had clearly never anticipated someone breaching its prison without breaking the seal itself.
Almost immediately, it spread its arms wide, greeting him with an unsettling enthusiasm.
Thanos answered with the Tyrant's Blade.
Through his experiments, he came to a realization. The progenitor was not truly immortal. Instead, it possessed an extreme regenerative ability, allowing it to resurrect so long as even a trace of its blood remained.
He also noted, somewhat idly, that its flesh was tough and unpleasant, likely a consequence of its age.
But that observation sparked a different idea in his mind.
If such creatures could be bred and harvested on a large scale, then theoretically… there would be an endless supply of meat.
.....
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