[Earth, Wakanda]
The battle was extremely fierce.
However, as fierce as the battle was, it had little to do with Captain America and the others.
Because fighting in their place alongside the Wakandan army was the unmanned robot legion known as the Black Iron Tide.
These vibranium robots built by Wakanda each had different functions depending on their model.
The Annihilators excelled in firepower and mobility. They swept across the battlefield, living up to their name as they harvested Thanos' four-armed monsters in great numbers.
Humanoid weapons such as the Sentinels and Black Hawks also played to their own strengths, working together to eliminate large numbers of monsters.
"So we're just going to watch?", Black Widow asked Captain America beside her uncertainly.
Steve said quietly, "We'll get our turn."
T'Challa nodded, "If they can break through the Black Iron Tide's defense zone, that'll be our time to act."
Colonel Rhodes nodded, "Let the Black Iron Tide wear down most of the enemy first. That way, even if some make it through the defense line, there won't be many left."
"All I can say is, this place is incredible."
T'Challa smiled, then glanced toward the laboratory building behind them.
At that moment, Thanos' side deployed gigantic war chariots. They were enormous, crushing everything in their path without distinguishing friend from foe. As they plowed across the battlefield, they shredded even their own soldiers.
Running between those war chariots were Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian.
"Looks like it's our turn."
Steve looked at Black Panther.
T'Challa's helmet immediately covered his head, "Wakanda forever!"
With a shout, he charged toward the enemy war chariots.
The moment he moved, Steve ran after him. Captain America was surprisingly fast, keeping pace with Black Panther at the front.
Behind them came Black Widow and the other heroes.
Black Widow and the Hulkbuster armor piloted by Dr. Banner charged forward together. Overhead, Falcon and War Machine swept ahead first.
Close behind them came Wakanda's aircraft and war chariots, pouring relentless firepower onto the enemy.
Massive fireballs blossomed across Thanos' war chariots, signaling that the battle had finally reached its fiercest stage.
———
Meanwhile, inside the laboratory, Shuri, wearing her combat suit, was putting the finishing touches on her work.
Although it had taken longer than she expected, she was now almost finished.
At that moment, Corvus Glaive, hiding in the shadows, contacted Proxima Midnight.
["What's going on? Haven't you attacked yet?"]
"That damned witch still has no intention of leaving."
Over the communicator, Proxima Midnight shouted, ["Forget it. Just make your move."]
["The enemy is more troublesome than we expected. While we're still able to keep them occupied, grab the Stone."]
Corvus Glaive said darkly, "Maybe I wasn't clear enough before, so I'll say it again. You still haven't lured that damned witch away."
Proxima Midnight sneered, ["What? You can't even handle one witch? Then you'd better explain that to Lord Thanos yourself."]
The transmission ended.
Corvus Glaive snorted, tightened his grip on his weapon, and began sneaking forward.
A moment later, one of the Dora Milaje cried out in the corridor as the tip of a blade suddenly emerged from her chest.
Behind her stood Corvus Glaive, who specialized in stealth and assassination.
He killed the Dora Milaje warrior with a single strike, but he was forced to reveal himself. The remaining three Dora Milaje shouted as their nanotech helmets covered their heads, and three vibranium spears thrust toward Corvus Glaive at the same time.
One against three, Corvus Glaive held his own. But with the protection of their vibranium suits, once the Dora Milaje were on guard, even he couldn't kill them quickly.
Wanda glanced toward the distant battlefield. Seeing that Wakanda could hold off the enemy without her help, she turned and headed into the corridor.
As she passed Shuri, Wanda said, "I'll stop him."
"You just focus on your work."
Shuri nodded and quickened her pace.
Wanda entered the corridor and waved both hands. Chaos magic seized control of Corvus Glaive, then blasted Thanos' elite subordinate away.
Shuri glanced behind her. Then, while her fingers moved deftly, she quietly inserted a program into Vision.
Once activated, the program would forcibly shut Vision down. As for how long it would keep him inactive, even Shuri didn't know.
———
[Titan]
With a roar, Thanos charged.
Just moments ago, he had tried several times to use the Space Stone to leave.
Every time he attempted to teleport away, Alex altered reality, changing his destination back to the battlefield on Titan.
Thanos had no choice but to accept one fact.
Until he defeated the Conqueror before him, he wasn't going anywhere.
He charged at Alex like a war chariot. The Titan's powerful physique left footprints in the ground with every step.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Alex.
Thanos threw a punch, but before it could reach Alex, it stopped in midair.
The existence of the Absolute Domain prevented Thanos from touching Alex. Thanos had already learned this aboard the Asgardian refugee ship, so he wasn't surprised.
The Soul Stone flashed on the fist frozen in the air.
Alex immediately felt something was wrong. His whole body became strangely hollow, as if his soul had already left it.
Even the Absolute Domain couldn't completely block an attack that directly affected the soul.
But besides the Absolute Domain, Alex's Bio-Force Field also had a Magic Resistance effect.
After evolving into the Absolute Domain, that effect had been retained.
Thanks to Magic Resistance, Alex wasn't fatally wounded by a single attack from the Soul Stone.
He endured the attack, then used the Reality Stone to turn Thanos into hundreds of cubes.
He changed Thanos' very mode of existence.
However, because the Infinity Gauntlet contained two Infinity Stones, their power offset the Reality Stone's influence.
Alex couldn't turn the gauntlet into cubes as well.
But that had never been his goal.
He only wanted to leave Thanos unable to move. That way, he could easily take the Infinity Gauntlet along with the two Stones mounted on it.
But just as Alex reached for the Infinity Gauntlet, the Soul Stone on it suddenly erupted with a ring of purple light.
It was a tremendously powerful explosive shockwave. Caught off guard, Alex was struck head-on, but the Absolute Domain isolated him from the blast.
However, the Soul Stone's eruption disrupted the Reality Stone, canceling the ability that had been affecting Thanos.
Thanos regained his mobility, immediately used the Space Stone to widen the distance, and then activated the Soul Stone once more, awakening the countless dead on Titan.
This planet, now extinct, had once been prosperous.
That meant an enormous number of living beings had once inhabited it.
Now, their souls were forcefully awakened and controlled by the Soul Stone, becoming Thanos' soldiers.