In Kino's eyes, a sudden, blinding red glow began to surface.
With the activation of his Heat Vision, two fiery energy beams shot out like arrows from a bow.
"Ahhh!"
Thanos roared, swinging his right fist as a yellow energy beam rushed forward in a violent surge.
In the air, the red and yellow energies collided.
In that instant, it was as if a sun had appeared, the blinding light forcing everyone to instinctively close their eyes.
At the point of collision, the energy expanded in all directions like a massive tsunami. The surrounding air ignited instantly, creating rippling waves of heat, while debris from the ground was lifted into the sky by the powerful gusts.
"Everyone, retreat!"
Both sides of the battlefield quickly began to fall back.
"Kino!!!"
Thanos clenched his right fist, which was melting away, and unleashed the full power contained in the Infinity Stones.
Boom—
A deafening sound rang from the center of the battlefield.
The shockwave of the massive energy spread rapidly.
Under this terrifying energy wave, the Dark Church and Demon King's army, who hadn't retreated in time, were thrown into the air.
From a distance, a massive mushroom cloud rose into the sky.
"Cough cough cough, I'm still alive?"
Natasha slowly opened her eyes through the smoke and dust, only to see a massive figure before her.
"Hulk?"
"No, it's Abomination."
The figure slowly turned around to reveal a horrifying face, with a twisted smile on its lips. The sight made Natasha shudder in fear.
The Demon King's side took minimal damage, as most of the attack was blocked by the Dark Phoenix. The rest were able to find shelter behind tanks, armored vehicles, Hulk, or demons.
The Dark Church wasn't so lucky; the five generals of Black Glory were all injured, and the Cyreta infantry, giant apes, and Leviathan were all wiped out.
On the battleship.
Venom used his biofield to protect the ship, saying with annoyance:
"This guy told us not to damage the ship, but now he nearly destroyed it himself."
"After all, my dear is having so much fun."
Pamela smiled faintly, showing no concern for Kino.
"Little Red, come here, this is so cool."
"Harley, don't mess with the buttons, or you'll get a spanking again."
"Got it."
—
Future Tony stared at the massive crater before him, surrounded by smoke and with its edges melted. His expression was filled with shock and concern.
Tony landed beside him, patted him on the shoulder, and joked:
"Although your lawn is gone, look at it from another perspective. You could consider building a lake here and fish in it someday."
Future Tony frowned at him still joking in such a situation.
"You're not worried that the Demon King might lose?"
"Lose? Don't be ridiculous. If he loses a single hair, I'll eat your nanotech armor."
Tony waved his hand confidently.
After all, Kino's greatest strength was his nearly invincible physical prowess.
Everyone ignored the crater and returned to the battle against the Dark Church.
Below, a fierce cold wind suddenly swept through, quickly dispersing the smoke and dust.
The edge of the magma began to harden under the chilling wind.
"See, I told you there was no—"
Before Tony could finish his sentence, he stopped abruptly, shocked as he looked at the figure below.
Future Tony struggled to suppress his grin.
His nanotech armor deactivated, returning to the reactor in his chest as particles.
He removed the reactor, placing it in Tony's hands:
"Take your time eating it. You can season it with Concrete Mix #42 if you like. Hahaha."
War was over.
Tony looked at the nanotech reactor in his hands, then glanced at Kino below.
"That's what you get for running your mouth."
Kino created a new outfit, dressed up, and helplessly rubbed his smooth, bald head, deciding to shave off all his hair. This wasn't the result of Thanos's work, but rather, a misfired heat beam that reflected back at him when the explosion occurred.
Though he wasn't injured, his hair was gone.
"Well, I guess no hairstyle can compete with looking handsome," Kino said, nodding at his reflection in the mirror, pleased with himself.
He approached the crumpled Thanos, who was leaning against the stone wall, and couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.
Thanos's arm, still clutching the Soul Stone, was nothing but bone now. The once radiant Soul Stone had dimmed, and his golden armor had shattered into pieces, leaving his body scorched like charcoal. Each time his chest moved, cracks appeared.
Thanos, hearing the sounds, slowly raised his head, his eyes now empty sockets.
"Kino, I... lost..." His voice was dry and shaky, each word uttered with all his strength.
"Yeah, as impossible as it seemed, I still wanted to try. Thanos, submit to me."
"I can save you. I can even grant you more power, more advanced knowledge and technology, and I can take you to other parallel universes. You could conquer their resources and complete your great work in a new way."
Kino spoke.
Thanos fell silent for a moment before he slowly responded with a dry laugh.
"Haha... to be recognized by you... is my... honor. But... Thanos's great work is already complete."
He spoke with surprising strength in his final words, but his breath was growing weaker.
"Alright, I've always wanted to ask you, Thanos. Killing half of all life... was it for Death, or for your own desire?" Kino asked, rubbing his head and sighing.
"For Death? What do you mean?" Thanos countered.
"I know of another Thanos, the one who massacred Titan, waged cosmic wars, collected the Infinity Stones, and killed all life.
He did exactly what you did, but his goal was to show his love and devotion to the Goddess of Death, to prove his ability to bring her countless lives."
Kino explained what he knew about that other Thanos.
Thanos listened quietly, his chest rising and falling violently as he weakly reached for the Soul Stone, prying it from the bones of his arm.
The Soul Stone's energy spread throughout his body, hastening his demise, but it also revived his ability to move.
Bang!
He punched the stone wall behind him and pushed himself up.
"Kino! Please, grant me one request."
"Say it."
"If you encounter the Thanos you described, kill him. He doesn't deserve to be called Thanos!"
Thanos's expression was terrifying, despite the fact that his eyes were hollow. Still, his empty sockets seemed to be locked onto Kino.
"Making a deal with me, the Demon King, always comes with a price."
Thanos's expression softened slightly, realizing that he was now the loser—everything was Kino's, even his body, which had become broken beyond repair.
"However, as a friend, I'll accept your deal. This time, it's on the house," Kino said.
"Friend? I never had a friend before," Thanos murmured, a touch of sorrow in his voice.
He had always been an outcast, even as he slaughtered Titan and waged war, surrounded by fear—fear from enemies, from his daughter, from his subordinates.
But now, in his final moments, he found a friend.
"Friend, I hope we never meet again..."
The Soul Stone slipped from Thanos's grasp, and Kino caught it.
"Never again."
Quote of the Chapter:"Even the fiercest warrior can find solace in the quiet of a friend, just before the end."
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