The wind stilled.
A silence spread across the battlefield, heavy and unnatural. Even the roar of distant combat faded as if the world itself dared not interrupt what was coming. Fires smoldered in the distance, casting long shadows across fallen warriors and scorched earth. Soldiers from both sides paused, instinctively drawn to the center of the field.
Thanos took his first step forward.
Alexander watched him approach, eyes narrowed, his body swaying slightly from exhaustion. The shadow sword in his hand pulsed with his heartbeat, its edges dripping with black light that twisted unnaturally in the air. Each breath he drew was a battle against collapse.
[SHADOW CORE STABILITY: 99.1% — WARNING: SYSTEM LIMIT REACHED]
Thanos didn't hurry. Each footfall was deliberate. The Infinity Gauntlet glowed, humming with restrained power. The Power and Space Stones shimmered, resonating with every shift in his aura.
Alexander lunged first.
Their blades and fists collided mid-charge, sending a shockwave that cracked the earth beneath them. Thanos ducked a slash and countered with a gauntlet punch that Alexander barely parried. The impact flung him sideways. He rolled midair and landed in a crouch, skidding across fractured soil, his boots tearing trenches into the dirt.
He rose again, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"You're strong," Thanos admitted, rolling his shoulders. "Stronger than most."
Alexander didn't respond. He dashed in again.
They clashed a second time. Sparks flew as shadow and cosmic force collided. Alexander ducked low, slicing across Thanos's thigh. The Titan grunted and backhanded him with the Gauntlet, sending him flying into a broken vibranium structure. The metal collapsed in on him, a cloud of smoke and dust rising.
The battlefield trembled. The ground split in lines radiating from their impact. Distant warriors turned briefly to witness the titanic battle, awe in their eyes.
In the lab, chaos reigned.
Noctis fought in a blur, his movements frantic as he dispatched the final two Outriders. Blood soaked his armor, but he didn't stop. Wanda leaned over Vision, her hands pressed against his chest, maintaining a shield of magic between him and the chaos. Her arms trembled from the effort.
Shuri worked furiously, her hands flying across the console. "We're losing time!" she snapped, her voice sharp, cracking with urgency.
Vision stirred.
Wanda leaned close. "Vision?"
"I feel him," Vision said weakly. "He's close."
The Mind Stone flared with golden light, casting eerie shadows across the walls.
Back on the field, Alexander's body slid from the rubble. He stood slowly, staggering.
[SHADOW CORE 99.9% — EMERGENCY RELEASE REQUIRED]
He exhaled once.
Then let go.
The shadows erupted from his body in a spiraling inferno, stretching upward like a black tornado. The light dimmed across the battlefield. Soldiers paused mid-fight, glancing skyward in awe and fear. The ground itself seemed to recoil.
Alexander's form lifted off the ground, surrounded by a cocoon of swirling darkness. His armor mended midair, glowing veins of deep purple running across his limbs.
Thanos looked up, unimpressed. He raised the Gauntlet in readiness.
Alexander's voice came through the storm.
"You will not pass."
He shot forward like a missile. The resulting clash sent debris flying for hundreds of meters. Thanos staggered for the first time. Alexander's sword cleaved through the Gauntlet's forearm plate, cracking it with a spray of sparks. The Titan snarled and used the Space Stone to blink behind Alexander and smash him into the earth.
Alexander hit the ground hard, coughing blood. His shadows flickered around him erratically. His body shook.
The light in his eyes flickered.
Inside the lab, alarms began blaring. The Mind Stone pulsed brighter. Shuri's console flashed red, overloaded with readings.
"It's resonating with something," she said.
Wanda's eyes widened. "It's him."
Vision sat up slightly, wincing. "He's here."
Heavy footsteps echoed outside the corridor, too slow to be an Outrider. Each step was deliberate, measured.
Noctis turned, his spear rising again.
Wong steadied himself, golden whips forming in both hands. His expression was grim, jaw clenched tight.
Then the wall melted.
The air shimmered with heat and distortion as Thanos stepped through the haze.
The room seemed to contract with his presence. The Gauntlet shimmered menacingly. His gaze moved slowly from one defender to the next before locking onto Vision.
Wanda's face went pale.
"You should have destroyed it when you had the chance," Thanos said, his tone as calm as it was cruel.
He raised the Gauntlet.
The Stones glowed, humming with unspoken threat.
The defenders braced themselves.
And the room exploded in light.
To be continued.
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