In the still darkness of a desert night, Proxima Midnight lay motionless on the sand, her once-imposing frame pinned down by an unseen force. The stars above were cold and distant, glinting faintly across the barren expanse.
Beside her stood Kurogai, his expression unreadable.
"Why?" Proxima hissed through gritted teeth, struggling in vain against the crushing pressure. "What is this power? Why can't I move?"
Kurogai tilted his head slightly, almost amused. "Didn't you come to Earth to find this thing?" He raised his hand, and in his palm shimmered the Space Stone, radiating a cool, dangerous light. "Strange, isn't it? To come searching for something you don't even understand."
Proxima's eyes widened. The realization hit her like a blade. This power... the Space Stone...
Her voice trembled. "You... you're the one—the figure who stole the Infinity Stones from under Thanos'!"
Kurogai's gaze hardened. "Stole?" he repeated, his tone low and sharp. "No. I simply claimed what was left unguarded."
The fear that flickered in Proxima's eyes told him everything. She had heard of the mysterious being who had defied Thanos twice, enraging the Mad Titan enough to accelerate his plans for the Stones. But she had never expected the culprit to be... human.
Could the Earth itself be gathering the Stones? Or is this man acting alone? she thought wildly, panic clawing at her chest.
Before she could finish that thought, Kurogai's eyes changed—blood-red irises spinning, the pupils reshaping into a swirling windmill pattern.
"Tsukuyomi."
The illusion began.
The desert faded away into a void of white and shadow. Proxima felt her will slipping as Kurogai's calm voice filled the empty space.
"Tell me," he commanded quietly, "everything you know. Why are you here? What is Thanos planning with the Stones?"
Under the influence of the illusion, she spoke without resistance. "Some time ago, the King's scepter—the Mind Stone—flared with light. Thanos believed someone was gathering the other Stones. He sent Ebony Maw to track them, to find whoever dared interfere…"
Kurogai listened, arms folded. Every word confirmed his suspicions.
"So," he muttered, "it's because I absorbed the Space Stone's energy. That's what drew their attention."
His expression hardened. "That means Thanos' gaze is now on Earth. But he won't come yet… not while the Ancient One still guards this realm."
For a moment, his eyes drifted toward the distant horizon. "Thanos I can handle," he murmured. "But the one behind him—Death—that's another story."
He clenched his fist. "Then I'll have to move faster."
With a flick of his hand, blue light engulfed Proxima Midnight. The Space Stone's energy surged, and in a blink, her body dissolved into particles of light, erased completely from existence.
Kurogai said nothing. It had to be done—she knew too much.
He opened a shimmering portal beside him and stepped through.
The icy tundra beyond was chaos. Thor clashed with Cull Obsidian, each strike of Mjolnir colliding with the dwarf's axe in thunderous bursts. Shockwaves tore through the frozen air, scattering debris and snow.
Thor grinned through the storm. "You're strong, for someone who's ugly!"
Cull Obsidian bellowed a laugh. "And you're loud, for a god!"
Their weapons crashed again, the sound echoing like rolling thunder.
Not far away, Ebony Maw was locked in a desperate battle with the Ancient One. His telekinetic control and psychic power twisted the battlefield around him, but against the calm, golden radiance of the Sorcerer Supreme, he was hopelessly outmatched. She moved effortlessly, bending reality with each gesture, forcing him back with a single motion.
Kurogai stepped onto the field, the air around him rippling slightly as the portal closed behind him. The moment the enemies noticed his presence, both Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian froze. They looked around—but Proxima was gone. Only Kurogai remained.
Their expressions shifted from confusion to dread.
"Where's Proxima?" Ebony Maw rasped.
Kurogai said nothing, only met his gaze in silence. That silence was answer enough.
Fear made their attacks reckless. They lunged forward, desperate, but it only hastened their end. Thor's hammer struck like a meteor, and the Ancient One's sigils glowed bright gold. Within moments, both foes lay defeated—one crushed, the other swallowed by a portal of light.
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