"The majestic overlord of the universe is so shameless that he sent his men to consume my energy!" Thor laughed.
Thanos suddenly wore a shit-eating grin.
What the hell, am I still playing tricks on you, fat bastard?
In fact, Thanos simply thought he could handle it without taking action. After all, in his opinion, Thor was just a flashy second-generation warrior he had seen too many of, someone who had been spoiled with advantages from a young age. He wasn't qualified to challenge him. How could the boss do everything himself? It was just that he hadn't expected his minions to be so useless.
Thor jumped high, raised his double-edged spear surrounded by thunder, and stabbed downward.
Thanos raised his broadsword and blocked the blow, striking precisely between the tip of the spear and its hook. The force was so violent that Thor flew backward.
Thor rubbed his sore arms. He had rushed in first, overconfident, and had been easily provoked. There was still a huge gap between his strength and Thanos'.
Thunderclouds exploded across the sky, and countless lightning bolts bombarded Thanos. Thor took the opportunity to slash at him heavily. Thanos, caught off guard, raised his sword to block with one hand, but Thor pulled with all his strength, and Thanos' arm went numb, causing the sword to slip from his hand.
Before Thor could strike again, Thanos grabbed the long spear, slamming Thor into a side pillar.
"Boom!" The solid pillar shattered, and Thor fell in pieces, biting his tongue to force himself up, punching Thanos with all his might.
"Boom!" Their fists collided, the immense impact sending Thanos' four generals flying across the battlefield.
Thanos took three steps back, stopping just short of his limits, and Thor went flying upside down like a kite with a broken string. If Thor's body hadn't been so strong, that blow would have broken his arm in multiple places. Even so, his arm still throbbed with numbness.
No wonder the Hulk is so tough!
The little girl behind watched in shock. Adopted by Thanos as a child, she had always hated him and wanted to kill him. But Thanos was so strong that no one had ever injured him, let alone killed him. In her eyes, simply standing up to him was already an achievement.
Thanos didn't chase but waited for Thor to rise. He had never witnessed such defiance before. In the movies, Thor was focused on by Thanos, and the battle ended when others fell—but Thor kept getting up, continuing the fight despite being pummeled.
"You shouldn't provoke a dragon or tiger. You can't bear it, and I can't either," Thanos muttered.
Thor refused to admit defeat. A thunderbolt shot over, and Thanos absorbed it all. They fought again, Thor relentlessly striking with lightning. This time, he lasted three minutes before being knocked down.
"Lyra, finish him. As my daughter, I will forgive you this time."
Thanos spoke coldly. He intended to teach a lesson.
Lyra's face changed, struggling constantly. Thanos seemed patient, giving her time to think.
Not far away, Gamora, who had just arrived, looked at Lyra with worry. She was torn; she hoped Lyra would obey and avoid punishment, but she didn't want her to become a ruthless killing machine.
"No!" Lyra roared furiously. "I've had enough! You demon! You destroyed my homeland, forced me to be your weapon, and tried to turn me into a killing machine! I'm done with this life!"
She unleashed all her power. Fear had vanished from her eyes, replaced by extreme hatred. Her once-beautiful face twisted in anger. "You are not my father. A devil like you doesn't deserve love!"
"Is that so? That's a pity," Thanos said, stepping forward slowly. The four generals followed closely. Ebony Maw gestured, lifting Nebula.
Gamora reached for the dagger at her waist, watching Thanos nervously.
Just as Thanos approached Nebula, Thor, still on the ground, roared and exploded with all his strength. A thunderbolt, thicker than ever, burst from him and struck Thanos.
Heh, you think I didn't notice you holding back before? Let's see how desperate you get now. The battle-tested Thanos was not fooled. The distance was too close to dodge, yet he took the hit unscathed.
Neither Thanos nor his four generals noticed the small, deep purple light hidden in the lightning.